Sequoia Capital and Nexus India Capital backed What’s On India Media Ltd (WOIML) is in the process of getting a licence to uplink non news and current affairs television channel in the country. Mumbai-based WOIML has an electronic programme guide (EPG) which aggregates programming information from hundreds of TV channels.
The company may be looking to expand within the media business by launching a TV channel. The details are not known. When contacted by VCCircle, Atul Phadnis, Founder, WOIML, declined to comment.
The company was founded in 2005 by Atul Phadnis, who had earlier worked with media agency Rediffusion-DY&R, Mindshare, Starcom and TAM Media. It was originally set up as Aarohan Media Software Pvt Ltd. The company received its first funding from financial services advisory firm Wealth First Advisors in October 2006.
Between August and September 2008, Sequoia Capital and Nexus India Capital made their undisclosed investments in the company. While Sequoia invested through Sequoia Capital India Investments Holdings III, Nexus participated in the funding through Nexus India Ventures I.
Among other investors in WOIML include Julie Peterson who was earlier with STAR TV in Hong Kong besides and ITV/GranadaMedia in the UK. She is a partner in the firm with around 9.34% stake.
WOIML’s key business area is EPG and runs one of India’s largest multi-platform, multi-device consumer search & guidance service for TV video content. It has designed a proprietary, indigenous India-specific EPG production platform that integrates programming information from hundreds of TV channels. The platform reaches consumers through set-top-boxes, online and mobile routes.
It has clients from both media platforms such as IPTV, DTH and cable (names like Big TV, WWIL, Hathway) besides the TV channels themselves including Star, Sony, Zee, MTV, Viacom, Times Now, UTV, Discovery, 9X etc.
