Goa is considered a very famous tourist attraction. But Goa has been in everyone’s focus recently and that is not because of its tourist point. According to the recent reports and the updated startup policy of Goa, it is looked up to be considered as a top 25 place for startups in Asia by the year 2025. To accomplish these goals, a few guidelines along with a policy was introduced in the year 2017 by the Goa Government.
Goa is considered a beautiful place to spend your vacation over there. But along with that, it is also considered a good option to build up your business in Goa. This place has good Infrastructure to look up as our first option in the favour of selecting Goa as a place of Startup. It has a good setup of water connection and electricity supply.
Another reason to select Goa as a place for Startup is the reason behind it being less expensive than the cities like Mumbai, Delhi, etc. The accommodation and renting services are less expensive than some other popular places.
The living standards of Goan people are quite impressive. They are almost perfect to serve or help you in your startup by giving up their precious time in your startup. The lifestyle lived by the people of Goa is considered to be capable of maintaining a proper work-life balance.
The other reason to consider Goa can be because of its growing technical aspects and many technology hubs taking up their bases in Goa. As it is very much involved with tourists, your startup can have a chance of getting in touch with different people depending upon your business field.
If you are looking to start a startup in the management field, you can get many opportunities there. Another great point to note is that it is well connected and quite easy to travel up to Goa from anywhere in India.
With these many reasons to consider, we can say with confidence that Goa is a good place for Startup.
Updated Goa Startup Policy 2021
The Vision for the updated Goa Startup Policy is to make it one of the most preferred Startup Destinations in India. And to also make Goa count up in the top 25 Startup destinations of Asia by the year 2025.
The updated version of the Goa Startup Policy was concerned with adding up a few changes in the old policy all depending upon the required alterations.
The vision was the same for earlier as well as the updated Startup Policy provided by the government of Goa.
The objectives of the updated version of Startup Policy with their simple meanings are explained below:
The updated version of the policy is to make Goa a good place for high-value startups by availing the facility of good geographical features as well human resources.
The process of building a robust startup place by inviting the best business-minded people to set up their base in Goa.
To assist and appreciate local businesses that are Goan startups and Goan enterprises.
To provide approx 6000 job opportunities to Goan people. The process is to convert approx 500 innovative and technology-enabled startups and build sustainable startups in Goa by fulfilling their necessary demands and presenting them with the facility of support for the next 3 years.
To provide the essential support to different field firms such as developing technology and innovation hubs, centers of excellence, R&D labs, Incubation centers for the next 3 years.
The involvement of technology-based studies in the curriculum of students. This can be done by including the collaboration of industry and academics and by introducing DIY modules in the curriculum of students in the Goan Education System. Along with these, there can be a few online courses for students that can be included in the University curriculum.
To create a stable environment and prepare Goan students to be able to work for high-level startups while achieving a great result in their professional growth.
To keep a track of the progress related to policy and evaluate its pros and cons. This is to make the best policy that can increase the growth rate of startups and allow frontiers to set up their business over her as for technology enablement as per ongoing situations.
To provide and arrange the funds for their support by different means to motivate the startups:
The idea to P-o-C (Proof of Concept) Fund
Seed Loan Fund
Working Capital Fund
Women Entrepreneurs Development Fund.
Research & Development Fund
Student Innovation Fund
Skill Development Fund
Incubation Support Fund
The major difference or adaptation of objectives is done based on two factors only:
The first is to create an opportunity for at least 6000 employment for this to be achieved, 500 innovative startups were required and the support given to them is for 3 years only. Whereas in the earlier policy, there was just the need of creating 100 successful startups to provide 5000 job employment with the support being given up for 5 years.
Another major difference is in the funds provided to startups. The updated startup policy has also given special attention to women, as it has provided the facility of funds for women entrepreneurs. This facility was missing in the earlier policy.
We can say after the updated policy came, it is easier for women also to start their startups in Goa.
This term of policy will be active for three years from the date of notification.
Effects Of Goa Startup Policy
From the time it was implemented in the year 2017, it has been proved to be a success for some people. According to the current status, there are approx. 111 startups being successfully introduced and are seen stepping the ladder of success.
The funds given to those startups have a total count of approx. 1.1 crores. And they are provided with the facilities promised by the goa government.
In the year 2021, there has been a new policy, or can be said as the updated version of the old policy was introduced. The main aim was to employ approx. 6000 people. The other thing that it focuses on is local firms. The updated policy is to provide them with funds for their development. It also focuses on the promotion of employing local people for their benefit. And the most important focus is to educate their students with some particular knowledge right from the start of their education system.
Earlier, when this policy was introduced, there was the main focus of only one field and that is the IT sector. However, this time it has been kept open for all sectors.
When there are innovations taking place in a world, women are also a strong part of them. Similarly, in the earlier policy, there were no specific funds kept for women which sometimes used to make them hesitate. However, the updated policy will allow them to start their startup with proper funds being provided to them through the government of Goa and funds collected for them.
The earlier policy had a great effect on Goa and was proved to be successful till the termination. But the proper result for the new policy is still awaited and can be fully appreciated only after it starts showing its effects.
The overall condition of goa startups is quite good and is attracting the attention of many big companies.
Conclusion
Startups are considered as the revolutionary practices of the market. The destination of startups is one of the most important factors to worry about.
Goa is considered within the best destination places for startups. With its updated version of startups terms and policy, it is a much better option to build up the base of your startup in Goa.
FAQs
Is Goa good for startups?
Yes, with the new Goa Startup Policy. Goa is good for startups. Because of its great infrastructure and affordable real estate. It becomes a feasible environment for a startup.
What is the main business in Goa?
The main business of goa includes Tourism, Agriculture, and Mining. But with the need of other businesses. A startup idea that can work well can be also a business in Goa.
How can I start a business in Goa?
You can start with Photography, Fish Farming, Travel agencies, Rental agency, Guesthouses, Spa and wellness, Commercial transportation, Restaurants/beach shack, etc.
Cheap Beer, amazing beaches and astonishing nightlife, you just can’t dislike this place. But let me amuse you with more reasons which totally justifies the statement “Work hard and Play Hard”. Although, we would share the story of some successful entrepreneurs of Goa who are running their startup successfully. Quietly lurking in the shadows are the Goan entrepreneurs sprouting out their startups in Goa.
They are purely justifying the statement of The Economic Times, “Goa has become a hotbed for startup activity and talent”. Moreover, the icing on the cake is its Startup policies which have been brought forward by the Government of Goa. The policy forecasts this small state should be among the top 25 Destinations in Asia by the year 2025. It also says that it would be a hub for at least 100 successful start-ups and counting entrepreneurs sprouting out of the state.
The state is believed to have the perfect ‘Work-life balance’. Also, fast enhancing technological as well as infrastructural changes to cater to the needs of an entrepreneur. The future forecast of the startup environment in the state does look appealing and there is an obvious change in trends over time. However, with a supportive startup ecosystem and guidance from Goa Chambers of Commerce, Goa Entrepreneurs Mentoring Services, 91Springboard and a lot of others, the state has produced some of the hottest startups by emerging entrepreneurs in the country.
This is our list of Successful Startups in Goa. Please let us know if you know about any other one.
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Foodel is ideal for those who crave delicious food but are too lazy to get out of their comfortable beds. Derived from the name ‘Food’ and ‘Delivery’, “Foodel Goa” is a food ordering and delivery company based out of the state of Goa. Foodel was founded by Anand Tarcar and Surendra Prajapati.
The startup focuses on quality food delivery with keeping the taste of its customers in mind. The company also focuses on a home cook and bakers service wherein the customer can get a taste of homemade local food. Like Swiggy this startup follows no minimum or maximum order policies on their deliveries. According to their founders, the Goa market is completely ‘untapped’ giving them a chance to grow rapidly.
Altera Advisory
Directors: Praveer Kumar Kullu and Ameya Ashok Kamat Year Founded: 2017 Industry: Financial Services
Altera – Startups in Goa
Altera Advisory is a financial services company. Altera Advisory provides their clients with the Altera provides end to end financial solutions and services including tax consultancy for its clients. It is a lifelong financial partner which caters all financial needs of clients like advisory execution.
The three pillars of its offering are technology, service and advisory. They make sure the whole process in convenient, Apart from the strong advisory and processes and all the technological tools that help client invest right from their smartphone, they also have access to every financial product under one roof.
Goamiles
Director: Sachin Bhavsar Year Founded: 2018 Industry: Taxi Services
Goamiles – startups in Goa
Goa was one of the few states in the country and probably the biggest tourist destinations to lack the services of Ola and Uber. As peculiar it sounds, sometimes the fare of traveling from one city to another city is just a few hundred short of the cheapest flights from Goa.
Government of Goa have recently launched its own app-based taxi service called Goamiles. Along with the state government, the app also has the backing of the Goa Tourism Board. The app comes in the form of ultimate savior for tourists from very expensive local taxi services. This initiative takes another step for being an entrepreneur.
Coppercodes
Founder: Chinmay Kamat & Rohan Naik Year Founded: 2017 Industry: Web Development
Coppercodes – Startups in Goa
Coppercodes is one of the newest startups and one of IT companies in Goa which have sprouted out of the state. Both the Co-Founders Chinmay Kamat, Rohan Naik aging at just 22, are the youngest successful entrepreneurs in the list of entrepreneurs of Goa. This in turns shows the young talent that is budding out of the small state.
The startups offer customized, tailor-made software, Mobile apps, Digital Marketing and Web Development. Visualizing the Goa market as a huge potential market and see the IT Industry as the need of the hour. The future forecasts of the company indicates the company heading towards successful technology solutions.
IBPS Consulting
Founder: Tamal Raha Year Founded: 2017 Industry: Biopharma & Pharmaceutical Sector
IBPS Consulting – Startups in Goa
Integrated Biopharma and Pharma Solution (IBPS) is a scientific and technical consulting firm specializing in CMC, Non-Clinical and Clinical development, Regulatory and Quality assurance services for Biopharma and Pharmaceutical sector. IBPS specializes in Biologics/Biosimilars, Vaccines, Generics, Differentiated Products and Medical Devices and provides full length of consulting service covering all stages of the product development.
It caters to many therapeutic areas including Oncology, Anti-Inflammatory, Cardiovascular, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, Medical Devices, Neurology, Women’s health and Vaccines. Besides India, IBPS is working with clients in the US, Central and Eastern Europe, China, Latin America, MENA region.
Rainbow Solar Power Solutions & Automation
Founder: D. R. Nayak Year Founded: 2013 Industry: Solar Power Solutions
Rainbow Solar Power Solutions & Automations- Startups in Goa
Rainbow Solar Power Solutions & Automations offers concept-to-completion services for Grid-connected, off-grid with batteries Hybrid system and solar pump systems using solar PV technology. Additionally ,it offers the best and the most economically viable comprehensive solutions for Automation needs to help save on electricity usage.
Rainbow Solar Power Solutions & Automation has a strategic alliance with several OEM companies and component supplier for solar PV systems & for Automation. It is the Authorised Channel Partners with BuildTrack leader in Smart Automation and Internet of Things (IoT) solutions for Homes, Enterprises, Hotels, Hospitals, Senior Living and Warehouses.
Vacations Labs
Founder: Saurabh Nanda Year Founded: 2012 Industry: Travel & Tourism
Vacations labs – Startups in Goa
Vacation labs, a startup in the travel and tourismsector which helps tour agencies their itineraries online quickly and hassle-free. It is a no brainer that Goa being on the pinnacle of tourism Industry in the country is the ideal target market for the startup. Founded by IIT alumni Saurabh Nanda who has a bucket load of experience of working with online travel portals such as Cleartrip.
Mobobeat
Founder: Tyrone D’Souza Year Founded: 2008 Industry: Mobile Performance Network
Mohobeat – Startups in Goa
Mobobeat is a mobile performance network that works with top app developers and agencies helping them promote their apps globally. The founder of the company is Tyrone D’Souza. D’Souzas has an experience of four years with InMobi across different roles including Ad operating and leading the account management team. The startup would be beneficial to all the upcoming entrepreneur to escalate their products and services to their target audiences.
HandyTrain
Founder: Gourav Jaiswal Year Founded: 2015 Industry: SaaS
Handytrain – Startups in Goa
Handytrain is a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) Platform. It helps SMEs and corporate better train their employees by leveraging their smartphones as a preliminary or primary training tool. The startup aims to improve the understanding and retention of employee training modules. The startup had raised $2 Million in funding from multiple angel and institutional investors to enhance their service.
Browntape Technologies
Founder: Piyush Goel, Gurpreet Singh Year Founded: 2012 Industry: Internet Software
Browntape – Startup in Goa
Browntape is a cloud-based software that helps online merchants manage their orders and inventory in one place without the need to log in to each site separately. Browntape’s End-to-End Ecommerce Management service allows brands and manufacturers to focus on their product selection and smoothening the supply while we take care of their entire online e-com handling and growth. It has worked with brands which include Lego, Raymond, Future Group, Arvind Brands, Timex, Prestige, Urban Ladder, Zivame and many more.
Seynse
Founder: Gourav Jaiswal Year Founded: 2015 Industry: Fintech
Seynse – Startup in Goa
Seynse is a Fintech startup. They have created the Loan Singh platform. Seynse’s digital lending platform, Loan Singh provides consumer access to loans through its proprietary credit scoring engine. It has a network of over a dozen partner alliances, banking institutions, and individual lenders. The Company has been funded by a lot of Angel Investors. In 2017 Telecom Major, Bharti Airtel acquired a strategic stake in the startup, the value which still remains disclosed.
TempoGo is an Internet of Things (IoT) and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions provider for the Transportation Industry. However, it has successfully managed to raise $500K from Javelin Startup-O Victory Fund. They later received a funding of 825k from K2 Capital Group, which makes a total of $1.3 million funding.
Letcetra Agritech
Founder: Ajay Naik, Bhaskar Rao & Dr. Aftab Alam Year Founded: 2016 Industry: Agriculture
Letcetra Agritech – Startup in Goa
This may look a little odd for the state of the party, but health is equally important for everyone. Letcetra Agritech is a startup which is working on to advance the technology in the farming sector. They provide pure food to everyone at an affordable price. The co-founder, Ajay Naik sold his software company to a British company. He later founded Letcetra Agritech. Letcetra Agritech is a product of 3 agriculture passionate people and their knowledge in different sectors.
Minkspay
Founder: Sanket Shendure Year Founded: 2016 Industry: B2B Payment Solution
Minkspay – Startup in Goa
With a B2B model, this startup provides a better and easy way to the retailers to recharge cutomers’ mobiles networks. It also helps them to transfer money. India has a very broad retail market. So, providing all the retailers of the country an easier way to do their work really helps them all. So, we cannot say that Goa is only encouraging the party culture.
Eeztail
Founder: Simon Fernandes Year Founded: 2015 Industry: Digital Marketing
EezTail – Startups in Goa
Young creative minds formed Eeztail to help sellers sell their products on India’s leading e-commerce marketplaces. Eeztail specialises in Social Media Marketing to get your business recognised online. Eeztail provides social media marketing, search engine optimization & marketing.
Goa is all about party. People come to this place only to enjoy parties with friends. But what if you go there and couldn’t find any party at all? Party Hunt comes in handy in these situations. Party Hunt is an app which lets you find the best party around you and according to your need. You can find a party with Bollywood songs, English songs, specific food or drink type, etc. You can even create your own party on the app. However, the service is available only in Goa yet.
Founder: Luke Sequeira Founding Year: 2013 Industry: Web Development
DCCEPER – Startups in Goa
DCCEPER is another tech startup which found it’s grassroots in Goa. Founded by Luke Sequeira who considers himself purely Goan entrepreneur even though completing his masters in Canada. DCCEPER aims at working with entrepreneurs around the globe to help them with their quest for building scalable web and mobile apps. The company has already established its branches across the globe having offices in London and Toronto.
Zooter is an online marketplace which caters the sports needs for youngsters. This startup is founded by Kavita Naik and Aditya Chintawar. The company focuses on organizing the sports industry of our country one sport at a time. They provide digitalised ways to schools, clubs, coaching academics to manage themselves in a unique hassle-free way. Their vision is to give sportspersons the power to share, connect, learn and bring everybody associated with the sport under one roof.
Spark+ Technologies is one of software companies in Goa. Spark+ Technologies is an incubation and innovation hub that leverages its deep industry expertise to help people at hometown and serve customers locally & globally to meet their innovation needs. Spark+ Technologies services include Blockchain, Web Development, SEO And Digital Marketing, Desktop App Development, UI/UX Auditing and Designing and Data Engineering. They have other community projects such as Sparklottery & Startx: company inhouse projects in Blockchain, Digital Baila which is to empower women of Goa and other is Goa Home Services.
Brittle.design
Founder: Sid Founding Year: 2016 Industry: Design Studio
brittle.design – Startups in Goa
Brittle.design is a blend of modern design, classic materials and 3D Printing. 3D printing done at brittle.design is restricted to PLA (poly-lactic acid), a biodegradable plastic derived from renewable resources such as corn starch and sugarcane.
So, this was a list of companies in Goa. Likewise, Goa is evolving in the startup ecosystem in the same way as Shimla,Lucknow and other cities of India are showcasing their entrepreneurial skill set and hustling all the way round to lead young energetic future entrepreneurs.
FAQs
What is Goa Startup scheme?
Goa Startup Policy 2017 is an initiative by government of Goa to make Goa one of the most preferred start-up destination accross India and provide assistance to the entrepreneurs of Goa.
What are the top Startup business in Goa?
Some of the most profitable business to start in Goa are:
Photography
Travel agency
Restaurants
beach shack
Fish farming
Rental agency
Guest houses
Spa and wellness
Commercial transportation
What is the main source of income in Goa?
The economic growth of Goa is driven by these industrial sectors:
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 Kilowott.
By realigning some of its verticals – Creometric, Kodework, Fat Hamster Studio, and Nine Stack. Pooling its strength into one, Kilowott is now a design and technology powerhouse that offers digital transformation services, innovative solutions to digital challenges, and best-in-class user experience design to craft enduring customer experiences.
Kilowott is headquartered in Goa and operational across three continents. The company has already clocked more than 2000 projects all over the world and works with various Fortune 500 companies, governments, international agencies and has a strong association with the Norwegian Diplomatic Mission in India.
StartupTalky interviewed Mr. Aaron Fernandez, Co-founder of Kilowott to get insights into the Startup Journey and Growth Story of Kilowott. Know all about Kilowott’s business model, how Kilowott started, its future plans, founders, competitors and more in the article ahead.
Kilowott offers consultancy and strategic support in customer journey mapping, customer experience process assessment and surveys, consulting, assessment, roadmap ideation and modeling with use cases, brand positioning and go-to-market strategies, brand identity development, concept design, and prototyping. All strategies are customized as per real data analytics and right down to the minutest detail generated through innovative coding.
Kilowott’s vision is to blend digital and design seamlessly to craft enduring digital user experiences that have a direct impact on customers’ business outcomes. The company is led by the core philosophy of the founders, ‘to offer cutting-edge digital solutions in a global marketplace to enhance digital customer experience.”
Kilowott – IT Industry Details
India is already an IT powerhouse and there is a robust presence of skilled professionals, innovators, and access to the most advanced technologies in the world. The startup ecosystem has not lost momentum even after the pandemic outbreak, and it is going to evolve rapidly in the new normal. Even during pandemic times, a large number of new startups have come up and many of them also joined the unicorn club. The startups will contribute significantly to help India achieve the goal of becoming a $5 trillion economy in the years ahead.
Spearheaded by a strong leadership team, Kilowott is poised to achieve its goal of being a global tech powerhouse while being rooted in Goan soil. The team is keen on transforming ‘Kilowott’ into a 500+ employee company, something the company’s COO Nitish Raikar, formerly associated with Infosys and IBM, is helping us inch towards.
Reminiscing the start journey of Kilowott, Aaron Fernandez (Co-founder of Kilowott) says –
“I found my first fortune in the Indian coastal state, Goa’s most popular stretch of sand. And a sense of purpose too. In 2002, I was on a summer break after completing my final year at high school and grabbed an offer from my father’s friend to distribute flyers along Goa’s gold coast – the Sinquerim-Baga beach stretch – to promote a restaurant. My first brush with entrepreneurship earned me 13 USD a week, good money for someone just out of high school. I roped in a friend into the venture because the beach stretch was a long one and I could do it with help. While the entrepreneur in me was still coming to the fore, back then, the word ‘company’ meant companionship and not a business enterprise; many of which I would come to start years later”
End of college and the salad days brought along new opportunities with the potential to broaden Aaron’s professional horizon. Let’s dive into the next chapter! Aaron continues –
“I moved to Norway to work as a graphic designer, a new country, with new ways. I adapted to the new environment. Some years later, the media company I was employed with at the time, as part of my day job, had a large requirement of design and development chores. I stepped in and pitched them design services by outsourcing them from India, which was already a world-renowned BPO market. The media company agreed and became my first client. What followed was one of the most successful startup stories Goa has witnessed
We started with KodeWork, a website development firm that was born out of India’s city of dreams, Mumbai in 2014. Despite being a metropolitan city, establishing a dedicated team in Mumbai turned out to be a challenge due to several reasons. We then decided to move the entire team to Goa in 2015 and started afresh. It took a while to even out the transcontinental chinks. Work cultures in India and Norway were different, so were expectations in terms of quality and meeting deadlines. But over time, things fell in place.
In late 2020 the various companies established by me with my siblings Judah and Caleb were consolidated and brought under a single banner – Kilowott. The company today has partner deals in Norway, Holland, India, France, Switzerland, and the US.
The company creates customized digital interfaces and operational solutions by using design elements like CX, AR, and VR as well as the latest technologies like analytics, AI, IoT, and others to ensure customers’ business growth and profitability.
Kilowott uses an amalgamation of cutting-edge technologies and innovative approaches to offer consulting and strategy services in customer journey mapping, customer experience process assessment and surveys consulting, assessment, roadmap ideation and modeling with use cases, brand positioning, and go-to-market strategy, brand identity development, and concept design and prototyping.
The desired outcome is achieved on the basis of real data analysis, down to the minutest details which are extracted through innovative coding. It helps the customers enjoy desired marketing, revenue generation, and profitability success. Kilowott’s USP lies in its consolidation of different services to create one single platform where the clients can get a diversity of services. Our impeccable insights generated through an in-depth understanding of core markets give us an advantage over various other generalists.
Pivot from Initial Offering –
Aaron’s time spent in Norway paved the path for his entrepreneurial journey. Their first major website development firm was ‘Kodework’. He and his brothers Judah and Caleb relocated the company to Goa in 2015 and started operations from scratch from a 700 sq. mts office space in Porvorim. Their clients grew organically across Europe.
As the client-base spread across continents, the brothers started a clutch of other IT firms like ‘Nine Stack’, an app development agency, ‘Creometric’, a digital marketing agency, ‘Bootcamp’ a mentoring and training firm, ‘Fat Hamster Studio’ an animation and virtual reality studio, etc., as well as Nordic Hub India, a start-up accelerator, in 2018.
In 2020, the world changed and we decided to realign some of our verticals into a single entity – ‘Kilowott’.
Their core philosophy, however, stays the same – to offer cutting-edge digital solutions in a global marketplace to enhance the digital customer experience.
Post-2020, they pivoted the business strategy to focus outward, servicing clients outside of the country, mainly across Europe, Scandinavia, and the US. The operations continue to be rooted in India where Kilowott employs some of the best creative and tech talent.
The media company, Aaron was employed within Norway, as part of his day job, had a large requirement of design and development chores. He stepped in and pitched them design services by outsourcing them from India, which was already a world-renowned BPO market. The plan worked. And thus, began the journey. He swiftly kept adding clients to its portfolio as his brothers Judah & Caleb joined in.
Once Kilowott started getting regular business, the team realized that scaling up now becomes imperative and for this, they had to address major challenges. They realized that clients have to scout for various agencies to get different solutions. Thus, Aaron, Judah & Caleb decided to bring everything together for them and that worked. They addressed the pain points for most of the clients.
Kilowott – Founders and Team
Kilowott is co-founded by the three Fernandez brothers – Aaron, Judah, and Caleb Fernandez.
(R-L) Aaron, Judah and Caleb Fernandez – Kilowott Co-founders
Aaron, the eldest of the brothers looks into the overall strategy and direction of the company. Judah spearheads business development and talent acquisition while ensuring quality control and timely delivery systems. The youngest brother Caleb is a commerce graduate who takes care of the company’s backend operations such as administration, finance, taxation, legal, and compliance.
“Thanks to my brothers Judah and Caleb, the office space and office culture are far removed from a ‘cut and dry’ atmosphere” Aaron added.
The company’s office in Porvorim reflects that spirit. Caleb was involved in every aspect of setting up the office space, right from drawing up the blueprints to picking furniture and designing every corner of the office space. It is spread over 700 square meters and is beautifully designed.
When it comes to the motivated workforce at Kilowott, appearances matter little in terms of the delivery of targets. The company has a great team of 150+ employees and a fantastic leadership team who love what they do. Some quotient of informality was already brought in by their early crew members, who had walked in with dreadlocks and shorts. The work culture at Kilowott is fun and celebrations have been epic.
Since the pandemic hit, the company has adopted a Work-From-Home model. It’s a challenge to keep the work culture alive while adopting this model but the team has found their own ways. From virtual fun team sessions, festive celebrations, coffee meet-ups, and contests, they keep the fun element alive!
Meaning of Kilowott & Logo
The company was named Kilowott as it is inspired by “kilowatt – which denotes a unit of energy” and the team believes very much that the energy one brings to work is very critical. If a person is pumped and motivated he can always do wonders even with the smallest of details or resources. The logo also denotes the same, the power icon.
Kilowott Logo
Kilowott – Business Model and Revenue Model
The business model of Kilowott is simple. It is entirely a tech service company and offers cutting-edge tech services to clients across verticals. The startup charges a fee from its clients for services and collaboration.
Aaron had been working in Norway for a number of years, and when he launched his startup in India, the transcontinental differences had to be dealt with. The work culture and approach in India are very different from Norway, and there were challenges in terms of quality and timelines.
He started off by hiring freelancers from various locations – Israel, Ukraine, Vietnam, Poland, and India. What the team noticed is that the communication with resources from countries other than India as well as deliverables was a constant challenge. They then moved to work largely with Indian resources on technical aspects. However, things have since fallen in place.
“Opportunities have been plenty. We are blessed to have a great team of 150+ employees and a fantastic leadership team who love what they do and we are proud to have them all be a part of this Kilowott journey” says Aaron.
Real-life Example on How Kilowott Helps Clients
This is just one of the many examples of how the Kilowott team used market insights, client preferences, business objectives, creativity, and cutting-edge technologies to ensure that its clients stay ahead of the competition.
One of the clients was the ‘Wendell Rodricks’ brand, a renowned fashion label from India. The fashion designer label wanted to expand their global digital reach and improve online presence with youth as a target segment. Wendel Rodricks has been an icon, pioneer, and visionary in many ways. Hailing from Goa, he was deeply connected to the culture of the state. Aaron continued – “The world lost a wonderful human being with his (Wendel Rodricks) passing away a while ago. We are deeply grateful to be able to have worked closely with him and his team.”
In order to build the desired online presence for the client, the design and creation of a custom-made website were undertaken in collaboration with Kodework, the web development agency the team had at the time. In 2020, they realigned some of the verticals including Kodework into a single entity – Kilowott. Subsequently, a website with press articles, blog posts, and information about the client’s latest collections was launched. It also had a fully functional E-shop integrated into it. In essence, a feature-rich website offering a blend of a museum and a boutique was created for online visitors.
The brand awareness was boosted by digital campaigns to connect with luxury and slow fashion enthusiasts. Social media marketing, brand positioning, and ad campaigns were used to drive traffic to the website. While designing the website and creating social media strategies, it was felt that the client’s social media presence was not strong and impactful enough. Thus, alongside generating the traffic for the website, a holistic revamp of the existing social media pages of the client was carried out. The content’s aesthetic appeal was beautified to match the impact that matched the brand’s work. A combination of grids and minimalistic color palettes was deployed to transform the ‘brand’s look on Instagram.
Kilowott – Growth and Current Status
“There is a significant uptick in the quantum of interest in brands wanting to expand their digital presence across geographies. We saw an opportunity and have realigned our strategy to meet the needs of the global business community” says Aaron Fernandez, Co-founder, Kilowott.
The company has realigned some of its verticals – Creometric, Kodework, Fat Hamster Studio, and Nine Stack. Pooling its strength into one, Kilowott is now a design and technology powerhouse that offers digital transformation services, innovative solutions to digital challenges, and best-in-class user experience design to craft enduring customer experiences. Kilowott claims to have done more than 2,000 projects globally. Some of its prominent clients include Craft, Bosch, Mazda, Netflix, and Nickelodeon to name a few. Today Kilowott has a 150+ employee workforce. In the near future, it aims to grow to a 500+ workforce and the leadership team is aiding Kilowott to inch towards that target
The bootstrapped startup initially worked on a freelance model. Over the years since the Fernandez brothers set up this company, they have largely invested in themselves. In 2014, when they took on projects from clients based in Europe, it started off by being based in Oslo, Norway working with freelancers from Israel, Ukraine, Vietnam, Poland, and India. What they noticed is that communication with resources from India as well as deliverables was far better with professionals based in India.
“Moreover, we are from Goa so we wanted to set up our headquarters in the sunny state. When we moved to Goa we made a transition from the freelance model to hiring a small team working full-time out of a rented apartment” Aaron added.
Steadily business and revenues grew. Down the line, the team decided to take a loan to be able to scale up and build a team in-house. At every stage, they have reinvested the profits into the company. Today Kilowott has a 150+ employee workforce. In the near future, it aims to grow to a 500+ workforce.
Kilowott – Advisors/Mentors
“Myfather Donald Fernandez has been a constant source of strength to us and has mentioned us through our journey. The ethics and morals imbibed by our parents Donald and Jessyl Fernandez from childhood are what held us in good stead while we built this company from the ground up” Aaron says.
Tools used by Kilowott
Kilowott uses design elements such as CX, AR, VR, and futuristic technologies like analytics, AI, IoT, and others to create digital interfaces and operations that boost the customer’s business growth and profitability.
Kilowott – Future Plans
The company has recently consolidated all its diverse businesses under a single banner of Kilowott. A 700 square meter office was launched prior to the pandemic and another office is under construction. The company is currently 150+ strong and there are plans to make it a 500+ team with a global footprint. The company’s long-term plan is to become global tech powerhouse rooted in Goa.
