The list of 10 failed startups from India:
- Dazo:
- Description: Dazo was a food-tech startup in Bangalore, offering “food on demand.” Intense competition and funding constraints led to its closure.
- Founders: Monica Rastogi, Shashaank Shekhar Singhal
- Industry: Food & Beverage
- Established in: 2015
- Closed in: 2016
- Employees: 10-50
- Funding Amount: Not available
- Reason for failure: Competition
- Learn more: Link
2. Frankly:
- Description: Frankly.me operated as a Q&A social platform but failed to secure necessary funding, leading to its shutdown.
- Founders: Abhishek Gupta, Nikunj Jain
- Industry: Social Media
- Established in: 2014
- Closed in: 2016
- Employees: 50-100
- Funding Amount: Less than $1M
- Reason for failure: Lack of Product-Market Fit
- Learn more: Link
3. HotelsAroundYou:
- Description: HotelsAroundYou focused on last-minute and short-stay bookings but couldn’t secure additional funding, leading to closure.
- Founders: Animesh Chaudhary, Harsha Nallur, Mohsin Dingankar
- Industry: Travel
- Established in: 2013
- Closed in: 2017
- Employees: 1-10
- Funding Amount: Less than $1M
- Reason for failure: Competition
- Learn more: Link
4. Koinex:
- Description: Koinex, a cryptocurrency exchange platform, faced regulatory challenges in India, leading to its closure despite initial success.
- Founders: Aditya Naik, Rahul Raj, Rakesh Yadav
- Industry: Finances
- Established in: 2017
- Closed in: 2019
- Employees: 50-100
- Funding Amount: Not available
- Reason for failure: Legal Challenges
- Learn more: Link
5. Lumos:
- Description: Lumos offered smart switching technology but lacked the experience necessary for building a hardware company, leading to shutdown.
- Founders: Pritesh Sankhe, Tarkeshwar Singh, Yash Kotak
- Industry: Software & Hardware
- Established in: 2014
- Closed in: 2015
- Employees: 1-10
- Funding Amount: Not available
- Reason for failure: Lack of Experience
- Learn more: Link
6. PepperTap:
- Description: PepperTap provided grocery delivery services but faced customer backlash due to expensive delivery fees, resulting in its closure.
- Founders: Milind Sharma, Navneet Singh
- Industry: Food & Beverage
- Established in: 2014
- Closed in: 2016
- Employees: 1,000-5,000
- Funding Amount: More than $50M
- Reason for failure: Poor Product
- Learn more: Link
7. RoomsTonite:
- Description: RoomsTonite, a last-minute hotel booking app, failed to receive expected funding, leading to its shutdown despite initial traction.
- Founder: Suresh John
- Industry: Travel
- Established in: 2014
- Closed in: 2017
- Employees: 100-250
- Funding Amount: $1M-$10M
- Reason for failure: Lack of Funds
- Learn more: Link
8. SchoolGennie:
- Description: SchoolGennie aimed to streamline school operations but didn’t adequately test product-market fit, resulting in its closure.
- Founders: Amit Gupta, Pardeep Goyal
- Industry: Education
- Established in: 2013
- Closed in: 2014
- Employees: 1-10
- Funding Amount: $0
- Reason for failure: Lack of Experience
- Learn more: Link
9. Stayzilla:
- Description: Stayzilla, a homestay network, faced operational challenges and financial losses, leading to its closure despite significant funding.
- Founders: Rupal Yogendra, Sachit Singhi, Yogendra Vasupal
- Industry: Travel
- Established in: 2005
- Closed in: 2017
- Employees: 250-500
- Funding Amount: $10M-$50M
- Reason for failure: Lack of Focus
- Learn more: Link
10. Zoomo:
- Description: Zoomo aimed to revolutionize the Indian used car market but faced challenges due to a flawed business model, leading to its closure.
- Founders: Arnav Kumar, Himangshu Hazarika
- Industry: Transportation
- Established in: 2014
- Closed in: 2016
- Employees: 10-50
- Funding Amount: $1M-$10M
- Reason for failure: Bad Business Model
- Learn more: Link
About the Author
