Utsav Somani, renowned for his seven-year tenure as CEO at AngelList India, has initiated on a new and exciting journey with the launch of “Offline.” This venture is an exclusive club meticulously designed for tech startup founders and CEOs, offering a novel platform for networking, learning and personal growth.
Somani’s vision for Offline has already attracted substantial support, with the venture securing an impressive $2 million in funding from micro-VC funds including some popular names such as Better Capital, DeVC, Huddle, Riverwalk Ventures and India Silicon Valley. Furthermore, 45 influential founders from renowned companies like Groww, Razorpay, Polygon, CoinDCX and others have enthusiastically invested in it. The backing of influencer-turned-investors Tanmay Bhat and Shlok Srivastava (TechBurner) adds to the venture’s allure.
Somani’s inspiration for Offline arises from the success of peer-based membership networks for founders and CEOs in the United States, illustrated by startups like Tiger 21 and Hamptons. He firmly believes that Indian founders would benefit from embracing executive coaching, a prevalent practice in the United States, to foster intellectual honesty and mutual support.
In an exclusive interview with YourStory, Somani explained his motivation. He said that Indian founders are not exposed to the idea of executive coaching, which is prominent in countries like the US. The ecosystem has matured, but founders need more in terms of intellectual honesty.
Offline’s core mission revolves around providing experienced startup founders and CEOs with an exclusive and secure space for collaboration, learning and personal growth. The platform is committed to maintaining a highly selective membership, capped at just 100 members. Prospective applicants must meet stringent criteria including having raised $5 million, generated $5 million in revenue or achieved a previous exit worth $10 million.
