Business partnerships, like successful relationships, rely on chemistry between the co-founders. From connecting dots of their hearts to accelerating the growth rate in the graphs, some couples are successfully running well-known startups in small towns.
Here are some to look on:
MOBIKWIK
With two laptops, a dining table for the office, and all their savings, IIT graduate Bipin Preet Singh, and his wife Upasana Taku, founded the Gurgaon-based digital payments startup MobiKwik in 2009. Bipin and Upasana left their lucrative jobs’ safety nets and took the biggest risk in their lives.
Mobikwik is a mobile payment company that enables its users to recharge and pay bills for mobiles, electricity, transfer money, or book bus tickets, among several other services. Even though many international players offer mobile wallet services in India, MobiKwik has managed to carve out a niche for itself. Recently, the company raised $20 million (Rs 150 crore) funding from Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA).
INTERFLORA INDIA
ADVANTAGE CLUB
The power couple Sourabh Deorah and Smiti Bhatt Deorah came up with the idea for Advantage Club while working for Microsoft in the US. As the US employees had access to several employee benefit programs, the couple felt that similar levels of benefits should be provided to employees in developing countries as well. They saw this as an opportunity to impact the lives of the employees. In 2016, they left what are considered as dream jobs in Microsoft US to come back to India and launched Advantage Club in order to assist organisations drive higher retention by providing curated employee rewards, perks and financial wellness solutions.
Started with a two-member team, now the company has a staff strength of 60 and offices in Gurgaon, Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru and Philippines. The platform provides services such as exclusive employee perks, rewards and recognition, early wage access, etc. With 370+ corporate clients and collaboration with 10,000+ brands like Amazon, Flipkart, Grab, etc across 60+ countries., it is one of Southeast Asia’s leading employee engagement platforms.
CHUMBAK
The magnetic husband-wife duo, Vivek Prabhakar and Shubhra Chadda’s love for travelling and collecting souvenirs led to the launch of the famous ‘India-inspired’ merchandise brand, Chumbak in 2010. The duo sold their Bangalore apartment to initiate the venture.
Since then, it has evolved into a globally influenced lifestyle brand, with products spanning from home decor, fashion, accessories to personal care. The company now has 150 stores in India and 70 in Japan, and a strong online presence.
CASHKARO
Swati Bhargava and Rohan Bhargava, co-founders and partners, founded the Gurugram-based coupon and cashback platform CashKaro in 2013. The couple left their jobs to launch Pouring Pounds (cashback website) in the United Kingdom. In 2013, they realised that India was ripe for business, so they flew back and launched Cashkaro in April.
Through CashKaro, users can earn up to 30% cashback while shopping on sites like Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, Jabong, and Yatra. With over five million users, it is one of India’s most popular cashback sites.
THRILLOPHILIA
Out of a passion for adventure and thrill, Chitra Gurnani Daga and her husband Abhishek Daga founded the Bengaluru-based adventure travel company, Thrillophilia. They see India as a promising market for adventure tours.
Thrillophilia provides travellers with adventure-related activities across India. Customers can choose from over 10,000 curated travel experiences like caving, wildlife, paragliding, and other adrenaline-pumping activities. They serve around 2200 customers per month, with a good mix of solo travellers, groups, and corporate bookings.
“startups in small towns”
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