- Aakash Anand, cofounder of Bella Vita, launches Unikon.ai, an AI-driven social media platform.
- Secured $2 million in seed funding from diverse investors including Nikhil Kamath and Peyush Bansal.
- Platform offers personalized 1:1 conversations and curated content feeds using AI.
- Focuses on monetization through consultations, webinars, and workshops with customizable pricing.
- Aims to fill gaps in knowledge-sharing market dominated by research firms.
- Challenges ahead include competing with established global social media giants in India.
Main AI News:
Venturing into entrepreneurship once more, Aakash Anand, cofounder of Bella Vita, has launched Unikon.ai, an AI-powered social media platform. The startup has raised $2 million (INR 16 Cr) in its seed funding round from various entrepreneurs and influencers. Investors include Nikhil Kamath from Zerodha, Peyush Bansal of Lenskart, Vishesh Khurana from Shiprocket, Dholakia Ventures, Nitin Jain and Vasant Sridhar from OfBusiness, and Gaurav Khatri from Noise, among others. Influencers such as Tanmay Bhatt, Raj Shamani, Arjun Vaidya, Sharan Hegde, Ganeshprasad of Thinkschool, Shlok Shrivastava, and Rahul Malodia also participated, according to a statement by Unikon.ai.
However, details on how the funds will be utilized remain undisclosed. Founded by Anand, along with Sumit Jha and Palash Arneja, ex-Zecpe and CTO respectively (acquired by Cashree), Unikon.ai leverages AI for personalized 1:1 conversations and curated content feeds. The platform enables users to monetize consultations, webinars, and workshops through customizable pricing and scheduling via chat, audio, or video calls.
Anand emphasized, “From my journey, I realized the immense value of meaningful connections and how they contribute to personal growth. By ensuring compensated advice, Unikon.ai fosters a thriving community where everyone benefits—it’s more than a platform; it’s a movement towards accessible and meaningful connections.”
Unikon.ai’s launch follows Anand’s recent establishment of Wolfpack Labs, a venture studio with INR 50 Cr to support early-stage startups. Positioned to fill gaps in the knowledge-sharing market dominated by research firms, Unikon.ai aims to connect users with advisors using AI, reflecting the evolving landscape since the advent of ChatGPT’s GenAI.
Despite the burgeoning GenAI ecosystem, Indian homegrown social media platforms like ShareChat, Koo, and Trell continue to face challenges in monetization and profitability, contrasting with the success of global giants like Meta and Snapchat in the Indian market. Unikon.ai’s ability to carve a niche with AI remains to be seen amidst this dynamic backdrop.
Conclusion:
Unikon.ai’s successful funding round underscores growing investor confidence in AI-driven social media platforms, highlighting a shift towards personalized and monetizable user experiences. However, challenges persist in a market dominated by global players, raising questions about its ability to carve out a sustainable niche in India’s competitive social media landscape.
