Sizzling Online

PurpleYogi

Rakesh Mathur, co-founder of Junglee.com, who was with Amazon.com after it
bought Junglee, is back with another venture, PurpleYogi. And he is already
making waves. The company has secured $29 million from investors like Softbank,
Intel, AT India and Infosys. So what’s PurpleYogi? The PurpleYogi Discovery
Systems make dynamic connections between content and users–delivering
information relevant to users’ needs. PurpleYogi’s technology classifies
content by concept, by analyzing the patterns, themes and main ideas in text.
Using concepts rather than keywords, PurpleYogi Discovery Systems actively learn
user interests, create personal user profiles by understanding and cataloging
these interests and deliver highly-targeted, relevant information proactively–all
with no additional user effort. Its products and solutions are aimed at content
management companies. Sheet

CEO: Rakesh Mathur

Startup Year: 1999

Products and Services: Distributed knowledge management software

Web site: www.purpleyogi.com

E-mail: sanjay.singh@baypackets.com

CustomerAsset.com

CustomerAsset.com is funded by eVentures India and backed by Softbank,
ePartners–Rupert Murdoch’s Internet investment arm–and PK Mittal of the
Ispat group. The company has already completed its first round of funding and is
ready for the second round anytime. With an investment plan of Rs 60 crore, it
is focussed mainly on two service lines: customer interaction services, and data
management and consulting. And that’s where most of the outsourcing is
happening. The company intends to scale the entire range of e-CRM services,
ranging from the basic low-end interaction services like inbound voice call
centers to e-mail help desks and Web chats. It will move up to higher levels,
gauge customer preferences for its clients and finally would move into e-CRM
consulting itself. With a huge market waiting for the e-CRM services, this
company will include big names in its portfolio of clients and VCs.

CEO: K Ganesh

Startup year: 2000

Products and Services: eCRM solutions

Web site: www.customerasset.com

Funding: eVentures

24/7 Customer.com

Another one in the e-CRM league, providing services round the clock–24×7–with
a market focus on dot-coms and e-commerce organizations. The company is aiming
to position itself with the ‘people’ or the e-relationship officers.
However, what will make the difference for 24/7customer.com is its team, which
has developed and installed customer service solutions for Home Depot, LL Bean,
Lycos, eBay and Yahoo and voice call centers for MCI. The strong backing from
promoters and its global reach will let the company be in the news.

Founder and CEO: PV Kannan

Startup Year: 2000

Web site: www.247customer.com

B2B Portals

Without wanting to sound cliched, we think that the action will be in the B2B
portal and e-marketplace space. Given the huge potential based on the
efficiencies of the Internet, niche players have already commenced operations
and will see a lot of action in 2001. Portals like Sugartrade.com, Steelrx.com,
Electricmela.com, Indiamarkets.com and other B2B portals will continue to be
heard of the year long.