QwikBuild raises $2.3 million from Japan's Globalway, plans Japan venture
By Arjun MehtaSenior Business Editor, Peepals Business
Representative image: StockSnap / Pixabay
Bengaluru's QwikBuild raised $2.3 million in a pre-seed round led by Japan-listed Globalway and will set up a joint venture to sell its enterprise AI platform in Japan.
What Happened
QwikBuild, a Bengaluru start-up that helps companies build business software with artificial intelligence, has raised $2.3 million, about Rs 22 crore, in a pre-seed round led by Globalway, a company listed in Japan. Blume Ventures, DeVC and Marsshot also took part, according to reports on the deal published on October 27 and 28, 2026. Alongside the investment, QwikBuild and Globalway are setting up a joint venture to take the start-up's platform into Japan's enterprise software market, with operations expected to begin by the end of 2026. QwikBuild was founded in 2025 by Pradeep Ayyagari, a former executive at the fintech firm slice.
Key Facts
- Amount: $2.3 million, about Rs 22 crore, in a pre-seed round.
- Lead investor: Globalway, listed in Japan.
- Other investors: Blume Ventures, DeVC and Marsshot.
- Japan plan: a joint venture with Globalway, expected to start operating by the end of 2026.
- Product: a platform to build business applications from scratch or add custom layers on top of systems such as SAP and Salesforce.
- Customers: more than 100 enterprises across India, Southeast Asia, the US and Dubai, the company says.
- Use of funds: mostly sales and marketing, including a US team and wider Southeast Asia operations.
Why It Matters
Large companies spend heavily on customising enterprise software. A sales team may need a specific workflow inside Salesforce, or a finance team a new report on top of SAP, and building each one has traditionally required specialist developers and months of work. AI tools that generate working applications from simpler instructions promise to cut that time sharply. QwikBuild is one of many start-ups chasing that opportunity, and its pitch is that it can build both standalone apps and extensions to the big systems companies already use.
The structure of the deal is what stands out. Most Indian start-ups at the pre-seed stage raise money from domestic angels and funds and focus on India first. QwikBuild's lead investor is a Japanese listed company, and the round comes with a ready route into Japan through a joint venture. Japan is a large enterprise software market, but it is hard to enter without local partners because of language, business customs and long sales cycles. A partner that already sells to Japanese companies can open doors that would take a small Indian firm years to reach.
For Indian founders, the deal is an example of a market-entry model worth noting: pairing early capital with a strategic partner who brings distribution in a specific country. It also shows that Japanese companies are looking at Indian AI start-ups not only as vendors but as partners for products they can sell at home.
The round is small next to some recent enterprise AI raises in India, and QwikBuild's customer claims have not been independently verified. Its progress in Japan and the US will show whether the model works.
| Detail | QwikBuild |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2025, Bengaluru |
| Founder | Pradeep Ayyagari, former slice executive |
| Round | $2.3 million pre-seed |
| Lead investor | Globalway (Japan-listed) |
| New market | Japan, via joint venture by end-2026 |
Impact
Short-term: The funding pays for a US sales team and expansion in Southeast Asia, while the joint venture with Globalway prepares to launch in Japan by the end of 2026.
Long-term: If the Japan venture succeeds, it could become a template for other Indian enterprise software start-ups seeking entry into Japan through strategic investors rather than going alone.
Who is affected: Enterprises that customise SAP and Salesforce systems, Indian software developers and IT service firms whose custom work faces AI competition, Japanese enterprise buyers, and early-stage investors in Indian AI.
Key Takeaway
QwikBuild's $2.3 million round led by Japan's Globalway pairs early funding with a ready path into Japan, a market-entry model that Indian enterprise AI start-ups may increasingly follow.
Questions and Answers
How much did QwikBuild raise and from whom?
QwikBuild raised $2.3 million, about Rs 22 crore, in a pre-seed round led by Japan-listed Globalway, with Blume Ventures, DeVC and Marsshot also investing. The deal was reported on October 27 and 28, 2026.
What does QwikBuild do?
QwikBuild offers an AI platform that lets companies build business applications from scratch or add custom features on top of systems such as SAP and Salesforce. The company says it serves more than 100 enterprises.
What is the Japan joint venture?
QwikBuild and Globalway are setting up a joint venture to sell QwikBuild's platform to Japanese companies. It is expected to start operating by the end of 2026.
Who founded QwikBuild?
QwikBuild was founded in 2025 in Bengaluru by Pradeep Ayyagari, a former executive at the fintech company slice.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
By Arjun Mehta, Senior Business EditorCovers Start-ups & Opportunities and more for Peepals Business. All stories by Arjun Mehta
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Arjun Mehta is a pen name of the Peepals Global Editorial Team, which researches, fact-checks and publishes every story. The portrait is an illustration.
