So-called “business-in-a-box” platform Protonn has announced a seed funding round worth $9mn.
Led by Matrix Partners India, alongside 021 Capital and Tanglin Venture Partners, the round also includes individual investors such as Kalyan Krishnamurthy (CEO, Flipkart) and Sujeet Kumar (co-founder, Udaan).
Founded by ecommerce giant Flipkart and Google Commerce alumni Anil Goteti and Mausam Bhatt, The company’s platform allows for the creation of videos via an iOS app shareable on social networks and with potential clients. The solution leverages multimedia functionality, allowing for the easy inclusion of PDFs, documents and images within videos.
“Independent professionals power the economic engine of the world,” said Anil Goteti, co-founder of Protonn. “In the United States alone, nearly 60 million independent professionals generate more than $1.2 trillion in annual earnings—that’s 36 percent of the total U.S. workforce. ‘Proto’ in Greek means ‘first’, and Protonn’s purpose is to put the needs of those millions of professionals first to help them thrive.”
The company said it had launched for the first users in the United States, following a period of product development and testing. Protonn said an Android and web app would also be forthcoming.
“Video technology in professional settings hasn’t kept pace with advances on the consumer front pioneered by apps like Snapchat and TikTok,” said Mausam Bhatt, co-founder of Protonn. “Protonn is leading that change by providing professionals with an easy way to market themselves using video and manage their business.”
Among Protonn’s other features are:
- Secure payment options for clients
- Live streaming of interactive video
- Video CRM functionality which enables personalised video messages to be sent to clients
“Protonn’s video-first and mobile-first approach combined with a superior product experience will redefine how professionals grow their business and engage with their customers in a post-Covid world,” said Vikram Vaidyanathan, managing director, Matrix Partners India. ”The rise of the independent professional calls for new solutions, and Protonn is poised to meet the market demand. With their deep expertise in building scaled products, Anil and Mausam bring together a unique set of capabilities, and we’re privileged to partner on this journey with them.”
