Human beings are social animals, and that is the way our community has evolved from the prehistoric times. Family members were closely knit together, and engaged in activities like procuring food for their family, taking care of their safety, etc. When they were done for the day, family members used to gather around the fire narrating stories of distant lands and yonder worlds, play simple games enthusiastically, create a language for themselves and develop it. The same spirit of family bonding and hanging out with friends continues to this day and age, surpassing all the material possessions over the happiness and positivity it brings. Friends have much to share and discuss about, including their favorite hobbies, playing games, the recent sports, books, movies and other favorite activities.
The pandemic has practically turned the world upside down, restricting people to remain in their shell. People greatly missed meeting their families and friends personally; they missed the personal touch in the light-hearted banters, water-cooler conversations and the gaming spirit with people they care. What if you could do a video chat as well as play with your friends and family members at the same time? It would be the most entertaining and relaxing way to destress yourself!
Chirrup Infotech Private Limited, a Bengaluru-based startup, provides a video-integrated social gaming platform that allows you to video chat with friends and family along with your favorite games. Their vision is to digitally recreate the experience of offline banter.
Chirrup was founded in 2020 by IIT Delhi batchmates Vipul Garg, Sourav Lashkari, and Mehul Mittal. It enables friends and families to engage in a relaxed and laid-back manner over multiplayer games and video calls.
“Offline interactions centre around activities (board games, movies, cat videos) which fuel conversations and engagement. We want to recreate this living room experience and enable people to hang out in a laid-back manner. We are fortunate to have support from the best seed-stage investors in India right from the start.”
– Mehul Mittal, Co-founder
While most social platforms are super passive and tend to make you feel tired and zoned out after hours of scrolling, Chirrup makes the social networking experience more wholesome and active, where the user feels energized and positive about spending the time online. The platform currently offers nine multiplayer games, ranging from local favorites Ludo, Chess, and Rummy to global hits like Draw-It, War Vessels, and Crazy 8. All games have an in-built video call feature. Users can also auto-capture their fun moments like capturing a friend’s Ludo token to rewatch later or share with other friends. The startup plans to add another 10 games over the next six months.
The app’s early adopters are family members and couples who are separated by distance. According to the startup, its users spend close to six hours a week on average on the app.
Chirrup has recently raised a pre-seed round of $300,000 from Titan Capital, iSeed Ventures, First Cheque, and 3.0 Fund. The startup intends to utilize the funding to further strengthen its product and provide a world-class user experience.
The gaming sector in India is booming. The Indian gaming industry is projected at $3.8 billion by 2024, making India the largest online gaming industry in the world. The pandemic has further fast-tracked the adoption of video, and this indicates the scope of opportunities Chirrup has in providing a world-class social gaming experience to its users.