Ajay Kumar at 18:16, 23 July 2023

2023-07-23T18:16:42Z

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{{Short description|Indian internet entrepreneur (born 1987)}}
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{{Infobox person
| name = Kavin Bharti
Mittal
| image = Kavin Bharti Mittal at Rise Conference 2016.jpg
| caption =
| birth_date = 31 August 1987
| birth_place = Delhi, India
| alma_mater = [[Imperial College London]]
| occupation = Founder and CEO of [[Hike Messenger]]
| known_for = Hike
| website = {{url|www.hike.in}}
| father = [[Sunil Mittal]]
}}

'''Kavin Bharti Mittal''' is an Indian [[internet entrepreneur]] primarily known for his role as the founder and [[Chief executive officer|CEO]] of Hike, the company behind the [[Unicorn (company)|unicorn]] [[Hike Messenger]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Verma |first=Upasana Jain,Shrutika |date=2016-08-16 |title=Hike messaging app raises $175 million, joins unicorn club |url=https://www.livemint.com/Companies/BqfPgs8lF3N4CnkyXtqZ8J/Hike-becomes-a-unicorn-after-raising-175-million-from-Tence.html |access-date=2022-05-12 |website=mint |language=en}}</ref> and the Rush Gaming Universe (RGU), a mobile gaming application.

==Early life==
Mittal is the son of entrepreneur [[Sunil Mittal]]. He graduated in Electronics and Electrical Engineering from the [[University of York]] and completed his Master's in Electrical and Electronics Engineering and Management from the Imperial College London.<ref name="lm">{{cite news |last1=Ghosh |first1=Shauvik |title=The defining moment: Kavin Bharti Mittal |url=https://www.livemint.com/Companies/dlqDD2GVPbTBZy1j1xACtO/The-defining-moment-Kavin-Bharti-Mittal.html |access-date=27 April 2022 |work=mint |date=7 March 2013 |language=en}}</ref> Kavin interned at [[McLaren|McLaren Racing]], [[Google]] and [[Goldman Sachs]] while studying at [[Imperial College London]]. At McLaren Racing, he helped the [[Formula One|Formula1]] team embed a technology that would show the track flags on steering wheels.<ref>{{cite news |title=10 next-generation business tycoons: Meet the kids of India's richest people |url=https://www.gqindia.com/get-smart/content/next-generation-india-business-tycoons-young-billionaires-rich-kids-mukesh-ambani-isha-ambani-akash-ambani |access-date=27 April 2022 |work=GQ India |date=29 January 2020 |language=en-IN}}</ref><ref name="lm" />

==Career==
After moving back to India, Mittal founded Hike in 2012 as an Indian internet company that developed social communication and entertainment products.<ref>{{cite news |title=Hike Instant Messenger App Crosses 20 Million Users Mark |url=https://www.gizbot.com/apps-software/hike-instant-messenger-app-crosses-the-20-million-users-mark-news-017759.html |access-date=27 April 2022 |work=www.gizbot.com/ |date=16 June 2014 |language=en}}</ref> From 2012 to 2018, Hike built the Hike Messenger SuperApp centred around messaging to bring India, a mobile-first population, online. At its peak in 2018, Hike had reached more than 30 million monthly active users and had raised over $250 million in capital from investors such as [[Tiger Global Management|Tiger Global]], [[Tencent]], [[SoftBank Group|SoftBank]] and [[Foxconn]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Singh|first=S. Ronendra|title=Hike raises $175 million from Tencent, Foxconn|url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/info-tech/hike-raises-175-million-from-tencent-foxconn/article8994321.ece|access-date=2021-11-15|website=@businessline|date=16 August 2016 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=2016-08-17|title=Hike Messenger raises $175 mn from investors led by Tencent|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/Hike-Messenger-raises-175-mn-from-investors-led-by-Tencent/article14572918.ece|access-date=2021-11-15|issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=India's WhatsApp rival Hike raises $175M led by Tencent at a $1.4B valuation|url=https://social.techcrunch.com/2016/08/16/indias-whatsapp-rival-hike-raises-175m-led-by-tencent-at-a-1-4b-valuation/|access-date=2021-11-15|website=TechCrunch|date=16 August 2016 |language=en-US}}</ref>

In 2019, Hike decided to shut down the app <ref>{{Cite web |last=Mittal |first=Kavin Bharti |date=2019-09-23 |title=Future of Social – The Rise of Social Niches |url=https://blog.hike.in/future-of-social-the-rise-of-social-niches-ea9f0bfd8d8 |access-date=2021-11-15 |website=Medium |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Mittal |first=Kavin Bharti |date=2019-09-24 |title=2019: Multi-Apps > Super App |url=https://blog.hike.in/2019-multi-apps-super-app-301a0c953df |access-date=2021-11-15 |website=Medium |language=en}}</ref> citing that the market dynamic had shifted with cheaper data coming in and smartphone prices dipping sharply. According to Mittal, the smartphone itself was now a SuperApp, undercutting the need for a SuperApp like Hike in the Indian market.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Thomas |first=Ayushi Kar {{!}} Thomas K. |title=Super apps won't work in India: Kavin Bharti Mittal |url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/info-tech/super-apps-wont-work-in-india-kavin-bharti-mittal/article33036725.ece |access-date=2021-11-15 |website=@businessline |date=6 November 2020 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sharma |first=Nishant |title=Hike's Kavin Mittal On Why The Super App Model Won't Work In India |url=https://www.bloombergquint.com/technology/hikes-kavin-mittal-on-why-the-super-app-model-wont-work-in-india |access-date=2021-11-15 |website=BloombergQuint |language=en}}</ref>

After Hike's closure, Mittal pivoted the company to focus on building the Rush Gaming Universe, a mobile gaming application. In August 2021, they announced an undisclosed round of funding led by Tinder cofounder Justin Mateen.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Hike secures new funds from Tinder cofounder Justin Mateen, others |work=The Economic Times |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/funding/hike-secures-new-funds-from-tinder-cofounder-justin-mateen-others/articleshow/85587401.cms |access-date=2021-11-15}}</ref> The round also saw participation from SoftBank Vision Fund CEO [[Rajeev Misra]], Tinder co-founder [[Sean Rad]], Flipkart co-founder [[Binny Bansal]], CRED founder Kunal Shah, and others.

In February 2022, Mittal announced that Polygon had joined Hike's list of investors and partners, with the Rush Gaming Universe confirming<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-01-27 |title=Polygon invests in Hike's Rush Gaming Universe; aims to bring it onto Web 3 |url=https://www.vccircle.com/polygon-invests-in-hike-s-rush-gaming-universe-aims-to-bring-it-onto-web-3 |access-date=2022-05-12 |website=VCCircle |language=en-US}}</ref> its rumored plans for blockchain gaming. In May 2022, Mittal's Hike announced an undisclosed round of funding from web3 investors Jump Capital, Tribe Capital and Republic Crypto, the blockchain investment arm of Republic Capital.{{cn|date=July 2023}}

== Public profile ==
Kavin Mittal was featured in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2017.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wang |first=Yue |title=Kavin Bharti Mittal, 29 – pg.1 |url=https://www.forbes.com/pictures/fmhd45gdgi/kavin-bharti-mittal-29/#74a37ed66d42 |access-date=2018-03-19 |website=Forbes}}</ref> Mittal was also a part of 35 under 35 [[Entrepreneur (magazine)|''Entrepreneur'']] magazine 2016 list.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sabharwal |first=Punita |date=2017-02-28 |title=Meet the Zen Billionaire of India – Kavin Bharti Mittal |language=en |work=Entrepreneur |url=https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/288708 |access-date=2017-11-29}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of Internet entrepreneurs]].

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [https://www.forbes.com/profile/kavin-bharti-mittal/#381958651078 Kavin Bharti Mittal] on [[Forbes]]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mittal, Kavin}}
[[Category:Indian chief executives]]
[[Category:Alumni of Imperial College London]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1987 births]]
[[Category:Aggarwal]]
[[Category:Punjabi Hindus]]

Kavin Bharti Mittal - Revision history

Ajay Kumar at 18:16, 23 July 2023