Venture Catalysts bets big on virtualized wireless infrastructure in India

In a bid to widen its investee portfolio and venture into newer domains, Venture Catalysts, India’s first integrated incubator, is now investing in a unique sphere of wireless, centralized, community-focused virtual Wi-Fi infrastructure through EasyFi. The seed investment and innovation platform has invested an undisclosed amount in the start-up, which facilitates last-mile Wi-Fi and Data Network provision by offering a virtual infrastructure to ISPs, telcos, and cable TV providers for access to end consumers. EasyFi has raised the capital as part of its Angel Funding Round to expand and accomplish wider network connectivity along with establishing its virtual infrastructure across new locations.

A product of WI Digital Service Pvt. Ltd., EasyFi is a Wi-Fi and Data Network aggregator that aims at reducing infrastructure clutter and enhancing network coverage for service providers by deploying a visualized wireless infrastructure and network resources for end-consumers. Essentially, it provides a centralized Wi-Fi service to end consumers, thereby helping telecom and internet service providers to get rid of delivering devices and last-mile operational costs to end-users. EasyFi builds an infrastructure close to the customers at the last-mile, allowing service providers to book capacity on the fly to deliver data network services. By offering a virtual infrastructure to internet service providers (ISPs), telcos and cable TV providers, the firm saves cost of delivery for them while enabling roaming access for the end-consumers which includes corporates, public places, markets, malls, communities, villages, hotels, and individuals.

Amidst the array of services that it offers, one of the major issues that EasyFi provides an optimal solution to is that of data theft, especially when it comes to guest access in a corporate setting. It offers a speedy, hassle-free and uninterrupted virtualized Wi-Fi service, allowing the guests to access an independent infrastructure. In this manner, EasyFi caters to corporate issues like data theft, Trojans and viruses, and compliances on user access log, while saving up to 45% of their connectivity costs. Moreover, it also has avenues for partnerships wherein a Service Set Identifier (SSID) can be rented which would enhance the network range and enable roaming for the partner to deliver internet service in new geographies. By becoming a host, communities can also earn monthly rentals and network commissions. Furthermore, the firm has also signed an MoU to embed its Wi-Fi module in home appliances, in a bid to extend its network by making those default hosts. With such innovative solutions, EasyFi is aiming to tap into this vast domain which has a potential market size of INR 10,000 crores in India itself.

Sharing an insight on the investment, Dr. Apoorv Ranjan Sharma, Co-founder and President, Venture Catalysts, remarked, “At Venture Catalysts, we are on a mission to identify and support promising ventures that provide solutions to plug the need-gap in their respective domains. Network connectivity is an issue that the entire country has long been struggling with, especially among remote corporates, communities, villages and townships. EasyFi has the potential to eliminate all the issues pertaining to accessibility with its virtualized wireless infrastructure. With this investment, we are looking forward to witnessing major developments in this domain with the unique and promising solution that this venture entail.”

On raising angel funds from Venture Catalysts, Bhushan C Thakkar, Founder, WI Digital Services, elaborated, “Our company was established with an aim to facilitate providers across remote locations of the country in delivering the fastest internet connectivity for users at the last-mile. With the funds raised in this Angel Funding Round, we strive to accomplish network partnerships across 25 new locations, scaling up to approximately 2 lakh daily users. Furthermore, we are looking forward to subsequent rounds of funding to further our vision and tread ahead on our path towards establishing EasyFi as the most optimal network solution across India.”

At present, EasyFi is in its beta rollout phase across sectors in villages, market roads, housing societies, townships, hotels, cafes, malls, and bus stands, etc. The networks are available across 50+ locations with users in co-working spaces, hotels, villages, and markets, currently being hosted by shopkeepers, Shiv Sena, and NCP. With this funding round, the firm aims at establishing partnerships and expanding its network across 25 new locations, thereby creating availability among more providers for a seamless last-mile network access.