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Sabeer Bhatia: An Indian Who Built and Sold his Startup to Microsoft for $400 Million in Just 18 Months.

Sabeer Bhatia: An Indian Who Built and Sold his Startup to Microsoft for $400 Million in Just 18 Months.

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In 1996, Indian entrepreneur Sabbir Bhatia rose to prominence as one of the co-founders of Hotmail, the original free webmail service, alongside Jack Smith. Bhatia’s persistence paid off when one venture financier recognized his promise and invested $300,000 in Hotmail, despite the roughly 18 rejections he had received. With this first support, Hotmail has been pushed into the digital world, indicating the beginning of the revolution of online communication.

A $ 400 Million Contract with Microsoft

Sabeer Bhatia: An Indian Who Built and Sold his Startup to Microsoft for $400 Million in Just 18 Months.

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Just 18 months after its release, Hotmail attracted the attention of the Microsoft Technology giant. After several months of negotiations, a 400 million-dollar agreement was reached after Microsoft became aware of the potential of Hotmail and then it gained its first 140 million dollar offer. The acquisition of the company not only proved the value of innovative ideas but also brought about a major shift in the IT industry and made Bhatia an industry legend. A key interaction with Bill Gates in 1997, during which Gates expressed interest in a possible future collaboration, changed the course of Bhatia’s career.

Company After Hotmail: Various Roads

After the sale of Hotmail, BHATIA launched many companies, such as Arzoo INC. and JAXTRSMS, as part of the current company. However, these efforts could not replicate the glory of Hotmail. Despite these setbacks, Bhatia has not given up and continues to explore new avenues in messaging, online shopping and Internet of Things applications.

ShowReel: Empowering Startups and Pioneers

Bhatia’s latest endeavour, ShowReel, demonstrates his unwavering commitment to fostering innovation. The ShowReel is an attempt to clearly show Bhatia’s belief in empowering the coming generations of innovators and ensuring the survival of his legacy in the world of technology. It combines instruction with a startup showcase to help business owners realize their visions.

Also Read: Opkey Secures $47M to Transform ERP Testing with AI Innovation

Engaging in CyberDive: A Future Stage

In June, Bhatia was appointed as an official advisor for CyberDive, the company that manufactures the Aqua One smartphone for kids. The addition of Bhatia to the team is considered a decisive step in expanding global coverage of the company, demonstrating its constant influence in the technological sector.

The trip of Saber Bhatia from the co-founder of Hotmail before becoming a technical consultant at Cyber Dive is proof of his tireless desire for innovation and his influence on the digital world.

Ritesh Agarwal and OYO

Ritesh Agarwal and OYO: The Journey from Startup to Industry Leader

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OYO Rooms, commonly known as OYO, has redefined the budget accommodation sector with a tech-driven approach. The brainchild of Ritesh Agarwal, OYO began its journey in 2013. Ritesh identified a gap in affordable and standardized lodging while traveling across India. His firsthand experiences with inconsistent hotel services and unkempt accommodations led him to launch Oravel Stays in 2012, which later pivoted to OYO Rooms.

Early Life and Ambitions

Ritesh Agarwal and OYO

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Ritesh Agarwal’s journey to becoming a hospitality titan is both unconventional and inspiring. Born in a small town in Odisha, India, Ritesh’s beginnings were modest, with his family running a simple shop. He attended Sacred Heart School in his hometown but harbored dreams much larger than his surroundings. His aspirations led him to Kota, Rajasthan, known for its rigorous coaching classes for engineering aspirants. However, his true calling lay outside the traditional education path.

Ritesh moved to Delhi and enrolled in college, but soon realized that his passion lay in startups and entrepreneurship. To make ends meet, he sold SIM cards, an experience that taught him resilience and the importance of self-reliance. This period was crucial, as it also saw him self-learning software development, skills that would be instrumental in his entrepreneurial journey.

The Birth of Oravel Stays

The turning point came in 2012 when Ritesh founded Oravel Stays, aiming to make budget stays accessible to everyone. This concept caught the attention of Venture Nursery, an accelerator program that invested in his vision and provided the initial capital to kickstart his dream. Ritesh’s ambitions soared when he became the first Indian to win the Thiel Fellowship, a program offering young entrepreneurs $100,000 to drop out of college and pursue their business ideas.

The Launch of OYO Rooms

Using the fellowship grant, Ritesh launched OYO Rooms in 2013. This platform would revolutionize budget accommodation in India and beyond. OYO’s business model was unique and scalable, initially functioning as an aggregator of budget hotels before evolving into a full-fledged franchise. It leveraged technology to standardize services, ensuring uniformity in room quality, amenities, and customer service across all its partner hotels.

OYO’s meteoric rise can be attributed to aggressive expansion and strategic funding. Starting with a single hotel in Gurgaon, OYO expanded rapidly across India and then ventured into international markets, including China, the US, Europe, and Southeast Asia. This global footprint was supported by substantial funding rounds from prominent investors like SoftBank, Sequoia Capital, and Lightspeed Venture Partners. By 2019, OYO had become the world’s third-largest hotel chain by room count.

Challenges and Controversies

Despite its rapid growth, OYO has faced several challenges and controversies. Issues related to quality control, customer service, and strained relationships with hotel partners have periodically surfaced. The company has also faced legal battles and regulatory hurdles in various markets. The COVID-19 pandemic posed another significant setback, severely impacting the hospitality industry and forcing OYO to restructure its operations and workforce.

Also Read: The Inspiring Story of Marc Benioff and Salesforce

The Legacy of Ritesh Agarwal

Ritesh Agarwal’s journey from selling SIM cards to becoming the youngest self-made billionaire is a testament to dreaming big and working hard. At just 29, his net worth soared to Rs. 16,000 crore ($2.1 billion), and OYO, the startup he founded, reached a valuation of Rs. 74,000 crore. His story underscores that with persistence, creativity, and a willingness to learn, it’s possible to turn humble beginnings into global success stories. Ritesh’s life teaches us that success comes from not just having a vision, but from the courage to pursue it against all odds, making him a true inspiration to aspiring entrepreneurs worldwide.

Sahil Lavingia's Insights from Startup to Success

Sahil Lavingia’s Insights from Startup to Success

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Gumroad’s founder and CEO, Sahil Lavingia, highlights the significant influence that peer networks and expectations have on the success of entrepreneurs. He contends that although institutions and educators are important, the impact of one’s close social network cannot be overstated. Lavingia said that people are the average of their five friends, emphasising how the beliefs and actions of one’s closest friends are shaped by their collective thinking. With the introduction of COVID-19, this impact has been enhanced because digital interactions are asynchronous, which increases the rate at which content is absorbed and solidifies these impressions.

Taking in the Startup Environment

Sahil Lavingia's Insights from Startup to Success

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Lavingia was set on being a founder before she ever thought about funding. He worked at an early-stage startup and interacted with founders and early employees to fully immerse himself in the startup ecosystem. He thinks that prospective business owners can benefit greatly from this exposure. His recollections highlight the importance of direct experience and networking within the entrepreneurial community in the process of becoming a successful founder. He spent a lot of time hanging out with founders, hanging out with early employees, he revealed.

Accepting Accountability and Independence

Lavingia came to the important revelation that he was the only one responsible for the company’s success. Investors back founders on the basis of their potential; nonetheless, it is the founder’s responsibility to translate that potential into observable outcomes. His entrepreneurial success was largely fueled by this mental change, which involved accepting self-reliance instead of waiting for outside help.

Effectiveness and Scheduling

Lavingia thinks highly of the ability to save other people’s time. He respects people who work well and accomplish their goals with little assistance from others. This strategy not only increases individual output but also cultivates more productive and amicable work environments.

Tenacity and Flexibility

According to Lavingia, the qualities of a successful entrepreneur are adaptability and unwavering determination. He seeks out individuals who are driven and prepared to begin with less-than-ideal initiatives in order to learn and grow along the way. This readiness to start small and keep trying until you achieve perfection is an essential quality for success in the fast-paced world of startups.

Also Read: German HRtech VEDA Secures €17M from CIBC Innovation Banking for Global Growth

Consistency and Concentration

Lavingia concludes by highlighting the significance of living in the present and paying attention to the here and now. Despite its seeming simplicity, he thinks that paying attention to and actively participating in one’s environment is important. Sustained success requires entrepreneurs to remain grounded and sensitive to their immediate surroundings, which is what this mindfulness practice helps them do.

To sum up, Sahil Lavingia’s journey from startup to success provides insightful information about the significance of presence, self-reliance, efficiency, perseverance, and peer impact. Prospective business owners might get knowledge from his experiences to forge their own routes in the cutthroat world of industry.

 
Manchester ECommerce Startup Made With Intent Raises £1.5M for Customer-Intent Segmentation

Manchester ECommerce Startup Made With Intent Raises £1.5M for Customer-Intent Segmentation

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Made With Intent, an e-commerce firm located in Manchester has raised £1.5 million today, which is a major milestone. This early investment round, led by Mercuri and including participation from Portfolio Ventures and former investors Haatch, advances Made With Intent’s goal of prioritising consumer intent in eCommerce strategy.

Resolving the Fundamental Issue

Manchester ECommerce Startup Made With Intent Raises £1.5M for Customer-Intent Segmentation

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Made With Intent’s mission is based on the realisation that internet retail tactics have a fundamental problem. The startup challenges the industry’s concentration on short-term, retroactive measures like conversion rate. David Mannheim founded the company and has over 15 years of expertise in optimising conversion rates in eCommerce. Mannheim contends that this strategy stifles possibilities for growth and fosters a race to the bottom that ignores the subtleties of actual consumer behaviour.

A Human-Centered Method

Made With Intent gives merchants a more human-centric view of their website performance in an effort to upend the eCommerce industry. eCommerce companies may optimise consumer journeys by using the platform’s intent measurements, predictive targeting, and seamless tech connections, which let them base their decisions on actual purchase behaviour. Made With Intent seeks to accelerate short- and long-term revenue development by enabling experience, CRM, and performance teams to effectively respond to customer demands.

Customer Impact and Beta Success

Made With Intent has had a big influence on stores including Rapha, Bensons for Beds, and Ernest Jones since its beta debut in September. Head of Digital Experience at Rapha, Nik Fletcher, commends the platform for its capacity to interpret visitor signals subconsciously, much like one would in a real store.

The Platform's Operation

Using an intuitive script, Made With Intent gathers data from online consumers and analyses over 250 signals to produce real-time predicted intent metrics. Visitors are automatically categorised according to their path, pace, and propensity to purchase, leave, or come back later. The platform allows for the seamless integration of more than forty marketing tools, giving eCommerce teams the ability to offer re-engagement strategies and customised purchasing experiences.

Worldwide Growth and Influence

Made With Intent hopes to enrol one hundred worldwide consumers in the next two years, with a current user base that includes people in the UK, Denmark, Germany, and the USA. Mannheim stresses that Made With Intent is a movement that aims to transform the eCommerce industry into one that is more intimate and focused on people rather than just a platform.

In summary, Made With Intent leads the way in innovation as eCommerce develops, transforming the market with its emphasis on consumer purpose. The firm is well-positioned to effect significant change and enable online merchants around the globe, bolstered by the backing of important investors and an expanding user base.

From Spotlight to Strategy: Dhana Bunel's Transition from Influencer to CEO

From Spotlight to Strategy: Dhana Bunel’s Transition from Influencer to CEO

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Dhana Bunel’s transformative journey from influencer to CEO is a captivating narrative of resilience, passion, and unwavering determination. With a myriad of interests spanning from dancing and traveling to indulging in literary pursuits and culinary adventures, Dhana has always approached life with an insatiable zest for exploration and self-discovery.

The Influencer Era

From Spotlight to Strategy: Dhana Bunel's Transition from Influencer to CEO

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As an influencer, model, and ultimately a visionary CEO, Dhana’s story is one of remarkable evolution and boundless ambition. Fluent in multiple languages, her ability to fluidly communicate across cultures has not only enriched her personal experiences but has also played a pivotal role in shaping her professional trajectory.

 

Dhana’s entrepreneurial odyssey commenced on the digital landscape of Instagram, where she fearlessly shared her distinctive fashion sense and lifestyle with a global audience. What initially began as a personal endeavor to express her creativity soon blossomed into a thriving community, with Dhana emerging as a beacon of inspiration for countless individuals around the world.

The Birth of Chez Graze

However, it was her acute sense of intuition and unwavering commitment to fostering positive change that compelled Dhana to embark on a new chapter in her entrepreneurial journey. Recognizing a conspicuous void in the catering industry for services that prioritize health and well-being, she conceived the groundbreaking concept of Chez Graze.

At the heart of Chez Graze lies Dhana’s fervent desire to empower women to re-enter the job market while simultaneously offering delectable gourmet health options for events. With an unwavering dedication to sustainability and social responsibility, Chez Graze not only tantalizes the taste buds but also nourishes the soul, embodying Dhana’s ethos of compassionate entrepreneurship.

Resilience and Self-Love

Dhana’s resilience, compassion, and unwavering commitment to self-love and acceptance serve as guiding principles in both her personal and professional endeavors. In a world fraught with challenges and uncertainties, she epitomizes the profound truth that adversity is merely an opportunity for growth and transformation.

As she continues to chart new horizons and redefine the boundaries of success, Dhana remains an indomitable force for positive change. Her journey serves as a poignant reminder that dreams are not merely figments of the imagination but rather blueprints for the future waiting to be realized. Dhana Bunel’s inspirational journey from influencer to CEO is a testament to the transformative power of resilience, passion, and unwavering determination.

Rippling in Advanced Talks for Funding at Over $13 Billion Valuation

Rippling in Advanced Talks for Funding at Over $13 Billion Valuation

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Business software startup Rippling is in the midst of negotiations to secure new funding, aiming for a valuation ranging from $13 billion to $14 billion, sources familiar with the discussions reveal.

Current Funding Endeavor

Sources close to the matter report that Rippling is actively engaged in talks to raise approximately $500 million in funding. These discussions are ongoing, with a tentative plan to finalize terms within the coming weeks. However, the figures being discussed remain fluid, leaving room for potential adjustments before a final agreement is reached.

Rippling in Advanced Talks for Funding at Over $13 Billion Valuation

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Rippling’s last fundraising venture occurred in the challenging landscape of Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse, where the company secured a staggering $500 million. This financial maneuver was expedited due to Rippling’s accounts being frozen at SVB, which posed a significant threat to their ability to process payroll for their clientele, causing considerable disruption. Reflecting on these tumultuous events, Rippling’s CEO Parker Conrad described the period as “probably the most stressful day of my life.”

Strategic Utilization of Funds

The intended utilization of the new funds is multifaceted. Rippling plans to target more midsize business clients globally, expanding its market presence and clientele base. Additionally, the company aims to continue its trajectory of product development, bolstering its offerings to cater to evolving market needs and technological advancements.

Recently, Rippling made strategic strides by securing office space in San Francisco, signaling its intentions to accommodate a growing workforce. This expansion initiative is poised to facilitate the hiring of hundreds of new employees, further enhancing Rippling’s operational capacity and market reach.

Leadership and Background

Notably, Rippling’s CEO, Parker Conrad, brings a wealth of experience from his tenure at Zenefits, a previous startup venture. Conrad’s leadership has been pivotal in navigating Rippling through challenging circumstances and fostering strategic growth opportunities. While Conrad’s past venture faced regulatory challenges resulting in his resignation, subsequent settlements with the US Securities and Exchange Commission have provided a foundation for Rippling’s continued growth trajectory.

Also Read: Energy Startup GridBeyond Completes €52 Million Investment Round

In response to inquiries regarding the ongoing funding discussions, a Rippling representative dismissed the accuracy of the leaked information while refraining from providing additional comments.

As Rippling navigates these pivotal funding talks, industry observers are keenly monitoring the outcome, anticipating the potential implications for the business software sector and Rippling’s trajectory in the global market landscape.