In a bid to widen its investee portfolio and venture into newer domains, Venture Catalysts, India’s first integrated incubator, is now investing in a unique sphere of wireless, centralized, community-focused virtual Wi-Fi infrastructure through EasyFi.
The seed investment and innovation platform has invested an undisclosed amount in the start-up, which facilitates last-mile WiFi and Data Network provision by offering a virtual infrastructure to ISPs, telcos, and cable TV providers for access to end consumers. EasyFi has raised the capital as part of its Angel Funding Round to expand and accomplish a wider network connectivity along with establishing its virtual infrastructure across new locations.
A product of Mumbai-based WI Digital Service Pvt. Ltd., EasyFi is a WiFi and Data Network aggregator that aims at reducing infrastructure clutter and enhancing network coverage for service providers by deploying a virtualized wireless infrastructure and network resources for end-consumers. Essentially, it provides a centralized Wi-Fi service to end consumers, thereby helping telecom and internet service providers to get rid of delivering devices and last-mile operational costs to end-users.
EasyFi builds an infrastructure close to the customers at the last-mile, allowing service providers to book capacity on the fly to deliver data network services. By offering a virtual infrastructure to internet service providers (ISPs), telcos and cable TV providers, the firm saves cost of delivery for them while enabling roaming access for the end-consumers which includes corporates, public places, markets, malls, communities, villages, hotels, and individuals.
Amidst the array of services that it offers, one of the major
issues that EasyFi provides an optimal solution to is that of data theft,
especially when it comes to guest access in a corporate setting. It offers a
speedy, hassle-free and uninterrupted virtualized WiFi service, allowing the
guests to access an independent infrastructure. In this manner, EasyFi caters
to corporate issues like data theft, Trojans and viruses, and compliances on
user access log, while saving up to 45% of their connectivity costs. Moreover,
it also has avenues for partnerships wherein a Service Set Identifier (SSID)
can be rented which would enhance the network range and enable roaming for the
partner to deliver internet service in new geographies. By becoming a host,
communities can also earn monthly rentals and network commissions. Furthermore,
the firm has also signed an MoU to embed its WiFi module in home appliances, in
a bid to extend its network by making those default hosts. With such innovative
solutions, EasyFi is aiming to tap into this vast domain which has a potential
market size of INR 10,000 crores in India itself.
Sharing an insight on the investment, Dr. Apoorv Ranjan Sharma,
Co-founder and President, Venture Catalysts, remarked, “At Venture
Catalysts, we are on a mission to identify and support promising ventures that
provide solutions to plug the need-gap in their respective domains. Network
connectivity is an issue that the entire country has long been struggling with,
especially among remote corporates, communities, villages and townships. EasyFi
has the potential to eliminate all the issues pertaining to accessibility with
its virtualized wireless infrastructure. With this investment, we are looking
forward to witnessing major developments in this domain with the unique and
promising solution this venture entails.”
On raising angel funds from Venture Catalysts, Bhushan C
Thakkar, Founder, WI Digital Services, elaborated, “Our
company was established with an aim to facilitate providers across remote
locations of the country in delivering the fastest internet connectivity for
users at the last-mile. With the funds raised in this Angel Funding Round, we
strive to accomplish network partnerships across 25 new locations, scaling up to
approximately 2 lakh daily users. Furthermore, we are looking forward to
subsequent rounds of funding to further our vision and tread ahead on our path
towards establishing EasyFi as the most optimal network solution across India.”
At present, EasyFi is in its beta rollout phase across sectors in
villages, market roads, housing societies, townships, hotels, cafes, malls, and
bus stands, etc. The networks are available across 50+ locations with users in
co-working spaces, hotels, villages, and markets, currently being hosted by
shopkeepers, Shiv Sena, and NCP. With this funding round, the firm aims at
establishing partnerships and expanding its network across 25 new locations,
thereby creating availability among more providers for a seamless last-mile
network access.