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  • How did Digital Platforms doubled their growth in 2020

    The PayU Insights report had stated that during 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic and the mass restrictions laid down by the countries, the digital platforms and the digital apps had seen a huge surge in their user base which is over more than 100%. Let’s look at how the digital platforms have doubled their growth in 2020.

    UPI Sector
    OTT
    Gaming Sector
    e-commerce segments
    Ed Tech
    FAQ

    UPI Sector

    The PayU Insights report said that due to the Covid 19 pandemic and because of the various suggestions by experts to avoid paying physical cash as a precaution to not get in touch with the virus, the UPI payment has seen an increase in their demand.

    This is because of certain places like shopping malls, supermarkets and stores implementing digital payments as the primary source of payment based on the guidelines given by the governments and considering it to be safe for the customers.

    The UPI transactions have seen a growth of around 288 % in the year 2020 and the expenditures through UPI have grown up to 331 % between the years 2019 and 2020.

    OTT

    The OTT segment has also seen a huge rise in their demand. Due to the pandemic, people were restricted to stay in their homes and most of them would resort to a piece of entertainment. The coronavirus pandemic had led to the shutting down of offline theatres and other sources of offline entertainment avenues.

    Since the OTT platforms are available for a reasonable rate and additionally serving their purpose to keep them entertained. Moreover, all the new movies which were supposed to be released in the theatres were released on the OTT platforms.

    The OTT platforms have released a wide range of movies in the Indian Languages rather than concentrating on the western languages. This would be one of the major reasons for the increase in demand for the OTT platforms.

    In 2020, there were a lot of local OTT platforms which came into existence and a lot of OTT series and super hit movies. Some of the OTT platforms include Zee5, Sony Liv, Voot and many more.

    The OTT segment had witnessed an incredible growth in their transactions of around an increase of 144 % in the year 2020 and also an increase in their expenditure of up to 139 % in between the years 2019 and 2020.


    New Guidelines for OTT Platforms Explained
    OTT platforms have been growing in India at a fast pace. The OTT market in Indiais expected to emerge as the world’s sixth-largest by 2024. The OTT market isalso expected to grow at a CAGR of 28.6% in the next four years. There arecurrently about 40 providers of over-the-top-platforms (OTT) in th…


    Gaming Sector

    Even the gaming sector has seen an increase in their demand. Again, the gaming sector is also considered to be part of the entertainment industry and it plays a major role in entertaining the millennials and the children.

    The new and updated games, better laptops and computers with greater graphics and higher software upgrades would let the users try different games to keep them entertained. There are multiplayer games where the players can converse with each other and letting them play as a team.

    These games provide a feeling of playing the games together with their friends even though it is in a virtual model. The gaming sector is the secondary source of entertainment and is also considered to be the primary source by certain people.

    The gaming sector has witnessed a phenomenal increase in expenditure of up to 100 % in the year 2020 and also an increase in their average ticket size of up to 154 % in between the years 2019 and 2020.

    e- commerce segments

    The e-commerce segments have also seen an increase in their demand. The e-commerce sector was one of the booming industries in the country but still had to face a lot of challenges to gain the trust of Indians.

    But due to the restrictions laid down because of the coronavirus pandemic and the safety concerns in going to a retail outlet the e-commerce industry has seen an increase in their demand. Another factor would be the wide range of advertisements and promotions done by the e-commerce giants such as Flipkart and Amazon on the safety precautions they undertake for the safety of their customers.

    All these factors have led to a massive increase in the number of transactions for the e-commerce segments of up to 106 % in the year 2020 and an increase in expenditure of around 124 %, that is in between the first six months and the last six months of 2020.


    How to Start an Ecommerce business in India 2021 (Complete Guide)
    If you are looking to start your own ecommerce business like Amazon in India,this is the way to to go. Basically, eCommerce is an online process of buying orselling goods and services. There is not any paperwork involved in making anytransaction. One of the best things I like about e-commerce s…


    Ed Tech

    Even the Ed-tech had seen a considerable rise in their demand. As the colleges and classes for students had been shifted to the online mode and certain colleges making it important to have an online course to be taken up by students have increased the demand for the Ed-tech platforms.

    A lot of colleges have also taken up subscriptions to certain Ed-tech platforms to provide a platform for the students who would want to upskill themselves. Even the professionals have used these platforms to upskill themselves and to work on their growth.

    Indian EdTech Sector Funding in last Five years
    Indian EdTech Sector Funding in last Five years

    In the year 2020, the number of transactions in the ed-tech sector had seen an increase of up to 78 % and expenditures of the Ed-tech industry have seen an increase of up to 44 %. The Ed-tech industry has seen a sharp rise in their demand as soon as the implementation of lockdown with an increase in their transactions of up to 69 %.


    Best Education Business Ideas to Build an Empire
    Education [https://startuptalky.com/tag/education/] is one of the important things forpeople living in this world. As one important area, we can utilize education inmany fields of operation and in our day to day life. This is perfect for those who have a high educational background or those who…


    FAQ

    What is the future of gaming industry?

    The gaming industry is expected to have a statistical worth of about $300 billion by 2025.

    What is the future of OTT?

    According to KPMG Media and Entertainment Reports, the Indian OTT market is expected to grow 45 per cent to reach USD 5 billion by the end of fiscal 2023.

    How big is the EdTech market?

    The global education technology (EdTech) market size was valued at USD 76.4 billion in 2019 and is expected to reach USD 89.1 billion in 2020.

    Conclusion

    In India, the major growth in the digital platforms was seen in the North-Eastern part of the Country. The countries such as Nagaland with 93 % increase, Manipur with 74 % increase, Tripura with 63 % increase, Arunachal Pradesh with 66 % increase and Meghalaya with an increase of 82%. These countries have been on top of the list.

  • How to Research a Franchise

    If you have an independent venture that can be effectively imitated, at that point diversifying might be probably the most ideal approach to extend it at a quick movement. Furthermore, if you tackle it the correct way, you can positively siphon up your productivity. Through this article we will tell you how to research a franchise effectively.


    Profitable Franchise to apply for:

    Franchise Application Category
    7th Heaven Apply Here Bakery & Cafe
    Let’s Transform Salon Apply Here Beauty & Wellness
    Meatwale Apply Here Food & Services
    Frozen Bottle Apply Here Beverages & Cafe


    ‌‌Here are some tips to help you through the change:

    1. ‌‌Get Coordinated

    Thoroughly consider the cycle of how your business functions. Franchisees will require accurate subtleties and rules to get their organizations ready for action. This cycle takes some time, however, it’s justified, despite all the trouble — regardless of whether you choose not to dispatch the establishment alternative, this will even now, at last, assist your business run all the more easily. From showcasing to signage to business cards to staff preparing, everything must be executed along these lines. Build up an activity manual to give franchisees a speedy method to reference strategies and best practices and make an endorsement cycle so you approve significant choices.

    Get Co-ordinated 

    2. ‌‌Recruit a Lawyer

    Getting master exhortation is truly urgent during the diversifying cycle. First of all, you’ll need to round out a Franchise Disclosure Document. It has an unmistakable organization you need to follow, and it’s essential to have a legal advisor walk you through this cycle. You’ll have to set evaluating, make an establishment understanding, and decide licensed innovation assurance. (Notwithstanding meeting with a lawyer, the International Franchise Association additionally has some superb assets.)

    Recruit a Lawyer 

    ‌‌3. Be Precise

    You should be very specific with regards to picking franchisees. It’s anything but difficult to track down individuals with the capital, however, would they say they are the opportune individuals? Do they have the correct foundation to maintain a business? This is somebody who will speak to you, so it should be a solid match. All things considered, you are in this to ensure and develop your image. Set up a talking cycle and understand what your major issues are.


    Best Service Based Business Ideas To Start – StartupTalky
    A service business is an enterprise composed of a professional or team ofexperts that deliver work in completing a task for the benefit of its customers.Maintenance is a business within the manufacturing business. There are manyadvantages associated with starting your business selling services. T…


    4. Construct and Secure your Image

    As a franchisor, your most significant resource is your image; secure it no matter what. Your image speaks to your way of life, your convictions, and your disposition toward your clients. At the point when your establishment, you are enabling new individuals to speak to your image. This is perhaps the greatest danger of diversifying. Clear rules should be set up for the utilization of the entirety of the brand resources.‌‌

    5. Know what you Want

    You need to be certain that you are sending one clear message from one clear source, and that message is reliable all through the association. No detail is excessively little. This can appear to be domineering, however never let anybody utilize your image resources in any capacity, regardless of how little, without your earlier endorsement. Screen everything, give close consideration to recordings and pictures, and screen all online media sources in an ordinary and nitty-gritty style.



    ‌‌6. Pick the Right Location

    What areas bode well for your business? Where do you have brand acknowledgment as of now? Consider keeping your initial not many areas near and dear, yet far enough away that it doesn’t hurt deals at your underlying area. That way, you can oversee coordination without any problem. Remember you’ll need to visit these areas in person every once in a while, so pick areas with simple admittance to an air terminal.

    ‌‌7. Find a Mentor

    There will consistently be individuals who are happy to offer you guidance — you simply need to search them out.


    Steps to start franchise business
    A franchise is a business where the owner of the business provides a license toanother person for its operations, products, branding, trademark, and processesby allowing the franchisee to sell products or services under the franchiser’sbusiness name in exchange for a franchise fee. A franchisor i…


    8. Develop a Skill and be Consistent

    Consistent is the key of development . Does it bode well to develop a global level? Or then again would it be a good idea for you to adhere to a statewide arrangement?

    ‌‌9. Backing your Franchisees

    From the outset, you’ll need some acknowledgment with your franchisees, just as heaps of time on the web and utilizing the telephone.

    Know How to Franchise - Startup Talky
    Back your franchisee 

    Do everything you can to support them by commending triumphs and achievements. What’s more, to wrap things up, set up a route for franchisees to speak with each other, as well.

    That’s all for now! Best of Luck!

  • Malini Agarwal: Founder of MissMalini Entertainment

    Malini Agarwal is the Founder and Creative Director of MissMalini Entertainment. She is an Indian digital influencer, TV host, entrepreneur and best-selling author under the pseudonym of MissMalini. Her blog MissMalini.com was founded in 2008 covering all the inside and outside gossip of Bollywood. Before founding MissMalini Entertainment, she used to work as a Radio Jockey on Mumbai’s Radio One (India) and served as the Head of Digital Content for Channel V India. She has authored a book named To The Moon: How I Blogged My Way To Bollywood, where she describes her fortunate journey so far.

    Malini Agarwal- Biography

    Name Malini Agarwal
    Born 26 May, 1977
    Birthplace Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India
    Age 44 (2021)
    Nationality Indian
    Education Maitreyi College, Delhi University
    Profession Celebrity Blogger; Radio DJ
    Position Founder & Blogger-in-Chief of MissMalini.com
    Book To The Moon; How I Blogged My Way To Bollywood
    Net worth $1 million (2020)
    Spouse Nowshad Rizwanullah

    Malini Agarwal – Personal Life
    Malini Agarwal – Education
    Malini Agarwal – Professional Life
    Malini Agarwal – Radio Jockey
    Malini Agarwal – Success story
    Malini Agarwal – MissMalini Entertainment
    Malini Agarwal – TV shows
    Malini Agarwal – Blogging Partner
    Malini Agarwal – FAQs


    The Best Blogging Tools In 2020 To Grow Your Blog
    The best way to start building brand awareness is by blogging. You can offerrelevant and useful content to your audience through blogging. It is an easy wayfor businesses to gain traffic to their particular site. If you are a bloggerfor a long time but are in frustration due to the things not wor…


    Malini Agarwal – Personal Life

    Malini was born in Prayagraj, India. Her parents worked with the Indian foreign service, that is why she grew up in various countries. She currently lives in Mumbai. She is married to Nowshad Rizwanullah, who now serves as the CEO of MissMalini Entertainment.


    Malini Agarwal – Education

    Malini completed her graduation Maitreyi College, Delhi University. She pursued Bachelor of Arts specialized in English Literature. After completing her education, she moved to Mumbai, where she currently lives.

    Malini Agarwal – Professional Life

    Malini was a fluent dancer, she worked as a Professional Dancer at Ronica and The Planets from August 1995 to December 2000. She later shifted her professional background by working as a Copywriter at 1D8 Technologies Mumbai.

    From 2000 to 2003, She worked as a radio jockey and cordially hosted her radio shows. She juggled with a full-time day job. At the same time, she has been contributing to a newspaper column and a blog, MissMalini.com.

    She then joined Channel V to become their digital content head while continuing with her previous works at the same time. Soon, she decided to quit all her jobs and focus on her blog indeed. The blog eventually grew, she was inspired from international sites such as Perez Hilton, a celebrity American blogger, and Refinery29, a lifestyle portal for the youth.

    Malini Agarwal- Radio Jockey

    Malini’s radio career started as a Radio Jockey with WIN 94.6 in Mumbai, which was later named Go 92.5 and then Radio One 94.3. She hosted some shows like, Horn OK Please, 225, Tiger Time With Malini, Overdrive and Malini till Midnight.

    She was eventually promoted as a Programming Director and later decided to shift to digital TV after becoming the Head of Digital Content of  Channel V, India.

    Although, she does not hosts her show currently but continues to be a part of it, through a weekly call-in with the BBC Asia Network. This is how she continues to serve as a regular contributor to radio shows.

    Malini Agarwal – Success story

    Malini founded her MissMalini.com blog in 2008, which was initially a hobby blog. Eventually it became a gossip column, which were solely written by Malini. These columns were published in a morning daily Indian compact newspaper, a Mumbai tabloid Mid Day.  

    One of her friend, Mike Mell who is currently her blog partner, initially offered help to Malini after checking on the business potential of blogging.

    With an eye to make her blog more interesting and captivating, she left her job at Channel V and focused only on how to promote and grow her own blog. It drew inspiration from top international websites like PerezHilton and PopSugar and covers all aspects of Bollywood and celebrity life.

    MissMalini’s blog also covers the Indian and International fashion trends, with lifestyle content such as Travel, Food, and Nightlife. The blog no longer was just a” desi girl’s diary” rather it became more diverse in its topics and arenas.


    How To Start A Media Company?
    A Media Company, can be defined as a group or institution, which holds theownership of businesses in various advertising for example TV, radio stations,publishing, movies, and also the Internet. Nowadays, all successful brands invest in premium quality content that performswell on multiple plat…


    Malini Agarwal – MissMalini Entertainment

    Miss Malini Logo

    Malini’s decision to quit all her previous jobs to focus on her own creative blog proved to be worthwhile. The office of MissMalini Entertainment is based at Santacruz, Mumbai. She serves as the Founder and Creative Director at the company and her husband serves as its CEO.

    In 2012, Malini with her team of 47  (13 of them were bloggers) decided to raise a small angel funding round to transcribe their hobby blog into a professional one. The funds were used to elevate their content and marketing operations.

    The turning point came when the team decided to shift their focus from writing on basic topics to Bollywood gossip, events, fashion and lifestyle. This eventually took the blog to another level. People found it much interesting and this helped Malini to grow her blog by touching every aspects of Bollywood events and relations.

    The MissMalini’s blog became popular in the year 2014, grown out with new revenue streams like TV shows and awards. The blog displayed a growth by a CAGR of more than 100% over 5 years. In the year 2017, she took private funding. The website today has 4 million visitors a month.


    Ashish Hemrajani Story: Founder of BookMyShow | Education | Personal Life | Career |
    Ashish Hemrajani is an Indian Entrepreneur who founded India’s number 1 onlineticket booking platform BookMyShow[https://www.startuptalky.com/startup-story-bookmyshow/]for concerts, movies,plays, sports and live events. He is the founder and Chief Executive officer(CEO) of BookMyShow. In 1999,…


    Malini Agarwal – TV shows

    Malini has also a connect with her show named Inside access with Miss Malini where she meets various celebrities and does fun stuff & gossip. The show has successfully completed Season 1 and Season 2 is in progress, telecasted on channel vh1.

    She has also guest anchored various television shows like, UTV Bindass’ Style Police and CNN-IBN’s Tech Toyz. She has also completed two seasons of MissMalini’s World, telecasted on TLC. Malini and her team is also planning to launch a huge show called Not Size Zero.

    Malini Agarwal – Blogging Partner

    MissMalini.com is also the official blogging partner for the famous fashion events in India like, Lakme Fashion Week, Blender’s Pride Fashion Tour, and India Resort Fashion Week. Moreover, the blog has also covered international events such as Cape Town Fashion Week 2012.

    These blogs are also featured in the prominent digital and print fashion and lifestyle publications on a regular basis. Some of them include, Femina (India), Elle, Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar, Grazia, Glamrs.com and many others.

    Malini Agarwal – FAQs

    Who is Malini Agarwal?

    Malini Agarwal is the Founder and Creative Director of MissMalini Entertainment. She is an Indian digital influencer, TV host, entrepreneur and best-selling author under the pseudonym of MissMalini.

    What is Miss Malini age?

    As of 2021, Malini Agarwal’s age is 44.

    Who is Miss Malini?

    Miss Malini is the pseudonym of Malini Agarwal.

  • Kipstay – Faraway Places For Greater Experiences

    Company Profile is an initiative by StartupTalky to publish verified information on different startups and organizations. The content in this post has been approved by the organization it is based on.

    Resting and taking a break from work or taking a short getaway to break the monotony of daily life makes you feel refreshed, rejuvenated and more productive at work.

    There is virtue in work and there is virtue in rest. Use both and overlook none – said inspirational author Alan Cohen.

    Many studies and researches are proving the fantastic effects that even a short time out can have on one’s mind and productivity. Reports say that, “Vacations have the potential to break into the stress cycle”. However due to time or money constraints, we are not able to take adequate vacations. But thankfully now we have a solution to it.

    StartupTalky interviewed Kipstay co founder Arjun Raghunandan, to know better about this startup dedicated to helping stressed-out and overworked people find relaxation, rejuvenation and overall health benefits by reconnecting with nature.

    Kipstay – Company Highlights

    Startup Name Kipstay
    Headquarter Bangalore
    Founders Achintya Dayal & Arjun Raghunandan
    Sector Travel
    Founded 2015
    Website kipstay.com
    Parent Organization Poshmiles Online Solutions Pvt. Ltd.

    Kipstay – About & How It Works?
    Kipstay – USPs
    Kipstay – Founders & Team
    Kipstay – How It All Started?
    Kipstay – Name,Tagline & Logo
    Kipstay – Travel Market in India
    Kipstay – Business & Revenue Model
    Kipstay – User Acquisition
    Kipstay – Startup Challenges
    Kipstay – Funding & Investors
    Kipstay – Competitors
    Kipstay – Awards & Recognitions
    Kipstay – Growth
    Kipstay – FAQ’s
    Kipstay – Conclusion

    Kipstay – About & How It Works?

    Kipstay operates a collection of homestays within a two – five-hour drive from major urban cities and outfits them with comforts of home, and rents them by night. Kipstay is designed to redefine short vacations. The experience, the location and design of the Kipstay homestays are created in a way that helps guests unplug and detox from the stress of daily life and rejuvenate.

    Kipstay converts existing/abandoned housing stock short drive from the city into something more usable for this generation, that’s more responsible for the environment.

    Kipstay helps you disconnect and recharge from the daily grind — to be an “off switch” in an “on world.” Technology and work have infiltrated every hour of every day and we need to find a new way to find balance

    The getaways can be booked via Kipstay’s website or mobile app. Unlike vacations which can be expensive and far away, Kipstay is affordable (starting at INR 1500/night), far enough to feel disconnected but near enough, so you don’t spend all your time getting there.

    Kipstay – USPs

    Urban millennials are overworked and stressed out as technology, jobs and social media fill every waking moment of our lives. 8 out of 10 people want to go on vacations to relax, destress and reconnect with family and friends. But planning vacations take 4 to 7 days per trip, they are expensive (avg. INR 1 to 2 lakhs) and frequency is limited to once a year due to busy lifestyle. The major USP of Kipstay is that it allows one to take that much-needed break without spending a lot and being near cities one can plan short trips frequently.

    Also, in India, booking homestays as an alternative to hotels is frustrating on many levels – the experience is unpredictable, no transparency in pricing, inaccurate listing information and photos and trust issues. Kipstay is a solution to these problems.

    To enlist, Kipstay has the following USPs –

    For Travellers-

    • Experience – Significantly better and predictable experience for travelers. (Like an Airbnb Plus Home).
    • Affordable – INR 1,500 per night. Kipstay controls the pricing and inventory unlike other marketplaces and OTAs.
    • Accessible – All homes would be in scenic locations 2-5 hrs from urban cities, perfect for short getaways. Unlike Kipstay, many companies do not reveal the exact location unless a booking is made, which is frustrating for a traveler while planning.
    • Differentiated branding with a chic design.
    • Travelers need not choose between an authentic experience or dependable customer service and basic amenities.

    For Homeowners-

    • Ease of converting a regular home to a branded Kipstay Home via the company’s easy to execute playbook.
    • Product features – Kipstay provides branded amenities, marketing and distribution, pricing and inventory management via. a tech backend.
    • Higher occupancy rates (higher than 50%) due to Kipstay brand which directly increases earnings.
    • Kipstay offers a DIFM (Do-It-For-Me) model instead of the DIY model which is time-consuming and expensive.
    • Crossover of Uber (technology back-end, marketing & distribution, operations) and Airbnb (unique inventory with authentic travel experiences).

    MakeMyTrip Success Story- Founder, Business Model, Funding, Team, News, Revenue
    Increasing number of Indians are now booking tickets and hotels online.According to IAMAI e-commerce report (2013), travel accounts for 71% ofe-commerce business in India. A company that holds a major share in the Indianonline travel industry is MakeMyTrip. Since year 2000, MakeMyTrip is helping…

    Kipstay – Founders & Team

    Achintya Dayal and Arjun Raghunandan are the founders of Kipstay. Achintya and Arjun were friends since their school days,and started their first startup Pyxis Networks- an event management company, while they were in the last year of college. After Achintya graduated from Manipal University and Arjun from Ramaiah Institute of Technology they co-founded Kipstay.

    Achintya Dayal and Arjun Raghunandan – Co-founders, Kipstay

    The founders emphasize on building the right team from the beginning and brought on board great talent to join Kipstay’s core team. Kipstay work culture is centered around people over process.

    We push our team to achieve excellence by empowering them with freedom and responsibility. Our goal is to inspire people and trust them to do what they think is best for Kipstay by giving them freedom, power, the information in support of their decisions.

    Kipstay – How It All Started?

    While all their friends were busy preparing for CAT, GRE and GMAT, Achintya and Arjun decided to travel and attend as many music festivals as we could.

    We knew after graduation we would be facing the grind anyway, why not enjoy until then – says Arjun.

    During one such festival, it struck them that they could sell some merchandise and make some money as a side hustle, to enhance the festival experience for music festival-goers.

    The duo mailed Sunburn ( Asia’s largest music festival held in Pune, Maharashtra, every year) regarding their plan to sell merchandise at the event, and soon they were meeting hundreds of vendors – sourcing, finalizing and shipping merchandise to these festivals and all these was quite interesting!

    Honestly, we did not know this was entrepreneurship. The feeling of having earned money even before graduating got us excited about the business.

    And this love for entrepreneurship, stayed with Arjun and Achintya. After graduation, Arjun wrote his GRE and was on the final waitlist of acceptance to the University of Maryland, but instead of waiting he took a hard decision of staying back and pursue business.

    Arjun started discussing ideas with Achintya, and saw a huge opportunity in the travel industry as he belonged to a family of travel experts. This lead to the launch of Kipstay in 2015.


    Startup Story of Taxidio – A DIY trip planning platform
    Taxidio Startup Success StoryStartup NameTaxidioHeadquarterMumbai [https://startuptalky.com/mumbai-startups/]FoundersVishal Kejariwal & Abhas DesaiSectorTravel and TourismFounded2015ParentOrganizationTaxidio Travel India Pvt. Ltd.About TaxidioTourism Industry DetailsFounders of Taxidio and Team…

    The name Kipstay comes from the words ‘Kip’ and ‘Homestay’

    Kipstay Logo

    ‘Kip’ is an urban slang word which means to sleepover at someone else’s house. Again, Homestay is a private house offering accommodation to paying guests for short periods.

    Goibibo India-Online Travel Booking Portal
    Online travel booking became a sensation with the advent of smartphones anddigitization. In the same segment where Cleartrip and MakeMyTrip[/makemytrip-indian-startup-success-story/] were already predominantly present, Goibibo disrupted the travel segment by providing seamless travel experience i…

    Kipstay – Travel Market in India

    The Indian travel market is projected to grow at 11-11.5% to the tune of $48 Bn by 2020 and Hotels will grow at 13% to $13 Bn by 2020. Alternate stays, including short term rentals and other lodgings is expected to grow up to $3 Bn by 2020.

    Kipstay banks on the following recent trends in the Indian Travel Industry:

    • Increase in Frequency of short duration (2- 4 nights) trips to at least 4 to 6 times per year
    • Increase in Alternate Accommodation supply in India is growing at 40%
    • 80% of Indian travelers said they are seeking authentic experiences.

    Kipstay – Business & Revenue Model

    Kipstay was initially launched as a marketplace to discover and book homestays and additionally, they provided tools (Kiplist) to help owners manage their homes. Later the company pivoted to a network of branded getaway homes model to offer a better customer experience.

    In a marketplace model, it was hard for us to handle operations of the homes – like speaking to guests, making sure the amenities are well stocked, no control on pricing and inventory, etc. Hence to deliver a significantly better experience we iterated our model

    Kipstay runs on a simple revenue model. It helps homeowners manage their branding, operations such as guest communications and marketing and distribution via their website and app and other third-party channels. For all these services, Kipstay charges a percentage of the total booking it generates.


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    Kipstay – User Acquisition

    Kipstay was initially launched as a marketplace to discover and book homestays and additionally, they built tools (Kiplist) to help owners manage their homes. The aim was to be the backend engine that would drive business to these properties. However, this model did not turn out to be successful.

    Kipstay had 300+ homestays across 30 locations, but the bookings were very low. On speaking to customers and through direct feedback the Kipstay team understood that the users were not looking for cookie-cutter experiences when they booked with them. Travelers were looking for getaways that offered an authentic experience (like an Airbnb offering) and dependable customer service and basic amenities (like a hotel offering). Keeping up with customer expectations, Kipstay – A branded network of homestays was launched.

    Kipstay launched its first property in Chikmagalur and it received great response from the customers. In the first week of the launch – they sold 3 months of weekends, winter bookings being made in 4 months in advance.

    Kipstay – Startup Challenges

    The most challenging situation that the Kipstay team faced was convincing the homeowners to rebrand their property and letting Kipstay take care of technology and operations while they take care of the hospitality. However, given the profitability that Kipstay offers to the house owners, many house owners soon came forward to join hands with Kipstay.

    Kipstay – Funding & Investors

    Kipstay raised 1 round of angel funding in 2018.

    Date Stage Amount Investor
    2018 Angel Undisclosed IIM Ahmedabad Alumni & Group of HNI’s

    Kipstay – Competitors

    Airbnb, HomeAway, Sykes Cottages, AvantStay, misterb&b etc., are some of the similar companies in this sector.

    Kipstay – Awards & Recognitions

    1. Amrita TBI pitchfest top 30 startups
    2. Y Combinator Startup School 2018 (Graduate)

    Kipstay – Growth

    Kipstay has served over 10000+ travelers since inception and is averaging occupancy rates of 70% . The company is planning to launch in 10 new locations in 6 months.

    Reasons To Switch To Organic, Clean Beauty And Cruelty-Free Skincare
    Today we see consumers making mindful choices about the things they purchase orinvest in. The year 2020 witnessed conversations and discussions around what weconsume and how it affects the environment and what’s sustainable and what’snot. Surprisingly, these conversations were not just restricted…

    Kipstay – FAQ’s

    What is Kipstay?

    Kipstay is designed to redefine short vacations. The experience, the location, and the design of the Kipstay homestays are created in a way that helps guests unplug and detox from the stress of daily life and rejuvenate.

    Who is the Founder of Kipstay?

    Achintya Dayal and Arjun Raghunandan are the founders of Kipstay.

    Which was the first property of Kipstay?

    Kipstay launched its first property in Chikmagalur and it received a great response from the customers. In the first week of the launch – they sold 3 months of weekends, winter bookings being made in 4 months in advance.

    Does Hotel Kipstay offer any business services?

    No, it does not offer any business services.

    What are some of the basic amenities at Kipstay?

    Some of the more popular amenities offered include free wifi, free breakfast, and free parking.

    Yes, Kipstay is popular with guests booking family stays.

    Kipstay – Conclusion

    Kipstay, a Bangalore based startup is bringing to you peaceful and affordable getaway homes just within 2-3 hours drive from the city, so that you can catch up that much needed respite from the stress and tedium of daily life, without spending much time and money.

  • This Startup is on a Mission to Serve Healthy to its Customers

    Current lifestyle of young generation is leading to many diseases. Today’s era though junk is spread everywhere but people are looking for healthy bites with good taste.

    Healthy Master is a Bangalore startup co-founded by Shivali Agrawal and Dipti Singhal with a vision to “Replace Junk with Healthy”. It provides a platform where all healthy food items are available so people should not give second thought before purchasing. Read this article to know everything about Healthy Master.

    Company Highlights

    Startup Name Healthy Master
    Headquarter Bangalore, India
    Sector Food industry
    Founders Shivali Agrawal & Dipti Singhal
    Founded 2019
    Parent Organization Shashila Healthy Master Pvt Ltd. (Healthy Master)
    Website healthymaster.in

    Healthy Master – About & How It Works?
    Healthy Master – How It All Started?
    Healthy Master – Product/Services
    Healthy Master – Founders & Team
    Healthy Master – Name, Tagline, and Logo
    Healthy Master – Startup Launch
    Healthy Master – Startup Challenges
    Healthy Master – Future Plans
    Healthy Master – Recognitions and Achievements
    Healthy Master – FAQ’s
    Healthy Master – Conclusion

    Healthy Master – About & How It Works?

    Healthy Master is founded by two Moms, Shivali and Dipti, with the sole purpose to provide quality bites with delicious taste. Moms are the ultimate champions when it comes to healthy eating habits. With nourishment being an inherent nature of a mother, two moms are now moving beyond their roles to launch Healthy Masters – A one stop counter for all healthy needs.

    Their vision is to spread awareness on healthy eating habits while making quality products available at your doorstep. Today, the fast-paced life is increasingly making junk food the most appealing food trend for all age groups. Although junk snacks are tasty and easily accessible, they are proven to be the main culprits for bad health. Therefore, Healthy Master is determined to replace the junk snacks with healthy and tasty dry fruits, millet-based substitutes and many more varieties.

    Healthy Master – How It All Started?

    Being mothers, Shivali & Dipti used to talk about magical world where only healthy stuff is available so they can close their eyes and pick anything for their family. But in real life its not like this. Junk is easily accessible to all the places while we need to struggle for healthy bites. With that thought they planned to build one stop shop for all healthy needs.

    Healthy Master – Product/Services

    Healthy Master’s current product ranges are non-fried millet based snacks, cookies, dry fruits, and berries. They have around 150 healthy food items. The products use no preservatives, no maida and are high in fiber & low in calorie.

    They take at least 30-45 days to bring any items to their platform. They decide their do’s and don’ts for all the products, like if its cookies – No Maida, No Baking powder & No Artificial color. Like wise Millet snacks – Non fried and with No Preservatives.

    They don’t just sell quality products but also provide best services to their customers like timely delivery, customer care support, diet help for people with diabetic, gluten free, keto diet etc.

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    Healthy Master – Founders & Team

    Shashila Healthy Master Pvt Ltd is founded by Shivali Agrawal and Dipti Singhal in 2019.

    Tarun Agrawal is a cofounder of Healthy Master. He has a strong marketing background and handles complete marketing portfolio for company.

    Dipti Singhal & Shivali Agrawal | Founders, Healthy Master

    Shivali was a housewife and always passionate about cooking healthy food. She started a business of selling dry fruits in May 2018.

    “As Shivali and myself we were close friends, we discussed to create a complete Healthy platform as being mothers we were struggling to provide quality bites to our family.”, says Dipti.

    By profession Shivali is an interior designer and Dipti is a Chartered Accountant and worked with corporate for more than 13 years.

    Healthy Master Team

    The team of Healthy Master took almost 21 days to finalize the name. Many rounds of discussion happened to finalise the name. Finally, co founder Tarun has suggested ”Healthy Master” and Shivali & Dipti loved it.

    As name says, This platform is Masters of Everyone’s Good Health.

    Healthy Master Logo

    Healthy Master – Startup Launch

    Healthy Master was started with few of the co-founders’ friends, and got an amazing response that helped them to build their confidence level and then they started putting exhibitions in various apartments, tech parks etc.


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    Healthy Master – Startup Challenges

    The most challenging part was to finalize business partners, as initially volume was very low and they have fixed do’s and don’ts for their product ingredients. Their business partners were not ready to work for small volume and with stringent ingredients norms. They faced many obstacles but with patience and continuous efforts they have overcome that phase.

    Healthy Master – Future Plans

    Company is doing good and the team is continuously studying products which require to build a good immunity and will bring all those products that is good for everyone’s health.

    Healthy Master – Recognitions and Achievements

    “Our biggest achievement is customer satisfaction.”, says Shivali.

    Recently the company is certified by Govt of India as a Start up India Company.

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    Healthy Master – FAQ’s

    Who is the Founder of Health Master?

    Healthy Master is a Bangalore startup co-founded by Shivali Agrawal and Dipti Singhal with a vision to “Replace Junk with Healthy”.

    What does Healthy Master provides?

    It provides a platform where all healthy food items are available so people should not give a second thought before purchasing.

    Who handles the marketing for Healthy Master?

    Tarun Agrawal is a cofounder of Healthy Master. He has a strong marketing background and handles a complete marketing portfolio for the company.

    Healthy Master – Conclusion

    Healthy Master are very experienced and knowledgeable in introducing less oil & non-fried items which are made up of power food items like millet, wheat, soya, fox seeds & different variety of snack items. The company’s mission is to create a junk-free world by providing healthy products to the community. They believe in one vision “Vision to serve healthy”. One of the main priorities for this decade is to inspire people to overcome unhealthy eating habits. They have managed to exhibit their products to create health awareness among, individuals, schools, colleges, workspace to make healthy & happy living an essential part of everyone’s life.

  • Hubspot – Helping Businesses Grow Better Every Day

    Company Profile is an initiative by StartupTalky to publish verified information on different startups and organizations. The content in this post has been approved by the organization it is based on.

    As fellow graduate students at MIT in 2004, Brian and Dharmesh noticed a shift in the way people shop and buy. Consumers were no longer tolerating interruptive bids for their attention — in fact, they’d gotten really, really good at ignoring them.

    From this shift, a company was born: HubSpot. It was founded on “inbound”, the notion that people don’t want to be interrupted by marketers or harassed by salespeople — they want to be helped.

    HubSpot – Company Highlights

    Startup Name HubSpot, Inc.
    Headquarters Cambridge, Massachusetts
    Industry Software
    Founded June 2006
    Founders Brian Halligan(CEO), Dharmesh Shah
    Total Funding $100.5M ( As of 2020)
    Area Served Worldwide
    Website www.hubspot.com

    HubSpot – About and How it Works?
    HubSpot – Recent News
    HubSpot – Logo and its Meaning
    HubSpot – Founder and History
    HubSpot – Mission
    HubSpot – Business Model
    HubSpot – Revenue and Growth
    HubSpot – Funding and Investors
    HubSpot – Investments
    HubSpot – Acquisitions
    HubSpot – Competitors
    HubSpot – Challenges Faced
    HubSpot – Future Plans
    HubSpot – FAQs
    HubSpot – Conclusion

    HubSpot – About and How it Works?

    HubSpot is an American developer and marketer of software products for inbound marketing, sales, and customer service. It was founded by Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah in 2006. The Company offers integrated applications that helps in lead generation and social marketing.

    HubSpot provides a cloud-based marketing, sales, and customer service software platform referred to as the growth platform. The applications are available ala carte or packaged together. HubSpot’s mission is to help companies grow better and has expanded from its initial focus on inbound marketing to embrace marketing, sales, and service more broadly.

    Its products and services aim to provide tools for customer relationship management, social media marketing, content management, lead generation, web analytics, search engine optimization, live chat, and customer support.

    HubSpot – Recent News

    As of December 2020, HubSpot Announced Major Upgrade To Its Sales CRM, Marrying Enterprise Power With Consumer Ease-of-Use – HubSpot is bringing power and ease-of-use to enterprise sales software with a major upgrade of its sales CRM, Sales Hub Enterprise. Custom objects, sophisticated sales reporting, and advanced permissions have been added to give sales leaders new levels of control and flexibility in their CRM, while enhanced sales engagement and configure-price-quote (CPQ) capabilities make it easier than ever for teams to connect with prospects and close deals quickly.

    HubSpot – Logo and its Meaning

    HubSpot’s Company Logo

    The HubSpot logo is the instantly recognizable symbol and focal point of the brand. The HubSpot’s logo has a Sprocket in orange colour which is nothing but the communications where the HubSpot brand has already been established.

    HubSpot – Founder and History

    HubSpot was founded by Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah in 2006.

    Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah | Founders, HubSpot

    As fellow graduate students at MIT in 2004, Brian and Dharmesh noticed a shift in the way people shop and buy. Consumers were no longer tolerating interruptive bids for their attention — in fact, they’d gotten really, really good at ignoring them.

    From this shift, a company was born: HubSpot. It was founded on “inbound”, the notion that people don’t want to be interrupted by marketers or harassed by salespeople — they want to be helped.

    Today, the inbound movement continues to empower businesses around the world to stop interrupting, start helping, and return their focus to the customer.


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    HubSpot – Mission

    HubSpot’s mission statement says,

    “There’s this notion that to grow a business, you have to be ruthless. But we know there’s a better way to grow. One where what’s good for the bottom line is also good for customers. We believe businesses can grow with a conscience, and succeed with a soul — and that they can do it with inbound. That’s why we’ve created a platform uniting software, education, and community to help businesses grow better every day.”

    HubSpot – Business Model

    HubSpot creates various (B2B) software products for inbound marketing and sales purposes. These software tools allow their business customers to capture leads, drive sales and educate customers through content.

    HubSpot makes money by charging customers for using the premium features of their software tools. These are divided into so-called hubs and tailored towards different parts of the sales cycle. Additionally, HubSpot runs a marketplace in which it offers third-party apps. Lastly, a small portion of its revenue is generated through consulting services and the hosting of events.

    HubSpot – Revenue and Growth

    The company grew from $255,000 in revenues in 2007, to $15.6 million in 2010. Later that year HubSpot acquired Oneforty, the Twitter app store founded by Laura Fitton. The company also introduced new software for personalizing websites for each visitor. According to Forbes, HubSpot started out targeting small companies but “moved steadily upmarket to serve larger businesses of up to 1000 employees.”

    HubSpot filed for an initial public offering with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 25, 2014, requesting they be listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol HUBS. In July 2017, HubSpot acquired Kemvi, which applies artificial intelligence and machine learning to help sales teams. The company reported revenues of $674.9 million in 2019.

    HubSpot revenue for the twelve months ending September 30, 2020 was $0.817B, a 29.15% increase year-over-year.

    Year Amount Percentage Change From Last Year
    2019 $0.675B +31.56%
    2018 $0.513B +36.57%
    2017 $0.376B +38.62%

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    HubSpot – Funding and Investors

    HubSpot has raised a total of $100.5M in funding over 6 rounds. Their latest funding was raised on Nov 5, 2012 from a Series E round. HubSpot is funded by 12 investors. GV and Sequoia Capital are the most recent investors.

    Date Round Amount Lead Investors
    Nov 5, 2012 Series E $35M
    Mar 8, 2011 Series D $32M
    Oct 19, 2009 Series C $16M Scale Venture Partners
    May 16, 2008 Series B $12M Matrix Partners
    Sep 1, 2007 Series A $5M General Catalyst
    Jun 14, 2006 Seed Round $500K

    HubSpot – Investments

    HubSpot has made 10 investments. Their most recent investment was on Oct 25, 2018, when Ask Lorem raised $2.5M.

    Date Organization Name Round Amount
    Oct 25, 2018 Ask Lorem Seed Round $2.5M
    Sep 18, 2018 Sigstr Venture Round $4M
    Aug 9, 2018 Blissfully Seed Round $3.5M
    Mar 22, 2018 AdStage Series A $3M
    Feb 20, 2018 Crystal Knows Series B $5M
    Feb 5, 2018 Grow Series B $16M
    Sep 26, 2017 Drift Series B $32M
    Aug 22, 2017 Sigstr Series A $5M
    May 23, 2017 PandaDoc Series B $15M
    May 15, 2017 Terminus Series B $10.3M

    HubSpot – Acquisitions

    HubSpot has acquired 12 organizations. Their most recent acquisition was PieSync on Nov 4, 2019.

    Acquiree Name Date Amount About Acquiree
    PieSync Nov 4, 2019 PieSync solves the number 1 problem in the worldwide SME cloud market by offering a powerful solution to keep data continuously consistent.
    Acenna Data Apr 24, 2019 Acenna data uses machine learning to increase sales productivity for field sales
    Motion AI Sep 20, 2017 Motion AI is a software company that develops and “trains” chatbots.
    Evolve App Aug 25, 2017 Advice in Love, powered by Machine Learning
    Kemvi Jul 25, 2017 AI-powered growth automation for B2B sales and marketing teams
    Rekindle Mar 24, 2015
    Rentabilities Jan 1, 2014 Rentabilities is a rental company who can rent anything in Boston, Massachusetts.
    Chime Mar 29, 2013 Chime is a notification center for your browser.
    PrepWork Mar 29, 2013 PrepWork is a personal research assistant that briefs users on their appointments.
    oneforty Aug 18, 2011 oneforty is a social business hub that provides buyers with guide for businesses.

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    HubSpot – Competitors

    HubSpot’s competitors are Marketo, InfusionSoft, Adobe Marketing Cloud, Act-On, Wishpond, Pardot, Leadpages, etc.

    HubSpot – Challenges Faced

    In July 2015, HubSpot’s CMO, Mike Volpe, was dismissed for violating HubSpot’s code of business conduct. It was found that he tried to obtain a draft copy of the book Disrupted: My Misadventure in the Start Up Bubble, written by his former employee Daniel Lyons. According to an article in The Boston Globe, records obtained under the Freedom of Information Act indicated that HubSpot executives considered the book “a financial threat to HubSpot” and Volpe used “tactics such as email hacking and extortion” in the attempt to prevent the book from being published.

    In April 2016, after his book was published, Lyons wrote in The New York Times that HubSpot had a “frat house” atmosphere. He also called the company a “digital sweatshop” in which workers had little job security. Later that month, HubSpot’s founders gave an official response to the book, in which they addressed several, but not all, of Lyons’ claims.


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    HubSpot – Future Plans

    Last year, HubSpot launched multi-touch revenue attribution to tie your marketing work to the bottom line. Coming soon, HubSpot users will get a brand new custom report builder that pulls in even more HubSpot data. Think: emails, ads, social posts, campaigns, and more.

    The company has also expanded product limits on reporting in the majority of HubSpot accounts and made dashboards more robust and flexible, so your HubSpot reporting adapts to every change that comes your way.

    HubSpot – FAQs

    What kind of company is HubSpot?

    HubSpot is an American developer and marketer of software products for inbound marketing, sales, and customer service.

    Where does HubSpot get company information?

    HubSpot Insights is a database of company information that HubSpot gathers by combining third party data, web crawling, and crowdsourcing to ensure the data can be as accurate as possible. It is updated in real-time as we get new information.

    Who founded HubSpot?

    HubSpot was founded by Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah in 2006.

    HubSpot – Conclusion

    There’s this notion that to grow a business, you have to be ruthless. But we know there’s a better way to grow. One where what’s good for the bottom line is also good for customers. The company believes businesses can grow with a conscience, and succeed with a soul — and that they can do it with inbound. That’s why Hubspot has created an ecosystem uniting software, education, and community to help businesses grow better every day.

    The HubSpot CRM platform makes it easy for your entire company to work together — from marketing, to sales, to customer service. Each hub is powerful alone, but they’re even better together.

  • How Facebook-owned Instagram is Monetizing Instagram Reels

    Facebook Inc is a social media giant which is based in the United States of America. The social media platform is available in around 111 languages and has a presence in almost every country around the globe. It was launched in the year 2004 and has around 2.8 billion monthly active users.

    Facebook acquired Instagram in the year 2012. Instagram was founded in the year 2010 as a photo and video sharing platform. As of 2021, Instagram has around 1.074 billion users worldwide. The 71% of the users of Instagram is expected to be below the age of 35.

    Instagram had introduced a new feature called Reels videos which is a short video sharing feature in the platform. Reels videos had gained a lot of popularity in India as it was introduced at the right time when the most popular short video platform in the country TikTok was banned by the government.

    The growth of the short video feature Reels videos has let Facebook to take the next step in monetizing Instagram Reels. From Ads in Instagram Reels to introduction of new features like Sticker Ads, Let’s look at how Facebook is planning to monetize its Instagram Reels Videos platform.

    Facebook to Start Ad testing in Instagram Reels
    Instagram Reels – Ads and Categories
    Facebook Plans to test other Features

    Facebook to Start Ad testing in Instagram Reels

    On 22 April 2021, Facebook Inc had announced that it is planning to start testing the ads in its Instagram platform in the reels section. In the first stage, Facebook said it will concentrate on the countries such as Australia, Germany, Brazil and India.

    It will be a step taken by Facebook to generate revenue from its short video platform. India is considered to be one of their fast-growing social media platforms and this is a step taken by Facebook to try to capitalize on its popularity in India.

    Instagram Reels 

    Carolyn Everson, the Vice President of Facebook’s global business group said in an interview that the introduction of ads is an indication of how strong momentum Facebook has for its Reels platform in the country. However, Carolyn Everson did not share any usage metrics of the Reels.


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    Instagram Reels – Ads and Categories

    Facebook had said that compared to other contents, The Ads on Reels are planned to be as long as up to 30 seconds and the users will have an additional feature that will let them skip the Ads according to their choice.

    On 22 April 2021, Facebook had also announced that it will let the advertisers to select video content based on certain categories on which they would want to place their ads on. Some of the categories would include fitness and health, videos for children, animals and pets, workouts, etc.

    Carolyn Everson says that this step from Facebook is a big deal for the marketers.


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    Facebook Plans to test other Features

    In India, Facebook has plans to test various other features and one among them would be to provide a feature for the content creators to share their Reels videos on their Facebook accounts as well.

    Facebook also has plans to introduce a new feature and begin the testing of it. The new feature of Facebook is Sticker Ads for the stories posted on Facebook. The social media giant has plans to introduce and test this feature in the coming weeks.

    Sticker Ads will let the brands to create a sticker that will be based on their product or anything related to the brand. The influencers or social media promoters will be able to place those stickers on their story. Any sales which are made through these sticker Ads placed by the influencers can be claimed by them to get a percentage of the sales.

    This new feature will be a strategy by Facebook to provide a platform for the influencers and social media content creators to earn money directly from their fans and followers. It is similar to the way the influencers and social media creators are making money through the platforms such as Clubhouse which is an audio chat app and Patreon which is a membership site.

    Advertisers commonly use Facebook to help them target their market based on their interests. The platform helps them find their target market. This new feature will be a great effort from Facebook’s side to let the brands advertise their contents along with creating them. This will be considered as one of the biggest moves by the social media giant.


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    Conclusion

    We will be able to see a lot more newer features that will be introduced by Facebook in a short period of time. This is one of the first steps taken by Facebook to help and improve the brands and the influencers in their platform.

  • IBM—Leading Hosting & Consulting Services Provider

    Company Profile is an initiative by StartupTalky to publish verified information on different startups and organizations. The content in this post has been approved by the organization it is based on.

    Students assume getting a four-year degree and taking on the thousands of student loan debt that comes along with it – is the only way to get your foot in the door at top companies like Apple, Google, and Netflix. International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) is an American multinational technology and consulting company that provides hardware, software, cloud-based services and cognitive computing.

    IBM along with Google, Apple and 11 other companies no longer require employees to have a college degree. In 2017, IBM’s vice president of talent Joanna Daley told in an interview that about 15 percent of her company’s U.S. hires don’t have a four-year degree. She said that instead of looking exclusively at candidates who went to college, IBM now looks at candidates who have hands-on experience via a coding boot camp or an industry-related vocational class.

    IBM – Company Highlights

    Startup Name IBM
    Headquarters Armonk, New York, U.S.
    Sector Public
    Industry Cloud computing, Artificial intelligence, Computer hardware, Computer software
    Founders Charles Ranlett Flint, Thomas Watson Sr
    Founded June 16, 1911
    CEO Arvind Krishna (2020-Present)
    Areas served 177 countries
    Website www.ibm.com

    IBM – About and How it works?
    IBM – Logo and Meaning
    IBM – Founders and Team
    IBM – History
    IBM – Investments
    IBM – Revenue
    IBM – Business Model
    IBM – Hires Based on Skills and not College-Degree
    IBM – Competitors
    IBM – Growth
    IBM – Future Plans
    IBM – FAQ’s
    IBM – Conclusion

    IBM – About and How it works?

    International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) is an American multinational technology and consulting company headquartered in Armonk, New York, with more than 350,000 employees serving clients in 177 countries. IBM is a global technology company that provides hardware, software, cloud-based services and cognitive computing. Founded in 1911 following the merger of four companies in New York State by Charles Ranlett Flint, it was originally called Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company.

    IBM has been present in India since 1951. Since inception, IBM India has expanded its operations with regional headquarters in Bangalore and offices across 20 cities. IBM India has established itself as one of the leaders in the Indian Information Technology Industry.

    As a leading cognitive solutions and cloud platform company, innovation is at the core of the IBM company strategy. This is reflected in the end-to-end solutions delivered to clients, which span from software and systems hardware to a broad range of infrastructure, cognitive, cloud and consulting services. IBM helps clients solve complex business and technical issues by delivering deep business process and industry expertise. This is enhanced with advanced analytics, research capabilities, comprehensive IT infrastructure knowledge and the proven ability to implement enterprise solutions to deliver bottom line value to businesses and governments worldwide.

    IBM – Logo and Meaning

    IBM Logo

    Current IBM logo was designed in 1972 by an iconic American graphic designer Paul Rand. He understood that a distinguishing mark was essential to a company’s success. Distinctive company logotype is the principal mean of distinguishing one product from that of another he observed.

    IBM – Founders and Team

    Charles Flint and Thomas Watson Sr. are believed to be the founders of IBM.

    Charles Flint (Left) & Thomas Watson Sr.(Right) | Co-Founders, IBM

    “It is the policy of this company never to be satisfied with what we have and always to anticipate the demands of the future.”

    This quote captures the vision of Thomas Watson Sr. who forged the disparate pieces of C-T-R into a strong, unified company that became International Business Machines.

    “I had the leisure to turn to a field which has since interested me more than any other one—that is, the consolidation of corporations, the forming of what used to be known as ‘trusts.’ I have been called ‘the father of trusts,’ although sometimes I think I have been more nearly in the relation of godfather ,” said Charles R. Flint.

    The Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company, the precursor to IBM, was founded on June 16, 1911. At its beginning, it was a merger of three manufacturing businesses, a product of the times orchestrated by the financier, Charles Flint.  From these humble beginnings sprang the company that Thomas Watson Sr. molded into a global force in technology, management and culture.

    Arvind Krishna (an IIT Kanpur graduate) is Chief Executive Officer of IBM.

    Arvind Krishna | CEO, IBM

    Arvind Krishna (born 1962) is an Indian-American business executive. He has been the CEO of  IBM since April 2020 predeceasing Ginni Rometty . Krishna began his career at IBM in 1990, at IBM’s Thomas J. Watson Research Center, and was promoted to senior vice president in 2015. As a business leader and technologist, he has led the building and expansion of new markets for IBM in artificial intelligence, cloud, quantum computing, and blockchain. He has also played a significant role in the development of innovative IBM products and solutions based on these emerging technologies. Over his 30-year career at IBM, Arvind led a series of bold transformations and delivered proven business results. He most recently drove the successful $34 billion acquisition of Red Hat – the largest software acquisition – that has defined the hybrid cloud market.


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    IBM – History

    In 1911, the company was incorporated as the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company (C-T-R) and manufactured a variety of machinery including industrial time recorders, commercial scales, tabulators, and punch cards.

    C-T-R in Thomas Watson’s era.

    Three years later, Thomas J. Watson, Sr. joined the company as general manager and set the company on course to become IBM as it’s known today. Soon after being named president, Watson oversaw the shift of the company’s primary product offering to large-scale business computing equipment and transitioned the name to IBM. To catalyze technological innovation, IBM opened the Watson Scientific Computing Laboratory at Columbia University in 1945.

    IBM launched 701, the company’s first computer, in 1952 and spent the next two decades dominating the field of mainframe and minicomputers. These machines (specifically the System/360 and 370 families) were capable of unprecedented levels of computing power, so they were widely used by businesses, universities, laboratories, and government offices alike. The dawn of personal computers (PCs) in the 1980s and 90s, however, created dramatic financial losses for IBM. As vendors like Compaq, Dell, and HP took over the PC and PC compatible market, IBM shifted toward integrated business solutions, consulting, and research.

    IBM – Investments

    • Stock Symbol: NYSE:IBM
    • IPO Date: Jan 16, 2015

    IBM has made 36 investments. Their most recent investment was on May 21, 2020.

    Date Stage Amount Organization Name
    May 21, 2020 Corporate Round we.trade
    Mar 9, 2020 Series D $25M Lightbend
    Jan 30, 2020 Funding Round $20M Cambridge Quantum Computing
    Dec 11, 2019 Series C $35M Digital Asset
    Nov 3, 2019 Grant $120K Finclude
    May 8, 2019 Grant CA$50K Syngli
    Sep 20, 2018 Grant CA$50K Syngli
    Jul 20, 2018 Grant $140K Borza
    May 1, 2018 Grant Hafnium Labs
    Feb 14, 2018 Grant $120K Datawifi

    IBM – Revenue

    • IBM revenue for the quarter ending September 30, 2020 was $17.560B, a 2.6% decline year-over-year.
    • IBM revenue for the twelve months ending September 30, 2020 was $75.030B, a 2.72% decline year-over-year.

    Year Annual Revenue Percentage change
    2019 $77.147B -3.07%
    2018 $79.591B, +0.57%
    2017 $79.139B -0.98%


    Microsoft Vs. Apple Business Model
    Microsoft and Apple are the two largest companies in the world. The business model of Apple is based on customer-centric devices and innovation. Microsoft’s business spanned across Windows, Office products, Gaming (Xbox), Hardware, Web search engine (Bing), Cloud, LinkedIn, etc.


    IBM – Business Model

    IBM is dedicated to innovate and develop in the fields of mainframe, nanotechnology, personal computers to digital data management, virtualization and cloud services. The IBM business model is based around providing software that allows large corporations to connect their disparate software systems and improve their IT performance.

    So, five different business segments help IBM to channelize its business and they are-

    • Global Technology Services (GTS) – Most of the amazing businesses which are pretty large in the number have to make sure that there are so many different financial services that are present in the company along with some other industries such as the retail, telecommunication, healthcare, and some other things as well. Also, the business model of IBM has a pretty robust and amazing IT infrastructure that would be able to serve the customers to provide some results. The IBM Company is also using such services such as strategic outsourcing, integrated technology, support, Cloud, and other services as well.
    • Global Business Services (GBS) – There are some amazing services which are provided in the GBS and this is something that can be considered as a pretty great advantage for sure.

    A) Consulting: Expertise on business strategy, Technology, Finance, marketing, operation, supply chain, software, systems hardware, global financing.

    B) Application Management Services: It offers application management, support services for packaged software, maintenance, custom and legacy application.

    • Software Services

    The company of IBM is also offering some of the services to the people who need some software assistance as well. There are some operating systems which are provided to the people along with middleware in the best way. The Middleware services that are provided are software layers which will be able to connect all the systems that are provided in the company. There is a standards software platform for the company. These are some services which are provided to the people in the business model of IBM who might need it in the first place to have their solutions for the software related problems.

    • Systems Hardware Services

    To be honest, there are some hardware services that are provided in the business model of IBM as well and these are the services which are going to help people in the hardware front in the best way.

    These are the hardware services which include the amazing system servers along with the storage solutions as well. The business model of IBM also provides some of the best installation services for the people.

    In such services, the people will be provided some help when it comes to the installation of the different hardware products that have a pretty complicated nature.

    These services make such processes pretty simpler for the people and hence are some of the best options for the generation of revenue for the company. The business model of IBM provides much importance to this service.

    • Global Financing

    When it comes to the financing options in the best way, there is simply not a single speck of doubt about the fact that the businesses model of IBM is simply the best option for sure.

    That is because the lease, installment payment options, as well as the loan financing options are the ones that are handled in this front and that too in the best way for sure.

    That is one of the most important reasons why people tend to have so much faith in the business model of IBM. Three key services offered by this segment are client financing, commercial financing re-manufacturing and re-marketing.  

    IBM – Competitors

    • IT Services: IBM’s main competitors are Accenture, Hewlett Packard, and Wipro Technologies.
    • Infrastructure Software: IBM’s biggest competitors are Microsoft, Oracle, and Amazon.
    • Hardware: IBM mainly competes against Oracle, Dell, and HP.
    • Global Financing: IBM competes with numerous small players.

    IBM – Hires Based on Skills and not College-Degree

    As with so many other companies competing for tech talent in a shrinking labor market, IBM is looking for hands-on skill rather than credentials. As more workers continue to pursue self-guided learning, the skills-based model will grow. Boot camp-style immersion programs are gaining momentum across the country.

    Having a four-year college degree is generally regarded as a necessity to score a job in tech. But as the number of tech jobs has climbed, far outpacing the number of applicants, companies like IBM have turned to talent with non-traditional educational backgrounds. With this drastic shortage of tech workers, the company is now focusing on skills-based hiring rather than credentials to fill these roles. Many giant companies like GitHub follows the same procedure. In a  USA Today column, the company’s ex CEO Ginni Rometty explained that not all tech jobs require a college degree. As industries transform, she says, “jobs are being created that demand new skills – which in turn requires new approaches to education, training and recruiting.” These “new collar jobs,” said Rometty, were becoming harder to fill.

    Ginni Rometty, ex-CEO of IBM
    Ginni Rometty, ex-CEO of IBM

    In the U.S. alone, there are more than 500,000 open jobs in tech- related sectors, according to the  U.S. Department of Labor. A recent study by Code.org reports that as many as 1 million programming jobs will be unfilled by 2022.

    “About 15 percent of the people we hire in the U.S. don’t have four-year degrees. There’s an opportunity to broaden the candidates to fill the skills gap,” said IBM’s vice president of talent Joanna Daly.

    In June 2017, the company  announced that it would be partnering with community colleges across the U.S. to better prepare more Americans for “new collar career opportunities.”

    For those who don’t have a bachelor’s degree, Daly says she likes to see hands-on experience and that you’ve enrolled in vocational classes that pertain to the industry you’re applying to.

    “I like candidates who have taken the initiative to learn these skills,” she says. For example, she advises that you take a coding boot camp if you want to work online.

    “Know about the area that you’re applying for,and have a point of view about what we’re doing,” says the HR executive.


    HCL Enterprises: A Case Study
    Hindustan Computers Limited(HCL) is a multinational IT services and consultingcompany headquartered in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India. HCL is a pioneer of moderncomputing with many firsts to its credit, including the introduction of the8-bit microprocessor-based computer in 1978, well before its glo…


    IBM – Growth

    IBM’s growth has returned in virtually all segments of the company. In 1995, IBM’s sales reached almost $72 billion, up more than 12 percent from 1994. For this, Gerstner(ex-CEO) and his team deserve great credit. Profitability was also up by 42 percent. And shareholders were richly rewarded: earnings per share rose by 44 percent. Even the mainframe market, the heart of IBM in the 1970s and 1980s that critics pronounced dead in the early 1990s, has recovered, with new mainframe computers bringing in substantial profit margins.

    IBM – Future Plans

    Arvind Krishna, the chief executive of IBM said that their goal is accelerating their future and growth strategy.

    He further adds, ” we are focused on accelerating our growth strategy and seizing the $1 trillion hybrid cloud opportunity. As we work toward this goal, two things are becoming increasingly clear. First, we’re seeing a tremendous increase in client demand for our capabilities and expertise. Second, we’re noticing that client buying needs for application and infrastructure services are diverging. Because of this, we have decided that the managed infrastructure services business of our GTS segment will become an independent company, which we’re initially referring to as “NewCo.” We expect the new company to be created sometime toward the end of 2021. IBM will sharpen its focus on its open hybrid cloud platform and AI capabilities. And the new company will focus on delivering managed infrastructure services.”

    He also said that apart from what will change, it is also important that the company emphasizes on what will not change. Both companies are going to share the same DNA. Namely, a deep understanding of how to apply the power of computing, how to solve complex problems, and how to work with customers to develop solutions that make sense in the context of their industries.

    NewCo already serves more than 4,600 clients—including more than 75 percent of the Fortune 100. Its global reach will span 115 countries and include about 90,000 of IBM teammates. NewCo will also have greater freedom to forge partnerships and alliances in the managed infrastructure services space. This will open new avenues for growth. Basically, for both companies, client success will remain their north star.

    IBM – FAQ’s

    What is IBM famous for?

    IBM, in full International Business Machines Corporation, a leading American computer manufacturer, with a major share of the market both in the United States and abroad. Its headquarters are in Armonk, New York.

    Is IBM an IT company?

    IBM is a multinational technology company from the United States that makes and sells software, computer hardware, infrastructure services, and consulting services. IBM is one of the biggest Information Technology companies in the world.

    What is the old name of IBM?

    A merger of three 19th-century companies—the Tabulating Machine Company, the International Time Recording Company, and the Computing Scale Company of America—creates the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company (CTR) on June 16, 1911. CTR is the precursor to IBM.

    Did IBM make the first computer?

    The first IBM PC, formally known as the IBM Model 5150, was based on a 4.77 MHz Intel 8088 microprocessor and used Microsoft´s MS-DOS operating system. The IBM PC revolutionized business computing by becoming the first PC to gain widespread adoption by industry.

    What does IBM sell today?

    IBM sells IT services, cloud and cognitive offerings, and enterprise systems and software. The Global Technology Services segment is IBM’s biggest revenue source, but Cloud & Cognitive Software is the most profitable. IBM strives to be a leading provider in the hybrid cloud and AI.

    Who is the new CEO of IBM?

    IBM’s board of directors appointed CEO Arvind Krishna as its chairman, taking over from executive chairman and former chief executive Ginni Rometty.

    IBM – Conclusion

    Although IBM never fully recovered from its business losses, it is still a leader in the IT industry today. It’s home to the largest industrial research facilities in the world, so it makes sense that IBM is still a powerhouse of large-scale business hardware offerings—specifically mainframe computers, servers, and infrastructure. IBM is also competitive in hosting and consulting services, including Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), Managed Security Services (MSS), and IoT consulting.

  • How Facebook is Planning to Bring Renewable energy to India with CleanMax

    CleanMax and Facebook had recently announced that both the companies have got into a partnership to move into 100 % renewable energy in India. Let’s look at how Facebook is bringing renewable energy into India with the association with CleanMax.

    About CleanMax
    About Facebook
    Facebook and CleanMax partnership
    First Project of CleanMax and Facebook in India
    FAQ

    About CleanMax

    CleanMax Solar is a clean energy company. The company develops rooftop solar power. It was formed in the year 2011 and has its headquarters in Mumbai, India. The company has its presence in the major parts of India.

    CleanMax is said to be one of the leading renewable energy company which is pioneering in roof top solar development across India. The company has successfully installed more than 550 rooftop solar projects for more than 170 corporates.

    It has a total rooftop solar operating capacity of more than 250 MW. It also operates large scale solar and wind farms for supplying clean energy to its corporate customers which is more than 450 MW.

    CleanMax Website
    CleanMax Website

    About Facebook

    Facebook is an American based social media and social networking company. The company was founded in the year 2004 and is located in California. As of 31 December 2020, the company has around 2.8 billion monthly active users.

    The company’s services are available in around 111 languages and is present in almost all the countries worldwide. The company was founded by Mark Zuckerberg with his roommates and his college mates from Harvard College. Some of the important people are Chris Hughes, Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz, etc.

    Facebook and CleanMax partnership

    On 15 April 2021, Facebook and CleanMax had announced that they had got into a partnership to support the development of renewable energy in India through solar and wind energy.

    Urvi Parekh who is the head of the renewable energy at Facebook said in a statement that they are excited to announce this important step which is helping them support their operations in the region, which includes their office in India, with 100% renewable energy.

    Under the agreement of the partnership, both the companies CleanMax and Facebook will assemble a portfolio of solar projects and wind which will be used to supply renewable energy into the electrical grid in India.

    First Project of CleanMax and Facebook in India

    The first project according to the agreement between both the companies will be a 32 MW wind project. The project is expected to be located in Karnataka, India. This project will be followed by similar other projects in states where the tech giant has its operations.

    It is estimated that approximately half of the project capacity has been commissioned recently and is generating power already. Urvi Parekh who is the head of the renewable energy at Facebook said that their partnership with CleanMax will enable the generation of solar energy and wind power in the near future. This will be a huge contribution to the decarbonization of the Indian electrical grid.

    CleanMax is said to own and operate the projects meanwhile Facebook is said to provide long-term support by committing to purchase the complete environmental attribute certificates from the projects. These are for the near future.

    The social media giant, Facebook had announced that the company has reached 100 % renewable energy. The company also added on saying that it has achieved net zero emissions for its global operations.

    Andrew Hines who is the co-founder and the chief commercial officer at CleanMax has said that they have always strived to develop innovative solutions which will help their clients to achieve their 100 per cent renewable ambitions.

    He also added on saying that given the constraints in sourcing power to many facilities, CleanMax is working with certain forward thinking corporations such as Facebook which will help them find creative solutions to these problems.

    Urvi Parekh also added on saying that Facebook is committed towards upholding the highest standards in the environment. This is to ensure environmental sustainability across all aspects of their operations.

    FAQ

    What is renewable energy and examples?

    Renewable energy, often referred to as clean energy, comes from natural sources or processes that are constantly replenished. For example, sunlight or wind keep shining and blowing, even if their availability depends on time and weather.

    Is renewable energy the future?

    Renewable energy is expected to make up 30 percent of the world’s energy by 2024, according to the International Energy Agency, and most of this is driven by solar and wind projects.

    What is the best source of renewable energy?

    Wind Energy, Hydropower, Solar, and Geothermal are some of the best source of renewable energy.

    Conclusion

    We will be able to see a lot more projects coming up in the future with the partnership of Facebook and CleanMax regarding the development of renewable energy in India and across the world.