Unicorn India Ventures,Rapido CEO Invest In Social Commerce Start-Up Windo

Windo, a technology platform for independent and small-scale sellers based in Bengaluru, said on Tuesday that it has secured $1.5 million in a round that was co-founded by Unicorn India Ventures. Aravind Sanka, the CEO of Rapido India, K Ganesh, the co-founder of Portea, and CapriGlobal were also investors in the round. The Pre-Series A round of funding was received with the intention of using it for product development and global business growth. 

The money we've earned will help us realise our goal of assisting solopreneurs and SMB (small to medium business) owners in expanding their businesses online. According to Silus Reddy, CEO and co-founder of Windo, "We believe that our distinct approach to the problem will enable us prevail in this sector even within a seemingly crowded space."

Rakesh Vaddadi and Reddy, who were second-time business owners, launched Windo two years ago. Windo helps small businesses manage their online stores by increasing orders, helping them put up a site that looks professional, and helps them market to Instagram users. There are 50,000 monthly active users of the app, which has had close to 200,000 downloads from consumers in 140 different countries. In the upcoming 12 months, the company hopes to reach an annual revenue run rate (ARR) of $1 million and claims to host more than 100,000 online stores.

“About 250 million small businesses and solopreneurs across the globe use WhatsApp, Instagram or phone calls to take orders. With the expansion there is a rapidly growing need for platforms that can support social commerce entrepreneurs since even the internet-savvy business owners find it hard to create and manage an online website,” said Sparsh Kumar, senior investment associate at Unicorn India Ventures.