Bengaluru-based VerSe Innovation, the parent company of Dailyhunt, Josh, NexVerse.ai, VerSe Collab, Magzter, and ValueLeaf, has announced the appointment of Prakashan Manikoth as its Group Chief Financial Officer (Group CFO). Based in Bengaluru, Manikoth will spearhead VerSe’s global finance function, overseeing strategic planning, investor relations, mergers and acquisitions, capital allocation, and IPO readiness. His focus will include strengthening financial discipline, ensuring transparent reporting, and enhancing corporate governance as the company prepares for a potential public listing.
With more than 25 years of experience across leading technology and telecom firms, Manikoth brings a strong background in managing large-scale financial operations. He has held senior roles at Wipro and the Tata Group, including stints at TCS and Tata Teleservices. At TCS, he led finance for its emerging markets and core banking business units, while at Wipro, he oversaw finance across global delivery operations. Most recently, he served as CFO at SaaS firm LeadSquared, where he played a key role in scaling the company’s business and driving its international growth.
Welcoming the appointment, Umang Bedi, Co-founder of VerSe Innovation, said: “We are delighted to welcome Prakashan to VerSe Innovation’s leadership team. His deep domain expertise and proven experience across global technology enterprises make him the perfect partner to guide our financial strategy as we accelerate toward becoming India’s first global AI-led technology powerhouse. His leadership will be critical as we scale responsibly, deepen our governance standards, and gear up for our IPO journey.”
Sharing his vision, Prakashan Manikoth stated: “VerSe is redefining how Bharat engages with content, creators, and commerce, powered by cutting-edge AI and bold ambition. I look forward to partnering with the founders and leadership team to amplify impact, driving sustainable enterprise value creation for all stakeholders, and help shape the company’s global financial trajectory.”
VerSe Innovation operates one of India’s largest AI-powered, multilingual content and creator ecosystems. Its flagship platform Dailyhunt reaches over 350 million users, while Josh continues to be among India’s leading short-video apps. The company’s portfolio further includes NexVerse.ai and VerSe Collab, both focused on AI-driven content innovation and creator tools.
To date, VerSe has raised over $1.5 billion from marquee global investors such as CPP Investments, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, Qatar Investment Authority, Carlyle Group, Baillie Gifford, Goldman Sachs, and Peak XV, with its last valuation pegged at $5 billion.
