Mobavenue Media: Built over 12 years of grit, passion and entrepreneurship

Mobavenue’s success can be attributed to the passion, dedication and commitment of two entrepreneurial minds: Kunal Kothari, Founder and Chief Growth Officer and Tejas Rathod, Founder and Chief Operating Officer. Starting their entrepreneurial journey at the age of just 17, the duo has been able to build Mobavenue - a successful bootstrapped MarTech and AdTech company. Recently, their efforts have been rewarded as they were honoured by Forbes (Asia) in their list of 30 Under 30 - Class of 2023, in Media, Marketing and Advertising.

Kunal and Tejas met each other during their college days. Deciding to go bootstrapped, the duo set out to disrupt the advertising industry with a $100 cheque from Google Adsense, which they earned through freelancing and started a digital marketing company in 2014. Both believed there was a better way to deliver ads while keeping a privacy-first approach - as they used to see ads based on their online activity, eventually founding Mobavenue in 2017.

Mobavenue 2.0 is a growth and tech platform that empowers brands, agencies, and media publishers with Madtech (MarTech and AdTech) solutions to drive growth, engagement, and monetisation. The company's product suites are purpose-built to drive brand performance and help brands throughout their consumer journey with a privacy-first approach. The company also helps brands with Digital Transformation to deliver an unparalleled brand experience to their consumers.

Mobavenue, which started in a small office with just a few people, has become a thriving global enterprise with over 120 employees in 10 different locations - Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Singapore, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Dubai, Sydney, London, and New York. The company has partnered with 300+ brands across various industries like banks and NBFCs, fintech, B2B, D2C, retailers, e-commerce, gaming, and OTT brands.

"Building and scaling Mobavenue to what it is today wasn't an overnight success and tested our entrepreneurial will. It took 12 years of dedication, coupled with challenges and setbacks, for us to reach on high grounds we stand today," said Kothari.

With a bootstrapped budget, the pair invested all their time and energy into building Mobavenue from the ground up. It was no easy feat, but they managed to make it work despite all the odds. "Over the years, the right talents became a part of us, contributing to the shared vision that moved us forward," Kothari adds.

The duo have also been honoured with the Businessworld 30 under 30 Award. They have steered their company to win other notable awards, such as the "Most Promising Agency of the Year 2022" and the "Performance Agency of the Year 2023.”

“Being recognised as an honouree in the 30 Under 30 Forbes Asia list is a remarkable achievement for us. This honour is the high point of consistent hard work, relentless nights and the unwavering support of my team, colleagues, and associates. I am excited to leverage this recognition to inspire and empower other aspiring entrepreneurs to pursue their passion," said Rathod.

Rathod and Kothari are also angel investors in the Indian startup ecosystem, with 50 investments in tech, AI, and new media companies. The company is now working towards contextual advertising, cookie-less solutions, and other relevant growth and martech solutions for businesses and publishers.