The Manch Story: From external stakeholder management to enterprise data management platform
In the chaotic world of enterprise operations, the complexity of onboarding and engaging with external stakeholders—vendors, customers, gig workers, partners—has long been a silent pain point. Businesses often relied on fragmented systems, spreadsheets, emails, and paper trails to manage these critical relationships. But in 2017, a quiet revolution began in Bengaluru.
Suresh Anantpurkar, a technologist and enterprise solutions expert, had seen this dysfunction up close. Drawing from his years of experience, he envisioned a platform that would do more than just digitize a process—it would orchestrate external engagement end-to-end, seamlessly and securely. That vision became Manch Technologies.
The name “Manch,” meaning “platform” or “stage” in Hindi, was apt. It would become a digital stage where every external interaction, be it a vendor onboarding, customer verification, contract execution, or partner engagement, could be performed smoothly, transparently, and without paper or friction.
From Code to No-Code: The Evolution of a Platform
What set Manch apart early on was its zero-code, API-first architecture. While most workflow automation tools focused inward, on internal HR, finance, or IT processes, Manch focused outward. Its purpose-built design allowed businesses to engage external entities through fully digital, compliant, and auditable journeys.
Clients could launch new onboarding workflows in days instead of months, integrate Manch with ERPs, CRMs, and KYC APIs, and even configure processes themselves, thanks to the low-code/no-code designer. The platform evolved quickly to support real-time validation, rule-based workflows, multilingual UI, e-signatures, document collection, approvals, and alerts, all on a secure, scalable cloud.
Funding, Growth, and Real-World Impact
After the initial seed round by angel investor Asvini Kumar, founder of Thinksoft (now acquired by Expleo), in 2021, Manch raised $1.1 million in Pre-Series A funding from Bharat Inclusion Seed Fund, Pentathlon Ventures. The investment wasn’t just about capital; it was validation of a unique value proposition, an innovative approach to solving complex business problems & a strong product-market fit.
By then, Manch was already powering millions of transactions for brands like Swiggy, QwikCilver, ezeTap, Xiaomi, CavinKare. These weren’t pilot projects; these were mission-critical deployments where compliance, scale, and speed were non-negotiable.
Clients in FMCG, Manufacturing, Talent Acquisition & on-demand convenience platforms used Manch to transform how they managed their internal as well as external processes to manage distributors, dealers, agents, gig workers, material, products, and even externally deployed assets. A leading food brand digitized cooler installations at 100,000+ retail points.. An e-commerce major streamlined partner contracting and field workforce activation.
The Manch Advantage
At its heart, Manch is a digital transformation engine, but it’s also a Master Data Management (MDM) platform, a compliance enabler, and an agile workflow builder. What makes it stand out is its ability to navigate seamlessly in meeting the organization’s complex requirements to manage the internal and external stakeholder business requirements
Its ISO 27001 certification, strong API library, configurable dashboards, and pay-as-you-go SaaS model make it ideal for enterprises seeking speed with control. As one client put it: “With Manch, we don’t chase paper anymore, we just move forward.”
What’s Next?
As enterprises grapple with increasing compliance demands, distributed supply chains, and dynamic partner ecosystems, the need for intelligent, adaptive platforms like Manch has never been greater. The company continues to grow, expanding internationally, investing in AI-led insights, and onboarding clients who seek not just a vendor, but a partner in their digital journey.
From a spark of an idea to a platform that powers Digital Transformation resulting in frictionless business at scale, the Manch story is a testimony to what happens when deep domain experience meets product vision and a relentless drive to simplify the complex.
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