Inc42 was born in the summer of 2012 when Utkarsh Agarwal and Naren Krishna, students of Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Hyderabad had a discussion about new-age tech-based companies. They realised that startups faced varied challenges like marketing, resources, design and most importantly, using technology to build a brand. Recognising this need, the two launched a company as an answer to startups and named it after English author Douglas Adam’s theory of 42 being the answer to the meaning of life, the universe and everything.
“When we wanted to launch a startup, it was difficult to find someone you could trust. Agencies and design firms quoted exorbitant figures which startups cannot obviously afford,” says Utkarsh, who also works for marketing at BITS Spark, an initiative to support BITS-ian entrepreneurs with startup mentoring and investing. “We have built Inc42 as an exclusive platform to get everything you need for a startup at a single place,” adds Naren.
Both in their 20’s, the youngsters have been handling their business on the sidelines of their academics. While admitting that it can get very challenging, they give due credit to their college as well. “BITS has a great culture for startups and we’ve received academic credits for our business. We keep our timetables flexible and handle both,” says Naren who is in his third year of a dual degree in Chemistry while Utkarsh is in his fourth year Mechanical Engineering.
Despite the busy schedule, through Inc42, the duo offer two products – an online magazine and a web service. The company offers services including search engine optimisation (SEO), brand identity, product design and so on. Customers can also benefit from networking as they are connected to other startups and investors through the Inc42 magazine where they are featured. The duo plan to eventually launch a social networking site for the same.
So, how does their tool kit work? Utkarsh explains by saying, “Currently, our client is a Hyderabad-based startup that aims at skill development for college students. They want to connect with students in rural areas via online courses. We are working on coming up with a name for the company, build a website where one can learn a course online, create content and videos, offer cloud hosting and market the brand on social media.”
In a period of one year, they have worked with around 35 clients including Meraevents.com, iweekend and a non-profit organisation, Innocent Heroes Foundation for which they cut-down their prices. They were invited to IIM Ahmedabad’s iAccelerator, the institution’s platform for startups. “We were called for consulting with eight startups by IIM students. We discussed aspects such as design and marketing in depth and learnt a lot from the experience,” says Utkarsh.
Inc42 has gained popularity over the past year and now receives applications from all across the country. “We’re a team of nine and have around eight interns working with us. As we are all students, our designs tend to have an edge being quirky and funky,” opines Utkarsh.
In the corporate world, online presence has gained immense importance in the recent years. Agreeing, Utkarsh points out that their functioning and business model is also completely based on the internet. “We deal with a lot of companies and be it online stores, tech-based startups or non-profit organisations, they are all keen on building a brand online.” With the connectivity giving them really good opportunities, the two have also begun another venture simultaneously called ‘Snapscrew’, a social marketplace for photographers which is yet to be launched. “The idea is to give photographers a platform to find job opportunities. Interested photographers can create an account for free and put up their portfolio for others to view. Based on their profile, one may also get hired,” explains Naren.
Turning ideas into businesses as and when they come, the boys have a long road ahead and are quite piqued about it. With their company being registered by August, they also have another product coming up, but are tight-lipped about it for now. As for plans of further education – maybe even an MBA – Utkarsh replies, “The real world experience is great. We’ve interacted with established companies and seasoned businessmen while working with youngsters and fresh startups. So no plans for now.” Completely satisfied with their startup life, the duo plan to dive into business full-time after their engineering. “This feels like enough of an MBA. Why do another?” is the consensus.
Details: inc42.com