Bangalore Based Goodbox Is Set B2C Communications; Raises $200K From Manipal Group

Bangalore-based Tsepak Technologies, the parent company of instant messaging app GoodBox which connects businesses with consumers, has raised $200k (about INR 1.3 Cr.) in seed funding led by Manipal Media Networks, a Manipal group concern headed by Gautam Pai.

Company is presently raising a pre-series A round in which TaxiForSure co-founder Aprameya Radhakrishna and redBus co-founder Charan Padmaraju will be participating along with the existing seed round investors.

Goodbox app is started by IIM Bangalore alumni, ex-redBus core team member. The idea is to connect local commerce with the mobile users. Goodbox provides a platform where customers can directly interact over chat with a business. It also enables the business to put up photographs, send group messages to their customers, set up store timings and even provide a menu function to list their items. Businesses can access their account on app or on the web. The company will be shortly adding payment option and focus on maximizing transactions.

“This funding will be used to develop the technical aspects of the product” as Abey Zachariah, co-founder at Tsepak Technologies told us.

Tsepak Technologies is a company founded by IIMB alumni and Industry veterans in November,2012. Tsepak Technologies has developed various other products including busybox, Goodbiz, BusyEye and adloc (discontinued, said the founder).

Last week, Bangalore-based startup, Lookup, working on the similar model, raised funds from Twitter co-founder Biz Stone. Another Mumbai-based startup Haptik closed a $1 Mn funding from Kalaari Capital in November last year. Akosha which also runs an messaging app for brands and customers bagged $16 Mn in funding.