The ET Startup Awards 2021 jury, which picked Urban Company as the eventual winner in the newly introduced Covid-led Business Transformation category, highlighted this aspect as the key takeaway for the Gurugram-based firm, which was formerly known as UrbanClap.
One of the contenders for the top spot, Hubilo, which transformed from being a platform that managed in-person events to a software-as-a-service-based virtual and hybrid business model, also found special mention.
“We are honoured to receive the award. The pandemic has been a defining period for us. As opposed to slowing down and cutting costs, we took the decision early on to double down, and stand by our customers, partners and employees,” Bhal said. “This award is a testament that tough times don’t last, it is what we make of them that matters.”
The fact that customers were confident enough to let a stranger (service partner) enter their homes for various services was extremely significant, the jury members said.
“They completely transformed their business during Covid-19, using various safety protocols and staff vaccinations to turn a terrible pandemic into a business opportunity. They launched and scaled new categories such as Men’s Salon. Eventually, Urban Company personnel were one of the few “outside” people entering our homes before anybody else,” Zomato cofounder Deepinder Goyal, one of the jury members, said.
ALSO READ TECH NEWSLETTER OF THE DAY
Today, it’s our pleasure to announce the winners of India’s most prestigious recognition for Indian entrepreneurs.
Read Now
Goyal, however, recused himself from voting as he is an angel investor in Urban Company, though he was part of the discussions to select a winner.
Bhal said in the past 18 months, Urban Company had onboarded thousands of new service partners, hired hundreds of employees and expanded its geographic footprint to 20 new cities in India and three other countries.
“Our safety protocols, and new service offerings were well received by customers, who relied on us to avail hygienic services at home,” he added.
In June, the company
mopped up $225 million in fresh capital on a valuation of $2.1 billion, which was more than double its previous round.
Also Read:
Urban Company joins IPO rush after $255-million fundraise
The Contenders
Cuemath | Manan Khurma
ET Tech
Cuemath is an education technology startup focused on math tutoring in the K-12 space globally. Over 200,000 students have enrolled on its platform so far and it has expanded its presence to 25 countries, shifting focus from an offline-plus-online model to an online-only model.
Hubilo | Vaibhav Jain & Mayank Agarwal
ET Tech
Hubilo is a cloud-based virtual and hybrid event management software provider that offers businesses real-time insights and analytics to gauge the success of events. Hubilo pivoted to a virtual events platform in under 30 days following the Covid-19 pandemic. It repackaged its existing solution and scaled up its virtual event platform quickly.
Rapido | Aravind Sanka, Pavan Guntupalli & Rishikesh SR
ET Tech
Rapido is the pioneer in the bike taxi segment, launching the service in 2015. The business was severely affected by the pandemic, but it quickly pivoted to partnering with companies delivering food and essential items. It also launched Rapido Auto, and now almost 40% of its revenue comes from the new initiatives.
For all the latest Technology News Click Here
