New Delhi: Social media platform Koo, which had positioned itself as a viable alternative to Twitter (now X), is shutting down. On Wednesday, co-founders Aprameya Radhakrishna and Mayank Bidawatka penned a heartfelt note announcing the discontinuation of the platform’s services.
In a LinkedIn post, Radhakrishna and Bidawatka revealed that efforts to secure partnerships with larger internet companies, conglomerates, and media houses did not yield the desired outcomes. “We explored partnership with multiple larger internet companies, conglomerates, and media houses but these talks didn’t yield the outcome we wanted,” the note stated.
The founders explained that despite their desire to keep the app running, the high cost of maintaining technology services for the social media platform necessitated this difficult decision. “The cost of technology services to keep a social media app running is high, and we’ve had to take this tough decision,” they wrote.
At its peak, Koo boasted approximately 2.1 million daily active users, 10 million monthly active users, and over 9,000 VIPs, including prominent personalities from various fields. “We were just months away from beating Twitter in India in 2022 and could have doubled down on that short-term goal with capital behind us,” the co-founders noted.
However, a funding winter hit the company at its zenith, derailing growth plans and forcing the platform to “tone down” its trajectory. “Unfortunately for us, the mood of the market and the funding winter got the better of us,” the note mentioned. The founders signed off with a poignant farewell: “The little yellow bird says its final goodbye,” referring to Koo’s yellow bird logo.
Koo’s popularity in India surged around 2021 amid the Indian government’s dispute with Twitter (now X) and the growing call for expanding homegrown digital platforms. During this period, Koo saw significant growth in user metrics as union ministers and government departments endorsed the microblogging platform.
Despite its promising rise, Koo’s journey ends with the co-founders expressing gratitude for the support they received and a nod to the challenges that shaped their path.