The Indian handicrafts sector provides livelihoods to millions of people around the country, especially women. However, linking small-scale rural producers to urban and global markets has been a challenge. Efficiently connecting buyers and sellers in the handicrafts and handmade clothing market could have an exponential impact by improving the incomes of the poor and help preserve crafts that are rapidly disappearing. CraftsVilla.com is aiming to do exactly that, using the power of the Internet.
In a world full of trends, being a classic is what Craftsvilla is all about.Selling ethnic apparel and accessories on its online portal since 2011, Craftsvilla was launched by Manoj Gupta and Monica Gupta.
Craftsvilla is essentially an e-commerce portal based out of India that mainly sells ethnic items for women like ethnic apparel, ethnic footwear, ethnic fashion accessories, ethnic handcrafted home accessories, and ethnic fashion and lifestyle products along with other parallel industry products like beauty products.
Founded in 2011 by Monica & Manoj Gupta, Craftsvilla is an online marketplace for unique handmade, handcrafted, organic, and gift items. The startup claims to have over 25,000 sellers on its platform, selling close to 3.5 Million products.
The platform aggregates artisans, designers, and retailers from all around the country on a single platform and directly connects local artisans and designers to global customers over the world. Also, this startup over all these years has launched several in-house brands namely Anuswara, Avanya, and Jharokha, all in the affordable and classy ethnic and handloom segment.
Craftsvilla – Products and Services
Craftsvilla ship globally and it’s free for goods worth more than $250. The startup claims to have over 25,000 artisans and designers selling over 4 million products. The products are categorized into different segments like Jewellery, Handbags, Home Décor, Clothing, Food & Health, and Footwear etc., each further divided into sub segments.
About 80% of the buyers are women. The push has been to revive handicrafts and make it conveniently accessible. They try to keep things colorful and lively and that attracts the 18-35 age group buyers. More than 50% of the orders come from Tier 2 cities. And as it is with e-commerce portals in India, 50% of sales are Cash On Delivery (COD).
Here are some examples of what you can expect on Craftsvilla:
The collection of Gowns is an ode to fusion friendly fashion and perfect for all sorts of occasions.
Their drape collection is quite enviable as it includes a plethora of styles including, Printed, Traditional, Designer Sarees and fabrics like Cotton, Satin, Art Silk and Georgette Saree.
They have new and novel collection of Kurtis full of embellished styles, embroidered kinds and hues of every kind.
There are times when you need an ethnic ensemble that is not only trendy but also timeless in terms of style, splendour and a perfect fit for that special occasion. That’s where their latest range of Lehengas comes in! From Net Lehenga Cholis to hip and happening co-ordinate Designer Lehenga Sets, Craftsvilla have it all!
Complete with traditional kinds like Silver, Golden Plated and Oxidised, their collections of Earrings and neckpieces have something for everyone, right from statement making to subtlety sensational ones.
Craftsvilla – Founders and Team
The founders of Craftsvilla are Manoj Gupta and Monica Gupta.
Monica Gupta and Manoj Gupta
Manoj Gupta, Founder and CEO – He is an IIM graduate and a venture capitalist, founded Dreams Early Stage Fund and was Board Observer at Snapdeal before launching Craftsvilla. Prior to Craftsvilla.com, Manoj was Principal at Nexus Venture Partners where he invested in ecommerce companies in India. Manoj has also started a Tech company in San Diego, US from 2001-2006.
Monica Gupta, Founder and COO – She is graduated from San Diego State University.
How was Craftsvilla Started?
The idea for Craftsvilla struck the couple during their visit to Kutch, the hub of ethnic apparel and accessories. They saw supply in abundance with no channelized demand segregation and a portal that could connect the suppliers and the buyers not just in India, but globally. This is exactly how Craftsvilla was born.
Following this, the company was launched by Manoj Gupta and Monica Gupta in 2011 with funding from Nexus Venture Partners and Lightspeed Venture Partners. Initially, this ethnic-focused startup was incepted with 80 employees and 5 offices across the country.
But it so happened that by 2012, this venture completely exhausted the entire amount of INR 10 crore series-A funding. And due to this, the company had to downsize to an only 10-member team and carried their business operations in a small one-room office.
With the downsizing coming too early for Craftsvilla, if it was anybody other than Manoj Gupta, they’d have easily given up. But not the Craftsvilla founder. He kept faith in himself, in his idea, and his passionate team of 8. And in just a short span of 5 years, this ethnic fashion portal, Craftsvilla went from an allegedly failed startup to a big-named company with a huge valuation of $250 million with more than 4 million products in its inventory.
Craftsvilla – Business Model and Reveue Model
The business model of Craftsvilla majorly focuses on removing middlemen from the supply chain mechanism and increasing the livelihood of local artisans and cultured designers to help them create/promote their brand, with preserving the Indian culture, traditions, and values in a broader picture. In current times, the company charges a 20% commission on every transaction which excludes service tax.
Craftsvilla – Funding and Investors
Their latest funding was raised on Mar 20, 2020 from a Venture – Series Unknown round.
Here is a list of all the funding rounds of Craftsvilla:
Normally, entrepreneurs face challenges after the inceptions of their startups. This was not the case with Manoj Gupta. He faced the most crucial challenges right before launching Craftsvilla. It so happened that when Manoj presented his idea of launching an online portal that would sell ethnic stuff to his friends and family, he, unfortunately, received a lot of unenthusiastic feedback relating to it.
Most of his acquaintances pointed out that there is no real market for ethnic fashion wear and there clearly hasn’t been a successful replica of it in the industry across the globe. But Manoj was firm on his idea and despite negative response, Manoj believed in his entrepreneurial idea and the potential that he saw in the untapped market filled with opportunities. Later in the same year, he went ahead and launched Craftsvilla with his wife.
Craftsvilla – Name, Tagline and Logo
Craftsvilla has a tagline. “The Marketplace to discover India”. This tagline goes perfectly with the site, because it has huge range of Indian products & almost all the products are made keeping in mind the Indian craft & culture.
Craftsvilla Logo
Craftsvilla – Competitors
There are a lot of e-commerce portals in the country that deal with ethnic fashion and lifestyle products combined with other western and beauty products. Hence Craftsvilla competes with big and small online marketplaces like Myntra, LimeRoad, Voonik, Amazon, Flipkart, and Fabindia among many others.
Craftsvilla has more than 62 outlets in total across India in cities such as Pune, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Kochi, Kolhapur, Coimbatore, Delhi, Chandigarh, and Varanasi.
This ethnic fashion and lifestyle online marketplace is pegged at around $300–500 million in size.
It claims to have over 25,000 artisans and designers on board.
Craftsvilla currently is selling over 4 million products.
Craftsvilla – Revenue
In FY18, Craftsvilla’s revenues spiked by 3.6% from Rs 30.35 crore in FY17 to Rs 31.45 crore. The expenses from Rs 116.33 crore to Rs 59.13 crore. Losses followed the pattern and decreased from Rs 85.98 crore to Rs 27.68 crore.
Craftsvilla – Acquisitions
Craftsvilla acquired 3 organisations – F2SO4, Place Of Origin and Sendd.
Acquired
Date
Amount
Sendd
January 2016
$4.5 Million
Place of Origin
February 2016
–
F2SO4
April 2016
–
Place of Origin is an online retailer of ethnic food curated from sellers around the country. The online platform currently offers a range of products, from sweets and confectionary to local snacks and health food sourced directly from sellers across several cities.
Chandigarh-based F2SO4 was founded in 2015 by Delhi-based IIT alumni, Amrit Singh and Sachin Goel along with Partik Bhuchar. The startup was an app-based venture that offered branded and high-end designer clothes on rent. The startup was earlier bootstrapped and was founded as an apparel-as-a-service platform.
For the future goals, Craftsvilla is aiming straight on pushing its offline foray. For the same, the venture is also planning to invest INR 100 crore to open more than 1,000 outlets in the coming years.
Craftsvilla – Partners
Craftsvilla has tied up with the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, for e-marketing of handloom products from small weavers. As per this agreement, Craftsvilla has tied up with Weavesmart, an online marketplace that offers handloom weaves from across India.
Craftsvilla – FAQs
Who is Monica Gupta?
The founders of Craftsvilla are Manoj Gupta and Monica Gupta.
What is Craftsvilla?
Craftsvilla is essentially an e-commerce portal based out of India that mainly sells ethnic items for women like ethnic apparel, ethnic footwear, ethnic fashion accessories, ethnic handcrafted home accessories, and ethnic fashion and lifestyle products along with other parallel industry products like beauty products.
What is the Tagline of Craftsvilla?
“MarketPlace to Discover India”
What is the Business Model of Craftsvilla?
The business model of Craftsvilla majorly focuses on removing middlemen from the supply chain mechanism and increasing the livelihood of local artisans and cultured designers to help them create/promote their brand, with preserving the Indian culture, traditions, and values in a broader picture.
Have you ever been to a new travel destination, and felt clueless about what to do? Even though most of us today do research online before visiting any destination, there is a possibility that we may miss out on things. Booking tickets to your favourite tourist spot, reserving seats for that river cruise or spa massage, or hiring guides to guide you through the historical monuments, lots of planning is required to make the holiday experience perfect and Guiddoo is here to help you.
With features such as an Audio-visual guide, information related to history and trivia and free concierge services, Guiddoo solves all your in-destination travel needs. With its growing popularity among Globetrotters.
This article will give you an insight into The Company Profile of Guiddoo, Its Business Model, Revenue, Founders, Funding, Story, Growth, Competitors etc.,
Guiddoo aims to be a One-Stop Platform for travelers to discover and book great travel experiences during their international trip.
It provides unique and customized travel packages. The platform uses intelligent data points from over 4000+ travel agents as well as analyses 1Mn+ Trend Points on the Internet and Social media to build smart itineraries.
Guiddoo World – Industry Details
Travel apps rank 7th among the most downloaded category of apps. According to Criteo, currently, more bookings are being made through apps as compared to desktop or mobile web. Also, travelers make 80% of last-minute booking on the app. As such, Guiddoo being an app with many features like a step-by-step tour, key sights, timeline, history & trivia, images gallery, tourist information and booking facilities is fast gaining popularity among travelers.
Again, the Market Size for in-destination tours and activities will reach approximately $200 billion by 2020, as projected by PhocusWright. Guiddoo focuses on Indian and China outbound travelers to 15 destinations, the market value of which is approximately $20 billion annually.
Guiddoo World – Founders
Vineet Budki, Nidhi Varma, Prashant Choudhary and Biswajeet Karmakar are the founders of Guiddoo.
Vineet Budki and Nidhi Varma
Vineet Budki is the CEO & Founder of Guiddoo World, Guiddoo World Travels Pvt Ltd & Guiddoo World FZ LLC. He founded Guiddoo – initially as an audio guide that later pivoted to a Marketplace for Tours and Activities in 2013. Vineet has a rich experience of 15 years in the Technology, Travel and Airline industry and has worked with companies like Rocket Internet, Emirates Airlines, Paytronic Networks and Tata Consultancy Services in the past. He started his first company Butel in the year 2009 – an online comparator for DTH Services, which later became the online arm of Videocon d2h.
Nidhi Varma is a graduate of Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies. Prior to Guiddoo, she worked with Emirates Airlines.
Prashant Choudhary is a graduate from IIT Kharagpur and worked with Erricson as a software developer and mobile team head prior to joining Guiddoo. Currently, he is the Chief Technical Officer at Guiddoo.
Biswajeet Karmakar is a graduate from Mumbai University, and prior to Guiddoo, he worked with organizations like E-cell, Unitech Marketing Services and Computer Society of India, KJSIEIT. Biswajeet is the director of sales at Guiddoo.
Guiddoo World – The Idea and Starting Up
It was 2013 when Vineet and Nidhi were on a trip to Paris. It was a much-awaited trip and they did not want to miss even a bit of it. But unfortunately, things did not go as per plan.
The idea came to Nidhi and me while on a trip to the Eiffel Tower in Paris where we faced a lot of issues due to the language barrier and outdated information.
While it was Nidhi’s dream to visit the Eiffel Tower with her life partner, when they went to visit, they found that it was closed. They waited for the next day only to find that there was a huge line and they had to wait for hours to take the lift to the top of the tower. As the couple had time constraints, they could not visit the Louvre Museum. It was during this time that the couple felt the need for a mobile app, which could guide the travelers through the monuments and landmarks aided by audio and video.
After coming back from Paris, the couple started doing research around key Indian Tourist places frequented by travelers and started working towards building a smartphone-friendly audio-visual travel guide platform. Finally, the couple launched Guiddoo in 2014. The startup was incubated at the Government of Dubai’s In5 incubator for Hi-Tech Startups.
The name for our startup came from the word “Guide” and the tagline was developed once we shifted to the Tours and Activities Module.
Guiddoo’s tagline is “Your Personal Tour Guide”
Guiddoo World – Services
Guiddoo is a platform to discover and book in-destination experiences. Initially, It was developed just as an audio guide, which later pivoted to tours and activities booking platform.
Currently, Guiddoo is helping its customers discover and book in-destination activities and experiences across 15 countries.
It provides a platform for travel agents working on Indian travelers, traveling internationally to find and book great experiences. The USP of the platform is that it provides concierge services free of cost to the customers. The app evolves over time based on ratings of travelers using the platform to curate meaningful experiences like tours, activities, dining, shopping and entertainment options for other users.
It has made tie-ups with big brands like MakeMyTrip, Amadeus India, Mekong Tourism and World Free Zones Organization.
The app is available both on android and iOS platforms. Besides the company has dedicated B2B and B2C platforms. It is very convenient to use during traveling as it does not require a live internet connection, once downloaded. Guiddoo has a dedicated app for every city it covers.
Guiddoo also has standalone apps for some famous landmarks which include, Taj Mahal, The Statue of Liberty, the Colosseum in Rome, Angkor Wat and also newly developed tourist attraction like Burj Khalifa towers in Dubai.
At present, It offers guides on 21 monuments in the English language.
Guiddoo’s revenue source can be divided into 3 segments – Tour & Activity sales, Audio-Video guide and B2B Subscription Model.
Guiddoo revenue model
Guiddoo World – Customer Acquisition
Almost 1 year of its inception, Guiddoo has been downloaded by over 1,00,000 users. Besides, over 2,00,000 visitors visited the company’s website just within 2 months of the launch of their website. According to Vineet, personal reach out and information exchange via social media platforms were the keys channel used for informing everyone about Guiddoo.
Guiddoo has focused a lot on building the experience part of a customer’s travel while they are on the ground which includes offering superior products with great service levels by developing technology around them. We believe this has contributed a lot to our brand and helped us in garnering more users and their loyalty.
In March 2019, Guiddoo raised an undisclosed amount of funding from SOSV & Artesian. It plans to use the Series B funding to expand its operations in China. The company is also planning to add new destinations of the Middle- East and Africa into its package to attract the Chinese market.
Guiddoo has raised funding worth $1.1 million in 4 rounds.
Guiddoo’s major competitors are – Misement, Viator GetYourGuide, AudioCompass and Thrillophilia. As said by Vineet, most of their competitors are in the west as the segment is still evolving in India
Guiddoo World – Achievements
Some major achievements of Guiddoo are-
1,00,000 users downloaded Guiddoo just within around 1 year of its inception.
It has been able to attract 2.00,000 web visitors just within 2 months of launching its website.
It has been able to attract and secure funding from international investors.
Secured tie-ups with big brands like MakeMyTrip, Amadeus India, Mekong Tourism and World Free Zones Organization.
It has a partnership with over 4500 travel agents.
It has served over 30,000 customers with over 65,000 activities.
Guiddoo World – Awards & Recognitions
Best Outbound Operator for 2018 by Mr. KJ Alphons Tourism Minister of India at SATTE Awards 2018
Travel Innovation Summit, Florida – Runners Up
Red herring 100
Top 100 Startups to Watch 2019 – SutraHR
Guiddoo World – Advisors and Mentors
Pawan Borle – SVP, Fly Dubai
Victor Sunyer – Partner, Delta Partners
Gaurav Chiripal – CEO – Quadlabs
Guiddoo World – Future Plans
The company has great plans for the future. Some of its major future plans include-
Covering 100+ monuments and tourist attractions around the world.
Making the audio guide available in 9 languages including Spanish (Spain & South American), French, Italian, Hindi, Chinese (Cantonese & Mandarin), Korean, Japanese, Arabic and Russian.
Starting Operations in China by 2019.
Building a pan India distribution network for its tours, activities and holiday products.
FOReT is a Mumbai based startup creating eco-friendly fashion accessories through a perfect fusion of natural elements and trendy designs. Their products besides giving you an elegant look, keeps you connected to the nature.
FOReT was started with a passion to create fashion that embodies the essence of Nature. They provide sustainable fashion accessories and their collection includes handbags, wallets, belts and jewellery. At FOReT, the products are made from genuine cork ensuring the grains and strands of nature are evident. Every design and every project FOReT undertakes reflects the ethos of nature: Simple, Diverse and yet Sophisticated.
FOReT envisions to be a global sustainable fashion and lifestyle brand. At the core of their business is to create sustainable fashion products that does not call for any changes in the users lifestyle.
The ethos behind FOReT is to embody and articulate the beauty and spirit of Nature and create products that have a positive impact on our environment. We aim to carve a niche for natural fashion without compromising on the latest trends. Style and Elegance is the cornerstone behind all our accessoriesand we use the finest of materials that resonate with being earth-friendly and responsible
FORet is also doing its part towards conserving nature, as for every purchase, they plant trees and support the livelihood of farmers.
while you worry about what you have to wear for the party tonight, we will take care of how it has a positive impact on our environment.
Supriya Shirsat Satam is the founder of FORet. Supriya is an engineer with an MBA in marketing. She worked with one of India’s premiere airline and led Mobile Commerce and Mobile Marketing prior to starting her own venture – FOReT.
How was FOReT Started
Supriya is a vivid nature lover. Though she was a workaholic and practically worked 24/7, travelling and exploring new places was something she always managed to do. She often takes out time to run away from the chaos of everyday life into the lap of nature and wander on off-beaten tracks. She also loves to do landscape painting, where very minute observation of the details of nature is required, which further deepened her love for nature. FORet is Supriya’s way of giving back to the nature.
Being a conscious nature lover, she always explored for possibility of making eco-friendly fashion accessories.
While we speak of organic clothing, organic food, organic colors and natural cosmetics, I wondered if my handbag could be made from natural material. I wanted something that could look stylish and I searched but was not fully convinced of the style or the fabric – Supriya FOReT Founder, says
Being convinced that there is no adequate and quality eco-friendly fashion accessories available in the Indian market, Supriya started doing research on natural materials that could be used for making nature friendly yet stylish fashion accessories, and came across the beautiful Cork material, that comes from the bark of the Cork Oak tree, well known as the cap of your Wine bottle.
Moreover, making the cork material does not harm the tree but gives it more life. At the spur of a moment, Supriya wrote to a couple of Cork suppliers to send her some swatches, and Supriya was completely bowled over by the material.
What got me attracted was that the Cork material resembles the texture of the natural bark. You can notice every grain and the texture of the bark. And this makes every product unique and exclusive, as no two product will be the same.
Cork is extremely soft, anti-microbial, water resistant and extremely durable. It was a complete and wholesome material just as it is in nature. Supriya soon sketched a bag and got it made, and though getting manufactured just one bag cost her a lot, the bag was incredibly beautiful and way beyond her expectations. This paved the thought for launching products that articulated nature.
I worked on my prototype and the end product was convincing enough. However, I did work on a plan and how I wanted to execute it. I also had several brain storming sessions with my husband, sisters and friend. They are fully supportive and are an indelible part of this journey
Supriya’s way of validating the idea was also interesting. She simply used to carry her handbag to parties and public places to see how people react to it.
The idea was never to tell them to see the product but to check if they enquired on their own and they did.
Supriya also showed the product to some senior Corporate executives and they too fully supported the same.
To start production commercially was however was not easy.
Initially Supriya tried to get the handbags produced in India. But, cork is an expensive material and bringing the material to India and working on different cork fabric patterns and style was a lengthy process. As it was a new concept, the learning curve for tailors was steep and the time that the factories were willing to contribute was minimal as the proposition started looking extremely difficult. This led Supriya to focus on working with the experts who have established themselves in manufacturing and designing with Cork.
I wanted all accessories to be as per global design standards and make and I realized that it would need a lot more of resources to create some from the start. Our belief is that a luxurious material such as cork needs to be witnessed by a larger audience and working with established partners helps us bring out a new collection that spans across categories easily.
Today, some of FOReT’s pieces are designed by Supriya, however, as a collection FOReT works with the best teams of cork fabric suppliers, artists and designers and manufacturers as a private label. Their collection is manufactured in Europe with genuine Cork and makes use of European charms and metal hardware. She wants the FOReT brand to be synonymous with sustainability!
The name FOReT encapsulates the essence and the core beliefs with which the company has been set up and how it envisions to see itself in future.
Some moments cast an indelible mark that manifests itself in some beautiful way, and Supriya’s trip to Pench, a forest in Madhya Pradesh a few years ago, was one such impacting moment. It is from this experience she had at Pench, that FOReT’s name was conceptualized.
An early morning safari at 5am with dull sleepy eyes soon waking up to the cool breeze and the dark blue sky. As our jeep whirred through the forest, we were trying to capture quick movements of the animals amidst the trees and the grass. In search of the lone tiger, we stopped by a small lake. The first blush of the morning was filling the air. The lake was glistening and the leaves had an irresistible luminance. The dry grass below the trees magically shone in the dazzling sunlight. And in it, the forest majestically came alive. I can’t describe the essence, but it had me there. FOREST was only a word before this, but now it actually had a meaning. And the essence of that experience is what I have tried to capture in my venture, FOReT, French for Forests.
FOReT is a word for forest in French. Home to the flora and fauna, forests are an integral part of our ecosystem. As FOReT’s products inculcate the concept of drawing from Nature without processing them, Foret was the apt name.
Foret in French is written as Forêt and pronounced as For-hae. The logo is ê (e-circumflex), a Latin alphabet adorned with another accent made to resemble the soul of the forests, the tree. This, invariably reflects the connection to the nature. ê also stands for elegance and essence, the two main pillars of the company.
FOReT’s tagline, ‘Fashion meets Sustainability‘ is an epitome of the company’s vision to create an viable intersection of fashion, lifestyle and environmental consciousness.
FOReT while in the Beta participated in a pop-up festival for vegan and earth friendly products. As a first primary response, they have garnered huge support from the audience there. This helped them build trust and market for themselves in the real world.
In the current digitized world social media platforms act as the best marketing networks. Similarly, for FOReT Instagram has played a crucial role in promoting their products and showcase their brand and carve a niche for themselves in the fashion space.
FOReT – Startup Challenges
FOReT started with making handbags. As the products are made from exquisite and expensive cork, a not so widely used material, only a few limited edition pieces could be created; which also means limited audience. Only mature buyer willing to pay more were likely buy their products.
Hence, in order to overcome small consumer base FOReT expanded into jewellery section. Now, with Jewellery, FOReT products appeal to women and hence attracts a wide customer base.
FOReT – Future Plans
FOReT’s final goal is to distribute its products globally and this strategy helps it in creating products that are acceptable as per global standards and distributing the same. Also, as Cork comes from Southern Europe, working with the teams in Europe who understand the material strengthens its positioning to cater to an International audience. The company also has plans to get some of its designs made in India as a bridge between the two creative forms of design.
Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs
Who is the owner of FOReT?
The Founder of FORet is Supriya Shirsat Satam.
What does FOReT mean?
Foret is a French word for that means forest.
What is FOReT?
FOReT is an Indian Sustainable brand that makes accessories.
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 InVideo.
Videos are one of the most effective ways to convey thoughts, ideas and concepts and is fast gaining popularity among the netizens. According to YouTube reports, mobile video consumption increases 100% year after year. Facebook generates 8 billion videoviews on average per day, while 53% of customers engage with a brand after watching a video on social media.
However, to take advantage of this growing popularity of videos, one must concentrate on creating effective and creative videos, which is not a simple task for everyone. But now with ‘InVideo’ making great videos is indeed becoming everybody’s cup of tea. InVideo is a web based software that helps you create fantastic videos, no matter whether you are an expert or an amateur in video making.
InVideo is a software on the web that provides seamless creative video creation services. It helps marketers, entrepreneurs, agencies, other small businesses to create professional-looking videos with ease. InVideo works with an intention to make video creation an effortless and friction less process.
While there are video making software, which are either too simple that creates videos which is no better than PowerPoint presentations, there are some other software that are too complex to be used by a non-expert. InVideo’s USP is that it is a synthesis of both simple and complex video creation softwares available, thereby, having the best of both in one place.
Prior to InVideo, the trio founded ‘Massblurb‘, an online automated platform, helping restaurants manage their end to end online presence. After ‘Massblurb’ got acquired by ‘Mobikon’, they decided to come together to set up InVideo.
Currently, Sanket Shah is the CEO of InVideo. An Electrical and Electronic engineer by qualification, Sanket did Master of Science in Quantitative management from University of Michigan. Sanket worked with organizations like ‘Right Relevance,Inc’ and ‘Mobikon Asia Pte. Ltd’ in different positions. Apart from being a founding member of Massblurb, Sanket also founded ‘Visify Books’ – an interesting platform that presents main content of various books in video format. At InVideo, Sanket leadsthe Marketing and Sales department of the company.
Pankit Chedda is the CTO of InVideo. After completing his B.E from University of Mumbai, Pankit studied ‘Masters, Information Systems Management’ from Carnegie Mellon University. He worked in technical positions with organizations like ‘comScore, Inc’, ‘CouponDunia’ and ‘Mobikon Asia Pte. Ltd.’ At Invedio, Pankit manages core tool technology.
Harsh Vakharia, a chemical engineer by qualification, did M.S. in Industrial and Operations Engineering form University of Michigan. He worked in companies like A.T. Kearney and Mobikon Asia Pte. Ltd. Harsh looks aftervideo technology and its details at InVideo.
InVideo currently has a team of 45 people.
How was InVideo Started
A personal problem faced by the founding team has led them to establish InVideo. Back in 2012, the founding team were working on creating 10-minute video summaries of non-fiction books. The process of video production was a major hurdle for them back then as it consumed a lot of time.
The team started looking for alternate solutions and realized that there are only two kinds of video creation tools:
That allows the user to create a very basic video (which is worse than a presentation).
Or one that will require a trained video editor to create a video.
While the simple video creating platforms have minimal scope for creativity and customization, the advanced versions are too complicated for a normal person to create high-quality, innovative videos. Identifying such a gap and personally experiencing the absence of a platform that caters to the needs of an ordinary individual who wants to create innovative high-end videos; Sanket Shah, Pankit Chedda, and Harsh Vakharia have put in collective effort to create the InVideo company.
When we researched, there were only simple video editors and complex ones; it did not work that way. So we did it! We ended up sitting beside a customer, observing them what we did – says Sanket, InVideo CEO
Before launching InVideo, the team studied the customers’ needs extensively through primary research. They reached out to large news channels and eventually validated the idea. Further, they built a basic engine to get a direct response from the customers before launching on a full scale.
InVideo – Name, Tagline and Logo
InVideo Logo
The company deals in Video making, and hence the name ‘InVideo’
If there’s any piece of content, our goal is to help people transform that content into great videos. So it’s like your content in the video. Thus the name ‘InVideo.’ – Sanket on explaining the thought behind the name.
The InVideo business model operates as a SaaS (Software as a Service) model. It is basically a software distribution model in which InVideo hosts applications and provides them to the customers over the internet.
The InVideo revenue works on a freemium model, with paid plans starting at just $10 per month.
InVideo – User Acquisition and Growth
InVideo has over 800,000 users from more than 150 countries who have created videos in over 75 languages.
When we had started building the technology, we had found partners like Republic TV, Network18, etc., who helped us in understanding what we should build.
As InVideo was been built taking input from the customers, the company has managed to emerge strong and successful. With strategic planning, the team was able to build a market fit product, and from thereon, the mouth referrals have helped the company to get popular.
So we built this company with our customers. And so it’s so successful. We went ahead and built the entire company with our customers.
Furthermore, InVideo has undertaken intense marketing campaigns and growth hacking. Besides, they also adopted numerous other strategies and techniques to popularize the platform.
InVideo takes great care of customer expectations and designs its products in sync with customer demand. The company also has a 24/7 customer support team that responds in minutes.
Adobe Creative Clouds revenue is 6.5 billion, and they are only targeting professional video editors. We think that our market size is at least 10x because we are targeting anyone who is desiring to create a great video – says Sanket about InVideo’s target market
Apart from this Launching LTDs has also helped them a lot in gaining new users.
InVideo’s Net Promoter Score (NPS) has increased by almost five times, from 12 to 59 in just three months.
Over the long-term, InVideo envisions to create an ecosystem like Adobe, enabling every marketer, entrepreneurs, who desire to create a video, to be able to do that easily. Now, InVideo wants to expand from a web platform to a cross-device and cross-function space. They are aiming for 5 million users in the next two years. The team is also planning to create a platform that will help users in creating templates.
Our vision has been very simple, that actually we want to take over the world. When people think about video, they need to think about InVideo.
So, if you are on the lookout for making a video, do give InVideo a try!
Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs
Who are the InVideo Founders?
Sanket Shah, Pankit Chedda and Harsh Vakharia are the Co-founders of InVideo.
What is InVideo?
InVideo is a web based software that helps you create fantastic videos in a matter of minutes, no matter whether you are an expert or an amateur in video making.
Is InVideo free?
InVideo works on a freemium model so you can access InVideo for free but the customization options and the features you will be able to access are limited.
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 Good Life Company.
Are you feeling tired or depressed? Are you having a bad day at work? Then, you should know that a simple steaming cup of tea or coffee can make you feel much better. Studies have shown that even holding a hot cup of tea or coffee can have positive effects on human mood and behavior. Tea and coffee top the list of most popular drinks worldwide. Also, there are wide varieties of tea and coffee available in different parts of the globe. The Good Life Company, a Mumbai-based startup is serving you the best tea and coffee from around the globe.
StartupTalky interviewed ‘The Good Life Company‘ founder Bhuman Dani& Shariq Ashraf to understand more about his venture.
According to Euromonitor data, the Speciality Tea Market has currently valued at INR 5,100 crore and growing at the rate of 12% p.a. whereas the CTC tea market has valued at INR 13,000 crore, growing at the rate of 3% p.a. in India. Globally, the tea industry is currently at $44 billion, growing at the rate of 5% per annum. As far as coffee is concerned, the instant coffee market in India has currently valued at INR 2,800 crore, growing at 5.5% per annum while the fresh coffee market at INR 1,500 crore growing at 6% per annum. The global coffee market currently stands at $85 billion growing at 4% per annum.
In India, as of 2019 orthodox tea accounts for almost INR 10,000 crore of sales growing at a rate of 10% annually whereas other teas account for INR 13,000 crore of sales at a growth rate of 2.9%. Combined, the tea market in India is expected to be at INR 22,000 crore by 2022.
Founded in 2016, TGL Co. is the fastest growing hot beverages startup in India that sources the finest quality teas and coffees from around the world with a deep focus on fresh, clean and natural ingredients. The Mumbai-based startup envisions itself becoming the largest hot beverages brand in India.
TGL sources teas from the best plantation around the world/ from China, Japan, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, and India, then blends them with dehydrated fruits, flowers, and spices to give them an aromatic flavor.
All About The Good Life Company
The Good Life Company – Team
TGL Co. (The Good Life Company) was founded by Bhuman Dani and Shariq Ashraf in 2016.
Bhuman Dani is an ex-management consultant of BCG, London. He did his MBA from INSEAD and BE in Mechanical Engineering from BITS Pilani, Dubai whereas Shariq Ashraf worked as a management consultant in BCG, Melbourne. He did his MBA from Oxford University.
TGL | Co-Founders | Bhuman Dani & Shariq Ashraf
Bhuman & Shariq met at an alumni event of The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in Mumbai. Their shared love for tea and coffee coupled with a passion to bring inspired blends and beans to millions in the country, brought them together to change the norm for hot beverages in India.
Currently, TGL Co. has a diverse team of 85+ members across Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Pune, and Kolkata.
“The way we met is a perfect example of serendipity. As a start-up, we believe in wearing multiple hats, where roles are not clearly defined, and people are required to multi-task and handle various responsibilities. We have been actively involved wherever required, starting from packing teas to strategizing future business plans to raising funds,” says Bhuman.
When TGL’s founder Bhuman Dani walked into the East India Company store in London one day, little did he know that it would change his life. With no background in the world of specialty teas and coffees, this experience opened his mind to brews, blends, blades, and beans. On researching more about the Indian specialty tea market further, he realized that there was no player he could clearly relate to when it came to premium teas.
But this appetizer only fueled his thirst for more knowledge in this space. So, he began his apprenticeship with Jane Pettigrew, one of the most renowned master blenders of tea in the world, and learned about teas, origins, and influence of botanicals in creating the perfect blend. His interactions with Sanjiv Mehta (Director, East India Company) inspired him to pursue his passion and create an aspirational brand of premium teas and coffees in the very commoditized Indian consumer industry.
At the same time, in another corner of the world, Shariq Ashraf, an MBA graduate from Oxford University and a self-professed tea aficionado was inspired by another tea company. He got his Eureka moment while traveling to Antarctica via Argentina where he met Ines Berton, the owner of Tealosophy South America’s biggest specialty tea company. He got inspired by his enviable tea knowledge that helps him to know about teas, blends, and the business model.
This led him to quit the Boston Consulting Group and move back to India, following his passion to introduce a spectacular range of tea and coffee.
The Good Life Company – Name and Logo
TGL Co. lets one enjoy the goodness of life through its exquisite range of tea and coffee and believes that the world’s finest tea and coffee should be an everyday luxury that celebrates sophistication, tranquility and good health.
TGL Logo
They’re devoted to bringing an articulate revival to the known hot beverage experience by sourcing the best teas & coffees in the world and masterfully blending them with innovative flavors and botanicals. With every brew and blend, it is reviving the concept of tea and taking it to places where it has never been before.
TGL’s logo symbolizes the Ancient Tea Horse route which first enabled teas to travel beyond China. They want to take it much further into a new era of unwavering excellence. Towards the rapidly increasing tribe of tea aficionados. To re-imagine it, no longer as a legacy drink, instead as one that entices, excites and rejuvenates.
The Good Life Company – USP
TGL Co. brings to you the best of tea and coffee from around the world. Although the company was incorporated in April 2016, it had started selling in October 2016.
The Good Life Tea Company has various types of tea like white tea, green tea, oolong tea, black tea, yellow tea, and CTC tea. It sources tea from countries like China, Japan, Taiwan and Srilanka besides India. One can choose from a variety of ingredients, flavors and aromas.
It also has a wide variety of coffee in India and the different parts of the world.
The USP of TGL’s tea that sets them apart from the competitors are:
Sourcing of Tea Leaves: Most players source their leaves from the Indian subcontinent, i.e. India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan. But TGL believes in sourcing the best tea leaves. A white tea grows best in the Fujian province of China. The humidity, temperature, altitude, alkalinity in the soil is optimal for these leaves to grow in these regions. So TGL, instead of just limiting itself to the Indian subcontinent, also goes to China, Taiwan, Japan, Sri Lanka, etc., and source the finest leaves from these countries.
Sourcing of Ingredients: Most players source their ingredients locally that’s why the range is limited and quality is sub-optimal. TGL Co. after sourcing the leaves from around the world, ship them to Europe to its contract manufactured blending facility wherein they mix the teas with dehydrated fruits, flowers and natural flavors in the presence of European botanists and culinary experts – botanists to ensure blends are amazingly healthy and culinary experts to ensure the optimal taste. It uses exquisite ingredients that are both unavailable and unheard of in the country – such as Barberries, Mallow petals, Schizandra Berries, Muira Pauma, Thistle flowers, Osmanthus, etc. Apart from being amazingly tasty, most of these ingredients have medicinal values. TGL Co. follows a streamlined central purchasing principle. It sources ingredients from locations they grow best – for example, Barberries come from Iran, Schizandra Berries from Russia, Muira Puama from the Amazon rainforest & Mangoes and Strawberries from India.
The Blend: Most players have simple, conventional blends – Green tea with mint, Green tea with ginger, Green tea with rose, Earl Grey, English Breakfast, Chamomile, etc. A typical blend that The Good Life Company offers is Green Sencha Tea mixed with mango, banana, melon, guava, sunflowers, cornflowers and passionflower leaves. It has 8 ingredients in one tea that make it extremely flavorful, tasty & healthy with less than 6 calories a cup and is extremely high in quality because of the sourcing process.
The Good Life Company’s Coffee
The USP of TGL’s Coffee is:
Sourced from the Best Plantations: Some of the best coffee in the world grows in high appellation regions as high as 2000ft. above mean sea level and anywhere between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn and in places with rich tree shade and a desirable microclimate. These are the kinds of coffee that TGL seeks out for its tightly curated collection. TGL Co. procures the highest quality Arabica beans from the best-placed coffee plantations world over, including Ethiopian Yirgachaffe, Colombian Excelso, El Salvador Santa Cristina, Peruvian Organic Coffee, Brazilian Santos, and coffee from award-winning coffee estates in India.
Expertly Roasted Beans: When you buy coffee off-the-shelf, it is likely you are buying something roasted many months ago and hence, stale. The truth is that the best tasting coffee is the one that is made from a batch of recently roasted beans, i.e. the flavors are freshly extracted and hence, in prime form. TGL Co.’s Indian coffees are roasted once every two weeks, and in small lots, to ensure the flavors are crisp, bright and intense, and for the good haul.
Ground To-Order: Pre-ground coffee rarely produces a cup that can match the complexity of the flavors and aromas that seep from a freshly ground lot. This is because from the moment the beans are ground, air starts to take effect. Most store-bought coffee is roasted many months ago and ground to a generic, industrial- standard. In sharp contrast, TGL Co. prefers and encourages grinding freshly roasted beans to-order, and to the drinker’s preferred way of brewing. This way, the coffee is exposed to minimal oxidative degradation and retains flavor better.
To be able to provide teas apt for the Indian palate, without compromising on quality and health, TGL devised more than 300 recipes with their team of botanists and culinary experts – some extremely fruity with tropical fruits such as TGL Mogo Mogo Green Tea. They also introduced naturally sweet teas, mimicking dessert and cocktail profiles such as TGL Strawberries & Cream Black Tea or TGL Ice Wine White Tea.
The Good Life Company – Revenue Model
TGL Co. has a robust revenue model. The company has different channels of sales based on its target market and each of them operates on a direct or commission basis model.
TGL Co. initially had a very narrow, well-defined slice of the population as the target audience. The company strongly believes that its products stand out in terms of quality and so, right from the beginning, their strategy has been to get as many people to sample and try out their products as possible.
The company reaches its target customers through the 3 following ways:
By partnering with the best hotels, restaurants and cafes in the country like Taj, Marriott, Westin, SOFITEL, Lalit, Hyatt, Hakkasan, Yauatcha, Indigo, Smoke House Deli, The A Club, Fatty Bao and many more.
By taking part in multiple events throughout the year and doing samplings.
Entering modern trade through Shop in Shop concepts where the company’s teas and coffees are displayed in beautiful glass jars, and the customer gets to smell and taste the products and realize the quality of their offering. This helped to build and anchor TGL Co. as a brand.
TGL | Tea
The Good Life Company’s tea is available at almost every major e-commerce platform online as well as its own website and on the shelf at multiple retail locations.
As said by Bhuman and Shariq, TGL Co. focuses on the following factors to attract customers:
Target Audience & Brand Positioning: An average Indian household can be segregated into 3 categories based on income – Elite & Affluent (> 10LPA), Aspirational (5 to 10L) and the Next Billion (<5L). Over the next 5 years, the segment that grows the fastest is the “Aspirational” segment. Thus, having a brand that is Aspirational and not masses, would be the first step to scale up in this category. The category is a commodity that is all about premium sizing and uplifting the existing category to cater to the “value-conscious Aspirational Indian”.
Reinforcing Health & Wellness: More than 50% of India is less than 25 years old & 65% is less than 35 years old. Young India is deviating towards health and wellness due to factors like global trends, peer pressure, influencers, celebrity endorsements. Hence, providing consumers with healthy offerings with natural ingredients having medicinal values that fulfill their health goals is essential.
Innovation & Indulgence: Just focusing on health, wellness and quality is meaningless without repeat purchases. And repeat purchases are only possible if the product is innovative and becomes a daily indulgence for consumers. When health becomes an indulgence, (and if the category is commodity-driven) it conjures instant fortune.
The Good Life Company has raised a total of $1M in funding over 1 round by 2 investors Abu Farhan Azmi and Ayesha Takia Azmi. The Company has used the funding for-
Building a robust sales and distribution network across the country. It aims to reach 1000+ POS within the next 12 months.
Increasing its online sales, both through its own website and online marketplaces.
Revamping the existing website to cater to international markets. The soft launch in June 2019.
Brand building and increasing product awareness: visibility at HORECA, International Airport, Airlines (GoAir), Sports Teams (TGL Butterfly Squad)
Funding for a business is like fuel for an automobile. It helps the business propel faster towards its goals. While we are confident about the quality of our products, funding has enabled us to expand and exponentiate our growth 10x. What we could have achieved in 10 years otherwise, we have been able to achieve in a year.
The Good Life Company – Advisors and Mentors
TGL Co. was conceptualized after detailed discussions with Jane Pettigrew, Sanjeev Mehta, Ines Berton and certain BCG partners.
One of the foremost challenges was understanding the Indian palate and what tea drinkers in India would prefer to consume daily. Initial months were spent in rigorous market surveys wherein Bhuman and Shariq conducted extensive tastings with HORECA owners, various business owners and regular tea drinkers to understand the Indian taste profile. They were surprised to find out that the majority of consumers refrained from consuming loose-leaf tea daily because it was too bitter for their liking. They preferred teas that had a fruity aftertaste or were naturally sweet.
TGL | Challenges | Problem Solving
Another major challenge that TGL Co. faced was the phenomenal growth its products received.
“We grew too fast and too early. While we were extremely happy with the response we received, at the same time, we weren’t prepared then operationally to match the demand. And therefore, we did experience a phase where we had delays in order processing and manual errors in some orders” says Bhuman and Shariq.
With time, the company has been able to equip itself operationally to match the demand by implementing automated production practices and expanding their team.
Getting the sourcing model right was also a challenge that the company faced. For this, Bhuman and Shariq personally visited dozens of plantations across various countries, interacted with numerous tea masters and sommeliers, and selected the leaves from the high quality and best plantations.
Again, working out the supply chain to get these teas from around the world into Europe for blending, and then finally to India for selling was a huge logistical challenge. In order to ensure the freshness of the teas and the blends, TGL Co. air freighted everything instead of the traditional cheaper shipping model. While this adds significantly to the costs, the company believes that the value it adds to the freshness of its teas is invaluable.
Every startup from the outset is implicitly prepared to deal with various crises and dilemmas throughout the journey. However, some dilemmas can still astound you, mainly because it wasn’t anticipated or you simply don’t know how to respond to it.
The Good Life Company – Competitors
Owing to its unique blend, ingredients and tea leaves sourced from different parts of the globe, TGL Co. has been able to make a distinctive place for itself in the Indian tea market. As such there are no direct competitors to TGL Co.
At TGL, we have revived the known tea experience by sourcing the best tea from around the world and masterfully blending them with innovative real ingredients, such as Kashmiri Kahwa Green Tea with real saffron and almonds, Jasmine Blush Green Tea which is a refreshing version of a Jasmine tea with peppermint.
Such innovations have helped us stay ahead of the competition.
Some of the major milestones achieved by TGL Co are as follows:
TGL has witnessed exponential growth over the past 24 months. Revenues have grown ~7x in the past 18 months and the ultimate aim is to create an INR 100 crore revenue brand by 2024.
It has sold over 5 tonnes of tea and 2 tonnes of coffee in the past 12 months that ~25L cups of tea and ~3L cups of coffee.
The company is serving more than 85,000 happy customers and repeat buyers.
TGL is now available at more than 200 hotels, restaurants and cafes across 9 Indian cities including popular properties such as Taj, Marriott, Westin, SOFITEL, Lalit, Hyatt, Hakkasan, Yauatcha, Indigo, Smoke House Deli, The A Club, Fatty Bao and many more.
TGL is also retailing at more than 600 points of sales at popular modern trade stores such as Godrej Natures Basket, HAIKO across Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, Kolkata and Delhi-NCR.
TGL is also available at the Mumbai International Airport in the duty-free shopping areas and on the in-flight menu onboard GoAir flights.
The Good Life Company – Awards
TGL Co. has received the following awards:
Awarded as “Startup of the year 2020”
Awarded Coca-Cola Golden Spoon Award 2019 for“Most Admired Food Startup of the Year”
Listed in Sutra HR’s “Top 100 Startups to Watch in 2019”
Bronze Medal Winner in Global Tea Championship 2019
Awarded ET Now Global Award for Retail Excellence 2019 for “Food & Grocery Brand of the Year” (Hot Beverages)
Recognized as an innovative startup by Amazon and listed on Amazon Select.
Awarded Amazon Connect Extra Mile Award for “Outstanding Performance in 2018”
The Good Life Company – Future Plans
TGL Co has interesting plans for the future. Some of its future plans are:
Product Launches
Introducing tea range specially formulated by botanists and culinary experts with herbs, spices and medicinal ingredients aimed at improving overall well-being including immunity boost, digestion, sleeping patterns, etc.
Introducing premium single estate first-flush White Teas at affordable pricing.
Introducing high-quality traditional stone-ground ceremonial grade Japanese matcha and its exotic flavors such as sakura, lavender and more.
ExpandingChannels of Sale
Retail: TGL to launch teas and coffees in retail packs at 1000 Points of Sale across Tier I cities in India over the next 6 months.
Online: TGL to increase online sales via its website and third-party online marketplaces. The company is also setting up an international website to be able to serve multiple countries through their website.
HORECA: Association with popular properties Taj Exotica, Taj Rambaug and Taj Bengal for supplying teas & coffees in rooms as well as on the menu.
Alternate channels of Sale: Collaboration and listing with various co-working spaces, gymnasiums, and airlines.
Team Expansion
TGL aims to grow from a current team of 80 professionals to over 200+ in the next 12 months.
The Good Life Company – FAQs
Who are The Good Life Company owners?
TGL Co. was founded by Bhuman Dani and Shariq Ashraf in 2016.
What does The Good Life Company offer?
TGL Co. is the fastest growing hot beverages startup in India that sources the finest quality teas and coffees from around the world with a deep focus on fresh, clean and natural ingredients.
What is the Revenue Model of The Good Life Company?
TGL Co. earns revenue from the following sources:
HORECA – Hotel, Restaurants & Cafe (Direct sale)
Offline retail (Commission model)
Online retail via own website (Direct sale)
Online retail via third-party websites such as Nykaa, Amazon, etc. (Commission model)
Gifting (Direct sale)
Where to get TGL products?
One can find TGL products on both online and offline platforms. It is easily available in supermarkets and e-commerce sites, if not, one can visit its site.
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.
There is a breed of travelers, who hates the one size fits all travel packages. Those, who want to explore places at their own pace, rather than rushing through the hyped sites of a destination. For those who prefer their holidays to be planned with a personal touch over any auto-generated itinerary, there is Ithaka. This Mumbai based platform plans your trips just the way it fits you best with the assistance from experienced travelers.
Know more about Ithaka Startup Story, Founders, Business Model, Funding etc., in the article ahead.
Ithaka was launched as an in-destination experience booking website. Today Ithaka is a chat-based travel planning app, that covers destinations from Thailand, Bali, Europe, UAE, Singapore, Malaysia and Turkey. The Ithaka app is available for both Android and iOS.
Our vision is to build a seamless ecosystem for travel. We want to take ownership of your travel experience from the first spark of inspiration, to the very last day of your trip, we want to stay involved, keep it personal and help you every step of the way.
Ithaka is a free travel planning platform focused on travelers who want to plan and execute their own trips and don’t want to book a pre-made package.
Ithaka is helping travelers through the 3 most important parts of trip planning:
a. Discovery – Through product features that mirror users’ behavior online (first shortlist by a visual stimulus, matching by preferences, etc)
b. Decision Making – Driven by influencers and a smart product which understands ‘good travel choices’ (anchors, time to catch transport, is the trip rushed, etc)
c. Trip Management – Beautiful, detailed itinerary which can be booked in part or full with a single click in-app with real-time costing
On Ithaka, you would connect over chat with a Travel Influencer who’s been there done that. You can seek validation around your ideas and find all the answers you seek or if you are someone who is too busy to plan the trip you could get your whole itinerary planned to the very minute details. The Influencer and the product help you structure the whole trip plan and gives you detailed information that will ensure a smooth travel experience.
Along with that, you can do all your bookings (flights, hotels, activities, visa, forex) through the app as well, ensuring you are sorted end to end.
We believe that travel is the best way to break down barriers between people. If we can help more people travel to newer places and experience them well, we would have played our part in moving the world towards a more unified, harmonious future, and that’s a vision worthy of anyone’s life’s work. There is a need for one product to be the anchor app of their trip. Ithaka is trying to do just that and define how the next generation of travel looks like.
Ithaka has pivoted twice–
From the experiences booking platform to chat based travel planning in 2015.
In 2018 the company pivoted from in-house travel experts to a community of Travel Influencers to help people plan trips. This shift allowed Ithaka to be more scalable.
Travel Market in India
According to UNWTO, the Indian outbound travel market is going to grow to 50 million travelers by 2020. Out of this, the leisure travel market is 30%. Ithaka is catering to the Indian Millennial travel audience which is around 5 million travelers by 2020. The average spends by an Indian traveler on an outbound trip is about $800. The rough market size Ithaka is dealing in is $4 billion right now.
Travel is going to change fundamentally in the next 5 years as a new batch of youngsters enter the job market and have the disposable income to go out and explore the world. Their needs and ambitions while traveling are going to be quite different than what we see now. The overall market will keep increasing. Many profitable businesses can emerge in the thriving travel market in India.
Ithaka Services
Founders of Ithaka and Team
Rahul Singh and Mithilesh Said are the founders of Ithaka.
Rahul Singh and Mithilesh Said – Founder, Ithaka
Rahul Singh is the CEO of Ithaka. He is an IIT Bombay, 2012 grad. He worked at Gulf Talent, a Dubai based market leader job portal for the Gulf region with over 1 million users a month. started off as an Analyst and worked across Product, Operations, Sales, Marketing before becoming the first Product Manager there. Rahul was CPO at Ithaka till March 2019. He took over as the CEO when Ameya Sahasrabudhe left Ithaka.
Mithilesh Said is the CTO of Ithaka. He is Mumbai University, 2014 graduate. He started off at a services company called Genii that got acquired by Practo. One of the best techies in the Mumbai circle, he is amazing at designing tech solutions and has built the Ithaka product from the ground up.
Ithaka’s current team size is 30.
Ithaka’s work culture is centered around freedom and ownership and a love for travel. The team is empowered to independently execute projects and drive impact led by strong direction from the founders. The best part is that the employees can work from anywhere they want, so a lot of folks sometimes travel and work.
As long as work gets done, everyone has the freedom to manage their personal lives. Everyone has to travel internationally once a year and there’s a specific trip fund budget for each person. We have done this so that people can be close to travel and feel the problem that they are solving.
Ithaka was started by Rahul Singh and Ameya Sahasrabudhe. Rahul and Ameya were friends from IIT Bombay. Both of them loved traveling and the inspiration to startup Ithaka came from their own travels. They saw that there was a specific need for discovering things to do and booking it online, especially in South East Asia. To validate it, they did a pilot run in Bangkok to see if people are interested and it came back positive. So they went about creating the first prototype: a mobile website for booking things to do and launched it in the market. That is where they first got the inspiration for a chat-based travel planning model.
While trying to sell activities and in-destination experiences to travelers on the ground, the Ithaka team noticed that there are many people who keep asking for travel advice. This made the team come up with the idea of a chat-based travel planning app.
We added a chat widget to the website. Interestingly we also started seeing more bookings as we helped more travelers on the chat which convinced us that there is a big business to be made out of this.
Ithaka – Name and Logo
Ithaka’s name is inspired by an illustrated poem by Constantine P Cavafy. This poem talks about how the journey is rewarding and the destination doesn’t matter and that’s the core spirit of Ithaka as well – to drive experiential travel that impacts a traveler’s life.
Ithaka Logo
Since the poem was about a sea voyage and that’s also related to travel, Ithaka’s logo is also made as a boat.
Ithaka – Revenue Model
Ithaka is free for travelers.
Ithaka earns revenue through Itinerary bookings that travelers do after they plan it with Influencers: these are bookings of experiences, hotels, flights, transport, etc. We have partnered with various operators to process these bookings and make commissions on them.
Soon Ithaka will be experimenting with a new monetization model where travelers will have the option to avail premium concierge services to make their bookings in the most optimized way for their route, budget and preferences.
Ithaka – Funding and Investors
Ithaka has raised 2 rounds of funding.
Funding Date
Funding Stage
Funding amount
Investors
July 2016
Angel
$325K
Angel Investors
November 2018
Seed
Undisclosed
Thomas Cook
Ithaka is the only travel tech company funded by Thomas Cook India.
Thomas Cook sees us as a major strategic play in building for the millennial travelers of India. Post-funding we have gained a lot of insight into the travel space that we lacked before. We have also started giving forex and visa services which we couldn’t before. And of course, the capital infusion has accelerated our growth path.
Ithaka was able to attract its initial set of customers organically, through social media. As said by Rahul, Ithaka spent zero money on getting its first customers. Ithaka spread awareness about its services in the Facebook groups where travelers were already discussing questions around their trips. Ithaka team also posted heavily on Quora to gain its first customers.
Content marketing, SEO and also word of mouth publicity has worked quite well for Ithaka.
If you have built a product that is truly valuable for the users, you grow organically. Our first 10,000 users came primarily from word of mouth of existing travelers.
Ithaka – Startup Challenges
The biggest challenge faced by Ithaka was while pivoting from in-house travel experts to the community of travel influencers for planning trips. It was a difficult phase for the company. However, the Ithaka team solved it by being lean and experimenting at a small scale. The company started with just 3 Travel Influencers which it got from the existing traveler base.
We first ensured that the traveler experience wasn’t suffering due to this shift from travel experts to travel influencers, and then we scaled it slowly while making the product better.
Ithaka – Competitors
For the Ithaka team, the plan is not to compete at all but to create the most connected travel eco-system ever built.
There are many apps for travel planning like Tripoto, Klook, Trip Planner and Travel Triangle which are competing with Ithaka. However, all these apps have their own USPs. Ithaka is even partnering with companies like Thomas Cook, Klook, etc. to bring the best of booking experiences to travelers on the app. For the Ithaka team, Airbnb has always been a source of inspiration.
What Ithaka primarily helps with is deciding what to do e.g. if a traveler is going to Europe, which cities will be the best for him. Where should he stay, what are things to do which he should not miss out on. There are no travel companies like Ithaka which help travelers make these crucial decisions and plan their trip properly.
Ithaka – Growth
The growth milestones achieved by Ithaka are-
Helped over 50,000 travelers.
The company has grown about 5 times in 2018-2019.
The company is doing great in terms of customer relationship management. Its NPS(Net Promoter Score) is 70.
Currently, Ithaka is live for 14 destinations across the world.
In the next 2 years, Ithaka plans to be live for any destination in the world and would expect to be growing 100x from the current scale.
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.
Workouts are for adults, kids need to play. So, Kleinetics applied the rules of entertainment to make every session interesting. They took everyday games and added physical aspects to them, measuring the kids periodically, assigning a simple-to-understand score, to gauge the progress.
Kleinetics was founded in the year 2016 by Dr. Tejal Kanwar, and so far this Mumbai-based start-up has made its presence in 100+ localities. This includes residential complexes, academies/gymkhanas, and schools in the city.
Kleinetics aims to bring a quantifiable change in fitness levels of children. It is designed to offer an engaging fitness and athletics training program for children that combines certain aspects of game-play and cutting-edge global practices of functional fitness.
Kleinetics focus on Fun+Functional sessions, gamification, and quantification, customized for small groups. They also offer therapy for special needs kids that helps them overcome physical limitations, expand the range of joint motion and enhance muscle tone, increase recreational capabilities, and foster independence with the help of highly trained coaches.
Kleinetics is offering a FUN fitness program for children and adults. The regime offered by Kleinetics ascertains 100% coverage of key fitness areas including power, agility, cardio, and endurance and ensures that children perceive it as ‘play’, rather than ‘work’. Besides, the service deploys Fitness Scores, pioneer analytical software, which tracks physical progress over the four-month course of the training program.
The fitness activities combine memory, problem-solving, and attention and focus enhancing programs that enrich and improve children in terms of team building, self-confidence, social esteem, social skills and ability to deal with stress. How they differ from the rest is that the coaches are sports athletes, achievers in their games, who coach at Kleinetics to support themselves as they build their sports careers. This means they bring passion and playfulness along with the structured program in which they get trained by the chief coach and medical experts
Kleinetics – Founders and Team
Dr. Tejal Kanwar, Prashant Sardesai, and Saurabh Kanwar co-founded Kleinetics.
Dr. Tejal Kanwar | Founder, CEO – Kleinetics
Dr. Tejal Kanwar is the Co-Founder and CEO of Kleinetics. She has 18 years of medical and surgical practice as an Obstetrics & Gynaecologist and is a specialist in adolescent and lifestyle-related conditions.
Prashant Sardesai has 20 years of experience in content development. He is a serial entrepreneur and manages business strategy & Operationalisation and quality control of Kleinetics.
Saurabh Kanwar has been for 21 years in brand marketing. He is also the founder of leading digital content marketing firm – Flarepath. He handles product planning & customer experience in the startup.
Romal Sharma – Winner of various fitness competitions.
At Kleinetics, the smooth functioning and premium quality of the services is ensured by a team of certified trainers, who have been through 75 hours of core certification, apprenticeships, skills in sports, fitness coaching and physiotherapy. This includes 25 hours of classroom training and the most essential is the on-ground training.
The motive is to help as many women become financially independent and socially secure. Currently, the full-time staff is all women and there are plenty of female coaches working as consultants with them! Kleinetics believe that we need to get our girls more confident to be able to have more Sanias, Sindhus, Sakshis and Marys, Mithalis and Manikas.
Kleinetics – How it started?
Dr. Tejal Kanwar was always keen to contribute to the development of children. She observed how Indian children were lacking fitness and consequently becoming prone to diseases, and felt the urge to develop something that would bridge the gap. To answer why it leaped into Entrepreneurship, Dr. Tejal Kanwar realized the gap between the need for fitness and the actual physical activities performed by children.
As a practicing surgeon and a gynecologist specializing in adolescent health and PCOS for over 18 years, she wanted to place physical fitness alongside reading, writing and arithmetic and urge children to be physically literate through fun games and learning. This made her shape up the idea of Kleinetics that would bring a quantifiable difference in children’s fitness through its regime of activities.
As the idea struck her, she developed this unique program that positioned fitness alongside education, aiming to raise it to a form of literacy. Initially, the program was piloted as a community project, for children and adults alike. The first kids’ class was launched in Tejal’s complex with the help of fitness experts, which got diversified into premium Mumbai residential complexes in the early days. Success followed soon after and various schools have lapped up the ‘Make in India’ product and there’s no looking back.
The word Kleinetics comes from compounding ‘kinetic’ that is the study of motion. And the German word ‘Kleine’ means little/small. The motive is to evoke an engineered system that is built on doing small things for little people, with big outcomes.
Kleinetics Logo
Kleinetics – Startup Launch
Kleinetics aims at building kids into confident individuals on the playground so that they could hit the ball harder, endure hours of play, accept a loss and get back on their feet, be team players, and learn to manage their time balancing sports and academics.
The methodology they were using was first-of-a-kind, there was no marketing. The program was a big hit and the word spread that the children are enjoying this activity. Moms were their biggest ambassadors.
Kleinetics – Business Model and Revenue Model
Kleinetics applied human-centered-design principles to the go-to-market, and it was evident that they would be able to sell the idea only if the class was in school or near the home since parents preferred not to travel. Kids gained in group dynamics and social gains.
The business model commenced with a slow, steady approach, without any marketing. Moms were the biggest ambassadors. Even if one child liked a demo, the mother would pass the word around helping generate warm leads. Kleinetics is a self-funded start-up, it strives to rely on one of the most direct ways of generating revenue.
The major challenge faced by Dr. Tejal Kanwar, Founder and CEO of Kleinetics was that her husband too was in an early-stage start-up. Most noteworthy, they were stretching resources and risking stability. But all doubts dissipated as everyone – her in-laws– were very supportive and encouraged her to take the plunge.
The early days were a blur, with no office. She worked from home, having equipment in the car. The team became her extended family. Interviews, several coffees, excel sheets, prop training, brainstorming new ideas, small victories, chief coach cooking lunch for the team, dousing daily fires, farewells and lots of problem-solving happened in her home.
Every single morning with her husband, the coffee ritual for 4 years has been to talk about work, where she picks his brains, argues and solves problems. Sometimes the discussions spill over to dinner, and the kids will politely ask them to shut up.
Probably the lowest point came early. They always knew that schools would provide for maximum impact and a larger number of receptive kids. Excitedly she went in for the first appointment as the principal was receptive, saying their academically-oriented kids would benefit.
The frustration started when they were handed over to the PT teacher. The portly gentleman blocked them saying they were no match for him. He yelled at them till they were out of the gate. The very person who should have resonated with their message the most was the most threatened. Subsequently with the blessings of encouraging parents in school PTA’s who evangelized their cause, helped get buy-in from the PT faculty.
Kleinetics – Competitors
A few market competitors with Kleinetics include Crossfit for kids (international) and Cult fit is the inspiration.
Kleinetics – Funding and Investors
Kleinetics is a fully-owned business by Dr. Tejal Kanwar. It is Bootstrapped currently.
Kleinetics – Advisors and Mentors
With the help of Mohit Sahni, an experimental beta project was put into motion in the neighborhood. Dr. Tejal Kanwar, Founder-CEO of Kleintics, used her wisdom in medical networks to help shape the product.
In the meantime, Saurabh Kanwar and Prashant Sardesai brought in a lot of their start-up experience, helping to avoid the pitfalls, set up the brand, content and business models.
Kleinetics – Social Responsibility
Kleinetics is a bootstrapped venture, which believes that the profitably of a business to grow is just not based on acquisitions and merger. But they should also be measured by the social problems that they solve apart from just profitability. They take pride in flourishing with a good team of hardworking women.
5 national-level female athletes are a core team member. The motive is to help as many women to become financially independent and socially secure. This world-class pure ‘Make in India’ product runs on the shoulders of strong women.
Kleinetics – Growth
Kleinetics has done well to grow its branch. It has imparted over 80,000 ‘Kids Hours’ of Training. It has 70 centers. Kleinetics has a renewal rate of more than 95%. Currently, Kleinetics offers its services in 100+ localities which include residential complexes, academies/gymkhanas, and schools in Mumbai.
Monthly 90% full attendance records in their training programs make it evident that the children are finding the course engaging and enjoyable enough. The performance lifts of the attendees have reached up to 88%, as reflected by the analytical software Fitness Scores, which tracks physical progress over four months of training.
Kleinetics – Awards and Recognition
Kleinetics’ training programs have received Media Recognition from top news portals, such as Afternoon Despatch and Courier, Mumbai Mirror, Financial Express, India Today. It has also received various recognition:
Recognized by Outlook Business WOW.
Best new idea Start-up by YourStory.
National Winner in the category of ‘Best physical education and sports education program’ by Indian education awards 2020 10th edition in Bangalore.
Chosen in TIECON 2020 as a unique startup for a pitch session. And the venture catalysts group chose Kleinetics for a unique session in March.
Recognized as a partner with Juniorthon, the largest marathon for kids, having trained 5000 kids in fitness for the event for the last 3 years.
A core team member of experts committed towards physical literacy initiatives in India founded by ELMS Hyderabad.
Written articles for children’s newspaper ‘Robinage’.
Received the Billennium Diva Fund Award.
Kleinetics is constantly recognized for its Community Services – Trained underprivileged girls’ kabaddi team and transformed them into assertive players. Some of them ended up being hired as Assistant Trainers.
The most rewarding moment for this venture came after a demo at a school for students with learning disabilities. The school invited them to experiment for their play therapy and helped them customize the program. They saw tremendous results, and it is still one of the most satisfying centers for them, because of the joy it brings the kids.
Kleinetics – Future Plans
In the next five years, Kleinetics aims to be physically present in all the metropolitan cities, Tier II regions across the country. The company is looking forward to deploying the cutting-edge technology. To sum up, they envision to achieve visibility in terms of Kleinetics Klan Fitness Arcades in every single locality.
It envisions servicing the metropolitan cities as well as the Tier II regions across the country within the next 7 years. The long-term goal for Kleinetics is to bring a quantifiable difference in children’s fitness.
The content in this post has been approved by the organisation it is based on.
Education and career related decisions can have a huge impact on our lives. But, many of us find it challenging to decide upon the kind of education we want to pursue. Be it picking the avenue of choice i.e. Arts, Commerce, Science or finding the best institutes, and coaching classes, we often get confused and can’t narrow down on. While coaching classes are mushrooming in every nook and corner of every town and city, when it comes to choosing one, it is not an easy task. Edviseme, a Mumbai based Ed-tech startup has come forward to simplify this process.
Edviseme is an education aggregating platform that connects students to the best coaching institute in the vicinity by bringing together the best educational and coaching classes on one platform. You can filter options to find an institution that is easily accessible to you and works best to your advantage. StartupTalky interviewed Edviseme founder Suraj Punjabi to understand more about the startup.
Edviseme claims to be India’s largest institute aggregator and provides every student with the information collected from hundreds of coaching centers, training institutes, and tuition classes. It not only connects the students with the desired coaching centers but it also helps students book their seat and get admissions instantly. Students can compare, review the institutes and make informed decisions from the comfort of their homes.
In addition to this, Edviseme understands the growing demand & interest of students in studying abroad especially in countries like the USA, UK, and Australia. Institutes & Organizations providing Courses like Graduate Records Examination (GRE) or TOEFL are also partnered with Edviseme to help students realize their dreams.
Edviseme founder Suraj Punjabi is a young entrepreneur and has been in multiple business such as garments, retail, import and export since he was 16 years old. He is also PR professional with a Masters degree in Media and communication. He is a complete believer in empowering people to be the best they can be, unconditionally, and, in keeping commitments ruthlessly!
Suraj Punjabi, Founder, Edviseme
Rakesh Chipte is the co-founder of Edviseme.
The Idea Behind Starting Edviseme
Finding a good coaching institute is not an easy task, and as a student Suraj Punjabi realized this issue very well.
When I was pursuing my Post Graduation and looking for coaching classes that were highly rated, I realized how difficult it was to narrow down and finalize on a good tutor or institute. There was no platform that I could go to, that would help me find the learning institute I was looking for considering everything from budget to convenience – Suraj quotes
Thus, he built the platform Edviseme with an idea to create a marketplace where students can easily find and connect with good coaching centers. The platform helps students make the right decision by quickly connecting them with matching coaching institutes in their locality or online, across a range of categories.
The name Edviseme is a combination of Education-Advise.
Edviseme Logo
Edviseme – Revenue Model
Classes and tutors can showcase their skills by creating their profile and get hired. Edviseme doesn’t has any pre-lead or subscription base model. The company charges commission from the classes after the student has registered. The commission can be anything between 5% to 30%. The listing of the classes is completely free.
Edviseme has built a strong network of professionals across Mumbai and is soon going to penetrate into tier 2 cities like Surat, Pune and Bhopal. The team focuses on generating a new lead every day. Besides, the company has a strong presence on social media, engages in PR activities and also promotes the platform in schools and colleges.
We are a marketing-oriented company and the marketing team does not follow the box-in-box-out approach. They believe in launching unique marketable concepts and back them up with 360-degree marketing efforts. On top of this, we have built a business with strong unit level economics, which is hard to find these days – Suraj Punjabi says explaining the company’s marketing techniques.
Edviseme till date (as on Septmeber 2020) is a self-funded startup
Edviseme – Challenges
The challenges were more about building the product than taking it to the market. The portal is designed in a way that revolutionizes the way students search for coaching institutes, and building such a two way market place was obviously challenging for the Edviseme team. The company was formed after 9 months of doing a proper R&D and after planning each and everything.
Edviseme will list over additional 1500 prime non educational classes. The company which is currently operational in Mumbai, will soon expand listing of classes in Pune and Surat. Within the next 2 years, Edviseme aims to reach out to all metro cities PAN India and start listing of Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities.
Edviseme – FAQs
What is Edviseme?
Edviseme is an education aggregating platform that connects students to the best coaching institute in the vicinity by bringing together the best educational and coaching classes on one platform
Who are the Founders of Edviseme?
Suraj Punjabi and Rakesh Chipte are the founders of Edviseme
How does Edviseme make money?
The company charges commission from the classes after the student has registered. The commission can be anything between 5% to 30%. The listing of the classes is completely free
Company Profile is an initiative by StartupTalky to publish verifiedinformation ondifferent startups and organizations. The content in this post has been approved by the organization it is based on.
With increasing income and ease of accessibility to health-related information, Indians are now more health conscious than ever. From pursuing a gluten free diet to going vegan, there’s no shortage of trends followed in the name of fitness. This has caused people to favor organic foods over the traditional alternatives. This in turn has given rise to the Concept of Microgreens. Learn and Read more about the Microgreens Business in India, Farm2Fam – A Microgreen Startup and its company profile.
Microgreens are the first leaves that grow from the seeds of herbs, vegetables, or flowers. They are harvested within 14 days of seed germination. Micro-greens are found to be 40 times more nutrition than mature vegetables.
Observing the benefits of micro-greens and their rising demand, Keya Salot left her career in law and started ‘Farm2Fam’, a startup that offers live microgreens straight to one’s doorstep.
Farm2Fam is a Mumbai based startup which grows microgreens; these are free from pesticides, herbicides, and chemicals and delivered straight to the customer’s doorstep. Farm2Fam was founded in January 2019.
Farm2Fam aims to create awareness about the capacity of the human body to heal itself with natural nutrition. We intend to use technology in combination with traditional Indian agricultural methods to grow niche nutritional products.
Farm2Fam – Microgreens Industry
The microgreens industry is at a nascent stage at present since the mass isn’t that aware of microgreens, their usage and benefits yet. The exposure to microgreens is currently restricted to the USA and Europe with its fad slowly catching up across the globe.
Research by the University Of Maryland College Of Agriculture and Natural Resources (AGNR) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), corroborates the fact that microgreens have more nutritional value than their mature counterparts.
There has been an increased focus on natural nutrition in recent times. Modern lifestyle has led to an influx of diseases like cancer, diabetes, blood pressure, thyroid, migraines, sinuses, etc. The size of the microgreens industry is bound to grow exponentially keeping this in mind. Microgreens often take center stage in a gourmet recipe and are added for flavor and presentation. However, microgreens are little gems loaded with nutrients such as beta-carotene, multi-vitamins, and lutein. The demand for microgreens will also lead to a drastic increase in urban farming.
Keya Salot is a law graduate from Government Law College, Mumbai. She worked with reputed farms prior to starting Farm2Fam. She always desired to be an entrepreneur and chose to study law for understanding entrepreneurship from a third perspective before taking it up permanently. As the founder, she likes to call herself as a sustainable urban farmer
Sustainable urban agriculture always interested Keya and was imperative for the ideation of Farm2Fam.
As they say, you cannot take entrepreneurship out of a Gujarati. I think being an entrepreneur comes very naturally to me. Once I was certain about working in sustainable urban agriculture, I quit my job in the legal profession and undertook this full-time.
Farm2Fam – How It Began
Keya is a vivid reader. She followed a few write-ups on sustainable urban agriculture, finding it exciting. With more studies on the topic over time, she realized that the ongoing climatic deterioration and never changing human habits will result in a world where people would have monetary resources but no food and water.
Sustainable urban agriculture can help the urban lot get access to fresher and healthier food. Therefore, she started working on sustainable urban agriculture as her preferred domain. Keya collaborated with several industry experts to set up a system, the synergy between Indian agricultural practices and the technology behind insulation and automation. Keya finally chose live microgreens as the product to launch for the following reasons:
Live microgreens are the perfect blend of taste and nutrition as they have up to 40 times more nutrition than the vegetables that we eat.
They enable people to eat food as fresh as possible.
Microgreens take us close to nature as it requires plucking them from the medium (shrubs, herbs, etc.) before consumption.
Farm2Fam – Name, Tagline, And Logo
Farm2Fam Logo
The name Farm2Fam exudes the company’s motto to deliver fresh food straight from the farm to households.
We need our products to be available in every household so that people do not suffer from lack of micro-nutrients. We would like to provide fresh produce locally, as it is very important to eat free from pesticides healthy food by using sustainable methods of agriculture.
Farm2Fam’s tagline is ‘Eat Local, Think Global’.
As Farm2Fam’s business is based on urban farming and agriculture, the logo comprises a green background.
Farm2Fam – Products
Farm2Fam introduced fresh and nutritious live microgreens to Mumbai and brought the vegetable confetti rationale from the west. The microgreens produced by Farm2Fam is an exceptional blend of traditional Indian agriculture methods and the latest technology in insulation and automation. Farm2Fam uses certified organic soil-less potting mixture that is specially formulated for early stages of plant growth.
Loaded with nutrition, Farm2Fam offers 40 exotic flavors that include: Swiss chard, Alfalfa, Nasturtium, Purple Kohlrabi, Sango Radish, and Sunflower to name a few.
We provide extremely fresh and niche products, grown in the city, to every doorstep and restaurant in Mumbai and we focus on improving the health of the end users.
Some major USPs of Farm2Fam products are:
No GMOs
No pesticides
No herbicides
No chemicals
Grown in an insulated environment
Microgreens are delivered at the customer’s doorstep live and fresh.
Wheatgrass and barley grass – 2 trays a week for Rs.2000.
For restaurants and hotels, Farm2Fam offers microgreens starting from INR 180-400.
Farm2Fam – User Acquisition
Farm2Fam successfully devised several samples and experiments for 12 months before launch. The nutritional values that the company provides through its live microgreens has attracted and retained customers. Today, the company has several customers who have subscribed to its services.
Farm2Fam tied up with ‘Illuminati’, a restaurant-cum-bar in Bandra Kurla Complex, for live micro-table tops. The experience with the end consumers was so good that the orders were doubled within two weeks.
Farm2Fam also showcased its products at Luke Coutinho’s Farmer Market. This helped Farm2Fam step up its awareness amongst people about its brand and products.
We showcased our distinct products like Kale Microgreens, Pink Radish Microgreens, Arugula Microgreens, Broccoli Microgreens, Cress Microgreens and spread the awareness of innovative, nutritious and healthy cooking. Our products have reached beyond medicine and the footfall was 2000+ people. Similar events will help us reach our end consumers directly.
Farm2Fam – Startup Challenges
With no expertise in agricultural/nutritional background, venturing into the field of agriculture combined with nutrition was a major hurdle for the Farm2Fam team as told by Keya. It took lots of effort and yearlong research to overcome this challenge.
Moreover, unstable weather conditions hampered the Farm2Fam team while developing an insulated environment for farming. Sourcing the right seeds and medium for growth was another problem. The Farm2Fam team had to undergo many trials and errors in selecting the right kind of seeds for the final products.
Farm2Fam – Competitors
Currently, Farm2Fam has no significant competition.
The idea of microgreens is new to Indians. There are negligible players in India who grow microgreens and provide them to end users and the hospitality industry; the case being that most of the restaurants in Mumbai get their microgreens from Bangalore. In addition, most of the players in Bangalore use hydroponics or plant pads as a medium of growth which requires the addition of organic chemicals/nutrition to the micros.
Farm2Fam is unique in its belief that plants should be given nutrition naturally. It grows the micros in a potting medium made using around 40+ ingredients such as coco peat, vermicompost, neem powder, etc.
Farm2Fam – Growth
Farm2Fam began in January 2019. In a short time span, the company has achieved and retained many customers and clients by providing high nutritional value microgreens. Farm2Fam’s products were tried and liked by famous health coach Luke Coutinho, anti-aging specialist Dr. Aalika Shah, leading cosmetologist Dr. Sonali Kohli, and many leading restaurants.
The company has also partnered with reputed restaurants like Taj Land’s End, ITC, Four Seasons, Out of the Blue, Sofitel, Foodhall Cookery Studio, and Punjab Grill.
Our achievements are in terms of the responses we receive. Several of our consumers have gotten rid of their migraines, sinuses, etc. by using our products regularly. Also, we count our orders being doubled with restaurants as quite an achievement.
In 2020, Farm2Fam sees itself in every household with a target of 300+ consumers every month and catering to around 100 restaurants. Over the next 5 years, it intends to launch new products like blueberries, raspberries, live saffron, etc. Farm2Fam will soon be partnering with marquee brands such as Pizza Express, Bay route, and White Charcoal.
“I have learned most things from the people around me. My husband and my parents are my role models. Renowned chefs always inspired me and their advice were a great help in flourishing our business. Consumers are the real mentors for us, as their responses play a major role and push us to produce variant products” – Keya Salot, Founder Farm2Fam
Farm2Fam /Microgreens – FAQs
What are the Health benefits of Microgreens?
Microgreens are Rich in nutrients, which can help in preventing a range of diseases, managing weight & boosting both mental and physical health and well-being. The Antioxidants Content help the body eliminate unstable waste molecules known as free radicals
Who is the Founder of Farm2Fam?
Keya Salot is the Founder of Farm2Fam, a startup that offers live microgreens straight to one’s doorstep.
What are the Healthiest Microgreens?
Pea Shoots, Radish Sprouts, Sunflower Shoot, Wheatgrass, Basil shoots etc., are some of the healthiest microgreens. Researchers also found that microgreens like red cabbage, cilantro, and radish contain up to 40 times higher levels of vital nutrients than their mature counterparts.
What are Microgreens?
Microgreens are the first leaves that grow from the seeds of herbs, vegetables, or flowers. They are harvested within 14 days of seed germination. Micro-greens are found to be 40 times more nutrition than mature vegetables.
Technical education is of utmost importance for developing the human resource of a country. Technical education produces manpower that has practical knowledge of modern and advanced technology which is much required for the development of any country. In modern times, the demand for technical education is increasing globally and India is also experiencing the same trend.
Besides, technology is not something which can be learned once and for all, it is must to keep oneself abreast of the new developments. While it is not possible and convenient to go for formal offline education at all stages of one’s career, online technical education can do a lot to keep one up-to-date of new technologies, without giving up the current job or alongside another course.
However, it is important to check the quality and credibility of the courses while opting for any online technical course. Techved Academy of Design (TAD), initiated by Techved, a Mumbai based design company is offering certified courses on many technological areas, that are just perfect to upskill and uplift your career.
StartupTalky interviewed TADCourses co-founder Neha Modgil to know about the story behind this initiative.
TAD stands for Techved Academy of Design. TAD Courses is an initiative of Techved, a leading global user experience company based in Mumbai. To meet the shortage of skilled manpower in the field of User Experience (UI/UX), Techved started TAD Courses which initially offered just courses related to UI and UX. However today TAD courses is offering online courses in many other technological areas.
The TAD team believes that everyone should have the opportunity to create progress through technology and develop the skills of tomorrow. TAD Courses offers assessments, learning paths and courses authored by industry experts. The platform helps businesses and individuals close skills gaps in critical areas, innovate faster and deliver on key objectives.
With a mission to become the one-stop channel for Technology education, TAD has been providing quality training and education, aspiring masses in the realm of creativity. Combining the passion for technology and education, TAD set up the online learning platform with the sole vision of increasing accessibility in education, thereby elevating itself as a reliable and esteemed global education brand.
“We desire to endow individuals with an intrinsic inclination and pursuit of technology and design,” Neha says emphasizing on the company’s vision.
TAD Courses was co-founded by Neha Modgil & Mohar V.
Neha Modgil | Co-founder and CEO of TAD Courses
Neha Modgil, Co-Founder and COO of TAD Courses, is a thought leader with a fertile mind and woman with great passion towards the work. She has around 10+ years of experience into Designing and Innovation industry. Her passion lies in inventing new and powerful ways to make consumer’s digital experience better. She has an educational qualification in design and management.
Mohar V | Business Evangelist of TAD Courses
Mohar V, is an experienced Business Evangelist, Digital Strategist and a UX Design thinker. His 19+ years of experience into Technology innovation, UX/UI Design, Digital Strategy, Software Development, and Project management have helped him to sweep the tech world. His conscientious qualities and ideas have always touched the zenith of success. He has a stellar track record of business innovation, market presence, and creative mind into various business verticals. He is an MBA person with a tech background.
How was TAD Courses Started
TADcourses is a member of NASSCOM and was started under the leadership of TECHVED Consulting. Techved has over a decade of experience and an ardent passion in the field of UI/UX. The leaders of TECHVED – deemed as the top UX/UI Company by Silicon India – wanted to cultivate a talent pool of aspiring professionals in design and technology. Thus, TAD was founded as an oasis to quench the growing scarcity of UX professionals.
“In a decade, we have conducted a lot of workshops and meet-ups for industry professionals. These experiences explicated the gaps in skilled individuals in the industry. Therefore, TAD courses have been launched for bridging these gaps” says Neha.
Apart from UX/UI related courses, TAD Courses now offers several other technical courses too.
“Initially, we have discussed with COO’s and CTO’s of Technology to know what challenges they face while recruiting the right candidate and that lead to the need of industry ready professionals. Today there are so many working professionals who lack contemporary skills, which results in great disappointment. Looking into the responses, TAD courses set up the online learning platform to build and enhance the critical professional skills required in today’s in-demand fields” Neha added.
TAD Courses – Name, Tagline and Logo
The name TAD stands for Techved Academy of Design.
TAD courses are the short online courses in cutting-edge technology for both beginners and professionals to cultivate their talent.
The courses are divided into ‘Foundation’ and ‘Advanced’ based on the levels of knowledge and expertise. TAD courses offer specialized video tutorials forArtificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, Blockchain Technology, User Experience, and Big Data Analytics in multiple languages. A graduate in any stream can apply for these courses.
Major USPs of TAD Courses are: • Mentors with hands-on industry experience. • Premium content • Industry Recognized Certificates • Placement Assistance
The company is trying to reach out to the Tier II and Tier III Cities by creating an extraordinary technology learning experience for them to make their future with these buzzing and dynamic technologies. Besides TAD Courses also boasts to be the first Indian online learning platform to teach the updated technologies In multiple languages.
TAD Courses – Funding and Investors
TAD Courses has not raised any funding until now. It is powered and invested by its sister company Techved Consulting. The company uses a major fraction of its funds in creating quality content videos with the right mentors.
TAD Courses – Startup Challenges
Getting the right mentors on board was a challenge for the TAD Team.
“Our objective was to find industry experts to train our students to increase the employability in the tech industry. It was a very challenging task, to find the right product person who has the vision to run this. But we effectively pulled it off by bringing industry experts and subject matter experts to the board” says Neha.
TAD team chooses to learn from the various players in its domain rather than seeing them as competition.
As Neha says, “We have learned and reaped inspiration from many platforms; each one of them has their own presence in the market to stand out. We have willfully started this because we are already into tech Industry witnessing 100’s of newcomers in the market who are unable to stand firm due to lack of Ideas and concept. Therefore, we have learned the pros and cons of their platform, which has motivated us to build our platform into a unique platform.”
TAD Courses is focusing on making its service better for the learners and make technology easy to learn
“The moment we began to look at others as our competitors, we descended and categorized ourselves comparing another platform with some similarities. Thereafter, we decided not to consider anyone as our competitors, we take everyone as a learner because everyone is trying and practicing new things to be prominent out of which some people strike the right platform enlighten the people and some later”, added Neha.
TAD Courses – Future Plans
Having successfully created a high-quality user experience in its platform, the TAD team will keep on improvising the content and teaching methods by incorporating new ideas. As they are evolving with the current technologies, the industry will consistently evolve as well.
Along with the evolving industry, TAD courses will further improvise teaching methods by introducing new ideas into the courses. However, their objective of providing a high-quality experience will remain the same. Their goal is to increase employability in the Tech Industry. Hence, they will continue to transform our students into a job-ready professional.
Vidhi Punamiya
