The Indian Startup Show

This week I speak to Shuchi Pandya. Founder and CEO of Pipa + Bella, an online jewellery e-commerce platform offering fashion jewellery to women across India. Started 2 years ago they are growing really fast & have raised funding So in this conversation we talk about how she got started, What’s it like being a founder , information on how to raise funding! , what to put in you slide deck and collaborating with social influencers & celebrities. in this conversation we also talk about, Advice on growing & marketing your startup. Collaborating with social influencers & celebrities. Hardest part about building the business. Plans for the future Sales Dealing with VC's Latest trends in Indian jewellery A summer spent travelling around S.America! 4 Quick fire questions! And more! Links Website: http://www.pipabella.com/ Twitter: @pipabella

Today I chat to Daniel Becerra Co-Founder & CEO of Buffalo Grid (@BuffaloGrid). BuffaloGrid uses solar energy to provide mobile power and internet services to off-grid communities around the world. Their aim is to provide customers with increased connectivity so they are better informed and connected. We talk about how he got started. How it actually works. The social innovation scene, fund raising and their work within rural African & Indian communities. in this conversation we also talk about, Product development Scaling the business Number of communities they have helped How you can get one for free! (if you live in india!) Examples of how they have changed rural communities. Advice on starting your own tech for good startup. Hardest part about building this business. Interesting story where the name came from! and much more... Links Website: http://www.buffalogrid.com Twitter: @Buffalogrid Thanks for listening & subscribing. If you like the show please leave a review in ITunes. If you want

In this week’s episode I chat to Anirban Poddar. Founder & CEO of ShopHop (@ShophopIndia) ShopHop is an e-commerce platform which serves as a curated marketplace for natural, artisanal ,home-grown foods and wellness products. Since launching in January they are growing 100% month on month! We talk about how he got started. How many orders they get. Advice on how to pitch to investors because they won Pitch 2 Start competition. We talk about what first time founders should be focussing on , plans for the future. We also discuss Bacon ice cream & what he does on a Sunday! in this conversation we also talk about, The most surprising thing about his entrepreneurial journey so far The vision of the company Company stats What excites him most about this startup Business heroes Growing Shop Hop's user base The hardest part about building this business. And more! Links Website: http://www.shophop.co.in/ Twitter: @ShophopIndia Thanks for listening and subscribing. If you like the show please leaving a co

In this week’s episode I chat to Vishal Shah. Founder & CEO of Haute Chef (@HauteChefIndia) Haute Chef is a unique "meal kit" concept, They send a box of pre-measured, labeled ingredients along with easy to follow step-by-step instructions on putting together a truly gourmet dish in your home kitchen. And they are doing a couple of thousand orders month. Prior to founding Haute Chef, Vishal was an investment banker based in New York and London working with a multinational bank for over a decade. We talk about what inspired him to start this journey, his life on Wall Street. The vision of the company, to mistakes he sees first time founders make & plans for the future and much more … please enjoy the show! in this conversation we also talk about, What Vishal looks for when hiring staff Plans for expansion for the next 3 years The startup scene in Mumbai What Wall street is really like! Most surprising thing about his entrepreneurial journey so far What excites him most about this startup M

Today I chat to Anu Acharya (@anuacharya) , The founder & CEO of Mapmygenome.in (@mapmygenome). Based in Hyderabad - Mapmygenome, is a startup engaged in developing genomics solutions for predictive diagnosis and prognosis, using DNA testing. The company raised $1.1 million in a pre-Series A funding round earlier this year. So we talk about how she got started , the state of the genome industry & what excites her most about Mapmygenome in this conversation we also talk about What actually is a genome? What should first time founder's be focussing on Thoughts on the hiring process Plans for the future Top advice on pitching - Be authentic! The best advice she has received Vision of the company Statistics Hobbies & interests And much more! Links Website: http://mapmygenome.in/ Twitter: @mapmygenome if you like this episode leave a rating and review. Just search for The Indian Startup Show on ITunes, Stitcher & Overcast . Pocket Casts, Downcast , Instacast, Podkicker and Apple TV. If

Today I chat to Sarthak Jain , The Co-Founder & CEO of Cubeit (@cubeitdotio). Based in Bangalore - Cubeit is a mobile application which lets you collect content from any source in one place and makes it easy to organise and share. The team raised seed funding from Accel Partners & Helion Venture Partners with a product demo and not an actual product. So we talk about how he got started , launching & marketing apps to useful advice on dealing with those negative app store reviews! in this conversation we also talk about What excites him most about this startup Statistics / Metrics / Downloads so far App store optimisation. Issues that keep him up at night Plans on monetisation Critical big milestones for the next year Business heroes And much more! Links Website: http://www.cubeit.io Twitter: @cubeitdotio Download the app today: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gridants.cubedroidbeta if you like this episode leave a rating and review. Just search for The Indian Startup Show o

The future of banking in India is changing! and in this week’s episode I chat to Vinay Mathews , Co-founder & COO of Faircent (@faircent1) - India's Largest Peer To Peer Lending Marketplace. This is a virtual marketplace that allows you to borrow and lend money directly, without having to go through the traditional financial intermediaries like banks, and with the estimated 50% of Indian population without bank accounts it's a credit starved market so it's no surprise they are doing really well! We talk about what inspired him to do this , overcoming obstacles and current challenges . the current state of the lending marketplace in India to what the banks think of the concept. Vinay has over 20 years experience building online marketplaces, so shares his top tips on what first time founders should be focussing on and much more ..please enjoy the show! in this conversation we also talk about The rules and regulations of the lending market What excites him most about this startup Overall vision of the

Today I chat to Neha Motwani , the founder & CEO of Fitternity. Fitternity, is a discovery platform for workout classes and other fitness services based in Mumbai. The platform allows users to book free trials with exercise classes, personal trainers, and nutritionists. We talk about a number of topics including how she got started to raising $1Million in VC funding . Neha also talks about the vision of the company & Fitternity’s interesting hiring process!. In this conversation we also talk about: What’s it like being a CEO? What most excites her most at Fitternity The fitness market in India. SEO Sitters ,seekers & hunters! Overcoming obstacles in the early days. Neha's top pitching tips for startups looking to raise money. and much much more... Links Website: https://www.fitternity.com/ Twitter: @FitternityIndia Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fitternity/ if you like the show please leave a rating and review of the show. Just search of the indian startup show on ITunes, Stitcher, Overcast

Today I talk to Vamsi Krishna, co-founder & CEO of Vedantu (@vedantu_learn) Based in Bangalore, Vedantu are a Live Online Tutoring platform that aims to ‘personalize’ and ‘democratize’ learning in India. Vedantu is one of the pioneers of LIVE online personalized tutoring in India and operates on the ‘marketplace of teachers’ model. And they are doing an amazing job so far! Vamsi started his career teaching kids, whose parents worked at a sulphuric processing plant. in Barnala, Punjab We talk about a number of topics including how he got started to raising $5m dollars in funding .The vision of the company , what excites him most about Vedantu. We also talk about the fundraising process. What VCs are looking for. And core challenges the company is facing In this conversation we also talk about: The online tutoring marketplace in India Mentorship Advice for students entering higher education Stats so far The hiring process Advice for startups Vamsi has several years teaching experience, so he gave us

Today I talk to Faheem Gill the founder of Dashroad. (@dashroad) Based in UAE, Dashroad focuses on bringing out the data from cars to help build a platform of connected car applications. This is done with a plug-and-play dashroad dongle that captures trip data and turns into valuable insights for the car owner. We talk about how he got started, his time spent working for Honda, Toyota and Silicon Valley, The startup scene in the UAE. In this conversation we also talk about: The experience of going through the Flat 6 labs tech accelerator. How to do a design sprint for a mobile app in under 60secs! Driver behavior analytics Awesome Opportunities in auto industry Tesla Advice for startups Driving in UAE ;-) And much much more.... Please enjoy the show! Links Website : http://www.dashroad.com Twitter : @dashroad P.S if you like the show, leave a rating and review. To subscribe just search of the Indian startup show on ITunes, Stitcher & Overcast. Any feedback on the show, send me an email hello@neilp

We talk tech for people with disabilities, with our guest Shilpi Kapoor, founder of Barrierbreak. Barrierbreak provides accessibility and assistive technology solutions for people with disabilities. We talk about how she got started , her brand new app called newzhook NewzHook is the first mobile news app that is accessible to blind & visually impaired users, deaf users and senior citizens. We also talk about wearables, recent innovations ,her frustrations and her upcoming conference Techshare a national-level conference that focuses on creating a digitally-inclusive society In this conversation, we talk about: The early days Section 508 Global Elevate - The first virtual award in the accessibility space. Advice on how to get started in the Tech for Good space Inspirational stories of people Shilpi has helped Favorite books Examples of how technology can be used give people with disabilities an opportunity Her tech heroes and much more… Links Website: http://barrierbreak.com/ Twitter: @Barrierbreak /

Today we are going to talk about crowdfunding with my guest Varun Sheth, the co-founder of Ketto (@ketto). Ketto is an online crowdfunding website for individuals, NGOs & businesses to raise money for their favorite causes and creative projects. In this conversation, we talk about: How he met his co-founder Bollywood actor Kunal Kapoor. The crowdfunding scene in India. The vision of the company. Current opportunities & challenges. Tips on crowdfunding campaigns. His tech heroes and much more… Links Website: www.ketto.org Twitter: @ketto If you have any feedback on the show please email me hello@neilpatel.co tweet @indianstartupsh. Fill in the survey neilpatel.co/podcast or go to facebook.com/indianstartupshow. Would love to connect!

Swaathi Kakarla (@imswaathik) is the Co-founder of Skcript , a company based in Chennai. Skcript develops a product called Shrink which uses machine learning and compression algorithms to minimize files to the smallest possible size for enterprise customers around the world. Swaathi talks about her roller coaster journey from running the company in a car to launching the product at Gitex in Dubai. She also talks about working on a video streaming product that can handle 8K video resolution, with real time compression. In this conversation, we also talk about: How she got started Favorite web tools Her tech heroes The startup scene in Chennai Hobbies and interests and much more… If you have subscribed to The Indian Startup Show. I would love your opinions & feedback so far. Go to neilpatel.co/podcast . Fill in the google form,it only takes 60 secs. Please be honest. Links Website: https://www.skcript.com Contact: @imswaathik Shrink product page: https://www.skcript.com/shrink/ Indian Startup Survey htt

Today we are going to talk about UX (User experience) with my guest Raveesh Bhalla (@raveeshbhalla) Raveesh is the founder partner of AppsCulture (@Appsculture). Which is a brand new design consultancy. In this conversation, we talk about: What is UX? His own process Current challenges The next big trend in the UX design industry Interesting projects he has worked on His favorite UX tools, websites & apps and much more… If you have subscribed to The Indian Startup Show. I would love your opinions & feedback so far. Go to neilpatel.co/podcast . Fill in the google form,it only takes 60 secs. Please be honest. Links Blog https://medium.com/@raveeshbhalla Contact: @raveeshbhalla Indian Startup Survey http://www.neilpatel.co/podcast/

Today we are going to talk about Clean Technology with my guest Dev Arora who is the founder of 8Minutes (@8MinutesSolar) 8Minutes is on a mission to revolutionize the solar energy sector by helping homeowners and businesses make the transition to solar energy. We cover a lot of ground, including: What is clean technology How he got the idea The current state of the Indian clean technology scene in 2016 (its like the 1980’s!) How big the market is in India Great marketing advice if you don’t have a budget! Advice on anyone wanting to start a clean tech company And much more… Links Twitter - @8MinutesSolar Website - http://www.eightmins.com Contact - switch@eightmins.com Dev's favorite book - The FountainHead by Ayn Rand http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Fountainhead-Ayn-Rand/dp/0141188626

Today I speak with Neetal Parekh (@neetal_parekh) Founder & CEO of Innov8social.com an online platform to make it easier for people to engage in the social impact space. Neetal has over a decade of experience in corporate, education, nonprofit, government, and social enterprise. A passionate advocate for social entrepreneurship and impact innovation, Neetal believes that this field empowers us to creatively re-imagine how businesses and individuals can create meaningful impact and lasting value. She is the host of the Innov8social Podcast, featuring interviews with thinkers and doers in the social impact space. She is also an adviser to social enterprise startups and as a mentor at the Sustainability Innovations Lab at GSVlabs. She has been selected as a Starting Bloc Fellow for 2016. We talk about how she got started. how YOU can get started with social enterprise, to her volunteering work in India with her mother. She also talks about her time as a mentor inspiring social entrepreneurs during the Sta

Today I speak to Charanjeev Salva, (@theflyingsikh) Founder of SinghStyled. The world's first style store created exclusively for the Sikh community. The team handpicks and curates a special subscription box every month with Turbans, styling, grooming and lifestyle products. We talk about how he got the idea, The importance of the Turban , how he & team goes about curating products, to plans for the future. They launched around 3 months ago and are doing really well. Its an interesting fact 68% of purchases are actually made by non-Sikhs. So listen in to find out why! links Website http://www.singhstyled.com/ Twitter https://twitter.com/singhstyled Facebook https://www.facebook.com/singhstyled

Naveen Jain (@Naveen_Jain_CEO), is a billionaire, and founder of World Innovation Institute, Intelius, Moon Express, inome and Infospace. He is also a trustee of the board at the X Prize Foundation, where he focuses on finding entrepreneurial solutions to challenges in education, poverty, agriculture, health and clean water. We talk about Moon Express which plans to send a rocket tho the moon as a business venture to collect minerals and resources and bring them back to earth. We also talk about his new project Blue Dot and his time at the XPRIZE Foundation Naveen pushes big dreams into action, spurring massive cultural and technological change. We also talk about what makes a good leader, the one thing founders should be focusing on, the best advice he ever received, to whether there is life on Mars. Great episode! Awards Ernst and Young's Entrepreneur of the Year, Silicon India's "Most Admired Serial Entrepreneur," and the receiver of "Albert Einstein Technology Medal" for his pion

Today we have Ryan Chadha (@RyanChadha) the co-founder of an international pre-school called Jigyasa in Bangalore, India. Jigyasa is a state-of-the-art preschool which offers a mixed age environment which encourages children to work and play collaboratively, Ryan Started the school with his mother over 2 years ago with 5 kids an not much money! But they now have over 30 kids and doing really well. They are now looking at developing their own educational apps in the future. Ryan is also an accomplished sportsperson, having represented the UAE at all age group levels for first class cricket. So we talk about scoring hundreds, to dealing with screaming kids. Enjoy the show! Links Website: http://www.jigyasatheschool.com/ Facebook: Facebook.com/jigyasatheschool

Ferdinand Kayulff, is the founder & CEO of CodersTrust. Coderstrust provides micro-finance for underprivileged talents to upgrade their coding skills, so they can earn more money on freelance portals. They have trained many developers in Bangladesh, India & Kenya. Ferdinand was also a Captain of the Danish army he served as recovery officer in Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussain . He pioneered a recovery project with the allied forces, bringing internet and e-learning to the citizens of the region in which he was stationed. The project was a massive success and inspired him to eventually create CodersTrust! Links www.coderstrust.com Super Heroes vs Master Hackers The financial services industry is changing, and it’s time someone comes in to save the day. The old ways aren’t working. Enter Super Heroes vs Master Hackers, the Mumbai edition! (http://www.heroesvshackers.com) So this an amazing 36-hour hackathon that will superhero punch some awesomeness into Fintech! Calling all Mumbai and Pune’s best