Don’t download multiple apps, one is enough
“It is the best for privacy; no one can spam- message me. Also, all my favourite apps are in the chat now and wishlist is the best,” reviews a user on the Google Play Store.
The user is talking about Flochat, a free hybrid messaging platform of Mumbai-based start-up Yagerbomb Media. Launched in 2016, Flochat integrates multiple platforms under one framework, enabling users to book taxis, movie tickets or order food while they continue to chat in the same window, thereby avoiding the need to install multiple applications.
It claims to be the only messaging platform to offer integrated services on frequently used apps such as Ola, Uber, Zomato, BookMyShow, Coupon Duniya, Bing and YouTube. “We are allowing the conversations to have their actions within the messenger because most of the decisions are made within the conversation. There is no need for switching between applications,” said Prateek Lal, founder and chief executive.
Adding: “We have also brought in the ‘Delete and Edit sent messages’ feature for the first time in the messaging world. Other features like audio/video filters and our unique AI personal assistant, Floda, are also one of a kind.”
Unlike other messaging apps, Flochat does not require a phone number to chat. A username will suffice.
Recently, big players Paytm, Flipkart and Hike had announced their interest in the messaging space. Flochat claims to have recognised the potential ahead of them.
“Our current business model relies on the profits we receive from the transactions through our partners. Going forward, we plan on increasing our revenue through different avenues like advertising,” says Lal, who spent eight years as a corporate banker.
The start-up is targeting 500,000 users by the end of this month from a little over 350,000 now. “We are aiming to hit a million by year-end and around 20 million in the next two years,” says Lal. Apart from India, it is targeting the UAE, followed by Indonesia, Africa and Singapore.
Flochat has had two rounds of funding. In 2015, in an angel financing round, it raised $200,000 through friends and family. In the seed round, it had raised $800,000 from iSquare Global, a fund based in Mauritius, in 2016.
“The current funds shall be used in scaling up our technology, as well as customer acquisition and retention. We are planning some interesting features in the coming months, further disrupting the messaging industry worldwide,” says Lal.
The company feels lack of conversation about the app is a key challenge, apart from daily activity on it. “We are chasing a huge habit that people have of using a set form of communication for the past eight years. Changing that is a task,” says Lal. He says the target is to bring all services a consumer uses within the conversations, including payment.
Flochat integrates multiple platforms under one framework, enabling users to book taxis, movie tickets or order food while they continue to chat in the same window