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MobiKwik

MobiKwik
Company typePrivate
IndustryFinancial technology
FoundedApril 2009; 15 years ago (2009-04)
Founders
  • Bipin Preet Singh
  • Upasana Taku
HeadquartersGurgaon, Haryana, India
Area served
India
Products
RevenueIncrease ₹875 crore (US$100 million) (FY24)[1]
Increase ₹14 crore (US$1.7 million) (FY24)[1]
Owners
ParentOne MobiKwik Systems Private Limited
Websitemobikwik.com

MobiKwik is an Indian financial technology company, founded in 2009 that provides a mobile phone-based payment system and digital wallet.[3][4] Customers can add money to an online wallet that can be used for payments. In 2013 the Reserve Bank of India authorized the company's use of the MobiKwik wallet,[5] and in May 2016 the company began providing small loans to consumers as part of its service.[6]

In November 2016, the company reported having 1.5 million merchants using its service and a user base of 55 million customers.[7][8][9] The company employs over 325 people, operating in three segments including consumer payments, fintech, and payment gateway.[10]

In September 2024, MobiKwik reinvested about Rs. 7000 crores of its existing investors money without their explicit consent.[11]

History

MobiKwik founder Bipin Singh (second from right) at the 2016 Rise Conference

MobiKwik was founded in 2009[12] by husband and wife team Bipin Preet Singh and Upasana Taku.[3][13] Singh, a 2002 graduate of IIT Delhi, saw an opportunity to improve mobile recharge options. He seeded the company, developed the website and payment options, and rented office space in Dwarka, Delhi.[14] The initial service was a website with a closed wallet facility, but over the years, MobiKwik extended their service to mobile apps.[15] The company initially partnered with online merchants to make their wallet available as a payment option on e-commerce sites.[16]

MobiKwik launched a digital wallet system in 2012 that enabled users to deposit money online to use for bill payments and other features.[14] MobiKwik provides financial services including loan, accident insurance, life insurance, fire insurance, IMPS money transfer, credit card bill payment, mutual funds, and DTH recharge.[17][18][19][20][21][22][23] They also introduced the feature of sending and receiving money via a mobile app.[24] In September 2014, Express Computer reported how MobiKwik was partnering with GoDaddy and other international companies to help them comply with Indian payment regulations.[25]

In April 2015, MobiKwik was used by 15 million users and claimed to be adding one million new customers every month, according to Forbes India Magazine.[4] In a partnership with CashCare, MobiKwik began providing small loans between ₹500–₹2,500 to customers in May 2016.[26][27] The company launched its MobiKwik Lite mobile app in November 2016, designed for users of older 2G mobile networks and for those in areas with poor internet connectivity.[28] In the same month, MobiKwik had over 1.5 million merchants using its service and 55 million users.[7][9] Following the 2016 Indian banknote demonetisation in November 2016, MobiKwik realized a 400% increase in financial transactions using the service by late December 2016.[29] In February 2017, the company announced plans to invest approximately $45 million to expand its user base from 50 million to 150 million users in 2017.[8] In June 2017, 80 percent of India's mobile wallet transactions market was performed by Paytm and Mobikwik.[9] In 2019, MobiKwik announced a new partnership with DT One to expand their service internationally.[30] In 2019, the company began offering loans, insurance and investment advice.[30]

On 28 May 2020, Mobikwik was removed from Google Play Store because it had a link to Aarogya Setu.[31]

On 25 February 2021, an Indian security researcher named Rajshekhar Rajaharia claimed that a hacker group called Jordandaven stole the KYC details of nearly 100 million MobiKwik users from a company server and put them up for sale on the dark web.[32] On 4 March 2021, company denied the claim and said it would take legal action against the researcher. Later, multiple independent researchers and users confirmed that their Mobikwik data was available online,[33] and on 30 March 2021, TechCrunch reported that company was hiring a third-party to conduct a forensic data security audit.[34]

In 2022, Mobikiwik suspended transactions from its e-wallet services to all major crypto exchanges in India.[35]

Funding

In 2013, after founder Singh's initial $250k seed investment, MobiKwik raised $5 million in Series A funding from an unnamed US-based VC firm.[citation needed] In 2015, Series B rounds from Chinese investment firm Tree Line Asia and American firm Sequoia Capital, with participation from US technology company Cisco Systems and financial services company American Express raised an additional $31 million.[36] In May 2016, the company announced a $50 million Series C round, led by Japanese Internet company GMO Internet, and Taiwanese semiconductor firm MediaTek, along with investors including Sequoia and Treeline Asia, bringing company funding to date to more than $80 million.[37]

On 19 June 2017, Medianama reported that Mobikwik had confirmed to them that they had raised $150 million from undisclosed investors.[38]

On 3 August 2017, Bajaj Finance picked up 10.83% stake in MobiKwik for ₹225 crores.[39] The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority purchased a 2.7% stake in MobiKwik for $20 million in June 2021.[40]

On 21 July 2021, MobiKwik filed a draft red herring prospectus with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to raise ₹1,900 crore (US$230 million) through an initial public offering (IPO).[41] The Economic Times reported that MobiKwik had reached a valuation of $1 billion in October 2021, following a secondary employee stock ownership sale led by former Blackstone India chief Mathew Cyriac.[42] MobiKwik received approval from SEBI in October and planned to launch its IPO on 4 November. On 23 November 2021, The Economic Times reported that the company was considering postponing its IPO to 2022 because it was facing difficulties finding foreign institutional investors at the desired valuation.

On 23 September 2024, SEBI approved the IPO which consist of a fresh issue of Rs 700 crore, with a face value of Rs 2 per equity share without an offer for sale (OFS) component.[43][44]

Products and services

MobiKwik wallet

MobiKwik wallet is a semi closed wallet authorized in 2013 by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).[3][45][46] The RBI license allows the company to create marketplaces where customers can purchase goods and services from third-party vendors, avoiding failure rates of payment gateway transactions.[46]

Lite mobile app

In November 2016, MobiKwik launched its MobiKwik Lite mobile app aimed at users in poor internet connectivity regions and consumers using older 2G cellular networks.[47][29][48][49]

Zip

Zip pay later

MobiKwik introduced a Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) service named Zip partnering with Lendbox and Cashfree offering users to get up to Rs 60,000 credit limit on Mobikwik app interest free for a period of 15 to 30 days along with auto bill pay feature.[50][51]

Zip card

MobiKwik offered a rupay debit card from Axis Bank in black theme.[52]

Zip loans

Zip loans (also known as Zip EMI) is a service provided by MobiKwik to issue personal loans of up to Rs. 2 lakhs to its users based on their CIBIL scores.[53][54]

Xtra

MobiKwik's investment product by LendBox (a P2P NBFC), which provided its users up to 12% interest per annum for flexible investments (plan named Flexi) and provided up to 13.99% interest per annum for fixed investments (plan named Plus).[55]

However, in September 2024, MobiKwik converted both Flexi and Plus plans into one plan, suspending anytime withdrawals for all the existing users.[56] The main reason being new guidelines issued by the RBI for P2P platforms in August 2024.[57]

Xtra Scam

MobiKwik re-invested existing money of its users without their explicit consent and approval for borrower's list. Leading to approximately Rs. 7000 crore being mapped as loan against user wishes.[58][59]

MobiKwik responded stating guidelines have been changed by their P2P partner, LendBox (Transactree Technologies Private Limited) and that users will not be able to withdraw their money anytime but get their invested money on 12th of each month (principle + interest) in parts as borrowers make the repayments in EMIs.[11]

Partnerships

MobiKwik payment gateway partnered with Uber in July 2015, which enabled Uber and its drivers to utilize MobiKwik to process debit and credit card payments.[60]

On 8 November 2017, IDFC First Bank entered into a strategic partnership with MobiKwik to launch a co-branded virtual Visa prepaid card for customers of Mobikwik.

In February 2020, MobiKwik partnered with Google for its mobile recharge search feature launched for Indian users and allows them to do recharge with Google search. The company had also built biller stack for e-commerce companies to integrate bill payments category into their mobile apps.[61]

References

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  2. ^ Mishra, Digbijay; Manikandan, Ashwin. "Mobikwik files DRHP to raise Rs 1,900 crore via IPO". The Economic Times. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  3. ^ a b c Kulkarni, Srinivas (19 August 2013). "Mobikwik aims to be India's top mobile wallet". ZDNet. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
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  9. ^ a b c Das, Goutam (4 June 2017). "Shrinking wallets". Business Today. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
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  52. ^ Ray, Meenakshi (12 November 2021). "MobiKwik launches RuPay Card. Here's what you need to know". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
  53. ^ "Build Your Credit Score with MobiKwik ZIP". The Week. 2 November 2022. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
  54. ^ Kumar, Ajay. "MobiKwik ZIP EMI: Redefining Lending Experience". Dribbble. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
  55. ^ Bhalla, Tarush (19 September 2022). "MobiKwik launches investment product Xtra, scales AUM to over Rs 100 crore". The Economic Times. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  56. ^ "MobiKwik Xtra". promotions.mobikwik.com. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  57. ^ Jain Kaushal, Teena (19 August 2024). "RBI curb on P2P platforms offering early withdrawal products: What it means and who gets impacted?". Business Today. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  58. ^ Singh, Ritu (9 September 2024). "MobiKwik Xtra suspends 'anytime withdrawals' following RBI's recent directions on P2P lending - CNBC TV18". CNBC TV18. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
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  61. ^ "MobiKwik's revenue up 133% in FY20 with strong growth in wallet, e-credit card, payment gateway segments". The Financial Express. 15 July 2020. Retrieved 19 July 2020.

Further reading

Quelle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MobiKwik