FindYahan

FindYahan was a hyperlocal online marketplace for services, founded in Delhi, India, in 2013 by Rachit Mathur and Snehil Khanor. Rachit Mathur's previous entrepreneurial venture, Masticart, did not succeed, and FindYahan represented his second startup effort, built on the lessons learned. He connected with Snehil Khanor through a mutual contact, and together they developed the concept for a location-based discovery platform.

The company operated an online marketplace that connected skilled individuals and home businesses with customers seeking a variety of services. The platform facilitated location-based discovery and booking for services such as beauty, business services, tutoring, IT support, events, and more. Service providers could create detailed profiles showcasing their expertise, while customers could search, book, and review these services. FindYahan primarily focused on what can be described as white-collar services, including yoga instructors, tutors, and kitchen services, distinguishing itself from platforms centered on blue-collar trades. The business model was designed to empower individuals to monetize their skills and talents. Initially, the platform did not mediate connections or take a commission, with plans to incorporate these features after reaching sufficient user traction.

The startup secured multiple rounds of funding, starting with an angel round on February 11, 2015, from investors including Karan Bajwa (then MD of Microsoft India) and Sunjay Kapur (MD of Sona Koyo Steering). This was followed by investments from The Phoenix Fund in April 2015 and a seed round from Brand Capital on November 3, 2015. FindYahan gained early recognition and was chosen to launch at the Websummit in Dublin in November 2013 as part of the Alpha Startup program. By November 2015, the platform reported having 400,000 users and over 10,000 service providers. In a strategic move reflecting the consolidation trend in India's on-demand services market, FindYahan was acquired by its competitor, Zimmber, in a cash-and-stock deal announced in February 2016. Following the acquisition, the FindYahan team, including its founders, joined Zimmber to help strengthen its white-collar service offerings.

Keywords: hyperlocal marketplace, local services, on-demand services, service providers, skill marketplace, FindYahan, Rachit Mathur, Snehil Khanor, Zimmber, Brand Capital, The Phoenix Fund, location-based services, C2C services, B2C services, home services, white-collar services, Indian startup, Delhi startup, acqui-hired, service discovery, online booking platform