US-based web stories platform Firework has raised $55 million in series A funding. The platform is backed by GSR Ventures, IDG, Lightspeed and supported by Sumitomo Corporation, Asahi. In a statement, the company said that it has adopted an 'India-first policy' that makes the 'mobile born country a hub for rolling out strategies and innovations.

Headquartered in Redwood City, California, Firework claims to have over 450 million monthly views; the startup is looking to increase the number to one billion in three months.

Firework has also partnered with Indian players such as JioKaiOS, AirtelVi, Samsung, MI, OneIndia, and Google Discover among others.

Speaking about Firework’s foray into the Indian market, Sunil Nair, CEO, Firework India, said, “Our journey in India over the last 15 months is marked by growth, success, and learning, which puts us that much closer to realizing our open web dreams.”

A statement mentioned that the popularity of "Stories" format vertical short videos and its growth is validated by Firework's current publisher partners that include India's top telecom operators.

Jason Holland, President, Global Business, Firework, said, "As we upgrade and connect the global open web for Internet 3.0, publishers and businesses will leverage on another in creating a unified content consumption experience that's never been made available. We will exceed 5 billion monthly views by Q4 2021.”

Firework is also a proponent of the open web and decentralized internet. The statement emphasized that Firework is committed to working towards uniting websites against the "exploitative walled gardens" and power the open web for the next 20 years, promoting a decentralized environment.