New Delhi (India), November 20: Actymed Healthcare, a revolutionary healthcare institution, proudly announces the launch of its groundbreaking mobile application – ACTYMED FITNESS COMPANION. This app marks a historic milestone as the first-ever Ayurvedic doctor throughout India and the first Malayali to graduate from the International Olympic Committee in sports nutrition.
Catering to the vibrant sports population in India, ACTYMED FITNESS COMPANION is poised to become the go-to resource for athletes’ sports injuries and nutrition needs. As a part of Actymed Healthcare’s commitment to excellence, the app serves as a comprehensive solution, combining holistic treatment practices with cutting-edge sports nutrition guidance.
YOUR TALENT; OUR CARE – ACTYMED HEALTHCARE
Actymed Healthcare stands as the advanced holistic treatment center for sports medicine, conservative orthopaedics, sports nutrition, and aesthetics in Kerala. Specializing in the treatment of various orthopaedic conditions and pain management, Actymed is at the forefront of providing top-notch healthcare services.
The clinic is proudly run by the Sports and Games Welfare Association (SAGWA), an organization formed by visionaries and well-wishers such as Olympian Mrs. Shyni Wilson and former Santhosh Trophy player Mr. Salimkutty P A. SAGWA aims to encourage, guide, and train young talents in the field of sports. In this noble endeavor, Actymed Healthcare stands as a crucial support system, offering fitness advice and treatment care to aspiring athletes.
ACTYMED AESTHETICS & SHE CLINIC
In addition to its focus on sports medicine and nutrition, Actymed Healthcare extends its expertise to aesthetics with Actymed Aesthetics. This division is dedicated to providing advanced skin and hair care solutions for both men and women. The institution also houses the She Clinic, committed to the well-being of women, offering guidance and treatments for young girls to mothers and babies.
As the healthcare landscape evolves, ACTYMED HEALTHCARE is leading the charge in providing holistic, specialized care to meet the unique needs of athletes and individuals seeking comprehensive health and wellness solutions.
Dr. Ajeesh T Alex, the Chief Medical Officer of ACTYMED HEALTHCARE, is a highly qualified Ayurveda doctor specializing in the treatment of sports injuries and orthopaedic conditions. With a Bachelor’s degree in Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery from the University of Calicut and a post-graduate diploma in sports nutrition from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Dr. Alex combines traditional wisdom with modern expertise. His mastery in Dry needling, Kinesiology Taping, Manual Therapy modalities, Acupuncture, and more reflects his commitment to holistic healthcare.
With a rich professional career, Dr. Alex has worked with athletes at various levels, earning accolades such as the Best Editor Award from the Ayurveda Medical Association of India and the Young Contributor Award from the Sports and Games Welfare Association, Kerala.
As the first Malayali Ayurveda doctor to complete the prestigious IOC sports nutrition course, Dr. Alex’s contributions extend to being the Chief Consultant of the Sports & Games Welfare Association, Thodupuzha, and the sports injury consultant for Dronacharya Thomas Master Athletic Academy. His ACTYMED® Holistic pain management principles showcase a unique approach using Ayurveda, Cupping therapy, Different taping techniques, Yoga, Manual therapy, Exercise Medicine Dry needling, and Acupuncture, emphasizing minimal medication for effective results. Dr. Ajeesh T Alex is not just a valuable asset to the ACTYMED® team but a dedicated professional shaping the sports medicine landscape in Kerala.
Company Profile is an initiative by StartupTalky to publish verified information on different startups and organizations.
Ayurveda means ‘Knowledge of Life. It has its roots in the ‘Vedas’, the holy texts that originated in ancient India. The Ayurvedic system of medicine has, for ages, helped people live healthy lives. In today’s world, though medical science has evolved a lot, Ayurveda is still popular not only in India but also in other parts of the world.
However, looking at the other side of the coin, many fraudulent practices are going on in the name of Ayurveda. Ayurvedic medicine is still largely unorganized, and many self-declared doctors come up with fake medications in the name of Ayurveda. So, it is important to buy only genuine Ayurvedic products to reap the full benefit.
To meet the growing demand for genuine ayurvedic medicines, Dr. Vaidya’s, a Mumbai-based startup, was formed in 2016. Dr. Vaidya’s company is backed by over 150 years of expertise and experience in the field of Ayurveda and ensures that you get only the best of Ayurvedic products. Dr. Vaidya’s was acquired by RP Sanjiv Goenka Group on March 9, 2021.
Did you know Dr. Vaidya’s packaging was designed by a jewelry designer and an architect?
StartupTalky interviewed Dr.Vaidya’s founder, Mr. Arun Vaidya, who has disclosed several important facts and details about the company, its founders and team, valuation, acquisitions, and more. Find them all in this article ahead!
Dr. Vaidya’s new-age Ayurveda products have become popular because of the company’s 150 years of family legacy and 5,000-year-old science for modern consumers. Since the company’s expertise spans 150 years of Ayurvedic heritage, formulations and knowledge have been passed down from generation to generation through the dedicated practice of treating thousands of patients and by perfecting unique blends through careful expertise.
Dr. Vaidya’s company uses new-age packaging, branding, product formats, and communication. The brand aims to re-establish a connection between Ayurveda and modern consumers.
The brand owns more than 100 FDA-approved proprietary formulations and has launched a very unique and innovative products list which includes Chakaash (Goodness of Chyawanprash in a Toffee), LIVitup (Ayurvedic Hangover Shield), etc. Over the year, Dr. Vaidya’s product reviews proved the power of Ayurveda. If you want to buy the company’s products, you can simply search for “Dr. Vaidyas near me.” You will find many options.
The company was acquired by RPSG Ventures. The acquisition happened in March 2021, when the company acquired an additional stake in Herbolab India Pvt. Ltd. for full ownership of the ayurvedic company. On March 9th, 2021, RPSG Ventures acquired the remaining 35.37% stakes in Dr. Vaidya’s for INR 50.8 crore ($6.9 million). The same company earlier purchased over 64.34% stakes in Herbolab, the parent company of Dr. Vaidyas. With this acquisition, the valuation of the company rose from Rs 50 crore in 2019 to Rs 144 crore at present.
Arjun Vaidya
Ayurvedic Product’s Market in India
The ayurvedic market in India is valued at $3 billion and is expected to grow rapidly to 16% P.A., according to a CII study in 2016. More than $500 million in ayurvedic products are sold outside India, according to a Statistics MRC study, and this too is expected to grow at 16.2% P.A.
These numbers have seen a huge jump in the last five years owing to a consumer shift towards natural alternatives as well as government focus and support, i.e. creation of the Ministry of Ayurveda, schemes like the International Co-Operation Scheme for Ayurveda companies and researchers, etc. Dr. Vaidya’s Ayurveda products have played a main role in medicine alive in the country and around the world.
Ayurveda has undergone a “renaissance”. Having said this, there is tremendous further scope for the expansion of Ayurveda. The science can become a globally accepted form of alternative medicine and also serve as one more of India’s way to take our culture to the world.
Dr. Vaidya’s Founders and Team
The founders of Dr. Vaidya are Arjun Vaidya and his wife, Trisha Rajani Vaidya, who started the company in 2016.
Arjun Vaidya
Arjun Vaidya, Former CEO and Co-founder of Dr. Vaidya’s
Arjun Vaidya (the former owner and CEO of Dr. Vaidya’s) graduated from Brown University in 2013. Arjun has vast experience in the fields of marketing, business development, and investment management. The 6th generation Vaidya and Dr. Vaidya’s former CEO had previously worked with companies like Condé Nast India, Hublot Genève, The De Beers Group of Companies, and L Capital Asia prior to starting the ayurvedic company. The former Vaidya’s company chief is currently working as the Ventures Lead for India at Verlinvest.
Trisha Rajani
Trisha Rajani – Former COO and Co-founder of Dr. Vaidya’s
Trisha Rajani is a graduate of the University of Warwick. Dr. Vaidya’s founder and ex-COO had earlier worked with companies like ASA Philippines, Goldman Sachs, Nykaa.com, Intellecap, and RepIndia before joining Dr. Vaidya’s. Rajani, after Dr. Vaidya’s was acquired, became the advisor of GlobalBees and is presently working at GobalBees and as an advisor at Rukam Capital Mentor. Besides, she is also a mentor and angel investor in various startups.
The story is very interesting because the ‘co-founder’ and current COO of this business is my wife, Trisha. One year into running the business, I realized that my head was in too many places and I wasn’t able to give any department or aspect of the business 100%. I needed help and I had no shame in going out and asking for it. We needed someone who would have as much commitment to the cause as I did and thus, family made sense. Against much advice from friends and family, the moment we got engaged, Trisha joined the business. And, I must say the journey has been amazing. There is a clear allocation of responsibility and so far it has added huge value to the business.
Currently, Dr. Vaidya’s had 51-200 members in its team. This included the factory team in Silvassa, and Dr. Vaidya’s head office team is based in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Our company culture is all about ‘getting things done’ and adding the most value to our customers. Even at 10 PM, there is no shame in the CEO of the company answering the phone and talking to a customer. The team itself is a great blend of experience (with team members from my grandfather’s time) as well as youthful exuberance, added Arjun Vaidya (Dr Vaidya owner and CEO)
Dr Vaidya’s – Startup Story | How was Dr. Vaidya’s Started?
Ayurveda has been a part of Arjun’s family for many generations. His grandfather, great-grandfather, and two generations before that were ayurvedic doctors. Arjun grew up with Ayurveda all his life.
“My grandfather even cured me of chronic asthma. By the late 80s, my grandfather had become Mumbai’s most successful ayurvedic doctor – seeing 300+ patients a day and getting 12,000+ patients writing to him via post on a monthly basis. He was a legend in the industry but never cared for sales, distribution marketing or strategy. Thus, he sold his products only through his clinic and never outside” recalls Arjun Vaidya Dr. Vaidya owner.
Arjun was pursuing his studies and career in the USA. It was around 2013 when Arjun returned to India. Arjun eventually started working for a private equity firm and was enjoying his role as an investor. Unfortunately, his grandfather passed away three months after Arjun came back to India. He left behind thousands of loyal patients and some very effective formulations.
Due to the loyal patients they had, Arjun’s family kept running his grandfather’s clinic as a dispensary. The intention behind starting Dr. Vaidya’s was also to save many successful ayurvedic formulations that his grandfather made, and that’s when the Dr. Vaidya story started.
“The moment is still vivid in my mind. It was my father’s 50th birthday and his team had a large celebration for him at the office. I gave a speech talking about his role in inspiring me. After the speech, my grandfather’s nurse of 25 years came up to me and said that while my father has done some great work, it was a shame we were letting my grandfather’s legacy die. This was the ‘aha’ moment for me – when everything changed”.
Dr. Vaidya’s business was taken up by Arjun Vaidya in the middle of 2016, after he left his job at L Catterton when he chose to further his family’s legacy.
Dr. Vaidya’s – Name and Logo
Dr. Vaidya’s company name was taken after Arjun’s grandfather’s name.
“My grandfather is my inspiration. He was also a legendary doctor. Thus, the name was easy – it had to be named after him”
Dr. Vaidya’s Logo
Dr. Vaidya’s logo is the company name written in green with three green leaves, symbolizing ayurvedic medicine. The Dr. Vaidyas tagline is “New Age Ayurveda” and stands for what the company offers.
Another interesting story is the name for one of Dr. Vaidya’s products, ‘LIVitup’, a hangover product. The team was doing a brainstorming session and came up with this name, which was instantly loved. But the team soon realized that the trademark was already taken. Thus, the team tried to come up with another name, but nothing worked like this one. Eventually, even before starting the company, Dr. Vaidya’s went ahead and bought this trademark from its owner.
Currently, Dr. Vaidya’s business model is online-focused. The company has its factory in Silvassa and sells its products through its own site and also other well-known e-commerce sites.
We realized that with limited resources, we had to be the best at what we do. Thus, contrary to popular belief we went the digital first way instead of focusing on offline. We also needed to add genuine value to the customers and so, took what my great grandfather had instituted to the 21st century.
Dr. Vaidya’s business model is guided by the belief that no patient should be charged for a consultation, i.e., to speak to an Ayurvedic doctor. Besides Dr. Vaidya’s products, the Dr. Vaidya website also has a provision for consumers to reach out to ayurvedic doctors via phone, video call, WhatsApp, text message, Facebook, Instagram, or email. Today, more than 1,000 customers reach out to Doctor Vaidya’s for knowledge, issues, and feedback on Ayurveda.
Dr. Vaidya’s – Funding and Investors
Dr. Vaidya’s funding history is not long, as Arjun Vaidya started the company with bootstrapped capital. In June 2019, Dr. Vaidya’s partnered with RP Sanjiv Goenka Group and raised a round of $5 million, which eventually owned a majority stake in the company.
Dr. Vaidya’s – Growth
Dr. Vaidya’s has been one of India’s largest ayurvedic product brands online and has taken pride in completing more than 750 orders a day across its own website as well as e-marketplaces like Amazon, Nykaa, Seniority, Snapdeal, Netmeds, 1mg, Medlife, etc.
The former founder of the company, Arjun Vaidya, recalled the idea of LIVitup, which is an age-old liver protector that helps prevent hangovers, and repackaged it. Vaidya then started sampling the product at every party he went to. At one of such parties, he met Rohan Rathod, his school friend, who was an architect by training and recommended the product to him. As intrigued as he was, Rohan promptly asked Vaidya about the packaging and who was doing that.
This made Arjun reveal to his father, Biren Vaidya, how interested Rohan was in doing the packaging of the products. With this, Arjun’s father was really enthusiastic and instantly suggested that he and Rohan must sit together and do the packaging of the Vaidya’s products. Arjun’s father is a jewelry designer, while Rohan was then an architect by training, and this was how Dr. Vaidya’s logo and packaging came into being.
In November 2020, Dr. Vaidya’s forayed into the international market with the launch of 11 products in the immunity, hangover, digestion, and sexual wellness categories in the US via Amazon.com.
Some of the growth highlights are:
It has reached 3,000+ cities.
The company has made 2 million+ Deliveries
As per the company’s website, it has 1 million+ happy customers.
Dr. Vaidya’s – Product And Service
Dr. Vaidya’s website offers ayurvedic products to treat illness and maintain wellness. The Dr. Vaidyas product list includes one-of-a-kind products like Dr. Vaidyas Herbopile, Chakaash (Goodness of Chyawanprash in a Toffee), LIVitup (Ayurvedic Hangover Shield), Sung Ho (Ayurvedic Inhalant), Dr. Vaidyas Weight Gain Pack, etc. that truly understand and simplify the needs of modern consumers.
At Dr. Vaidya’s Ayurveda products, we want to change people’s vision towards ayurvedic products and not perceive them as boring, old-school, and poorly packaged. These products do not have much of a connection with modern consumers. Thus, their aim is to pass on 150 years of family legacy and 5,000 years of science to 21st-century consumers.
The Dr. Vaidyas review says that their products are extremely effective as they have easy-to-understand packaging, a unique brand, and unique product formats designed to make Ayurveda appealing and accessible.
Dr.Vaidya’s offers three major popular categories of products:
Cold and Cough
A wide range of Ayurvedic medications for colds, coughs, seasonal allergies, and other respiratory conditions are available at Dr. Vaidya’s. With a variety of natural Ayurvedic treatments for coughs and colds, these include churnas, syrups, inhalers, and more.
Immunity Booster
Providing comprehensive solutions to enhance overall well-being and vitality, Dr. Vaidya’s offers a broad assortment of immunity boosters, such as the Fitness Pack, MyPrash for everyday health, and Ashwagandha tablets.
Pain Relief
Dr. Vaidya’s offers a variety of natural painkillers that can help with muscle and body pain from overexercising and injuries, as well as joint pain from aging and arthritic disorders. Dr. Vaidya uses only the best herbs in her Ayurvedic pain management formulas, which are safe and effective and free of synthetic or artificial additives.
Dr. Vaidya’s – Revenue/Turnover
Dr. Vaidya’s turnover in 2018–19 was INR 1.94 crore, while Dr. Vaidya’s revenue was estimated to be INR 13.6 crore the same year.
Dr. Vaidya’s – User Acquisition
Backed by the legacy of 100 years, Dr. Vaidya’s acquired a large base of loyal customers even before the company was started. The patients who were being treated by Arjun’s grandfather came to be the initial customers for Dr. Vaidya’s products.
“I actually sent out a letter (not email) to each of his old patients talking about how we are reinvigorating his legacy and continuing his good work. The response was phenomenal (also a testament to my grandfather’s goodwill) and served as the launching pad for our business” Said Arjun, Co-Founder of Dr. Vaidya’s.
Dr. Vaidya’s – Advisors and Mentors
Biren Vaidya is the chairman of the advisory board. Other than him, Dr. Vaidya’s also got a bunch of advisors from different fields.
Grey hair and experience to me are critical since I am a 27-year-old founder who hasn’t seen as much of the world as experienced folks may have.
Dr. Vaidya’s – Partnership
Dr. Vaidya’s has partnered with many companies, including:
The main competitors of Dr. Vaidyas are Himalaya, but Arjun says that he is inspired by the achievements made by ‘Himalaya’.
Speaking about competition, Arjun said, “We see competition as inspiration. For me, I am inspired daily by the work Himalaya does. This brand has built huge consumer loyalty and trust over the last 20 years. Himalayan products are now available in 80+ countries, which is a huge achievement. At Dr. Vaidya’s, each one of our products bears the mark ‘Proudly Indian’ and one day (in the near future), we hope to see this on shelves and in hands across the globe.”
Dr. Vaidya’s – Startup Challenges
Building an FMCG business online was a challenge, as Arjun said. Also, understanding the customer’s needs and providing products in line with those needs is a challenge that Dr. Vaidya’s team has to face.
Spending time to understand our customer’s needs and what the market was lacking was critical. Vernacular content, ease of explanation, seamless experience of consumption, etc. all helped us to grow. Having said that, I cannot say that there was a moment of virality which caused hockey stick growth. For us, it was months of effort and thousands of customer interactions that have got us to where we are.
Dr. Vaidya’s – Future Plans
The brand earlier looked forward to creating a selective offline presence and venturing into export markets. Dr. Vaidya’s Ayurveda products bear the mark ‘Proudly Indian’, and it was the dream of Arjun Vaidya to let this mark make its presence in 50 countries around the world. All of these might still be achieved by the company, but under the ownership of RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, because with its acquisition by the group, the Vaidya family has exited the company by selling their stakes in full.
The co-founders of Dr. Vaidya’s were Arjun Vaidya and his wife, Trisha Rajani, who eventually exited the company after the acquisition.
Which company acquired Dr. Vaidya’s?
Dr. Vaidya’s acquisition was led by RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group after it bought a majority stake in the ayurvedic company.
What are some of Dr. Vaidya’s products?
Dr. Vaidya’s offers ayurvedic products to treat illness and maintain wellness. The company has launched one-of-a-kind products like Chakaash (the goodness of Chyawanprash in a toffee), LIVitup (the Ayurvedic hangover shield), Sung Ho (the Ayurvedic inhalant), etc. that genuinely understand and simplify the needs of modern consumers.
Who is Arjun Vaidya?
Arjun Vaidya was Dr. Vaidya’s owner and co-founder and thesixth-generation Vaidya, who has inherited the family’s 100 India FDA-approved medical formulations and 50 trademarks accumulated over 150 years.
Who is Arjun Vaidya’s wife?
Arjun Vaidyas wife is Trisha Rajani Vaidya, who was the former co-founder and COO of Dr. Vaidyas.
Is Dr. Vaidya’s sold?
Dr. Vaidya’s now stands sold to RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, which acquired all of the stakes in the company on March 9, 2021.
Company Profile is an initiative by StartupTalky to publish verified information on different startups and organizations.
Today, artificial intelligence is being incorporated into practically every device and application, from self-driving automobiles to vital life-saving medical equipment. The approaching digital era will undoubtedly include key breakthrough elements, including artificial intelligence (AI).
Amazon, Apple, Google, Facebook, International Business Machines Corporation, and Microsoft are just a few of the IT behemoths making significant investments in AI advancement and research. These businesses are attempting to increase the usability of AI for business applications. Additionally, many businesses use artificial intelligence to enhance client service.
A startup called OpenAI offers services for AI development and implementation. It creates artificial general intelligence (AGI), which enables autonomous systems to perform better at important tasks than humans.
OpenAI: Company Highlights
Company Name
OpenAI
Headquarters
San Francisco, CA
Industry
Artificial Intelligence
Founders
Elon Musk, Sam Altman, Ilya Sutskever, Greg Brockman, Wojciech Zaremba, John Schulman
OpenAI was started as a non-profit (now for-profit) artificial general intelligence research company. To make sure that artificial intelligence benefits all of humankind, OpenAI is a provider of an artificial intelligence-based development and research framework.
Clients may quickly acquire skills and develop expertise in AI technologies thanks to the company’s platform, which directly contributes to the development of secure and effective general AI and offers an open-source environment that is easily accessible to people.
Artificial intelligence (AI) models for general-purpose activities including writing, reading, programming, and image processing are developed, maintained, and trained by OpenAI. The firm was founded with the intention of studying all-purpose AI technology that may be used for routine jobs. It seeks to provide new, transparent, and safe solutions to enhance human existence.
OpenAI has created AI that has been programmed to compete with itself in a game of hide and seek. Apart from the fact that the hiders are expected to stay out of the line of sight of the seekers and the seekers are meant to keep the hiders in their vision, the AI was given training without any explicit planned objectives.
As the seekers began to discover new tactics to complete their objectives, the hiders finally mastered the ability to locate items and employ them to obstruct the seekers. Auto-curriculum produced an emergence in strategies. According to the business, these multi-agent dynamics may produce sophisticated behavior that is comparable to human behavior.
Additionally, OpenAI has an algorithm that converts spoken words into code. It is capable of executing complicated instructions involving layered activities and is adept in a number of computer languages. You may construct any sort of software application with Codex, developed by OpenAI.
OpenAI Codex Live Demo
The organization is concentrating on long-term research, tackling issues that call for fundamental improvements in AI capabilities. OpenAI seeks to affect the circumstances surrounding the development of artificial general intelligence by leading the industry.
The foundation of OpenAI was the conviction that the first AGIs would have an influence that would be much beyond that of earlier AI technologies.
OpenAI – Industry
The global artificial intelligence market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 36.2% in order to reach 407.0 billion USD by 2027. The major growth drivers during the forecast period fall under the categories of data-based AI, advancements in deep learning, and the need to achieve robotic autonomy in order to stay competitive in the global market.
The primary restraint on market growth is the limited number of AI technology experts available. Other challenges include topics like data privacy and the unreliability of AI algorithms. With the adoption of AI, customer service can be improved to a great extent. Its benefit can also be seen in the operational efficiency of the manufacturing industry.
The rise in demand for an intelligent system to enhance efficiency and productivity is propelling the growth of the global artificial intelligence market. Technological advancements in the AI industry, such as faster speech and natural language processing, are positively impacting the growth of the AI market.
The above graph shows an estimated amount global artificial intelligence market from 2021-2030 in billion US dollars
OpenAI – Founders and Team
In 2015, OpenAI was established by the efforts of Elon Musk, Ilya Sutskever, Greg Brockman, Sam Altman, and Wojciech Zaremba in San Francisco, California.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk
Serial entrepreneur Elon Musk is renowned for being the founder of high-tech businesses that are inspired by science fiction. He founded PayPal, invested in Tesla, Inc. in its early stages, and served as its CEO. He also served as SpaceX’s founder, CEO, and chief engineer. He is also the CEO of Twitter.
After establishing four billion-dollar businesses (PayPal, SpaceX, Tesla, and Solar City), Elon Musk is frequently regarded as one of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs.
However, many believe that at his heart, Musk was always an engineer, innovator, and developer before becoming an entrepreneur. He has received praise for his ability to identify design inadequacies, defects, and missteps in some of the technologies on which society depends.
Musk co-founded and co-chaired the charity OpenAI in 2015, with the organization’s declared goal being the advancement of artificial intelligence for the betterment of humanity.
The research firm has made it a priority to keep artificial intelligence open and accessible and to make sure it doesn’t wind up in the hands of a privileged few businesses. In 2018, Musk resigned from the OpenAI board to prevent any conflicts with his position as Tesla’s CEO. Tesla has now entered the AI space with its Autopilot product.
Ilya Sutskever
Ilya Sutskever
Ilya Sutskever, who was born on January 1st, 1986, is a computer scientist working in machine learning and currently serving as co-founder and Chief Scientist of OpenAI. In the area of deep learning, he has made a number of important advances.
Greg Brockman
Greg Brockman
OpenAI’s co-founder and chairman, Greg Brockman, previously served as CTO of Stripe, a well-known Silicon Valley firm.
Sam Altman
Sam Altman
Sam Altman is an American businessman, founder and CEO of OpenAI, former co-founder and CEO of Loopt, and co-founder of Hydrazine Capital. Previously, Sam Altman was also the president of Y Combinator. Sam Altman was let go from the company on November 17, 2023. Mira Murati took over as CEO, but she was later replaced by Emmett Shear, who was the CEO of the company. Sam Altman has again joined the company as CEO on November 24, 2023.
Wojciech Zaremba
Wojciech Zaremba
Wojciech Zaremba is a Polish mathematician and computer scientist who co-founded OpenAI in 2016 and now oversees the Codex research and language teams. The teams are currently developing GPT-3 successors and building AI that creates computer code, respectively.
OpenAI – Startup Story
Elon Musk, Sam Altman, and other investors announced the creation of OpenAI in December 2015 and committed over US$1 billion to the project. The company declared that by publishing its patents and research, it would “freely interact” with other organizations and researchers.
The public beta of “OpenAI Gym,” a platform for reinforcing research areas from OpenAI, was made available on April 27, 2016. On December 5, 2016, OpenAI announced “Universe,” which is a platform for developing and testing artificial intelligence and general intelligence throughout the world’s supply of websites, games, and other applications.
OpenAI changed its status from non-profit to “capped” for-profit in 2019, with a 100X profit limitation across all investments. In addition to partnering with Microsoft Corporation, which announced a US$1 billion investment package in the firm, the company awarded shares to its employees.
Then, OpenAI stated that Microsoft would be its preferred partner in a commercial licensing agreement for its technologies. OpenAI is a research organization that has 60 engineers and researchers committed to advancing and enhancing the organization’s goals and objectives.
They concentrate on thorough study, tackling issues that call for fundamental improvements in AI technologies. OpenAI seeks to affect the circumstances surrounding the development of AGI by leading the field.
The greatest method to forecast the future, according to Alan Kay, is to create it. The group intends to gradually spend the $1 billion in supported commitments since it is concerned with how AGI is developed.
OpenAI – Name, Logo, and Tagline
OpenAI logo
As stated above, OpenAI directly contributes to the development of secure and effective general AI and offers an “open-source” environment that is easily accessible to people, showing how its name is derived.
OpenAI – Mission, and Vision
OpenAI mission
OpenAI’s mission statement says, “The company aims to ensure that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity.”
The goal of OpenAI is to create a safe and secure AGI and make sure that its advantages are shared as broadly and equally as possible. With the conviction that the first AGIs would have an influence far greater than that of earlier AI breakthroughs, OpenAI was formed.
OpenAI – Business Model
OpenAI operates on a freemium basis. Users are first given free tokens on their accounts, which have a three-month expiration date and may be used to access the OpenAI API. However, in order to continue utilizing the API once users exhaust those tokens or go beyond the free review time, a premium subscription must be obtained.
OpenAI encourages participation by first granting users quick access to the majority of the API functionality. Developers are urged to use its API for their projects, and its dashboard gives them access to essential management tools.
Due to the inadequacy of its first non-profit strategy for expansion, OpenAI became a limited-profit corporation named OpenAI LP. However, current OpenAI users and open-source contributors began to have second thoughts about this shift toward a commercialized framework.
Because OpenAI requires such high levels of processing, the firm frequently uses infrastructure from third parties. The company’s current income sources could not be sufficient to build a cloud computing network of the size necessary to meet its long-term objectives. Therefore, OpenAI currently depends on venture capital financing.
There are two distinct revenue sources for OpenAI. These are the token and API costs.
API Fees
Users who register on the OpenAI website and create an account receive free tokens worth $18 that are good for up to three months. The tokens must be replaced whenever they run out or expire. OpenAI currently uses a pay-as-you-go model.
Access to OpenAI’s models is subject to a range of fees. Ada has a $0.0004 training cost and a $0.0016 use cost. These rates are determined using a base unit of 1,000 tokens, or around 750 words.
A quota is given to each user. Once a user writes an application and submits it for evaluation, usage quotas are modified. Users can also ask for a higher quota.
Token Fees
Users require tokens in order to utilize OpenAI’s DALL.E text-to-image converter. In the first month, users receive 50 credits, and in each subsequent month, they receive an additional 15 credits for free. Four photos can be produced from one question using one credit.
Additional credits are expensive. For $15, OpenAI offers 115 credits that may be used to create 460 pictures. Professionals and enthusiasts use more tokens since they frequently alter the system’s default outcomes by reentering them.
OpenAI – Funding and Investors
OpenAI has raised $11.3 billion in funds in a total of 8 rounds, which are listed below.
Date
Round
Amount
Lead Investors
Aug 14, 2023
Secondary Market
–
–
Apr 28, 2023
Secondary Market
$300M
–
Jan 23, 2023
Corporate Round
$10B
Microsoft
Jan 1, 2022
Secondary Market
–
–
Jan 1, 2021
Venture Round
–
–
Jul 23, 2019
Corporate Round
$1B
Microsoft
Mar 11, 2019
Venture Round
–
Khosla Ventures, Reid Hoffman Foundation
Aug 22, 2016
Pre-Seed Round
$120K
–
OpenAI – Investment
OpenAI has made eight overall investments, with the most recent one being calculated on September 16, 2023. The list of investments made by OpenAI is shared below.
Date
Organization Name
Round
Amount
Sep 16, 2023
KudoAI
Grant – KudoAI
$98K
Jul 18, 2023
American Journalism Project
Grant – American Journalism Project
$5M
May 1, 2023
Oikeus.AI
Non Equity Assistance
–
May 1, 2023
Ava
Seed Round
$4.6M
Feb 24, 2023
Acroo Labs
Pre Seed Round
£2.4M
Nov 7, 2022
EdgeDB
Series A
$15M
Oct 27, 2022
Descript
Series C
$50M
OpenAI – Product And Service
The business is renowned for being open to working with other institutions and academics and for keeping its patents and discoveries available to the public.
Muse Net: Muse Net is a deep neural network that can create four-minute musical compositions with up to ten different instruments and any genre.
The program was not created with any knowledge of music in mind; instead, it was learned by repeatedly guessing the following note in a MIDI file. The company used data from ClassicalArchives and BitMidi to train the models.
GPT-3: Launched on May 29, 2020, by OpenAI, GPT-3 is an auto-regressive language model with 175 billion attributes. The model expands upon the 1.5 billion-parameter GPT-2 transformer-based language model that was previously created by OpenAI.
By embracing and scaling GPT-2 features, including modified initialization, pre-normalization, and reversible tokenization, GPT-3 outperforms GPT-2. By outperforming the GPT-2 model in task-agnostic and few-shot performance, GPT-3 training can enhance upgrading language models.
ChatGPT
OpenAI ChatGPT
OpenAI unveiled ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence-based chatbot that can construct contracts between producers and artists and write intricate code.
ChatGPT has gained a lot of attention from the public for its human-like, thorough responses to inquiries, and it has the potential to completely change how people use search engines by doing more than just providing links for users to sort through.
GPT-4 Turbo
On November 7, 2023, OpenAI launched GPT-4 Turbo, expanding the capabilities of AI through context handling and opening the door to more profound, significant user interactions.
Assistants
On November 6, 2023, OpenAI unveiled the Assistants API, a new API that it describes as a step toward assisting developers in creating “agent-like experiences” within their apps.
DALL-E 3 API
OpenAI launched text-to-image model, DALL-E 3, was initially available on ChatGPT and Bing Chat. It is currently accessible via an API with the launch of the API. With pricing starting at $0.04 per generated image, the DALL-E 3 API offers many format and quality options with resolutions ranging from 1024×1024 to 1792×1024.
OpenAI – Partnership
Microsoft
The greatest AI infrastructure, models, and toolchains with Azure will be available to businesses of all sizes through a partnership between Microsoft and OpenAI, enabling them to develop and test their apps.
Snap
In an innovative move, OpenAl and Snap, the creative parent company of Snapchat, partnered in November 2023 to bring in a new era of augmented reality (AR) experiences.
BCG
In order to assist customers in fully utilizing OpenAI technology and ethically applying generative AI to address even the most difficult problems, BCG has partnered with OpenAI.
OpenAI – Acquisition
Open AI has acquired one company to date (August 16, 2023)
OpenAI acquired Global Illumination on August 16, 2023, for an amount of $100 million.
OpenAI – Competitors
OpenAI’s competitors include DeepMind, huggingface.co, wandb.ai, deepai.org, deepdreamgenerator.com, doc.ai, Neo Cybernetica, and Sobolt.
OpenAI – Future Plans
OpenAI has already revolutionized the industry with its AI power to a great extent. As for the future plans of the firm, it is looking forward to increasing its collaboration with other research organizations and companies in order to extend AI-powered services.
OpenAI is also looking forward to trying its hand at the robotics and natural language processing fields with its services. As of the current scenario, OpenAI has already partnered with major tech firms like Google, Facebook, and Microsoft in order to provide its services for their use. Continuing them for a longer period of time can also be taken as a future plan of OpenAI.
Conclusion
Artificial intelligence is a common word in the tech field. Relying on the same words, a research startup named OpenAI was developed in 2015 with the goal of providing a friendly environment to build safe AI and to ensure the safe and even distribution of the AI’s benefits.
The article discusses the business model, founders, startup story, and other essential details like funding and investment in an easy-to-follow pattern.
FAQs
Is OpenAI free to use?
OpenAI works on a freemium business model. That means it is free to use with a limited time period or coupons. After the expiration of the free model, a premium plan has to be purchased from them for further use.
When did Elon Musk leave OpenAI?
In February 2018, Elon Musk left the board of OpenAI but still remained on the list of donors.
What programming language does OpenAI use?
The programming language used by OpenAI is Codex, which is compatible with a number of programming languages like JavaScript, PHP, TypeScript, etc.
How long is the OpenAI free trial?
In the beginning, OpenAI provides tokens to its users worth $18 as a free credit that expires in the next three months.
YouTube is declaring war on something as common as an ad blocker. With enabled ad blockers, they are interrupting your videos with a pop-up.
“It looks like you may be using an ad blocker. Video playback will be blocked unless YouTube is allowlisted or the ad blocker is disabled.”
On Reddit, YouTube users have been moaning about the move, which doesn’t allow YouTube viewers to watch more than three videos ad-free.
Christopher Lawton, a YouTube spokesperson, emphasized the importance of YouTube Premium, a $13.99 monthly subscription, for those seeking an ad-free experience.
So, what’s going on at YouTube, and how can you keep watching ad-free videos there? Here’s what you should know.
YouTube banned ad-blocking software in November 2023. But, prior to the big clash, YouTube has been testing the waters in secret since June.
The platform claims that these privacy tools go against its terms of service, disrupting YouTube’s ad revenue system.
Now, why the crackdown? Consider this: YouTube has been throwing a party, but not everyone is bringing food. Advertisers, the platform’s lifeblood, want their moment in the spotlight.
With ad blockers enabled, it’s as if they’re attempting to enter the VIP zone without the bouncer noticing. YouTube is cracking down to make sure that everyone pays for access, either through commercials or YouTube Premium. My friend, it’s a digital velvet rope issue.
Worldwide Advertising Revenues of YouTube
The graph shows that YouTube’s advertising revenues have grown steadily over the past few years, from 8.15 billion USD in 2017 to 29.24 billion USD in 2022. The graph also shows that YouTube’s advertising revenues are predicted to continue to grow in 2023 to 30.4 billion USD.
Can YouTube Ban You for Using Ad Blocker?
Can YouTube kick you off for being an ad-blocking user? The quick answer is ‘NO, it does not.’ YouTube isn’t tossing anybody out; they’re just making it more difficult for ad-blocking outcasts to slip through the cracks.
With the crackdown in full force, YouTube is on a mission to stop users from ad-free viewing without paying a subscription. YouTube is enticing you to upgrade to premium with promises of an ad-free heaven.
YouTube says, “The use of ad blockers violates YouTube’s Terms of Service.”
A YouTube representative said, “We’ve launched a global campaign to encourage viewers who use ad blockers to allow ads on YouTube or subscribe to YouTube Premium for an ad-free experience. Ads support a diverse ecosystem of creators throughout the world and enable billions of people to watch their favorite content on YouTube.”
Legal Implications of YouTube Ad Blocker Ban in the EU
Laws are being broken. According to Hanff, “AdBlock detection scripts are spyware — there is no other way to describe them and, as such, it is not acceptable to deploy them without consent.”
“I consider any deployment of technology which can be used to spy on my devices is both unethical and illegal in most situations.”
According to privacy experts, YouTube is infringing on Article 5.3 of the ePrivacy Directive, which specifies that websites must have consent before keeping or accessing a user’s information on a device.
Implications imposed on YouTube-
YouTube detects ad-blocking upgrades with no permission from users through the use of JavaScript.
The practice of YouTube’s ad blocker detection is being looked into by the Irish DPC.
European Union, with its strict privacy rules, is examining the legal landscape.
Ad blocker usage might have a significant impact on the platform’s advertisers and YouTube Premium sign-ups. In an interview, YouTube told how the entire platform support creator worldwide and how they get the highest ad revenue from their long-form content.
They claimed, “YouTube’s ad blocking detection does not access information stored in the device but identifies whether ads have been played or not.” In Addition, to cooperate fully with questions or queries from the DPC.
How to Watch YouTube Ads Amidst Ad Blocker?
Here are ways to get around the ad blocker exclusion, but it may take some of your energy-
Use Browser Plugins: To regain your ad-free experience, look into reputable browser plugins such as uBlock Origin or Adblock Plus.
Go for YouTube Premium: YouTube Premium provides an ad-free experience. While there is a monthly price, it is a surefire method to say goodbye to commercials.
Check Third-Party Apps: Some third-party apps and services allow you to watch YouTube without ads. Use caution and make sure they follow YouTube’s policies.
Watch on Further Platforms: Consider watching your favorite content on platforms that do not rely on YouTube’s ad system.
Use YouTube’s Built-InFeatures: YouTube has features such as ad-skipping after five seconds. While it is not ad-free, it certainly lessens the impact of advertisements on your watching experience.
Here is a collection of useful ad-blocking extensions and programs effective on the YouTube website and application:
Web Browser Extensions
uBlock Origin: A portable and highly flexible, free open-source ad blocker with great ad-blocking capabilities.
AdBlock Plus: A well-known and effective ad blocker with an extensive user base. It has plenty of features, including the ability to ban certain ads and unwanted websites.
Ghostery: A privacy and ad-blocking extension that disables advertisements, cookies, sensors, and other privacy-invading components.
AdGuard: A robust ad blocker that effectively blocks numerous advertisements, including pop-ups, video commercials, and social media ads.
Brave Browser: A quick privacy browser with an ad-blocking and tracking safety system built in for a safe browsing experience.
Mobile Applications
AdGuard for Android: An effective Android app and web browser ad blocker.
AdBlock Plus: A well-known Android ad blocker that comes with diverse features, such as the capacity to block particular advertisements and websites.
Blokada: An open-source Android ad blocker that blocks ads from appearing anywhere on the device, including apps that don’t support ad blocker apps.
AdBlocker Ultimate: An iOS ad blocker that prevents ads from appearing in Safari and other web browsers.
Purify: An iOS ad blocker that stops ads from appearing in apps, Safari, and additional web browsers.
How to Fix and Bypass YouTube Anti Ad Block Detection
Practical Solution
YouTube has access to the latest technology that allows it to detect AdBlock and prompts you to disable it.
If you wish to keep using YouTube, Wright suggests checking to see if your ad blocker supports ‘Allowlisting.’ Another alternative is to have a separate browser with no ad blocker installed.
He said. “Finally, the last and perhaps easiest solution is to pay for the premium subscription.”
YouTube has its own solution: Premium, an ad-free nirvana. It’s a haven away from the frenzy of advertisements. The built-in features work well for me, so that you can try that.
However, if you’re feeling powerless, there are third-party options available, each offering its own brand of ad-free magic. In this age of digital advancement, make wise choices.
FAQs
How does Adblock affect YouTube?
AdBlock on YouTube improves the viewing experience and protects privacy, but it reduces content creators’ revenue and may cause some videos not to play.
Can YouTube ban me for using Adblock?
YouTube won’t ban users for using ad blockers but may ask them to disable these tools.
What is the impact of ad blocking?
Ad blocking negatively impacts online content creators and platforms by reducing advertising revenue. It also challenges the sustainability of free online services that rely on ad-based monetization.
Company Profile is an initiative by StartupTalky to publish verified information on different startups and organizations.
All of this time and generation is about making things easier, be it shopping or payment. Now, when you ought to make things easier for the consumer, it becomes imperative to make it easier for the service providers as well.
Following the same thought, Sampad Swain, Akash Gehani, and Aditya Sengupta co-founded Instamojo in September 2012. Instamojo is a payment gateway for MSMEs that allows them to accept all kinds of payments and transfers.
Back when it was incepted in 2012, Instamojo started as a solution provider of digital payments, which has now progressively grown into a robust online payment gateway for enterprises like micro, small, and medium. So that they start, manage, and grow their businesses online.
All in all, like most fintech startups in the country, Instamojo has turned into a full-stack digital services platform over time with the sole vision of constructively bridging the gap between MSMEs business, who find it hard to leverage and optimally use the right technology and developers in reaching out to the relevant application users.
Instamojo has two flagship products:
MojoCapital
This product from Instamojo helps disperse bite-sized short-term credit loans, which are worth around $2 million. MojoCapital caters primarily to its merchants on a monthly basis, and it has shown a projected growth of 25% on a monthly basis.
MojoXpress
MojoXpress is often regarded as the logistics arm of Instamojo and helps MSMEs deliver their products to their respective customers. Not very surprisingly, it is touching close to 1,000 shipments per month.
Instamojo – Pricing
In Instagram, you can also create your free online store, where you can make changes to add products and customize your store. The online store builder has an inbuilt payment gateway where merchants can sell and manage their online store.
Instamojo – Free Online Shopping Store
Pricing details for the Instamojo store
Instamojo Store Pricing
Instamojo – Target Market Size
“Today, the MSME sector in India contributes to 37 percent of the country’s GDP and employs over 117 million people. The scope of growth for this sector is enormous; however, the presence of several challenges, especially the lack of knowledge on several business-specific elements, prevents this.
A major roadblock we identified was that several MSMEs did not know where to source information. Through the mojoVersity platform, we aim to democratize knowledge transfer by making available course content that will help small business owners learn and be more aware of the nuances required to run and sustain a business,” said Sampad Swain, the founder of Instamojo.
Instamojo – Founders and Team
The founders of Instamojo are Sampad Swain, Akash Gehani, and Aditya Sengupta.
Sampad Swain: Since graduating from IBS Hyderabad, Swain has had his hands on quite a few startups. Before Instamojo, he co-founded DealsandYou and WanaMo.com.
Aditya Sengupta: After graduating from IIT Bombay, Aditya went straight into co-founding Instamojo.
Akash Gehani: With a dazzling MBA in finance, before co-founding Instamojo, Akash was working as a product manager at ICICI Lombard.
Instamojo – How did it start?
All of it started when the owner of Instamojo, Sampad, started a private video newsletter as a part of his own blog, which was named InStartup.com. For this, he would travel to various cities to interview entrepreneurs about their journeys and startups there. Soon, Sampad realized that this was an extremely difficult job and that he wasn’t getting paid.
Still, he was quite determined to set up a stellar payment system for his side project, followed by a harsh reality check. This was when he started speaking to other similar service providers in the industry. And that’s when he realized that accepting payments was much more than just accepting payments through a portal.
It was followed by additional steps of setting up a website, then registering the company with the authorities, and then finally integrating with a payment gateway. “Doing so much for a side project didn’t make sense then,” said Sampad.
This led him to abandon the project, which was followed by his moving into the founding team of DealsandYou, where he worked on the mobile advertising network for SMBs.
It so happened that in 2012, this DealsandYou idea did not fly as the co-founders had envisioned that it would. This gave Sampad the opportunity to discuss the idea of his side project with the founders here, which actually came by accident.
“My idea was to enable people to collect money from their friends and families by creating a short link and sharing it with them. It was simple and a lot of interesting things could be done on top of it,” Sampad added.
So right at this moment, a side project has blossomed into a full-fledged business. Hence, in September 2012, Sampad Swain, along with his co-founders, Akash Gehani and Aditya Sengupta, launched Instamojo.
About Instamojo
Instamojo – Name, Tagline, and Logo
Instamojo – Logo
The word Instamojo ideally means “instant magic.” This was derived from Sampad’s first project, which was called Instartup.com. His supreme love for Harry Potter was the source of magic, or mojo here, which makes it Instamojo.
Instamojo – Shareholding
Instamojo Shareholding
Founder
91.36%
Angel
8.13%
Other People
0.51%
Instamojo – Startup Launch
Now, after the massive launch of Instamojo, the real entrepreneurial journey has just begun for the co-founders. While an effortless and easily mechanized payment gateway is a fantastic product for startups, organizations and tech companies,
India is, however, a land of small businesses that are not very technical and are also fairly resistant to new technological advancements. “Our eureka moment was when we realized that this could potentially be a game-changer for non-technical people who want to accept online payments without integration and website building,” said Sampad, one of the co-founders of Instamojo.
Instamojo Website
However, through all these milestones, Instamojo, since its inception, has tried to build products and services that facilitate organizations with a strong and flawless payment mechanism. Additionally, Instamojo also enables MSMEs to build online stores so that they can keep up with the digital age and the upcoming digital marketing trends.
Instamojo – Competitors
One might say that the Indian organizations are not that technically upbeat, yet the competition is cutthroat in the market. Because digital advancements are knocking on the startup ecosystem one after another.
The fintech startups have time and time again tried to revolutionize the payment mechanism and have always tried to take the level higher. Instamojo competes with portals and payment gateway startups like Razorpay, CC Avenue, PayU, and Amazon Pay, to name a few.
Instamojo – Funding and Investors
Instamojo has raised a total of $8.4 million in funding over 8 rounds.
Date
Round
Amount
Lead investor
Jun 28, 2021
Corporate Round
–
Mastercard
Nov 13, 2020
Venture Round
–
–
Mar 7, 2020
Venture Round
Rs 6.99 crore
Times Internet
Jan 16, 2019
Series B
$7M
AnyPay
Aug 18, 2017
Series A
–
AnyPay
Nov 13, 2014
Series A
–
–
May 31, 2013
Seed Round
$500K
–
Jul 1, 2012
Angel Round
–
–
Instamojo – How to Set Up Insta Mojo Online Store?
To set up an online store in InstaMojo, the steps you need to follow are:
The first step is to sign in on InstaMojo and then check your dashboard.
You will find an Online Store section on the left side, and then you can create your store as per your wish.
By clicking on ‘Store Details’ in the dropdown, you can edit your profile, add your store’s logo, or link to your social media pages.
Instamojo – How to Add Products on Instamojo Online Store?
To add products to the Instamojo Online Store, one needs to follow some steps, and those steps are:
The first step is to click on ‘Add Product’.
Then choose what kind of product you want to add to the store from the section. The section is divided into physical products, digital products, event tickets, and others. Choose from them.
The next step is to add the title of your product.
Provide a brief description of your product.
Select the category for your product.
Add the variant of your product that you are providing your customer with.
In the advanced settings section, you have to add a redirection URL, which will help your customers make payments.
In the advanced setting, you can also check the SEO options. Using the SEO elements will help you in ranking your online store higher on search engines.
Instamojo – Growth
Currently, Instamojo is providing payment gateway services to more than 3 lakh small and medium businesses.
Successfully developed a reputation for being fast and easy to use
Quite popular with the tech-savvy crowd.
To date, Instamojo has helped create more than 11,000 online stores.
Since COVID 19, Instamojo has witnessed 25–30 percent growth on its platform.
The platform is trusted by more than 20 lakh businesses in India
Instamojo – Product And Service
MojoXpress and Mojo Capital
MojoXpress and MojoCapital, two new flagship products from Instamojo, were introduced in August 2018. The company will establish itself as a complete stack service provider for the MSME (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise) sector with the new solutions, which will cater to the loan and logistics needs of small enterprises.
SAAS Solution
With the acquisition of GetMeAShop, Instamojo has advanced its strategy to become a full-stack service provider for MSMEs on February 5, 2020.
E-commerce Software Platform
On June 8, 2021, a platform for e-commerce was introduced with the goal of assisting small to medium-sized consumer brands in establishing an online presence.
Instamojo – Partnership
Nova Registry
Instamojo and one of the most creative registry operators in the world, Nova Registry, have partnered up on June 21, 2023, to establish.link as the industry standard for companies that need to share links that their clients can rely on.
Instamojo – Acquistion
Instamojo has two companies to date:
Showman was acquired by Instamojo on April 22, 2021, for an indisclosed amount.
Get Me A Shop was acquired by Instamojo on February 5, 2020, for an amount of $5 million.
Instamojo – Campaign
Mojo Stars
“Mojo Stars” is the name of Instamojo’s debut digital marketing initiative. According to a statement, the brand hopes to tenfold expand its exposure with this campaign. The six-month campaign aims to introduce Instamojo to prospective entrepreneurs by running on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. The brand also wants to encourage aspiring business owners by spreading the idea that “If they can do it, so can you.”
Instamojo – Future Plans
The founders and the team fairly claim that they are unaffected by the competition. Furthermore, Instamojo is looking to build a platform to bring all its 700,000 registered MSMEs to a unified payment gateway platform. Instamojo has almost 3000 premium users, and they are looking forward to increasing the number to 30000 in a couple of years.
FAQ
What is the Instamojo store?
Instamojo is a Bangalore-based company that is targeted at selling digital goods and collecting payments online.
Is Instamojo Indian?
Instamojo is an Indian on-demand payment and e-commerce platform for micro-entrepreneurs, startups, and MSMEs to start, manage, and grow their businesses online.
The most popular video forum we have today where you can watch different content anytime and anywhere is none other than YouTube. With more than 2 billion users, this video-streaming platform is taking over the world in the ad revenue sector. As a result, many content creators are relying hugely on YouTube as their main source of income.
Today, YouTubers are more like celebrities and big stars. It is no surprise that these wealthiest YouTubers earn more money by starting their own clothing lines, record labels, and other side businesses and using their massive fan bases as free advertising.
In this article, we are going to pen down some of the richest YouTubers in 2023.
Jimmy Donaldson, known as Mr. Beast, is listed among the top richest YouTubers in the world. Jimmy was 13 years old when he first started to upload videos on YouTube under the name MrBeast6000.
He has amassed billions of views for his content, which includes pranks, challenges, and prizes.
According to Forbes, Mr. Beast may earn $110 million this year, doubling the previous profits that could make him the first YouTube billionaire.
Recently, he won the Favorite Male Creator award during the 36th Annual Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards ceremony.
Jake Paul
YouTube Channel
Jake Paul
Subscribers
20.5 million
Estimated Net Worth
$60 million
Jake Paul – Top Richest YouTuber
Jake Joseph Paul is a professional boxer and social media personality from the United States. Jake Paul grew up in Westlake, Ohio, with his older brother Logan Paul, who is also a YouTuber and internet personality. It was in 2013, that Jake began his professional life by making Vine videos. Prior to the closure of the app, he had more than 5 million followers and 2 billion views. In 2014, he posted a Vlog as his very first YouTube upload.
Paul established the “Boxing Bullies” organization in 2021 to assist young people in overcoming bullying.
Markiplier’s real name is Mark Edward Fischbach. He was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, but later moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. The first YouTube channel that Mark created was on March 6, 2012. His first plans were to post comedy skits and action movies. Mark and Multiplier were combined to form the moniker “Markiplier,” which he chose for the channel because he would be playing every role in the sketches. Together with fellow YouTuber Ethan Nestor (better known online as CrankGameplays), Fischbach started the Unus Annus channel in 2019. It was created with the intention of uploading one video every day for one year after which all of the content would be erased. The channel became successful right away, collecting 1 million members in its first five days and 4.56 million in its last few minutes. In addition, it had over 11.5 million video views in its first week.
Rhett & Link
YouTube Channel
Good Mythical Morning
Subscribers
18.4 million
Estimated Net worth
$35 million
Rhett & Link – Top Richest YouTuber
Rhett James McLaughlin and Charles Lincoln Link Neal III are two school friends who launched their daily talk show “Good Morning Chia Lincoln” in 2011 in North Carolina. Their talk show usually involved personal stories or opinions on various topics with Abraham Lincoln and Chia Pet as the show’s centerpiece. The pair debuted ‘Good Mythical Morning’ in 2012, following their relocation to Los Angeles and the termination of their television program, Commercial Kings. The series followed the same pattern as their last program and included a “Wheel of Mythicality” with recommendations from viewers for how they would wrap up the program, frequently with a quick improvised scenario.
Unspeakable
YouTube Channel
Unspeakable
Subscribers
16.5 million
Estimated Net Worth
$28 million
Unspeakable – Top Richest YouTuber
The Unspeakable YouTube channel is a popular entertainment channel owned and operated by Unspeakable. It is a popular channel that features a variety of content, including challenges, pranks, experiments, and vlogs. The channel was created by Unspeakable in 2013 and has since amassed over 16.5 million subscribers. The content on the channel is often creative and unpredictable, and it has been known to go viral on social media. Some of the channel’s most popular videos include “Filling a City With Trampolines,” “24 Hour Overnight Lego House Challenge,” and “100 Hours Breaking into Bank Vault.”. The Unspeakable YouTube channel is popular for viewers who enjoy watching creative and entertaining content.
Like Nastya
YouTube Channel
Like Nastya
Subscribers
109 million
Estimated Net Worth
$106 million
Like Nastya – Top Richest YouTuber
The Like Nastya YouTube channel is a global sensation, captivating millions of young viewers with its vibrant content, educational themes, and positive messaging. Launched in 2016 by Anastasia Radzinskaya’s parents, the channel has amassed 109 million subscribers and garnered billions of views worldwide. Its success stems from its ability to seamlessly blend entertainment and education, utilizing catchy songs, engaging storytelling, and colorful visuals to capture children’s attention. The channel’s content encompasses a variety of formats, including learning videos, nursery rhymes, playtime vlogs, and safe challenges, all infused with positive reinforcement and family values. Like Nastya’s popularity extends beyond YouTube, her presence felt across various social media platforms, and merchandise solidifies her position as a global children’s entertainment icon.
Ryan Kaji
YouTube Channel
Ryan’s World
Subscribers
35.8 million
Estimated Net Worth
$100 million
Twin Telepathy Slime Challenge Ryan vs. Daddy!
The next top contender among the wealthiest YouTubers is 11-year-old Ryan Kaji. He began his YouTube career at the early age of 4 by playing with and reviewing toys. It was his parents who established his YouTube channel Ryan’s World in 2015 by uploading a video of him opening new toys. Ryan’s World is also available in Spanish and Japanese. Many of the items Ryan’s World evaluates are given to charitable organizations. Ryan’s World also has a range of toys and apparel with the same name.
Dude Perfect
YouTube Channel
Dude Perfect
Subscribers
59.9 million
Estimated Net worth
$50 million
Dude Perfect – Top Richest YouTuber
Dude Perfect is an American sports and comedy group formed by college roommates headquartered in Texas. The members of the group are Tyler “Beard” Toney, the Cotton twins Cory and Coby, Garrett “Purple Hoser” Hilbert, and Cody “Tall Guy” Jones, all of whom were Texas A&M University roommates in the past. The majority of Dude Perfect’s videos feature numerous stunts, stereotypes, and trick shots. They also had two other channels namely Dude Perfect Plus and Dude Perfect Gaming, which are not active at the moment.
Logan Paul
YouTube Channel
Logan Paul
Subscribers
23.6 million
Estimated Net Worth
$45 million
Logan Paul – Top Richest YouTuber
Logan Paul’s YouTube channel has captured people worldwide with its unique blend of wit, originality, and exciting challenges. Logan Paul, an American YouTuber, actor, and social media figure, founded the channel in 2013. It now has over 23.6 million followers and over 6,200 videos. With its unique blend of fun and good messaging, Paul’s content, which includes vlogs, challenges, stunts, and music videos, has constantly engaged audiences. His most popular films, which include “The Ultimate Hide and Seek Challenge,” “Fake Police Prank On My Girlfriend,” and “Can We Survive In An Escape Room For 50 Hours,” demonstrate his ability to push boundaries and captivate viewers’ interest. Logan Paul’s YouTube channel has received recognition for its ability to connect with viewers of all ages while spreading the message of achieving one’s aspirations.
PewDiePie
YouTube Channel
PewDiePie
Subscribers
111 million
Estimated Net Worth
$40 million
PewDiePie – Top Richest YouTuber
One of the richest and most popular YouTubers we have next on the list is Swedish YouTuber PewDiePie (real name: Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg). His YouTube channel continues to be one of the most popular, with over 111 million followers and 28.8 billion views. His well-known show ‘Let’s Play‘ debuted in 2010 for posting horror videos and action video games. He has been credited with increasing video game sales through his internet notoriety, and he has also been able to mobilize support for charitable fundraising campaigns. He was included among the top 100 important persons in the world by Time magazine in 2016.
Jeffree Star
YouTube Channel
Jeffree Star
Subscribers
15.8 million
Estimated Net Worth
$200 million
Jeffree Star – Top Richest YouTuber
Jeffree Star is reportedly the richest YouTuber due to his net worth of $200 million. He was born in Los Angeles County, California, and raised in Orange County, California. Before becoming a YouTuber, Jeffree was a singer-songwriter. In 2009, he uploaded his first video to YouTube to promote his songs. However, his music career wasn’t taking off and he was on the verge of going bankrupt in 2014. To launch Jeffree Star Cosmetics, Jeffree invested his entire life savings. Today, Jeffree Star Cosmetics makes an estimated $100 million in revenue annually. He was the fifth-highest-paid YouTuber in 2018 according to Forbes, which reported that he had made $18 million from his YouTube activities alone.
DanTDM
YouTube Channel
DanTDM
Subscribers
28.3 million
Estimated Net worth
$35 million
DanTDM – Top Richest YouTuber
Next on the list, we have British YouTuber, author, and gamer Daniel Robert Middleton also known online as DanTDM (previously TheDiamondMinecart), who is well known for his video game commentary videos. In addition to setting Guinness World Records for his gaming and presenting, he has received several Kids’ Choice Awards. He was ranked among the top YouTube stars in the world in July 2015 based on viewing. Furthermore, The Sunday Times listed Daniel at number 41 on its list of the top 100 influencers in the UK in 2019 and pegged his wealth at £25 million.
Ninja
YouTube Channel
Ninja
Subscribers
23.7 million
Estimated Net worth
$40 million
Ninja – Top Richest YouTuber
Richard Tyler Blevins, also known online as Ninja, hails from a Welsh family background. He not only has a YouTube channel with over 23 million subscribers, but he also has the most Twitch followers. When he initially began playing Fortnite Battle Royale in late 2017, Blevins gained popularity gradually. He started broadcasting by joining numerous esports teams for Halo 3 competitive play.
The Bottom Line
Who would have thought YouTube, which was launched in 2005, today has over 300 hours of videos being uploaded daily on its platform?
From the above-mentioned list of richest YouTubers, it is evident that YouTube as a platform has changed the world for these content creators. It’s monetization strategies and ad revenue system have landed a great number of opportunities for our YouTubers.
FAQs
Who is the richest YouTuber?
Jeffree Star is reportedly the richest YouTuber due to his net worth of $200 million.
Who are the top 10 richest YouTubers?
Below is the list of the top 10 richest YouTubers:
Settlin, the dominant PropTech digital broker for resale homes, raised an undisclosed amount from Powerhouse Ventures, Kyt Ventures, Investo Monk, Guptaji Invests, Ah Ventures, PV Rao (PVR Cinemas), etc. The company has turned profitable recently and will invest the amount in smoothening the working capital flow and increasing its operations. They further aim to sell 4,000 units in the next 12 months.
Founded by the alumni of IIT-Kanpur and IMT-Nagpur, Settlin is the first and only e-commerce for resale homes, providing an end-to-end platform from property intent to registration. The primary target market for the company is ‘Resale Home’ Buying, which is 75% of the market demand and is currently operational in Bengaluru. With the intent of simplifying real estate transactions, they have created a robust tech platform for the automatic creation and execution of RE sales, including data analytics and other related services.
Sudhanshu, Co-founder of Settlin, shares, “We have grown 5x in the last 15 months, post our pre-series A and have successfully proven the model. Settlin currently handles 12,000 unique buyers monthly and are selling ~100 homes every month. With the help of our brilliant teammates, wise advisors, and resilient investors, we have achieved the unthinkable and reached this scale. We are at the start of a long journey of disrupting the real estate market with end-to-end transactions and feel we have the visibility on growth and the domain expertise to get us there.”
Consumer Tech has seen multiple waves and has evolved from classifieds to full-stack digital brokers such as JustDial to Amazon or Flipkart, OLX or Quikr to Spinny or Cartrade, and Zomato to Swiggy. The latter entities found success in end-to-end doorstep execution, sales via assembly line, devoid of human skills, and “pay-on-success” revenue models. Unfortunately, Indian PropTech has not seen such a ‘Digital Broker’, so no significant change has happened in the home buying process or experience for Indian buyers. In resale, most tech platforms behave like a classified, and the traditional route is followed right from ad shortlisting to dealing with multiple parties like lawyers, CAs, and municipal officers for purchasing a resale property.
Settlin opts for a digitized approach to buy and sell resale homes online via assembly line automation of 9 different processes for the inventory & buyer, run by independent teams, each at 100-500x efficiency, creating each sale in a standardized manner with zero human sales involvement. The company also executes de-skilled offline property visits via a white-collar gig-greeter network, making it asset-light and scalable.
Using these processes, the company manages 1,000s of customers daily, both sellers and buyers, nudging and educating them towards the right match and the right price. Centrally, each department takes care of complete operations, and deals happen as a by-product. The company also provides final assistance in safeguarding the token, getting legal verification, drafting agreements, facilitating home loans, ensuring tax compliance, executing the sale deed, etc.
Settlin is on target to sell 1,000 homes in CY2023. In the next 12 months, the company plans to expand to Mumbai in all kinds of residential properties, aims to sell 4,000 units, and is currently raising growth capital.
Besides her renown as an actress, Shilpa Shetty is also a filmmaker, a dancer, an author, an entrepreneur, and a model. Shilpa Shetty started her career as a model in the year 1991, after her tenth grade. After debuting in Bollywood with the blockbuster movie Baazigar, she had a tremendous career ahead.
Shilpa Shetty is the first Indian celebrity to take part in and win the British reality show ‘Celebrity Big Brother.’ Shilpa Shetty, along with her husband Raj Kundra, was also the former owner of the IPL team ‘Rajasthan Royals.’ She has also invested in ‘Mamaearth,’ a baby & beauty care company.
Being a fashion enthusiast and a model, Shilpa Shetty also owns a fitness app called ‘Simple Soulful,’ which includes fat loss programs, yoga programs, diet plans & recipes, meditation programs, diabetes programs, immunity booster programs, etc.
She was ranked 75 by Forbes Celebrity 100 in 2019. Even though she has not been very active in Bollywood for almost 13 years, she still maintains her celebrity status through brand endorsements and entrepreneurship. Shilpa Shetty is also an investor and has funded many startups. She is the face of several brands. The Brands endorsed by Shilpa Shetty are listed below:
BL Agro, a food product company, announced Shilpa Shetty as the brand ambassador of their product, Nourish, in 2021. Enhancing nutritious and good foods, the brand focuses on a healthy life, for which Shilpa Shetty was their proud choice as she promotes fitness and staying healthy.
Food products such as atta, dal, dry fruits, etc, are produced under Nourish. The brand assures nutritious food and has a catchy tagline: “Drop the ordinary, choose extraordinarily.” The ad presents Shilpa Shetty as a person who is concerned about her family’s health and explains the health benefits of Nourish products to her family members. Rather than choosing price and taste, choosing healthy is what she actively presents through the ad.
Bodycare International
Shilpa Shetty – Brand Ambassador of Bodycare International
The well-known apparel brand Bodycare International endorsed Shilpa Shetty as the brand ambassador for their antibacterial, thermal wear in the year 2019. Shilpa Shetty was their choice of a strong modern woman to attract a wide range of customers. In their kid’s apparel ad, Shilpa Shetty can be seen endorsing the safe and comfortable kids’ apparel from Bodycare International.
Mamaearth
Shilpa Shetty – Brand Ambassador of Mamaearth
Mamaearthis a brand founded by Ghazal Alagh and Varun Alagh – a parent for the parents. While searching for the best and safest products for their newborn, they came to know that most baby products contain toxic items in one way or the other. That was how Mamaearth was born. Focusing on safety, Mamaearth is Asia’s No.1 brand with Made Safe certified products. They also believe in Mum empowerment, honesty, and the best of earth. The best available natural, plant-based, and man-made ingredients are used in each Mamaearth product.
Shilpa Shetty is the brand ambassador of Mamaearth who launched their toxin-free products in the year 2018. She said she is happy to represent a brand that understands parents’ worries and struggles and resonates with their environmental responsibility. Mamaearth also launched a natural, chemical-free range of beauty products, which Shilpa Shetty endorsed.
Shilpa Shetty’s ad – Mamaearth
Yakult Danone
Shilpa Shetty – Brand Ambassador of Yakult
Yakult is a probiotic fermented milk drink that improves digestion and helps in building immunity. The company, Yakult Danone India, is a joint venture of two global probiotic leading companies in Japan and France. Yakult was launched in India in 2008.
Yakult Danone announced Shilpa Shetty as their brand ambassador in 2017. She was their choice to spread the health benefits of Yakult among Indian consumers of all age groups. Shilpa Shetty, who is very particular about each brand she represents, has visited the company and was satisfied, as a result of which she decided to be a part of Yakult Danone.
B Natural
Shilpa Shetty – Brand Ambassador of B Natural
B Natural focuses on providing an authentic fruit experience to customers. They offer a wide range of fruit juices directly exported from Indian farmers. Mango, Litchi, grapes, mixed fruit, orange, guava, pineapple, apple, watermelon, and pomegranate are their main range of fruit juices.
B Natural was acquired by ITC in 2014. In 2017, they roped in Shilpa Shetty as their brand ambassador. The brand offers concentrated fruit juices that make them more healthy. As usual, this could be the reason why Shilpa Shetty endorses this healthy product.
Fast&Up
Shilpa Shetty – Brand Ambassador of Fast&Up
Fast&Up is a brand fulfilling the nutrition needs of athletes. They have a wide range of products, including protein, plant power, sports nutrition, daily nutrition, kids nutrition, women’s nutrition, energy drinks, pre-, during, and post-workout drinks, apparel, and accessories.
Fast&Up roped Shilpa Shetty as their brand ambassador in 2021. Being a fitness enthusiast, she is considered to be the perfect fit for the brand. Raising awareness about overall fitness among the family and empowering them to have a healthy lifestyle is what they aim for.
Shilpa Shetty – Brand Ambassador of SRL Diagnostics
SRL Diagnostics is India’s largest diagnostic chain, founded in 1995. With a total of 428 labs across the country, they have labs in other countries, too. They had built a strong relationship with the customers over the years.
In 2018, SRL declared Shilpa Shetty as their brand ambassador. Being a regular customer of SRL Diagnostics, she was happy to be a part of it.
Eris Lifesciences
Shilpa Shetty – Brand Ambassador of Eric Lifesciences
Eris Lifesciences is a pharmaceutical company established in 2007. In 2020, Shilpa Shetty was roped in as the brand ambassador for their hand sanitizer brand TruSaniz. Shilpa Shetty believes in personal sanitation and hygiene and is very much concerned about the health and safety of her family. The ad is all about being clean and safe.
While going through the brands endorsed by Shilpa Shetty, her vision of a healthy and safe lifestyle is visible. It seems that every product contributes to a healthier lifestyle to some extent. Each one of them, from food products to fitness and beauty items, promotes our health and well-being.
Godrej Nupur
Shilpa Shetty – Brand Ambassador of Godrej Nupur
Godrej Nupur, a leading brand of hair removal creams and lotions in India, has strategically chosen Shilpa Shetty, a renowned Bollywood actress, fitness enthusiast, and businesswoman, as their brand ambassador in the year 2021. This partnership aligns seamlessly with Godrej Nupur’s commitment to providing effective and gentle hair removal products that are suitable for all skin types. Shilpa Shetty’s personal brand resonates with Godrej Nupur’s target audience, making her an ideal choice to represent the brand.
Shilpa Shetty’s impeccable beauty standards, passion for skincare, and advocacy for personal care make her a perfect fit for Godrej Nupur. Overall, this strategic partnership is expected to yield significant benefits for both Godrej Nupur and Shilpa Shetty, solidifying their respective positions in the beauty and hair care industry.
Chicnutrix
Shilpa Shetty – Brand Ambassador of Chicnutrix
Chicnutrix is a lifestyle brand that offers a range of products promoting wellness and beauty from the inside out. The brand’s philosophy is rooted in the belief that true beauty comes from within and that you can achieve a natural, radiant glow by nourishing your body with the right nutrients. They appointed Shilpa Shetty as their brand ambassador in May 2022.
Shilpa Shetty is a perfect fit for Chicnutrix as a brand ambassador because she embodies the brand’s health, wellness, and inner beauty values. She is a fitness icon and advocate for holistic living, and she is known for her flawless skin and radiant complexion. Shilpa Shetty’s endorsement of Chicnutrix products is a testament to her belief in the brand’s philosophy and the effectiveness of its products.
Stellar Homes USA
Shilpa Shetty – Brand Ambassador of Stellar Homes USA
Stellar Home is a leading online retailer of home décor products, with a wide selection of furniture, bedding, bath, and kitchen items. They offer a variety of styles, from traditional to modern, and their products are known for their quality and affordability.
Stellar Homes USA likely chose Shilpa Shetty as their brand ambassador in 2020 because of the strong alignment between her personal traits and the brand’s identity and target audience. Her traits seamlessly complement Stellar Homes USA’s brand identity and target audience, making her an ideal choice for brand ambassadorship. Her endorsement can effectively convey the brand’s values of style, comfort, affordability, and creating a welcoming home environment.
IVAS
Shilpa Shetty – Brand Ambassador of IVAS
IVAS is a private label brand specializing in a wide range of home renovation products, offering a one-stop shop for all home makeover and interior décor needs. IVAS caters to diverse customers, from homeowners and interior designers to architects and builders.
The company has chosen Shilpa Shetty as its brand ambassador in 2023 because her qualities align well with IVAS’s brand identity as a provider of high-quality, stylish, and innovative home renovation solutions. Her reputation as a successful actress, fitness enthusiast, and businesswoman adds credibility and trustworthiness to IVAS. Her endorsement suggests that the brand’s products are of high quality and align with the values of a successful and respected individual.
ZOFF
Shilpa Shetty – Brand Ambassador of ZOFF
ZOFF, an emerging player in the Indian spice industry, has chosen Shilpa Shetty, a renowned Bollywood actress, fitness enthusiast, and businesswoman, as their brand ambassador in 2023. This strategic partnership aligns ZOFF’s commitment to providing fresh, flavorful, and authentic spices with Shilpa Shetty’s positive image, healthy lifestyle, and passion for cooking. Shilpa Shetty’s endorsement will enhance ZOFF’s brand perception, increase brand awareness, expand market reach, and boost sales, solidifying its position in the competitive Indian spice industry.
FAQs
Is Shilpa Shetty an entrepreneur?
Besides being an actor, Shilpa Shetty is also an entrepreneur who actively invests in startups:
Mamaearth
Simple Soulful
What are the brands endorsed by Shilpa Shetty?
Shilpa Shetty’s brand endorsements include:
Nourish by BL Agro
Bodycare International
Mamaearth
Yakult Danone
B Natural
Fast&Up
SRL Diagnostics
Eris Lifesciences
Godrej Nupur
Chicnutrix
Stellar Homes USA
IVAS
ZOFF
Who is the brand ambassador of Mamaearth?
Shilpa Shetty is an investor and brand ambassador of Mamaearth.
What is the cost of having Shilpa Shetty as a brand ambassador?
Shilpa Shetty’s brand ambassador cost is approximately ₹1 Crore.
In an age where sustainability and personalized health are reshaping the food industry, the convergence of genomics and food technology marks a revolutionary step toward creating products that cater not only to individual needs but also to global ecological challenges. By harnessing advanced gene-editing tools, personalized nutrition insights, and sustainable ingredient optimization, food tech innovators are pushing boundaries to address complex issues like food waste, resource depletion, and changing dietary demands. This pioneering intersection could lead to a future where food production is more efficient, precise, and environmentally responsible, aligning with the growing demand for products that support both individual health and the planet’s well-being.
Mohan Valluri, an influential leader in this evolving space, has been at the forefront of integrating genomic advancements with food technology. Valluri’s journey in the food industry has been marked by swift career progression, from an automation engineer to an executive leader within just seven years. Throughout his career, he has leveraged his technical expertise and strategic insight to drive innovation and influence the food sector’s movement toward sustainable practices. An active member on several prominent industry advisory boards and technical associations, Valluri has been recognized globally in publications and platforms for his contributions to sustainability and corporate growth. His role in one of the world’s largest QSR Supplier Sustainability Advisory Councils has further cemented his reputation as a thought leader who advocates for environmentally responsible practices across the industry.
His work is a perfect example of how genomics can be used to create a sustainable food technology. With research partners, he has led initiatives to determine how gene-editing tools like CRISPR can be used to improve the nutritional quality and sustainability of ingredients. Incorporating genomics into the product development process, his goal is to develop food that would correspond to certain health profiles and reduce resource consumption.
He has been able to deliver remarkable revenue increases and improve efficiency while at the same time encouraging a decrease of waste in ingredients to create a balance between creativity and sustainability. He has pioneered next-generation ingredient development that integrates R&D with a focus on environmentally sustainable production processes to achieve sustainable cost reduction and optimization of organizational operations.
It is evident that his efforts have implications that go beyond the numbers of revenues and efficiency. As the head of production who has implemented automation and AI into production lines, he has improved plant efficiency, output, and capacity, enabling the company to enter new markets and create many new jobs. During the pandemic, he continued to think about the future, keeping production going safely and unhindered while continuing to develop. This adaptability has underlined the significance of his work in the preparation of the industry for unexpected and regulatory shifts.
As genomics and food technology continue to converge, Valluri’s contributions offer a roadmap for sustainable product development that could redefine how we approach food production. His vision and leadership exemplify how the industry can harness advanced science and technology to meet both consumer demands and environmental needs. The future of food may lie in the integration of precision-based genomics with responsible production practices, promising a world where food is not only tailored to individual health but also produced in harmony with the planet.
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With the growing drive for digitalisation, though most of us organizations and the individuals working on behalf of them are witnessing a whole new era of seamless work and extending quality services without any major challenges, cybersecurity breaches and cyberattacks are inching towards a new level of potency each day. Such challenges, however, are being mitigated by various cybersecurity firms, one of which is Sequretek.
The Mumbai-based cybersecurity firm founded by Pankit Desai and Anand Naik, is one of the popular cybersecurity firms of India. Here’s checking out the success story of Sequretek, along with all the information about its Co-founders, Team, Investors, Funding, Name, Logo, Business and Revenue Model, Growth and User Acquisition and more.
Sequretek is a cybersecurity firm helping organisations focus on their main motive instead of worrying about cyber attacks. The company uses AI for the most part of its work, hence boosting their productivity and lowering down the expenses. There is a lot of hustle and inspiration in the startup story of Sequretek. Here is a few of them which are shared by the co-founder of Sequretek Pankit Desai, in his own words.
Sequretek – Industry
According to the latest report by Markets and Markets, the cyber security industry is expected to touch close to $300 billion by 2023 and is currently growing at over 10%. As per their forecasts from 2017 to 2023, in 2019, the market size is expected to be over $160 billion. The factors triggering this growth are strict data protection laws being implemented, rising cyber terrorism, and the growing need for SMEs to store data in the Cloud giving rise to cloud-based cybersecurity solutions.
Sequretek – Founders and Team
Sequretek is backed by 2 founders – Pankit Desai and Anand Naik.
Pankit Desai
Pankit Desai, Co-founder of Sequretek
Pankit has worked in senior roles in companies like Rolta, NTT Data, Wipro, Cognizant, IBM, and CMC. He has worked in North America for a large part of his career selling tech products to tech companies to accelerate their design of work. In his free time, he likes to catch-up on reading especially global affairs, world events as well as watching some good content on Netflix.
Anand Naik
Anand Naik – Co-founder and CEO of Sequretek
Anand is a cyber security specialist who has worked with market leaders in this segment for over 2 decades. He has worked with companies like Symantec, IBM, and Sun Microsystems. He is a voracious reader and likes to stay abreast of contemporary topics, besides being a complete family man.
Sequretek Team
Sequretek is a strong team of 201-500 employees. Along with the founders Anand Naik and Pankit Desai, many other people are the reason of the growth of the company. To name some of them, Arun rathi is the CFO, Perverz Goiporia is the CTO, Deepali Mistry is the head of marketing and Vandana Chimanpure handles the HR department.
Besides having an open-door policy the company thinks it is important that the employees perceive an organization as a fair employer who cares about them. Fairness in all our dealings, transparency in our processes, and empathy in our interactions. They work on the overall employee development both professional and personal and stand by them in their hour of need and celebrate in their success.
As a young company, they are always in search of people who are committed to tech. They hire from colleges, senior resources from the industry and also have created an environment where leaders should come from within the Company. Therefore, they look for candidates who value learning, love challenges, and are ready to go that extra mile. Moreover, they should be Flexible and adaptive to the fast-paced environment.
Sequretek – Startup Story
My co-founder Anand Naik and I were discussing to take the plunge for a few years. Both of us were working in senior leadership roles, running large teams, accountable for profitability for a big chunk of business. Our leadership role gave us a sneak peak into the world of running a sustainable business, prepared us for ups and downs and toughed us up. But still giving up a well-paying job especially when you have family responsibility is never an easy decision. Having a co-founder with whom you can build a common vision and then have a core team that joins you on the journey makes the decision a bit more manageable.
Since both of them come from the tech industry, it was clear that they wanted to start a business in that domain. Cybersecurity emerged as a natural choice since Anand has been working in this segment for over two decades. Before launching Sequretek, he was in India, working as Saarc head for Symantec.
Sequretek – Vision and Mission
Sequretek was founded with a single vision to simplify security and bring down the cost of ownership. Cybersecurity has always been viewed as a cost centre where a certain number of products, regular patching, and updates are required to keep the system up and running. That was relevant at least two decades ago. With the changing digital landscape, evolution of cyber-attacks into more complex forms, companies are now worried and at the same time clueless about upping the ante of their cyber defence.
Many of them are still following the old school thought where they are buying the most sophisticated products. They don’t even realise if they even need it, if it is compatible with other security products, how much bandwidth they consume of a system, and if they are slowing down the entire IT architecture.
When they decided to start Sequretek in 2013, they didn’t want to follow the old narrative of pushing products down onto the customers. Plus, they wanted to build an agile system that can spot, analyse, react and protect a threat in near real-time because that is the differentiator in cybersecurity. Thus, their products are built on an AI platform, which are monitoring millions of incidents globally. At the same time, they are matching them in the Indian context to boil it down to a manageable handful of incidents per day. Therefore, helping organizations focus their energies on real problems and not go on a wild goose chase.
With such an approach, they hope to achieve our vision of simplifying security and driving down the cost of ownership for the enterprises.
About Sequretek
Sequretek – Name, Tagline and logo
A few years into their journey, they had reached a point where we were confident that they are on the right track. The whole point was to simplify security and tell enterprises to take control of their cyber destiny rather than attackers taking control of it. With this thought process, they decided to redesign their logo to give out this messaging. Their new logo was unveiled in Oct 2018 amid top cybersecurity honchos and Gulshan Rai, Cyber Security Chief, India.
SEQURETEK Logo
The Q in the logo is like a knob on any control, but on careful observation there’s no limit stopper at its base, mimicking the highest level /potential of a given machine. Going against the grain of traditional thinking in security that correlates security with restriction
Secondly, it denotes a power button, signifying the connected world that we look to protect.
The color orange cuts across the world as a color of culture and traditions, which is sacred and a serious matter to anyone using it. This is one color that moves nations and builds bonds of trust with undeniable assurance.
Sequretek – Product and Services
Sequretek offers its customers best-in-class products and services, which help them keep their guard up 24/7 to fight off any potential cyber attack. Their range of products include
IGA: Sequretek’s IGA (Identity Governance and Administration) is an access governance product for enterprises. IGA is used for defining access as per various parameters of employees, their managerial seniority, job profile location-based access, etc. The primary challenge it looks to address is ensuring that for every individual (employee /contractor) that exists in the company access to any technology privilege such as applications, shared folders, printers, network, the internet is commensurate with the role, and any change in the role which should have an impact on the privilege would be addressed immediately.
EDPR: This is a recent launch from Sequretek. EDPR is an endpoint detection, protection, and response product launched in Oct 2018 for enterprises. This product is built on an AI platform. When they started working on this product, in the endpoint security space, a single desktop needs 8 products to secure data loss. In an enterprise scenario where there are multiple endpoints, the complexity increases multifold. With the digital transformation wave and the choice of accessing the same info from multiple devices, we identified a market gap in the endpoint security space. EDPR comes with the features of 7 — 8 products rolled into one. Features like anti-virus, anti-phishing, app whitelisting backed by AI help the product learn and evolve to identify new kinds of threats too. This makes it possible for SMEs and even large enterprises to secure end nodes in a cost-effective and less complex manner at the same time have a product that responds to potential threats in near real-time
MDR: Managed Detection and Response (MDR) is their most evolved offering which is fast becoming the need of the hour for companies across the globe. The ever-increasing threats either in form of corporate espionage, state-sponsored cyberattack, or just a bunch of hackers trying to steal info to sell in the black market, has awakened many companies to come up with a security strategy where a threat can be identified before it causes damage and also that its monitoring should be near real-time. For achieving both these goals, Machine Language and Deep learning backed products can be a potential solution. In their Company, they have created an in-house malware lab, where 50 odd data scientists monitor 20 — 25 crore incidents on a daily basis across the globe using ML and deep learning. They use it to match those incidents to see similar patterns emerging in our client’s environment to identify a potential threat. If they see a red flag, a technical advisory is sent to their clients and their people on-site to patch the leakage if any.
Sequretek – User Acquisition and Growth
We have been lucky to be blessed to call some of the most marquee names in the industry as our customers. Both Anand and I have worked with companies that have sold to large enterprises as part of careers prior to Sequretek. This gave us unparalleled access to the buyer community in these companies and also credibility based on our past interactions with them. It was this personal credibility and integrity of the individuals involved I believe, got us the initial wins. Our ability then to execute on this helped create a momentum that has got us today to the stage where we have been able to create a momentum for growth.
Sequretek is growing at about 70%-80% year-on-year and growth has more than doubled from last year. For the next three years, it aims to continue to double its growth rate at 100%. they have already started international expansion with our office in the US to target the North American market and with plans to expand into other geographies viz. Europe, Middle East, Southeast Asia, Africa, and the rest of the world, in the next few years.
The Sequretek business model is in the B2B space and whilst security is industry agnostic, by the nature of the problem they address it is natural to find the most demand for what they do in the financial services sector.
Sequretek – Revenue model
In the recent past, they found the coverage needs coming from pharma, retail, logistics, manufacturing, and services segments as well. Their approach till recently has been that of direct customer acquisition both in India and North America, but with the scale-up they have started building out the indirect partner-led ecosystem as well.
Additionally, the preferred Sequretek revenue model is subscription based, and today they track upwards of 80% retention rates in their subscription business.
Sequretek – Major Challenges Faced
Building a company from scratch always comes with its own set of challenges. No doubt they also faced certain challenges. Whether in terms of finding a voice for themselves in the crowded market dominated by biggies, or identifying the right talent who could become part of their product-centric journey or raising capital at the right moments to meet their growth aspiration.
A common denominator for all of the challenges above is to create trust with the constituents who you are dealing with. The founders bring certain credibility in the industry that formed the nucleus around which a strategy for addressing each of the challenges was formed. As far as people are concerned, most of our management team comprises of individuals with whom we have some common connection. This allowed us to ensure that the ethos of founders is widely shared, they in turn ensured that the larger team gets built with the same ethos.
Sequretek – Funding
Sequretek raised $8 million on November 6, 2023, with a Series A funding round, for a total funding of $13 million till date.
Below are the funding details:
Date of Fundraise
Funding Round
Amount Raised
Lead Investors
November 6, 2023
Series A
$8M mn
Omidyar Network India
January 12, 2022
Venture Round
–
–
June 30, 2020
Seed Round
–
The FIS FinTech Accelerator in Partnership with The Venture Center
September 24, 2018
Convertible Note
$3.7 mn
Unicorn India Ventures
May 9, 2017
Seed Round
$1 mn
GVFL
Sequretek – Competitors
Cybersecurity is a big market where different players differentiate themselves on the basis of their core offerings. In this context, their core offering is simplifying security and driving down the cost of ownership. They believe their positioning and tech innovation being worked in the house has helped them stay ahead of many of their peers. In all their offerings there are legacy players who have been around for a long time and have been solving the problem in a very set way. They are being challenged by newbies who have become disruptors.
Sequretek – Partnerships
Sequretek has seen some partnerships. One of the major partnerships that the company has seen is the collaboration with the Maharashtra State Co-operative Banks’ Association (MSCBA), which came in on 26th July 2019. As a part of this collaboration, they will launch a comprehensive enterprise cyber security program for co-operative banks in Maharashtra. Such an initiative will offer the option to all the 400-member co-operative banks of MSCBA to avail state of the art 24×7 cyber security operations, compliant as per RBI guidelines.
This initiative was inaugurated by Honorable Shri Ravindra Chavan, Minister of State for Information Technology, Ports, Medical Education, Consumer Protection, Food and Civil Supplies and Shri Satish Soni, Commissioner for Co-operation and Registrar of Co-operative Societies, in presence of board members of MSCBA and leaders of over 100 co-operative banks.
This partnership will certainly make the co-operative banks more secure. Through this initiative Sequretek will remotely monitor and respond to security threats that could potentially disrupt the co-operative banks IT infrastructure and in the process not only impact their brand reputation but also lead to financial loss. Sequretek and MSCBA will work jointly to train over 1,000 bank professionals in cyber security to manage threats on sites within the member banks, as well as build a cyber aware community.
Arkansas Center
At its Little Rock, Arkansas, headquarters, Sequretek has partnered up with the Arkansas Center for Data Sciences on February, 7, 2023 to assist the India-based business in filling approximately fifty roles.
Sequretek – Awards and Recognition
Stanford SEED program: Selected from 500+ companies from across India to create a transformation plan that can help the company scale up
Next Big Idea 2017 Winner: from 400+ companies across India, award by Canadian Government and Zone Startups
Top 100 Startups: By Centre of Research and Excellence, an initiative by Top CIOs of India
Top 50 Innovators: By world innovation council, 2018
They are currently in the midst of foraying into the North American markets. The goal is to set up operations in the American market, which is the world’s biggest cybersecurity playground. This will be followed by expansion to other geographies.
Sequretek – FAQs
What is Sequretek?
Sequretek is a cybersecurity startup based in India that offers its customers best-in-class products and services that help them keep their guard up 24/7 to fight off any potential cyber attack.
Who are the founders of Sequretek?
The Sequretek founders are Pankit Desai and Anand Naik.
What are the Sequretek products?
Their range of products include:
IGA: Sequretek’s IGA (Identity Governance and Administration) is an access governance product for enterprises. IGA is used for defining access as per various parameters of employees, their managerial seniority, job profile location-based access, etc.
EDPR: EDPR is an endpoint detection, protection, and response product built on an AI platform. EDPR comes with the features of 7 — 8 products rolled into one. Features like anti-virus, anti-phishing, app whitelisting backed by AI help the product learn and evolve to identify new kinds of threats too.
MDR: Managed Detection and Response (MDR) is their most evolved offering which is fast becoming the need of the hour for companies across the globe. The ever-increasing threats either in form of corporate espionage, state-sponsored cyberattack or just a bunch of hackers trying to steal info to sell in the black market, has awakened many companies to come up with a security strategy where a threat can be identified before it causes damage and also that its monitoring should be near real-time.
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