The 20-minute call wins Pronto’s Indian debut courtesy of Lachy Groom

Lachy Groom, one of Silicon Valley’s most watched investors, decided to give back to India where he started. Pronto just 20 minutes into his first meeting with his 24-year-old founder.

The meeting, which took place in February through a joint venture, led to Groom investing $20 million in Pronto as an additional Series B, valuing the start-up’s $200 million post-sale – doubling. counting two months agoas TechCrunch was it has already been said. The deal came together just a few weeks ago, bringing in a sole representative as the Bengaluru-based startup expands to meet the demand for on-demand home services in India.

Mr Groom said he was attracted by Pronto’s desire to build the world’s largest platform for organizing domestic workers, starting with India’s large and informal workforce. “The work on the ground is very difficult, and most of the efforts in the neighborhood have been in the management of the work,” he said, adding that the founder of Pronto Anjali Sardana (pictured above) and her team were working “at a level that I have not seen anywhere else.”

Prior to founding Pronto in 2025, Sardana worked at Bain Capital and 8VC, where he excelled in venture capital and large-scale startups. The startup connects families with workers for daily activities such as cleaning and household chores.

The introduction was arranged through Paul Hudson, founder of Glade Brook Capital, who connected Groom with Sardana during his trip to San Francisco earlier this year. Glade Brook has supported startups founded by both: Pronto, which Sardana leads, and Physical Intelligencewhere the Groom is a co-founder. Hudson and Groom also contributed to the start of the Indian trade Zepto.

Sardana said Groom’s financial strategy is largely driven by startups. “He points to two things. One is the founder, and that’s 95% of it. If he likes the founder, then he will invest,” he told TechCrunch, adding that the rest comes down to the scale and potential of the business.

Grooming comes as one of the first steps in India’s race to build instant home platforms, a fast-growing segment of urban households as more consumers begin to seek help with everyday tasks.

Chances are important. A recent report by Bank of America, reviewed by TechCrunch, estimates that the instant home services market in India could grow to a $15 billion to $18 billion market by the end of the decade, as companies including Pronto, Quicklyand The idea of ​​the company Urban Company InstaHelp to compete in a rapidly growing industry.

Competition is intensifying, with increasing economies of scale and dynamic pricing, especially to attract first-time users. Bank of America estimates that Snabbit and Urban Company’s InstaHelp accounts for about 40% of the market, while Pronto has a 20% share, although it is growing rapidly. The group is expected to remain “very rich” for the next two to three years.

Despite trailing many of its competitors, Pronto has been growing, growing from 18,000 bookings per day to 26,000 in just one month. The startup is focused on driving repeat business, betting that turning occasional demand into frequent, habit-driven use will be the key to success in this category, where its top 10% of users account for nearly 40% of bookings.

This development has also created problems, especially in terms of production. Pronto has expanded its network of employees to 6,500, up from 1,440 in January. But Sardana said demand continues to outstrip supply, making predictability and managing energy costs a challenge as startups grow.