​Anupam Mittal: The OG shark, an early investor in Ola, has backed over 200 startups

In 1996, Anupam Mittal founded Shaadi dot com, India’s leading online matrimonial site. Under his parent company People Group, he also founded real estate company Makaan dot com and gaming company Mauj Mobile.

Jan 19, 2023

By: eetika.kapoor@timesinternet.in

Credit: SonyLIV

​Invested in over 200 startups​

Mittal has invested in over 200 startups, according to his LinkedIn profile. In Shark Tank season 1, he backed 24 startups.

Credit: SonyLIV

People Group investees

People Group’s investee companies include Orios Venture Partners, Hackerearth, InstaLively, Ola, Interactive Avenues, Prettysecrets and Druva. It also operates Mobango, a mobile application store.

Credit: SonyLIV

On founding Shaadi dot com

Mittal was approached by a pandit for trying to find a match for Mittal’s own marriage, he revealed on a Youtube chat show Figuring Out with Raj Shamani. “In India, our culture is different. In the west, if you fall in love, you get married. In India, there is no if. It's ‘when’ you fall in love, you get married,” he said.

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​Fulfilling aspirations with Makaan dot com

He revealed on a podcast with Raj Shamani that he founded real estate company Makaan dot com in 2007 to fulfill Indians’ aspirations of owning a home.

Credit: Makaan LinkedIn

Making of Mauj Mobile

Mittal also founded a mobile media company called Mauj in 2005. Its investors include WestBridge Capital, Sequoia and Intel Capital.

Credit: Mauj Mobile

​Early investor in Ola

Anupam Mittal was also one of the earliest investors in cab aggregator ‘Ola’ back in 2011.

Credit: TOI

Future business opportunities for investors

As per Anupam Mittal, the next big opportunity over the next two years is in building the United Health Interface in India for health aggregators. The next 5-7 years will belong to clean energy while the next decade will be about longevity and hacking human biology, Mittal shared on the Shamani podcast.

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​Mittal’s five ‘T’s of investment

Mittal’s five ‘T’s of investment – learning about total addressable market (TAM), having a strong ‘team’, acing the ‘timing’ of the startup, accelerating ‘traction’ and selecting the right ‘technology’ to build the brand.

Credit: Anupam Mittal Instagram

‘The next century belongs to Indian entrepreneurs’

“Like we became the best doctors and scientists in the world and the best CEOs, we will also become the best entrepreneurs in the world. The next century belongs to Indian entrepreneurs. That’s a matter of time,” Mittal said on the Shamani podcast.

Credit: IANS

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