The man who has spread his wings in multiple directions, Anupam Mittal, became a household name after his recent feat as one of the judges in Shark Tank India. Known as India’s early techpreneurs, Mittal launched many internet companies even before the internet bubble. Some of his most famous ones are the matrimonial website – shaadi.com, real-estate platform – makaan.com, media company – Mobango, and the short video application – Mauj. Most of these come under his parent company – People Group. Anupam Mittal has also produced a few Bollywood movies namely 99 and Flavors.
His gig in Shark Tank India was much appreciated by the audiences and he caught quite a fan following for being a fair shark. Anupam Mittal achieved mind-boggling financial growth by investing in over 200 startups, primarily tech companies. Today, his net worth is no less than $2 Billion. This was about his professional front, but when it comes to his personal life, very few know much about his early life, family, or education. The Angel investor, businessman, and founder has many feathers to his crown. Here is a bit about Anupam Mittal before he became India’s beloved Shark.
Early Life and Education
Born in December of 1971 in Mumbai to parents Gopal Mittal and Bhagwati Mittal, Anupam Mittal completed his higher studies in the United States. He earned his MBA degree in Operating and Strategic Management from Boston College, United States in 1994.
Career
He started his career in 1998 as a product manager at MicroStrategy. His life was scaling at a crazy speed in his early 20s as the dotcom boom had hit. He became a multi-millionaire early on in his life as his company reached an evaluation of $40 million. He had also purchased a Ferrari car then. But soon, with the crash of the dotcom bubble, he had to return to India after suffering major financial losses.
In India, he started with a very new concept of offering an online matrimonial platform. His website Sagaai.com was initially launched with a total capital of $30,000. Later, the company website was rebranded as Shaadi.com. He managed to start the concept of planned marriages online in India in early 2000 when love marriages were still not widely accepted. He understood the pressure Indians faced to find an ideal partner for themselves. Despite the consequences and possibilities seeming quite low, shaadi.com managed to get their first 100 successful marriages of NRIs.
Soon, the business picked up as internet usage grew in India. In 2015, he stepped down as the CEO of shaadi.com to focus on global expansion and other opportunities.
Other Successful Ventures
- Mittal successfully raised venture financing in 2007, providing him access to liquid cash. The same year, he made his first angel investment in Interactive Avenue, an advertising agency. Mittal was one of the company’s top stockholders when Interactive Avenue eventually grew to be one of the biggest advertising agencies in India. He sold his shares in 2012 and earned large profits.
- Around 200 start-up businesses, including Interactive Avenues, Ola Cabs, Druva, Sapience Analytics, Pretty Secrets, Cafe Zoe, Peel Works, TaxSpanner, Fab Hotels, Ketto, Prop Tiger, BigBasket, FarEye, Lets Venture, and others, had received investments from Mittal as of July 2015.
- As a Shark Tank India judge, the angel investor invested in 24 companies, including, Revamp Moto, Heart up my Sleeves, Skippi Pops, Cosiq, Cocofit, The Yarn Bazaar, IN A CAN, Let’s Try, The Sass Bar, Caragreen, LOKA, Arrcoat Surface Textures, Annie, Easy Life, Meatyour, and many more.
Awards
- In its second year of the “Hall of Fame” 2020 awards, The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) Mumbai recognized Mittal as an Outstanding Serial Entrepreneur and Angel Investor.
- Mittal was given the iCONGO Karmaveer Puraskaar Award in 2015.
- Additionally, he was included in the list of the 50 Most Powerful Indians published by BusinessWeek.
Interesting Tidbits from his Life
- Once in an interview with the BBC, he revealed how he thought that his website shaadi.com would not work that well with the popularity of Facebook in India. He had thought that Facebook could be a possible matchmaking place. But, he soon realized that FB was in a different zone altogether.
- He revealed in an interview with the Indian Express that during his time as the judge of Shark Tank India, he made a few deals just because of his FOMO (fear of missing out).
- He has not still invested in cryptocurrencies but has invested in crypto companies as he believes that Cryptocurrencies have a bright future.
- Anupam Mittal has also tried his hand at acting in Bollywood. He has done a few CAMEO roles and produced movies like Flavors and 99. He has also played a short part in the film Anupam ki Shaadi, created to promote his website shaadi.com.
