Indian AI startup Rocket has successfully raised $15 million in seed funding, led by Salesforce Ventures and Accel, with participation from the Together Fund. Founded by Vishal Virani, Rahul Shingala, and Deepak Dhanak, Rocket represents a bold reinvention of their earlier venture, DhiWise, now repositioned as an AI-first app-building platform.
From DhiWise to Rocket
The team initially built DhiWise to help developers automate parts of their workflow, primarily focusing on design-to-code solutions. With Rocket, they’ve taken a leap forward: the platform now enables users to generate production-ready applications directly from natural-language prompts. Instead of delivering partial prototypes, Rocket’s vision is to transform ideas into fully functional, scalable software products.
Key Metrics & Traction
- Launched just a few months ago, Rocket already has over 400,000 users across 180+ countries.
- More than 10,000 are paid subscribers, demonstrating strong early monetization.
- The platform has facilitated the creation of over 500,000 app ideas.
- Its annual recurring revenue currently stands at $4.5 million, with goals to scale to $20–25 million by year-end and $60–70 million by mid-next year.
Use of Funds & Expansion Plans
Rocket plans to utilize the fresh capital in three main areas:
- Product Development – Improving core AI models to deliver reliable, production-grade software.
- Global Expansion – Establishing a North American hub in Palo Alto to strengthen its international presence.
- Team Growth – Expanding beyond its current 60 employees in Surat and Palo Alto, with plans to double its engineering and product teams within the next year.
What Makes Rocket Stand Out
- End-to-End App Creation: Unlike many tools that generate prototypes, Rocket aims to deliver complete, deployable applications with backend logic and integrations.
- Natural-Language Simplicity: By allowing users to build apps through conversational prompts, Rocket lowers the barrier for non-technical creators.
- Global First Approach: From day one, Rocket has targeted an international user base, not just local markets.
Impact on India’s Startup Ecosystem
Rocket’s rise is notable for several reasons:
- It shows that non-metro cities like Surat can produce globally competitive AI companies.
- It demonstrates growing investor confidence in AI-first product startups.
- It highlights how AI-powered “vibe-coding” tools are moving beyond hype and gaining real traction with paying users worldwide.
Rocket’s $15 million raise is more than just another funding headline — it marks a shift in how software can be built. By narrowing the gap between an idea and a production-ready product, Rocket is aiming to democratize app development at scale. The challenges are significant, but if the team executes well, Rocket could become one of India’s most important contributions to the global AI landscape.
