A big surprise for everyone who wasn’t aware of this news; Priyanka Chopra has been an active investor in technology start-ups for quite some time now. Motivated by her vision to promote diversity within the industry, Priyanka has explicitly stated that she is keen on opening her purse to promising Indian tech start-ups, preferably with women leadership at the forefront.
Priyanka is particularly interested in an Indian start-up which ‘resonates globally’. In the Tech x Entertainment space, Priyanka Chopra mentioned streaming services which she said were opening the floodgates to entertainment.
Notable Indian streaming platforms include Hotstar, SonyLIV, and Zee5. She also mentioned that a worthy start-up in the tech space is one that can create a space for itself in the market and which rests on a solid idea.
Priyanka’s US manager, a Venture Capitalist motivated her to invest in female-run businesses. Technology like Artificial Intelligence is also something that captivates her.
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Ideas with a CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) connect are worthy contenders to pitch in for funding by Priyanka, as she herself expressed during the Start-up India International Summit.
Ideas with a CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) connect are worthy contenders to pitch in for funding by Priyanka, as she herself expressed during the Start-up India International Summit.
Businesses run by women entrepreneurs in India have a high chance of winning over Priyanka Chopra. She announced an open-door for a ‘tremendous Indian idea resonating globally in beauty and wellness, education, and technology’.
To speculate on a few start-ups in India that match this profile, Nykaa is one name which pops up in the Beauty and Wellness sector. Nykaa has already been funded by notable Bollywood actresses like Alia Bhatt and Katrina Kaif and has been assimilated into the start-up unicorn league at $12 Billion.
The two key start-ups which are already in Priyanka Chopra’s portfolio that deserve to be mentioned in this context include Bumble, an all-in-one dating, friendship, and professional networking app. Also, there is ‘Holberton School’ which is a coding education start-up. These start-ups are a mix of technology, feminine empowerment, and education. The biggest names in EdTech start-ups in India currently include upGrad and Vedantu.
Apart from these, the newest investment by Priyanka Chopra Jonas which has been a star-studded affair and can be considered as the focal point from where she will pick her Indian tech start-up investee is the US-based Online Rental Marketplace called ‘Apartment List’.
The investment capping at $10 Million is Apartment List’s Series D funding round collectively pitched in by several prominent celebrities including Priyanka. India does have its very own online rental marketplace and a big name at that, ‘Nestaway’.
What’s in it for me?
Celebrities like Priyanka Chopra have a very big brand name and when they invest in any venture, they literally associate their own brand value with that of the company. They also have deep pockets and are most certainly on the lookout for start-ups based on their equity. There will definitely be a good amount of guidance around these decisions, as admitted by Priyanka herself. Anjula Acharia, Investor and Venture Capitalist is the motivator behind Priyanka’s investment spree.
Also, if we take a closer look at all of Priyanka’s investments, especially the latest one ‘Apartment List’; it’s interesting that this is a profitable start-up with strong brand equity. No wonder Priyanka is one among its board of investors. She mentioned this strongpoint during the ‘Start-up India Prarambh Event’ where ‘financially viable’ start-ups resting on a social idea can stake their claim on her money.
What start-ups can take stock of this development is to go by Priyanka’s ideal new-age start-up profile since that is precisely where most of the celebrity investments of the future are headed.
Creating a start-up based on a stellar idea which can take its place in a valid gap within the global market naturally garners the attention of celebrities like Priyanka Chopra Jonas and their money.
