Company description
Team
Durgesh Kaushik (CEO), MBA student at Paul Merage School of Business, with a focus on IT Strategy. His experience as a software engineer at Dell Perot Systems includes working with clients like Daimler Chrysler Financial Services and re-engineering various internal knowledge management projects. He worked as a Graduate Student Researcher at the Center of research on IT and Organizations at UCI. He was also a research intern at New York University for a project on social networks. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree in IT from NSIT (Top 10 Tech schools in India), University of Delhi . He also served as the Executive VP of the Business and Technology Association at the Paul Merage School of Business.
Sumit Chhabra (CTO): Sr. Software Engineer at Aricent technologies. He has a B.E. Degree from NSIT (top 10 tech schools in India), with an expertise in Java and mobile application development. Strong background in data structures and algorithms.
Prashant Upase, MBA student at The Paul Merage School of Business with focus on Finance and Strategy. He has three years of work experience of working in IBM for one oftheir biggest client, American Express. He was responsible for managing a project worth $ 1.9 M and team of 5 engineers. He led the IBM team to deliver the portal solution to American Express. He has completed his bachelor’s in Engineering from Government College of Engineering, University of Pune.
Sudhish Subhash, MBA student at The Paul Merage School of Business and a Program Manager with the Don BeallCenter of Innovation and Entrepreneurship manages a comprehensive entrepreneurialworkshop at the University of California Irvine. He has experience in porting aweb based application to the mobile platform for world’s leading informationservice provider. At Wipro Technologies, he has managed a $0.5 Million, 3 member engagement with multiple awards. He holds an engineering degree in Computer Science and Engineering from Anna University, India.
Business model
Company
Astro-Watch is headquartered in Irvine, CA and aims to help people with their decision making by utilizing the ancient astrological techniques developed by eastern Indians thousands of years ago. The timing of events plays an important role in their final outcome. Astro-Watch will provide indications on how good or bad the time is for a particular activity.
Product
The product is a mobile phone based application, which is user friendly and indicates the auspiciousness of time for different activities. like meetings, proposals, flights, food, travel etc. The application can also be integrated with the calendar and used to plan future events. This not only provides extra bit of confidence to the users, but also helps them utilize the ancient Indian Vedic science to their advantage.
Customer and Market
Anyone who wishes to optimize their decision making and has an access to a 3-G, 4-G enabled phone, and has some belief ancient sciences, is our potential customer.
The market is expanding at an exponential rate as more and more users are switching to mobile phones from desktop computers to access internet and the awareness about ancient sciences in increasing.
Revenues
Astro-watch will generate most of its revenues from the sale of its browser based application and customized services. It would also provide customizations and add on products.
Financials
Astro-Watch requires a two part investment of $200,000 and $250,000 as a series A and B phase investment respectively. With an IRR of 70.44% and a NPV $6.14million, it is expected to break even in 16months. The detailed 72 months cash flow structure is explained in theFinancials segment.
Competitive advantage
A team of highly qualified professionals, with great exposure to traditional Indian sciences and stong astrology network.
Product: A mobile application that would provide users current astrological conditions, and would tell them whether the astrological conditions at a particular moment are favorable to initiate certain tasks. Eg. Before booking an airline ticket, Astro Watch could be consulted about the best time to fly. While deciding about the best time to get married, Astro Watch can provide an indication on how auspicious the time is.
This knowledge has been available since 1000s of years in ancient Indian texts, but was never easily accessible. With the advent of portable communication devices like 3G/4G phones, iPads, this knoweldge can be used more effectively and can benefit a greater number of people.
Price: Low to medium (Differential pricing strategy). Based on features.
Promotion: Social Media marketing, collaborations with Astrologers, mobile app stores, and TV Ads. Facebook application for the same.
Placement: Real time mobile astrology. More relevant compared to sun sign horoscopes, and less complicated than consulting astrologers.
Most of our potential competitors are large on the web space with poor target on the mobile consumer. In order to set the tone for our landscape of competition the following are our primary considerations:
a) Facebook
Horoscope application subscribers– 1.17 million users. Free subscription to tools and provides matchmaking andmoney market forecasting
b) MSN Astrology
Complete suite ofweb-entertainment solutions. Highest market cap of users and 113 million uniqueweb clicks. Provides Tarot reading and Chinese horoscopes on a daily basis.Mobile compatible site.
c) Astrocenter.com
No. of subscribers – 2 million,mode of delivery – Web, Emails and subscription horoscopes. Non customized solutions and older demographics
d) Astrologers and Tarot Readers
