Trading US stocks from India can feel complicated. Users often need overseas brokerage accounts, foreign currency transfers, and a fair amount of patience before they can make their first move.

Mochatrade wants to change that experience. The startup has raised total funding of $5.56 million, including a latest seed round led by CoinFund. Coinbase Ventures and Nicky Montana of Zero Knowledge Ventures also participated, while Y Combinator and Pioneer Fund backed its earlier pre-seed round.

The company is building a trading platform for Indian users who want exposure to US stock prices while adding money and tracking results in rupees.

What Mochatrade is building

Mochatrade lets users trade perpetual futures linked to US-listed companies such as Nvidia, Tesla, and Apple. A perpetual future is a contract that tracks an asset’s price but does not have a fixed expiry date.

This does not mean users own shares in those companies. Instead, they can take a position on whether the price may rise or fall. The platform also offers leverage, which allows a trader to control a larger position with a smaller amount of money.

For example, a trader who thinks Tesla’s price may rise can open a long position. If the price moves up, the trade may make a profit. But if the price moves in the opposite direction, losses can rise quickly, especially when leverage is involved.

Mochatrade says users can fund their accounts through UPI, trade in rupees, and withdraw in rupees. That approach removes the need to manage a dollar stablecoin balance or open a US brokerage account.

The founders and the startup story

Mochatrade was founded in 2026 by Utkarsh Sinha, Chetan Manda, and Parth Maheshwari. The three founders are IIT alumni and have known each other for around a decade.

Sinha is the company’s chief executive officer. Before Mochatrade, he founded Martian Wallet, which was later acquired by Pontem Network. Manda serves as chief product officer and previously worked in product roles at Sprinklr. Maheshwari is the chief technology officer and has earlier worked at Adobe and Navi.

The startup joined Y Combinator’s Spring 2026 batch. It is currently in beta and plans a wider public launch in the coming weeks, according to The Block.

Where the $5.5M funding may go

Mochatrade plans to use the fresh capital to improve its trading technology, strengthen risk systems, and attract more active traders in India.

Risk systems are particularly important for a platform that supports leveraged trades. They help monitor positions, margin requirements, and possible losses when markets move sharply.

The company also plans to add US stock options, more assets, and social trading features, subject to applicable laws and regulatory approvals. It earns revenue through fees on trades placed through the platform.

Mochatrade’s Indian operating entity is registered with the Financial Intelligence Unit-India as a Virtual Digital Asset Service Provider. However, this registration should not be treated as approval for every product the company offers or plans to launch.

Competitors and the market gap

Mochatrade will compete for trader attention with platforms such as CoinDCX, Delta, and CoinSwitch, which already offer crypto-focused trading products. For Indian users looking to buy and hold US shares, platforms such as INDmoney and Vested are also alternatives.

Its difference is the focus on rupee-funded, leveraged contracts tied to US stock prices. Traditional investment platforms are designed mainly for buying shares and holding them over time. Mochatrade is targeting traders who want shorter-term market exposure and the ability to trade both rising and falling prices.