STAGE OTT Platform Founder Vinay Singhal Journey
1. The Entrepreneurial Origins: FollowMe247 and BadlegaBharat.com
Vinay Singhal started his entrepreneurial career as a college student at SRM University. He started an organization called BadlegaBharat.com that focused on raising awareness among young people. In 2012, he took the risk of using FollowMe247 to close the communication gap between students and teachers.
2. WittyFeed: The Sudden Decline and Ascent
2014 saw Vinay create WittyFeed, an Indian take on BuzzFeed, alongside co-founders Shashank Vaishnav and Parveen Singhal. WittyFeed became one of the fastest-growing startups, achieving 120 million subscribers and 420 million website views, despite six years of hard work and multiple product failures. But the apex of success was destroyed when Facebook abruptly shut down the site in November 2018, bringing an end to the firm.
3. STAGE: From the Ashes to the Phoenix
Early in 2019, Vinay and his co-founders faced financial difficulties and decided to start a new company, STAGE.in. The initiative recognized the linguistic diversity that exists outside of urban populations and sought to produce material in Indian languages. The founders created STAGE as a language-neutral platform for self-expression after overcoming denial and getting assistance from former WittyFeed staff members.
4. Entertainment Inclusivity: STAGE's Distinctive Method
What makes STAGE unique is that it challenges the urban-centric view of language in India by concentrating on Indian dialects. As the first Indian dialect-focused over-the-top (OTT) network, it promoted diversity and gave local talent a platform. A strong local entertainment sector with over 25 production houses and a significant number of unique works annually is the consequence of Vinay's dedication to supporting artists in Haryana.
5. India's Shark Tank and Funding Achievements
Through their captivating story on Shark Tank India, Vinay and his co-founders were able to win over investors such as Peyush Bansal, Aman Gupta, and Namita Thapar. STAGE.in achieved a noteworthy growth milestone when it raised ₹40 crores in a recent Series A fundraising round that was spearheaded by Blume Ventures.