Angad Bhatia Joins Firstpost, Creator18 As CEO

SUMMARY

Creator18 is a new venture of Network18, which aims to build a creator network on off-platform extensions across its digital properties

Angad Bhatia's appointment comes a month after quitting Mensa Brand acquired Indian Lifestyle Network (ILN), which operates MensXP, iDiva, and Hypp

According to Bhatia’s LinkedIn profile, at the time when ILN was operating under Times Internet, he also headed various other brands of the digital publication, including the likes of Indiatimes and Whats Hot as CEO

Angad Bhatia, the founder of MensXP, has joined Network18’s Firstpost and Creator18 as its chief executive officer after exiting Mensa Brands.

Creator18 is a new venture of Network18, which aims to build a creator network on off-platform extensions across its digital properties, a company statement said.

“An experienced builder of digital businesses, Angad brings deep expertise in starting and scaling B2C media ventures,” it added.

This comes nearly a month after Inc42 exclusively reported that Bhatia was quitting Indian Lifestyle Network (ILN), which operates MensXP, iDiva, and Hypp. ILN was acquired by Mensa Brands in a $100 Mn deal from Times Internet in 2022.

The three brands, which operate under the ILN umbrella, have over 20 Mn social media followers, over 100 Mn monthly active users , and garner over 250 Mn video views per month.

iDiva, which was established in 2009, provides women-focussed content and covers topics ranging from beauty, fashion, health and wellness, to lifestyle categories. While Hypp is a creator management and marketing platform for digital influencers, MensXP is a lifestyle focussed portal for men.

In September last year, Inc42 reported that ILN was looking to separate from Mensa Brands. However, the talks did not reach a conclusion.

Mensa Brands, founded in 2021 by Ananth Narayanan, is a house of brands startup which acquires digital first startups and brands and then helps them to scale their business. It entered the coveted unicorn tag within six months of its inception and was among the fastest growing startups in the country at the time.

The company’s consolidated net loss narrowed about 31% to INR 155.85 Cr in the fiscal year 2023-24 (FY24) from INR 227.03 Cr in the previous fiscal. The Tiger Global-backed startup reported a 11.6% increase in its revenue from operations to INR 557.66 Cr in FY24 from INR 499.63 Cr in FY23.