Video Q&A site Frankly.me raises $600k to engage public figures

Delhi-based startup Frankly has reportedly raised a US$600,000 investment from Matrix Partners, according to TechCrunch.

Frankly.me is a video Q&A platform that serves the purpose of connecting people with public figures and raising the level of engagement between them.The company says several VIPs ranging from singers to political leaders have already registered themselves for the service.

The platform is up against rivals like Twitter and YouTube but the founders, Nikunj Jain and Abhishek Gupta, hope to create more meaningful conversations which can have more than 140 characters. They also hope to differentiate themselves by making two-way conversations easier. Questions submitted are up-voted by other users, so the most popular ones are more visible and hopefully answered. This system has been deployed on popular forums like Reddit.

The startup hopes to take advantage of the country’s growing mobile penetration rate with this week’s launch of its mobile apps.

According to Jain, there isn’t a similar platform in India for people to connect with public figures. He hopes users will use this platform to communicate with politicians, celebrities, and business leaders. Exposure from public figures on the platform has already resulted in 1,000 to 2,000 new users. The company hopes to make a major splash at Delhi’s Assembly elections next month.

Frankly is still considering different business models, but the company is focused on gaining traction for now. While the platform is open to users globally, the startup plans to focus on India for the next 15 to 18 months. The challenge is expanding in a market where more than 20 official languages are recognized by the government.

Frankly.me is in beta testing for its website, Android, and iOS apps.

(Source: TechCrunch)

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