This home design startup has two cofounders who are angel investors, Anuj Srivastava and Ramakant Sharma. Anuj's most recent exit was ZipDial. Ramakant used to be Enigneering VP at Myntra. Anuj used to be a Google head of global marketing for ecommerce. The third cofounder is Shagufta Anurag and she has a startup of her own.
They have the man dubbed the Godfather of Google AdSense, Gokul Rajaram as an advisor and over 27 million dollars from VCs Helion, Bessemer, and Jungle. If any startup has all the right resources to succeed then it has to be Livspace.
Anuj answers a few more questions.
What’s the unique selling point (USP) here?
Livspace is India’s first and only end-to-end home design experience and curated marketplace for homeowners and designers. It essentially translates to treating “looks or spaces” as a complete product as opposed to single pieces of furniture and decor items.
We are India’s and the world’s first home design platform for homeowners, designers, and turnkey contractors.
Thousands of home designers in our community can use the design platform to create interior design looks, design rooms in 2D/3D online.
Homeowners can experience their fully designed homes in 3D virtual/augmented reality with products from the Livspace catalog before making a purchase decision.
Why is it touted to be Uber for designers?
Livspace launched the world’s first ‘home design automation platform’ a few months ago.
In principle, Uber matches its drivers, who are essentially seen as entrepreneurs, with riders and arms them with technology to serve the riders. Similarly, Livspace design partners, through the holistic, home design automation platform get access to new business leads, proprietary design and presentation tools, an ecommerce catalog and project management support, all of which aids them to design beautiful homes in just a few weeks.
When we speak about design sensibilities, what’s special that I won’t get from anybody else?
At Livspace, design is more than just aesthetics. Our approach to design is to capture the needs, lifestyle and culture of a homeowner and their family and translate it into functional, productive yet beautiful, living environment.
The looks, can all be personalized to suit individual style—whether you love a more ethnic approach to design or say a Scandinavian design sensibility, your Livspace designer works with you to create a home that’s the best reflection of your personality.
Can a customer save on cost by using Livspace services versus any other competitors?
Yes, when you design your home with Livspace, you save on cost for several reasons.
Transparent pricing, no cost overruns: One of the biggest problems of designing your home the traditional way is cost overruns due to the lack of standardized catalog and the fragmented nature of the industry. With Livspace, you get a formal BOQ (bill of quantities) before you place your final order and you will never be charged a dime more. An ecommerce catalog and a standard rate card for all services like wall painting etc. ensure transparent pricing.
No charge for design consultation: In a traditional setup, when you hire an interior designer, you obviously pay for their services, and their charge can vary greatly. In contrast, Livspace charges you nothing for the services of its experienced interior designers. All you pay for is the furniture, decor, modular components, and services that are part of your final chosen design.
BW Reporters
Regina is a reporter for BW Businessworld. In her previous assignments, she has worked with Independent television Network as a news anchor and reporter in Sri Lanka
