Looking Back in Time
15 August 2021 marked Ketto’s 9th anniversary. It has been an experience like no other these past nine years. Ketto was one of the first crowdfunding platforms in India, and it was a concept that was new to everyone. It was not an easy feat to reach where we have gotten to today, but we wouldn’t trade this experience for anything. Take a look at what our founders think as they reminisce about this journey.
Zaheer Adenwala — CTO & Co-Founder, Ketto
The day we moved to our new office in 2013 is still a fresh memory. I remember happy faces everywhere I looked around in that office because it meant that we finally did it! The little dream we had was finally getting momentum and for the first time, we were welcoming new members to our team. Setting up our office, in the beginning, was an experience unlike any other. CTO and CEO, who? We went busy doing carpentry and plumbing in our new office initially!
Interviewing and hiring, in the beginning, remains one of my most cherished memories. Since there were only 8 of us in the beginning, we all shared a very strong, personal bond. I remember the added costs of running a new office that kept us up at night! Nevertheless, simple things like signing up our first customer, decorating our workstations, welcoming new people to join us, etc. were worth all the sleepless nights.
It wasn’t easy, but then it never is. It seemed overwhelming at times to work in a completely new industry, and be able to validate our hypothesis around crowdfunding. Despite the difficulties, the excitement outweighed everything else. Our hard work paid off in not only turning Ketto into a viable company but also the future impact it could create on our society.
The goal, when we started Ketto, was to be where we are today! Ketto completing 9 years makes me feel nothing but proud and very grateful to everyone who’s been part of this journey with us.
Kunal Kapoor — Co-Founder, Ketto
Prior to Ketto being established, I worked with an NGO that looked for support (in the form of donations) and I had family and friends who wanted to help in times of need. Since there were so many people who wanted to help others and so many NGOs that sought assistance, I wondered if there was anyone out there trying to bring these two categories of people together. Finally, I met Varun, who shared my thoughts, and the rest is history!
I think one of the biggest challenges, when we started Ketto, was that there were very few, in fact close to no, crowdfunding platforms. We found it difficult to convince people that investing in something that is just getting started is actually worthwhile. When we initially began, I used to meet investors on a large scale. Although my background as a public figure helped us gauge investor interest, not every deal was a success. We were rejected many times, but our determination to make a difference in society kept us going. 9 years later, we have established a platform today that people are comfortable in terms of seeking and donating funds. I believe, however, that there is still a long way to go. For us, Ketto is more than just a crowdfunding platform, and our team works around the clock to make Healthcare accessible to all through this platform.
Varun Sheth — CEO & Co-Founder, Ketto
My career started as an interest rate swap dealer at a firm where I gained good momentum. I quickly recognized that what I was doing had no real-world impact and did nothing to better the situation. I wanted to make an impact on society and so, I quit my job.
I observed that there are many people who need funding to pay for expensive medical treatment but do not have the means to do so. My goal was to enable people to gain access to finance in an easier and more democratized way. I then began thinking about how social media and the internet can help bridge this gap. Thus was born Ketto, which stands for ‘Key to Tomorrow’.
When Ketto began its journey, it was difficult to garner people’s trust in online transactions. However, since we are focused on building the right pillars of transparency and technology, we were able to create a loyal consumer base.
We didn’t have any marketing or advertising at first, so individuals finding Ketto, creating campaigns, raising donations, and then coming to us and thanking us for it was all the affirmation I needed. Despite quitting my job, I realized that along with my amazing Team Ketto, I was now actually helping make the world a better place.
If you are able to create strong relationships with people that you meet in the journey, it becomes a very strong advantage that you have on your side, which can only be built over time and money can’t really buy it.
