Homegrown chat application Hike messenger today announced its first acquisition of US-based free voice-calling company, Zip Phone, with an aim to expand product range in the internet-based communication space.
Zip Phone, a one-man startup founded by Anuj Jain in the US, has developed a voice calling app, which works globally.
Interestingly, the company was also part of the revered Y Combinator list Summer Batch (2014).
Commenting on the acquisition, Kavin Bharti Mittal, founder and CEO, hike messenger, said: “From day one we’ve strongly believed that through communication, we can bring India online. With the acquisition we take one more step towards that mission. Zip Phone’s technology will allow us to bring free voice calling to the market much faster.”
“As a start-up enthusiast, I had been keeping a close eye on Hike and its developments and I am excited to now be a part of one of the biggest and fastest growing startups in the Indian Internet space and finally, building for India,” said Anuj Jain.
Launched in December 2012, Hike has over 35 million users and has raised $86 million from Tiger Global and BSB till date.
Competing with the likes of global players like WhatsApp, LINE and Viber, the app boasts of a fairly young user base with over 90 per cent of its users being under the age of 25 and residing in India.
The chat application has localised features, which are developed keeping in mind the infrastructural and cultural requirements such as Hike Offline, which lets you message your friends even when they’re offline and Regional Stickers that helps users express more in their own language, among many others.