Rishikesh travel start-up Bucketlistt raises Rs 7.6 crore to reach Manali, Bir

Bucketlistt, a start-up that sells adventure and outdoor experiences through an online marketplace and builds software for the small operators who run them, has raised Rs 7.6 crore in a seed round, according to funding reports dated October 26, 2026. Kairon Capital led the round. Titan Capital, Divisa Family Office and investor Kunal Popat also took part. The company, whose consumer platform runs in Rishikesh in Uttarakhand, said it will use the money to build its product and expand to Manali and Bir in Himachal Pradesh.

Most of the money in India's travel technology has gone to companies that sell flights, trains, buses and hotel rooms, and most of them are run from the big metros. Activities such as river rafting, camping, trekking and paragliding are a different business. They are usually sold by small local operators in hill and river towns, many of whom take bookings over phone calls and messaging apps and keep accounts on paper. Bucketlistt is trying to sit on both sides of that market: a place where travellers can compare and book activities, and a software tool that helps the operator run the business behind the booking.

The choice of towns is telling. Rishikesh, Manali and Bir are small places by population, but each is a known name for outdoor travel: Rishikesh for the Ganga and its rafting stretch, Manali as a base for the high Himalaya, and Bir for paragliding. Growth there is a test of whether a start-up can win over operators who already have steady customers and may not see why they should pay for software or share a commission with a platform. The company's reported plan to spend on operator onboarding suggests that this, rather than attracting travellers, is the harder part of the job.

For Peepals Bharat readers, the round is also a small example of a trend this sub-page follows: start-ups whose market is outside the metros. The money is modest by venture standards, but the jump from a Rs 1.07 crore angel round to Rs 7.6 crore within the same year shows that institutional investors are willing to back a business built on hill-town tourism. Whether that turns into jobs and steadier incomes for local guides and operators will depend on how many of them join, and on what terms.

Short-term: The company is expected to add operators and listings in Manali and Bir and to spend on technology. Travellers in these towns may see more activities listed online with fixed prices and instant booking, and operators may be offered the OkGhumo software to manage their bookings.

Long-term: If the model works in three towns, the same pattern could be repeated in other adventure and pilgrimage destinations in the Himalaya and elsewhere. The open questions are the commission operators will be asked to pay, how safety standards are checked for listed activities, and whether the business can earn money in the off-season, when hill towns see far fewer visitors.

Who is affected: Small activity operators, guides and camp owners in Rishikesh, Manali and Bir; domestic travellers who book adventure trips; and the investors in the round. Local tourism bodies may also take an interest, since better booking records can give a clearer picture of visitor numbers.

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