I bought a social media company 🥳 | #19
My private equity investment in Khal
I am committed to investing in 50 startups in Nepal and around the world with a validated idea, and that needs funds for growing or running in operation till the next round. It’s a way for me to give back to society, and encourage youth to solve the issues that they are facing.
I have invested in 4 private companies till now from around the world in different verticle. I will briefly mention them here and write posts and updates about each later.
Overview
🤔 Selection criteria
💰 My portfolio
🍳 Khal.com
🤔 Selection criteria
I invest in early-stage companies. My cheque size ranges between $500 to $25,000. I have a hands-off approach and think founders know what is best for the company. What I bring to the table for the company revolves around my connection with UA, VCs, games, and the gamification of products. If needed, I can also be actively involved in the company in the roles of a data analyst (mid-range), project manager (lead), or technical advisor (lead). You can send me your pitch deck at investorfromnepal@gmail.com
I have a passion for numbers, a data-driven approach, and cool ideas. So, my selection criteria revolve around them.
Here are the criteria that I look at:
🧠 Idea, and execution: As I invest in the early stage of the company (seed rounds) the idea is the most critical part. What I look for in an idea:
Is the idea easy enough for me to understand? For me, as an investor should be simple to understand so I can process the idea. For example social media for foodies, crypto banks with 6% APY, social media for trekking, or hotels in a national park
Is the idea attractive, cool or has an x-factor? Ideas can be simple to understand but might not be as attractive to me for example a hotel in Thamel won’t be interesting for me, and a hotel in Rara though would be more attractive to me.
Do you have the resources to execute the idea? I believe in getting shit done, and that’s what I like to see with the teams I invest in. I like to see experience in the industry that the idea is being pitched. If you are pitching ideas for game studios, I would prefer someone on your team have hands-on experience in making or producing games.
📊 Know your numbers: This shouldn’t be even in points but I have often interviewed teams that don’t know their numbers. Know your basic KPIs - number of users, retention, margins, sales, YTD sales, YoY growth, etc.
😎 Validated idea: While a simple and cool idea is sexy, it should be validated. If you are planning a business around selling a subscription of fresh fruits, call 100 random people, ask them if they want a subscription service, and sell them fruits - validate your idea. Nothing is sexier than a validated idea.
🍰 Data-driven and lean approach: Base your decision on data, not emotions, and spend money on the task maximizes the output.
💰 My portfolio
I have started investing this year in private companies and I have already invested in 4 companies that I can announce. 3 more will be announced soon, I am excited to announce them. My current portfolio:
🚗 Humvie: 🇵🇰 Humvie is a Pakistan-based car rental company with the goal of being a multinational one-stop shop for all mobility needs. I invested in Humvie in the pre-seed round and am a technical advisor as well. Recently, Humvie has started generating revenue.
🎮 HMK Innovations:🇧🇬 HMK Innovations is a Bulgarian Edu-game company. I started as an advisor and later decided to invest in the company. They are still working on the prototype of a multiplayer edu-game.
🌙 Crescent: 🇺🇸 Crescent is a finance app making high yield interest accessible to all. We offer 100x higher interest on your money with up to 6% APY, no minimums, no hidden fees, and no-nonsense.
🍳 Khal.com 🇺🇸
Khal.com is a US-based social media for foodies that was born during the COVID crisis. It has over 250k users and 100k recipes. Being a foodie myself and a son of a chef, the idea clicked with me. The company hasn’t started monetizing its users yet and isn’t planning to anytime soon. When I invested, the idea was validated and they needed money for growth via marketing. I will keep you updated.
If you are a foodie or love cooking food, feel free to create an account https://khal.com/.