Nia.one Raises $2.4M to Build Phygital Hubs for Gig Workers

Empowering India’s Blue- and Grey-Collar Workforce through Integrated, Tech-Driven Infrastructure

Nia.one has secured $2.4 million in seed funding from Elevar Equity to expand its Niadel hubs—smart, physical-digital ecosystems designed to connect India’s gig workers with jobs, housing, meals, and essential services in one unified platform.

Nia.one, a pioneering full-stack platform for India’s gig and blue-collar workforce, announced that it has raised USD 2.4 million in seed funding from Elevar Equity. Founded in August 2024, the company aims to use this investment to expand its network of Niadel hubs — physical-digital (“phygital”) centers that integrate jobs, housing, food, and essential products into one cohesive infrastructure layer for India’s growing workforce.

As India’s gig and migrant labor base surpasses 23.5 million, the demand for inclusive, accessible worker infrastructure has become increasingly critical. Nia.one’s initiative addresses this gap by creating spaces where workers can live close to job sites, access fair employment opportunities, and meet daily needs without intermediaries or exploitation.

Elevar Equity, known for backing transformative ventures that serve what it calls “Entrepreneurial Households”, saw a strong alignment with Nia.one’s vision. The company’s approach reimagines India’s gig workforce not as a set of temporary laborers but as mobile households that require integrated infrastructure — combining safe housing, nutritious food, reliable services, and better job access.

“At Nia.one, we are building the missing physical layer between the road and the rented bed,” said Lt Col Pushkar Raj (Retd), Co-Founder and COO of Nia.one. “Every Niadel hub allows a worker to walk to work, return to a safe, affordable bed, and access hot meals — all without debt traps or brokers. Elevar’s support empowers us to build this infrastructure with focus, speed, and long-term purpose.”

Elevar Equity’s Managing Partner Jyotsna Krishnan, who also serves as Co-founder and CEO of EPIC World, added:

“Most platforms see gig workers as transactions; Nia.one sees them as entrepreneurial workers needing infrastructure. By solving for where they live, what they eat, and how they work, Nia.one has created a model where worker wellbeing directly drives business performance. It’s a bold and refreshing approach to this segment.”

The newly secured funds will be utilized to:

• Scale Niadel hubs across employment corridors in NCR, Bengaluru, and Pune, strategically located within one kilometer of major industrial and service hubs.
• Enhance Rafiki, Nia.one’s proprietary AI-driven technology stack, to better match workers with jobs, improve retention for enterprises, and provide access to housing, food, mobility, and finance in a transparent way.
• Develop a standardized playbook for hub expansion with focus on operational efficiency, sustainability, and worker satisfaction.
• Attract top talent to strengthen innovation and growth capabilities within the organization.

With the new funding, Nia.one plans to expand its workforce base from 3,000 to over 8,000 gig workers in the coming quarters.

Each Niadel hub operates on four integrated layers:

• Flow: Verified, fair-paying jobs with faster onboarding and predictable earnings.
• Studio: Essential goods and services—housing, meals, mobility, connectivity, and work gear—offered at transparent prices to promote monthly savings.
• Tribe: Health, learning, and community-building initiatives that foster stability and belonging.
• Rafiki: An AI-powered assistant that leverages network data to improve worker decisions and enterprise outcomes.

This phygital model enhances worker retention, lowers churn for employers, and ensures sustainable scalability for hub operations. Currently active across 50+ cities, Nia.one maintains retention rates above 80%, more than double the industry average of 40%.

“Infrastructure for migrant workers has been treated as an afterthought for too long,” said Sachin Chhabra, Founder and CEO of Nia.one. “We’ve proven the model with over 80% retention and scalable economics. With Elevar’s backing, we aim to show—city by city—that Niadel hubs can transform worker lives while strengthening enterprise performance.”

Through its innovative ecosystem, Nia.one is reshaping India’s blue- and grey-collar economy—bridging the gap between livelihood, dignity, and long-term economic resilience.