THE “KOO” STORY GROUP 19 KOO 2020-21 2022-23 2024 INTRODUCTION KEY GROWTH DOWNFALL Indian Social media microblogging platform offered in vernacular languages. Surged in popularity amid spat with Twitter and TikTok ban. Raised $30 million in Series B funding By February 2021,crossed the 3mil mark INITIATION FACTORS Co-founded by serial entrepreneur Aprameya Radhakrishna & Mayank Bidawatka to launch Vokal, similar to Quora, and later shifted focus, which led to the development of Koo. Shortly after its launch, Koo also won the government’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge. Multilingual support: Catered to India's diverse languages Government-friendly: Positioned as compliant alternative to Twitter Local data storage: Aligned with India's data sovereignty push Nationalist appeal: Promoted as "swadeshi" (homegrown) social media Rural market focus: Targeted underserved non-urban users Mobile-first approach: Optimized for India's smartphone-dominant market Expansion: Launched in Nigeria, planned global rollout which initially attracted many users but struggled to keep them actively engaged over time . FACTORS Over-reliance on nationalism: Focused heavily on patriotic appeal, limiting broader adoption User experience: Failed to innovate and improve core features consistently. Monetization strategy: Delayed implementing effective revenue-generating features International expansion: Spread resources thin before solidifying domestic market Lack of unique value proposition: Failed to differentiate from established platforms Underestimated competition: Didn't anticipate how quickly rivals would address local needs REFERENCES Anupam, S. (2024, April 17). How Tiger Global-Backed Koo Lost Its X-Factor. Inc42 Media. https://inc42.com/features/indian-twitter-rival-koo-growth-struggle-dailyhunt-deal/ ETtech. (2024, April 25). Koo halts salary payments from April; founder says company “will remain operational.” The Economic Times; Economic Times. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/startups/koo-halts-salarypayments-from-april-will-remain-operational-says-founder/articleshow/109597069.cms?from=mdr Koo - Company Profile - Tracxn. (2024, July 23). Tracxn.com. https://tracxn.com/d/companies/koo/__jdA4kg_HBfczLtiwyQX6LjyxLo0_Dc0BWbKNHsrfVI Sowmya Ramasubramanian. (2024, July 3). Koo, once touted as India’s Twitter alternative, shuts down after sale talks fail. Mint; mint. https://www.livemint.com/companies/koo-once-touted-as-india-s-twitter-alternative-shutsdown-after-sale-talks-fail-11719994191676.html Mayank Bidawatka. (2022, November 11). Koo’s Story & Beliefs - Koo App - Medium. Medium; Koo App. https://medium.com/koo-app/koos-story-beliefs-106af54ae63a The rise and fall of Koo, India’s once-thriving Twitter alternative. (2024, June 10). Rest of World. https://restofworld.org/2024/twitter-alternative-koo/ THANK YOU BIKKINA SAI DEEPIKA PGP15057 DORIN PEGU PGP15075 FATHIMA NESLIN PGP15078
