Mayank Bidawatka, co-founder of the now-defunct vernacular microblogging platform Koo, has announced raising $4 million for his latest consumer tech venture, Billion Hearts. The funding round was spearheaded by early-stage investor Blume Ventures, with participation from General Catalyst and Athera Venture Partners.
This funding comes on the heels of a $250,000 pre-seed round closed in September 2024, which included contributions from prominent founders of startups like redBus, Ola, InMobi, and Myntra.
The funds will be used to build a lean, global team and enhance Billion Hearts’ technology. While the startup plans to expand its team to 15 by early next year, the focus will remain on maintaining a compact workforce to emphasize a tech-driven approach.
Currently in its pre-launch phase, Billion Hearts is accepting sign-ups for early access. Its first product, designed for select beta users, is set to debut in early 2025. The app will be accessible on both Android and iOS platforms.
This announcement comes months after Koo, Bidawatka’s earlier venture, ceased operations in July 2024. The platform struggled with low user engagement and a lack of follow-up investments, eventually exploring—but failing to secure—merger and acquisition opportunities.
With Billion Hearts, Bidawatka aims to make a fresh mark in the consumer tech landscape, leveraging lessons from his previous experiences to build a globally appealing product.
