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US-based online home-design startup Houzz makes an entry into the Indian market

The Indian market is growing with each passing day, and now it seems everyone wants to have their very own share of this growing market which still has a lot of untapped potential. The latest to make an entry into the Indian market is the famous United States headquartered online home-design startup Houzz.

The company, which was founded in the year 2009 by the couple Alon Cohen and Adi Tatarko, has appointed Babyoye‘s Sanjay Nadkarni to spearhead its operation in the Indian subcontinent, who has joined Houzz in the capacity of India’s country head.
For the unaware, Houzz basically works as an online scrapbook for talented interior designers and architects to showcase their best work with pictures and editorial content.
Houzz’s entry into the tech savvy and talent rich land of India is a part of its global expansion plans. The company began on a journey to increase its presence all around the globe after successfully raising a whopping $165-million in funding in the year 2014. What is interesting to note is the fact that Houzz decided to enter the Indian market before China. The company currently has a presence in over a dozen countries all around the world with a country-specific website for each of them.
Prior to joining Houzz, Nadkarni founded an online babycare ecommerce startup called  Babyoye, which was eventually acquired by the Mahindra Group. As a country head, Nadkarni‘s plan is to start Houzz’s journey in India by setting up a nuclear team of less than 10 talented and enthusiastic people. The company aims to increase engagement with local professionals in India.
Upon its arrival in India, the US Internet major will have to battle it out with competitors such as Houzify, Livspace and Homelane to get to the top of the game in its segment. Livspace recently announced a Rs 100 crore funding round from Bessemer Venture Partners,  Jungle Ventures and Helion. On the other hand, Houzify is backed by angel investors like  Manipal Group’s Mohandas Pai and InMobi‘s Naveen Tewari, while Homelane is backed by Sequoia Capital India.
Let’s see if Houzz is able to chart a similar success story in India as it has been able to do in the United States.

About the author

Kirti Sharma

She is a fun loving girl who's always scouting for innovative startups and fun entrepreneurs to write about. When not writing, you can find her perched in the corner of her room with her laptop running a serial marathon of her favorite sitcoms. You can contact her at skirti100@yahoo.co.in

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