Press Coverage
Crowd-Funding: A great opportunity for start-ups but what is its fate in India?
Money Control, May 17, 2013: India is abuzz with innovation and entrepreneurs seeking funds to float new ideas. Typically, entrepreneurs raise money for their fledgling start-ups from angel investors, venture capitalists and even banks. But getting cash from these sources is a tedious affair, and many small start-ups are not equipped to handle the paperwork. Crowd-funding is thus a great alternative to raising funds with minimum risk involved.
Sold on the Crowd
Times of India, May 1, 2013: It’s a trend that sort of levels the playing field by loosening the stranglehold big-ticket record labels and production houses have on funds when it comes to investing in fresh talent. It grants creative freedom, bypasses the hierarchy, and lets you — the viewer — invest in what you want to hear or see. And going by what stakeholders say, crowdfunding, or getting the public to contribute to production costs, is here to stay.
KASHISH 2013 looks to crowd funding
India Blooms, April 30, 2013: After tasting success in 2012, KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival 2013 – India’s biggest LGBT film fest – is once again turning to the social media phenomenon of crowd funding to raise finances.
Read Article: http://www.indiablooms.com/BollywoodDetailsPage/2013/bollywoodDetails300413b.php
Would you Crowd-fund your personal projects
Grazia India, April Issue, 2013: Crowd-funding may have been a success story to encourage indie cultural projects, but a recent funding plea has left us a bit confused. The phenomenon of asking one’s friends and family for money to purchase something one likes is nothing new. Crowd-funding for personal gain is reasonable as long as one asks their own personal network, ie, friends and family members, with limited expectation of others outside their network to give.
Read Article: https://picasaweb.google.com/116515440069838482430/May20201302?authkey=Gv1sRgCLKohsar-L2oFA#5879945231629859986
Beyond Donations and Charity
SIMConnect, Issue 3 April, 2013: When veteren director Shyam Benegal made Manthan, he funded his film by collecting funds from farmers involved in the Gujarat Milk Co-Operative movement. Benegal was the first man to start crowdfunding. Crowdfunding allows people to raise considerable sums of money by pooling in small amounts from large number of people. Wishberry is at the forefront of this endeavor, allowing entrepreneurs from all walks of life to jump start their project.
Read Article: https://picasaweb.google.com/116515440069838482430/May172013?authkey=Gv1sRgCPDugsSwi5KfxQE#5878914417738983954
Just ask the crowd...
The Hindu, April 19, 2013: Want to make your film, stage your own production, record your album or organise an event to raise funds but never had the money to make your dream come true? Ask the crowd, it has all the answers. The crowdfunding model is picking up steam in a big way, that it might just redefine the way creative and social projects are funded, thanks to the early players.
Read Article: http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/just-ask-the-crowd/article4633554.ece
Crowd-funding show gains pace with Kannada movie Lucia, over 100 people invest through Facebook & blog
The Economic Times, April 13, 2013: BANGALORE: This June when "Lucia" a movie financed through the crowd-funding model releases in local cinemas it will mark a first for the Kannada film industry. Funded by over 100 investors who contributed to the project through a Facebook page and a blog run by director-actor Pawan Kumar, the movie slated to be a thriller will be the first Kannada movie to bypass the traditional film financing mode. "It makes perfect sense for regional films to try the crowd-funding sources, given the sort of constraints that they face, whether it's their budget or distribution process," said Giselle Mendes, manager, business development and marketing at crowd-funding platform Wishberry.
How Big A Deal is crowd-funding in India?
Soundbox, April 2013: You don't need to be rich. You don't need investors. You don't need sponsors. All you need is an excellent idea plus the means to put it out there, and the community will help make it happen. This is the essential idea of crowd-funding, one of the growing trends in the Indian music Industry.
Read Article: http://www.soundbox.co.in/march-2013/
Get Your Wish Granted!
Vyaapari.in, April 2013: Selling products and services to customers is a concept of industrial economy. A major change is unfolding in front of our eyes. Today, customers are funding creation of products and services they like. Wishberry is at the epicentre and silently leading the change. They are making creative ideas happen.
Read Article: http://vyapaari.in/beta/2013/04/09/p33hr3-1ps/
Wishberry.in Makes Crowdfunding Cool!
WAT Blog.com, March 14, 2013: The awareness has begun to creep in, it is only right for platforms that facilitate donating to charity and purposeful causes to exist. Enter wishberry.in, a crowdfunding platform that has not only made it easy to donate to causes close to your heart but to set-up a donation campaign and urge others to contribute to it. These donations can be made (or asked to be made) for music and entertainment collaborations and even for business ventures.
People Power
DNA Sunday, MAG. March 3, 2013: In India, crowd-funding has been used to help fund everything from movies to music gigs. Films, in particular, have seen a heartening response. In 2003, actor-director Rajat Kapoor used crowd-funding to raise funds for his critically acclaimed movie, Raghu Romeo. In 2011, 400 people invested in filmmaker Onir’s I Am. Peddler, a crowd-funded film directed by Vasan Bala (Anurag Kashyap’s assistant) made it to the Critics Week at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival.
Read Article: http://epaper.dnaindia.com/epapermain.aspx?pgNo=10&edcode=860009&eddate=2013-3-03
Aawaz Entrepreneur: Gifting Industry mein mauke!!
CNBC Awaaz, Feb 16, 2013: Listen to Wishberry.in's journey as a Wedding Charity Gift Registry from our very own COO- Anshulika Dubey on CNBC Awaaz.
Watch Video: http://www.moneycontrol.com/smementor/mentortv.php?pgmode=pghindi&autono=73927&mode=hindi&pageno=1
Vasuda Sharma Is (Also) Crowdsourcing Funds For Her Debut Album
The singer-songwriter attempts to fund her debut album Attuned Spirits, featuring musicians from all over the globe, through Wishberry.in. Crowdfunding is what all the cool kids are doing these days, andVasuda Sharma is the latest to jump onto the bandwagon. The Mumbai singer-songwriter is looking for funding to produce and release her first solo album Attuned Spirits.
Read Article: http://nh7.in/indiecision/2013/01/23/vasuda-sharma-is-also-crowdsourcing-funds-for-her-debut-album/
How to run a successful crowdfunding campaign?
Rolling Stone India, January 7, 2013: Shuchi Talati raised $75,000 (approx. 40 lakh INR) for her first feature film Guttersnipes-that she plans to shoot in mid 2013- through a successful campaign on crowdfunding website. DearCinema spoke to her to find out what it takes to make crowdfunding work.
Read Article: http://rollingstoneindia.com/for-the-people-by-the-people/
For The People, By The People
Dear Cinema, January 7, 2013: A crowd of contributors placing their money and faith in events like Control Alt Delete is in stark contrast to the other side of the coin: the frustrating reality where organizers and venues find it tough to draw audiences to gigs across the country. Says Anshulika Dubey, COO of Wishberry, “Crowdfunding gives sponsors a sense of power, ownership, freedom to listen to who they want to, where they want to, and recognition to have brought down artists for a gig and make it happen.” The novelty of crowdfunding may be just another reason why both artists and audiences are hooked. Shreya Mendiratta, who attendsone gig in two months, contributed Rs 300 towards Singh’s crowdfunded gig for the experience. “I wanted to see how it works. It was a new thing and sounded cool, but it was so packed that I secretly wished they’d collected an entry charge,” she says.
Aazin Printer’s Debut Solo Album to be Crowdfunded
nh7.in, INDIECISION STAFF, November 19th 2012: Ex-Something Relevant vocalist Aazin Printer plans to release his debut solo album, The Original Mr Printer, in January 2013, and is looking to crowdsource funds to help his effort. Crowdsourcing has becoming a trend of late in the indie music community, with gigs and albums being funded by contributors on websites like Wishberry.in (remember Control ALT Delete? Oh, you don’t? Check out our recap, counterpoint, video, and gallery). Printer has made an elaborate pledge and statement about his Wishberry initiative on his official Wishberry page.
Read Article: http://nh7.in/indiecision/2012/11/19/aazin-printer-to-crowdfund-debut-solo-album/
Money for nothing
Hindustan Times, November 25th, 2012: For their final-year college project, mass-media students and film lovers Aniket Dasgupta, 21, and Swati Madhavan, 20, needed to make a short film. They wanted their 10-minute work to shine, but they needed funds for equipment and software. So, in August, they decided to reach out online. Applying for a two-month slot on crowd-funding website wishberry.in, the duo collected Rs. 38,000 by day 57, most of it in the form of small sums donated by friends and relatives.
Read Article: http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Mumbai/Money-for-nothing/Article1-963962.aspx
Have you registered yet?
DNA, Daily News & Analysis, 25th November 2012: Nearly a decade ago, the world woke up to the infinite possibilities of the internet. And through the years, the online community has been introducing people to concepts that are modern and different. For occasions like weddings, baby showers, birthdays and even Raksha Bandhan, the concept of gift registries is still in its nascent stage in India.
Read Article: http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report_have-you-registered-yet_1769168
Crowd funding set for Indian boom
Film Business Asia, 24th November 2012: Crowd funding is expected to grow rapidly as a means of funding indie film in India. Actor-producer, Sanjay Suri said that crowds can source almost anything from a film's human resources to good marketing, But after learning through mistakes while producing I Am, he offered a set of ground rules for film-makers using crowd funding.
Read Article: http://www.filmbiz.asia/news/crowd-funding-set-for-indian-boom
No Biz Like Showbiz
NDTV Profit, No Biz like Showbiz, Spetember 2012: In a credit crunched economy financers for independent films is hard to come but with crowd-funding picking up filmmakers have a reason to cheer consists of the people, by the people and for the people. But what excatly is crowd-funding lets find out.
Wishberry.in was ranked top 6th start-up in the World by the Stuff Magazine
Stuff Magazine, October 2012: Wishberry.in! is India's only true crowdfunded effort. Its primary goal is to promote independent arts and efforts through the community.
The Other Way
Blog Post, October 7th, 2012: It makes us happy to know that we are the first successfuly funded campaign on Wishberry. You may say we raised a small amount of money; but then again Swathy and I are relatively unknown people. Us raising more than what we intended to raise is a big thing for us. I’ll save my excitement for a later blog post which will just be about the entire fund raising campaign. This ones for the four shoots we had in the last few weeks.
Read Article: http://behindtow.tumblr.com/post/33074941421/4-shoots-and-a-really-long-blog-post
Paisa from the public
Times Of India, Crest Edition, October 6th, 2012: Crowdfunding is gathering momentum in India with a shift towards funding of creative projects. Yet, given our ecosystem, making the leap from fad to finance may be difficult. Crowdfunding, a trend that allows people to connect online with the public for cash to fund their business ideas, is fast catching on in India. Effectively tapping into the power of the crowd are individuals or groups who want to raise money for social or charitable causes and, more recently, artists pursuing their dreams.
Read Article: http://www.timescrest.com/society/paisa-from-the-public-8953
The growing trend of crowd funding
Times Of India, October 1st, 2012: Artistes, filmmakers and even the aam janta seem to have really taken to the new-age idea of crowd-funding. This new DIY (Do It Yourself) approach may still be in a nascent stage in India, but its popularity is picking up. A music gig held in Mumbai on Sunday was crowd-funded and got a good response. Seen as 'of the people, by the people, for the people', it's a concept wherein people stand for the art they love — cinema and music. Priyanka Agarwal, CEO, of a crowd-funding website in India, shares, "It's beneficial for both parties. An artiste benefits in terms of monetary support from his fans, while for a fan, it's the access to the gig or the artiste and a sense of being able to support the scene."
Read Article: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-10-01/news-interviews/34178096_1_music-gig-artistes-music-video
Can crowdfunding save ‘indie’ in India?
First Post, September 27th, 2012: Despite the obviously ‘cool’ images ‘indie’ conjures up – of the black and white, rebellious, unfiltered cigarette-and-guitar kind – it isn’t easy being an indie-anything in the land of the Khans. Filmmaker Sridhar Rangayan figured as much, while helping organise the third edition of Kashish in Mumbai, one of India’s most popular queer film festivals.
Read Article: http://www.firstpost.com/living/can-crowdfunding-save-indie-in-india-470256.html
Pyianka Agarwal & Anshulika Dubey Featured in Grazia Magazine
Grazia Magzine, September 2012 Edition: Two years ago, their website was labbelled the country's first online gift registry service. Priyanka Agarwal's sharp entrepreneurial wit soon noted that her audience wasn't really ready for a registry. So Wishberry morphed into its current avatar of a crowd- funding portal.
Read Article: https://picasaweb.google.com/116515440069838482430/DropBox?authkey=Gv1sRgCM6y19jwgbe6igE#5792748476323462418
THE NEW MONEY
TBIP, September 2012: On September 12, as the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) was going on, a headline on the page of a new crowd-funding site called Wishberry.com read: “Mumbai Cha Raja Conquers The World”. Manjeet Singh’s Mumbai Cha Raja, an intimate film which revolves around the lives and friendship between two Mumbai street kids, had been selected for TIFF but Singh needed money to put finishing touches to the film. He put out a simple message on the crowd-funding site. On September 12 the film had already raised Rs 3,39,500 from 28 contributors. Singh’s target was Rs 15 lakh, the highest target for an indie film on Wishberry yet.
Read Article: http://thebigindianpicture.com/2012/09/keeping-up-with-the-indie-joneses/3/
FilmBooth Partners with Wishberry to Crowdsource India’s First Spoof Film Festival- Spoofhmania
YourStory.in, September 14th, 2012: Filmbooth, a Delhi-based short film organization, announced Spoofhmania, an international–scale annual festival to celebrate innovative spoof cinema and diversity in humor by crazy, lunatic, irreverentartists and enthusiasts who waiting to be heard.
Read Article: http://yourstory.in/2012/09/a-crowd-funded-short-film-festival-spoofhmania/
Crowd for GIGS
Indian Express, epapper edition, September 14th, 2012: At a time when sponsors are taking centre stage for gigs, this group is going back to the DIY days
Read Article: http://epaper.indianexpress.com/c/378377
What to Gift on a Wedding
Plan your Wedding Magazine, Vol 2, Issue 5: Here are a few innovative concepts, an insight on changing mindsets showing how traditional reservations are giving in to more meaningful choices, into intuitive gifting guide and ideas to help you filter your search in this age of infotainment. So, next time you are confused, short on time or simply looking for fresh concepts before purchasing a wedding gift, you will know what to do.
Read Article: http://www.planyourwedding.co.in/delhi/wedding-planning/what-gift-wedding.aspx
Sabse bada rupaiyya
The Hindu, September 5th, 2012: “We don’t think filmmaking is a costly affair. For us, it is not an industry; it is activism,” says Kolkata-based filmmaker Anamitra Roy. And the crux of his activism lies in independence, from conventional distribution chains and production houses. Without either, money took its time coming. Thus was born The One Rupee Film Project. The idea is to pitch the film’s plot and philosophy to anyone interested and let them participate in the film’s production. “Any contribution, upwards of one rupee, is welcome,” says Anamitra. Dozens of other filmmakers in India are travelling Anamitra’s alternate route to production: crowd funding.
Read Article: http://www.thehindu.com/arts/cinema/article3862252.ece
Crowd-Funding for The Greater Elephant
RSJ Online, August 16, 2012: Srinivas Sunderrajan talks about crowd funding his movie The Greater Elephant. He got in touch with Wishberry.in for taking the crowd funding route. Crowd sourcing makes the contributor a part of the art but does it give the art the mass? Does it go beyond its utility and get people on to a common cause? A cause that directs liberation? Does it? Does it?
Read article: http://www.rsjonline.com/featuredetail.php?feature_id=35
Wishberry.in comes to the rescue of Indie film makers!!
Mad About Moviez, July 19th, 2012: “Crowd funding is not just for funding, it tests concepts and relationships and facilitates viral marketing across networks and beyond. It is also getting your groups of fans and supporters together under one platform and really seeing their commitment towards helping your film project through their contributions.” says Anshulika Dubey, VP, Wishberry.in.
Read article: http://www.madaboutmoviez.com/2012/07/wishberry-comes-the-rescue-indie-film-makers/
The more the merrier
The Sunday Indian, July 14th, 2012, New Delhi: Wishberry is working for Onir’s upcoming project Chauranga, directed by debutant Bikas Mishra. Also in their kitty is Sridhar Rangayan’s documentary Breaking Free, which highlights the plight of the Indian LGBT community. “Crowd funding is relatively new in India but it is here to stay,” says Raj Kumar Gupta, director of No One Killed Jessica. “It is the purest relationship a filmmaker can have with people that are equally passionate about a project,” he says. Crowd funding is still in its nascent stage in India. But actor Sanjay Suri, who co-produced I Am, says: “I feel it will be one way of promoting new talent."
Read article: http://www.thesundayindian.com/en/story/the-more-the-merrier/19/37574/
Breaking Free
Indian Express, July 7th, 2012: Award-winning director and gay-rights activist Sridhar Rangayan is coming out with a feature-length documentary that strings together anguished voices of those who were tortured, blackmailed and indicted before the verdict came out. Titled Breaking Free, the documentary film is about “people who created a movement and a movement that has created history”.
Read article: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/verdict-and-after/971388/1
On-trepreneurs
"It has to be a passion, you need to be hungry to make it big with an idea that you believe in and money will follow."
Read article: http://bit.ly/MqMQF0
Sonam Kapoor wishes for a special birthday gift!
Times Of India, June 5th, 2012: As the brand ambassador of ELLE Breast Cancer Campaign, Sonam Kapoor is asking her fans for a special gift on her birthday this year through Wishberry.in!
Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival turns to crowd funding to raise funds!
Dear Cinema, May 2nd, 2012: Kashish has signed up with internet poratl Wishberry.in to provide a payment gateway for the crowd funding venture. It has put in place online as well as offline modes of contribution - from credit cards, to cheques, and even cash payment.
Read article: http://dearcinema.com/news/kashish-mumbai-international-queer-film-fest-turns-to-crowd-funding-to-raise-funds/1512?fb_ref=.T6EhoftFJIB.like&fb_source=timeline#.T6J8OOgzBZ3
Life Meets Digital
Life Meets Digital, Blog spot, April 18th, 2012: E-Commerce India - Online Gift Registry is here! Wishberry site even allows creation of simple cash gift, where the host picks an amount for which a gift is required and the friends can pool money to provide that "cash gift".
Read article: http://lifemeetsdigital.blogspot.in/2012/04/e-commerce-india-online-gift-registry.html
India Today
India Today, Apr 2, 2012: "Priyanka Agarwal, 26, with a University of Pennsylvania degree in technology and management, always wanted to be an entrepreneur. She picked up the idea of an online gift registry from the US and launched Wishberry.in in 2010 with business partner Aditya Agarwal, 26, in Mumbai with a kitty os Rs.15,00,000. When you feel an emotional connect with something, you will do it well, she says."
Read article: http://bit.ly/wb_indiatoday
The New Age Genie!
Rajasthan Patrika, Apr 1, 2012: "Wishberry.in lets you get the gifts YOU really want, be it your birthday, wedding or even baby shower! You will no longer give away your presents to anyone!"
Read article: http://bit.ly/wb_rpatrika
Your Wish Is Their Command
YourStory.in, Mar, 2012: "Wishberry.in provides services that allow customers to create a gift registry or fundraising page by filling out a simple online form on Wishberry.in, or by giving them a call. Customers can easily fill out an online form, create the page and email it back to them. Once the page is created, users can share it with their friends and family, as well as through social media and email. Friends and guests can then visit the online link and contribute any amount online, using their credit or debit card. Wishberry takes care of all the backend logistics with the NGOs"
Read article: http://yourstory.in/2012/03/your-wish-is-their-command-mumbai-based-wishberry-in/
Miss Malini and Nowshad Rizwanullah
WeddingSutra.com, Mar, 2012: "With so many things to keep track of on your wedding day, Wishberry.in was a major convenience. Since they centralize everything in one place, we didn't have to worry about keeping track of gifts or shipping boxes home to Mumbai from Goa. Our guests were able to easily contribute towards things they knew we would use, which I think was especially convenient for our guests from overseas..."
Read article: http://www.weddingsutra.com/celeb_wed/celeb_missmalini.asp
Wishberry: An E-com Startup Betting Big on Social Gifting
Techcircle.in, Mar, 2012: "Social gifting is usually considered a token of appreciation and an act of thoughtfulness. Yet, it can become an irksome task when one has to hunt for a unique gift which will be well-received. On the other hand, if you are a recipient, you might be literally wallowing in run-of-the-mill photo frames, ornamental vases or wall hangings. But the two-year-old startup Wishberry.in, run by Mumbai-based Random Motion Advertising Pvt Ltd, aims to change all that and provide people with useful gifting solutions."
Read article: http://techcircle.vccircle.com/500/wishberry-an-e-com-startup-betting-big-on-social-gifting/
The power of the crowd
Hindustan Times, Mar, 2012: "Onir plans to raise money for another film, Coach Kameena, by posting a request on Wishberry.in, an online gifting site that will launch a crowdfunding section in mid-March. Coach Kameena is about a boy in Punjab who wants to make a career in sports even though his relatives think he should stick to academics."
Read article: http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Mumbai/The-power-of-the-crowd/Article1-820511.aspx
New Age Genie
Entrepreneur Magazine, Mar, 2012: "Twnty-six-year-old Priyanka Agarwal exudes a charm and enthusiasm that is almost contagious. A little part of her father's office in Mumbai is the space used for her gift registry and fundraising startup, Wishberry. A business school graduate from Wharton, the trophy of her recently won 'most promising startup' at the Wharton India Economic Forum stands on her desk"
Read article: http://bit.ly/wishberry_press_entreprenurmag_mar12
Wish Upon A Site
Business Outlook, Feb, 2012: "Wishberry began as an online gift registry for weddings and other occasions. After eight months of website development and partnering with big brands such as Noritake, Good Earth, Moet Hennessey and Guess to source their products, though, Agarwal realised that “India is not ready to ask for gifts but asking friends to give to a noble cause was okay”. So, Wishberry introduced yet another gift option — giving to NGOs."
Read article: http://business.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?279972
Awarded 'Most Promising Startup' / 'Judges Choice Award' at the Startup Pavillion at the 16th Wharton India Economic Forum
Mumbai, Jan 2012
See Event: http://www.whartonindia.com/
The Girl with the wish
Verve Magazine, Feb, 2011: ..."Guests don't know what to give and brides hate what they get. And imagine getting wo baby prams or three potty trainers when you are pregnant with only one baby?"...Since its [Wishberry.in] inception it has over 1000 registered users and 12,000 fans on Facebook!
Read article: http://bit.ly/hGFe3A
Present Perfect
Hindustan Times - Indulge, December 24, 2010: ...Speaking of newly weds, this may come as a boon from the gift gods for those who are getting married this year. Wishberry.in, an online gift registry service set up in July this year, offer couples the option to make a 'wishlist' of gifts they want, and save their loved ones the trouble of figuring it out themselves.
Read article: http://bit.ly/eVyLRi
The pyjama social workers
Mid-Day, November 21, 2010: Too buzy (or lazy, admit it) to get down and dirty in the real world of good deeds?...On Wishberry, a gift registry-service, you can donate towards any one of Pratham's requirements, ranging from Rs 500 for books for kids in a classroom, to Rs 2,000 for pre-school education for 25 kids.
Read article: http://www.mid-day.com/specials/2010/nov/211110-micro-voluteering-bhook-social-work.htm
WishBerry: Create wishlist and contribute with friends to gift someone in India
Technospot.in, November 17, 2010: We always desire to have some special gift on some special occasion. That might not be in our budget and wish if our friends and family could give it. But due to hesitation we fail to ask for. And we really hate even more when we receive the same gifts everyouy year occupying...
Read article: http://www.technospot.in/wishberry-contribut-to-gift-india/