Shutdown · Consumer Internet & Media

Professional networking platform Medial shuts down operations

By Startup Enthusiast · 14 July 2026

Date: 14 July 2026
Company: Medial
What it does: professional networking platform for startups
Kind: Shutdown
Founded: 2023
Sector: Consumer Internet & Media

What they do

Medial was a professional networking platform for founders, investors, and startup professionals, aiming to bridge the information gap between Tier I and…

What happened

The company shut down operations in July 2026 after failing to raise fresh funding and facing a cash crunch, despite having 500,000 users across 30 countries

Why it matters

Medial had raised $500,000 in a pre-Series A round in December 2024 from Ortella Global Capital and was featured on Shark Tank India, but struggled to find…

The details

Medial has begun winding down its operations after failing to raise fresh funding and facing a cash crunch.
Niket Raj Dwivedi, founder and CEO, announced the shutdown in a LinkedIn post, calling it a 'difficult decision'.
Medial aimed to create a home for the startup ecosystem on the internet, supporting founders, employees, and investors.
The platform had 500,000 users across 30 countries and offered both real identity and anonymous participation.
Medial raised $500,000 in a pre-Series A round in December 2024 from Ortella Global Capital.
The startup was featured on Shark Tank India and had previously claimed 10X user growth and sixfold engagement increase.
Despite the visibility from Shark Tank India, Medial struggled to find a sustainable monetization model.
The shutdown comes amid a challenging market for Indian social networking startups, with many struggling to find viable business models.

The bigger picture

Medial failed to raise fresh funding, leading to a cash crunch and the decision to shut down.
The company had attempted to build an online community for founders, startup employees, and investors across India.
Despite reaching 500,000 users and expanding to 30 countries, Medial could not find a sustainable monetization model.
The shutdown highlights the challenges faced by Indian social networking startups in finding viable business models.

About the business

Medial was a professional networking platform focused on the startup and tech ecosystem.
The platform hosted startup news, industry updates, career discussions, and workplace conversations.
It offered both real identity and anonymous participation, positioning itself as a 'high-signal' alternative to traditional social media.
Medial also launched a premium subscription with access to VC and grant trackers, accelerator and incubator databases, startup jobs, and exclusive content.
The startup aimed to bridge the information gap between Tier I and Tier II/III cities, ensuring geography was not a limitation.

The deal

Type: shutdown

Investors

Ortella Global Capital (investor) — Invested $500,000 in a pre-Series A round in December 2024.

Founders

Niket Raj Dwivedi, founder and CEO
Aishwarya Raj Pandey, co-founder
Harsh Dwivedi, co-founder
Prateek Kaien, co-founder

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