“World’s First AI-Powered XR Commerce Studio” – Ctruh on Shark Tank India Season 5 Episode 48

Ctruh, a Bengaluru-based AI and XR technology startup, made a daring pitch that combined futurism with business on Shark Tank India Season 5 Episode 48. The company positioned itself as a remedy for one of the main issues with digital retail: consumers’ inability to fully experience things before making a purchase. Two of the Tank’s brightest brains took notice of this episode, which turned out to be one of the more technologically advanced pitches of the season.

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Vinay Agastya and Jayant Siktia created the deep tech business Ctruh (meaning “see-through”) in Bengaluru in 2023. Because, according to CEO Vinay Agastya, XR is a benefit rather than a challenge, the company’s name itself symbolizes its mission: to assist individuals and organizations in seeing past the complexity of immersive technologies.

Vinay’s business career started with Swiggy, where he first encountered the startup scene in India. His work at Scapic, an AR/VR firm, ignited his intense interest in immersive technology. There, he saw firsthand the enormous promise of XR as well as the significant barrier to its wider adoption: cost and complexity.

Ctruh, a platform that makes creating immersive 3D, AR, and VR experiences as easy as building a website on Wix or producing a presentation on Canva, was born out of this observation.

Since its inception, Ctruh has been acknowledged by Forbes’ Select 200 Companies with Global Potential and has been supported by esteemed organizations such as Microsoft, NVIDIA, Amazon, NASSCOM, and the NSRCEL at IIM Bangalore.

Official Website – Ctruh

The world’s first AI-powered Unified XR Commerce Studio, a low-code/no-code platform that enables brands to implement superior 3D, AR, and VR shopping experiences in days rather than months, is Ctruh’s primary product. This is what makes it unique:

• No Code, No app, No Installs: All XR experiences may be accessed on any device, including smartphones, tablets, and desktop computers, using a straightforward URL or QR code. No specialist hardware or software downloads are required.
• AI-Powered 3D Asset Generation: By utilizing AI, brands can produce immersive, interactive product experiences that significantly reduce the time and technical know-how often needed.
• Proven Effect on Commerce Metrics: Companies that use Ctruh’s platform report a 90% increase in conversion rates, a 40% decrease in product returns, and 2.4 times longer customer engagement with AR experiences compared to standard retail displays.
• Virtual Stores & Smart Mirrors: Ctruh enables fully immersive 3D virtual stores that allow customers to browse and shop online just like they would in a physical store. Brands report a 2.3x increase in revenue and a 27% increase in engagement.
• Rapid Deployment: Ctruh’s platform enables companies to launch complex 3D experiences on the web in a matter of minutes, whereas traditional XR solutions may require months of development.
• Device-Agnostic & Scalable: The platform is extremely scalable for both D2C and enterprise merchants because it functions on all devices and OS systems.

Price (XR Platform) One Time – Rs 25-50 Lakhs

Price (General) One Time – Rs 2-6 Lakhs

Deployment Time – ~2 Hours

Customers – 8

Equity Split:

Vinay – 66%

ESOPs – 6%

Investors – 28%

Amount Raised – Rs 15.5 Crores

Vinay Agastya delivered one of the most technologically innovative pitches of the season when he entered the Tank on Shark Tank India Season 5 Episode 48. He began by discussing an issue that all internet shoppers have encountered: the annoyance of purchasing a goods without actually being able to see, feel, or try it. He said that this disparity is costing Indian e-commerce companies billions of dollars in lost conversions and returns.

The world’s first AI-powered Unified XR (Extended Reality) Commerce Studio, a platform that enables marketers to create completely immersive, interactive 3D and AR product experiences without requiring a single line of code, is Ctruh’s solution to that issue. Ctruh makes anything available with only a URL, whether you’re using augmented reality to place a sofa in your living room, virtually try on a jacket, or browse a brand’s virtual store on your phone.

Vinay gave the Sharks a tour of the platform’s features and showed them how Ctruh boosts conversion rates for its retail customers by 90% and lowers product return rates by 40%. He emphasized that the platform currently supports more than 100 D2C and enterprise retailers and has the legitimacy of support from major international tech companies like Microsoft, NVIDIA, and Amazon, as well as NASSCOM and the NSRCEL incubator at IIM Bangalore.

Although Vinay was questioned about the business model, revenue traction, unit economics, and the competitive moat in a market that international players are also interested in, the Sharks were clearly impressed by the technology. Concerns were raised about long-term retention, customer acquisition strategy, and Ctruh’s plans to maintain its competitive edge in the quickly changing AI and XR markets.

Vinay answered with assurance, highlighting Ctruh’s exclusive no-code 3D engine, which the business says is the first of its sort on the web, as well as the substantial time and cost savings it provides over conventional XR solutions. The presentation was further strengthened by the brand’s early success with more than 100 retailers and its inclusion in Forbes’ list of 200 global high-potential businesses.

The Ask

Vinay Agastya asked the Sharks for ₹1 Crore in exchange for 1.2% equity, implying a valuation of ₹83.33 Crores.

Sharks Reactions

Shark Kanika could not understand the valuation of the company, thus backed out.

Shark Aman pointed out the AI revolution of how it is making the world of designing and studio uncertain. For those reasons he opted out.

Shark Namita showed concerns about the unknowns in this industry giving the example of Jasper and it’s integration with Gen AI. She did not offer anything.

Shark Vineeta Singh, on the other hand, was highly impressed by the platform that the founder built despite bad pitching. She offered Rs 1 Crore for 2.4% Equity at the valuation of Rs 41.67 Crores.

Shark Anupam Mittal also joined Vineeta Singh in offering – Rs 1 Crore for 2.4% Equity at the valuation of Rs 41.67 Crores subject to technical due diligence & Rs 15 Crore fundraise.

Vinay deliberated briefly but, recognising the immense value that both Anupam’s digital startup expertise and Vineeta’s D2C network could add to Ctruh’s growth trajectory, accepted the offer.

Vinay Agastya accepted the joint offer from Shark Anupam Mittal and Shark Vineeta Singh — ₹1 Crore for 2.4% equity at a valuation of ₹41.67 Crores — sealing one of the most tech-forward deals of Shark Tank India Season 5.

With the Shark Tank spotlight and the combined support of Anupam and Vineeta, Ctruh is now poised to accelerate its growth in India’s booming D2C and e-commerce ecosystem. The partnership brings more than just capital — Anupam’s deep expertise in building digital tech businesses and Vineeta’s extensive network across the consumer brand landscape make this an ideal combination for Ctruh’s next phase.

Ctruh will look to scale its client base well beyond the 100+ retailers it currently serves, while continuing to refine its AI-powered platform to make XR commerce experiences even faster and more accessible. Internationally, Ctruh has already shown global ambitions — having been backed by Microsoft, NVIDIA, and Amazon — and the Shark Tank deal adds further credibility for enterprise conversations both in India and abroad.