Helium Raises ₹5 Crore in Seed Funding from Kunal Shah, Albinder Dhindsa to Digitise Rental Housing

A New Blueprint for India’s Rental Market

For millions of Indians, finding a home to rent is only half the battle. The real hurdle often comes after the deal is done—the steep security deposit, typically ranging from three to ten months of rent, can lock up a massive chunk of savings, leaving tenants with little liquidity to actually furnish and live in the space. This friction has long defined India’s rental market, which remains largely fragmented, offline, and trust-deficient.

A new Bengaluru-based startup is stepping in to change that equation. Helium, a tech-led real estate rental management platform, has secured its first funding round of ₹5 crore from a group of prominent startup founders. The round includes Albinder Dhindsa (CEO, Blinkit), Kunal Shah (CEO, CRED), and a host of other seasoned operators including Zomato cofounders Pankaj Chaddah, Mohit Gupta, Akriti Chopra, and Gunjan Patidar.

The fresh capital will be deployed towards product development and marketing, with a focused strategy of deepening Helium’s presence in the Whitefield cluster while beginning expansion into select micro-markets across Bengaluru. But what makes Helium’s model stand out in the crowded proptech space?

The “Deposit Saver”: A Financial Innovation

Helium’s core innovation lies in its full-stack rental model, which goes far beyond being a simple listing portal. The company leases homes directly from property owners and pays the full security deposit upfront, effectively removing the biggest financial bottleneck from the tenant’s side.

“What we’ve realised is that the best homes people are looking for often never come online, largely because most owners don’t upload properties themselves,” explains co-founder Sahil Ludhani. “So, we tell owners we will rent out their apartment instantly and take on the vacancy risk”.

This approach is powered by the “Deposit Saver“ product. Under this model:

• Tenants can move in by paying a deposit as low as one month’s rent, significantly lowering the barrier to entry.
• The deposit amount is linked to the tenant’s credit profile, creating a data-driven risk assessment.
• The remaining deposit amount is covered by Fintree, an RBI-registered NBFC partner, under a zero-cost, EMI-free structure, with settlements handled between Helium and the NBFC upon the tenant’s exit.

“It’s a win-win,” says Ludhani. “Owners get the full deposit they expect, while tenants pay significantly less upfront as the remaining amount is covered through a credit line”.

Traction in Whitefield: A Hyperlocal Play

Currently, Helium is executing a hyperlocal strategy. It is exclusively operating in Whitefield, one of Bengaluru’s busiest IT corridors, focusing on gated societies built by premium developers such as Prestige, Brigade, Sobha, and Godrej. In just six months since its launch, the startup has already onboarded 170 homes and reports an average rental cycle of just 14 days.

The founding team is steeped in the consumer internet ecosystem. Helium was founded in January 2025 by Sahil Ludhani and Ashutosh Tandon, who previously worked together at Zomato. Ludhani later moved to Stanza Living, gaining deep experience in managed accommodation, while Tandon moved to CRED. This blend of experience—matching supply, managing operations, and leveraging financial tech—forms the backbone of Helium’s strategy.

Ashutosh Tandon, co-founder of Helium, notes that the capital will be used to strengthen this model further: “The capital will primarily be deployed towards product and marketing, with a focussed strategy of deepening our presence in the Whitefield cluster while beginning expansion into select micro-markets across Bangalore”.

A Vote of Confidence from the “Mafia”

The involvement of investors like Kunal Shah and Albinder Dhindsa is a significant validation of Helium’s potential. Their participation underscores a growing belief among seasoned founders that the rental market is finally ready for a financial layer that makes access more flexible.

“It’s a win-win — owners get the full deposit they expect, while tenants pay significantly less upfront as the remaining amount is covered through a credit line,” explained Sahil Ludhani. This interest also signals a broader revival in the proptech sector. Investor appetite has recently grown, with Houseeazy (which focuses on faster resale and upfront payouts) raising $16 million in October 2025, and Truva (offering guaranteed home resale) securing $9 million in January 2026.

The Road Ahead: Rethinking Urban Renting

India’s rental housing market is ripe for disruption, especially in premium segments like gated communities where trust, convenience, and transparency are critical. By combining a full-stack model, fintech-enabled deposit solutions, and a focused supply strategy, Helium is aiming to redefine how rentals are discovered, transacted, and managed.

The Bengaluru rental market, in particular, has long struggled with high upfront costs and a lack of trust between parties. If Helium’s credit-linked deposit model proves scalable beyond Whitefield, it could fundamentally reshape how tenants enter homes in high-demand urban markets, turning what has long been a barrier into a more manageable, tech-enabled process.

With the backing of some of India’s sharpest entrepreneurial minds and a clear product-market fit emerging in Bengaluru, Helium is well-placed to play a key role in the next phase of India’s proptech evolution.