"If you are an AI founder, buy a .com domain and not .ai domain" says Pranay Desai (MD, Z47) as CIOs often restrict access to most .ai domains within their organisational networks.   In conversation with Ashwin Pandian, Pranay addresses the facets of AI in SaaS, talking about various dimensions of the trade and shares insightful nuggets on the subject: He engages with key topics, including: ▶️ The shift in role of CIOs - from enabling businesses and creativity to protecting them. ▶️ The...

How do you monetise your app business from 600 million connected smartphone users in India? This is the only question founders in India’s App Economy 3.0 need to ask themselves. Vivek Ramachandran, Chandrasekhar Venugopal and Aakash Kumar from Z47’s consumer team talk about the shifts in India’s app economy over the years and how engagement, retention and monetisation became the key pillars for app-based businesses. They answer questions useful to any and every founder trying to succeed in...

Romita Mazumdar is channelling her love for skincare into a Rs. 1000 Cr Brand. She started with almost 1000 interviews over a course of six months to find a market gap. And now, inspired by the likes of P&G, she has her eyes set on the Rs. 1000 Cr mark for Foxtale. As a former VC, she closely observed consumer brands before shifting her focus to building in skincare, a category where she is a power user. In conversation with Z47’s Rajat Agarwal, Romita recounts her journey from...

The Indian Internet Pioneer Starting Up AGAIN in AI  Sharad Sanghi is a pioneer of internet in India: from the early days of VSNL to rapid cloud adoption, when it comes to internet infrastructure, he’s seen it all. He founded among India’s earliest IT infra startups, NetMagic in 1998. In 2012, the IT Services company was acquired by NTT, where Sharad also served as CEO. Sharad Sanghi was an early partner to many Indian startups, and the NetMagic story is required reading in the evolution of...

HOW DID PARK+ ACE 🛞HIRING FOR AN EARLY-STAGE STARTUP Founded in 2019, Park+ drove through various challenges and introduced a plethora of services to find its footing today. However, it always had one clearly defined goal - to make car ownership easy and hassle-free. Park+ Founder and CEO Amit Lakhotia takes us through his interesting ways of building the team at Park+ in this episode of Matrix Moments.   -Amit mentions how hiring when the startup is going from 0-to-1 is different as...

IS GreyLabsAI PLAYING THE AI GAME BEFORE TIME?   The founders of a leading speech analytics platform for financial institutions, GreyLabsAI, Aman Goel and Harshita Srivastava, take us through the journey of identifying their market, building the product, and distributing it over the past few years. Setting up an AI business in India might seem a bit earlier than recommended, but is it? This episode of Matrix Moments unpacks the nitty-gritty of a young AI startup.   📍 Identifying a...

WHAT’S THE FUTURE OF FINTECH IN INDIA? The Indian Fintech ecosystem is entering its middle journey. With $100bn+ in market cap already created by these businesses, the twin engines of Compounding and market penetration project potential for large-scale growth. Anand Khetan and Vikram Vaidyanathan dissect the past, present, and future of the finance industry in this episode of Matrix Moments. On this Matrix Moments episode:  •⁠  ⁠What can FinTech learn from the success of Financial Services...

How should founders think about using offline channels for growth? Is phygital a real option or just a mirage? Rajinder Balaraman and Vikram Vaidyanathan double-click on the myths around phygital, bust them and share learnings for founders thinking of going phygital.  👉MYTH #1 Phygital has a higher CAC - It depends basis category, users and ticket size - Dezerv who employs a phygital model has a lower CAC than its competitors, whereas OneCard, operating purely online has a CAC that is 4-5x...

PICKING THE PERFECT SaaS LAUNCHPAD - US or INDIA? For SaaS founders, the incorporation decision hinges on factors like business outlook, end goals, and access to capital markets. The US has often been the default choice for incorporation, but this is changing in recent years - India is increasingly considered a viable choice to start a SaaS company.  So what should founders do? Watch this episode of Matrix Moments. Dig deep into the incorporation dilemma - Harish Sekar, Partner at Cyril...

THE FOUNDER’S PLAYBOOK: INTERNAL FUNDING ROUNDS Internal or pre-emptive funding rounds are a major topic on founders' minds. Internal rounds refer to financing events where a company's existing investors, rather than external new investors, provide additional capital. They can signify confidence from current investors in the company's potential and can help maintain momentum without the complexities of bringing in new stakeholders.  If you’re a founder, Internal rounds can be a complex...

Domain Alphas are founders whose edge lies in their domain knowledge, and their market-tested experience of solving problems for customers. Watch Rajinder Balaram & Vikram Vaidyanathan share their views on Domain Alpha founders, and trade great examples of how Domain Alpha founders build great businesses.  1. Getting to PMF Faster: How the experience of building the ICICI cards business helped the founders of OneCard launch slow, but get it right faster 2. Choose the Right Problems: How...

Sumit Chhazed is a serial entrepreneur, who figured out his first startup as soon as he graduated from IIT Bombay. OTO is the fourth company that he has founded, employing a business model that combined commerce and finance to disrupt the two-wheeler purchase landscape in India. OTO has already sold over 1lakh two-wheelers through their online marketplace and apps.  On this episode of Matrix Moments, Sumit delves into the levers behind the success of OTO, sharing his approach with Rajinder...

The Whole Truth Foods founder Shashank Mehta is a rare breed of a CEO who is also a creator. 🌟 A lifelong student of the content & community game, Shashank’s content journey started as a stand-up coming on YouTube, long before he became the face of The Whole Truth.  On this episode of Matrix Moments, Shashank goes deep on content & community, sharing with candour in a deep chat with Vikram Vaidyanathan. Here are 4 big takeaways around building brands through content & community...

If you're a founder seeking advice on how to build great teams, this episode of Matrix Moments is for you. Vikram Vaidyanathan hosts The Whole Truth Foods Founder & CEO, Shashank Mehta and they share their wisdom around building great company cultures.  🌟  Shashank sent The Whole Truth Foods' culture document, titled Why We Exist, before he met Vikram Vaidyanathan for the first time. The document outlines the company's mission about the Whole Truth.  💼💡Shashank's conviction in his...

Ashish Kashyap needs no introduction. The first country head for Google in India, before he turned entrepreneur, Ashish is a serial founder. He's founded and scaled marquee Indian internet startups RedBus, PayU, GoIbibo, before starting his most recent FinTech venture, the super app, INDMoney.     Ashish was a guest on Matrix Moments People First with Rupali, where shared startup and team-building learnings from his journey across the companies he's built.

Revant Bhate on #PeopleFirst by Matrix Moments! Passionate about building a people-centric culture, Revant takes on dual roles at Mosaic Wellness as both CEO and CHRO. In a conversation with Rupali Sharma on our latest episode, Revant delves into the intricacies of building his startup from scratch, emphasising the pivotal role of human capital. Key takeaways from the episode: 1️⃣ Fundamental Team Building Principles: Revant shares insights on leveraging his network of seasoned operators...

On the latest episode of Matrix Moments, catch Aakash Kumar, Sudipto Sannigrahi, Pranay Desai, and Anish Patil of Matrix Partners India as they discuss the India consumption and growth story, insights on investing in Digital India and their predictions for 2024. This episode covers: 🚀 India's $10 Trillion Vision: Anticipating India's trajectory, there's a strong belief that India will grow into a $10 trillion economy by 2035. Growth is fuelled by deepening markets, robust internal demand...

Join Asish Mohapatra, Co-founder and CEO of OfBusiness, and Rupali Sharma on the latest episode of "People First" by Matrix Moments. Explore OfBusiness's remarkable journey and unravel the intricacies of building a resilient organization. This episode covers: 🌐 Innovation Hub: OfBusiness leads the way in innovation, with the team embodying a fusion of values and innovation, working collectively towards profitability and shared achievements. 🔐 Org-Building Secrets: Asish delves into the...

The driving forces propelling the Indian startup ecosystem forward all share a common thread—they are all People. Founders, investors, employees—all united working towards growth and success.  At Matrix, we believe in putting our founders first, and now, we want to shine a spotlight on the talent and teams that move these visionaries forward. In the very first episode of "People First" by Matrix Moments, Avnish Bajaj and Rupali Sharma from Matrix Partners India, highlight the pivotal role of...

On the latest episode of Matrix Moments, Ashish Aggarwal, Co-Founder, AppBroda and Vivek Ramachandran, Matrix Partners India discuss the world of mobile apps and the growing segments in the gaming landscape in India. This episode covers -  📈 Growth Potential: Discover why India's gaming industry is on the brink of an inflection point in the next 18 months. 🌐 Developer Talents: Learn about India's vast developer talent pool and their evolving role in the global gaming industry. 🌍 Global...

Atomicwork leverages the power of AI to seamlessly bring together employees, IT systems, and HR operations. On the latest episode of Founder Moments, Vijay Rayapati, CEO and Co-Founder of Atomicwork, along with Vikram Vaidyanathan and Pranay Desai, discuss his phenomenal founder journey.   This episode covers -   🚀 The Minjar Journey: Vijay shares insights from his entrepreneurial experience with Minjar, highlighting the challenges faced in fundraising, seeking suitable partners, and entering...