Vertical TV (Zupee Studio)
Key facts
- Operator / parent
- Zupee, which acquired it on 3 February 2026 according to an Inc42 report not confirmed by the company; previously The Eight Network
- Origin
- India
- Headquarters
- Mumbai, India
- Launched
- Founded 2024; acquired by Zupee 3 February 2026 per Inc42 (not confirmed by the company) and folded into Zupee Studio, which launched in late 2025
- Category
- App · Other origin
Vertical TV was an Indian microdrama startup founded in 2024. Inc42 reported, citing sources and without confirmation from the company, that Zupee acquired it on 3 February 2026 and folded it into Zupee Studio, the gaming company's short-video and microdrama arm, which launched in late 2025. The purchase followed a sharp contraction at Zupee: it laid off around 200 staff on 30 January 2026, about 40% of its workforce and more than 370 over four months, after India's Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act 2025 banned real-money gaming. Inc42 reported a price of under ₹40 crore, roughly $4.5m, on the basis of sources; the companies have not confirmed it. Higher figures circulating on aggregator sites are unverified.
Reported figures
| Metric | Figure | Basis | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acquisition price | under ₹40 crore (roughly $4.5m) | reported | Inc42; sources-based, not confirmed by the companies |
Profile
- Markets
- India
- Content
- Microdrama production; now the content engine of Zupee Studio.
- Backers
- Zupee
People
- Mohit Paliwal — Founder, Vertical TV (2024)
Sources
Correction
: Zupee's acquisition of Vertical TV on 3 February 2026 was stated as fact. It rests on an Inc42 report citing sources, which the companies have not confirmed.