Media Coverage & Events

Singapore Headquartered Shopmatic Targets $30Mn Series B Funding

Aggressively on boarding new sellers following the launch of its disruptive offer, Shopmatic is poised to bring half a million merchants online this year

Driven to enable the online success of businesses and remove the silos in offline and online markets for aspiring entrepreneurs and small businesses, the international e-commerce company, Shopmatic closed 120,000+ customers. Shopmatic has achieved the milestone in less than three months, within the April-June quarter, also successfully clocking in a 174% revenue growth & 160% transaction growth over the previous quarter. Beating the projections, Shopmatic is poised to bring half a million merchants online before the end of this year. Riding on the back of tremendous growth figures, Shopmatic will now also be pursuing fundraise worth 30 million in the Series B Round. The Company recently concluded a Series A raise of 10.1 Million SGD as per a statement.

Founded in December 2014, Shopmatic is headquartered in Singapore with a presence in India, Hong Kong, China, Malaysia, Philippines and UAE. The company is quickly expanding to the rest of South-East Asia, this year. Shopmatic has since its inception, raised 20 million SGD.

Shopmatic has pivoted its exponential growth on a disruptive offer launched prior to the beginning of this quarter. In a move meant at transforming India’s e-commerce landscape, Shopmatic made its powerful e-commerce platform available for SMEs and aspiring entrepreneurs at only Rs. 50 for 1 year. The offer, furthermore, aligned the pricing model with the online success of customers, charging only 3.5% as transaction fees following a successful sale.

The disruption brought by Shopmatic has successfully removed the roadblock of high anticipated capital expense and uncertainty regarding the success of the online business. In addition, it inspired more businesses and talented individuals to explore the world of online selling, as reflected in the manifold increase in Shopmatic’s user-base at present.

Commenting on the milestone, Anurag Avula, Co-Founder & CEO, Shopmatic, said “This is a milestone for Shopmatic towards its vision of removing the roadblocks faced by aspiring entrepreneurs, talented individuals, and SMEs in accessing the world of opportunities offered by the e-commerce sector. Subsequent to the launch of our disruptive offer, we have successfully closed 120,000+ customers and our revenues have grown by 174% over the last quarter. More importantly, this exponential growth is a testament to the predominant need in the market for the solutions offered by Shopmatic. We shall continue to disrupt the status quo with our customer-first approach and are looking to raise 30 million for venturing into newer markets while strengthening our foothold in the national and international markets where we are currently present. Going by the current trends, we are on the right track to bring more than half a million merchants online by the end of this year.”

Shopmatic continues to invest in new capabilities and support its customers throughout their e-commerce journeys. Following its merger with POS & retail management solution provider, Octopus, Shopmatic now offers an omnichannel approach to its customers for growing both their online and offline businesses. Empowered by the tremendous success, Shopmatic is set to raise funds worth 30 million, to expand its business and enable the online success of aspiring entrepreneurs, hobbyists, craftsperson, and small merchants.

Source: BW Disrupt

Surpassing Q1 revenue projections, Shopmatic acquires 120K customers, and now targets $30Mn Series B fundraise

Aggressively on boarding new sellers following the launch of its disruptive offer, Shopmatic is poised to bring half a million merchants online this year

Driven to enable the online success of businesses and remove the silos in offline and online markets for aspiring entrepreneurs and small businesses, the international e-commerce company, Shopmatic closed 120,000+ customers. Shopmatic has achieved the milestone in less than three months, within the April-June quarter, also successfully clocking in a 174% revenue growth & 160% transaction growth over the previous quarter. Beating the projections, Shopmatic is poised to bring half a million merchants online before the end of this year. Riding on the back of tremendous growth figures, Shopmatic will now also be pursuing fundraise worth 30 million in the Series B Round. The Company recently concluded a Series A raise of 10.1 Million SGD as per a statement.

Founded in December 2014, Shopmatic is headquartered in Singapore with a presence in India, Hong Kong, China, Malaysia, Philippines and UAE. The company is quickly expanding to the rest of South-East Asia, this year. Shopmatic has since its inception, raised 20 million SGD.

Shopmatic has pivoted its exponential growth on a disruptive offer launched prior to the beginning of this quarter. In a move meant at transforming India’s e-commerce landscape, Shopmatic made its powerful e-commerce platform available for SMEs and aspiring entrepreneurs at only Rs. 50 for 1 year. The offer, furthermore, aligned the pricing model with the online success of customers, charging only 3.5% as transaction fees following a successful sale.

The disruption brought by Shopmatic has successfully removed the roadblock of high anticipated capital expense and uncertainty regarding the success of the online business. In addition, it inspired more businesses and talented individuals to explore the world of online selling, as reflected in the manifold increase in Shopmatic’s user-base at present.

Commenting on the milestone, Anurag Avula, Co-Founder & CEO, Shopmatic, said “This is a milestone for Shopmatic towards its vision of removing the roadblocks faced by aspiring entrepreneurs, talented individuals, and SMEs in accessing the world of opportunities offered by the e-commerce sector. Subsequent to the launch of our disruptive offer, we have successfully closed 120,000+ customers and our revenues have grown by 174% over the last quarter. More importantly, this exponential growth is a testament to the predominant need in the market for the solutions offered by Shopmatic. We shall continue to disrupt the status quo with our customer-first approach and are looking to raise 30 million for venturing into newer markets while strengthening our foothold in the national and international markets where we are currently present. Going by the current trends, we are on the right track to bring more than half a million merchants online by the end of this year.”

Shopmatic continues to invest in new capabilities and support its customers throughout their e-commerce journeys. Following its merger with POS & retail management solution provider, Octopus, Shopmatic now offers an omnichannel approach to its customers for growing both their online and offline businesses. Empowered by the tremendous success, Shopmatic is set to raise funds worth 30 million, to expand its business and enable the online success of aspiring entrepreneurs, hobbyists, craftsperson, and small merchants.

Source: AsiaOne

Surpassing Q1 revenue projections, Shopmatic acquires 120K customers, and now targets $30Mn Series B fundraise

Aggressively onboarding new sellers following the launch of its disruptive offer, Shopmatic is poised to bring half a million merchants online this year

SINGAPORE - Media OutReach - 4 July 2019 - Driven to enable the online success of businesses and remove the silos in offline and online markets for aspiring entrepreneurs and small businesses, the international e-commerce company, Shopmatic announced closing 120,000+ customers. Shopmatic has achieved the milestone in less than three months, within the April-June quarter, also successfully clocking in a whopping 174% revenue growth & 160% transaction growth over the previous quarter. Beating the projections, Shopmatic is poised to bring half a million merchants online before the end of this year. Riding on the back of tremendous growth figures, Shopmatic will now also be pursuing fundraise worth 30 million in the Series B Round.

Shopmatic has pivoted its exponential growth on a disruptive offer launched prior to the beginning of this quarter. In a move meant at transforming India's e-commerce landscape, Shopmatic made its powerful e-commerce platform available for SMEs and aspiring entrepreneurs at only Rs. 50 for 1 year. The offer, furthermore, aligned the pricing model with the online success of customers, charging only 3.5% as transaction fees following a successful sale.

The disruption brought by Shopmatic has successfully removed the roadblock of high anticipated capital expense and uncertainty regarding the success of the online business. In addition, it inspired more businesses and talented individuals to explore the world of online selling, as reflected in the manifold increase in Shopmatic's user-base at present.

Commenting on the milestone, Anurag Avula, Co-Founder & CEO, Shopmatic, said "This is a milestone for Shopmatic towards its vision of removing the roadblocks faced by aspiring entrepreneurs, talented individuals, and SMEs in accessing the world of opportunities offered by the e-commerce sector. Subsequent to the launch of our disruptive offer, we have successfully closed 120,000+ customers and our revenues have grown by 174% over the last quarter. More importantly, this exponential growth is a testament to the predominant need in the market for the solutions offered by Shopmatic. We shall continue to disrupt the status quo with our customer-first approach and are looking to raise 30 million for venturing into newer markets while strengthening our foothold in the national and international markets where we are currently present. Going by the current trends, we are on the right track to bring more than half a million merchants online by the end of this year."

Shopmatic continues to invest in new capabilities and support its customers throughout their e-commerce journeys. Following its merger with POS & retail management solution provider, Octopus, Shopmatic now offers an omnichannel approach to its customers for growing both their online and offline businesses. Empowered by the tremendous success, Shopmatic is set to raise funds worth 30 million, to expand its business and enable the online success of aspiring entrepreneurs, hobbyists, craftsperson, and small merchants. The Company recently concluded a Series A raise of 10.1 Ml SGD.

About Shopmatic

Founded in December 2014, Shopmatic has been driving game-changing strategies in the ecommerce space and has engineered itself to stay focused on helping its customers succeed.

With its recent partnership with Octopus, Shopmatic is driving an omnichannel play for individual entrepreneurs and businesses in emerging markets, by enabling the entire ecommerce-&-retail-management ecosystems for them to succeed.

From a domain name to easy integrations with domestic and international payment gateways and shipping partners, to getting discovered via a unique, curated platform- Shopmatic World to POS, Inventory Management and CRM solutions, Shopmatic helps business owners manage the full spectrum of what is required to grow their business.

Shopmatic is headquartered in Singapore with a presence in India, Hong Kong, China, Malaysia, Philippines and UAE. The company is quickly expanding to the rest of South-East Asia, this year.

Shopmatic has since its inception, raised 20ml SGD.

Source: Yahoo Finance

Shopmatic launches “Shopmatic World” providing merchants a fresh platform to enable reach into new geographies

New platform to feature Shopmatic’s eclectic mix of products from merchants across geographies

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 22 November 2018 – Shopmatic, a Singapore-based e-commerce platform, announced today the launch of its ground-breaking new platform, ‘Shopmatic World’. Spearheading the cause of enhanced visibility for the Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs), Shopmatic World is harboured around the real stories of online entrepreneurs whose distinguished ingenuity and perseverance have gone into the genesis of their brands. The global platform endeavours to transform the way small businesses connect with their audience, inviting online shoppers to spend time discovering unique products and services from merchant stores.

Shopmatic prides itself in enabling the entire gamut of the e-commerce ecosystem for a number of inspired entrepreneurs and online merchants. With the solutions and support provided by Shopmatic, over 50,000 hobbyists, artisans, craftspersons, stay-at-home mothers, small and medium businesses, among others, have found their way to becoming online entrepreneurs. Now with the launch of Shopmatic World, Shopmatic will help these online entrepreneurs share their individual narratives and better connect with shoppers. This real connection begets more opportunities for the brands to bolster their sales, presence, and influence in the digital world.

Anurag Avula, CEO and Co-Founder of Shopmatic, said, “We are very excited to launch Shopmatic World especially since it aims at delivering significant value to our merchants, helping them get discovered online. Often, brands go unnoticed in the cloud and need some help getting noticed by discerning buyers. Shopmatic World curates the stories of ingenuity and perseverance of entrepreneurs and the resilience in which they transformed from skilled professionals or hobbyists to successful entrepreneurs. With this curated platform, we intend to help small businesses get discovered for their uniqueness.“

Shopmatic World is only open to sellers who have created their own ecommerce stores using the Shopmatic platform. Shopmatic World will serve as a discovery platform for buyers, showcasing individual stories of these different sellers, and the products or services they are selling. Those interested in buying any of the products or services showcased will be redirected to the sellers’ individual websites to fulfil their orders.

Shopmatic World opens to an enchanting showcase of different brands, carrying a brief snippet about each seller, with accompanying pictures. Online visitors can delve deeper into the brands that intrigued them at first sight and discover the story behind its genesis, along with its top-selling products. If the online visitors wish to purchase from the brand of their liking, they would then be redirected to the individual online store of the brand.

About Shopmatic

Shopmatic is an international e-commerce company that has been launched to help business owners sell their products and services online. From developing a unique web store, to listing businesses on marketplaces and social media channels, to giving insights on how to sell online, Shopmatic helps business owners manage the full spectrum of what is required to grow their businesses. Founded in December 2014, Shopmatic is headquartered in Singapore and has offices in India. The company is quickly expanding to the rest of Asia. Shopmatic has raised US$5.7 million in Series AA funding led by August Global Asset Management (formerly known as ACP), a technology-focussed venture capital firm, and SPRING SEEDS Capital Pte Ltd, the investment subsidiary of SPRING Singapore. For more information, please visit www.goshopmatic.com.

Source: Business Insider

Shopmatic Online entrepreneurs now have a curated platform to online shoppers, with the launch Shopmatic World

नई दिल्ली, 21 नवंबर (आईएएनएस)| छोटे और मझोले उद्योगों (एसएमबी) को बढ़ावा देने के लिए तथा उनकी विजिबिलटी (²श्यता) को बढ़ाने के लिए अंतर्राष्ट्रीय ई-कॉमर्स प्लेटफॉर्म शॉपमैटिक ने नया प्लेटफॉर्म 'शॉपमैटिक वल्र्ड' लांच किया है। कंपनी ने बुधवार को यह जानकारी दी।

कंपनी ने एक बयान में कहा कि शॉपमैटिक कई प्रेरित उद्यमियों और ऑनलाइन व्यापारियों के लिए ई-कॉमर्स पारिस्थितिकी तंत्र के पूरे विस्तार को सक्षम करने में खुद पर गर्व करता है।

शॉपमैटिक द्वारा प्रदान किए गए समाधान और समर्थन के साथ, 50,000 से अधिक शौकिया, कारीगरों, शिल्पकारों, घर पर रहने वाली मां, छोटे और मध्यम व्यवसायों, और अन्य ने ऑनलाइन उद्यमी बनने का अपना मार्ग खोजा है। अब शॉपमैटिक वल्र्ड के साथ कंपनी इन ऑनलाइन उद्यमियों को अपनी व्यक्तिगत कहानियों को साझा करने और खरीददारों के साथ बेहतर रूप से कनेक्ट होने में मदद करेगी।

शॉपमैटिक के मुख्य कार्यकारी अधिकारी अनुराग अवुला ने कहा, "शॉपमैटिक वल्र्ड लांच करके हम बहुत उत्साहित हैं, क्योंकि व्यापारियों को ऑनलाइन खोजे जाने में मदद करके हम उनको महत्वपूर्ण मूल्य प्रदान करने का लक्ष्य रखते हैं। इस क्यूरेटेड प्लेटफॉर्म के साथ, हम छोटे व्यवसायों को उनकी विशिष्टता के लिए खोजे जाने में मदद करना चाहते हैं।"

बयान में कहा गया कि यह क्यूरेटेड प्लेटफॉर्म विभिन्न ब्रांडों का एक आकर्षक शोकेस प्रदान करेगा, जिसमें चित्रों के साथ प्रत्येक विक्रेता के बारे में एक संक्षिप्त विवरण होता है। ऑनलाइन आगंतुक उन ब्रांडों के बारे में गहराई से सर्च कर सकते हैं जो उन्हें पहली नजर में पसंद आते हैं और इसके शीर्ष बिक्री वाले उत्पादों के साथ-साथ उनकी उत्पत्ति के पीछे की कहानी खोज सकते हैं। यदि ऑनलाइन आगंतुक अपनी पसंद के ब्रांड से खरीदना चाहते हैं, तो उन्हें ब्रांड के व्यक्तिगत स्टोर व ऑनलाइन स्टोर पर रीडायरेक्ट किया जाएगा।

(ये खबर सिंडिकेट फीड से ऑटो-पब्लिश की गई है. हेडलाइन को छोड़कर क्विंट हिंदी ने इस खबर में कोई बदलाव नहीं किया है.)

Source: The Quint Hindi

Online entrepreneurs now have a curated platform to share their stories

Spearheading the cause of enhanced visibility for the SMBs, international e-commerce platform, Shopmatic announces the launch of its ground-breaking new platform, ‘Shopmatic World’.

The avant-garde curated platform, Shopmatic World is harboured around the real stories of online entrepreneurs, their distinguished ingenuity and perseverance that have gone into the genesis of their brands. Endeavouring to transform the way small businesses connect with their audience, the Shopmatic World global platform will invite online shoppers to spend time discovering unique products and services from unique merchant stores.

Online shoppers spending time on Shopmatic World will be delighted to discover the intent, idea, and values that serve as the foundation of these brands.

Shopmatic prides itself in enabling the entire gamut of the e-commerce ecosystem for a number of inspired entrepreneurs and online merchants. With the solutions and support provided by Shopmatic, over 50,000 hobbyists, artisans, craftsperson, stay-at-home mothers, small and medium businesses, amongst others, have found their way to becoming online entrepreneurs. Now with the launch of Shopmatic World, Shopmatic will help these online entrepreneurs share their individual narratives and better connect with shoppers. This real connection would beget more opportunities for the brands to bolster their sales, presence, and influence in the digital world.

While unveiling this never-seen-before platform, Anurag Avula, CEO of Shopmatic, said, “We are very excited to launch Shopmatic World especially since it aims at delivering significant value to our merchants, by helping them get discovered online.

Oftentimes, brands go unnoticed in the cloud and need some help getting noticed by discerning buyers. Shopmatic World curates the stories of ingenuity and perseverance of entrepreneurs and the resilience with which they transformed from skilled professionals or hobbyists to successful entrepreneurs. With this curated platform, we intend to help small businesses get discovered for their uniqueness. “

Shopmatic World is only open to sellers who have created their own ecommerce stores using the Shopmatic platform. Shopmatic World will serve as a discovery platform for buyers : it will showcase individual stories of these different sellers, and the products or services they are selling; those interested in buying any of the products/ services showcased, will be redirected to the sellers’ individual websites, for fulfilling their orders.

The curated platform opens to an enchanting showcase of different brands, carrying a brief snippet about each seller, with accompanying pictures. Online visitors can delve deeper into the brands that intrigues them at first sight and discover the story behind its genesis, along with its top-selling products. If the online visitors wish to purchase from the brand of their liking, they would then be redirected to the individual, online store of the brand.

Source: DQ Channels

Shopmatic World to help online entrepreneurs to connect with global audience

Spearheading the cause of enhanced visibility for the SMBs, international e-commerce platform, Shopmatic announces the launch of its ground-breaking new platform, ‘Shopmatic World’.

The avant-garde curated platform, Shopmatic World is harboured around the real stories of online entrepreneurs, their distinguished ingenuity and perseverance that have gone into the genesis of their brands. Endeavouring to transform the way small businesses connect with their audience, the Shopmatic World global platform will invite online shoppers to spend time discovering unique products and services from unique merchant stores.

Online shoppers spending time on Shopmatic World will be delighted to discover the intent, idea, and values that serve as the foundation of these brands.

Shopmatic prides itself in enabling the entire gamut of the e-commerce ecosystem for a number of inspired entrepreneurs and online merchants. With the solutions and support provided by Shopmatic, over 50,000 hobbyists, artisans, craftsperson, stay-at-home mothers, small and medium businesses, amongst others, have found their way to becoming online entrepreneurs. Now with the launch of Shopmatic World, Shopmatic will help these online entrepreneurs share their individual narratives and better connect with shoppers. This real connection would beget more opportunities for the brands to bolster their sales, presence, and influence in the digital world.

While unveiling this never-seen-before platform, Anurag Avula, CEO of Shopmatic, said, “We are very excited to launch Shopmatic World especially since it aims at delivering significant value to our merchants, by helping them get discovered online.

Oftentimes, brands go unnoticed in the cloud and need some help getting noticed by discerning buyers. Shopmatic World curates the stories of ingenuity and perseverance of entrepreneurs and the resilience with which they transformed from skilled professionals or hobbyists to successful entrepreneurs. With this curated platform, we intend to help small businesses get discovered for their uniqueness. “

Shopmatic World is only open to sellers who have created their own ecommerce stores using the Shopmatic platform. Shopmatic World will serve as a discovery platform for buyers : it will showcase individual stories of these different sellers, and the products or services they are selling; those interested in buying any of the products/ services showcased, will be redirected to the sellers' individual websites, for fulfilling their orders.

The curated platform opens to an enchanting showcase of different brands, carrying a brief snippet about each seller, with accompanying pictures. Online visitors can delve deeper into the brands that intrigues them at first sight and discover the story behind its genesis, along with its top-selling products. If the online visitors wish to purchase from the brand of their liking, they would then be redirected to the individual, online store of the brand.

Source: Deccan Chronicle

Shopmatic launches new platform

Online entrepreneurs now have a curated platform to share their stories and better connect with the online shoppers

Ecommerce firm Shopmatic has announced the launch of its new platform, ‘Shopmatic World’, which is harboured around the real stories of online entrepreneurs. The Shopmatic World global platform will invite online shoppers to discover unique products and services from unique merchant stores.

Over 50,000 artisans, craftsperson, and small and medium businesses, among others, have found their way to becoming online entrepreneurs. Now with the launch of Shopmatic World, Shopmatic will help these online entrepreneurs share their individual narratives and better connect with shoppers, Shopmatic said in a release.

Anurag Avula, CEO of Shopmatic, said, “We are very excited to launch Shopmatic World especially since it aims at delivering significant value to our merchants, by helping them get discovered online."

"Oftentimes, brands go unnoticed in the cloud and need some help getting noticed by discerning buyers. Shopmatic World curates the stories of ingenuity and perseverance of entrepreneurs and the resilience with which they transformed from skilled professionals or hobbyists to successful entrepreneurs," Avula added.

Shopmatic World is only open to sellers who have created their own ecommerce stores using the Shopmatic platform. The curated platform showcases different brands, carrying a brief snippet about each seller, with accompanying pictures.

Source: Deccan Herald

Shopmatic World is set to radically transform the way small businesses get discovered

Online entrepreneurs now have a curated platform to share their stories and better connect with the online shoppers

Spearheading the cause of enhanced visibility for the SMBs, international e-commerce platform, Shopmatic announces the launch of its new platform, ‘Shopmatic World’.

The avant-garde curated platform, Shopmatic World is harboured around the real stories of online entrepreneurs, their distinguished ingenuity and perseverance that have gone into the genesis of their brands. Endeavouring to transform the way small businesses connect with their audience, the Shopmatic World global platform will invite online shoppers to spend time discovering unique products and services from unique merchant stores.

Online shoppers spending time on Shopmatic World will be delighted to discover the intent, idea, and values that serve as the foundation of these brands.

Shopmatic prides itself in enabling the entire gamut of the e-commerce ecosystem for a number of inspired entrepreneurs and online merchants. With the solutions and support provided by Shopmatic, over 50,000 hobbyists, artisans, craftsperson, stay-at-home mothers, small and medium businesses, amongst others, have found their way to becoming online entrepreneurs. Now with the launch of Shopmatic World, Shopmatic will help these online entrepreneurs share their individual narratives and better connect with shoppers. This real connection would beget more opportunities for the brands to bolster their sales, presence, and influence in the digital world.

While unveiling this never-seen-before platform, Anurag Avula, CEO of Shopmatic, said, “We are very excited to launch Shopmatic World especially since it aims at delivering significant value to our merchants, by helping them get discovered online.

Oftentimes, brands go unnoticed in the cloud and need some help getting noticed by discerning buyers. Shopmatic World curates the stories of ingenuity and perseverance of entrepreneurs and the resilience with which they transformed from skilled professionals or hobbyists to successful entrepreneurs. With this curated platform, we intend to help small businesses get discovered for their uniqueness. “

Shopmatic World is only open to sellers who have created their own ecommerce stores using the Shopmatic platform. Shopmatic World will serve as a discovery platform for buyers : it will showcase individual stories of these different sellers, and the products or services they are selling; those interested in buying any of the products/ services showcased, will be redirected to the sellers' individual websites, for fulfilling their orders.

The curated platform opens to an enchanting showcase of different brands, carrying a brief snippet about each seller, with accompanying pictures. Online visitors can delve deeper into the brands that intrigues them at first sight and discover the story behind its genesis, along with its top-selling products. If the online visitors wish to purchase from the brand of their liking, they would then be redirected to the individual, online store of the brand.

Source: ET Brand Equity

Shopmatic is the ultimate solution for young entrepreneurs to start selling online

Shenaz Bapooji of Shopmatic tells us about the startup that’s helping other startups establish their online presence

If you’re an entrepreneur trying to set up your store online, but don’t know where to begin, try Shopmatic. This online portal provides entrepreneurs all the necessary tools to sell online, from designing a website and networking to shipping integration. Recently, they launched the ‘Inspiring Entrepreneurship Programme’ which encourages entrepreneurship in India on a massive scale. Under this initiative, all its cutting-edge technology tools are available for just $1 for a duration of three months. Shenaz Bapooji, Chief Marketing Officer, Shopmatic gives us the details. Excerpts..

What is Shopmatic?

Shopmatic was established in 2014 by Kris Chen, Anurag Avula and Yen Lim. The idea behind it is basically to help anyone sell online. If you’re a small scale business or an individual entrepreneur, but you’re not able to sell your products through your own website, we provide the entire ecosystem to help you sell online, from domain name to shipping integration. Individual entrepreneurs could be people like you and me who have some talent that can be monetised, like painting or cooking, or even taking music lessons.

How many countries are you working out of?

India, Singapore and Hong Kong. We have just established our presence in UAE.

What are the services offered?

One is Shopmatic Pro, where we help people set up an online store with complete e-commerce features. The other service is Shopmatic Go where entrepreneurs can create an online store using their mobile phones in just two minutes.

Tell us about your programme ‘Inspiring Entrepreneurship’.

The Inspiring Entrepreneurship Programme was started to encourage everyone to go online. We have opened up the opportunity to as many people in the country to use our services for just $1 for three months.

What are the benefits of the programme?

Entrepreneurs can choose from about 60 odd templates for their e-store. We also do shipping integration, which is a logistics analysis. Also, you will need to build a network, which is easy to do with our tools. we also have linkages with Amazona and eBay, so you can sell on those platforms as well.

Source: The New Indian Express

10 things to do to make your online store work (Business Tips)

It takes more than just a good website to run a successful online store.

Being an entrepreneur is exciting as it allows you to take control of your future. Start-ups are expected to have an online presence, and many operate online stores. The challenge of running a commercial operation on the internet is fundamentally different from those of a brick-and-mortar store. Some guidance on what works and doesn't in this domain can increase your store's chances of success.

Here's a 10-step checklist to help you along:

* Offer a product you're sure of and test its quality and appeal with a test audience first. It will be helpful if you ensure that your test audience is objective and reliable enough to give you honest and critical feedback, and not just admirers.

* Find a trustworthy, convenient and scalable way to source your product. Either a local source you can have more direct oversight over or an overseas supplier known to be reliable both with quality and deadlines. Make it a point to pay them a visit or speak to them, either face-to-face or through digital channels like Skype or FaceTime.

* Be useful to customers and add some level of uniqueness or customisation to your offering. If you ask people what their problem is and how your product can resolve it in a unique way, you are setting the stage for a great marketing plan and ultimately great product sales.

* Deliver on time, because it builds confidence in your brand, enhances your reputation in the market, helps give you a reason to streamline your own operations, and is the basis of a mutually beneficial long-term relationship with customers.

* Follow up on your initial sales personally and then incorporate a post-sale communication plan as you grow bigger so as to keep the connection with your customers. You could also use this opportunity to check if the product is achieving the desired result, and get feedback that you can use to improve your product. A store that listens to customers is always special and enjoyed.

* Use social media to engage with your customers as well as with potential customers. To make it easier on yourself, pick a platform or application with which you are familiar and would find convenient to update; you can create an automatic link to update other platforms.

* Encourage people to add reviews and testimonials, as prospective buyers are very likely to go through reviews before buying products, even with all the skepticism about paid reviews. Don't we check out ratings and reviews as customers ourselves?

* Build authority in the product space and build a supportive community. This has less to do with the volume of your updates or the language of your post and much more to do with presenting your expertise in a professional manner. Providing solutions to problems through your products, letting your customers know about the latest industry development or even little tidbits of relevant information of value to the community will set you apart. For the best results, adopt an inclusive and supportive tone for all your online interactions.

* Don't be afraid to get some help. Whether it is hired staff, virtual assistants, or vendors. This isn't as expensive as you imagine. These assistants get paid by the hour, saving your valuable time and money relative to hiring full-time staff.

* Practice a certain level of detachment. While it is necessary to be passionate about your product, failures and setbacks shouldn't drain you of your enthusiasm. Conversely, enjoy your success but don't let it go to your head.

Source: Business Standard

Platforms helping SMEs multi-fold their business growth

The e-commerce industry in India is going to be worth USD 107 billion by 2020, reflecting the momentous opportunity available for Indian SMEs.

However, these small-scale ventures may not possess the same technical expertise or capital, as their well-established counterparts, in order to grow and promote their businesses.

By providing expert services and support, here's counting 5 brands that are contributing towards the success and growth of small businesses:

Vivriti Capital

Vivriti Capital is India's first tech-enabled online marketplace offering customised debt products to institutional clients within retail financial services and other non-financial services sectors. Headquartered in Chennai, Vivriti Capital was established with the objective of connecting capital markets' investors with institutions, small enterprises, and individuals to provide them with a comprehensive range of financial services in an efficient manner.

Shopmatic

Shopmatic is an international e-commerce company that has been launched to help business owners sell their products and services online. From developing a unique web store to listing businesses on marketplaces and social media channels and giving insights on how to sell online, Shopmatic helps business owners manage the full spectrum of what is required to grow their businesses.

Paytm

Paytm is India's largest leading payment gateway that offers comprehensive payment services for customer and merchants. They offer mobile payment solutions to over 7 million merchants and allow consumers to make seamless mobile payments from Cards, Bank Accounts and Digital Credit among others. They pioneered and are the leader of QR based mobile payments in India. With the launch of Paytm Payments Bank, they aim to bring banking and financial services to half-a-billion un-served and under-served Indians.

TCIEXPRESS

TCIEXPRESS is a specialist and leader in time-definite express delivery logistics services in India. Its unparalleled experience and deep domain-expertise enable it to offer customized solutions to express delivery, with its current 650 centers covering more than 40,000 locations.

Source: Business Standard

Social commerce clicks with new age buyers

When there are over 200 million active social media users in a country, a feedback often makes or breaks the deal. This new age conversation between the retailer and a customer is taking form as social commerce, a new-age retail trend.

Two hundred minutes. That’s the average time spent per day by mobile internet users and it’s expected that a whopping 370 million active social media users will be present in India by 2022. When such a massive number of internet users are taken over by social media, its little wonder that social commerce is evolving as the latest trend in retail sector, writes Shwetha Satyanarayan

“Can you model our products and share pictures on social media?” or “How can we improve to enhance your shopping experience?” were questions a retailer never asked his customers a few years ago, and customers never imagined their feedback could make any difference.

Cut short to 2018, customer feedbacks are captured even before the billing, and the popularity of a brand depends on reviews a customer types on his phone. When there are over 200 million active social media users in a country, a feedback often makes or breaks the deal. This new age conversation between the retailer and a customer is taking form as social commerce, a new-age retail trend.

So what is social commerce? It is often described as an extension of e-commerce that involves online media and encourages social interactions, feedbacks and user contributions.

According to millennial entrepreneur Namya Patel, founder of online fashion seller Enakshi, social commerce is a trend that's been on the rise for some time now, especially in the fashion industry.

“Social commerce makes ample sense for new-age fashion brands to use social media platforms to both actively engage with target audience as well as provide shoppers with a great online shopping experience. Brands that strongly believe in the power of personalisation and work hard to make customers feel special both through products, as well as through social communication channels, highly depend on social commerce,” she says.

For instance, Enakshi encourages its customers to model its products and share the images with them as the brand believes that the beauty of its products can be best showcased by the woman who owns it.

Namya further says, “We try to capture the whole experience of owning an Enakshi product by recording moments such as unwrapping the Enakshi package to customers modelling our apparel and then sharing it on our social media channels to ensure that every customer feels as special as they truly are.”

Globally, social commerce has been a well-established trend with sales worth $50 billion generated by using social networks alone last year. In India too, it is becoming a driving force for sales as brands receive feedback, first hand experiences, data generated through reviews and consumer behaviour, and recommendations.

According to a NASSCOM survey, fashion, consumer healthcare, baby products, food and beverage industry, financial services, beauty, personal care and women care are the key categories which are gaining prominence through social media.

It says, “In India, social commerce is anticipated to encourage enterprises to establish a robust social media presence to build social communities. This, in turn, could help firms harness the millennial population which is adopting social commerce as a channel or reference for online shopping.”

While social commerce acts as a platform to buyers and sellers for interacting and selling, social media has always been an influencer, says Shenaz Boopaji of Shopmatic.

“Ever since social media came into existence, it has been an influencer as people were constantly looking for reference points and social media served as that huge influencer. It is no surprise that new age customers look towards social media for guidance in their purchase decisions,” she says.

According to NASSCOM, India has 51 million registered small businesses, of which 32 per cent have online presence. With more companies going online, it only makes sense that social commerce holds strong prospects for these companies.

“Retailers have to adopt strategies to enter the customer mind frame, while he or she is on Social, but without posing a lot of interference. It’s all about presenting a product message at the right time- without directly interfering in the customer's me time,” suggests Shenaz.

It is said that referrals and trust factor on personal experiences and the ability to connect themselves with others in the online community remain as the key reasons for the growth of this mode of commerce.

Source: Entrackr

Why online store Shopmatic supports multi-channel approach in e-commerce

In the latest advertisement by Amazon, a seller from Jaipur describes how his business changed as he joined with Amazon seller service and started selling products on the platform. Flipkart, the biggest e-commerce platform, has also run similar stories on the power of its platform.

But, not everyone agrees with the claims of Amazon, Flipkart, and others.

Anurag Avula, co-founder and CEO, Shopmatic believes that the problem for small businesses and entrepreneurs is that even though e-commerce has been a growing industry, the benefits of the increased trade through the e-commerce biggies are not being evenly distributed.

Larger sellers and brands have captured large sections of the market and smaller players lack the resources and knowledge to compete with them. Thus, it becomes indispensable for others to launch an independent online platform.

Launched in 2016, Shopmatic, a platform that helps business owners sell their products and services online, aims to leverage technology to even the playing field. From developing a unique web store to listing businesses on marketplaces and social media channels to giving insights on how to sell online, Shopmatic helps business owners manage the full spectrum of what is required to grow their businesses.

Transforming small bizs in real

The platform takes pride in its effort for helping the likes of Neha Ailawadi, the owner of Weald Heritage, to take her small soap manufacturing venture into a full-time operation with customers across the country. She is joined by Kikki Sukreka, the owner of Ethnic by Sureka, who also transformed her fashion and Bubble Store with the help of the platform.

“Since joining, these businesses have catered to several customers outside their usual target markets, gained greater orders and revenue, and are using these funds to expand their business into new directions,” said Avula.

He added the businesses have seen over 300 per cent growth after joining the online world via Shopmatic.

Besides, Shopmatic claims to have offered service to over 100,000 sellers so far; and is adding 150-200 new sellers every day. It is now targeting having 300,000 to 400,000 sellers on the platform by this time next year. The number of sellers on Shopmatic has been growing by 200 per cent year-on-year.

The businesses on the platform come from nearly every mass-market consumer industry. “Most of our users are people who are running small retail businesses, but there are also several home-based entrepreneurs looking to monetize their talent. Today, our platform also caters to people who bake cakes, pack and sell pickles, and even teach yoga,” said Avula.

How Shopmatic churns out revenue

While Shopmatic claims to enable thousands of business, the platform makes money via commission.

It offers services such as online listing, store hosting, and others to sellers through subscription. It also provides a subscription-based service called Shopmatic Pro which offers additional benefits like access to shipping and logistics integration, data analytics, discount engines, and effective promotional tools.

Growing with market size

The online e-commerce market size is expected to hit an astronomical $1 trillion by 2022. Within this, the Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs) segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR of 20.1 per cent between 2017 and 2022.

With over 50 million small businesses in India and millions of individual sellers and entrepreneurs looking to realise their online business dreams, the country is destined to be a great driver of this growth industry. “Thus, Shopmatic is poised to become a leader in the Indian market for the digital transformation of these businesses and is currently focused on expanding its customer base in India and the Asia Pacific region. We have just entered the UAE market and are planning to enter 7-9 markets by end of the year,” said Avula.

Taking challenges head-on

Though the market is expanding exponentially, Shopmatic faces some perennial challenges in the form of resistance posed by people. It means that people aren’t always open to new ways of doing things. And it is addressing this challenge by offering the simplest form of technology to its users.

Talking about the launch of independent online platforms, “Though the multi-platform approach is the most effective way for businesses to increase visibility and drive greater sales, it is difficult to manage for the average business owner that we cater to. The platform resolves this problem by offering easy single-click listing and automated inventory management.”

Entrackr’s take

Enabling online channel for SMEs is undoubtedly a massive opportunity. And, many players including Infibeam (via Buildabazaar), Zepo, Kartrocket, StoreHippo and Shopify have been offering full stack solution for small merchants. However, none of them actually has found a stable ground in the local market as SMEs don’t see much traction and transaction happening in their online stores.

Over-dependence on brick & mortar format and lack of focus and understanding of online channel are major reasons for the pale interest of merchants in web stores.

Shopmatic’s emphasis on equipping homepreneurs with web stores is also not new. Kartrocket, as well as Shopo (Snapdeal’s portfolio), had tried cracking this segment. But, they failed to find the firm foot. The company will require to find some innovative ways to convince and make a meaningful platform for homepreneurs.

Source: Indian Retailer Magazine

Shopmatic launches UAE operations to help SMEs

E-commerce company Shopmatic said on Tuesday that it had begun operations in the UAE to boost its e-commerce sector by digitally enabling the SMEs, in partnership with Network International, leading payment solutions provider in West Asia and Africa.

Network International’s ‘Go-Online’ e-commerce platform, launched on Tuesday, is being powered by Shopmatic and targeted at local small, medium, and start-up businesses.

Network International will use Shopmatic’s technology to power its Go-Online solution, as an end-to-end enabler and allow SMEs to create their own web stores and start selling their products or services online to customers globally, said Anurag Avula, CEO, Shopmatic. Network International is the UAE’s largest merchant acquirer.

Go-Online’s interface offers 60-plus customisable, design templates.

Source: News Boss

Shopmatic partners with Network International

NEW DELHI: International e-commerce company, Shopmatic has launched in UAE to boost UAE’s burgeoning e-commerce sector by digitally enabling the country’s SMEs.

It has partnered with Network International, the leading payment solutions provider in the Middle East and Africa, to leverage the strength of the two organizations to grow the e-commerce landscape in UAE.

Network International’s ‘Go-Online’ e-commerce platform, that launched today, is powered by Shopmatic and targeted at local small, medium, and start-up businesses.

Network International will use Shopmatic’s technology to power its Go-Online solution, as an end-to-end enabler and allow SMEs to create their own web stores and start selling their products or services online to customers in UAE and around the world.

Commenting on the development, Anurag Avula, CEO of Shopmatic, said, “The partnership with Network International is a significant step in enabling digital commerce for the growing e-commerce markets of the Middle East and Africa. This marks the entry of Shopmatic in one of the most exciting emerging e-commerce markets and continues to cement our commitment to supporting SMEs and entrepreneurs in their online commerce journey, around the world.”

Network International is the UAE’s largest merchant acquirer and the company’s ground-breaking partnership with leading global e-commerce player, Shopmatic, lends it a significant first mover advantage in the e-commerce space.

Samer Soliman, Managing Director – Middle East, Network International, commented, “As part of our commitment to enable commerce in the region, our aim is to enhance the e-commerce ecosystem by offering potential entrepreneurs a ready world-class platform with an integrated payment gateway. Go-Online will hasten go-to-market for smaller e-commerce entrants, enhance customer acquisition and instill confidence in shoppers looking to purchase online. We believe our efforts are aligned with the vision of the UAE government as we lend support to the SME sector, the backbone of our economy.”

Go-Online’s simple yet powerful interface offers 60+ customizable, design templates that allow merchants to upload product pictures and build their websites with ease.

Network International’s payment gateway, Network Online, is the Middle East and Africa region’s most innovative, with high levels of security, simple refund capabilities and seamless checkout. It offers a customizable gateway solution that can be tailored to meet the processing needs of diverse industries or business models.

Source: Telecom Mirror

Coverage of Shopmatic launches in UAE, partners with Network International to help UAEs small and medium businesses go digital

यूएई में की व्यवसाय की शुरुआत
यूएई के लघु और मध्यम व्यापारों को डिजिटल बनने में करेगी मदद
दोपहर संवाददाता
मुंबई।

अंतरराष्ट्रीय ई-कॉमर्स कंपनी शॉपमैटिक अब संयुक्त अरब अमीरात (यूएई) में भी लॉन्च हो गई है और अब यह यूएई के एसएमई को डिजिटल रूप में सक्षम कर देश के बढ़ते ई-कॉमर्स सेक्टर को बढ़ावा देगी।

संयुक्त अरब अमीरात में ई-कॉमर्स परिदृश्य को मजबूती देने के लिए शॉपमेटिक ने मिडिल ईस्ट और अफ्रीका के लीडिंग पेमेंट सॉल्युशन प्रोवाइडर नेटवर्क इंटरनेशनल के साथ भागीदारी की है।नेटवर्क इंटरनेशनल के ‘गो-ऑनलाइन’ ई-कॉमर्स प्लेटफ़ॉर्म को आज लॉन्च किया गया है। इसे शॉपमैटिक द्वारा संचालित होगा और स्थानीय लघु, मध्यम और स्टार्ट-अप व्यापारों को टारगेट करेगा।नेटवर्क इंटरनेशनल अपने गो-ऑनलाइन सॉल्युशन को एक एंड-टू-एंड इनेबलर के तौर पर संपन्न बनाने के लिए शॉपमैटिक की तकनीक का उपयोग करेगा। यह एसएमई को अपने स्वयं के वेब स्टोर बनाने और यूएई व दुनिया भर के ग्राहकों को अपने प्रोडक्ट्स या सर्विसेस को ऑनलाइन बेचने की अनुमति देगा। इस साझेदारी पर टिप्पणी करते हुए शॉपमैटिक के सीईओ अनुराग अवुला ने कहा, “नेटवर्क इंटरनेशनल के साथ साझेदारी मिडिल ईस्ट और अफ्रीका के बढ़ते ई-कॉमर्स मार्केट्स के लिए डिजिटल कॉमर्स को मजबूती देने में एक महत्वपूर्ण कदम है। यह सबसे रोमांचक उभरते ई-कॉमर्स बाजारों में से एक में शॉपमेटिक की इंट्री सुनिश्चित करेगा और दुनिया भर में अपनी ऑनलाइन कॉमर्स यात्रा में एसएमई और उद्यमियों को सहयोग करने के प्रति हमारी वचनबद्धता को पूरा करता है।

Source: Do Baje Dophar

S'pore-based Shopmatic expands to Middle East

Shopmatic, a Singapore-based start-up that offers e-commerce solutions to small businesses, has expanded into the Middle East, its third regional market after India and South-east Asia.

It is working with Network International, an e-payments solutions provider in the Middle East and Africa, to launch Go-online, a platform that allows businesses in the United Arab Emirates to create online stores and sell to customers in the region.

Shopmatic co-founder and chief executive Anurag Avula said: "This marks our entry into one of the most exciting emerging e-commerce markets. Our platform allows anyone to sell online, be it a small business or an individual entrepreneur, and we strive to democratise the process, making it easy, simple and cost-effective."

The platform is localised for each market and includes "all the pieces of the e-commerce ecosystem", ranging from built-in analytics and inventory management tools to payment and shipping options, said Shopmatic.

It helps users to list their products on online marketplaces such as eBay, Amazon and Lazada. Users can also seek advice from Shopmatic's e-commerce consultants on how to set up their online stores or boost sales, said the start-up, adding: "On the regular Shopmatic platform, sellers can set up an entire store in under 15 minutes."

In December 2014, Shopmatic launched in Singapore, India and Hong Kong. The firm aims to enter 20 markets by 2020, starting with Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines this year.

Last year, Shopmatic raised pre-series A funding of US$5.7 million (S$7.8 million) in a round led by Singapore-based venture capital firm ACP and Spring Singapore, which has since merged with IE Singapore to form Enterprise Singapore.

Source: The Straits Times

Anurag Avula, co-founder and CEO of Shopmatic

Anurag Avula’s Shopmatic addresses multiple pain points of small businesses — setting up a website, accepting online payments, selling across multiple platforms, etc. Shopmatic streamlines all of these steps, making online selling accessible to the everyday man. Currently serving India, Hong Kong, and Singapore, Shopmatic has plans to expand across the region in the coming months.

In today’s episode you’ll learn:

● About Anurag’s background and what led him to found Shopmatic
● What sets Shopmatic apart from its competition
● Why Shopmatic first launched in India
● About the Shopmatic user experience
● About Shopmatic’s business model
● About Shopmatic’s Inspiring Entrepreneurship Program

DETAILED SHOW NOTES

(1:14) Anurag’s self-introduction and background prior to Shopmatic
(4:08) Why Anurag decided to leave PayPal and create Shopmatic
(9:09) Anurag explains why Shopmatic was first launched in India
(10:53) How Shopmatic is different from its competitors
(13:35) Anurag explains the difference between Shopmatic Go and Pro and walks through the Shopmatic customer experience
(19:31) Selling on various platforms and social channels using Shopmatic
(22:08) Anurag explains how payment processors are integrated with Shopmatic
(24:50) The Shopmatic revenue model
(25:36) Anurag’s expansion plans for Shopmatic
(27:03) Anurag describes Shopmatic’s Inspiring Entrepreneurship Program
(29:13) Anurag’s advice for aspiring entrepreneurs

Source: Player FM

How he jumped from working in corporates to building Shopmatic

This article is part of Tech in Asia’s partnership with The Jay Kim Show where we publish the revised transcripts from the show’s podcast interviews with top entrepreneurs. This is heavily revised from the original show transcripts. For the full interview, go here.

My guest for this episode is Anurag Avula, co-founder and CEO of Shopmatic, a plug-and-play ecommerce solution. Avula previously worked in payments and banking, holding senior roles at Standard Chartered, NCR, Mastercard, and, most recently, PayPal, where he met his co-founders.

Here are some highlights from our conversation.

Where did the idea for Shopmatic come from?

My last corporate role was at PayPal where I was tasked to look after the merchant services portfolio and the PayPal franchise across Asia Pacific. That was when things got very interesting for me and my co-founders. We were engaging with customers from different markets, including emerging markets, and found that people did not have the tools and capability to take their businesses online. That’s how the idea for Shopmatic came about.

But prior to that, most of my experiences had been in emerging markets like India, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. That, along with our learnings from PayPal and understanding of ecommerce, made it clear that we needed to leverage our capabilities and provide solutions for people in those geographies.

What led you down the path of entrepreneurship?

There’s always been that itch in me to make a difference. I’m not saying that PayPal wasn’t making a difference, but I was making a difference under the cover and the umbrella of a larger enterprise.

In terms of age, I have a lot of gray hair right now, and making that jump was absolutely thought through in many ways. It was not impulsive, like we woke up one day and said, “Let’s go and do something.” We knew that there was a significant opportunity and that we wanted to build a sustainable business.

So while it was thought through, I would still say that you can never see all the elements that will come and hit you or make life interesting for you. But at the end of the day, the courage of our partners, the fact that we’re all working together for a common purpose, and having a brilliant team allow us to say that we’ve made the right call.

Where did you first launch Shopmatic?

We launched in India first. We felt that the biggest purpose would get us in a market like India, with the opportunities there and the fact that it is not an easy market.

I’m not saying any market is easy, but India is a lot harder than other markets, considering people’s access to or understanding of ecommerce, technology, data infrastructure, and things like that. Our approach was that if we were to get India right, then the rest of the markets would become a lot easier for us to work in.

So, we launched in India in January 2016, and then expanded to Singapore and Hong Kong about six months after.

How does Shopmatic differ from Shopify, Shopline, or the like?

I’ll try and tackle that on two different angles. One is from an overall value proposition standpoint. Our essence was clear: we want to provide the entire ecosystem for anyone wanting to sell online. That means right from creating storefronts to having a payment gateway, a logistics provider, shipping, and the ability to sell across multiple marketplaces (e.g. Amazon, eBay, Lazada, Zalora, Rakuten, or any other local marketplaces).

At a technology level, the way we approached it is to make sure that we had the entire ecosystem and we were hand-holding our customer through the entire process. For instance, if you sign up with Shopmatic and get assigned to Anurag, then he is your go-to guy for just about everything—from building your store to understanding SEO and how to use Google Adwords or Facebook Pixel. That’s how we round it off and bring the holistic solution to our customers.

How do you deal with the payment process?

To state it simply, we pre-integrate the payments engine on our platform. So typically, a merchant has to go to PayPal, get their API credentials, and bring them back onto the platform that they want to use. In our case, we take care of it for the merchants. What the sellers need to do is to have an account with the payment platform. We can transfer all the information that we’ve collected to PayPal or Citrus in India, and create an account on that front. Then, merchants will just have to follow the process.

Any expansion plans for 2018?

We’ll actually launch in UAE next month, and then in Indonesia and the Philippines before the end of the year. We want to be in 20 different countries in the next 24 months.

Any advice for someone making the jump from corporate to entrepreneurship?

One is I think there’s never a right time. If we always wait for the right time, it will never come because anything can happen in your life, and you’ll say, “OK, maybe let this pass, and I will think about it then.” It’s going to be too late, and the opportunity will be gone. And then you’re back to square one.

Believe in yourself and have the confidence that whatever it is, you’ll be able to see it through. You can make it happen. If you have a reasonably decent idea, have faith in yourself and just go for it. In large corporates, you always worry about where your next paycheck will come from. But if that’s the question in most people’s minds, then that’s where people would stay.

The second piece of advice is having the grit, persistence, and the belief that whatever comes your way will also pass. You will always get the curveballs anyway.

Moreover, if you can get a partner or partners, do it together because you will never be on top of the world every single day. You will feel down, depressed, and dejected. You will say, “What the hell did I do?” And you will need your business partners, people who would step in and say, “We’ll figure this out. We’ll take this forward.”

Lastly, if you don’t have a supportive family, it’s never going to work. Ideas, money, and all of that stuff shouldn’t be as much of an issue as with anyone living a corporate life if you really put your mind to what you want to do.

Source: Tech In Asia

Singapore startups to gain faster access to India's startup ecosystem

SINGAPORE startups can now gain faster access to India's bustling startup ecosystem to form partnerships and co-innovate with Indian startups, with the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Enterprise Singapore and The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) Singapore, one of the largest global entrepreneurship organisations on Wednesday.

Signed ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Singapore, the MOU kickstarts a Singapore-India incubation programme which aims to foster collaboration between Singapore and Indian startups through jointly-organised networking events, workshops and sessions with in-market mentors.

As a start, TiE Singapore will be running a startup mission in July with 10 Singapore startups to meet with Indian startups, corporates, mentors and investors to partner and co-innovate solutions in fintech, e-services and deeptech.

With a network of 11,000 members globally, India constitutes one-third of TiE Singapore's global membership.

Tan Soon Kim, assistant chief executive officer of Enterprise Singapore, said: "The Singapore-India Incubation Programme aims to introduce ideas and concepts between the ecosystems of both countries and foster collaboration between companies in each other's markets and in South-east Asia. Over time, we aim to establish a series of key innovation nodes within India to form an innovation network for Singapore companies to tap on."

Enterprise Singapore will also be signing an MOU with the National Skills Development Corporation (NSDC) India on Thursday, to be witnessed by Mr Modi and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations and Minister for Communications S Iswaran.

The MOU will facilitate the entry of Singapore vocational training companies into India to support the skills needs of the beauty and wellness, F&B, and construction and facilities management sectors.

Singapore vocational training companies will be able to tap several of NSDC's financing schemes, such as soft loan for equipment and equity injection for joint-venture projects with Indian training companies.

India has the third-largest startup ecosystem in the world, with over 4,750 startups. Its key focus areas include e-commerce, fintech, healthtech and edutech. In 2017, the value of startup funding amounted to approximately US$13.7 billion, up from US$4.06 billion in 2016.

Singapore startups which have successfully established in India include ViSenze, an artificial intelligence-based visual search and image recognition solutions provider. Their partnership with Indian fashion e-retailer Myntra has supported over six million Myntra users to navigate their store via image recognition.

For local e-commerce platform Shopmatic, India accounted for 75 per cent of their global business in 2017.

Source: Business Times

Boost for S'pore, India start-ups seeking to form tie-ups

It will soon be easier for local start-ups to form partnerships with their Indian counterparts, thanks to an agreement signed yesterday.

The memorandum of understanding between Enterprise Singapore and The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) Singapore was inked ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Singapore today.

It kick-starts an incubation programme that aims to foster collaboration between Singapore and Indian start-ups through jointly organised networking events, workshops and sessions with in-market mentors.

TiE Singapore will start the initiative by running a mission in July with 10 Singapore start-ups to meet Indian start-ups, corporates, mentors and investors, with the aim of seeking solutions in fintech, e-services and deep tech.

India constitutes one-third of TiE Singapore's 11,000-member global membership.

Enterprise Singapore assistant chief executive Tan Soon Kim said the programme "aims to introduce ideas and concepts between the ecosystems of both countries and foster collaboration... in each other's markets and in South-east Asia.

"Over time, we aim to establish a series of key innovation nodes within India to form an innovation network for Singapore companies to tap."

Enterprise Singapore will also sign a memorandum of understanding today with National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) India to facilitate the entry of Singapore vocational training companies into India. This will help lift skills in the beauty and wellness, food and beverage, and construction and facilities management sectors.

Singapore vocational training companies will be able to tap several NSDC financing schemes, such as soft loans for equipment and equity injection, for joint-venture projects with Indian training firms.

India has about 4,750 start-ups - the third-largest such ecosystem in the world. Its key focus areas include e-commerce, fintech, health tech and edu tech.

The value of start-up funding last year was about US$13.7 billion (S$18.4 billion), up from US$4.06 billion in 2016.

Singapore start-ups like ViSenze, an artificial intelligence-based visual search and image recognition solutions provider, have successfully set up shop in India.

ViSenze's partnership with Indian fashion e-retailer Myntra has helped six million users to navigate the store via image recognition.

India accounted for 75 per cent of local e-commerce platform Shopmatic's global business last year.

Source: Straits Times

Singapore gains faster access to India's thriving startup scene

This is made possible by a deal inked by Enterprise Singapore and The Indus Entrepreneurs.

Enterprise Singapore has signed a memorandum of understanding with global entrepreneurship organisation, The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) Singapore, enabling homegrown startups to gain faster entry to India’s thriving startup ecosystem.

India’s startup scene ranks third in the world, having produced over 4,750 startups largely in consumer tech verticals like e-commerce, edutech, healthtech and fintech.

Also read: Singtel and NUS to launch cybersecurity startup hub in April

The MOU kickstarts the Singapore-India incubation programme which aims to foster closer collaboration between startups from the two countries through jointly-organised networking events, workshops and mentoring sessions.

“The Singapore - India Incubation Programme aims to introduce ideas and concepts between the ecosystems of both countries and foster collaboration between companies in each other’s markets and in Southeast Asia,” said Enterprise Singapore assistant CEO Tan Soon Kim.

“Over time, we aim to establish a series of key innovation nodes within India to form an innovation network for Singapore companies to tap on,” he added.

Also read: Singapore needs to push its startups beyond seed funding

Enterprise Singapore will also be signing an MOU with the National Skills Development Corporation (NSDC) India which aims to streamline the entry of local vocational training companies into India to support the skills needs of the beauty and wellness, F&B, and construction and facilities management sectors.

Singapore vocational training companies will be able to tap several of NSDC's financing schemes, such as soft loan for equipment and equity injection for joint-venture projects with Indian training companies.

Startups that have successfully established tapped on India’s booming market include AI image recognition solutions provider ViSenze who has forged a partnership with Indian retailer Myntra and e-commerce platform Shopmatic which owes three quarters of its global business to India.

Photo from Rangan Datta Wiki - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0

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Source: Singapore Business Review

The Do's and Don'ts of Interacting With Customers on Social Media

Interacting with your customers on social media is a crucial aspect of your marketing plan

If there’s one thing a brand cannot ignore today, it’s social media. Gone are the days of just word-of-mouth or newspaper advertisements. Today, for most brands their customers are on social media and are ready to interact with the brand there.

The most conservative business houses want to make their own facebook page. We are surprised to see fully operational websites of sanskrit publishers like Chaukhamba Orientalia and Dehati Pustak Bhandar. These are the companies which still operate from the narrow alleys of Varanasi and Delhi and their offices are still inside medieval buildings with just electricity as a modern gadget.

Interacting with your customers on social media is a crucial aspect of your marketing plan. But how does one go about it? Entrepreneur India spoke to start-up founders and experts about how they believe one should interact with customers on social media.

Why is Social Media Important?

In today’s day and age, conversations happen on social media. Umeed Kothavala, CEO and Co-Founder, Extentia, believes that social media has become a customer service center for businesses, large and small. Social interactions provide benefits such as increased exposure, lead generation, reduction of marketing expenses, improve online search ranking and develop loyal fans. “Understanding the platforms used by your audience is fundamental towards growing the business,” he said.

Given the large numbers of people today using social media for various purposes, Shenaz Bapooji, CMO, Shopmatic believes that social media marketing is unavoidable. “You have to actively engage with your customers on social media or you lose the opportunity to gain more users,” she said.

Be Open on Social Media

Building a rapport with your customers is crucial for the growth of every business. Kothavala believes the better the relationship between the business and the consumer; the better positioned the business is to effectively sell and grow. He added that the strategy is simple but using it effectively can be a challenge for many small businesses to effectively engage their followers on social media. “Open up multiple communication avenues and be responsive & easy to find on social media. Stay integrated – make sure that social and call center teams communicate knowledge and best practices. Be proactive and engage with both positive and negative comments,” he said.

Vishwa Mohan Kumar, Founder and CEO at AIRDIT Software, said that it is important for brands to have a dedicated person manage your customers on social media. “There are many ways of engaging the customers on social media. For example, You can take a problem statement and start the conversation by posting the same on social media. You can allow your prospects or existing customer to share their opinion. You can later promote your product by offering solution for the problem statement,” said Kumar.

Act According to the Platform

There’s no one single rule for social media. You have to learn and adapt your marketing strategies according to the platform you are using. Bapooji believes the best way to go about it is treat the customers the way they want to be treated, keeping in mind the medium you are using. “Each medium has its own rules. If it’s Facebook, you can opt for a more informal approach, whereas in Linkedin, it’s a bit more professional. Similarly, if you want to share the story of your brand or customer testimonials, Instagram is a great platform,” she said.

Engage, Don’t Intrude

There are multiple things that you need to keep in mind while engaging with your customers. Bapooji said that you can’t be seen as intruding their mind space. “Try to have relevant conversations with your customers,” she said.

Kumar too agrees. He said that companies shouldn't always focus on their own company. “Try to post blogs and article relevant for industry too. You can also perform information consolidation by posting the summary of interesting articles trending on social media relevant for your customers,” he said.

It’s important to know and understand your audience. With the presence of multiple social media apps today, one can leverage social listening to acknowledge, resolve and thank customers. Kothavala said, “Have a purpose and develop a plan and set attainable goals are as critical. Never ignore feedback from followers and don’t neglect your accounts. Also, avoid oversharing.”

Source: Entrepreneur India

6రూ.66కే ఆన్‌లైన్‌ దుకాణం!

హైదరాబాద్, బిజినెస్‌ బ్యూరో : రాత్రికి రాత్రే మీ ఆఫ్‌లైన్‌ దుకాణం ఆన్‌లైన్‌లోకి మారిపోవాలంటే? వెబ్‌సైట్‌ అభివృద్ధి, నిర్వహణ కోసం టెక్నాలజీ సంస్థలతో.. ఉత్పత్తుల సరఫరా కోసం లాజిస్టిక్స్‌తో.. నగదు లావాదేవీల కోసం పేమెంట్‌ గేట్‌వేలతో ఒప్పందం చేసుకోవాలి. నిజానికిది రాత్రికి రాత్రే జరిగే పనేం కాదు. కానీ షాప్‌మాటిక్‌తో ఒప్పందం చేసుకుంటే చాలు!! జస్ట్‌.. 15 నిమిషాల్లో మీ ఆఫ్‌లైన్‌ స్టోర్‌ కాస్త ఈ–కామర్స్‌ స్టోర్‌గా మారిపోతుంది. అంతే! వెబ్‌సైట్‌ అభివృద్ధి నుంచి మొదలుపెడితే నిర్వహణ, ప్యాకింగ్, లాజిస్టిక్, పేమెంట్‌ గేట్‌వే అన్ని రకాల సేవలూ ఒకే వేదికగా అందించడమే దీని ప్రత్యేకత.

దీనికయ్యే ఖర్చు 3 నెలలకు రూ.66. ఇదే షాప్‌మాటిక్‌ సక్సెస్‌ మంత్రమంటున్నారు హైదరాబాద్‌కు చెందిన అనురాగ్‌ ఆవుల. మరిన్ని వివరాలు ‘స్టార్టప్‌ డైరీ’తో పంచుకున్నారాయన. ‘‘మాది కూకట్‌పల్లి. నిజాం కళాశాల నుంచి డిగ్రీ పూర్తయ్యాక.. మణిపాల్‌ యూనివర్సిటీలో ఎంబీఏ చేశా. ఆ తర్వాత స్టాండర్డ్‌ చార్టెడ్‌ బ్యాంక్, ఎన్‌సీఆర్‌ కార్పొరేషన్‌లో కొన్నాళ్లు పనిచేశా.

అక్కడి నుంచి ఫిన్‌టెక్‌ కంపెనీ పేపాల్‌లో సింగపూర్‌లో చేరా. వృత్తిరీత్యా ఈ–కామర్స్‌ కంపెనీలతో పనిచేయాల్సి ఉండటంతో మన దేశంలోని సూక్ష్మ, చిన్న, మధ్య తరహా కంపెనీలు (ఎంఎస్‌ఎంఈ), ఔత్సాహిక పారిశ్రామికవేత్తలు ఈ–కామర్స్‌ వ్యాపారం ప్రారంభించేందుకు ఎంత వ్యయ ప్రయాసలు పడుతున్నారో తెలిసింది. సులువుగా, అందుబాటు ధరలో దీనికి పరిష్కారం చూపాలని నిర్ణయించుకొని పేపాల్‌లోని మరో ఇద్దరు సహోద్యోగులు క్రిస్‌ చెన్, యెన్‌లీతో కలిసి రూ.2 కోట్ల పెట్టుబడితో 2015 అక్టోబర్‌లో బెంగళూరు కేంద్రంగా షాప్‌మాటిక్‌.కామ్‌ను ప్రారంభించాం.

15 నిమిషాల్లో ఈ–కామర్స్‌ స్టోర్‌..

ప్రస్తుతం 60కి పైగా ఉచిత స్టోర్‌ డిజైన్స్‌ అందుబాటులో ఉన్నాయి. షాప్‌మాటిక్‌తో ఒప్పందమైన 15 నిమిషాల్లో ఆన్‌లైన్‌ వ్యాపారం ప్రారంభించవచ్చు. ఈ–కామర్స్‌ నిర్వహణ సేవలతో పాటూ ప్రమోషన్స్, ఆఫర్లు, డిస్కౌంట్లు, ఉత్పత్తుల రికమండేషన్స్‌ అన్ని ఉచితంగా పొందవచ్చు.

ప్రస్తుతం షాప్‌మాటిక్‌కు 1.5 లక్షల మంది కస్టమర్లున్నారు. వీరిలో 45 శాతం కస్టమర్లు ద్వితీయ, తృతీయ శ్రేణి పట్టణాల వారే. అత్యధిక కస్టమర్లు మహారాష్ట్ర, కర్ణాటక నుంచి ఉన్నారు. ఏపీ, తెలంగాణ వాటా 13 శాతం వరకూ ఉంటుంది. 3, 6, 12 నెలల వారీగా సబ్‌స్క్రిప్షన్స్‌ ఉంటాయి. 3 నెలలకు రూ.66.

నెల రోజుల్లో యూఈఏకి విస్తరణ..

ప్రస్తుతం మన దేశంతో పాటూ సింగపూర్, తైవాన్, హాంకాంగ్‌ దేశాల్లో సేవలందిస్తున్నాం. నెల రోజుల్లో యూఏఈకి విస్తరించనున్నాం. ఈ ఏడాది ముగిసేలోగా ఇండోనేషియా, ఫిలిప్పిన్స్‌ దేశాలకు విస్తరించాలని, వచ్చే ఏడాది కాలంలో కస్టమర్ల సంఖ్యను 3 లక్షలకు చేర్చాలని లకి‡్ష్యంచాం. ఉత్పత్తుల డెలివరీ కోసం డెల్హివరీ, ఫెడెక్స్, డీహెచ్‌ఎల్‌ వంటి అన్ని కొరియర్‌ సంస్థలతో ఒప్పందం చేసుకున్నాం.

రూ.70 కోట్ల నిధుల సమీకరణ..

ఏటా 310 శాతం వృద్ధిని నమోదు చేస్తున్నాం. ప్రస్తుతం మా సంస్థలో 70 మంది ఉద్యోగులున్నారు. ఈ ఏడాది ముగింపు నాటికి మరో 25 మందిని నియమించుకోనున్నాం. గతేడాది ఏసీపీ వెంచర్స్, స్ప్రింగ్స్‌ సీడ్‌ క్యాపిటల్‌ సంస్థలు రూ.25 కోట్ల పెట్టుబడి పెట్టాయి. మరో 2 నెలల్లో రూ.70 కోట్ల నిధులను సమీకరించనున్నాం. ఈ రౌండ్‌లో పాత ఇన్వెస్టర్లతో పాటూ కొత్తవాళ్లూ ఉంటారు’’ అని అనురాగ్‌ వివరించారు.

Source: Sakshi Daily

सिर्फ 66 रुपए में लगाएं ऑनलाइन दुकान, ये कंपनी करेगी मदद

अगर आप छोटे दुकानदार हैं और अपना खुद का ऑनलाइन कारोबार करना चाहते हैं तो ये खबर आपके लिए ही है। जानिए कैसे आप ऑनलाइन कारोबार शुरू कर सकते हैं।

नई दिल्ली: भारतीय कारोबारियों की मदद के लिए सिंगापुर की कंपनी ने बड़ा कदम उठाया है। भारत में बड़े पैमाने पर कारोबारियों की मदद के लिए शॉपमैटिक कंपनी योजना लेकर आई है। कंपनी के इस प्लान का नाम 'इंस्पाइरिंग एंटरप्रैन्युरशिप प्रोग्राम' है। इसके तहत ऑनलाइन बिक्री के लिए सभी तरह की सेवाएं सिर्फ एक डॉलर में दी जाएगी। ये सेवा 3 महीने के लिए मिलेगी। अभी एक डॉलर की कीमत 66 रुपए है।

इसकी मदद से भारत के दुकानदार ऑनलाइन स्टोर बनाने के लिए ऑनलाइन टूल का उपयोग कर सकेंगे। साथ ही इंवेटरी मैनेजमेंट भी संभाल सकेंगे। शॉपमैटिक का दावा है की टूल की मदद से दुकानदार ऑर्डर ले सकेंगे और उनकी सप्लाई भी कर सकेंगे। इसके अलावा ग्राहक से पेमेंट भी ले सकेंगे।

शॉपमैटिक के सीईओ और को फाउंडर अनुराग अवुला के मुताबिक 'भारत में ऐसे कई उभरते हुए कारोबारी हैं जिनके पास आइडिया है और सुंदर प्रोडक्ट बनाने की क्षमता भी है। ये कारोबारी ऑनलाइन कारोबार भी करना चाहते हैं। हमने इन कारोबारियों के लिए ई कॉमर्स में से टेक्नोलॉजी की दिक्कतें हटा दी हैं।

शॉपमैटिक को उम्मीद है कि वो घरेलू काम करने वाले, एसएमई, छात्र, बेकर्स, कलाकार, फोटोग्राफर्स, सर्विस प्रोवाइडर और डिजाइनर जैसे लोगों का कारोबार ऑनलाइन करने में मदद कर सकेगी। गूगल और केपीएमजी की एक स्टडी के मुताबिक 2020 तक अगर छोटे कारोबारी भारत में ऑनलाइन आ जाते हैं तो देश की जीडीपी 10 फीसदी तक जा सकती है।

अगर आप भी छोटे कारोबारी हैं और अच्छा काम कर रहे हैं तो ऑनलाइन कारोबार को अपना सकते हैं। आप अपने प्रोडक्ट ऑनलाइन कारोबार की मदद से देश के किसी भी हिस्से में बेच सकते हैं। यहां तक की आप अपना सामान विदेश भी भेज सकते हैं।

Source: Times Now

Refer to these platforms to help kick-start your small business

Starting up is never easy, requiring the entrepreneur to wear multiple hats at the same time. While entrepreneurs can be geniuses in their field, taking care of starting and scaling the business, building the right team, establishing a brand's digital presence, handling escalations, ensuring optimum cash-flows etc. can easily put any aspiring entrepreneur under a tight spot.

Burning the midnight oil alone won't solve such colossal challenges and hence, we bring you 4 platforms that would. Here's listing 4 key platforms aspiring entrepreneurs may utilize, in order to start and scale up their business ventures.

Shopmatic

Shopmatic is an international e-commerce company that has been launched to help business owners sell their products and services online. From developing a unique web store to listing businesses on marketplaces and social media channels, to giving insights on how to sell online, Shopmatic helps business owners manage the full spectrum of what is required to grow their businesses. They have also initiated a new 'Inspiring Entrepreneurship Program', to encourage entrepreneurship in India on a massive scale - is now offering its services at just USD 1 for 3 months.

Instappy

A cloud based do-it-yourself (DIY) platform for companies to create instant, affordable, intuitive, and professional mobile apps with reasonable cost and minimum time. It also has a simple user interface, full of imagery and rich media, and offers full-fledged inventory management and customization. Even if you are not an expert or do not have even basic coding skills, you can still create an app with a few easy steps. Interestingly, when a user signs up, the company assigns a dedicated online account manager to aid and assist the user in the process of not only app creation but also guide them to bring high quality and consumer friendly content for the end-users of the apps. Instappy also mentors its clients on the quality and different potentialities of the apps.

RevStart

Cutting through the clutter of mushrooming co-working spaces and run-of-the-mill programs, RevStart curates result-oriented programs focused at helping companies accelerate their growth. Selected businesses are provided with strategic tools, access to a large mentor pool, nurturing work environment, exposure to relevant events and a cost-effective office space. RevStart also provides start-ups with dedicated acceleration assistance to enable entrepreneurs to translate their unique ideas into successful products and services. Unlike other acceleration programs, which on board a cohort and prepare a start-up for a demo day, what is unique about RevStart is that on the completion of mutually decided milestones, RevStart will lead the investment invest in them.

CoinTribe

A leading online loan disbursement platform that provides quick and easy collateral-free loans to small businesses and individuals. It is the only online lending platform which has back-tested its credit model with large banks. The marketplace model facilitates loan origination and credit assessment through CoinTribe before it is shared with the banks. PaaS enables banks and NBFCs to utilize CoinTribe's platform for effective risk analysis and recommendations to digitally underwrite their own consumers. CoinTribe's PaaS is equipping lenders across the country to become digital ready and enhance efficiency of their lending process. CoinTribe's easy loan procedures help businesses to avail funds without any hassle.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Source: Brand Equity

Shopmatic introduces initiative to encourage entrepreneurs setup online shop for $1

Loyalty programs few years ago revolved around a simple rule -the more you spent, the more loyalty stock you gain. It's now a tech-tool to retain young customers. A brand with right reward rule can be a success criterion to long term value in retail.

AHMEDABAD: International e-commerce company Shopmatic has introuduced a new initiative to encourage entrepreneurship in India on a massive scale.

Under its new ‘Inspiring Entrepreneurship Program’, the brand – which uses technology to bring to its customers all elements required to successfully sell online – is now offering its services at just $1 for three months.

Sellers across India will be able to use the brand’s cutting-edge tools to build an online store, manage their inventory, receive and fulfil orders, and process and receive payments from customers.

“There are many aspiring entrepreneurs in India who have an idea, an ability to build beautiful products and intend to make a business by selling online. We have removed the complexity from ecommerce by eliminating the technological barriers that these entrepreneurs may have," said Anurag Avula, Cofounder & CEO, Shopmatic.

Shopmatic expects to create a significantly critical mass of entrepreneurs - homemakers, SMEs, students, bakers, artisans, craftsmen, photographers, service providers, designers etc to leverage this fantastic offer to take their business online and give a tremendous push to the Digital India initiative.

According to a Google-KPMG study, small and medium businesses going online in India could boost India’s GDP by as much as 10% by 2020. Shopmatic aims to use its suite of functions and tools to create a new generation of digitally-enabled small and medium businesses to capitalize this economic opportunity.

Source: The Economic Times

This is how brands are retaining customer loyalty

Loyalty programs few years ago revolved around a simple rule -the more you spent, the more loyalty stock you gain. It's now a tech-tool to retain young customers. A brand with right reward rule can be a success criterion to long term value in retail.

A recent study by Deloitte says that millennials are the chief wage earners in India with a 47-percent share in the working age population and there are 440 million of them presently. And unlike their older generations, this large share of a new breed of consumers aka the millennial buyers, choose convenience over queues and pay more attention to exclusive discounts over annual sales.

As the millennial adopt a whole lot of new spending habits, personalization, experience and convenience top the list of these new age shoppers. On realizing this, most brands have understood the potential of the new age buyers and are customizing brand building exercises, just to suit their needs. Loyalty programs, which a few years ago revolved around a simple rule- the more you spent, the more loyalty stock you gained, is now a tech-tool to retain young age customers. Big brands too endorse strong loyalty programs in a bid to ensure that millennial do not crossover to rival brands, while most of the successful millennial-dominated brands have incorporated the points system while retaining customer personalization.

For instance, Starbucks uses the tried-and-tested point system and also integrates an app with personalized content such as music streaming and ‘just for you’ new drinks to try. Similarly, luxury makeup brand, Sephora, has an interactive app where consumers can virtually try on the products and access exclusive in-app purchases. With the Beauty Insider loyalty program in the app, consumers can earn points through purchases that directly translate to products and exclusive makeovers.

Loyalty programs for long-term value.

According to Shopmatic co-founder Anurag Avula, loyalty programmes have always worked to keep customers loyal and locked to a particular brand. “Given that the e-commerce landscape has multiple players claiming similar propositions, customers are getting wiser about whom they are signing up with today.What sometimes gets masqueraded as a loyalty programme, often ends up being spam mails for customers, which results in disengagement. If well-planned, loyalty programmes can often serve as the single most important success criterion for long-term value in retail,” he says.

Customer retention

According to StrategyOne, a consultant group, once a millennial has found a brand they like, 80 percent of them will remain loyal to it.Further, Avula stresses that well-designed loyalty programs clearly map out when to engage with customers, how often to engage with them and what to engage them with.“This calls for a deep understanding of the customers behaviour and mind-space.When customized, they work wonders in keeping the customers loyal to the brand- so much so that even if the brand makes a mistake, customers forgive them for the aberration,” Avula says.

The unique factor

“Typically in a day, at least 10 brands approach a customer with exclusive offers all stating it is valid for a day or over the weekend. So, how and why will a customer choose a brand and stay loyal to it? Most often, the promotional mails end up as spam mails,” asserts Maharsh Shah, a millennial, who owns Enakshi, a new age ethnic wear site. While Enakshi has been launched recently and is in the process of building a strong customer base to personalize loyalty programs, he says the reward points have huge potential for customer engagement. “No shopper is the same on two different platforms, even if he is shopping from the same brand. The way a customer engages in an app is different from the way he shops in stores. Given such constraints, it’s important for any brand to create loyalty programs that will cater to the customers who are present everywhere, any time,” Shah says.

Power of social media

Although social media is the right platform to engage the millennial consumers if the buyer is not aware of what to do with the reward points or other offers, the whole exercise can become futile in engaging customers, warns Namya Patel, co-founder of Enakshi. “The biggest advantage of social media is it enables two-way communication with the customer. But if a brand fails to rightly involve customers, and help them understand how to use the loyalty programs to their benefit, the goal falls flat. The consumer should know what to do with the programs and why they should go back to the brand. And social media plays a huge role in bridging this gap,” Namya says.

Source: Indian Retailer Magazine

Deal Street: Shopmatic Eyes $20 Million To Fuel Emerging Market Expansion

Indian startups kick-started the new year with a subdued week as three startups together raised $17 million in angel seed or venture capital funding. That compares with $10 million raised by four startups the week before.

Shopmatic Eyes $20 Million

E-commerce enabler Shopmatic is eyeing around $15-20 million in Series B funding as it eyes expansion in emerging markets, Anurag Avula, co-founder of Shopmatic told BloombergQuint in an interview. “We are looking to the close the round in the next six months,” he said.

With presence in India, Singapore and Hong Kong, the company is now looking to expands its footprint in other emerging markets such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Kenya and UAE in the next 12 months. A part of the investment will also go toward strengthening its presence in existing markets, he said.

Shopmatic had last raised $5.7 million (Rs 37 crore) in Series A funding from ACP Pte Ltd, a technology-focused venture capital firm, and Spring Seeds Capital, the investment subsidiary of SPRING Singapore, a unit of the government of Singapore in June.

India is Shopmatic’s biggest market and accounts for 80 percent of its total business. Canada-based Shopify has built a nearly $10-billion company doing exactly that and has expanded its footprint in India as well.

Founded in 2012 by former PayPal executives, Anurag Avula, Yen Lim and Kris Chen, Shopmatic allows small and medium enterprises to set up their own online stores in minutes. It provides customers with integrated payment and third-party shipping function on the platform.

The platform also allows sellers to do cross border selling on the platform. About 11 percent of the customers from India do cross border selling in the U.S. and South east Asian markets, Avula said.

“We are creating a category of individuals entrepreneurs and as per our estimates, the Indian market size has around $75-80 million such individuals,” Avula said.

With 100,000 sellers already on board, the company said it is adding 150-200 new sellers every day. It is now looking to reach 300,000 to 400,000 sellers in the next 12 months.

Shopmatic lets seller try out online store for $20 a month (or Rs 1273) and has three month, half yearly and yearly packages.

Meanwhile in India, a new set of ecosystem is developing around e-commerce enablers, which has given rise to players like Kraftly, Martjack, BuildaBazaar and Shopnix in the last three years. And then there are larger online retailers like the Tiger-backed Shopclues or Alibaba-backed Paytm which also target small businesses.

EarlySalary Raises $15.7 Million In Fresh Funding

Online lending platform EarlySalary raised $15.7 million (Rs 100 crore) in Series B funding led by Eight Roads Ventures India.

Existing investors including IDG Ventures India, Dewan Housing Finance Corp. Ltd. and Ashok Agarwal, director of forex and money transfer services firm Transcorp International Ltd., also participated in the round, a company statement said.

The company said the funds will be used to expand its operations and is targetting a disbursal of one lakh monthly loan applications by the end of 2018. The company currently processes around 14,000-14,500 loan applications per month.

Founded in 2015, the Pune-based startup allows salaried individuals to avail instant loans for an average tenure of 30 days or till the next salary cycle. Users can avail loans in the form of salary advances or credit card cash withdrawals.

Others

Lingerie startup Buttercups raised fresh funding from angel investor Rajan Anandan and existing investors Kanwaljit Singh and Anand Chandrasekaran, the company said.

Pune-based health foods startup True Elements, raised Rs 5 crore ($788,500) in a pre-Series A funding round led by the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group. The round also a mix of existing investors and a few unnamed new investors, the startup said in a press statement.

Source: Bloombergquint

How to Know If Your Product will Sell?

Do you have an idea that you feel has the potential to be the proverbial next big thing in the world of business? Do you strongly believe that it has the power to disrupt the conventional way people do things? And just as with all radical ideas, are there doubts, fears, and uncertainty galore in your mind?

While nobody can ever be certain that your idea will be something that people are actually willing to spend money on and buy, there is no success possible without risk. Successful risk-takers, however, reduce the uncertainty in their decisions by being prepared. Doing your homework and having the information you need to make the right choices will go a long way in saving your precious time, energy, and money. Here are some steps you can take to be well-prepared in your entrepreneurial journey so you increase your chances of creating a winning offering for the market –

Test market appetites before you invest in a proof of concept

Your idea might be brilliant from your perspective, but would your target audience find the same value in your concept? It is important for you to be armed with insight into what your potential customer is looking for. The best way to get that information is to reach out to and speak to your potential buyer directly. You can gain valuable guidance into their pain points, understand their buying habits, and get their feedback on your idea. This can help you simply and directly gauge the interest of the market inyour product or idea before spending too much on it. You can further tweak your product to make it more attractive to potential buyers based on the insights garnered.

Use of social media to gauge interest

In thedigital times we live in, most potential customers are likely to have some form of social media access or presence. Interactions on these platforms with their peers often influence their choices as consumers in a major way. This makes finding the right platforms and groups where these conversations happen and becoming a part of them important. Noting which topics get the most traction and the most common reactions and comments can let you know what the market likes, dislikes, and what the trends are. You can even set up a test website/social media profile to see what people's initial reactions to your idea are. However, it is important to keep in mind that these reactions aren't always 100% accurate representations of market interest, because people are still unaware of your brand.

Competitive market research

Once you have refined your idea to a point where you think it can work, look around the market to determine what existing products are similar to yours, either in function or form. The existence of competition is in itself a validation of your plan, as it proves that there is a market for your idea. Studying the market and your competition, while tracking market trends will help you uncover potential gaps in the domain you are targeting. Know your industry and ask for feedback – you can learn a lot from old hands in the sector, as their experience can help add more depth to your understanding of the sector and the market. Understanding the value that the competition provides can help you select how you enrich your customer's lives by making sure that you're doing something better and providing more than the competition.

Change customer wants into needs

Successful products begin from understanding what the customer wants, giving that to them, and making it such an amazing experience that for them it isn't something 'nice' to have, but a necessity. Let your idea evolve from being a customer want and to a need.Refine and tweak it in a dynamic way such that your users soon find themselves completely dependent on the product/service you offer.

Keeping the product/service simple and useful

Understanding the market will help your offerings be unique, as you differentiate your product from the competition; it's also important, however, for it to be simple and useful. A product is meaningful when it solves a problem that irks people and does the job faster, quicker or in a more cost-effective waythan existing alternatives. The increase in convenience or productivity that the product or service offers is what is likely to make it sell. Take care to ensure that the product/service name helps communicate the value proposition of the product adequately to make an impression upon the consumer. For instance, the Rotimatic – an automatic roti-making machine – had long order lists and was a huge hit because of its name even before production started.

Use your own network

Get friends and family to use your offerings and be open to their feedback. Use it constructively and make last-minute changes to your product and your plans to sell it on the basis of these insights. Use this as a good occasion to find out how much people are willing to pay for it as a guide for later market plans.

Attractive pricing

In price-sensitive markets like India, pricing is all-important. People are willing to part with their hard-earned money if something adds value to their life, but everyone wants the best deal. Speak to people and figure out what price they would ideally pay for a product such as yours. It is also imperative to communicate to your potential buyer why your product/service is a great deal at that price.

Believe in yourself

Be focused on the important things and believe in yourself and your product/service. Remember, your journey is a long one – perseverance is critical, and self-belief is a fundamental step before expecting the support of others.

While there is no guarantee for success in this world, there is a method to its madness. These pointers will help you minimize the risk of failure, if not eliminate it. All the best for your startup journey!

Source: SME World Magazine

B2B ecommerce: How wholesale trade is getting disrupted in India with these startups

Cos such as Wydr, ShopX, ShopKirana & WholesaleBox are building data-driven intelligence around the wholesale ecosystem

Online retail has changed the way urbanites shop in India. But the local kirana or cloth retail shop which used to consider e-retail as a rival is now logging on to the internet to buy their own wares.

The startup ecosystem has woken up to the huge potential of a USD 100 million addressable market for digitising the supply chain and procurement cycles of unbranded neighbourhood stores, wholesalers, and manufacturers.

Companies such as Wydr, ShopX, and lately the Jaipur-based B2B ecommerce startup WholesaleBox are building data-driven intelligence around the existing wholesale ecosystem, which is helping manufacturers and shopkeepers simplify processes, reduce costs, and widen discoverability across the nation.

These companies offer their marketplace to manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers, across categories like fashion, home, automotive and electronics.

While Wydr has spread across multiple categories, ShopX deals with daily need products at kirana stores. WholesaleBox, on the other hand, deals only with fashion and lifestyle products.

“Shopkeepers have to be on top of latest fashion trends, ensure uniqueness of designs, and take care of prices. This creates several procurement problems like sourcing from different manufacturing hubs, buying bulk in credit because of limited cash flow, which leaves a lot of unsold inventory at the end of the cycle,” WholesaleBox founder Rohit Dangyach said.

Jaipur-based WholesaleBox caters primarily to the unbranded and regional brand goods market, which accounts for 90 percent of the market, and claims to procure goods at 25 percent lesser cost.

Incepted in 2015 by former IIT Roorkee-IIM Bangalore alumnus and a former CarDekho employee, Rohit Dangyach, WholessaleBox acts as a bridge between manufacturers and the shopkeepers, delivering products at their doorstep at 30% lower prices.

Mobile-based B2B marketplace Wydr, which recently raised an undisclosed amount in a fresh round of funding from its existing investors, is also strengthening its seller base, setting up pan-India offices and is looking at improving its product and technology stack to penetrate deeper in the Indian wholesale market.

“With a platform like Wydr retailers are no more restricted to the local wholesale markets. Neither do they have to travel a long distance to source directly from hubs. Sourcing in bulk from hubs and wholesale markets takes a lot of time and is an expensive affair,” Devesh Rai, founder and CEO of Wydr said.

Wydr was founded in March 2016 by Devesh Rai G, the former founding team member at ShopClues; Hitha Uchil (ex-JWT), and Varun Kumar (ex-Shopclues). It has over 10,000 registered wholesalers and manufacturers across categories with a catalogue size of over 700,000 products.

In a typical offline scenario, merchandise passes through several layers, each adding their own margins leading to an increase of 15-25 percent in prices at which a retailer will procure it.

This escalation of cost also makes online commerce such as Flipkart, Myntra, and Amazon unviable for the small retailers.

Convenient shopping and attractive prices are two arguments in favour of e-commerce.

But with high procurement costs, sellers find it difficult to reduce prices to match the lowest priced product online, without compromising on margins.

“They are forced to keep separate inventory for online and offline. Products that will give higher margin will land up online, compromising on quality. Many e-commerce players started with 10-15 percent margin, and now command about 40 percent, leaving no room for cost manoeuvring. Economies will not support in the long run,” Dangyach of WholesaleBox says.

That probably explains why Dangyach met with immense resentment from sellers and retailers in his first attempt to approach them to read the market. “The moment we would pitch WholesaleBox as an online entity, they would want to disengage. We had to work around our wording to convince them about our product,” he says.

Instead of creating a new infrastructure for the small sellers to create an online presence, strengthening the back-end supply chain and procurement cycles through technology is far more sustainable, according to Amit Sharma, co-founder and CEO of ShopX.

“The front end of small sellers and retailers has to be dealt differently. Force fitting a business that has no digital experience, onto a digital platform, will not work for them. We are building a digital layer around the existing set up and creating a shared economy scenario,” he adds.

Singapore-based Shopmatic, for example, has integrated several digital layers including FB messenger, WhatsApp, e-mail marketing, shipping, accounting, and consumer engagement tools, all in one app to create an online presence at the store level.

“Discoverability and customer loyalty are the two things that will make his cash flow sustainable. First, we make sure their listing is visible across several marketplaces. On the consumer front, we have enabled them with simple chat services for easy conversations,” Anurag Avula, co-founder and CEO of Shopmatic said.

These companies are also helping small sellers and retailers discover trade deals and new product information nationwide, which in turn helps them negotiate better prices, and be in tune with the trending products.

The wholesaler and manufacturer also have a lot to take away from companies such as Wydr and WholesaleBox.

With over one million retailers, Wydr provides wholesalers with an exposure to a bulk buyer base. Manufacturers and wholesalers are not restricted to their own region for business. They can sell to any part of the country without having to invest in sales.

“Manufacturers and wholesalers often sell on credit because of cash flow restraints of small retailers. This creates delays in payment cycles, which is a big pain point for them. There is also a lot of unused inventory lying with manufacturers which is eventually sold at throwaway prices, increasing overheads,” Dangyach of WholesaleBox says.

The company, including its peers, ensure a steady 15-day payment cycle to manufactures and wholesalers and maintains an active inventory listing online which is updated with each sale to avoid pilferage.

Manufacturers can also read simplified analytics on which geographical location is showing the most traction for which colours and patterns, and so on.

It's a win-win for manufacturers as they get visibility of cash flows and reduce risk of unstructured credit, thereby lowering costs and even improve their realizations.

Shops also get doorstep delivery, small and frequent supplies, trade assurance and tools to ramp up their offline sales.

Source: Moneycontrol

Budget '18: E-commerce sector hopeful of corporate tax reduction

With the presentation day of the Union Budget inching closer, the Indian e-commerce sector are hopeful of a reduction in corporate tax to provide them a much-needed impetus and tax relief.

Additionally, a section of the industry is also looking forward to greater capital inflow for Digital India, which has significantly slowed down.

Here are some expectations from the sector, ahead of this year's Union Budget:

OYO

"We expect a forward-looking Budget that comes good on reducing corporate tax rates to 25 percent, and effects administrative and tax reforms suggested by Easwar Committee - this will go a long way in ease of doing business in the country. Although the government has released clarification for application of taxes on declared tariff, we expect the concept of declared tariff to be replaced with actual tariff as consideration for the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on hotel accommodation. The government has executed strong fiscal discipline in the last few years while enabling more startups and jobs through Skill India. We are hopeful that this momentum continues and there's ample availability of skilled talent in the country not only for us but every company that has both online and offline presence," said Ritesh Agarwal, founder and CEO of OYO.

Droom

"The capital inflow for Digital India has significantly slowed down in 2016 and 2017, if you exclude the top 5 investments each year. So, with this budget, I would like to see specific measures undertaken by the Government to promote start-ups, entrepreneurship and Digital India. I truly hope the cost of capital in this country goes down, the capital becomes more accessible, there is no capital gain tax on start-up exits, there is no dividend taxes on start-ups, and an Indian incorporated company can list outside of India without having to be listed in India after an IPO. I also hope that the government significantly improves Internet infrastructure with high speed internet, low cost data plans and less choppiness in mobile Internet. I would also like government to have a higher sensitivity around level playing for home grown companies and local entrepreneurs versus foreign digital /Internet companies," said Sandeep Aggarwal, founder and CEO, Droom.

Mobikwik

"The Union Budget for 2018-19 must announce robust incentive plans for women so that they can harness the potential of new digital technologies and evolve a large ecosystem of entrepreneurs. Comprising nearly half of the population, women can bring about a transformational change by contributing to innovation, inclusive development and nation building. Access to sanitary products should be advocated by the government. The GST on sanitary napkins should be revoked. We need to allocate more funds towards Nirbhaya funds for women's safety. More so, they need to be used in the right direction. The government should focus on creating more and sustainable job opportunities for women," said Upasana Taku, co-founder, MobiKwik.

Shopmatic

"The Indian government is taking great strides forward in digitising the entire country with its Digital India movement. That opens a very big opportunity for businesses to go online and sell. We continue to look forward to further initiatives in the Union Budget that will truly give startups and entrepreneurs a fillip in growing their businesses and taking them online. The country has a great potential to foster a startup environment and with the right initiatives and incentives, can indeed go a long way in encouraging millions of talented individuals to succeed," said Anurag Avula, co-founder and CEO, Shopmatic.

On a related note, the Union Budget will be presented on February 1.

This will be the last full-fledged budget to be presented by the Narendra Modi-led government, and the first one post the rollout of the GST.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Source: Business Standard

How he jumped from working in corporates to building Shopmatic

Where did the idea for Shopmatic come from?

My last corporate role was at PayPal where I was tasked to look after the merchant services portfolio and the PayPal franchise across Asia Pacific. That was when things got very interesting for me and my co-founders. We were engaging with customers from different markets, including emerging markets, and found that people did not have the tools and capability to take their businesses online. That’s how the idea for Shopmatic came about.

But prior to that, most of my experiences had been in emerging markets like India, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. That, along with our learnings from PayPal and understanding of ecommerce, made it clear that we needed to leverage our capabilities and provide solutions for people in those geographies.

What led you down the path of entrepreneurship?

There’s always been that itch in me to make a difference. I’m not saying that PayPal wasn’t making a difference, but I was making a difference under the cover and the umbrella of a larger enterprise.

In terms of age, I have a lot of gray hair right now, and making that jump was absolutely thought through in many ways. It was not impulsive, like we woke up one day and said, “Let’s go and do something.” We knew that there was a significant opportunity and that we wanted to build a sustainable business.

So while it was thought through, I would still say that you can never see all the elements that will come and hit you or make life interesting for you. But at the end of the day, the courage of our partners, the fact that we’re all working together for a common purpose, and having a brilliant team allow us to say that we’ve made the right call.

Where did you first launch Shopmatic?

We launched in India first. We felt that the biggest purpose would get us in a market like India, with the opportunities there and the fact that it is not an easy market.

I’m not saying any market is easy, but India is a lot harder than other markets, considering people’s access to or understanding of ecommerce, technology, data infrastructure, and things like that. Our approach was that if we were to get India right, then the rest of the markets would become a lot easier for us to work in.

So, we launched in India in January 2016, and then expanded to Singapore and Hong Kong about six months after.

How does Shopmatic differ from Shopify, Shopline, or the like?

I’ll try and tackle that on two different angles. One is from an overall value proposition standpoint. Our essence was clear: we want to provide the entire ecosystem for anyone wanting to sell online. That means right from creating storefronts to having a payment gateway, a logistics provider, shipping, and the ability to sell across multiple marketplaces (e.g. Amazon, eBay, Lazada, Zalora, Rakuten, or any other local marketplaces).

At a technology level, the way we approached it is to make sure that we had the entire ecosystem and we were hand-holding our customer through the entire process. For instance, if you sign up with Shopmatic and get assigned to Anurag, then he is your go-to guy for just about everything—from building your store to understanding SEO and how to use Google Adwords or Facebook Pixel. That’s how we round it off and bring the holistic solution to our customers.

How do you deal with the payment process?

To state it simply, we pre-integrate the payments engine on our platform. So typically, a merchant has to go to PayPal, get their API credentials, and bring them back onto the platform that they want to use. In our case, we take care of it for the merchants. What the sellers need to do is to have an account with the payment platform. We can transfer all the information that we’ve collected to PayPal or Citrus in India, and create an account on that front. Then, merchants will just have to follow the process.

Any expansion plans for 2018?

We’ll actually launch in UAE next month, and then in Indonesia and the Philippines before the end of the year. We want to be in 20 different countries in the next 24 months.

Any advice for someone making the jump from corporate to entrepreneurship?

One is I think there’s never a right time. If we always wait for the right time, it will never come because anything can happen in your life, and you’ll say, “OK, maybe let this pass, and I will think about it then.” It’s going to be too late, and the opportunity will be gone. And then you’re back to square one.

Believe in yourself and have the confidence that whatever it is, you’ll be able to see it through. You can make it happen. If you have a reasonably decent idea, have faith in yourself and just go for it. In large corporates, you always worry about where your next paycheck will come from. But if that’s the question in most people’s minds, then that’s where people would stay.

The second piece of advice is having the grit, persistence, and the belief that whatever comes your way will also pass. You will always get the curveballs anyway.

Moreover, if you can get a partner or partners, do it together because you will never be on top of the world every single day. You will feel down, depressed, and dejected. You will say, “What the hell did I do?” And you will need your business partners, people who would step in and say, “We’ll figure this out. We’ll take this forward.”

Lastly, if you don’t have a supportive family, it’s never going to work. Ideas, money, and all of that stuff shouldn’t be as much of an issue as with anyone living a corporate life if you really put your mind to what you want to do.

Source: Tech in Asia

Singapore startups to gain faster access to India's startup ecosystem

SINGAPORE startups can now gain faster access to India's bustling startup ecosystem to form partnerships and co-innovate with Indian startups, with the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Enterprise Singapore and The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) Singapore, one of the largest global entrepreneurship organisations on Wednesday.

Signed ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Singapore, the MOU kickstarts a Singapore-India incubation programme which aims to foster collaboration between Singapore and Indian startups through jointly-organised networking events, workshops and sessions with in-market mentors.

As a start, TiE Singapore will be running a startup mission in July with 10 Singapore startups to meet with Indian startups, corporates, mentors and investors to partner and co-innovate solutions in fintech, e-services and deeptech.

With a network of 11,000 members globally, India constitutes one-third of TiE Singapore's global membership.

Tan Soon Kim, assistant chief executive officer of Enterprise Singapore, said: "The Singapore-India Incubation Programme aims to introduce ideas and concepts between the ecosystems of both countries and foster collaboration between companies in each other's markets and in South-east Asia. Over time, we aim to establish a series of key innovation nodes within India to form an innovation network for Singapore companies to tap on."

Enterprise Singapore will also be signing an MOU with the National Skills Development Corporation (NSDC) India on Thursday, to be witnessed by Mr Modi and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations and Minister for Communications S Iswaran.

The MOU will facilitate the entry of Singapore vocational training companies into India to support the skills needs of the beauty and wellness, F&B, and construction and facilities management sectors.

Singapore vocational training companies will be able to tap several of NSDC's financing schemes, such as soft loan for equipment and equity injection for joint-venture projects with Indian training companies.

India has the third-largest startup ecosystem in the world, with over 4,750 startups. Its key focus areas include e-commerce, fintech, healthtech and edutech. In 2017, the value of startup funding amounted to approximately US$13.7 billion, up from US$4.06 billion in 2016.

For local e-commerce platform Shopmatic, India accounted for 75 per cent of their global business in 2017.

Source: Business Times

Boost for S'pore, India start-ups seeking to form tie-ups

It will soon be easier for local start-ups to form partnerships with their Indian counterparts, thanks to an agreement signed yesterday.

The memorandum of understanding between Enterprise Singapore and The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) Singapore was inked ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Singapore today.

It kick-starts an incubation programme that aims to foster collaboration between Singapore and Indian start-ups through jointly organised networking events, workshops and sessions with in-market mentors.

TiE Singapore will start the initiative by running a mission in July with 10 Singapore start-ups to meet Indian start-ups, corporates, mentors and investors, with the aim of seeking solutions in fintech, e-services and deep tech.

India constitutes one-third of TiE Singapore's 11,000-member global membership.

Enterprise Singapore assistant chief executive Tan Soon Kim said the programme "aims to introduce ideas and concepts between the ecosystems of both countries and foster collaboration... in each other's markets and in South-east Asia.

"Over time, we aim to establish a series of key innovation nodes within India to form an innovation network for Singapore companies to tap."

Enterprise Singapore will also sign a memorandum of understanding today with National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) India to facilitate the entry of Singapore vocational training companies into India. This will help lift skills in the beauty and wellness, food and beverage, and construction and facilities management sectors.

Singapore vocational training companies will be able to tap several NSDC financing schemes, such as soft loans for equipment and equity injection, for joint-venture projects with Indian training firms.

India has about 4,750 start-ups - the third-largest such ecosystem in the world. Its key focus areas include e-commerce, fintech, health tech and edu tech.

The value of start-up funding last year was about US$13.7 billion (S$18.4 billion), up from US$4.06 billion in 2016.

India accounted for 75 per cent of local e-commerce platform Shopmatic's global business last year.

Source: The Straits Times

Singapore gains faster access to India's thriving startup scene

This is made possible by a deal inked by Enterprise Singapore and The Indus Entrepreneurs.

Enterprise Singapore has signed a memorandum of understanding with global entrepreneurship organisation, The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) Singapore, enabling homegrown startups to gain faster entry to India’s thriving startup ecosystem.

India’s startup scene ranks third in the world, having produced over 4,750 startups largely in consumer tech verticals like e-commerce, edutech, healthtech and fintech.

The MOU kickstarts the Singapore-India incubation programme which aims to foster closer collaboration between startups from the two countries through jointly-organised networking events, workshops and mentoring sessions.

“The Singapore - India Incubation Programme aims to introduce ideas and concepts between the ecosystems of both countries and foster collaboration between companies in each other’s markets and in Southeast Asia,” said Enterprise Singapore assistant CEO Tan Soon Kim.

“Over time, we aim to establish a series of key innovation nodes within India to form an innovation network for Singapore companies to tap on,” he added.

Enterprise Singapore will also be signing an MOU with the National Skills Development Corporation (NSDC) India which aims to streamline the entry of local vocational training companies into India to support the skills needs of the beauty and we

llness, F&B, and construction and facilities management sectors. Singapore vocational training companies will be able to tap several of NSDC's financing schemes, such as soft loan for equipment and equity injection for joint-venture projects with Indian training companies.

Startups that have successfully established tapped on India’s booming market include AI image recognition solutions provider ViSenze who has forged a partnership with Indian retailer Myntra and e-commerce platform Shopmatic which owes three quarters of its global business to India.

Source: Singapore Business Review

Refer to these platforms to help kick-start your small business

Starting up is never easy, requiring the entrepreneur to wear multiple hats at the same time. While entrepreneurs can be geniuses in their field, taking care of starting and scaling the business, building the right team, establishing a brand's digital presence, handling escalations, ensuring optimum cash-flows etc. can easily put any aspiring entrepreneur under a tight spot.

Burning the midnight oil alone won't solve such colossal challenges and hence, we bring you 4 platforms that would. Here's listing 4 key platforms aspiring entrepreneurs may utilize, in order to start and scale up their business ventures.

Shopmatic is an international e-commerce company that has been launched to help business owners sell their products and services online. From developing a unique web store to listing businesses on marketplaces and social media channels, to giving insights on how to sell online, Shopmatic helps business owners manage the full spectrum of what is required to grow their businesses. They have also initiated a new 'Inspiring Entrepreneurship Program', to encourage entrepreneurship in India on a massive scale - is now offering its services at just USD 1 for 3 months.

Shopmatic introduces initiative to encourage entrepreneurs setup online shop for $1

International e-commerce company Shopmatic has introuduced a new initiative to encourage entrepreneurship in India on a massive scale.

Under its new ‘Inspiring Entrepreneurship Program’, the brand – which uses technology to bring to its customers all elements required to successfully sell online – is now offering its services at just $1 for three months.

Sellers across India will be able to use the brand’s cutting-edge tools to build an online store, manage their inventory, receive payments from customers.

“There are many aspiring entrepreneurs in India who have an idea, an ability to build beautiful products and intend to make a business by selling online. We have removed the complexity from ecommerce by eliminating the technological barriers that these entrepreneurs may have," said Anurag Avula, Cofounder & CEO, Shopmatic.

Shopmatic expects to create a significantly critical mass of entrepreneurs - homemakers, SMEs, students, bakers, artisans, craftsmen, photographers, service providers, designers etc to leverage this fantastic offer to take their business online and give a tremendous push to the Digital India initiative.

According to a Google-KPMG study, small and medium businesses going online in India could boost India’s GDP by as much as 10% by 2020. Shopmatic aims to use its suite of functions and tools to create a new generation of digitally-enabled small and medium businesses to capitalize this economic opportunity.

Source: Economic Times

Set-up shop online at $1

Under its Inspiring Entrepreneurship Programme, the brand is offering its tools to build an online store, manage their inventory, receive and fulfil orders and also process and receive payments from customers, read a statement.

Shopmatic Pro solution provides a customisable store builder, payment gateway integration, shipping and logistics integration, data insights and promotional tools.

After the first three months, the cost will be $20 per month.

Anurag Avula, CEO and Co-Founder, Shopmatic, said: "There are many aspiring entrepreneurs in India who have an idea, a creative capability or an ability to build beautiful products and intend to make a business by selling online. We have removed the complexity from e-commerce by eliminating the technological barriers that some aspiring entrepreneurs may have."

Source: Business Standard

Shopmatic joins hands with the Asia-Pacific MSME Trade Coalition

In a landmark development that will significantly enhance the growth opportunities available to MSMEs in the Asia-Pacific region, Singapore-based e-commerce company Shopmatic has announced its strategic partnership with the Asia-Pacific MSME Trade Coalition (AMTC), a working committee of the Asia Business Trade Association (ABTA). The association is aimed at extending Shopmatic’s innovative-commerce offerings and technological capabilities to more MSMEs in various high-potential markets across the region through AMTC, enabling them to build, launch, manage, and scale their online presence in a seamless and hassle-free manner

Speaking on the announcement, AnuragAvula, CEO of Shopmatic, said, “The association with AMTC will allow us to reach out to many more businesses in the region,as well as to bridge the gap between smaller businesses and government agencies, furthering our mission of enablingMSMEs to scale their operations online, conveniently and without hassles.”

These six platforms empower SMEs in India

The small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) sector is considered to be the backbone of the Indian economy. It is said to be the desired growth engine which helps India achieve an ambitious two-digit gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate.

In its current form, the SME sector contributes about 45 percent to the nation's GDP, which is about three times the corporate sector's contribution, and is estimated to have around 51 million units that employ more than 46 crore people.

But there is a void which is unorganised and limits these SMEs towards access to capital, infrastructure, technology, new market and economic policies related to taxation, which is restricting them rise to their full potential.

To harness the true potential of this sector, there are some tech-based platforms which are putting in innovation for the SMEs while witnessing inclusive growth, some of which are as follows:

OfBusiness - Business beyond financing

OfBusiness is a technology-driven SME financing platform that adds value to SME's business beyond financing through its raw material fulfilment engine and new opportunities platform.

Additionally, SMEs can use OfBusiness' proprietary platform - BidAssist - to discover new growth opportunities across public and private tenders. It serves SME's across the commanding heights of the India economy in Manufacturing (Auto, Power, Capital goods, Consumer goods, Pre-Fab, Solar, Plastics, etc.) and Infrastructure (Civil contractors - Government and Private).

OfBusiness serves as a single-window for SMEs in manufacturing and infrastructure sectors to get secured and unsecured credit lines enabling them for cost-effective procurement of raw material including industrial steel (structures, plates, and coils), TMT, electrical goods, cement, RMC, Bulk polymers, chemicals, building materials and solar installations. The platform aggregates these materials and passes the aggregation benefits to the SMEs.

Indifi Technologies - Accelarating access to capital

Indifi is a Gurgaon based platform for enabling debt-financing for small businesses. It aims to substantially improve the experience that borrowers get in terms of speed of approval and disbursement, convenience of the loan process, relevance of the loan product to their business needs, and finding the best rates in the market.

Driven by the idea of establishing or automating SMB financing in India, Indifi has emerged as an enabler for start-ups and small businesses to seek seamless access to funding through Collateral free loans.Indifi focuses heavily on bringing segment-specific products to the market.

Shopmatic - Hand-holding SMEs digitally

Shopmatic enables Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurs to take their business online enabling SMEs to build their online stores with integrated payment and shipping functions and sell their products or services through multiple channels. Data analytics and insights have also been built into the platform to help sellers be more effective in reaching out to their target audience.

Shopmatic provides customers with everything from free domain names to clickable, beautiful templates for building their unique stores- by clicking, replacing and uploading pictures and text as they go, to enabling of Payment and Shipping with domestic and international partners for them, to even helping them list on marketplaces like Amazon and eBay- should they so wish to do so.

NowFloats - Getting the discovered online

NowFloats is a 50 million company with over 600 employees working towards one aim - To help small businesses grow. The company is currently caters to 2,40,000 small businesses and 13 million customers present in more than 50 countries.

NowFloats help build companies "Local SEO" to ensure more customer walk-ins. The company focuses on how to get a small business or a retail store discovered online. NowFloats is a hyper local optimization technology which helps a consumer find the most relevant merchant around him who has a product. It is a go-to destination for any SME that plans to take their business to the next level. The company focusing on getting more businesses discovered, getting them online & making them bigger.

InCred - Integrating Hardcore Tech to make it simple

InCred is a new-age financial services group founded with the vision of providing credit and thus, furthering financial inclusion in the country. InCred has developed an algorithm driven, alternate data based and machine learning enabled risk management engine which enables it to build bespoke risk scorecards targeting the new-to-credit category of customers. By deploying technology and data science, they have optimised the customer experience and the loan turnaround process.

InCred has designed its products to be flexible and can tailor make them to best suit the requirements of its customers.

IndiaMART - Making Payments get easy for over 1 lakh SMEs

IndiaMART is India's largest online marketplace, connecting buyers with suppliers. IndiaMART's 'Pay With IndiaMART' feature allows to receive instant payment with click of a button. The hassle-free payment gateway with the advantage of receiving instant payments at the lowest possible interest rate of 1.75 percent makes it exceptionally suitable for SMEs, enabling sound financial dealings especially for those who cannot afford to wait for payments. Meanwhile, for the buyers, the digital payment service enables an Escrow Account, which takes care of the first point of payment collection till the product is received and confirmed by them.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Source: Business Standard

Five tips to start your new online business this Diwali

ADiwali is a great time to start your new online business or to take your existing business online.

So what is your next step? You've created your online store, taken some amazing photos of your products and activated an appropriate payment platform. Congratulations, you are up and running. Now you just need to sit back and wait for the customers to come pouring in, right?

Well, yes, in an ideal world -- but with the explosion of growth in e-commerce, you still need to make your store stand out from the crowd, grab your customers' attention, hold it and keep them returning for more. Here are five golden rules to start a successful business this Diwali.

1. Make your site clear and simple to use: When a customer reaches your site it should be obvious what you sell. Use a clean and professional template design that is simple in its message. Don't allow the customer to be distracted by countless and un-needed information. Show your most popular and best-selling products first as a way to draw people in to start exploring your site. Consider using a "carousel" picture collage so that they can easily scroll through the images and see what's on offer.

2. It's the little extras that make a big difference: Free shipping, great returns policy (or free returns over a certain purchase value), a toll free number -- making use of incentives to attract users is a great way to encourage loyalty. If you are able to offer these great advantages, make sure you shout about them loud and clear on your homepage.

3. Testimonials and reviews: Take one of your glowing references and put it somewhere obvious on your homepage. If you can accompany this with a picture, it reinforces the fact that real people trust and use your products and services. Customer reviews are trusted 12 times more than marketing by a company

4. Daily deals and other discounts: Daily deals are another hugely popular idea. By selling a limited quantity of products for a short amount of time you can generate new interest and increase your client base. Once you have drawn them in -- invite them to preview your other products.

5. Make a connection: Try to re-think your site as a content site that happens to sell products. Talk to your customers as you would to a friend and engage them so that they keep coming back for more. If you can demonstrate that you are passionate about your products and give tips and ideas on ways to use them, such as a demonstration video or a pinboard using your products, it adds more value to your site.

(Anurag Avula is the CEO of goshopmatic.com. The views expressed are personal. He can be contacted at anurag@goshopmatic.com)

--IANS

anurag/vm/sac

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Source: Business Standard

Cash in on the web

Homepreneurs take to e-commerce with an online store set up within minutes using just a mobile phone

Are you a creative person doing craftwork during your spare time at home, and selling those works of art through your friends’ circle and social media? Then you are one among the rapidly growing number of homepreneurs, helped liberally by better mobile devices and faster internet connectivity. Studies by multiple agencies indicate that the volume of sales by small retailers, especially homepreneurs via Facebook and WhatsApp, is on the rise.

Web storefront dream

Inspired by the popularity of platforms like Flipkart and Amazon, where people can both buy and sell, people with small businesses now own their very own online stores.

But reaching out to potential customers can be a challenge. While you can spread the word about the product via social media, setting up a website can be laborious, especially if you aren’t tech-savvy.

The online retail boom has spawned many e-com enablers. One of them is Shopmatic, set up by three former Paypal employees. It is dedicated to helping small entrepreneurs move to the online space with ease, provides a full business solution, and hand-holds small businesses to scale up. The company has a presence in India, Singapore and Hong Kong, with around 85,000 customers on board. Recently, it added a few new features, and it plans to enter Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines and Middle East in the next six to nine months.

“Our primary market segment is homepreneurs or people selling through Facebook or those who have a creative talent of their own but who haven't been able to take it to the next level,” says Anurag Avula, Chief Executive Officer & Co-founder, Shopmatic Group.

How it works

Shopmatic has two options. One is the basic model, Shopmatic Go, which is a mobile-based builder where you can set up a store for free in less than five minutes. Once set up, the product photos can be uploaded directly from the phone. There is an image optimiser backend that improves quality of the photos. The online store can be enabled for e-commerce with options for accepting payments via credit cards, debit cards, bank transfers. There is social media integration as well, to reach more people. The seller handles logistics: product packaging and shipping. The paid version, Shopmatic Pro, provides a full ecosystem, ranging from online storefront and payment to shipping, the ability to sell on marketplaces, discount tools, and a lot more.

For Neha Ailawadi, who sells unique decorative pieces, Shopmatic has worked well. “When we started this journey, the team guided me through the entire process. I was trained on how to create my own website, what look I want for it, how to list products, how to set up contact details and how to use SEO tool, Google analytics, and so on," says Ailawadi.

This platform is also for those who offer services, such as training in yoga or aerobics, or people who provide tuition to students, or even chartered accountants.

Selling globally

One of the features added recently helps merchants to open an account with Shopbot and automatically show up in product-comparison searches. Shopbot helps people to research, compare prices and buy online.

It brings together over 50 million online shoppers and over 15 million online products across the globe.

Ashish Kumar, who sells handcrafted fashion products under the brand Simply Kitsch, has in fact now begun looking beyond India. "We are excited to create our presence internationally and discover potential buyers all across the globe, opening new avenues we never thought we could before."

Another feature launched recently is professional support for a photoshoot of products, digital marketing assistance, and various financial services like loans, in partnership with HDFC Bank.

All the storefronts are also WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger enabled, which means, customers can easily communicate with the buyers through these messenger platforms.

Source: The Hindu

E-commerce co Shopmatic launches program to help sellers build their online presence

Shopmatic will reimburse the first 1000 sellers who subscribe for an annual plan from Singapore and India

Singapore-based e-commerce company Shopmatic, has today launched a month-long “Inspiring Entrepreneurship” program for merchants in India & Singapore.

The program is for any seller who has a business or wishes to start a business and sell their product or services online. Shopmatic will reimburse the first 1000 sellers who subscribe for an annual plan from Singapore and India.

The Program requires sellers to subscribe to the Annual Plan of Shopmatic (240 USD in India and 448 SGD in Singapore) any day between the 17th of July to 16th of August, 2017, get their sites ready and published, during that period.

Once these simple criteria are met, their subscription amounts will get fully reimbursed to them.

Anurag Avula, CEO of Shopmatic said, “Shopmatic’s purpose has been to support local sellers & entrepreneurs in enabling them to create their identities online and in achieving their entrepreneurial ambitions. This is reflected in the platform that we have built for our customers, the guided free consulting that is provided to every customer and in the simple, transparent & cost effective pricing that is available to every customer."

Shopmatic claims to have enabled over 75,000 sellers to build their online presence in India, Singapore & Hong Kong with its web based entire ecosystem product – Shopmatic Pro and a Mobile App – Shopmatic Go. It has also partnered with Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), PayPal, HDFC and many others to grow the ecommerce ecosystem in the countries that it operates in.

Source: Economic Times

Ecommerce company Shopmatic offers full reimbursement to Singapore, India subscribers

Shopmatic, a Singapore-based e-commerce company that enables merchants to take their business online, has launched a month-long ‘Inspiring Entrepreneurship’ programme for merchants in India and Singapore.

Shopmatic will fully reimburse the first 1,000 sellers from Singapore and India who subscribe for an annual plan. The programme is designed to inspire entrepreneurs and fuel their aspirations.

The first-of-its-kind programme requires sellers to subscribe to the Annual Plan of Shopmatic (costing USD240 in India and SGD448 in Singapore) between July 17 to August 16, 2017, and get their sites ready and published during the period.

Commenting on this initiative, Anurag Avula, CEO of Shopmatic, said, “Shopmatic’s purpose has been to support local sellers and entrepreneurs in enabling them to create their identities online and in achieving their entrepreneurial ambitions. This is reflected in the platform that we have built for our customers, the guided free consulting that is provided to every customer and in the simple, transparent and cost-effective pricing that is available to every customer.”

Shopmatic has enabled over 75,000 sellers to build their online presence in India, Singapore and Hong Kong with its web-based product Shopmatic Pro and Mobile App Shopmatic Go. It has also partnered with Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), PayPal, HDFC and many others to develop the e-commerce ecosystem in the countries that it operates in.

Founded in December 2014, Shopmatic is headquartered in Singapore and has offices in Gurgaon and Bangalore, India. For more information, please visit their website or contact them at media@goshopmatic.com.

Source: Connected to India

Singapore e-commerce enabler Shopmatic raises US$4.1M to expand to Indonesia, Philippines, Middle East

Shopmatic acquired Ruby on Rails evangelist firm 5xRuby last year

Shopmatic GO

Singapore-based e-commerce enabler Shopmatic has raised S$5.7 million (US$4.1 million) in a Series AA funding led by ACP and SPRING SEEDS Capital.

It will use the new round of financing to fund its expansion to Indonesia, the Philippines and the Middle East. Currently, Shopmatic is already present in India, Singapore and Hong Kong.

As part of the new round, Sameer Narula, Managing Partner, ACP, will join the Board of Directors of Shopmatic.

“We have witnessed tremendous growth in merchants leveraging our platform with monthly growth rates in excess of 40 per cent. Our approach of simplicity with a wide value proposition to our customers has deepened our engagement with sellers and grown the category of online sellers,” said Anurag Avula, CEO of Shopmatic, in an official press statement.

Also Read: Meet Shopmatic, a B2B startup that enables 50K clients to build their own webstores

Founded in Dec 2014, Shopmatic is a platform that helps SMEs and individual entrepreneurs embrace e-commerce selling. It provides tools that help them build online stores with integrated payment gateways.

Shopmatic also helps establish partnerships with logistics companies, and facilitate listings in marketplaces and social media. Additionally, it includes a backend analytics platform.

The service currently costs US$240 per year.

Last year, the company launched Shopmatic Go, a mobile app version of its product. To date, it claims to have logged more than 130,000 downloads.

Shopmatic also acquired 5xRuby, a Taiwanese business that lectures, educates, and gets the word out about how the coding language Ruby on Rails can impact companies, in 2016.

It said the goal of the acquisition was to “provide a streamlined experience backed by the latest technology stack and a talented platform development team.”

Source: Yahoo

Singapore’s Shopmatic raises $5.7m to expand to Indonesia, the Philippines

Maria George is a cordon bleu pastry chef in Mumbai. She has a website called Plattered that takes orders for cakes, tarts, macarons, and other yummy stuff and delivers them all over the city.
Ishmeet Singh Chandok became a dog chef after working for 5-star hotels like Hyatt and JW Marriott. His website Harley’s Corner delivers ready-to-eat wet foods like grisotto and doggie ice cream from recipes first tried on Ishmeet’s pet Harley.
Priya started with a Facebook page to sell paper quill earrings. When she added a buy button to it that took visitors to her website Rollsnfolds, the business took off. Now she sells all sorts of handmade gifts and also runs a craftworks shop in Yishun, Singapore.
They’re among the 75,000 customers who’ve used Shopmatic to build their online stores with all the bells and whistles from handling payments and deliveries to customer analytics – for a subscription fee of US$20 a month.

Shopmatic is an ecommerce enabler for small businesses as well as individual entrepreneurs. Apart from building and managing their own stores, sellers can use it to get on to multiple ecommerce marketplaces, put ‘buy’ buttons on their social media pages, and so on.

The three-year-old Singapore-based startup launched first in India to test and develop its product and business model. It also has a presence in Hong Kong. Now it’s ready to expand to new markets in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and the Middle East.

Today Shopmatic announced pre-series A funding of US$5.7 million led by Singapore-based VC firm ACP and Spring, which is an agency of Singapore’s ministry of trade and industry.

See: 45 hot software product startups from India and their cool ideas

Localization and simplicity
That it chose India to first launch its business in early 2016 is not surprising, with over 50 million small businesses in the country and millions of individual sellers trying to use social media and ecommerce marketplaces to broaden their reach.

A maker of pastries or paper quill earrings would find it hard to be visible on ecommerce marketplaces like Flipkart or Amazon, which mostly cater to known brands or their own selling arm, like Amazon’s Cloudtail in India. Shopmatic enables small, niche sellers to build their business on multiple channels, including their own online store, without having to worry about setting up a payment gateway or tying up with logistics providers for delivery.

“It takes less than five minutes to set up a full-stack online shop with Shopmatic,” CEO and co-founder Anurag Avula tells Tech in Asia. “Our approach of simplicity with a wide value proposition to our customers has grown the category of online sellers.”

See: Top 30 Indian B2B software product companies

“Going forward, ecommerce will play an even more critical role in omni-channel marketing strategies, to help businesses expand globally. We encourage all small and medium enterprises to embrace change and go digital,” adds Ted Tan, deputy chief executive of Spring Singapore, one of the lead investors in this round of funding.

Shopmatic’s biggest rival in this space is Canada’s Shopify. Localization is what differentiates Shopmatic, says Anurag. For example, it has tied up with India’s Citrus Pay, which got acquired by Nasper’s PayU, to provide an integrated payment gateway. Shopify supports multiple payment gateways, but a customer will need to choose the appropriate one in a particular market and set it up.

Shopmatic will, similarly, partner with local payment gateways in Indonesia and other markets. It has also focused on the needs of mobile-first markets like India and Indonesia. Last November, it launched its mobile version Shopmatic Go in India, which now accounts for two-thirds of its customers. The app was launched in Singapore a couple of weeks ago.

Source: Tech in Asia

Shopmatic raises $5.7 million from Singapore-based investment firms

E-commerce enabler platform Shopmatic has raised $5.7 million from Singapore-based investment firms ACP, and Spring Seeds Capital. Launched in 2014 by former Paypal employees Anurag Avula, Kris Chen, and Yen Li, the platform helps merchants and individual entrepreneurs set up store and sell online.

The company has over 75,000 merchants using its services. With over 70% of its revenue coming from India, the company is now planning to expand to other markets like UAE, Thailand, Indonesia, and Philippines.

"We have witnessed tremendous growth in merchants leveraging our platform with monthly growth rates in excess of 40%. More than 60% of the sellers on our platform are individual entrepreneurs. Our approach of simplicity with a wide value proposition to our customers has deepened our engagement with sellers and grown the category of online sellers," said Avula.

This is the second fund raise for the platform. It had earlier raised a seed fund of $2 million from angel investors.

Shopmatic competes with Delhi-based KartRocket, Hyderabad-based NowFloats, and Pune-based Shoptimize. The space has been seeing investor activity for some time. Both KartRocket and NowFloats have raised upwards of $10 million each in funding so far. Apart from helping merchants come online, the platforms help integrate payment and shipping functions and sell their products or services through multiple channels.

Ted Tan, deputy chief executive of Spring Singapore and chairman of Spring Seeds Capital, said, "Going forward, e-commerce will play an even more critical role in omni-channel marketing strategies, to help businesses expand globally. We encourage all SMEs to embrace change and go digital."

Source: Times of India

S'pore's Shopmatic Sets Sights To Help Regional SMEs Grow Digitally - Raises $5.7M To Do So

Singapore-based e-commerce firm Shopmatic announced yesterday (June 13) that it has raised $5.7 million of Series AA funding led by ACP Pte Ltd, a technology-focused VC firm; and SPRING SEEDS Capital Pte Ltd, the investment arm of SPRING Singapore.

Shopmatic will be using the new round of financing to fund its expansion to Indonesia, the Philippines and the Middle East.

Currently, Shopmatic is already present in India, Singapore and Hong Kong.

As part of this round of funding, Sameer Narula, Managing Partner of ACP will also be joining Shopmatic’s Board of Directors.

“We have witnessed tremendous growth in merchants leveraging our platform with monthly growth rates in excess of 40 per cent. Our approach of simplicity with a wide value proposition to our customers has deepened our engagement with sellers and grown the category of online sellers,” said Anurag Avula, CEO of Shopmatic.

“With this round of funds, we aim to expand our service to a wider seller base across more markets in Asia and other emerging markets.”

Choosing India To First Launch Its Business
Founded in December 2014 by three ex-PayPal employees, Shopmatic launched first in India to test and develop its product and business model.

But it’s not a surprising choice though – with over 50 million small businesses in the country, and millions of individual sellers trying to use social media and e-commerce marketplaces to broaden their reach, this market move makes total sense.

According to a recent Google-KPMG report, out of an estimated 51 million small and medium enterprises in India, only 10 million are technology ready.

So this presents a huge opportunity for them.

“While everybody wants to take their business online, they need a lot of handholding to overcome latent barriers,” Avula remarked to The Economic Times.

In fact, last November, it launched a mobile app called Shopmatic Go to enable its sellers to build online sites using their mobile phones in just two minutes.

To date, the app has seen more than 130,000 downloads.

Helping SMEs To Grow Their Business Online
The three-year-old Singapore startup essentially enables small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurs to take their business online.

Shopmatic caters to a multitude of merchants, including brick-and-mortar retailers and those selling on online marketplaces. From building a website to listing it on an e-marketplace, promoting it on social channels, and providing useful customer insights, Shopmatic handles everything that merchants and individuals need to grow their business online.

Its platform enables SMEs to build their online stores with integrated payment and shipping functions, and sell their products or services through multiple channels.

Data analytics and insights have also been built into the platform to help sellers be more effective in reaching out to their target audience.

With the help of the dashboard, one can easily monitor the volume of the sales on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis and assess business growth.

“By using the deep data-sets generated on its platform, Shopmatic has the potential to enable SMEs and partners to better target their services and products and to accelerate the adoption of e-commerce in these high-growth markets,” said Sameer Narula.

Source: Vulcan Post

Shopmatic raises USD 5.7 million funding

E-commerce technology provider Shopmatic today said it has raised USD 5.7 million from a group of investors led by venture capitalist firm ACP Pte Ltd and Spring Seeds Capital.

The company will use this fund to expand its global footprint.

"Shopmatic..Has raised USD 5.7 million of Series AA funding led by ACP Pte Ltd, a technology focussed Venture Capital firm, and Sping Seeds Capital Pte," the company said in a statement.

The technology firm at present has operators in India, Singapore and Hong Kong.

"After having successfully scaled its operations in India, Singapore and Hong Kong, Shopmatic will be using the funds to expand into other markets in Indonesia, the Philippines and the Middle East," the statement said.

As part of this round of funding, ACP Managing Partner Sameer Narula will join the board of directors of Shopmatic.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Source: Business Standard

Shopmatic Raises Series A Funding of $5.7M from ACP, Spring SEEDS Capital and Others

Shopmatic has made significant strides in the past year with the launch of Shopmatic Go, a mobile-centric product with more than 130,000 downloads since November and with the acquisition of Taiwan-based 5xRuby, a leading technology development house.

Shopmatic, a Singapore-based e-commerce company providing a platform for merchants and individual entrepreneurs to sell online, has raised $5.7 million of Series A funding led by ACP Pte Ltd, a technology focused Venture Capital firm, and SPRING SEEDS Capital Pte. Ltd, the investment subsidiary of SPRING Singapore.

After having successfully scaled its operations in India, Singapore and Hong Kong, Shopmatic will be using the funds to expand into other markets in Indonesia, the Philippines and the Middle East. As part of this round of funding, Mr. Sameer Narula, Managing Partner, ACP, shall be joining the Board of Directors of Shopmatic.

Founded in December 2014, Shopmatic enables Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurs to take their business online. Its platform enables SMEs to build their online stores with integrated payment and shipping functions and sell their products or services through multiple channels. Data analytics and insights have also been built into the platform to help sellers be more effective in reaching out to their target audience.

Shopmatic has made significant strides in the past year with the launch of Shopmatic Go, a mobile-centric product with more than 130,000 downloads since November and with the acquisition of Taiwan-based 5xRuby, a leading technology development house.

Anurag Avula, CEO of Shopmatic, said, “We have witnessed tremendous growth in merchants leveraging our platform with monthly growth rates in excess of 40%. Our approach of simplicity with a wide value proposition to our customers has deepened our engagement with sellers and grown the category of online sellers. With this round of funds, we aim to expand our service to a wider seller base across more markets in Asia and other emerging markets. We are delighted to have ACP and SPRING SEEDS Capital as our strategical partners and as part of our growth story.”

Sameer Narula, Managing Partner of ACP, said, “We are excited about Shopmatic’s vision of enabling mass adoption of e-commerce in emerging markets and proud to partner with them as investors. By using the deep data-sets generated on its platform, Shopmatic has the potential to enable SMEs and partners better target their services and products and to accelerate the adoption of e-commerce in these high growth markets. With this round of funding, we believe that the company is perfectly positioned to execute on its regional expansion strategy and help change the way business is done in the region.”

Ted Tan, Deputy Chief Executive of SPRING Singapore and Chairman of SPRING SEEDS Capital, said, “Going forward, e-Commerce will play an even more critical role in omni-channel marketing strategies, to help businesses expand globally. We encourage all SMEs to embrace change and go digital. Technologies like Shopmatic’s web and mobile platforms will help transform the way retailers engage their customers, by offering better shopping experiences.”

Shopmatic caters to a multitude of merchants, including brick-and-mortar retailers and those selling on online marketplaces. From building a website to listing it on an e-marketplace, promoting it on social channels, and providing useful customer insights, Shopmatic handles everything that merchants and individuals need to grow their business online.

Source: BW Disrupt

Singapore e-commerce enabler Shopmatic raises US$4.1M to expand to Indonesia, Philippines, Middle East

Shopmatic acquired Ruby on Rails evangelist firm 5xRuby last year

Singapore-based e-commerce enabler Shopmatic has raised S$5.7 million (US$4.1 million) in a Series AA funding led by ACP and SPRING SEEDS Capital.

It will use the new round of financing to fund its expansion to Indonesia, the Philippines and the Middle East. Currently, Shopmatic is already present in India, Singapore and Hong Kong.

As part of the new round, Sameer Narula, Managing Partner, ACP, will join the Board of Directors of Shopmatic.

“We have witnessed tremendous growth in merchants leveraging our platform with monthly growth rates in excess of 40 per cent. Our approach of simplicity with a wide value proposition to our customers has deepened our engagement with sellers and grown the category of online sellers,” said Anurag Avula, CEO of Shopmatic, in an official press statement.

Also Read: Meet Shopmatic, a B2B startup that enables 50K clients to build their own webstores

Founded in Dec 2014, Shopmatic is a platform that helps SMEs and individual entrepreneurs embrace e-commerce selling. It provides tools that help them build online stores with integrated payment gateways.

Shopmatic also helps establish partnerships with logistics companies, and facilitate listings in marketplaces and social media. Additionally, it includes a backend analytics platform.

The service currently costs US$240 per year.

Last year, the company launched Shopmatic Go, a mobile app version of its product. To date, it claims to have logged more than 130,000 downloads.

Shopmatic also acquired 5xRuby, a Taiwanese business that lectures, educates, and gets the word out about how the coding language Ruby on Rails can impact companies, in 2016.

It said the goal of the acquisition was to “provide a streamlined experience backed by the latest technology stack and a talented platform development team.”

Source: Entrepreneurs 27

Shopmatic raises USD 5.7 million funding

New Delhi, Jun 13 (PTI) E-commerce technology provider Shopmatic today said it has raised USD 5.7 million from a group of investors led by venture capitalist firm ACP Pte Ltd and Spring Seeds Capital.

The company will use this fund to expand its global footprint.

"Shopmatic..has raised USD 5.7 million of Series AA funding led by ACP Pte Ltd, a technology focussed Venture Capital firm, and Sping Seeds Capital Pte," the company said in a statement.

The technology firm at present has operators in India, Singapore and Hong Kong.

"After having successfully scaled its operations in India, Singapore and Hong Kong, Shopmatic will be using the funds to expand into other markets in Indonesia, the Philippines and the Middle East," the statement said.

As part of this round of funding, ACP Managing Partner Sameer Narula will join the board of directors of Shopmatic. PTI PRS BAL

Source: India Today

#SgGoesGlobal: Shopmatic discovers the key to unlocking India's consumer market: mobile

Shopmatic may be based in Singapore but when the e-marketplace service provider start-up launched, it went global first — entering the challenging but promising Indian market even before Singapore's. By 2020, Shopmatic is poised to enter 20 markets with IE Singapore as a partner.

When homegrown e-marketplace service provider start-up Shopmatic says they were "thinking global from day one", they don't just mean figuratively.

"We actually launched in India first, and then in Singapore four or five months later," said Shopmatic CEO and co-founder Mr. Anurag Avula. "A month after that, we were in Hong Kong."

It was an unusual strategy, Avula conceded — choosing to first launch their business abroad before establishing themselves on home turf. The speed at which the company expanded their global footprint was also remarkable. Within six months of launching their e-commerce service platform in January 2016, Shopmatic had established itself in three countries across Asia. And the company is showing no signs of stopping.

Shopmatic is planning to expand to three more markets, including the Middle East, in 2017. By 2020, the firm says it hopes to be in a total of 20 markets all over the globe.

This global-first approach and "tremendous" pace of growth may seem atypical, said Avula, but Shopmatic — which has been working with IE Singapore since 2016 to achieve its international goals — is banking on this bold strategy to keep ahead of the curve, and the competition.

"Some companies believe that you have to build your base here in Singapore first… but for us, we were thinking global from day one," said Avula. "The Singapore market is great and it's important to us, but it's equally if not more important to leverage the opportunities that other global markets have."

Shopmatic says it also wants to move fast to ensure it is establishing a foothold for itself in the growing e-commerce landscape in emerging markets in both Asia and beyond.

"Our goal is to extend our footprint into multiple emerging economies," said Avula. "It's a tougher route, clearly. You're going into countries that don't necessarily understand e-commerce. So you work with that and build for that. But when the comprehension comes in and when there's a tipping point in the market, then you're very well placed to leverage the benefits that accrue out of that."

Shopmatic's online platform, which helps both companies and individuals bring their businesses online, was specifically tailored for developing markets, Avula said.

The easy-to-use DIY platform is localised for each market and includes "all the pieces of the e-commerce ecosystem" — from built-in analytics and inventory management tools to payment and shipping options. It also helps users to list their products on online marketplaces such as eBay, Amazon and Lazada. Users can also seek advice from Shopmatic's e-commerce consultants who can help enterprises both big and small set up their online stores and figure out how to boost sales.

"We wanted to build a platform that allowed anyone who wants to sell online to be able to do that — whether it's a small business or an individual entrepreneur who sells wonderful cakes from home," said Avula. "We wanted to democratise the process, making it easy, simple and cost-effective."

On the regular Shopmatic platform, sellers can set up an entire store in 15 minutes or less, said Avula. On Shopmatic Go, the free mobile version of the platform, a fully-functioning store can be put together in under 3 minutes.

Shopmatic's localised products with a global-centric approach appears to be serving the company well. Their full-stack platform has 50,000 users to date, said Avula. Shopmatic Go, which was launched in November 2016, has more than 100,000. But with all the success comes challenges too.

In India, for example, the company learned early on how important it was to "localise and customise" in a country so vast and diverse. "We also overestimated the technology infrastructure there," said Avula. Access to Wifi, for instance, is limited and unreliable for large swathes of the country. The company also discovered that though India's IT sector is globally-recognised, e-commerce in particular remains an underdeveloped area which requires much more education.

But staying nimble and adaptive helped the company survive and thrive, said Avula. Wifi might be spotty, but smartphone penetration in India is extremely high, with over 320 million smartphone users in the country. Also, though e-commerce education was lacking, Shopmatic discovered that millions of small business owners and "mompreneurs" were using platforms like Facebook to sell their goods and services.

Shopmatic thus decided, much earlier than planned, to launch Shopmatic Go to cater to these smaller-scale merchants and entrepreneurs who could use their mobile phones, at no cost, to quickly and seamlessly set up an online store. "We always knew we had to go mobile, but after learning from our experiences in the first 6 months, we decided to expedite the process," said Avula.

The decision ultimately paid off. Shopmatic said they had been expecting about 8,000 users on the mobile platform within the first few months of launch; instead, within four months, 100,000 had signed up. Sixty percent of users on the platform are small-scale enterprises, said Avula. "It's changed the game for us."

India is targeted to make up 75 percent of Shopmatic's business in 2017. The company says it plans to continue to grow its business there. IE Singapore, which provided grants to the company to open offices in the cities of Bangalore and Gurgaon, is currently working to connect the firm to local governments and partners — connections that could further boost Shopmatic's reach in the country.

"IE's financial assistance has been great, but it's the non-financial help that's really helpful," said Avula. "IE connects us with partners who can further our value proposition, making us more competitive and allowing us to offer more to our customers."

"IE has made our lives a lot easier," Avula added.

Shopmatic has big plans for the coming years. Indonesia, the Philippines and the Middle East are markets they're targeting in 2017. The company says it also sees Africa and Latin America in its near future.

IE Singapore continues to help Shopmatic to achieve its global aims, helping the company identify and conduct research into potential target markets and connecting the firm with local partners and other contacts.

"As a start-up with global aspirations, it's been a challenging journey at times, but IE has been a fantastic partner," said Avula. "They've given us a good knowledge base in some markets, like the Middle East and Africa, where we started off with absolutely no knowledge. They've connected us with some partners and large companies that would have been challenging for us to access alone."

"I don't expect anyone to come in and help us run our business, but it's been so helpful to have someone come in and help us shorten the starting-up process," Avula added. "IE has been that great bridge for us."

In the Middle East, where Shopmatic is working to incorporate an entity in the United Arab Emirates, IE is helping the company navigate the regulatory environment and to connect the firm with the UAE government.

"Helping us to engage with local governments has been one of the biggest value-adds from our partnership with IE," said Avula. "That's huge. For a company that's just starting out, that help has just been phenomenal."

Source: Channel News Asia

Apps that can help Professionals to turn Entrepreneurs

Starting an online business is by no means an easy undertaking.

If one wants to learn how to make money online while carrying out their full-time professional job, they need to have a good business idea as well as readily available tools to carry out their business seamlessly. A perfect part-time business would have to be very effortless to begin. It would also ideally require less investment of time and money and no very essential technical expertise.

Another important factor would be that the business would be easy to maintain and demonstrate a high probability of success.

Here are some companies that help you pursue your online business ideas easily with the most returns:

Shopmatic

Singapore based technology company Shopmatic, works by removing the complexities of setting up an ecommerce business. The company solves the e-Commerce mystery by bringing together all the aspects required of the e-Commerce ecosystem on a single platform and creates an ecosystem for millions of entrepreneurs to be an online seller. It handles challenges like managing selling channels, integrating payment and delivery systems.

Uber

Driving with Uber is a great way to earn extra cash on an individual's personal schedule. The more one drives, the more they can earn. It's simple and perfect for those looking for a seasonal part time job opportunity. One can set their own hours, according to their convenience. Even a professional sales person, for example who travels a quite a bit for work can use Uber to enjoy a few hours to make extra cash by making trips.

Urban Clap

The company has opened a new life chapter for working professionals by boosting their earning capacity. It has also allowed people to create additional employment, by making them feel like they are their own bosses, which emphasizes some level of independence. The people registered on the platform are a generation of new entrepreneurs who are use their extra hours to make money by putting their skills into action.

Innerchef

If one has a passion for cooking and experimenting with ingredients then they could use their handiness at Innerchef. The platform is home to several talented chefs who use their free time to get their food delivered to several households. The platform provides the individuals with all the necessary equipments and also their in-house kitchen to carry out their cooking tasks. There is no hassle of setting up an online platform to get the food delivered and the cooks are not required to manage the task of maintaining their own website.

Instagram Business

Instagram today is not just a niche social networking platform anymore. Sharing photos and videos is what Instagram is all about and now one can use the platform to carry out their business for free of cost. One can showcase graphically amusing and inspiring stories about their business and brand through visuals and also list their products for sale on the platform.

Source: Yahoo

Ecommerce marketplace to lead India on global platform

The global B2B e-Commerce marketplace is constantly maturing and India is on its way to become an active participant in this change. In the recent years, the industry has dawn the growth potential which is likely to touch 45 lakh crore by the year 2020 in India.

The B2B technology implementation is not easy and requires its players to be innovative in a friendly way, thereby coming up with a less time consuming tool. SMEs and homepreneurs have not only found help from technologies like marketing automation, channel integration, content marketing and mobile marketing, they have been enabled to make strong logistical connections with exporters and businesses to insure a smooth process.

Since these players also educate the local and small sellers, e-Commerce could possibly become a trend in our rural areas if government helps in improving infrastructure and internet connectivity.

Below are some players who are leading the race to take to take India ahead:

Amazon

US based Amazon has its maximum focus in providing small businesses including kirana stores, pharmacies, mobile retailers, small offices, nursing homes and restaurants a convenient online shopping experience that saves them time and money.

It provides a wide selection, low prices and a convenient shopping and delivery experience to their members.

Shopmatic

Singapore based technology company Shopmatic, works by removing the complexities of setting up an ecommerce business.

The company solves the e-Commerce puzzle by bringing all the pieces of e-Commerce ecosystem on a single platform and lays a path for millions of entrepreneurs to be an online seller. It handles challenges like managing selling channels, integrating payment and delivery systems.

KartRocket

eCommerce software platform KartRocket empowers SME's, small retailers and entrepreneurs to start their own online business. KartRocket's DIY e-Commerce solution enables them to create an online store, design and customize it in less than 10 min. Its unique services include free payment gateway integration, stunning e-Commerce store with mobile responsive designs, mobile app to manage the store and automated shipping solution.

Bizongo

The company aims at establishing marketplace which can provide the complete experience of selecting the right product, seamless communication between buyer/seller and secure transactions. It helps with simplifying the sourcing and easy searching.

Industry buying

A platform for industrial goods and supplies, maintains fully catalogued collection of over 1.5 Lac SKUs, from brands across global geographies where regular buyers are offered credit and the purchasing process is quite straightforward.

It has seen good traction already on its portal with orders doubling on a month-over-month basis. The company is omnipresent in both online and offline markets.

Tolexo

A platform for the SMEs, Tolexo provides consumer shopping experience for the largest collection of products needed by businesses, factories, offices and laboratories.

It offers assortment of products spanning more than 28 categories. From small to large, to buy and sell goods online, by providing technology and services that enables selection, payments, customer support and fulfillment.

Source: ET Retail

Post Budget 2017, e-commerce players shift focus to rural India

The e-commerce and online market place in India are seeing lucrative opportunities coming from the rural areas following Union budget's focus to boost rural economy and promote digital transactions.

"Biggest thrust for e-commerce will come from two key budget initiatives- target to connect more than 1.5 lakh gram panchayats with high speed brand and focus on digital transactions through merchant enabled Aadhar payments and BHIM. Many sectors have benefited from the increased rural demand as a result of agriculture reforms and MGNREGA. Now with the increased penetration of smart phones and internet, we expect a large base of first time online consumers to come from rural areas this year", said Sujayath Ali , co- founder of Fashion e-commerce player Voonik.com

Voonik already covers more than 28,000 pin codes and more than 70 per cent of its demand comes from Tier II and Tier III towns.

"The budget drops some hints about the direction rural spending will take. Real impact will depend on implementation of the reform moves and government projects. These initiatives will impact the demand in tier III and IV cities of the country. We have seen a steady increase in demand from smaller towns. From the current level of $120 million GMV, we aim to scale up our business to GMV of $300million to be profitable", he added.

Capillary technologies that provides OmniChannel engagement and commerce solutions that help consumer brands to increase their customer reach, engagement, sales and loyalty, too is anticipating that consumptions will come from smaller towns.

"According to recent surveys, half of all Indian internet users base will be from rural areas in 2020. With close to 2/3rd of the population being based in the rural markets, the proposed technical enhancements will surely generate business numbers to be accomplished", said Abhijeet Vijayvergia, vice president, Capillary Technologies.

Capillary Technologies, which provides cloud-based software solutions for retailers, expects that over the next three years, consumption will be driven by factors like internet and smartphone penetration, increase in per capita income, and growing number of debit and credit card users.

"With convenience as a prime driver, the GMV of online shopping is expected to grow at a CAGR of 50-60 per cent to $80-100 billion by 2020. It is noteworthy that the major surge in consumption is witnessed in tier-II and tier-III cities. Focus on infrastructure will eventually add up to better functioning of logistics and there by connecting town which were not accessible previously. This will eventually add to the consumption," said Vijayvergia, who is also the business head at Capillary Technologies.

Anurag Avula, chief executive officer and founder, Shopmatic stated that the budget, by all means, has showed positive reforms being proposed in favour of digital pay systems for the common man, more specifically in rural and semi-urban areas.

"It's great to see elevation of high speed broadband connection in rural and tier II and III cities, which further nurtures the country's tech essence. The increasing mobile internet penetration, increasing rural incomes are among various factors which have opened the doors for e-commerce in the rural parts of India. The online platform is currently exceedingly English-centric. If the e-commerce industry aspires to reach out to the rural population, it will have to communicate in all the 22 Indian regional languages, added Avula.

To unravel these concerns, the industry will have to come out with more innovative solutions in the future. The increasing mobile and internet penetration, connectivity and rising rural income will mutually motivate the online business in rural India at the moment, he added.

Source: Business Standard

App of the Week: Shopmatic Go

When was the last time you bought something offline? Ok, that might be a stretch but it's undeniable that the things we shop for offline are reducing every day in number. During such times, setting up an online store for your products is absolutely necessary and Shopmatic Go aims to make that as easy as if can get.

If you're not really keen on interacting with web designers and developers, or have had a bad experience in the past, Shopmatic Go aims to fill that gap by providing an easy way to set up your online store right from your smartphone.

Available on Android and iOS, the App offers two plans - Go and Pro. While the Go is what you need to set up a pretty basic online store, some of the Pro features like a custom domain, international payment support, analytics etc are necessary if you want to set your store apart. Unfortunately, the app only offers the Go version, although it is clearly enough if you’re looking for a basic online store to get started without investing much on infrastructure.

The app is free and it will allow all individuals and merchants to develop their online stores by snapping pictures of their products, enabling payments, and selling their products by sharing on social channels, from their phones.

How easy is it? Well, to start off, you can login with your phone’s Google account or Facebook account (there’s a separate sign in as well, in case you don’t want to link this to your accounts). After a simple sign-in, you are prompted to add your first product. How complicated could that be? As easy as taking a picture. You click a picture of your product from your smartphone camera or select one from your album if you’ve got one ready. This is a handy feature since you might have done a professional photoshoot for whatever product you will be selling on your store.

Once the image selection is done, the next screen lets you edit your picture with certain Instagram-like filters. You can even pull off some specific edits from the advanced edits section, like adjusting the saturation, white balance and more. Once you’re satisfied with the image, hit next. The screen where you will be right now will prompt you to enter details about the product like the name, selling price, MRP, stock etc. The app doesn’t support batch uploads yet, so any database files or worksheets that you might have been maintaining your product data in might not be too useful here.

As the next step, you will have to setup your store. This will require you to select a name for your store, which will be appended by ‘.myshopmatic.com’ as a URL in the GO version of the service. Ensure that you’ve entered other details like Address, Contact number etc then move on to enabling the payment gateway (currently only Citrus Pay in India) in one tap and your store is ready to be published! Make sure that you’ve got everything right at this stage about your store since the store URL and certain other details are unchangeable after the store is live.

You can continue adding more products before or after the store is live and you can also share the store directly to social media from within the app. This truly makes setting up, managing and publicising your online store the matter of a few taps. If you’re a budding entrepreneur and have something to sell online, it couldn’t get easier than this.

Source: Digit

Make a DIY Website under 3 minutes

All startups today need an online presence to be heard by the right audience. This brings along another requirement of establishing a reliable e-commerce portal to sell products. Here is where, websites like shopmatic.com can help you.

Founded by Anurag Avula, Yen Lim and Kris Chen in December 2014, shopmatic.com primarily works in Singapore with corporate offices in Gurgaon and Bengaluru.

Anurag describes the features of shopmatic, which will allow customers to generate a user-friendly webpage for their businesses. “We are an e-commerce enabling company helping anyone who wants to sell online. We create the entire ecostructure for them online,” he says.

“This includes everything ­— right from creating templates, adding payments, shipping, marketing and selling to managing social media channels for them. We try make this happen for both small businesses and individual entrepreneurs,” he adds.

It is a free platform to create a website. “The other is Shopmatic Pro launched last year in January. You get to choose from 65-70 templates, allowing you to have a domain name, make domestic and international payments, shipping both local and globally and encourages one to sell on multiple market places whether it is eBay or Amazon in India.” This website is given at a subscription price of $20 a month. Shopmatic.com provides access to multiple sales channels. They help customers manage a Facebook store too.

A lot of people in India are keen on getting on to the online bandwagon, but lack the appropriate means to make it through.

“In the current context, they would just go to Facebook or Instagram and sell using those channels, but that doesn’t allow you to give the professionalism of a store front nor does it allow you to complete the transactions.” explains Anurag.

He says that the firm recognises that when people want to create an online forefront, researchability, discoverability will take a lot of time.

“In that time you can leverage the channel of the market places, the social platforms that’s available to you and build a base around that. We have over 40,000 customers in India now on goshopmatic.com. It is not an individual forefront, but is about the Facebook presence,” he adds.

India is the first market the company was launched in, states Anurag. They will launch themselves in other markets like Thailand, Philippines and Indonesia by the middle of 2017.

Source: New Indian Express

Union Budget 2017: Anurag Avula said it is, ‘interesting to note is the government’s interest in start-ups’

Union Budget 2017: "We believe that the fresh moves made will cultivate the rising upsurge of tech and digital initiatives to further energise the GDP of our nation"- Anurag Avula.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley earlier tabled the Union Budget 2017 on February 1in front of both the houses of Parliament. This year the Union Budget included both General and Railway Budget and it received mixed reactions from different people of the industry. Anurag Avula, CEO and Founder, Shopmatic said, “It’s agreeable to see positive reforms being proposed in favour of digital pay systems for the common man, more specifically in rural and semi-urban areas. The move for forming reduction on tax for small and medium enterprises’ is a boost to “The Make in India initiative”, that will encourage the nation to keep in lines with motivational 2017-2018 budget theme of Transform, energize and clean India.

He also said, “It’s also great to see improvement on the high speed broadband connection in rural and tier 2 and 3 cities, which further nurtures the country’s tech essence. What is interesting to note is the government’s interest in start-ups and on energising youth & creating jobs. The Profit linked-deductions for start-ups that has been reduced to 3 years out of 7 years, will certainly ease the process.”

Source: The Financial Express

E-commerce enabler Shopmatic acquires 5X Ruby

E-commerce enabler Shopmatic has acquired a majority stake in Taiwan-based 5X Ruby to strengthen its research and technology team. The technology company which uses Ruby on Rails web application development format which uses less code and makes apps easier to create.

Singapore headquartered Shopmatic which helps small businesses sell online using the do-it-yourself platform has acquired 51% in 5X Ruby at an undisclosed valuation in a mixed cash and equity deal.

“We plan on developing value-added services for our customers including inventory management service, integrate payments on the platform, aggregation and taxation. For these services we will be using the technology from 5X Ruby. Some of the 20 member team of the company will be working with Shopmatic’s lab to design these solutions,” said Anurag Avula, co-founder of Shopmatic.

85-90% of Shopmatic’s business coming from India including 20,000 on Shopmatic Pro and 15,000 using the app. With the acquisition, the platform is looking to enter new markets by early 2017 and strengthen its presence in other South Asian markets in Japan and others.

The company had raised a seed round of $ 1.5 million from a group of undisclosed investors from India, Singapore and US in October 2015.

Source: The Economic Times

Shopmatic acquires Taiwan-based tech firm 5xRuby

To provide its customers a streamlined experience, Singapore-based e-commerce firm Shopmatic on Thursday acquired Taiwan-based technology firm 5xRuby.

"This acquisition will not only enable us to strengthen our stance as the leading platform that enables businesses to go online, but also to scale and enter new markets at a faster pace," said Anurag Avula, CEO of Shopmatic Group.

Shopmatic customers will require no technical know-how as they use the latest technologies to make it easy for anyone who intends to take their business online.

"We are excited to team up with Shopmatic to strengthen its online platform with our elegant, fun and productive language so that their merchants can focus on growing their business," said Eddie Kao, Co-founder, 5xRuby.

Source: Business Standard

Ecommerce service provider Shopmatic nabs Ruby on Rails dev team through acquisition

Singapore-based ecommerce startup Shopmatic has acquired Taiwanese Ruby on Rails technology company 5xRuby, it announced today.

The deal was a combination of cash and shares, Shopmatic CEO Anurag Avula tells Tech in Asia, although he doesn’t disclose the amount.

5xRuby was established in 2014 as a community of Ruby on Rails developers who wanted to spread their coding message in the region. It provides consulting, training, and development services.

Shopmatic provides ecommerce services to small businesses. It helps them set up an online shop, lists the seller’s products on sites like eBay, Amazon, Flipkart, and Lazada, and provides tools for analytics, inventory management, and logistics.

Founded by former PayPal staffers Anurag Avula, Yen Lim, and Kris Chen, the startup wants to solve the problem of small merchants who find it daunting to bring their business online. Its core user base is currently in India.

Partnering with 5xRuby is meant to improve Shopmatic’s tech and give the company an established platform development team. Anurag says 5xRuby’s team team will now be part of the Shopmatic Group but will continue operations in Taiwan “with its own identity, purpose, culture, and independence.”

Anurag doesn’t reveal any figures on the company’s traction. In the coming year, Shopmatic plans to expand to more markets. He mentions Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand as examples of countries where the startup could bring value to merchants.

“This acquisition will enable us to scale and enter new markets at a faster pace,” says Anurag in a statement.

“We are excited to team up with Shopmatic to strengthen its online platform with our elegant, fun and productive language so that their merchants can focus on growing their business,” adds Eddie Kao, co-founder of 5xRuby.

Source: TechinAsia

Shopmatic launches 'GO' app to make selling online easier

Singapore-based e-commerce company Shopmatic has announced the launch of a revolutionary mobile app, 'Go' for Indian sellers.

The newly launched app will enable everyone to take their business online by providing them with an easy tool to create an ecommerce website in less than two minutes with three easy steps.

The free app, will allow all individuals and merchants to develop their online stores by snapping pictures of their products, enabling payments, and selling their products by sharing on social channels, from their phones.

With this app, Shopmatic will enable lakhs of offline sellers to digitize their businesses and also help new age Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram sellers to scale their online businesses for free.

"We are very excited with this launch to support the Digital India initiative as an answer to the need of millions of sellers in India who want to take their businesses online and were unable to do so. With the significant mobile phone penetration in India, this app will make the online world easily accessible to anyone who wants to sell online," said CEO Shopmatic, Anurag Avula.

"The power of this app is such that someone in Bapuji market in Jaipur can sell their products to a buyer in Bangalore, or a Madhubani artist in Bihar can sell their art to customers in Delhi, or a coffee trader in Coorg can sell to buyers in Mumbai," added Avula.

The company has established partnerships with global online payments giant PayPal, domestic payments solution provider Citrus, international logistics provider Aramex to enable its merchants in expanding their sales across the globe.

These partnerships are enabling individual entrepreneurs and businesses manage everything that is required to take their business online and giving them access to international markets.

Source: Sydney Sun

Shopmatic launches 'GO' app to make selling online easier

Singapore-based e-commerce company Shopmatic has announced the launch of a revolutionary mobile app, 'Go' for Indian sellers.The newly launched app will enable everyone to take their business online by providing them with an easy tool to create an ecommerce website in less than two minutes with three easy steps.

The free app, will allow all individuals and merchants to develop their online stores by snapping pictures of their products, enabling payments, and selling their products by sharing on social channels, from their phones. With this app, Shopmatic will enable lakhs of offline sellers to digitize their businesses and also help new age Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram sellers to scale their online businesses for free.

"We are very excited with this launch to support the Digital India initiative as an answer to the need of millions of sellers in India who want to take their businesses online and were unable to do so. With the significant mobile phone penetration in India, this app will make the online world easily accessible to anyone who wants to sell online," said CEO Shopmatic, Anurag Avula.

"The power of this app is such that someone in Bapuji market in Jaipur can sell their products to a buyer in Bangalore, or a Madhubani artist in Bihar can sell their art to customers in Delhi, or a coffee trader in Coorg can sell to buyers in Mumbai," added Avula.

The company has established partnerships with global online payments giant PayPal, domestic payments solution provider Citrus, international logistics provider Aramex to enable its merchants in expanding their sales across the globe. These partnerships are enabling individual entrepreneurs and businesses manage everything that is required to take their business online and giving them access to international markets.

Source: Yahoo News

Singapore-based e-commerce enabler launches app for Indian businesses

Singapore-based e-commerce enabler Shopmatic has launched an mobile app for small Indian businesses and solo entrepreneurs to create their own websites in just two minutes and for free.

Called ‘Go’, the app lets individuals and merchants develop online stores by snapping pictures of their products, enabling paymentsand selling their products by sharing on social channels, from their phones. The app has been primarily tailored for the Indian market, but would soon be launched in Hong Kong and Singapore in the next 3-4 months. Talking to BusinessLine, Anurag Avula, CEO, Shopmatic, said about 5,000 merchants have already developed store-fronts and websites using the app in the past three days. The plan is to get about 1 million sellers on the app by December 2017, and help them digitise and scale their businesses by using social media.

Founded in December 2014, Shopmatic manages the entire e-commerce ecosystem — from developing a unique web store, to listing products on marketplaces and social-media channels, to providing insights on how to sell online. Avula, said: “With significant mobilephone penetration in India, the app will make the online world easily accessible to anyone who wants to sell online across the country.” Talking about the revenues, Avula said the sellers can create stores for free without having to pay any commissions. However, the company has entered into a revenue-sharing agreement with payment gateway Citrus Pay and charges per transaction. Besides, it is also partnering with PayPal as its global payment gateway partner. A number of online sellers are shifting out of big e-commerce sites and setting up their own online platforms to not only gain better visibility but also save on commission and logistics charges, he said. A few other sites such as Kraftly and Shopo.in, both marketplaces, are also helping small businesses create their own online stores. However, they charge commissions, which are as low as 0-5 per cent compared with 25-30 per cent by the big e-commerce platforms. While e-commerce majors earlier charged 10 per cent as commission from sellers, they have now increased the fee.

Source: The Hindu Business Line

Singapore-based Shopmatic launches 'GO' mobile app for Indian sellers

Singapore-based e-commerce firm Shopmatic on Tuesday launched a mobile app "GO" for the Indian sellers that enables them to create an e-commerce website in less than two minutes with three easy steps. The free app will allow all individuals and merchants to develop online stores by putting up pictures of their products, enabling payments and selling their products by sharing on social channels from their phones, the company said in a statement. "With the significant mobile phone penetration in India, this app will make the online world easily accessible to anyone who wants to sell online," said Anurag Avula, CEO of Shopmatic.

Source: The Economic Times

They just released a mobile app that helps small Indian businesses go cashless

If you’re a small business owner in India, November’s probably not looking like your month. In addition to running your business, you might be worried about going digital as cash transactions become harder and harder following the government’s move to demonetize some notes. ATMs have put a limit on withdrawals, making it hard for consumers to get their hands on cash. It’s also difficult for merchants to make change.

Tackling digital payments may seem daunting for a shop owner who has always operated with cash, Singapore-based Shopmatic has released a product that might help. Shopmatic lets users in India, Singapore, and Hong Kong build their own online stores, complete with a payment gateway. This month, the company released Shopmatic Go, which is a streamlined version of its product, specifically for Android. Shopmatic Go allows sellers to set up their online stores, get their own online domains, accept online payments, advertise to customers and a social circle, and get reports on successful sales.

Much like its parent product, users can take snapshots (or pick from the app’s photo gallery) of their products and/or services, fill in the product details, and share the store (and its stock) through channels, including WhatsApp, Facebook, and email.

I was able to set up a shop of my own on Shopmatic Go. It took about five minutes instead of the two advertised, but it was surprisingly straightforward, much like signing up for a subscription. I put in my business address and phone number. Then I took pictures of my merchandise and enter in pricing information, along with how many of each item I had in stock. I enabled the payment options I wanted with a couple of finger swipes, and my store was published. I had the option of publishing it on different social media outlets as well. Shopmatic Go is a limited version of Shopmatic’s original product (which allows for more customization), but it can still create a complete website. It competes with ecommerce site builders like KartRocket and Zepo.

For shop owners in India, the Shopmatic subscription service costs about US$20 for a month – customers pay nothing to use the platform, save a small processing fee for a successful payment. The company uses Citrus Pay for transactions within India – credit and debit cards, mobile wallets, and net banking – and PayPal for payments across borders. It also has partnerships with logistics provider Aramex and the Confederation of All India Traders. The startup has offices in Singapore, Gurgaon, and Bangalore, and its development team is located in Taiwan. It has a team of around 50 people, most of whom are based in India. Shopmatic’s co-founders – Anurag Avula, Yen Lim, and Kris Chen – all used to work at PayPal, which makes operating a business across geographies easier. “It wasn’t about leaving PayPal as much as it was about creating a solution,” CEO Anurag tells Tech in Asia. We sit at a picturesque hotel cafe, where he, Yen, and the rest of the team present in Bangalore have supplemented the fancy hotel treats with trays of peppermint patties and Tim Tams. “We used to work at PayPal in the region, and the idea of enabling online commerce for individual entrepreneurs – we wanted to do that.”

The business is not limited to startups – Anurag brings up an entrepreneur who makes cupcakes at home and wants to organize her orders through an online channel or someone who makes earrings. “[That type of business] is not a startup in a true sense, but we’re helping them to startup their business,” he says. Creating a mobile version was the next step on the way to hitting that goal. Over 20,000 customers use Shopmatic at the moment. The team plans on expanding to Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines within the next six months.

Source: TechinAsia

Top 10 tips to begin and develop a business

Worthy results in your Small Business setup don't always have to be the result of a load of hard work. You can get some great results by doing little things that barely take much time.

Anurag Avula, the CEO of Shopmatic has brought ten top tips on how to start a successful business online.

Firstly, think of selling a product/service that people really want.

This may seem obvious but being doubly sure that you're creating a unique product that people actually need will make or break your business.

The easiest way to do this is through research. Speaking with friends and family, sending out a survey, or even just looking up what's available and not available online, are all very effective ways of getting feedback on what you are wanting to sell.

Secondly, be confident about your idea.

There might be thousands of small businesses existing but this does not take away from the uniqueness of your business.

What really matters is understanding your business model, as very limited people have the drive and motivation needed to bring their ideas to life.

Thirdly, execution is the key.

Action is what brings out results. Time spent on writing plans is one thing- but execution is what will make the difference! Do ensure you have enough time to follow through with all your ideas.

Fourth, overnight success is over-rated.

If you think you will be successful overnight, you are more than likely to get frustrated. Success in business depends on your ability to accept losses and shortcomings, and to move on and learn from them. Take the hits on the chin, and move on! Agility and persistence will eventually, help you win!

Fifth, design an exclusive website and e-commerce storefront.

It is now simple to create a user-friendly website for your venture. You don't need to be an engineering mastermind or dependent on freelancers to design an attractive website or online store to attract your customers. Another essential step should be to optimize your site for mobile access, add SEO tags that will boost your search ranking and help grow your business faster.

Sixth, don't try to be the sole go-to person for everything.

Finding balance is one of the most essential qualities you need to hold on to. There will be a lot to do- and being the only go-to person, for everything, is foolhardy in the long run. Entrepreneurs need to learn how to hand out responsibility and have faith in their team, to be able to deliver, in the long run.

Seventh, keep the business and customers in sync.

Be consistent and constantly in touch with your customers. They are the reason for you to exist.

Find a way to constantly communicate your brand values to them, so they stay engaged and feel vindicated for selecting your product/ service.

Eighth, getting help is good.

While starting a business on your own is fine, you will feel the need to carry stakeholders along with you. business isn't something that you should do alone. Investors will only bat for teams that they think will deliver the most innovative solutions in the long run!

Ninth, attract and retain talent.

The fundamental rule for success, is to hire the best people and trust them to do the best work. Particularly at the beginning, when money is constricted and your company might lack reputation, you can't afford to make hiring mistakes.

Finally, stay positive.

Things can sometimes look like they are falling apart. But, you need to remain positive, no matter what! When positivity kicks in there is nothing that can stop the cash flow!

Source: Yahoo News

Planning to start a business? Here are 10 tips to help you out

Worthy results in your Small Business setup don't always have to be the result of a load of hard work. You can get some great results by doing little things that barely take much time.

Anurag Avula, the CEO of Shopmatic has brought ten top tips on how to start a successful business online.

Firstly, think of selling a product/service that people really want.

This may seem obvious but being doubly sure that you're creating a unique product that people actually need will make or break your business.

The easiest way to do this is through research. Speaking with friends and family, sending out a survey, or even just looking up what's available and not available online, are all very effective ways of getting feedback on what you are wanting to sell.

Secondly, be confident about your idea.

There might be thousands of small businesses existing but this does not take away from the uniqueness of your business.

What really matters is understanding your business model, as very limited people have the drive and motivation needed to bring their ideas to life.

Thirdly, execution is the key.

Action is what brings out results. Time spent on writing plans is one thing- but execution is what will make the difference! Do ensure you have enough time to follow through with all your ideas.

Fourth, overnight success is over-rated.

If you think you will be successful overnight, you are more than likely to get frustrated. Success in business depends on your ability to accept losses and shortcomings, and to move on and learn from them. Take the hits on the chin, and move on! Agility and persistence will eventually, help you win!

Fifth, design an exclusive website and e-commerce storefront.

It is now simple to create a user-friendly website for your venture. You don't need to be an engineering mastermind or dependent on freelancers to design an attractive website or online store to attract your customers. Another essential step should be to optimize your site for mobile access, add SEO tags that will boost your search ranking and help grow your business faster.

Sixth, don't try to be the sole go-to person for everything.

Finding balance is one of the most essential qualities you need to hold on to. There will be a lot to do- and being the only go-to person, for everything, is foolhardy in the long run. Entrepreneurs need to learn how to hand out responsibility and have faith in their team, to be able to deliver, in the long run.

Seventh, keep the business and customers in sync.

Be consistent and constantly in touch with your customers. They are the reason for you to exist.

Find a way to constantly communicate your brand values to them, so they stay engaged and feel vindicated for selecting your product/ service.

Eighth, getting help is good.

While starting a business on your own is fine, you will feel the need to carry stakeholders along with you. business isn't something that you should do alone. Investors will only bat for teams that they think will deliver the most innovative solutions in the long run!

Ninth, attract and retain talent.

The fundamental rule for success, is to hire the best people and trust them to do the best work. Particularly at the beginning, when money is constricted and your company might lack reputation, you can't afford to make hiring mistakes.

Finally, stay positive.

Things can sometimes look like they are falling apart. But, you need to remain positive, no matter what! When positivity kicks in there is nothing that can stop the cash flow!

Source: The Times of India

E-commerce company Shopmatic ties up with Gates Apac for ICT expansion

New Delhi: Singapore based e-commerce company Shopmatic, which provides a platform for merchants to take their business online, announced a strategic partnership with Gates Apac to help the company expand in the rapidly growing Information and Communication Technology (ICT) market.

The company announced the tie-up prior to the Gates India ICT Reseller Summit 2016.

“We welcome this initiative in India that will give us a wonderful opportunity to connect with the National ICT reseller community and to grow our business through meaningful interactions. To maximize its success, a business needs to understand the channel landscape, meet the right partners and create a strategy that aligns with current market trends. By joining hands with GATES, we will be able to achieve these goals efficiently,” said Anurag Avula, CEO and founder of Shopmatic.

According to Ashish Kapahi, CEO of Gates Apac, Shopmatic is a pioneer in the field of e-commerce and an innovation-led organization contributing to the evolution of traditional business practices.

"Collaborating with it is in line with our vision to equip the Indian ICT ecosystem with access to the latest technology and practices in the industry to spur higher growth rates for the industry," he said further.

The GATES ICT Reseller Channel Summit will be held at The Clarke’s Exotica Resort & Spa in Bengaluru between 4th and 6th of October, 2016. The summit will focus on bringing the ICT community under one roof.

Founded in December 2014, Shopmatic is headquartered in Singapore and has offices in Hong Kong, Gurgaon and Bangalore and is quickly expanding to the rest of the Asian countries.

Source: ETRetail

Shopmatic, GATES APAC tie-up to grow in Indian ICT market

Leading Singapore-based e-commerce company Shopmatic has announced its strategic partnership with GATES APAC, Singapore to facilitate the business expansion of Shopmatic in the rapidly growing Indian ICT market.

Shopmatic, a leader in the e-commerce ecosystem, announced the tie-up prior to the GATES India ICT Reseller Summit 2016.

"We welcome this initiative in India that will give us a wonderful opportunity to connect with the National ICT reseller community and to grow our business through meaningful interactions. To maximize its success, a business needs to understand the channel landscape, meet the right partners and create a strategy that aligns with current market trends. By joining hands with GATES, we will be able to achieve these goals efficiently," said CEO and Founder, Anurag Avula.

"We are well-poised to take advantage of this summit in our continuous efforts to help more and more traditionally run business to go the omni way," added Anurag.

"Shopmatic is a pioneer in the field of e-commerce and an innovation-led organization contributing to the evolution of traditional business practices. Collaborating with it is in line with our vision to equip the Indian ICT ecosystem with access to the latest technology and practices in the industry to spur higher growth rates for the industry," said CEO GATES APAC, Ashish Kapahi.

Source: Business Standard

Shopmatic launches e-commerce enabling operations in HK

Following on from recent investments in India and Singapore, e-commerce solutions provider Shopmatic has launched operations in Hong Kong.

This move is expected benefit Hong Kong online stores, SMEs and entrepreneurs as the platform enables business owners to build and manage their businesses on one single platform.

Services encompass an entire ecosystem from developing a unique web store to listing businesses on marketplaces and social media channels, to giving insights on how to sell online.

For a fixed monthly subscription rate of US$38 per month, businesses can conveniently sell products and services online in Hong Kong and the region.

As an incentive for new subscribers, Hong Kong merchants who sign up for Shopmatic for the first time will be offered a 15-day trial period during which they can establish their site and experience the entire service.

Industry analysts have estimated that almost 90% of Hong Kong consumers shopped online in the past 12 months, while one-third of the e-shoppers made online purchases within the same week a survey was conducted by Nielsen.

Shopmatic said it will further strengthen its Asia network by expanding into other countries in this region such as Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines later this year.

“We are confident that we can help the Hong Kong online stores expand into the region. We also see huge potential in the ways in which we can help Hong Kong SMEs expand their businesses from offline to online for its mature traditional retail model,” Shopmatic CEO and co-founder Anurag Avula said.

Source: Computerworld Hong Kong

Shopmatic launches in Hong Kong

E-commerce solutions provider Shopmatic continues its expansion plan with a launch in Hong Kong. It recently launched its service in Singapore in April.

The online platform will continue to strengthen its presence in Asia Pacific with with expansion into Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines later this year.

“With more 300,000 SMEs operating in Hong Kong, the city promises tremendous business opportunities for a significant base of untapped individual entrepreneurs,” said Anurag Avula, CEO and co-founder of Shopmatic.

Shopmatic, based in Singapore though launched its first operation in India in 2015, assists small businesses to sell online by providing them the entire ecosystem with services ranging from setting up an e-store, listing on marketplaces and social channel to giving insight on how to sell online.

Source: 80 Quartier

Shopmatic to now digitally empower entrepreneurs in Hong Kong

Shopmatic, an international e-commerce platform that offers an entire ecosystem of selling online has launched its business operations in Hong Kong to help the local entrepreneurs and individuals tap the rapidly expanding world of e-commerce and sell their products online.

The online platform will allow small businesses to flourish by helping them manage the entire ecosystem for them- right from developing their own unique web-store, listing them on marketplaces and social channels to assisting them with insights on how to sell online.

Hong Kong being the world's ninth largest trading economy with more than 90 percent of GDP coming from the service sector is the world's most service-oriented economy. Its SMEs are reputed for extensive global sourcing connections, brand credibility and innovation.

They can build on these advantages to expand their businesses by tapping into the rapidly increasing world of e-commerce. Taking this as an excellent opportunity, Shopmatic has launched its business operations and services in Hong Kong after recently stepping into the Singapore market and running successful operations in India's Bangalore and Gurgaon offices.

"With more than three lakh SMEs operating in Hong Kong, the city promises tremendous business opportunities for a significant base of untapped individual entrepreneurs. We are eyeing three segments of audiences-existing SMEs that are selling their products but are not online, existing SMEs that are selling their products offline with a minimal presence online or selling through marketplaces and lastly, individual entrepreneurs who are waiting to realize the potential of doing business online. In addition to that, our business operations in Hong Kong also mean we will be creating job opportunities for local talent," said CEO and Founder, Anurag Avula.

Since its inception in 2014, Shopmatic has offered a revolutionary, all-in-one e-commerce solution that enables business owners to build and manage their businesses online, commission-free. This means they do not have to rely on commission-based marketplaces, which can charge up to 15 percent for each transaction.

As the popularity of online shopping among domestic and overseas consumers continues to grow, cross-border e-commerce is becoming increasingly important and many companies in Hong Kong, especially those who belong to the SME category tend to lack a comprehensive understanding of e-commerce presence, sales, and marketing. This makes it difficult for them to develop successful online platforms.

"We at Shopmatic are here to provide our customers all of the necessary apparatus to step on the digital platform, charging just USD 20 month. They will get three months free if they sign up for our 12-month plan and a month free with our six-month plan. On top of that, all our subscribers get the first month as a free trial period. Ours is a SaaS model and average operating costs will come down with our growth in customers. We have also partnered with PayPal to enable cross-border trade for local business owners, making it easier for merchants to accept payments from customers outside Hong Kong,'' added Avula.

Shopmatic is eyeing significant investments. After Hong Kong and Singapore, the company now plans to expand its presence to other parts of Asia such as Malaysia and Indonesia by the end of this year and further strengthen its commitment to the region.

Source: Business Standard

Shopmatic to now digitally empower entrepreneurs in Hong Kong

Shopmatic, an international e-commerce platform that offers an entire ecosystem of selling online has launched its business operations in Hong Kong to help the local entrepreneurs and individuals tap the rapidly expanding world of e-commerce and sell their products online.

The online platform will allow small businesses to flourish by helping them manage the entire ecosystem for them- right from developing their own unique web-store, listing them on marketplaces and social channels to assisting them with insights on how to sell online.

Hong Kong being the world's ninth largest trading economy with more than 90 percent of GDP coming from the service sector is the world's most service-oriented economy. Its SMEs are reputed for extensive global sourcing connections, brand credibility and innovation.

They can build on these advantages to expand their businesses by tapping into the rapidly increasing world of e-commerce. Taking this as an excellent opportunity, Shopmatic has launched its business operations and services in Hong Kong after recently stepping into the Singapore market and running successful operations in India's Bangalore and Gurgaon offices.

"With more than three lakh SMEs operating in Hong Kong, the city promises tremendous business opportunities for a significant base of untapped individual entrepreneurs. We are eyeing three segments of audiences-existing SMEs that are selling their products but are not online, existing SMEs that are selling their products offline with a minimal presence online or selling through marketplaces and lastly, individual entrepreneurs who are waiting to realize the potential of doing business online. In addition to that, our business operations in Hong Kong also mean we will be creating job opportunities for local talent," said CEO and Founder, Anurag Avula.

Since its inception in 2014, Shopmatic has offered a revolutionary, all-in-one e-commerce solution that enables business owners to build and manage their businesses online, commission-free. This means they do not have to rely on commission-based marketplaces, which can charge up to 15 percent for each transaction.

As the popularity of online shopping among domestic and overseas consumers continues to grow, cross-border e-commerce is becoming increasingly important and many companies in Hong Kong, especially those who belong to the SME category tend to lack a comprehensive understanding of e-commerce presence, sales, and marketing. This makes it difficult for them to develop successful online platforms.

"We at Shopmatic are here to provide our customers all of the necessary apparatus to step on the digital platform, charging just USD 20 month. They will get three months free if they sign up for our 12-month plan and a month free with our six-month plan. On top of that, all our subscribers get the first month as a free trial period. Ours is a SaaS model and average operating costs will come down with our growth in customers. We have also partnered with PayPal to enable cross-border trade for local business owners, making it easier for merchants to accept payments from customers outside Hong Kong,'' added Avula.

Shopmatic is eyeing significant investments. After Hong Kong and Singapore, the company now plans to expand its presence to other parts of Asia such as Malaysia and Indonesia by the end of this year and further strengthen its commitment to the region.

Source: Yahoo! News

E-commerce firm Shopmatic launches in Hong Kong

Following its recent investments in India and Singapore, e-commerce solutions provider Shopmatic launched its Hong Kong business operations recently.

This move is expected benefit Hong Kong online stores, SMEs and entrepreneurs as the platform enables business owners to build and manage their businesses on one single platform.

Services encompass an entire ecosystem from developing a unique web store to listing businesses on marketplaces and social media channels, to giving insights on how to sell online.

At a fixed monthly subscription rate of only US$38 per month, businesses can conveniently and easily sell products and services online in Hong Kong and the region.

As an incentive for new subscribers, Hong Kong merchants who sign up for Shopmatic for the first time will get to enjoy a 15-day trial period during which they can establish their site and experience the entire service.

Industry analysts have estimated that almost 90 percent of Hong Kong consumers shopped online in the past 12 months, while one-third of the e-shoppers made online purchases within the same week a survey was conducted by Nielsen.

Shopmatic said it will further strengthen its Asia network by expanding into other countries in this region such as Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines later this year.

“We are confident that we can help the Hong Kong online stores expand into the region. We also see huge potential in the ways in which we can help Hong Kong SMEs expand their businesses from offline to online for its mature traditional retail model,” Anurag Avula, CEO and Co-Founder, Shopmatic, said.

Source: Enterprise Innovation

【創業】國際網店支援平台攻港　300元即可做老闆

根據尼爾森今年3月公佈的巿場研究報告指，有近9成港人在過去12個月曾於網上消費，當中25至29歲為活躍消費群，有3分1人最近一次的網購就在受訪期間的同一星期進行，可見港人網購頻率甚高。然而，開網店說時容易，但做起來往往涉及不同界別的專業知識，例如設定域名、設計網頁、處理及上載產品圖片、銷售及庫存、發貨……假如還有正職在身，一人之力實難應付以上種種工序。有見及此，在新加坡和印度取得成績的網店支援系統Shopmatic近日正式攻港，推出一站式的網店管理服務，讓仍在打工的你可以低成本創業，或是讓現為Facebook和Instagram賣家的用戶再下一城。

Shopmatic將上述的每個開店難題整合，提供全方位的網店營運服務，當中包括提供域名及超過60套網頁設計範本，讓不懂做網頁的用戶也可以「DIY」。作為全球支付系統PayPal的合作夥伴，Shopmatic系統亦會幫助一眾新手網店老闆連結PayPal，打開全球生意大門。港人一向「百足咁多爪」，銷售也是一樣，不少賣家可能同時在多於一個平台經營，考慮到這點，服務亦容許用戶將eBay、Amazon及Zalora的戶口連接到系統上，以後有任何產品增減、價格調整，只需更新1次即可，無需重覆登入不同平台，為用戶節省更多時間；而連接上不同平台，系統都會提供各種銷售分析數據，讓老闆們隨時掌握每日、每周、每月的生意實況。

說到最令老闆頭痕和無助的事情，SEO絕對榜上有名。而Shopmatic的一大吸引之處，亦在於為每間網店配備的SEO功能——利用賣家提供的關鍵字，例如「日韓」、「模型」、「美容」等，增加網店被搜尋得到的機會。從事支付及銀行業務超過20年，曾於渣打、萬事達卡、PayPal工作的聯合創辦人兼行政總裁 Anurag Avula表示，Shopmatic能夠推動以亞洲為巿場目標的本地網上企業發展，「憑藉我們豐富的亞洲經驗，我深信我們的服務可以協助本地網店開拓香港及亞洲的網上業務。同時，對於一些在傳統零售模式方面發展已非常成熟的港企，我們亦能協助它們將線下的業務拓展至網上。」

Shopmatic現時收費為1個月38美元（約港幣300元），並設有首15天的免費體驗。雖然現時創業可以0成本利用社交平台進行買賣，但當業務漸趨成熟，有獨立網店網站又成為下一階段發展的「必需品」，從而將自身從一眾賣家中區分出來。低成本助賣家省時省力的網店系統，未來將會變得愈來愈重要。

Source: HK01

Shopmatic to now digitally empower entrepreneurs in Hong Kong

Shopmatic, an international e-commerce platform that offers an entire ecosystem of selling online, has launched its business operations in Hong Kong to help the local entrepreneurs and individuals tap the rapidly expanding world of e-commerce and sell their products online. The online platform will allow small businesses to flourish by helping them manage the entire ecosystem for them- right from developing their own unique web-store, listing them on marketplaces and social channels to assisting them with insights on how to sell online.

Hong Kong being the world’s ninth largest trading economy with more than 90 per cent of GDP coming from the service sector is the world’s most service-oriented economy. Its SMEs are reputed for extensive global sourcing connections, brand credibility and innovation. They can build on these advantages to expand their businesses by tapping into the rapidly increasing world of e-commerce. Taking this as an excellent opportunity, Shopmatic has launched its business operations and services in Hong Kong after recently stepping into the Singapore market and running successful operations in India’s Bangalore and Gurgaon offices. The platform is focused on helping not only the small and medium businesses of the Asian countries to find their feet in the online world but also give these firms global exposure.

Commenting on the Shopmatic Group launch, Anurag Avula, CEO & Founder said, ” With more than 3 lakh SMEs operating in Hong Kong, the city promises tremendous business opportunities for a significant base of untapped individual entrepreneurs. We are eyeing three segments of audiences– existing SMEs that are selling their products but are not online, existing SMEs that are selling their products offline with a minimal presence online or selling through marketplaces and lastly, individual entrepreneurs who are waiting to realize the potential of doing business online. In addition to that, our business operations in Hong Kong also mean we will be creating job opportunities for local talent.”

Since its inception in 2014, Shopmatic has offered a revolutionary, all-in-one e-commerce solution that enables business owners to build and manage their businesses online, commission-free. This means they do not have to rely on commission-based marketplaces, which can charge up to 15% for each transaction. Shopmatic’s key features include:

• Compelling web presence with attractive store fronts;


• Seamless integration with local and international payment gateways;


• Tie-ups with logistics partners, enabling automated shipping;


• Facilitated listing across multiple marketplaces and social channels, such as Facebook;


• Organized dashboard with data insights and inventory management;


• Simple pricing with no hidden fees. All packages come with a one-month free trial;


• Customized solutions to service entrepreneurs, assisting them in promoting and selling their services to a wider customer base.

Source: Earth Android

After Singapore, Shopmatic digitally empowers SMEs in Hong Kong

Shopmatic, the international e-commerce platform has launched its business operations in Hong Kong to enable local entrepreneurs and individuals sell their products online. After recently stepping in the Singapore market this April to help local entrepreneurs go digital, the company is now set to empower SMEs in Hong Kong.

The online platform that operates on a SaaS model, claims that it will allow small businesses to flourish by helping them manage the entire ecosystem for them- right from developing their own unique web-store, listing them on marketplaces and social channels to assisting them with insights on how to sell online.

Commenting on the Shopmatic Group launch, Anurag Avula, CEO and Founder says, “With more than 3 lakh SMEs operating in Hong Kong, the city promises tremendous business opportunities for a significant base of untapped individual entrepreneurs.”

“We are eyeing three segments of audiences– existing SMEs that are selling their products but are not online, existing SMEs that are selling their products offline with a minimal presence online or selling through marketplaces and lastly, individual entrepreneurs who are waiting to realize the potential of doing business online. In addition to that, our business operations in Hong Kong also mean we will be creating job opportunities for local talent.”

Shopmatic believes that SMEs in Hong Kong are reputed for extensive global sourcing connections, brand credibility and innovation. A digital platform can help them build on these advantages to expand their businesses by tapping into the rapidly increasing world of e-commerce.

“As the popularity of online shopping among domestic and overseas consumers continues to grow, cross-border e-commerce is becoming increasingly important and many companies in Hong Kong, especially those who belong to the SME category tend to lack a comprehensive understanding of e-commerce presence, sales, and marketing. This makes it difficult for them to develop successful online platforms,” noted Avula.

Avula further revealed that Shopmatic would provide its customers all of the necessary apparatus to step on the digital platform at $20 a month. The first month would be considered as a trial period with no any additional fees per sale made by the customer. Shopmatic has also partnered with PayPal to enable cross-border trade for local business owners, helping merchants to easily accept payments from customers outside Hong Kong.

Currently, privately funded by angel investors, Shopmatic plans to loop in more investments to expand its presence to other parts of Asia such as Malaysia and Indonesia by the end of this year and further strengthen its commitment to the region.

Source: Techseen

Shopmatic joins the fray in HK
e-commerce solutions

HONG KONG - More and more retailers in Hong Kong are planning to develop their online businesses to explore new opportunities within Hong Kong and the Asia Pacific, as the city braces for a retail "winter" amid a slowing economy.

The growing trend of online retailing in the city has attracted a number of e-commerce solution providers to seize on business opportunities. One of these is Singapore-based Shopmatic, which on Friday announced the launch of its Hong Kong business operations to strengthen its Asia network.

Hong Kong is known for being the city with the highest internet penetration in the region with a strong IT infrastructure, as well as for having a solid and rapidly growing e-commerce appetite and e-shopper population.

According to the 2015 eCommerce Consumer Monitor survey conducted by global payments technology company Visa in February of that year, nearly 90 percent of Hong Kong consumers shopped online in 2014, while a third of the e-shoppers had made online purchases during the week that the survey conducted.

Shopmatic claims to provide the entire ecosystem for online store owners, from setting up websites to shipping and data collection, enabling Hong Kong online stores, and small and medium-sized enterprises to sell products and services online at a monthly subscription rate of $38.

Besides Hong Kong, Shopmatic has already set up overseas business in India. Plans are to expand into other countries such as Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines later this year.

Source: China Daily Asia

電子商務解決方案平台 Shopmatic 進軍香港

6月10日讯（记者王嘉傑）國際電子商務解決方案平台Shopmatic今日宣佈正式進軍香港，為本地網店提供一站式電子商務解決方案。是繼早前在印度及新加坡拓展業務後另一進入的市場。Shopmatic 將於今年稍後時間擴充亞洲業務版圖至澳洲、印尼、馬來西亞，以及菲律賓。

透過Shopmatic，本地網店、中小企，以及企業家，只需每月38美元，就可以輕鬆打理網店；向本地以至亞洲的廣大顧客銷售各類產品及服務。Shopmatic 提供一個完善的電子商務生態系統，服務包括開設網店、網上支付、送貨退貨安排，以至客戶關係管理等，一應俱全，免卻網店就不同服務跟不同供應商洽商的煩惱。首次登記成為Shopmatic用家，即可享獲15天的免費體驗。

不少本地網店都在尋找經濟實惠、方便使用的一站式電子商務解決方案。Shopmatic希望以香港作為亞洲市場的據點，為拓展計劃打好基礎。Shopmatic 熟悉亞洲電子商務市場，業務覆蓋區內各個地區，經驗豐富，絕對可以協助放眼亞洲的本地網上企業提供適時穩妥的解決方案，推動業務發展。 選用 Shopmatic 的本地網上企業，可以在一個平台上，一站式管理其他集市商鋪；跟使用其他解決方案相比，可節省高達15% 的成本。

Shopmatic 聯合創辦人兼行政總裁 Anurag Avula表示：憑藉豐富的亞洲經驗，深信可以協助本港的網店開拓香港及亞洲的網上業務。同時，對於一些在傳統零售模式方面發展已非常成熟的港企，Shopmatic 亦能夠協助它們將線下的業務拓展至網上。

Source: Takungpao

Shopmatic announces partnership with global logistics and transportation provider Aramex

Shopmatic , a homegrown e-commerce SaaS (Software as a Service) company, on Thursday announced a strategic partnership with Aramex,a provider of comprehensive logistics and transportation solutions. The partnership will allow online merchants to deliver their products efficiently and securely, thereby improving the entire e-commerce experience for business owners.

Business owners continuously innovate to introduce new business models and technology-driven approaches - convenient payment options, speedy deliveries and easy-return policies drive customers to online platforms. Logistics is, therefore, a key enabler for the growth of the e-commerce sector and is emerging as a differentiator in terms of customer service excellence. To build-up their scale while sustaining business margins, e-commerce companies and logistics providers need to work in collaboration to promote the industry.

"There is enormous potential for online shopping spending in Singapore, which is projected to grow from $4.8 billion in 2015 to $6.9 billion by 2018. Shopmatic wants to enable its users to take advantage of this growth by simplifying the online selling experience. We recognize that managing the last-mile delivery is one of the biggest challenges for Homepreneurs and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and we want to help them solve this problem," CEO & Co-Founder of Shopmatic Group, Anurag Avula, said.

"We feel that the partnership with Aramex is a natural fit because both companies share many of the same values, including a shared passion for excellence and a customer-centric mindset. We are confident that our collaboration will enhance our one-stop-shop value proposition, managing the entire ecosystem, enabling anyone to sell online."

Othman Aljeda, CEO of Aramex in Asia, said: "We are excited to partner with Shopmatic to enable local entrepreneurs, particularly SMEs and Homepreneurs, to sell their products internationally. Aramex offers a wide range of customized e-commerce solutions. We are committed to expanding our e-commerce offerings and geographical footprint to meet the increasing demand for global online shopping delivery solutions and to support e-tailers to grow their business."

Aramex e-commerce solutions will come as part of all custom-built Shopmatic platforms, which is now available in India, Singapore and Hong Kong.

Source: Times of India

Shopmatic helps SMEs go digital

Shopmatic, a Singapore e-commerce SaaS (software-as-a-service) company, has launched business operations designed to help local entrepreneurs go digital, particularly SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) and 'homepreneurs' (entrepreneurs who work from home).

"The opportunity for local businesses to leverage the online world is immense, and that's what we want to enable for Singapore. We are looking at the market opportunity through three audience segments -- existing SMEs that are selling their products but are not online, existing SMEs that are selling their products offline with a minimal presence online or selling through marketplaces and, lastly, the big opportunity that sits with Individual entrepreneurs who have yet to realise the potential of doing business online.

"If we just look at Singapore, SMEs take up 99% of all enterprises in this city-state and there is a significant base of untapped individual entrepreneurs*," CEO & Co-Founder of the Shopmatic Group, Anurag Avula said.

Where any business can go digital

Shopmatic has an all-in-one e-commerce solution that enables business owners to build and manage their businesses online, commission-free.

"At Shopmatic, we understand that managing payments is one of the biggest challenges for SMEs," Avula said. "We are delighted to partner with PayPal to enable cross-border trade for local business owners, making it easier for merchants to accept payments from customers outside Singapore. We are focused on helping not only the SMEs and individual entrepreneurs to find their success in the online world, but also to give them global exposure.

"We have no hidden costs and charge just S$38 per month for enabling the entire online ecosystem for our customers. You get four months free if you sign up for our 12-month plan and a month free with our six-month plan. We don't charge any additional fees per sale made by the customer."

Shopmatic has also launched services for seven verticals:

• Beauty & Wellness
• Education
• Wedding and Events
• Health Services
• Interior Decoration
• Real Estate

This year, the company plans to expand to other parts of Asia such as Hong Kong, the Philippines, Australia, and Indonesia.

Source: TechTrade Asia

How e-commerce startups are helping small businesses go online

The next wave of e-commerce in India will be driven by millions of small merchants taking their businesses online. A host of startups is helping retailers get a web presence, build their brand and make more money.

Atul Tater has been selling his apparel on Flipkart and Amazon for six months, and sees about ten garments take off every day. He pays 25-30 per cent commission per sale to the marketplaces. Three months ago, Singapore-based e-commerce company Shopmatic approached Tater to build a website for his brand, Reevolution. He signed up quickly since it came for Rs 1,400 a month and included a Facebook page shop, an inventory management tool and a payment gateway.

"If I had set out to start my own dynamic website, it would have cost upwards of Rs 50,000," says Tater. Though he'll continue to sell on the marketplaces, the idea of not having to shell out 30 per cent commission comes as a relief to the Noida-based businessman.

For small merchants like Tater, the cost of setting up a website, managing inventory and logistics and establishing a payment gateway can be intimidating. And that's where e-commerce companies are stepping in.

The opportunity to take small businesses online is seen as the next big e-commerce wave. Search giant Google started its 'India Get Your Business Online' project in 2011 to do the same, but didn't succeed. However, startups that have come later have figured out that an online identity without dynamic inventory management and payment gateway is not a recipe for success. These startups provide complete solutions to take brick-and-mortar retailers online.

The top 10 funded startups in the domain have raised upwards of $60 million in the last few years, according to startups ecosystem tracking platform Tracxn.

In China, there are 40 million small businesses, but only 12 million have an online presence. In India, the numbers are far worse - of the 60 million small businesses, only a million are online. "It is not a question of either being on a marketplace or having one's own website. A seller needs to have a presence across the range of platforms where the customer comes. Large marketplaces don't cater to micro merchants and in many cases the demand is local," says Reddy, adding that discovery is also an issue for small merchants on big marketplaces.

For most sellers, the idea is not to miss a single lead that comes their way. Yet, they do not want the trouble of building and managing an ecommerce store.

Shopmatic co-founder and CEO Anurag Avula says his platform takes away all these pain points. For instance, making changes to inventory or uploading photos is a matter of drag-and-drop. "We take care of design, look, user interface, user experience. The customization is at a high level; even the font will be according to the theme of that particular seller," he says.

Source: The Economic Times

How startups are getting the corner store online

The next wave of e-commerce in India will be driven by millions of small merchants taking their businesses online. A host of startups is helping retailers get a web presence, build their brand and make more money.

Atul Tater has been selling his apparel on Flipkart and Amazon for six months, and sees about ten garments take off every day. He pays 25-30% commission per sale to the marketplaces. Three months ago, Singapore-based e-commerce company Shopmatic approached Tater to build a website for his brand, Reevolution. He signed up quickly since it came for Rs 1,400 a month and included a Facebook page shop, an inventory management tool and a payment gateway.

"If I had set out to start my own dynamic website, it would have cost upwards of Rs 50,000," says Tater. Though he'll continue to sell on the marketplaces the idea of not having to shell out 30% commission comes as a relief to the Noida-based businessman.

For small merchants like Tater, the cost of setting up a website, managing inventory and logistics and establishing a payment gateway can be intimidating. And that's where e-commerce companies are stepping in.

The opportunity to take small businesses online is seen as the next big e-commerce wave. Search giant Google started its 'India Get Your Business Online' project in 2011 to do the same, but didn't succeed. However, startups that have come later have figured out that an online identity without dynamic inventory management and payment gateway is not a recipe for success. These startups provide complete solutions to take brick-and-mortar retailers online. The top 10 funded startups in the domain have raised upwards of $60 million in the last few years, according to startups ecosystem tracking platform Tracxn.

In China, there are 40 million small businesses, but only 12 million have an online presence. In India, the numbers are far worse -- of the 60 million small businesses, only a million are online. "It is not a question of either being on a marketplace or having one's own website. A seller needs to have a presence across the range of platforms where the customer comes. Large marketplaces don't cater to micro merchants and in many cases the demand is local," says Reddy, adding that discovery is also an issue for small merchants on big marketplaces.

For most sellers, the idea is not to miss a single lead that comes their way. Yet, they do not want the trouble of building and managing an e-commerce store.

Shopmatic co-founder and CEO Anurag Avula says his platform takes away all these pain points. For instance, making changes to inventory or uploading photos is a matter of drag-and-drop. "We take care of design, look, user interface, user experience. The customization is at a high level; even the font will be according to the theme of that particular seller," he says.

Source: Times of India

Will Ecommerce Enabler Shopmatic’s India Bet Work?

Mumbai-based Priya Harjai had been a web designer for 12 years, before she chose to quit her job for motherhood. But sitting idle at home wasn’t her thing. Being into design and the arts, she chose to start her own boutique, Olive by Design – an enterprise that makes exquisite jewellery boxes and gift boxes. Despite having a great line of products, her offline business couldn’t reach too many buyers. A strong online presence was perhaps missing.

But starting an ecommerce platform isn’t really a cakewalk. You have to buy a domain, get someone to design your website (if you aren’t a techie), arrange for a payment gateway, decide on your logistics and what not! Be it due to technical knowledge or financial restraints or unwillingness, a lot of us end up dropping the idea of having our own business venture. Priya also faced the same dilemma.

In December 2014, three Paypal veterans (and potential Paypal Mafia members too!)—Yen ​Ti ​Lim, Anurag Avula and Kris Chen—identified this crisis and decided to act upon it. Anurag says, “During our stint at Paypal, we met a lot of small and medium business owners, and aspiring entrepreneurs who wanted to expand or start their business by coming online but didn’t exactly know how to go about it.”

Using their combined experience of over 40 years in the payments industry, the trio launched Shopmatic, in Singapore. The focus was simple: to help entrepreneurs go online.

Priya has been using Shopmatic’s platform since October 2015 and she mentions that there has been no looking back since then.

Shopmatic claims to be the only company to enable the entire ecosystem of selling online, for their customers. From developing a web store, to listing one on marketplaces and social networks, to giving insights on how to sell online, and to help fix the payment and logistics, they help a user manage everything that is required to help a business grow.

One just needs to have a decent aesthetic sense and business acumen to develop and run their own ecommerce store using Shopmatic’s SaaS platform.

CEO of Shopmatic Group, Anurag Avula, says, “India is home to more than 51 Mn small and medium businesses. Our platform can potentially help all these merchants go online and grow their businesses at a national as well as international level.”

Once you register on Shopmatic, you can simply start using its DIY platform to select from a set of design templates that are customised by industry segments including fashion, sports, toys, and urban living. Then you can start building your store by simply choosing different design blocks to complete each webpage. Once you design and customise your pages and content, the Shopmatic platform will ensure that your images and information are displayed consistently across all devices and channels. You will be given the option of choosing a domain name. That will be followed by the enabling of payment and shipping logistics. Anurag asserts that all these can be done in as less as 45 minutes.

Shopmatic manages all the backend integration so users can get their online storefront up and running in the simplest and most efficient way. Shopmatic will also provide the users with built-in analytics that will give valuable insights to help merchants grow their businesses. Accessible through a centralised dashboard, one can easily monitor the volume of sales on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis, and assess one’s business growth. The platform also has its Business Intelligence tools to identify customer or product segments that are churning the most revenue for a business. With these insights, one can tweak her/his inventory and pricing strategy appropriately to further boost sales.

The startup also helps merchants showcase their products and images on multiple social channels, like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest as well as marketplaces, like Amazon and Ebay.

Users can view the status of their current inventory and stock levels via the dashboard. This can be customised according to their preference, and that too across multiple channels, marketplaces, and social platforms.

A merchant can choose from a range of payment options that are most relevant for their targeted customer segments and markets. These include cash-on-delivery, bank transfer, credit card, and international payments. In January 2016, Shopmatic signed a deal with online payments giant Paypal to enable its merchants to expand their global sales. The move also marked PayPal’s first tie-up with an Indian partner. The startup has also tied up with Citrus Pay.

On the logistics front, Shopmatic has strategic partnerships with local and global logistics players, like Delhivery. So you can choose the network delivery coverage and pricing option that are most relevant for your targeted audience and market.

The best part is that Shopmatic promises to guide a user throughout the entire process. So, even if a user isn’t confident enough, she/he can safely take the plunge.

Currently, the Shopmatic platform is offering only Retail mode but Business Services, Restaurant, Travel, and Hospitality modes are in the offing. In the retail mode, a user can sell stuff they make (or source), like hand-made jewellery, paintings, etc. Whereas in the business services (coming up next) mode, users, like teachers, architects, actuaries, etc., can offer their exclusive services.

The monthly fee for using Shopmatic’s software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform is $20 (approx. INR 1370), and half-yearly fee is $120 (INR 8074 approx). Both plans come with a month long free trial period. The yearly plan comes for $240 (INR 16,143 approx), along with three month’s free usage. And, in all three cases Shopmatic gives free shipping credit to the tune of INR 1000. The features remain the same in all three plans and Shopmatic claims that there is no hidden cost across all features and all plans.

Although Shopmatic can be said to have the first-mover advantage in this segment, they are not the only ecommerce enablers currently operating in India. There are companies, like Martjack, and Buildabazaar, that are providing similar services in bits and pieces. And then there are end-to-end ecommerce enablers like Zepo and KartRocket (recently got funded), that are directly competing with Shopmatic.

In fact, Zepo has gone two steps ahead by offering their own logistics solution (ZePost) and providing merchants with personal mobile apps (on iOS and Android) for a better business experience. But, Shopmatic still has the upper hand with their reasonable one-price policy.

The company launched its Indian operations in October 2015, and has offices in Bangalore and Gurgaon. Anurag said that Shopmatic will be launched in Singapore and Hong Kong in a month’s time.

Currently, there are more than 2500 users using the platform.

In December 2015, Shopmatic had tied up with Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) to help its merchant members digitalise their offline businesses. CAIT has around 6 crore merchants across 40,000 affiliates. Shopmatic will assist interested members in building their website as well as provide end-to-end facility to enable them sell on CAIT’s ecommerce platform eLala.biz.

Shopmatic is a bootstrapped venture but Anurag says, “We are in talks with a few VCs; for the time being we have a sustainable funding from within.”

Given the features and the highly competitive pricing of Shopmatic, the idea has a lot of potential, but it remains to be seen how far and fast Shopmatic can expand its reach in India. Some of the reasons behind this apprehension are possibly beyond Shopmatic’s scope. According to the World Bank’s 2016 Ease of Doing Business Index, India ranks a paltry 130 (out of 189 economies). Although the government has gone gung-ho about the present startup scenario in India, the lack of implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), for instance, will continue to stifle the emergence of startups, especially ecommerce initiatives. Having said that, services like Shopmatic are doing their best to cut down the infernal red tape on the user’s (read: merchant) part.

A 2015 Morgan Stanley report estimated the Indian ecommerce market to grow from $11 billion in 2013, to $137 billion by 2020. Whereas, a 2015 BCG report projected the Indian retail market to touch $1 trillion by 2020. When you add these figures to the rising Internet literacy and an increasing willingness to start new business, India definitely becomes a market where Shopmatic can do magic. And, with some of the ecommerce enablers gaining traction and raising funds in 2016, it seems like this segment will see a lot of action this year.

Source: Inc42

Homepreneurs surf the e-commerce wave

Priyanka Gusain, a 24-year old CS student, earns Rs 1 lakh a month. However, her job is not even remotely linked to corporate affairs. Rather, she is a a homeprenuer.

An artist by hobby, Gusain sells hand-crafted and painted shoes, jackets, scarves, wallets and clutches via her online shop: Zubiya.com.

Started in 2013 after completing her BCom, Gusain had a measly budget of Rs 50,000 to start the business, most of which went in purchasing the raw material.

Since there was no money for marketing, Gusain tried the social media route, which didn't work well.

"Facebook was okay for promotion and generated queries. For making an actual sale, I needed a site that had a proper checkout system with a reliable payment gateway ," says Gusian.

Such websites cost at least Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000 to build, which obviously she could not afford.

This is where software as a service (SaaS) companies such as Shopmatic, KartRocket, BuildaBazaar, Shopify come in and rescue micro-entrepreneurs like Gusain.

By offering simple-to-use and reasonably priced ecommerce solutions, these firms help small home-based women entrepreneurs bring their business online and scale up.

They not only provide an inexpensive way to launch but also pluses like in-built payment options, brand-building and logistical support, all of which are critical for the success of an e-store initially.

"Having safe payment systems with options like cash-on-delivery and a good courier service that delivers on time goes a long way," says Gusain.

"On the platform we have 40% female and 60% male entrepreneurs. Of the 40%, 60% opt for the least-cost plan as their startup capital involved is less than Rs 5 lakh," says Saahil Goel, CEO, KartRocket.

The basic plans cost upwards from just Rs 1,000 and the tools take care of the entire ecosystem of selling online.

"There is a nominal initial set-up cost followed by a monthly fee and a per-transaction fee with rates depending on which package and the number of services the customer opts for," says Vishal Mehta, CEO, Infibeam.com, the company that runs BuildaBazaar.

The sites are pretty simple to create and use. There is practically no documentation required, and products and listings can be uploaded with a simple click on a phone photo.

"There is no coding knowledge required. In fact the backend is as simple as uploading pictures and text on Facebook," says Anurag Avula, CEO, Shopmatic.

The templates need to be kept intuitive and simple as a large number of these micro-entrepreneurs come from Tier-2 and Tier-3 towns and have no technical knowledge.

"There is a rapid growth in housewives from Tier2 and Tier-3 cities. And they are leveraging Shopmatic to create stores for selling cakes or to give tuitions," says Avula.

These SaaS platforms also handhold you to expand business. The advantage of going with the experts is that you don't have to research about emerging trends in ecommerce.

These websites keep updating their interface as per latest trends, help you tie up with shipping partners and payment gateways for national and international sales.

They help in marketing too by featuring several optimisations that will enhance search engine rankings.These have social media plugins and help with listings on social media too.

43-year-old web designer Priya Harjai quit her 12-year-old career when her kids were born. However, she didn't want to sit idle at home. Interested in art and crafts, she started Olive by Design, a store for handmade designer wooden boxes in January, 2015.

While the offline store got 25 orders a month, queries from prospective buyers have quadrupled after she launched the e-store this January.

"I expect to be shipping 100 boxes soon," says Harjai. "We have an in-house analytics team that tracks user performance on the platform to help entrepreneurs optimise the same," says Goel of KartRocket.

Source: The Economic Times Tech

Budget reactions: On women entrepreneurship, tax laws, R&D & more

Here’s looking at what Indian companies and startups have to say about Budget 2016-17:

– Anurag Avula, founder and CEO, Shopmatic – “.. In totality we are quite pleased with the startup and entrepreneurial announcements, specifically the Special Patent Regime proposed to power innovation and research that we believe will nurture and mentor the next wave of tech stars that will drive a successful economy.”

Source: MediaNama

#Budget2016 reactions – Software & Web Service Providers

We have covered the #Budget2016 extensively for our reader from every perspective of technology player.

Before we share the Budget reactions from the Software & Web Service Providers. Have a look at what NASSCOM officials have to say about the #Budget2016.

It’s great to see reforms being proposed in favour of entrepreneurs, not only in urban India but in all parts of the country. The move for forming the National SC/ST Hub with the Ministry of Micros SME to support SC/ST entrepreneurs, is heartening to see.

It's also great to see that the Special Patent Regime proposed to power innovation and research has been initiated, which further fosters the country’s creative spirit.

It takes a lot of time and effort into running and building a successful business. What is great to note is that a bill is being introduced for ease of doing business and to enable registration of companies in a day, will certainly ease the process.

In totality we are quite pleased with the startup and entrepreneurial announcements, specifically the Special Patent Regime proposed to power innovation and research that we believe will nurture and mentor the next wave of tech stars that will drive a successful economy.

Source: The Unbiased Blog

Post Budget Reactions

Tax relief for low income earners who live on rent but do not get HRA -can reduce Rs 36,000 from their gross taxable income. This deduction was stuck in time and will be helpful for taxpayers in non-HRA category.

Tax relief in section 87A to those earning below Rs 5lakhs. This is only allowed to RESIDENT individual. Where Total Income Less Deductions (under Section 80) is equal to or less than Rs 5,00,000

Seems there will be a possible amendment in Section 80EE for first time home buyers – First home buyers to get addl deduction of Rs 50,000 if home loan < Rs 35lakhs and cost of house < Rs 50lakhs.

The Finance Minister has intended to give this benefit in Section 80EE to the lower income group who are purchasing their first house. Will be the much needed thrust to the housing sector in tier-2 and tier-3 cities.

Section 44AD amendments – Significant development for small enterprises and professionals such as lawyers and doctors, interior designers etc who can now relieve themselves of cumbersome account keeping and audit requirements by availing this scheme. This inclusion of professionals bound to see immense popularity. And will make the simple 3-4 page ITR-4S popular.​

It’s great to see reforms being proposed in favour of entrepreneurs, not only in urban India but in all parts of the country. The move for forming the National SC/ST Hub with the Ministry of Micros SME to support SC/ST entrepreneurs, is heartening to see.

It's also great to see that the Special Patent Regime proposed to power innovation and research has been initiated, which further fosters the country’s creative spirit.

It takes a lot of time and effort into running and building a successful business. What is great to note is that a bill is being introduced for ease of doing business and to enable registration of companies in a day, will certainly ease the process.​In totality we are quite pleased with the startup and entrepreneurial announcements, specifically the Special Patent Regime proposed to power innovation and research that we believe will nurture and mentor the next wave of tech stars that will drive a successful economy.​

Source: IT Voice

Post Budget Reactions

It’s great to see reforms being proposed in favour of entrepreneurs, not only in urban India but in all parts of the country. The move for forming the National SC/ST Hub with the Ministry of Micros SME to support SC/ST entrepreneurs, is heartening to see.

Its also great to see that the Special Patent Regime proposed to power innovation and research has been initiated, which further fosters the country’s creative spirit.

It takes a lot of time and effort into running and building a successful business. What is great to note is that a bill is being introduced for ease of doing business and to enable registration of companies in a day, will certainly ease the process. ​In totality we are quite pleased with the startup and entrepreneurial announcements, specifically the Special Patent Regime proposed to power innovation and research that we believe will nurture and mentor the next wave of tech stars that will drive a successful economy.​

Source: Bangalore News Network

Union Budget 2016-17 Reaction

The Union Budget for 2016-17 presented by Finance Minister is a step in the right direction towards addressing some of the key issues in India such as rural development, job creation, focus on infrastructure developments etc. Budget has also given equal importance to reforms in financial sector, tax, ease of doing business and fiscal discipline to make robust the entire business ecosystem in India.

With regards to real estate industry though there is not much to be said, but the major thrust to infrastructure and additional exemption of home loan of Rs.50,000 for first time home buyers (cost of house not to exceed Rs.50 lakh.) is a step in right direction.

It is overall a balanced budget with focus on sustainable growth of the economy.

The union Budget this time focuses more on rural economy- more focus on increasing agricultural output. Allocation for rural development of nearly 90000 crores signify the Government’s concern for farmers and rural economy. Plan to double the farmers income by 2022 is a Welcome move.

This Budget is an excellent and encouraging one from one particular view point .There is thrust and priority for fiscal consolidation and aspiring to contain the fiscal deficit to 3.5% of GDP in 2016 .At the same time emphasis is laid on growth and development. Increasing infrastructure spending /ear marking substantial amount is a good move. This will further augur the confidence built around India.

It’s great to see reforms being proposed in favour of entrepreneurs, not only in urban India but in all parts of the country. The move for forming the National SC/ST Hub with the Ministry of Micros SME to support SC/ST entrepreneurs, is heartening to see. It's also great to see that the Special Patent Regime proposed to power innovation and research has been initiated, which further fosters the country’s creative spirit.

It takes a lot of time and effort into running and building a successful business. What is great to note is that a bill is being introduced for ease of doing business and to enable registration of companies in a day, will certainly ease the process.

​In totality we are quite pleased with the startup and entrepreneurial announcements, specifically the Special Patent Regime proposed to power innovation and research that we believe will nurture and mentor the next wave of tech stars that will drive a successful economy.

Source: This Week Bangalore

Union Budget 2016: Decisions and reactions

The Union Budget 2016 was presented to the public today and while it doesn't do a lot for the consumer technology market, there are some provisions for startups and digital literacy. Here's summing it up..

With the Startup boom hitting India, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced that the government will update the Companies Act to ensure a conducive environment for start ups. The government plans to ease the process of registration. The government also hopes to achieve a one-day registration completion.

Commenting on the occasion, Anurag Avual, Founder and CEO, Shopmatic said, “It takes a lot of time and effort into running and building a successful business. What is great to note is that a bill is being introduced for ease of doing business and to enable registration of companies in a day, will certainly ease the process. In totality we are quite pleased with the startup and entrepreneurial announcements, specifically the Special Patent Regime proposed to power innovation and research that we believe will nurture and mentor the next wave of tech stars that will drive a successful economy.”

Source: Digit

Four Start-up Founders Straddle Work, Passion

Having followed Formula One for years, CEO and founder of Shopmatic Anurag Avula registered to volunteer for race marshal when it was held in Singapore in 2008. Ever since, he has been volunteering as a senior official at the SingTel Singapore Grand Prix.

“To be a Formula One racer, you need to start young and be super fit. I am not close to fitness,” he says, giggling. “So, the next best thing was to volunteer. Around 23 different groups work without pay for the event and do not report to anyone directly. The volunteers are from different walks of life -- from high court judges to company CEOs. So you get to meet people from various backgrounds and cultures passionate about the sport.”

Source: The New Indian Express

A platform to build your own website

Bengaluru-based Shalini Subramanian is a product of the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad and is a designer by profession selling her products in Bengaluru and Hyderabad under the label Plantation House Clothing. She said, “I was in the process of constructing a webshop for my brand Plantation House, when a colleague of mine whose design sense I trust implicitly, recommended that I use Shopmatic to do so, instead of spending on developer costs and site construction costs. I am now working with Shopmatic and finding it an incredibly easy interface. The entire back-end of enrolling with payment gateways and courier services, both at discounted rates, is all taken care of,” she said.

Shenaz Bapooji, chief marketing officer, Shopmatic, Bengaluru, said, “Shopmatic provides an online opportunity for novices like housewives, making ladoos for instance, to turn this hobby into a business. Most of them don’t know about online advantages and reach or don’t know where to start or think it's too expensive.” We did extensive work across cities, issued pamphlets etc. to reach out to them. They have a subscription model `1,300-1,400 for the entire range of services. We want to democratise the technology of selling.

As Shalini said, “The cost of maintaining the site is incredibly low. I only need to manage my inventory, and concentrate on the design and not burdened with the nitty gritty details of the backend.”

Shopmatics which is headquartered in Singapore, launched in October and opened up its platform in January 2016 has currently 2,500 customers using the platform.

They range from Harley’s Corner that sells dogfood, to FemIndian for authentic ethnic wear to Olive by Design that makes gift boxes and One Feet Farm that helps people grow mini gardens.

Shopmatics has tied up with the CAIT that gives them access to 60 million merchants across 40,000 affiliates, enabling them to target small merchants, listed on the ‘e-Lala.biz' marketplace, whilst their association with PayPal will provide a platform for businesses particularly millions of SMEs to grow their business globally, said Ms Bapooji.

Source: The Asian Age

PayPal appoints Guru Bhat as General Manager of Chennai technology center

US-based PayPal, a digital payment firm, today announced Guru Bhat as the General Manager of the Chennai Technology Center in India.

Guru will be responsible for driving PayPal's technology strategy in Chennai, as the San Jose-based company builds on its next-generation payment solutions and services. Guru has 19 years of international experience in the technology sector. His most recent stint was with Ericsson India, where he headed R&D Operations.

"We strongly believe that his knowledge and commitment will be invaluable as we look to build payments for the future." said Anupam Pahuja, General Manager, Technology of PayPal APAC.

In India, PayPal works only for cross-border transactions. Recently, the company tied up with e-commerce platform solutions provider, Shopmatic, to enable its merchants to expand their sales globally. This was PayPal's first tie-up with an Indian partner.

Source: The Economic Times Tech

PayPal appoints Guru Bhat as general manager

BENGALURU: US-based PayPal, a digital payment firm, today announced Guru Bhat as the General Manager of the Chennai Technology Center in India.

Guru will be responsible for driving PayPal's technology strategy in Chennai, as the San Jose-based company builds on its next-generation payment solutions and services. Guru has 19 years of international experience in the technology sector. His most recent stint was with Ericsson India, where he headed R&D Operations.

"We strongly believe that his knowledge and commitment will be invaluable as we look to build payments for the future." said Anupam Pahuja, General Manager, Technology of PayPal APAC.

In India, PayPal works only for cross-border transactions. Recently, the company tied up with e-commerce platform solutions provider, Shopmatic, to enable its merchants to expand their sales globally. This was PayPal's first tie-up with an Indian partner.

Source: The Times of India

Startup India’s real start to come in the way it can access funds

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set the ball rolling with the announcement of his 19-point Startup action plan amid much fanfare, the move aimed at boosting employment generation and wealth creation has generated huge enthusiasm and been largely welcomed by the industry.

As India waits to see much more indigenous innovation in the days to come, here are key VCs, investors and startups reflecting on the various provisions of the Startup Action plan, and how they feel it will impact the startup industry in the recent future. Take a look:

The easing of the financial and labour norms is a fantastic initiative. It encourages new entrepreneurs and start-ups to focus on innovation without having to struggle with additional taxes etc. With progressive initiatives by the Government, India is bound to succeed in its mission to be leading the charge in being the Start Up Capital of the world. Shopmatic started with the intent of helping anyone sell online. Any progressive initiative that benefits business growth for our merchants and individual entrepreneurs, is a step in a positive direction.

Source: Business Insider

Startup India: Modi’s promises make startups cautiously optimistic of a good 2016

Indian prime minister Narendra Modi made several promises in his speech to an audience of startups and venture investors on Saturday. That has instilled hope that the country might become a more attractive destination for investment, at a time when funding activity has ebbed from the highs of mid-2015.

Banks might step in to fill the gap if the proposals are implemented, feels Vinod Murali, Managing Director, InnoVen Capital. But he also cautions that past attempts have not been very successful when it comes to increasing credit availability. “The government already has a credit guarantee scheme under CGTMSE which has been operational but start-ups have struggled to get through the due process with different state-owned banks to avail funds,” said Murali in an interaction with DealStreetAsia.

Part of the reason for past disappointments was that banks and the government’s proposals were not always in sync. “The key here is to educate banks well enough to support the prime minister’s vision. Start-ups require capital for growth and it is important to find appropriate partners who understand their lifecycle and aspirations,” Murali said.

InnoVen had invested in 13 startups in 2015, including participation in online grocery seller Peppertap‘s $36 million series B round. It also invested in edtech startup Toppr, food delivery player Faasos and medical tech startup Practo.

Modi promised a less complicated environment for compliance issues, which has been a major hassle for startups. That has understandably been welcomed. “The ease of opening a start-up has been simplified, can be done through a mobile app and will take a day. A shorter form shall be applicable. Earlier setting up a company required various registrations will all requiring the same set of documents such as address proof, PAN, TAN etc. This will help start-ups focus on their work and avoid unnecessary delays,” said Archit Gupta, CEO & Founder, ClearTax, a Y Combinator-backed online tax filing portal.

“Easing of the financial and labour norms is a fantastic initiative. It encourages new entrepreneurs and start-ups to focus on innovation without having to struggle with additional taxes,” said Anurag Avula, CEO and founder, Shopmatic, a Singapore-based site that helps offline businesses set up shop online. It started India operations last year.

The government’s stalled Good and Services Tax (GST) Bill might actually help startups which are older, and generating significant cashflow, than the proposal to not tax them for the first three years. “Most of the new age startups which are on the growth path will seldom be able to generate profits in the first three years,” said Ajith Karimpana, CEO and founder, Furlenco, a furniture rental startup that raised $6 million in series A funding last year from Lightbox Ventures. “Startups, like other companies, would benefit more with the GST since that has a larger impact on the bottomline and cashflow companies,” he said.

As with other promises of the government, which has been slow in the past in implementing proposals, much depends on how quickly they are put into effect this time. “The startup action plan looks promising. Now we need to wait and see how it is executed,” said Karimpana.

Source: DealStreetAsia

PayPal partners Shopmatic to facilitate cross-border transactions

Digital payments company PayPal today entered into a strategic partnership with Shopmatic, an international e-commerce company that manages the entire ecosystem for online sellers.

The partnership will enable merchants of Shopmatic to expand their global footprint backed by the flexibility, convenience and security offered by PayPal.

Singapore based e-commerce company Shopmatic was incorporated in December 2014 by Anurag Avula, Yen Lim, and Kris Chen. Priced at $20 a month, it helps merchants develop their own webstore, list them on marketplaces and social channels, and also provides insights on how to sell online.

It caters to a multitude of merchants from existing customers/merchants who are selling their products and services with no online presence to existing customers/ merchants, selling their products and services offline through online marketplaces. It is focused on helping not only, the small and medium businesses and individual entrepreneurs to find their feet in the online world but also give them global exposure.

Commenting on the partnership, CEO of Shopmatic Group, Anurag Avula said, "Managing payments is one of the biggest challenges for small and medium enterprises. We are delighted to partner with PayPal to enable cross border trade for Indian sellers making it easier for merchants to accept payments from customers outside India. With the significant opportunity of over 51 million small and medium businesses, we believe that this association will provide a platform for businesses to grow their business in the global marketplace."

PayPal, which facilitates online payments for hundreds of thousands of Internet e-commerce ventures, processed 4 billion payments last year. It has 173 million active customer accounts and is available to people in 203 markets.

"We are happy to announce Shopmatic as our first Indian partner to enable online commerce. The emerging digitization has had a strong impact on not only taking SMEs online domestically but enabling their ambitions globally," said Hamish Moline, Vice President for Regional Merchant Services and Southeast Asia at PayPal APAC.

Source: Business Standard

PayPal ties up with Shopmatic in first Indian partnership

MUMBAI: Digital payments firm PayPal said it tied up with e-commerce platform solutions provider Shopmatic to enable its merchants to expand their sales globally. This is PayPal's first tie-up with an Indian partner.

Shopmatic will manage online ecosystem for CAIT's partner merchants -- from helping them develop their own web store to listing them on the CAIT's online marketplace, 'eLala.biz,' and providing them with insights on how to sell online. In the first phase, the drive will begin from Delhi NCR area.

"We are happy to announce Shopmatic as our first Indian partner to enable online commerce. The emerging digitization has had a strong impact on not only taking SMEs online domestically but enabling their ambitions globally," Hamish Moline, vice president for regional merchant services and Southeast Asia at PayPal APAC, said in a statement. Shopmatic provides ecommerce solutions to merchants.

In India, PayPal works only for cross-border transactions, a market that the company is growing fast. In November, a report by PayPal showed that Indian online shoppers will spend an Rs 54,700 crores buying products from other countries, and the spend is expected to rise by more than 75% in 2016.

PayPal is also striking deals with banks to help consumers in India use their credit and debit cards to buy internationally. In May, the company announced that it had partnered with State Bank of India to enable customers to use their SBI debit cards on PayPal to make purchases on overseas websites.

Source: The Times of India

PayPal partners with Shopmatic to facilitate cross border transactions

PayPal, the world’s leading open digital payments company, today, entered into a strategic partnership with Shopmatic, an international ecommerce company that manages the entire ecosystem for online sellers. The partnership will enable merchants of Shopmatic to expand their global footprint backed by the flexibility, convenience and security offered by PayPal.

Shopmatic helps merchants and individuals handle everything that is required to grow their business online, from developing a webstore to listing it on marketplaces, and promoting it on social channels, along with insights on how to sell online.

PayPal facilitates online payments for hundreds of thousands of Internet e-commerce ventures, as well as traditional brick-and-mortar businesses that have an online presence. It enables merchants to accept payments faster and easier. It also provides seamless, integrated solutions to help how customers do business: online, mobile, or cross-border.

Hamish Moline, Vice President for Regional Merchant Services and Southeast Asia at PayPal APAC said: “We are happy to announce Shopmatic as our first Indian partner to enable online commerce. The emerging digitization has had a strong impact on not only taking SMEs online domestically but enabling their ambitions globally. PayPal is a pioneer in cutting edge payment solutions and we are actively pursuing opportunities for partnering with like-minded brands to offer innovative solutions targeted towards entrepreneurs who are tech-savvy and more aware.”

Commenting on the partnership, CEO of Shopmatic Group, AnuragAvula said, “Managing payments is one of the biggest challenges for small and medium enterprises. We are delighted to partner with PayPal to enable cross border trade for Indian sellers making it easier for merchants to accept payments from customers outside India. With the significant opportunity of over 51 million small and medium businesses, we believe that this association will provide a platform for businesses to grow their business in the global marketplace.“

Shopmatic caters to a multitude of merchants from existing customers/merchants who are selling their products and services with no online presence to existing customers/ merchants, selling their products and services offline through online marketplaces. It is focused on helping not only, the small and medium businesses and individual entrepreneurs to find their feet in the online world but also give them global exposure.

Source: Mumbai This Week

Lack of GST can stifle Modi’s Startup India dream

One only has to see the long line of trucks piled up outside a border checkpost. The borders of Mumbai, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are a case in point for a generation waiting to see efficiency creep in to the transportation industry. Thanks to the current tax complications, a generation of new-age businesses like Flipkart, Snapdeal, Shopclues and Shopmatic will continue to be hassled by local governments to pay up unnecessary taxes to boost up State revenues. Therefore, the GST should become a reality for the Narendra Modi-led BJP government or face being ignored by the global investor community which could easily overlook India’s promises as a ‘Startup Nation’. Indian infrastructure needs a massive overhaul simply because the cost of doing business is very high because of taxes.

Source: Your Story

36% SMEs in India yet offline. Shopmatic ready with ‘Go Digital’ plan

Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs) will certainly be one of the big drivers of India’s growth in the coming years. As campaigns by Google and GoDaddy have shown over the years, it is not an easy job to get these smaller entities to go online, especially if those running it are not well-versed with the Internet.

Singapore-based e-commerce suite Shopmatic hopes to make the process a little easier for India’s SMEs by offering an entire ecosystem for a small business that wishes to go online. From logistics of setting up a website or online payment gateway to listing on other platforms and handling deliveries, the company does it all for an SME.

“Shopmatic provides the entire ecosystem for someone who wants to take their business online. Even payment acceptance is auto-integrated. We give our customers data insights, let them even track their shipments to customers,” says Anurag Avula, CEO and founder of the Singapore-based firm.

While the company is going a limited release version of their services till end of 2015, it plans to target 40 cities in India in 2016. The Shopmatic suite costs around $20 or Rs 1,300 per month and the company hopes to get small-scale businesses and home entrepreneurs on board.

“If you have a business, we want to create an online category, market for that,” says Avula. Shopmatic will also handle delivery for its business and has signed up Delhivery. The company will also help businesses that want to sell abroad by managing international delivery and logistics.

Avula is confident that more SMBs will sign up for a service like Shopmatic. “During our research we spoke to 400-500 home business owners. And most were interested in what we have to offer. Not a single person said ‘we’re not interested’. They want something like this,” says Shopmatic’s CEO. The initial plan is to roll out in metros and also target tier II, tier III cities like Chandigarh, Mysore, Jaipur, Lucknow, Coimbatore, etc.

Source: SME Post

6 crore Indian merchants to join Shopmatic platform

Singapore-based B2B e-commerce company, Shopmatic, has tied up with the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), a body of traders from across the country, and will be on-boarding help its 6 crore merchants to set up operations online.

Shopmatic will manage online ecosystem for CAIT's partner merchants -- from helping them develop their own web store to listing them on the CAIT's online marketplace, 'eLala.biz,' and providing them with insights on how to sell online. In the first phase, the drive will begin from Delhi NCR area.

'eLala.biz' was launched by CAIT in a bid to empower small traders to benefit from the burgeoning e-commerce market opportunities. The apex trader's body has 60 million merchants across 40,000 affiliates, connected to it. Through this association, Shopmatic will target small merchants, to give them the opportunity to create their unique identity online and to help list them on the 'e-Lala.biz' marketplace. By leveraging Shopmatic's services, merchants with brick-and-mortar stores will now have the chance to sell their products nationally, and globally and avail the services of Shopmatic's online ecosystem at just $20 a month.

Commenting on the partnership, BC Bhartia, president of CAIT, Nagpur commented, "We look forward to Shopmatic onboarding as many merchants as possible, for them to avail this unique opportunity of being part of eLala.biz and of getting their unique online presence, as well. Global major in card payment technology MasterCard and HDFC Bank are associated with e-lala.biz in a big manner."

Anurag Avula, CEO, Shopmatic said, "We are indeed, privileged to partner CAIT in helping merchants take their businesses online. This partnership fits in well with our plans to reach out to millions of merchants in the cities and smaller towns of India. Most small businesses are afraid to take their businesses online, due to the fear of it being too complicated a process and the fear of high costs. Our platform has been created to offer the highest levels of simplicity to such merchants at the most affordable cost- $20 a month."

Shopmatic has established partnerships with international and local companies, making it very easy for its users to sell online. Shopmatic's Do-It-Yourself platform, will allow merchants to create their individual webstores, by taking care of every aspect of the online ecosystem in addition to the advantage of selling through e-Lala.biz.

Shopmatic, which was incorporated in December 2014, was founded by Avula, Yen Lim and Kris Chen as an international e-commerce platform, launched with the intent of helping anyone wishing to sell online. It also has offices in Gurgaon and Bengaluru.

Source: The Times of India

Shopmatic partners CAIT to bring its members on eLala platform

Singapore-based IT company Shopmatic has signed an agreement with Indian traders body CAIT to digitalise business of the latter's members and connect them with e-commerce platform eLala.biz at a monthly charge of USD 20 (about Rs 1300).

"We are indeed privileged to partner CAIT in helping merchants take their businesses online. Our platform has been created to offer simplicity to such merchants at affordable cost - USD 20 a month," Shopmatic CEO Anurag Avula said in a statement.

Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has around 6 crore merchants across 40,000 affiliates, it added.

"E-commerce is an emerging and promising business of the future and this alliance with Shopmatic will give our merchants the opportunity to create an international e-commerce experience at a price that is very affordable," CAIT National Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal said.

Shopmatic will help interested members of CAIT to build their website as well as provide end-to-end facility to enable them sell on CAIT's e-commerce platform eLala.biz.

In the first phase, the drive will begin from Delhi-NCR. "For next year, we are planning to have 1 million and then in phases we will have other merchants from tier II and III cities as well," Avula said.

Source: The Economic Times

Shopmatic signs MoU with Confederation of All India Traders to onboard Indian merchants

Shopmatic will manage online ecosystem for CAIT's partner merchants - right from helping them develop their own webstore to listing them on the eLala.biz marketplace to providing them with insights on how to sell online.

Shopmatic, a Singapore-based e-commerce company providing the entire ecosystem for any merchant to sell online, has joined hands with the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), a body of traders from across the country, by signing an MoU.

Shopmatic will manage online ecosystem for CAIT's partner merchants - right from helping them develop their own webstore to listing them on the eLala.biz marketplace to providing them with insights on how to sell online. In the first phase, the drive will begin from Delhi NCR area.

‘eLala.biz' was launched by CAIT in a bid to empower small traders to benefit from the burgeoning e-commerce market opportunities. The apex trader's body has 60 million merchants across 40,000 affiliates, connected to it. Through this association, Shopmatic will target small merchants, to give them the opportunity to create their unique identity online and to help list them on the ‘e-Lala.biz' marketplace. By leveraging Shopmatic's services, merchants with brick-and-mortar stores will now have the chance to sell their products not only nationally, but globally as well, and avail the services of Shopmatic’sonline ecosystem at just 20 USD a month.

Commenting on the partnership, Mr. B.C. Bhartia, President of CAIT, Nagpur commented, “We are confident that our partnership with Shopmatic will bring utmost value to all members of our Association. We look forward to Shopmatic onboarding as many merchants as possible, for them to avail this unique opportunity of being part of eLala.biz and of getting their unique online presence, as well.Global major in card payment technology MasterCard and lead Bank HDFC Bank are associated with e-lala.biz in a big manner.”

Praveen Khandelwal, National Secretary General, CAIT said, “E Commerce is an emerging and promising business of the future and this alliance with Shopmatic, will give our merchants the opportunity to create an international ecommerce experience at a price that is very affordable. He also said that CAIT is extensively working on upgradation & modernisation of Indian traders and promoting them to embrace technology. The CAIT is already parterning with MasterCard for promoting cashless economy in India in line with Digital India program of Central Government ”

Mr Anurag Avula, CEO, Shopmatic said, "We are indeed, privileged to partner CAIT in helping merchants take their businesses online. This partnership fits in well with our plans to reach out to millions of merchants in the cities and smaller towns of India. Most small businesses are afraid to take their businesses online, due to the fear ofit being too complicated a process and the fear of high costs. Our platform has been created to offer the highest levels of simplicity to such merchants at the most affordable cost- 20 USD a month.”

Shopmatic has established partnerships with international and local companies, making it very easy for its users to sell online. Shopmatic’s Do-It-Yourself platform, will allow merchants to create their individual webstores, by taking care of every aspect of the online ecosystem in addition to the advantage of selling through e-Lala.biz. In every way, it’s a win-win situation for any merchant wanting to grow his business, beyond the brick and mortar model.

Source: India Info Line

Shopmatic, the e-commerce company that wants to help India’s SMEs go digital

Shopmatic hopes to make the process a little easier for India’s SMEs by offering an entire ecosystem for a small business that wishes to go online

Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs) will certainly be one of the big drivers of India’s growth in the coming years. As campaigns by Google and GoDaddy have shown over the years, it is not an easy job to get these smaller entities to go online, especially if those running it are not well-versed with the Internet.

Singapore-based e-commerce suite Shopmatic hopes to make the process a little easier for India’s SMEs by offering an entire ecosystem for a small business that wishes to go online. From logistics of setting up a website or online payment gateway to listing on other platforms and handling deliveries, the company does it all for an SME.

“Shopmatic provides the entire ecosystem for someone who wants to take their business online. Even payment acceptance is auto-integrated. We give our customers data insights, let them even track their shipments to customers,” says Anurag Avula, CEO and founder of the Singapore-based firm.

While the company is going a limited release version of their services till end of 2015, it plans to target 40 cities in India in 2016. The Shopmatic suite costs around $20 or Rs 1,300 per month and the company hopes to get small-scale businesses and home entrepreneurs on board.

“If you have a business, we want to create an online category, market for that,” says Avula. Shopmatic will also handle delivery for its business and has signed up Delhivery. The company will also help businesses that want to sell abroad by managing international delivery and logistics.

“If you have a business, we want to create an online category, market for that,” says Avula. Shopmatic will also handle delivery for its business and has signed up Delhivery. The company will also help businesses that want to sell abroad by managing international delivery and logistics.

“If you have a business, we want to create an online category, market for that,” says Avula. Shopmatic will also handle delivery for its business and has signed up Delhivery. The company will also help businesses that want to sell abroad by managing international delivery and logistics.

For Indian SMBs, not going digital is no longer an option. This July, a Google and Deloitte report had said that in India a massive 36 per cent small and medium businesses (SMBs) in India are still offline with just about 10 per cent of them near an “Advanced Digital” adoption stage. The report said going digital could help these businesses increase revenue and will also help create new jobs in the economy. Deloitte and Google found that businesses that operate totally offline saw an annual 8 per cent fall in revenue.

Even Google has stepped up its enterprise game in India and recently announced free cloud credits for $20,000 worth free credits in Cloud Services for the period of one year to 1000 startups.

Source: Indian Express

Shopmatic partners CAIT to bring its members on eLala platform

New Delhi, Dec 22 (PTI) Singapore-based IT company Shopmatic has signed an agreement with Indian traders body CAIT to digitalise business of the latters members and connect them with e-commerce platform eLala.biz at a monthly charge of USD 20 (about Rs 130).

"We are indeed privileged to partner CAIT in helping merchants take their businesses online. Our platform has been created to offer simplicity to such merchants at affordable cost - USD 20 a month," Shopmatic CEO Anurag Avula said in a statement.

Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has around 6 crore merchants across 40,000 affiliates, it added.

"E-commerce is an emerging and promising business of the future and this alliance with Shopmatic will give our merchants the opportunity to create an international e-commerce experience at a price that is very affordable," CAIT National Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal said.

Shopmatic will help interested members of CAIT to build their website as well as provide end-to-end facility to enable them sell on CAITs e-commerce platform eLala.biz.

In the first phase, the drive will begin from Delhi-NCR.

"For next year, we are planning to have 1 million and then in phases we will have other merchants from tier II and III cities as well," Avula said. PTI PRS PRB STS

Source: India Today

Shopmatic partners CAIT to bring its members on eLala platform

Singapore-based IT company Shopmatic has signed an agreement with Indian traders body CAIT to digitalise business of the latter's members and connect them with e-commerce platform eLala.Biz at a monthly charge of USD 20 (about Rs 1300).

"We are indeed privileged to partner CAIT in helping merchants take their businesses online. Our platform has been created to offer simplicity to such merchants at affordable cost - USD 20 a month," Shopmatic CEO Anurag Avula said in a statement.

Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has around 6 crore merchants across 40,000 affiliates, it added.

"E-commerce is an emerging and promising business of the future and this alliance with Shopmatic will give our merchants the opportunity to create an international e-commerce experience at a price that is very affordable," CAIT National Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal said.

Shopmatic will help interested members of CAIT to build their website as well as provide end-to-end facility to enable them sell on CAIT's e-commerce platform eLala.Biz.

In the first phase, the drive will begin from Delhi-NCR. "For next year, we are planning to have 1 million and then in phases we will have other merchants from tier II and III cities as well," Avula said.

Source: Business Standard

Shopmatic, the e-commerce company that wants to help India’s SMEs go digital

Singapore-based e-commerce suite Shopmatic hopes to make the process a little easier for India’s SMEs by offering an entire ecosystem for a small business that wishes to go online.

Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs) will certainly be one of the big drivers of India’s growth in the coming years. As campaigns by Google and GoDaddy have shown over the years, it is not an easy job to get these smaller entities to go online, especially if those running it are not well-versed with the Internet.

Singapore-based e-commerce suite Shopmatic hopes to make the process a little easier for India’s SMEs by offering an entire ecosystem for a small business that wishes to go online. From logistics of setting up a website or online payment gateway to listing on other platforms and handling deliveries, the company does it all for an SME.

“Shopmatic provides the entire ecosystem for someone who wants to take their business online. Even payment acceptance is auto-integrated. We give our customers data insights, let them even track their shipments to customers,” says Anurag Avula, CEO and founder of the Singapore-based firm.

While the company is going a limited release version of their services till end of 2015, it plans to target 40 cities in India in 2016. The Shopmatic suite costs around $ 20 or Rs 1,300 per month and the company hopes to get small-scale businesses and home entrepreneurs on board.

“If you have a business, we want to create an online category, market for that,” says Avula. Shopmatic will also handle delivery for its business and has signed up Delhivery. The company will also help businesses that want to sell abroad by managing international delivery and logistics.

Avula is confident that more SMBs will sign up for a service like Shopmatic. “During our research we spoke to 400-500 home business owners. And most were interested in what we have to offer. Not a single person said ‘we’re not interested’. They want something like this,” says Shopmatic’s CEO. The initial plan is to roll out in metros and also target tier II, tier III cities like Chandigarh, Mysore, Jaipur, Lucknow, Coimbatore, etc.

Avula admits that it won’t be an entirely Do-It-Yourself process with most business and that there will be some hand-holding from their part. “We will have e-commerce consultants who will walk these home business owners through the process. We have to make them understand how easy it is to go online, but educating them about it will also be a part of the process,” add Avula.

For Indian SMBs, not going digital is no longer an option. This July, a Google and Deloitte report had said that in India a massive 36 per cent small and medium businesses (SMBs) in India are still offline with just about 10 per cent of them near an “Advanced Digital” adoption stage. The report said going digital could help these businesses increase revenue and will also help create new jobs in the economy. Deloitte and Google found that businesses that operate totally offline saw an annual 8 per cent fall in revenue.

Even Google has stepped up its enterprise game in India and recently announced free cloud credits for $ 20,000 worth free credits in Cloud Services for the period of one year to 1000 startups.

Source: Newz Asia

We are making it extremely affordable for small businesses to go online: Shopmatic

In India, millions of businesses in smaller towns are still wary of online selling — although many have joined the bandwagon through marketplaces like Flipkart and Snapdeal — and are apprehensive about the costs involved.Singapore-based Shopmatic helps these businesses and entrepreneurs to sell online.

Shopmatic helps them develop their own web stores — complete with a user-friendly interface — listing them on a marketplace and social channels. It also advises them on the ways to get a better sales response online for a monthly fee of $20.

The portal competes with players like Shopo and Shopify in India.

DEALSTREETASIA spoke to Anurag Avula, CEO & co-founder,Shopmatic, about existing competition from similar players and online marketplaces, working with people who are conversant with offline presence and apprehensive about coming online, and the startup’s plans of expanding to more Asian countries and raising more investment.

Edited Excerpts:

Tell us the challenges of trying to move a traditional offline business, to signing up with you for an online presence? How do you pitch to a traditional seller, who has been doing well offline for decades, to work with you?

Through time, established businesses have been habituated to doing business in a particular way- and have been drawing comfort from the brick and mortar environments (offline) that they have created. All of a sudden, their comfort world has changed- and they can see, that there is possibly another new way to do business- the online world. They are also beginning to see that their business is getting impacted as more and more customers are shopping online.

They are probably hesitant to move quickly enough to this new world, because of the fear of the unknown. Some think that it is complicated and don’t understand it and there’s also the fear of costs attached – they think that they are being fleeced or have to incur very high costs for adoption to the online world.

We are trying to address both of these challenges by democratising technology, as it were, and making it not only easy for people to avail of the opportunity to sell online but also, by making it extremely affordable. We are encouraging small and medium businesses and entrepreneurs alike, to tap the online world as an additional channel through which they can grow their business. There is no denying that there are larger opportunities of taking their business online – by way of better growth, newer customers and cross-border opportunities for doing business.

How big is the business you are looking at? In other words, what is the kind of business — in terms of revenue and number of subscribers you expect to sign up — do you expect in the first year of operations?

The size of the business opportunity is huge. We are looking at the market opportunity through 3 audience segments: There are existing small and medium sized businesses that are selling their products but are not online. Then there are existing small and medium sized businesses that are selling their products offline, with a minimal presence online or selling through marketplaces. And there is this big opportunity that sits with Individual entrepreneurs who are yet to realise the potential of doing business online.

If we just look at India, there are over 51 million small and medium businesses in the country and a significant base of untapped individual entrepreneurs. We believe that we are well-poised to onboard 1 million customers by end 2016.

Why would a startup go for your services instead of listing on a Flipkart or Amazon, where he is likely to get more sales because of the huge popularity of such sites?

Shopmatic is the only company to enable the entire ecosystem of selling online for our customers. We are giving our customers the advantage of building their own identity online as well as giving them the opportunity to sell through marketplaces/ social channels. In our model, there is no ‘either’, ‘or’ situation. People can do both: sell under their own name and sell through marketplaces/ social channels. We also have built a mechanism of giving merchants insights on how they can better sell their products/ services.

You’ve started from India. Which cities are you present in, and how many employees do you have? Any plans to expand to other Asian countries in the next six months?

Yes, our limited release launch is underway and we will be opening up our site to everyone in India, by mid-November 2015. We are launching in 18 cities in India, to start with. In parallel, we will launch in other Asian countries like Singapore, Hong Kong & Malaysia by the end of the year.

In 2016, we will roll out to other regions such as the Middle-East, Africa and Australia. Our head office is in Singapore and at the moment, we have offices in Gurgaon and Bangalore, in India. Other than our core team and e-commerce consultants we also have feet–on-street consultants signing up merchants.

Please explain your business model, including the monthly subscription charges, and services you provide. Since the value of what your client pays remains fixed, you must be expecting that average costs will remain lower than the revenue you will generate. How will that happen?

Ours is a subscription based model. We have no hidden costs and are charging $20 month for enabling the entire online ecosystem for our customers. You get three months free if you sign up for our 12-month plan and a month free with our six-month plan. And all our subscribers get the first month as a free trial period. We are also giving Rs 1000 towards shipping charges, for anyone signing up for our 6-month and 12-month packages. We don’t charge any additional fees per sale made by the customer. Ours is a SaaS (software as a service) model and average operating costs will come down with our growth in customers.

When do you plan to raise the next round of funding?

We will look at significant investments, given the potential of the Indian/other markets, and investors are in talks with us to invest in our growth strategy. Right now, we are privately funded with our angel investors from across the globe.

Source: DealStreetAsia

Online-selling services solution Shopmatic launches its services

Shopmatic, an e-commerce company that aims to make online selling easy for individuals and small businesses, has launched its operations in India.

The Indian e-commerce industry will be a $22 billion by the end of 2015, as estimated by a recent study done by consulting firm PwC and Singapore-based Shopmatic looks forward to tap this market, from the supply side.

Started about a year ago by Anurag Avula, Yen Lim and Kris Chen, who have worked for years in the e-commerce and payments space, the company intends to take care of all the online selling needs for its customers.

Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Anurag Avula, said "Our proposition is that anyone can sell online... including individual sellers who have an idea, a hobby and who want to try out new ways of doing business and small and medium businesses who are online, but have a broken value chain. We will provide them an entire ecosystem for selling online."

These services, available for a fixed cost of $20, $120 and $240 for a month, six months and a year respectively, start with the setting up of a website - a customer can choose to sell through their website, through existing marketplaces or even through their social media page.

In addition to a centralized dashboard that keeps a track of inventory, every seller gets data on the volume of sales through every platform, trends and insights on how to improve business.

Shopmatic has also partnered with logistics-provider Delhivery for shipping and with payments companies to enable flexible payment-options and shorter payment cycles of 5-7 days.

Bengaluru-based online seller, Gurudatt Nadiger, believes that this model shows promise. "Something as basic as packing and product description could be a problem. If a company takes these difficulties out of the way, and convinces a seller about the prospects of selling online, it will be very helpful."

The privately-funded company intends to expand its services to Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong by the end of the year.

Source: The Economic Times

Singapore-based Shopmatic
launches in India

Singapore-based e-commerce company, Shopmatic, has launched its operations in India. Incorporated in December 2014 by Anurag Avula, Yen Lim, and Kris Chen, Shopmatic provides a platform for any merchant who wants to take their business online.

Priced at $20 a month, it manages the entire ecosystem - from the right from helping them develop their own webstore to listing them on marketplaces and social channels and providing them with insights on how to sell online.

It has offices in Gurgaon and Bangalore and has decided to make India its first international launch market and plans to roll out to other markets in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Australia, subsequently.

CEO of Shopmatic Group, Anurag Avula said, "India has the unique advantage of addressing their needs on a larger scale. There are over 51 million Small and Medium Businesses in the country, and a significant base of untapped Individual Entrepreneurs. Our platform makes it easy for anyone to sell their products or services online, by offering them an international e-commerce experience at a price point that is very affordable."

Shopmatic has established partnerships with international and local companies, making it very easy for customers to sell online. The company also helps Individual Entrepreneurs manage everything that is required to let their business grow, including exposing them to international markets with the help of their global footprint.

Source: The Times of India

Singapore-based online retailer Shopmatic launches operations in India

With online retailing being bullish in India, Singapore-headquartered Shopmatic, which helps entrepreneurs to sell online, has launched its operations in the country.

The company helps manage anyone who wants to sell online tackle the entire process - from enabling them develop their own webstore to listing them on marketplaces and social channels to helping them with insights on how to sell online, all at $20 (about Rs 1,300) per month.

Shopmatic was incepted in December 2014 and has offices in Gurgaon and Bengaluru. India is its first market and looks to soon expand to other markets, including West Asia, Africa and Australia. It has established partnerships with international and local companies helping sellers to even sell on international markets.

"India has the unique advantage of addressing their needs on a larger scale. There are over 51 million small and medium businesses in the country, and a significant base of untapped individual entrepreneurs," said Anurag Avula, chief executive officer of Shopmatic Group. "Our platform makes it easy for anyone to sell their products or services online, by offering them an international e-commerce experience at a price point that is very affordable."

Other similar players in the segment include Snapdeal's Shopo, the mobile application-based online platform that enables anyone to sell online and Shopify, an e-commerce website solution that allows one to sell online by creating an online store.

Source: Business Standard

Singapore’s Shopmatic wants more Indian merchants to sell online

Singapore’s Shopmatic, which helps merchants to sell online through its ‘do-it-yourself’ (DIY) platform, has ventured into India. Shopmatic, owned and operated by Shopmatic Solutions Pvt Ltd, said India is its first international market.

The company has opened offices in Gurgaon and Bangalore where a 20-member team is taking on board about 100 pre-listed customers.

The launch is supported by angel investment of $1.5 million from undisclosed investors from India, the US and Singapore, Shopmatic CEO Anurag Avula said. The company’s three founders – Avula, Yen Lim and Kris Chen – also participated in this funding round.

“The idea was to simplify the technological processes to help SMEs and individual entrepreneurs easily adapt to online commerce. If you are able to operate Facebook and upload images on this, you should be able to use our platform – it’s as simple as that,” Avula said.

Through its DIY platform, Shopmatic allows merchants to create a web presence with storefronts. It helps merchants to list products on marketplaces or social media platforms and enables integration with payment gateways.

The company has tie-ups with e-commerce logistics firm Delhivery and global transportation major Aramex for delivery. Shopmatic projects pricing as its USP with subscription beginning at $20 (Rs 1,300) a month, excluding payment gateway fees and logistics.

he company will unveil marketing initiatives in 18 Indian cities over the next two months to meet its ambitious target of acquiring one million customers by the end of next year.

Formed in 2014, the company hopes to be operationally positive within seven to eight months. After India, it plans to enter other markets in Southeast Asia as well as the Middle East and Africa, Avula said.

Canadian-based Shopify is the global leader in the DIY e-commerce segment. It was listed on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges earlier this year. Shopify ventured into the Indian market in partnership with SingTel in 2013. Bharti Airtel, in which SingTel is a shareholder, entered into a tie-up with Shopify to offer the latter’s platform to its small office/home office (SOHO) and SME customers.

Shopmatic would also compete with a host of home-grown platforms such as KartRocket, Zepo, and PowerStores, all of whom have raised funding over the past two years.

Other players that offer similar DIY platforms are ecomnation.in (formerly known as 39shops.com), Infibeam’s BuildaBazaar, Twikster, bigcommerce.com and MartJack. Besides, online payment company PayU India had launched PayUPaisa, a web-based product that enables small- and medium-sized sellers to put their stores online in minutes.

Shopmatic’ founders are payment industry veterans who worked at PayPal before. In his most recent role, Avula was senior director for merchant sales, strategy and operations at PayPal Asia-Pacific. Lim was PayPal’s Asia-Pacific head of enterprise relationship and sales excellence. Chen was PayPal’s Asia-Pacific head of small and medium business and channel partners.

Source: VC Circle

Singapore’s Shopmatic wants more Indian merchants to sell online

Shopmatic, a Singapore based eCommerce SaaS company, has launched its operations in India with the intent of helping offline businesses succeed in selling online.

The company caters to a multitude of merchants who are selling their products and services with no online presence or minimal online presence and also caters to individual entrepreneurs who intend to sell online. The services of the company can be availed at a monthly subscription fee. The company also claims to give one month free trial.

Founded in December 2014 by Anurag Avula, Yen ​Ti ​Lim and Kris Chen, the company is based out of Singapore and has offices in Gurgaon and Bangalore. It decided to make India as its first international launch market and also plans to roll out to other markets in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Australia, subsequently.

Commenting on this, CEO of Shopmatic Group, Anurag Avula said, “We believe we have the opportunity to change the lives of individual entrepreneurs and small businesses by providing them a platform to grow their businesses and to fulfill their aspirations. There are over 51 million small and medium businesses in the country, and a significant base of untapped individual entrepreneurs.”

The company has also established partnerships with international and local companies logistics providers, whose service can be availed by the client to fulfill the delivery orders, thereby making it easy to sell online. It also provides an organized dashboard which provides management tools with data insights and inventory management for the business.

Further, the company guides individual entrepreneurs as to how to manage everything that is required to let their business grow, including exposing them to international markets with the help of their global footprint.

The company is competing with players like Shopify, Zepo, PowerStores, Buildabazaar, KartRocket, iQecommerce, NetSuite, Bigcommerce, Volusion, etc. As it is difficult for SME’s to establish their online platforms owing to restricting economic factors, these SaaS platforms comes in handy for fulfilling their infrastructure deficit. As per a Gartner report, Indian eCommerce will reach $6 billion in 2015, which will be a 70 percent increase over 2014 revenue of $3.5 billion according to Gartner, Inc.

These SaaS services will help offline businesses to come online. What will be interesting to note, how this sector helps offline businesses gain an online recognition among already the established ones.

Source: Iam Wire

Singapore Based Ecommerce Company Shopmatic Enters India To Tap 51 Mn SME And Individual Businesses

Singapore-based Shopmatic, an international ecommerce company, has launched its operations in India.

Shopmatic has decided to make India its first international launch market with office in Gurgaon and Bangalore. Subsequently, it plans to enter other markets of Asia, Middle East, Africa and Australia.

Incorporated in December 2014 by Anurag Avula, Yen Ti Lim and Kris Chen, Shopmatic is an international ecommerce company, launched with an intent to manage the entire ecosystem of taking users’ business online.

Shopmatic helps merchants and individuals handle everything that is required for them to grow their business online, right from developing webstore to listing it on marketplaces, and promoting it on social channels, along with helping with insights on how to sell online.

The company caters to a multitude of merchants who are selling their products and services with no online presence or minimal online presence and also caters to Individual Entrepreneurs who intend to sell online.

Anurag Avula, CEO of Shopmatic Group, said, “We believe we have the opportunity to change the lives of Individual Entrepreneurs and small businesses by providing them a platform to grow their businesses and to fulfill their aspirations. India has the unique advantage of addressing their needs on a larger scale. There are over 51 Mn Small and Medium Businesses in the country, and a significant base of untapped Individual Entrepreneurs. Our platform makes it easy for anyone to sell their products or services online, offer them an international ecommerce experience at a price point that is very affordable.”

Earlier this month, the group had also appointed Ogilvy and Mather’s Shenaz Bapooji as Chief Marketing Officer.

Shopmatic has established partnerships with international and local companies, making it very easy for customers to sell online. The company also offers exposure to international markets with the help of their global footprint.

Shopmatic’s Limited Release edition is currently, available at their website to selected merchants and will be available to all by November this year.

Source: Inc42

Eyeing India's 51 mln small-sized cos, Singapore's Shopmatic plans to disrupt online market on the supply side

Shopmatic, a Singapore-based do-it-yourself platform for those interested in doing business online launched in the first week of October, has signed up 100 companies so far.

The firm has its sights on existing small and medium sized businesses that do not have an online presence, those with minimal presence or are selling through marketplaces.

“There is a 51 million base of Small and Medium businesses in the country with a very little percentage with their own urls. There is another huge and wholly untapped segment, that is represented by individual entrepreneurs who all of us know,” says Avula, outlining the firm’s strategy which is to disrupt the market from the supply side.

The biggest gaps, according to Avula is the lack of sophisticated offerings in the market, high costs attached to selling online and the complication that the online e-commerce world presents to customers.

How it works

The company helps manage the entire ecosystem for by helping the interested businesses develop its own unique web store, listing them on marketplaces and social channels and give insights on how to sell online. All this comes at a monthly subscription fee of USD 20. The firm is optimistic that they can get one million customers on board its platform in a year’s time.

Other markets

India is Shopmatic’s first international venture where it will launch its operation in 18 cities. The sheer numbers in India are huge, informs Avula, adding, that Shopmatic does not want to limit itself to India, but extend to other countries as well like Hong Kong, Malaysia, Taiwan, the Middle East, Africa and Australia. It plans to launch in other Asian countries by the end of the year and extend operation to the Middle East, Africa and Australia by 2016.

Source: FirstPost

Singapore-based Shopmatic starts operations in India to build online presence for individual entrepreneurs and small businesses

Founded in December 2014 by Anurag Avula, Yen Ti Lim, and Kris Chen, Shopmatic caters to a multitude of merchants and individual entrepreneurs who are selling their products and services with minimal online presence or none at all. The startup is based out of Singapore and has recently launched its operations in India with its offices in Gurgaon and Bengaluru.

Through its DIY platform, Shopmatic allows merchants to create a web presence with storefronts, list products on marketplaces or social media platforms and enables integration with payment gateways. The company widens the reach of products by listing the offline sellers on marketplaces such as Amazon, eBay, Flipkart, Lazada, Qoo10, Rakuten and Zalora. The company has also tied up with e-commerce logistics firm Delhivery and global transportation major Aramex for delivery.

Shopmatic automatically tweaks product categories to meet the required specifications of the various marketplaces. One needs to only upload the product details once on the Shopmatic platform and all product images and information will be displayed correctly, regardless of which marketplace they are listed on.

Once you upload your product on Shopmatic, the information gets visible on various social platforms. And if anyone updates the product details, the changes will be automatically reflected across different social media sites.

Anurag Avula, CEO, Shopmatic says, “Shopmatic projects pricing as its USP with subscription beginning at $20 (Rs 1,300) a month, excluding payment gateway fees and logistics. One can choose from a range of payment options that are most relevant for your targeted customer segments and markets. These include cash-on-delivery, bank transfer, credit card and international payments.”

All the plans come with a one-month free trial period. Besides, the startup also offers Rs 1,000 shipping charges for anyone signing up for six-month and 12-month packages.

Leveraging data insights to boost sales

Shopmatic account includes built-in analytics that provide valuable insights to help grow one’s business. And with the help of dashboard, one can easily monitor the volume of the sales on a daily, weekly or monthly basis, and assess business growth.

Shopmatic’s Business Intelligence tools identify customer or product segments that generate significant amount of revenue for business. With these data insights, one can tweak inventory and pricing strategy to further boost sales.The tool converts the data into charts and other visual formats allowing users to view and analyse the data on a customised dashboard to identify shopping trends and drive sales.

Data insights which ascertain seasonal demand and repeat customers enable users to offer special rewards to enhance customer experience, improve seasons having low sales and optimise inventory to meet periodic spikes in orders. Besides, all the websites built by Shopmatic are search engine optimised resulting to gain more visibility on search results.

Anurag says, “Shopmatic leverages the latest technology to provide a world-class experience to our customers. This gives the customer the ability to drag and drop product images, upload as many products as possible and provide a seamless integration with payment gateways and logistics.”

How Shopmatic is different from other marketplaces

According to Anurag, Shopmatic is different from other marketplaces as it gives sellers their own unique identity on the web and opensall avenues to them through which they can sell.

Within one week of the launch of India operations, Shopmatic has signed up with 100 customers and is poised to on-board one million customers by end of 2016.

Anurag says, “We believe that we have the opportunity to change the lives of individual entrepreneurs and small businesses by providing them a platform to grow their businesses and fulfill their aspirations. India has the unique advantage of addressing their needs on a larger scale. There are over 51 million small and medium businesses in the country, and among them there is a significant base of untapped individual entrepreneurs.”

Apart from Bengaluru and Gurgaon, the startup plans to launch its operation in 18 cities across India. By 2016, it will roll out to other regions like Middle East, Africa and Australia. In order to ensure customers avail offerings without any hassles, the website Shopmatic will be launched in multiple languages.

Source: YourStory

Singapore-based Shopmatic launches in India

Singapore-based e-commerce company, Shopmatic, has launched its operations in India. Incorporated in December 2014 by Anurag Avula, Yen Lim, and Kris Chen, Shopmatic provides a platform for any merchant who wants to take their business online. Priced at $20 a month, it manages the entire ecosystem - from the right from helping them develop their own webstore to listing them on marketplaces and social channels and providing them with insights on how to sell online.

It has offices in Gurgaon and Bangalore and has decided to make India its first international launch market and plans to roll out to other markets in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Australia, subsequently.

CEO of Shopmatic Group, Anurag Avula said, "India has the unique advantage of addressing their needs on a larger scale. There are over 51 million Small and Medium Businesses in the country, and a significant base of untapped Individual Entrepreneurs. Our platform makes it easy for anyone to sell their products or services online, by offering them an international e-commerce experience at a price point that is very affordable."

Shopmatic has established partnerships with international and local companies, making it very easy for customers to sell online. The company also helps Individual Entrepreneurs manage everything that is required to let their business grow, including exposing them to international markets with the help of their global footprint.

Source: IBEF

Shopmatic launches operations in India and other Top Retail News of the day

With online retailing being bullish in India, Singapore-headquartered Shopmatic, which helps entrepreneurs to sell online, has launched its operations in the country. The company helps manage anyone who wants to sell online tackle the entire process - from enabling them develop their own webstore to listing them on marketplaces and social channels to helping them with insights on how to sell online, all at $20 (about Rs. 1,300) per month

The sellers on Amazon are seeing 8-10 fold growth during the festive sales compared to their daily sales according to Gopal Pillai, Director and GM, Seller Services, Amazon India. "Some sellers are even witnessing 20x growth. The Great Indian Festive Sale has seen 2-fold growth in terms of customers and units compared to Great Indian Freedom Sale and 4x growth compared to last Diwali," he said. Pillai was speaking to ET on his one-day visit to Chennai.

Chinese ecommerce company Alibaba posted revenues of $3.49 billion for the quarter ended September 2015, representing a year-on-year growth of 32% . The company also said that the gross merchandise value (GMV) of transactions was $112 billion showing a growth of 28%. Some of the trends we observed during the results also mirror the situation of ecommerce players in India.

Jabong needs to revive brand, increase discounts, improve its social commerce offering, and launch exclusive brands to claw back market share to rivals, such as Flipkart-Myntra and Amazon India. That’s a handful, especially given the deep pockets of its rivals and the lead that they have established over Jabong in the past year or so.

“People are turning Diwali into a reckless celebration of throwing away $100 to earn $70; they are chasing vanity sales numbers to maximize the next fundraise,” says Vijay Shekhar Sharma, founder and chairman of One97 Communications, which runs the Paytm retail platform and digital wallet.

Online marketplace Shopclues.com, which aims to be the fourth ecommerce firm in the country to reach $1 billion in annualised gross merchandise value (GMV), said it added 50,000 new merchants on its platform in October owing to the ongoing festive sales.

Source: India Infoline

Ogilvy’s Shenaz Bapooji Joins Shopmatic Group as Chief Marketing Officer

Shopmatic Group has roped in Shenaz Bapooji as Chief Marketing Officer. She will be based out of Bengaluru and will be reporting to Anurag Avula, CEO and Co-Founder, Shopmatic Group.

Bapooji has confirmed the news to AdAge India. She joins the Group from Ogilvy and Mather where she spent over two decades in different roles.

Shopmatic Group is a Singapore headquartered e-Commerce company that is launched with the intent of helping anyone going online, succeed in selling their products and services. The company was established in December 2014 and will be soon launched in India as its first market. It enables the entire eco-system of selling online from developing web store, listing on marketplaces and social channels, giving insights on how to sell online and others.

On her joining Shopmatic Group, Bapooji says, "It was a wonderful experience at Ogilvy and Mather, which is a pioneer in the advertising and communication space. At Shopmatic, I have the opportunity to create a brand from scratch and it will be a great learning experience for me."

Bapooji is an experienced advertising professional with skills in B2B, B2C, New Business, Client Relationships and Marketing.

In her last role at Ogilvy she was heading the office for Soho Square, South and Ogilvy Chennai. She has worked on several brands. She has held some of the key positions at the agency which includes Senior Vice President and B2B Practice Group Head; Managing Partner and Head of Account Management and others.

Source: Advertising Age

Shopmatic commences operations in India - lets anyone sell goods online

Singapore based Shopmatic has began its Indian operations with select customers in India. The company founded by Anurag Avula, Yen Lim and Kris Chen in December 2014 lets anyone; individuals and merchants sell goods online. The clients are charged a flat fee of $20 per month, $120 for 6 months or $240 annually with a promise of managing the entire online ecommerce ecosystem.

The merchants can develop their own storefront and list their products across various marketplaces and social channels. Merchants can also get deeper insights of their sales funnel through comparison of all the channels.

Shopmatic has set up offices in Gurgaon and Bangalore, making India as its first International launch. The company is planning to expand its business operations in other Asian countries, followed by the Middle East, Africa and Australia in coming months.

Anurag Avula, the CEO of Shopmatic said that the with about 51 million SMBs in the country, India offers a unique opportunity to Shopmatic to scale. Shopmatic aims to get these sellers online so that they can offer their own products and services to pan-India shoppers.

Official Shopmatic website lists eBay, Amazon, Facebook and Flipkart as various channels where the merchant products will be showcased. The company promises complete logistics support with domestic and International service providers.

Shopmatic will face a stiff competition from Flipkart, Amazon, Snapdeal and other leading eCommerce players in India, with their 'marketplace' model. Any budding entrepreneur looking to setup an online shop may consider Shopmatic to setup an e-shop.

Source: Crazy Engineers

Shopmatic commences operations in India - lets anyone sell goods online

Singapore based e-commerce SaaS company, Shopmatic has commenced its operations in India. The company aims at facilitating the offline businesses to bring their business online. The company aims at achieving the 1 million customer mark by next year. It focuses mainly on the sellers who are into offline business mode and want to extend their business online. It will also be helping out these sellers to set-up the required infrastructure right from developing web store, to listing business on market places and social channels.

Earlier this month, the company had roped in Ogilvy and Mather’s Shenaz Bapooji as their Chief Marketing Officer.

On the functioning of Shopmatic, CEO, Shopmatic Group, Anurag Avula said, “Our proposition is that we give you an entire eco system. And when I say entire eco system I mean we give you your individual identity on your website and also help you list on the multiple market places. We are actually complimenting the entire eco system base today in terms of the help that we provide the sellers to sell his stuffs online. So, we are different, there is nobody like us in the market now. We give you the entire eco-system for anyone wanting to sell online at just 1300 rupees a month. So, there is really no competition there in that sense.”

Customers of this service would be able to avail it at a monthly subscription fee, after the one month free trial that the company is offering.

“We already have some established partners like for logistics we have Delhivery, for payments we have tied-up with with payments companies to enable flexible payment-options and shorter payment cycles of 5-7 days and we will also have some strategic partners like some banks and some Telcos to be partners for us.”

On the Indian market potential, Yen Lim, COO and Founder, Shopmatic, said, “Indian market right now is extremely exciting. I feel India has got an immense entrepreneur spirit. And I see that growing by manifolds especially in the e-commerce space. So, it is a huge opportunities for us at Shopmatic, a new company coming into the market and establish ourselves. I see it as great opportunity two ways for us as well as for the people, entrepreneurs who want to sell their products online.”

On the marketing and advertising plan of the company in India, Bapooji, said, “We are going to cater to anyone to be able to sell online. There would be pockets of people we want to address. There are a lot of people who are unaware of the wonders of selling their products online, so we want to cater that kind of sellers. Seeing that there are very very different kinds of people existing there won’t be only thing to go and reach all of them, so there will be a communication mix. There will be feed on street, there will be mass media, ambient communication, print and of course digital. And we will plug them all depending on what required.”

The company was founded by Anurag Avula, Yen Ti Lim, Kris Chen in December 2014. Based out of Singapore the company also has offices in Gurgaon and Bangalore. This is the company’s first international venture. They also have plans to launch their product in other markets in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Australia simultaneously.

Source: Exchange4media

Singapore based Shopmatic launches in India offering the entire ecosystem of selling online at just 20 USD a month

Shopmatic, an international e-commerce company launches its operations in India with the intent of helping anyone succeed in selling online. For any merchant or individual wanting to take their business online, Shopmatic helps manage the entire ecosystem for them- right from helping them develop their own unique webstore to listing them on marketplaces and social channels to helping them with insights on how to sell online.

Incorporated in December 2014, Shopmatic is based out of Singapore and has offices in Gurgaon and Bangalore. It has decided to make India its first international launch market and plans to roll out to other markets in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Australia, subsequently.

The company caters to a multitude of merchants who are selling their products and services with no online presence or minimal online presence and also caters to Individual Entrepreneurs who intend to sell online.

Commenting on this launch, CEO of Shopmatic Group, Anurag Avula said : "We believe we have the opportunity to change the lives of Individual Entrepreneurs and small businesses by providing them a platform to grow their businesses and to fulfill their aspirations. India has the unique advantage of addressing their needs on a larger scale. There are over 51 million Small and Medium Businesses in the country, and a significant base of untapped Individual Entrepreneurs.

Our platform makes it easy for anyone to sell their products or services online, by offering them an international ecommerce experience at a price point that is very affordable."

Shopmatic has established partnerships with international and local companies, making it very easy for customers to sell online. The company also helps Individual Entrepreneurs manage everything that is required to let their business grow, including exposing them to international markets with the help of their global footprint.

Shopmatic's Limited Release edition is currently available at www.goshopmatic.com to select merchants and will be available to all in November 2015.

Source: EquityBulls

Singapore Based Shopmatic Launches In India Offering The Entire Ecosystem Of Selling Online At Just 20 USD A Month

Shopmatic, an international e-commerce company launches its operations in India with the intent of helping anyone succeed in selling online. For any merchant or individual wanting to take their business online, Shopmatic helps manage the entire ecosystem for them- right from helping them develop their own unique webstore to listing them on marketplaces and social channels to helping them with insights on how to sell online.

Incorporated in December 2014, Shopmatic is based out of Singapore and has offices in Gurgaon and Bangalore. It has decided to make India its first international launch market and plans to roll out to other markets in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Australia, subsequently.

The company caters to a multitude of merchants who are selling their products and services with no online presence or minimal online presence and also caters to Individual Entrepreneurs who intend to sell online.

Commenting on this launch, CEO of Shopmatic Group, Anurag Avula said : “We believe we have the opportunity to change the lives of Individual Entrepreneurs and small businesses by providing them a platform to grow their businesses and to fulfill their aspirations. India has the unique advantage of addressing their needs on a larger scale. There are over 51 million Small and Medium Businesses in the country, and a significant base of untapped Individual Entrepreneurs.

Our platform makes it easy for anyone to sell their products or services online, by offering them an international ecommerce experience at a price point that is very affordable.”

Shopmatic has established partnerships with international and local companies, making it very easy for customers to sell online. The company also helps Individual Entrepreneurs manage everything that is required to let their business grow, including exposing them to international markets with the help of their global footprint.

Source: Efy Times

Shopmatic, the e-Commerce SaaS Platform- Launches in India

In a recent development, Shopmatic, a Singapore based e-Commerce SaaS company, launched operations in India. It aims at providing help to offline businesses succeed in selling online. Its focus is on the sellers who are working on the offline mode and have completely no or minimal online presence. Along with that, the company will also be catering to those who intend to sell online but can’t due to infrastructure constraints. Customers of this service can avail it at a monthly subscription fee, after the one month free trial that the company is offering.

CEO of Shopmatic Group, Anurag Avula said on this development “We believe we have the opportunity to change the lives of individual entrepreneurs and small businesses by providing them a platform to grow their businesses and to fulfill their aspirations. There are over 51 million small and medium businesses in the country, and a significant base of untapped individual entrepreneurs.”

The company was founded by Anurag Avula, Yen Ti Lim, Kris Chen in December 2014. Based out of Singapore the company also has offices in Gurgaon and Bangalore. This is the company’s first international venture. They also have plans to launch their product to other markers in Asia,the Middle East, Africa and Australia simultaneously.

Shopmatic also has partnerships with local and international logistic providers. The Clients who avail services of Shopmatic will use these logistic providers to fulfill their delivery orders, this will essentially cut down on the overhead of looking for a logistic partner. It also would help them have an organized dashboard which has all the management tools that gives data insights and helps inventory management for the business.

The company also provides guidance to the merchants on management required to grow their business and expanding to international markets with the help of Shopmatic’s global footprints.

Shopmatic competes with players like Shopify, Zepo, PowerStores, Buildabazaar, KartRocket, iQecommerce, NetSuite, Bigcommerce, Volusion among others. Such platforms aid the SME’s to make their presence online without the hassle to create their own platforms.

Source: Know Startup

Singapore-based Shopmatic launches in India

Singapore-based e-commerce company, Shopmatic, has launched its operations in India. Incorporated in December 2014 by Anurag Avula, Yen Lim, and Kris Chen, Shopmatic provides a platform for any merchant who wants to take their business online.

Source: Business News World

Singapore-based Shopmatic launches in India

Singapore-based e-commerce company, Shopmatic, has launched its operations in India. Incorporated in December 2014 by Anurag Avula, Yen Lim, and Kris Chen, Shopmatic provides a platform for any merchant who wants to take their business online.

Source: Pakistan Telegraph

Singapore-based Shopmatic launches in India

Singapore-based e-commerce company, Shopmatic, has launched its operations in India. Incorporated in December 2014 by Anurag Avula, Yen Lim, and Kris Chen, Shopmatic provides a platform for any merchant who wants to take their business online.

Source: India Times

Singapore-based Shopmatic Looking to Tap SMEs in India.

SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises) segment is one of the lucrative segments of the Indian market. As SMEs continue to grow at a rapid pace, Singapore-based Shopmatic has launched its operations in India to tap its potential. The international eCommerce company has unveiled their plans to take the entire SME ecosystem online. For the ones unaware about Shopmatic, the company provides an integrated platform for merchants looking to take their business to the internet-based landscape. Since its incorporation in 2014, the company founded by Anurag Avula, Yen Lim and Kris Chen has garnered a considerable amount of attention. In terms of the volume, the SME segment amounts to more than 51 million in numbers. Upon launching their operations in India, Shopmatic is looking to tap the humungous volume of SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises). The company helps the merchants to set up the shop, provide shipping and logistics insights and seamless integration and hassle-free management to take businesses to social media and internet marketplaces. Merchants can avail all this at a modest price of $20 per month. Other than these standard features, the company also helps the merchants with the development of webstores, online listings, and much more. Aimed at targeting and catering to the individuals and SMEs with almost zilch online presence, Shopmatic is looking to be the first turnkey & a holistic online service provider for both the merchants and individual entrepreneurs in the country. So how do they make it happen? The services are provided via partnerships with international and local companies. The key to Shopmatic has been creating a two-way communication channel between both the parties involved. Due to their extensive global footprint, Shopmatic also enables the merchants and entrepreneurs to gain international exposure

Speaking about their entry into the Indian markets, Anurag Avula, CEO of Shopmatic Group, said, “We believe we have the opportunity to change the lives of Individual Entrepreneurs and small businesses by providing them a platform to grow their businesses and to fulfill their aspirations. India has the unique advantage of addressing their needs on a larger scale. There are over 51 Million (SMEs) Small and Medium Businesses in the country, and a significant base of untapped Individual Entrepreneurs. Our platform makes it easy for anyone to sell their products or services online, offer them an international eCommerce experience at a price point that is very affordable.” The company has also roped in former Head of Office for Soho South + Ogilvy Chennai’s Shenaz Bapooji as their Chief Marketing Officer. The company has launched in India with offices in Gurgaon and Bengaluru with further plans to enter the Middle East, African and Australian markets.

Source: Thinking Aloud

Eyein India's 51 Mln small-sized cos, Singapore's Shopmatic plans to disrupt online market on the supply side

Shopmatic, a Singapore-based do-it-yourself platform for those interested in doing business online launched in the first week of October, has signed up 100 companies so far.The firm has its sights on existing small and medium sized businesses that do not have an online presence, those with minimal presence or are selling through marketplaces.There is a 51 million base of Small and Medium businesses in the country with a very little percentage with their own urls. There is another huge and wholly untapped segment, that is represented by individual entrepreneurs who all of us know, says Avula, outlining the firms strategy which is to disrupt the market from the supply side.The biggest gaps, according to Avula is the lack of sophisticated offerings in the market, high costs attached to selling online and the complication that the online e-commerce world presents to customers.How it worksThe company helps manage the entire ecosystem for by helping the interested businesses develop its own unique web store, listing them on marketplaces and social channels and give insights on how to sell online. All this comes at a monthly subscription fee of USD 20.The firm is optimistic that they can get one million customers on board its platform in a years time.Other marketsIndia is Shopmatics first international venture where it will launch its operation in 18 cities. The sheer numbers in India are huge, informs Avula, adding, that Shopmatic does not want to limit itself to India, but extend to other countries as well like Hong Kong, Malaysia, Taiwan, the Middle East, Africa and Australia. It plans to launch in other Asian countries by the end of the year and extend operation to the Middle East, Africa and Australia by 2016.

Source: In.com

Shopmatic launches in India

Shopmatic, an international e-commerce company launches its operations in India with the intent of helping anyone succeed in selling online. For any merchant or individual wanting to take their business online, Shopmatic helps manage the entire ecosystem for them- right from helping them develop their own unique web store to listing them on marketplaces and social channels to helping them with insights on how to sell online.

Incorporated in December 2014, Shopmatic is based out of Singapore and has offices in Gurgaon and Bangalore. It has decided to make India its first international launch market and plans to roll out to other markets in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Australia, subsequently.The company caters to a multitude of merchants who are selling their products and services with no online presence or minimal online presence and also caters to Individual Entrepreneurs who intend to sell online.

Commenting on this launch, CEO of Shopmatic Group, Anurag Avula said : “We believe we have the opportunity to change the lives of Individual Entrepreneurs and small businesses by providing them a platform to grow their businesses and to fulfill their aspirations. India has the unique advantage of addressing their needs on a larger scale. There are over 51 million Small and Medium Businesses in the country, and a significant base of untapped Individual Entrepreneurs.Our platform makes it easy for anyone to sell their products or services online, by offering them an international ecommerce experience at a price point that is very affordable.”

Shopmatic has established partnerships with international and local companies, making it very easy for customers to sell online. The company also helps Individual Entrepreneurs manage everything that is required to let their business grow, including exposing them to international markets with the help of their global footprint. Shopmatic’s Limited Release edition is currently available at www.goshopmatic.com to select merchants and will be available to all in November 2015.

Source: Tech Spirit

Singapore-based Shopmatic launches in India

Singapore-based e-commerce company, Shopmatic, has launched its operations in India. Incorporated in December 2014 by Anurag Avula, Yen Lim, and Kris Chen, Shopmatic provides a platform for any merchant who wants to take their business online. Priced at $20 a month, it manages the entire ecosystem - from the right from helping them develop their own webstore to listing them on marketplaces and social channels and providing them with insights on how to sell online.

Source: Wn.com