Trell
The business, the turning points, and the decisions behind them.
01 / WHAT IT BUILT
What the company did
Trell was a Bengaluru-based lifestyle video and social commerce platform founded in 2016 by Pulkit Agrawal, Bimal Kartheek Rebba and Arun Lodhi. Billed as 'Video Pinterest for Bharat', it let users create 3–5 minute lifestyle videos in their native languages across beauty, fashion, food, travel and wellness. In August 2020 it launched social commerce inside the app, letting users buy the products creators recommended. After India's 2020 ban on Chinese apps, Trell grew 10x to 45 million+ users and raised about $62 million — including an $11.4 million Series A and a $45 million Series B led by Mirae Asset in July 2021.
02 / Trell FAILURE REASONS
Failure reasons
Trell collapsed under the weight of alleged financial misconduct. In April 2022 EY India's forensic team began probing serious financial irregularities — alleged siphoning of money and related-party transactions by founders Agrawal, Rebba and Lodhi — which stalled a planned $100 million round that would have made Trell a unicorn. The company laid off 300+ employees in 'right-sizing', then 100 more quit as creators publicly demanded long-delayed payments, accusing Trell of paying only big influencers. It had already been burning cash: a reported net loss of INR 78.4 crore (about $10.6 million) in FY21.
03 / EVENT HISTORY
Events in the structured record
- Founded
Pulkit Agrawal, Bimal Kartheek Rebba and Arun Lodhi found Trell in Bengaluru in 2016 as a lifestyle video platform.
- Growth
Trell raises an $11.4 million Series A, launches in-app social commerce in August 2020, and grows 10x to 45 million+ users after India's ban on Chinese apps.
- Series B
In July 2021 Trell raises $45 million in Series B led by Mirae Asset, bringing total funding to about $62 million.
- Crisis
In April 2022 EY India's forensic team probes alleged financial irregularities by the founders; the $100 million round stalls, 300+ employees are laid off, and creators demand unpaid dues.
- Reported failure
By 2024 Trell is reported as failed, with its website unreachable.
04 / CONTEMPORARY REBUILD ASSESSMENT
Difficulty of rebuilding this project today
Material for this section is being gathered and checked. It will appear here once ready.
Overall assessment: Not completed
05 / CAUSAL CHAIN
How the factors connect
- 01
In 2022 Trell laid off more than 300 employees and lost 100 more to resignations as an EY India forensic probe into alleged founder financial misconduct stalled its $100 million funding round.
- 02
By 2024 the platform was reported as failed, with the Trell website unreachable.