Startup Saturday is our Weekly Digest that provides latest buzz on Indian Startups & Entrepreneurship.
Quikr gets Rs. 20 crore Funds Infusion from Omdiyar Network & Matrix partners
Quikr, One of the leading horizontal classifieds player in India recently announced Rs. 200 million second round of funding in Quikr Mauritius (a holding company of Quikr India) led by new investor Omidyar Network and returning investor Matrix Partners India.
The top management has also changed a bit with Pranay Chulet, being appointed as Chief Executive Officer of Quikr.
Quikr offers a classifieds website that addresses the needs of local communities in eighteen cities across India. The recent data suggests that more than 1.5 Million people use Quikr to buy and sell a wide range of goods and services, find everything from jobs to homes to a life partner, and connect with others who share their interests.
Its heartening to see that Indian startups getting fund infusion, but what is also quite clear that VC’s prefer growth stage companies and are not willing to Risk their funds on early stage startups.
Vishal Gondal on Indian Startups & Proto.
Vishal has been writing some great posts on Indian Startup Ecosystem in general and his – Are Indian Startup events like Rakhi Ka Swayamvara ? – is one of my favourites. If you have not read it already you should do. He compares the current Farce of TV, Rakhi ka Swayamvar, with what is happening in Indian Ecosystem.
He has also reviewed latest startups presented in this edition of proto. Here is a verbatim transcript:
Vardenchi Motorcycles: AKA. Sexy Looking Custom Bikes
They Rock bcos: Their cool looking bikes, Price range from 2.5 to 15 Lakhs, Fully Customizable
They Suck bcos: Difficult to Scale, Competition from Imported Bikes
Bankbazaar: AKA. Get Loans like Airline Tickets
They Rock bcos: Airline ticket like platform for Loans, Integration with Back-end Systems of Banks, identified customer pain point while getting loans
They Suck bcos: Thousands of Direct Sales Agents trying to sell Loans, Actual Loan process too long, They are just a fancier lead generating tool
GoVasool: AKA. Paisa Vasool Group Buying
They Rock bcos: Group buying cool concept never really exploited, good idea to collaborate with local stores and not try to shut them down like other e-commerce portals
They Suck bcos: Too many sites and stores trying to sell cheap, Getting people in groups to actually commit.
Vigyaapan Technologies: AKA. New Twist to Viral Marketing
They Rock bcos: Their idea of Queen Bee sounds great, Mobile Operators can find a new way to send marketing spam
They Suck bcos: Difficult to establish link between queen bee and drone purchase, Privacy issues, Simple to replicate by anyone who knows maths.
Automotive Robotics: AKA. Viagra for your Small Car
They Rock bcos: They can make your Maruti run like a Honda, Bolt on Kits so scalable
They Suck bcos: Indian Roads, Consumer education now how many people know the difference between 120BHP and 190BHP, Value for Money ?
ConWizta: AKA. Ebay for Tests
They Rock bcos: Enables almost any one to start giving tests, unique concept
They Suck bcos: Cluttered Space, Without credibility of teacher difficult to attract students
Vrixx Education Solutions: AKA. ERP your College
They Rock bcos: ERP for colleges looks like a need of the hour, Focus on education segment
They Suck bcos: Long sales cycle, Do colleges really want this and have they money?
English Seekho: AKA. Number Ghomoo English Seekho
They Rock bcos: Rural Focus on VAS, Aspirational English learning segment
They Suck bcos: What happens when Novelty wares out?, Easy to replicate by big well established players, Can someone really learn on the phone?
TestMerit: AKA. Another Online Test
They Rock bcos: Different twist on the Online Test space
They Suck bcos: Cluttered space, Very little differentiation between competitors
PebbleTalk: AKA. Company Discussion board taken to next level
They Rock bcos: Interesting communication and social engagement software, SMS and Outlook Integration
They Suck bcos: Focus on Enterprise segment makes growth restrictive, can be hit by the Google Wave
Aerosoft Systems: AKA. Credit Card Revenue Reconciliation
They Rock bcos: Saves companies money, Credit Card reconciliation real problem!
They Suck bcos: Services model, Easy to replicate
HyCa Technologies: AKA. Science Fiction made to solve real problems
They Rock bcos: Real IP at work, Cheaper, better, faster
They Suck bcos: I don’t fully understand what they actually do!
Intsolvers Technologies: AKA. Pipe Cleaning System
They Rock bcos: Real IP at work, Cheaper, better, faster
They Suck bcos: Dont know how big the market is, Need good mfg. support as product still in prototype
TouchMagix Media:AKA. Interactive Out of Home Media
They Rock bcos: Allows high level of interaction in retail spaces, Brands looking for new ideas to engage with customers
They Suck bcos: Advertising model not scalable, Expensive, More a novelty will the brands try it again?
Thanks Vishal for such a nice roundup of Proto Showcase startups
The Anatomy of an Entrepreneur
If you are an Entrepreneur, you should read this – See how you compare yourself with a Typical Entrepreneur
Thats it for this edition of Startup Saturday News Digest – hope you guys are having a great weekend.
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