Mayank Bidawatka, co-founder of the microblogging platform Koo, has introduced his latest venture Billion Hearts Software Technologies. In a LinkedIn post, Bidawatka shared that the new company will focus on developing consumer products for a global audience.
The launch is expected to take place in the coming months and the startup has already secured angel funding from prominent entrepreneurs in India’s tech sector. Talks with venture capitalists for additional seed funding are also underway.
Billion Hearts Software Technologies comes in the wake of Koo’s closure earlier this year. The social media platform, founded by Bidawatka and Aprameya Radhakrishna in 2020, was unable to secure a merger or sale, despite negotiations with several companies, including Dailyhunt.
Koo’s struggles were compounded by a difficult funding environment, which Bidawatka and Radhakrishna cited as a key factor in the platform’s demise. The platform had garnered significant backing from investors like Accel and Tiger Global, was last valued at USD 274 million.
In reflecting on Koo’s challenges, the founders explained that sustaining a social media platform required more long-term capital than was available. Although Koo had raised over USD 66 million from investors, the founders noted that building the platform into a lasting success would have required patient investment over several years.
Before launching Koo, Bidawatka had successfully founded other ventures, including Goodbox and The Media Ant.
