This article is about a startup (named fusedcow) by my friend Kris Nair who is based in Mumbai.
His idea is to allow the common man to design his own home with different furnitures, etc. in different positions in various rooms of his/her home. The application will give a rough costing to the customer. A builder who will be partnered with fusedcow will then implement the customized design prepared by the customer. It is a unique and novel concept in India but is followed in other international markets. It is a service for the common man. My friend's vision here is to provide such awesome service totally FREE of cost!
Design API startup for real estate 'fusedcow' plans consumer app to discover curated designs
fusedcow Inc, a venture co-founded by IncuCapital senior partner Kris Nair which offers a design API for the real estate space, is soon launching a consumer-facing application to help people to discover, collect and buy homes from designer-curated products.
The new platform will seek to help end-consumers with designing and budgeting their house without worrying about project delays, finances, and running around for products, according to Nair.
Although incorporated in the US, the venture is based in Mumbai. The firm was launched in January this year by Kris Nair (managing director) along with Shubh Cheema (director of design).
Nair is currently a senior partner and advisor at Pune-based VC investment firm IncuCapital. He is also a mentor at Times Internet's startup incubator TLabs. Earlier, he was principal at New Delhi-based Opdrage Venture Partners. A graduate in Design Research from the School of Architecture, University of Liverpool, Cheema is currently a founding member and director at Advance Technology Centre for Design & Sustainability in Pune. She had earlier worked at Cubanheat Design and StudioCode in various roles.
fusedcow is currently offering a platform for real estate developers to sell customised apartments to end customers, and has already bagged more than eight projects comprising a few hundred apartments, according to Nair.
It has multiple designs on the platform and the real estate developer can show these designs to potential buyers. Buyers can also customise their dream homes and get it built to their specification.
Currently, the product is available in Pune, Mumbai and Delhi. The company is planning to stick around in these cities for some time, learn about the design sensibilities and then scale to other cities such as Jaipur, Kochi, Trivandrum, Chennai, Lucknow and Chandigarh.
"As of now, we are focusing on the new construction market, and the design cost is covered in the cost of the apartment. We collaborate with some of the best design studios in the US and the UK to bring the global edge to residential real estate, which is very well needed in the cluttered design space in India," said Nair.
fusedcow has offices in San Francisco and Singapore as well. According to Nair, the firm has already raised a small amount in seed funding. The company is now looking to raise a larger round of funding early next year. However, he declined to share the details.
According to Nair, the demand for affordable bespoke and global designs is growing and fusedcow wants it to be accessible to every buyer without spending a lot money and time.
"There are some companies which are offering a market place for interior designers. However, I'm not a fan of that business model, considering the opportunity to keep quality in check and excel at customer satisfaction," said Nair.
Submitted by:
Varun Manglik
12DM-158
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