Helium Secures Pre-Seed Funding Led by Merak Ventures to Revolutionise eCommerce with Advanced AI Technologies

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Merak Ventures, a sector-agnostic early-stage venture capital (VC) firm, is excited to announce its fifth significant investment this year, leading a INR 4.52 Cr (~$550k) pre-seed funding round in Helium, an AI platform which bakes product and visitor intelligence into eCommerce websites to help them convert better. This round also saw participation from angel investor Alok Mittal.

In today’s fast-paced digital market, online commerce is experiencing rapid growth. To stay ahead, these brands need top-notch storefront experiences that strengthen brand positioning and boost topline performance. Helium addresses this need by integrating advanced product and visitor intelligence into eCommerce platforms, enabling seamless digital product buying experiences.

Sheetal Bahl, Partner at Merak Ventures, expressed his excitement about the investment: “As online commerce surges post-pandemic, the need for tools to eliminate business inefficiencies has never been more pressing. Helium is addressing these critical gaps, set to boost conversions and revenue streams for eCommerce businesses. The relentless drive and innovation Shray, Sidharth and Deepak have shown in their early careers are truly exceptional, and we’re excited to champion their vision and journey.”

Shray Arora, Sidharth Sahni, and Deepak Kapoor form the dynamic co-founding team behind Helium, each contributing a unique skill set. Shray, the product and strategy lead, brings rich experience from his tenure at McKinsey and as Chief of Staff at Indifi. Sidharth, the prodigy developer, has been coding since he was 12 and previously worked as a Software Developer at Nados.

Deepak, based in North America, is a seasoned marketing professional with over a decade of experience in growth roles with retail brands like Lindt, Ecobee, and Baffin in North America, where he served as VP of Ecommerce & Digital at Baffin Footwear (a Canada Goose company). Together, they leverage their cross-functional expertise to drive Helium’s vision of revolutionising the eCommerce landscape with advanced AI technologies.

“At Helium, our mission is clear: to revolutionise the ecommerce landscape by empowering brands with the most advanced, intelligent, and seamless digital brand purchasing experience.
We believe that every brand, regardless of size or budget, deserves the opportunity to provide an exceptional online shopping experience akin to the standards set by industry giants like Apple and Amazon.”, stated Shray Arora, Co-founder of Helium.

Helium collaborates with leading brands in the fashion and consumer tech sectors to create intelligent collection and product landing pages. By leveraging AI, Helium tags each product and UI element, understanding their context through anonymized behavioural interactions of visitors. This allows Helium to curate the perfect combination of content, copy, and product for each visitor, similar to how Spotify tailors’ music preferences. The result is higher brand affinity and increased conversions.

The new funding will be strategically deployed to build a high-performing team and further develop Helium’s product offerings. The company aims to collaborate with top eCommerce brands globally, focusing on the North American market. Helium’s vision is to become the go-to solution for eCommerce excellence, pushing the boundaries of digital retail and setting new industry standards. The company plans to scale rapidly, innovate continuously, and establish itself as a leader in eCommerce technology.

About Merak Ventures
Merak Ventures is a sector-agnostic, early-stage venture fund investing in companies that are solving real problems and creating large-scale impact in the B2B and emerging technologies sectors. With a decade of experience in the Indian ecosystem, Merak Ventures is managed by experienced operators and investors, Manu Rikhye and Sheetal Bahl, who bring over 20 years of experience each to the table.

About Helium
Helium enables consumer brands to personalize their web stores for each visitor at scale. Our SaaS platform integrates AI-powered visitor and product intelligence with a no-code headless tech stack that mirrors brand themes and identity. This combination makes websites 3x faster and 2x more engaging, resulting in a 30% increase in conversions. With Helium, brands spend less time and resources managing their websites, unlocking their path to DTC growth. Our team, with over 20 years of experience in digital commerce, has worked with brands globally to address and solve growth challenges.