Gig worker infrastructure startup Nia.one raises $2.4 million from impact investor Elevar Equity

Gig worker infrastructure startup Nia.one has raised seed funding of $2.4 million, or about Rs 21.3 crore, from impact investor Elevar Equity.

The Bengaluru-based startup said it will use the fresh capital to speed up the rollout of its Nia.one hubs, called Niadels, in major employment corridors across Delhi NCR, Bengaluru and Pune. It also intends to expand its AI technology layer, known as Rafiki, and invest in new talent as it scales.

Founded in 2024 by Chhabra and Lt. Col. Pushkar Raj, Nia.one operates a full-stack, phygital platform for migrant and gig workers. Its offering combines access to verified jobs, accommodation, meals, mobility, and basic essentials, aiming to convert migration into long-term stability.

At the heart of the system is Rafiki, an AI assistant that gathers data from workers and matches them to opportunities aligned with their skills, experience and preferred locations. The startup claims that its approach improves retention rates, boosts worker savings, and ensures a more consistent supply of manpower for enterprises in logistics, ecommerce, manufacturing and services.

It currently supports more than 3,000 workers across 50 cities and aims to scale that number to over 8,000 in the coming quarters. Its Niadels are situated within a kilometre of large worksites in logistics and industrial clusters, offering workers a combination of job placement, housing and daily necessities in one location.

"At Nia.one, we are building the missing physical layer between the road and the rented bed," said Pushkar Raj. "Every Niadel hub is designed so that a worker can walk to work, return to a safe, affordable bed, access hot meals, and upgrade their life without debt traps or brokers."

"Infrastructure for migrant workers has been treated as an afterthought for too long," said Sachin Chhabra, Founder and CEO. "We have proven that our model delivers 80 percent retention and improves with scale. Our focus now is to expand city by city and show that a strong network of Niadels can build better lives for workers and stronger outcomes for enterprises."