MAM
KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as its country manager for India
Mumbai: KlugKlug, a leading global influencer marketing B2B SaaS platform, has roped in Hemang Mehta as its country manager for India. With a wealth of experience within the digital media ecosystem and a deep understanding of the Indian market, Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug’s growth and expansion within the Indian market. Mehta will be responsible for KlugKlug India, primarily for sales & GTM strategy.
Mehta brings an impressive track record in the media and marketing industry. He most recently served as the head of agency relationship at Network 18 Media & Investments Ltd from May 2018 to August 2023. Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital & Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.
Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, “I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes.”
KlugKlug, founded by Vaibhav Gupta and Kalyan Kumar, is a B2B tech platform that leverages AI-ML-led data to find and discover Influencers, provide accurate audience insights, and intelligence about global influencers on popular social platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok across 100+ countries. The platform offers a comprehensive solution for campaign management, performance tracking, and data analysis, facilitating seamless influencer marketing for brands.
With the appointment of Mehta as the country manager for India, KlugKlug aims to further strengthen its presence in the Indian market and enhance its engagement with brands, agencies, and influencers. Mehta’s deep understanding of the digital media landscape and his proven ability to drive strategic growth initiatives will undoubtedly contribute to KlugKlug’s mission of revolutionizing influencer marketing for brands in India.
Commenting on the appointment, KlugKlug co-founder and CEO Kalyan Kumar stated, “We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang’s leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market.”
As KlugKlug continues to lead the way in influencer marketing innovation, the addition of Mehta to its leadership team marks a significant step towards achieving the company’s vision of transforming influencer marketing into a strategic and data-driven discipline.
Digital
Anthropic eyes $900bn valuation in new funding round ahead of IPO: Reports
Claude maker may surpass OpenAI as investor interest heats up sharply
SAN FRANCISCO: Anthropic is exploring a fresh funding round that could value the company at more than $900 billion, potentially making it the world’s most valuable artificial intelligence startup, according to Bloomberg reports.
Citing sources familiar with the matter, Bloomberg News reported that the Claude maker is in early-stage discussions with investors and is entertaining offers at more than double its current valuation. No deal has been finalised yet.
The interest marks a sharp jump from February this year, when Anthropic raised $30 billion at a valuation of $380 billion. Since then, investor appetite appears to have intensified, with multiple pre-emptive offers on the table.
According to TechCrunch, the company has received proposals to raise around $50 billion at valuations ranging between $850 billion and $900 billion. A decision is expected to be taken at a board meeting in May.
If the deal goes through at the upper end of that range, Anthropic would overtake OpenAI, which was valued at $852 billion in March, to become the most valuable AI startup globally.
The potential fundraise also comes against the backdrop of a possible initial public offering, which could be launched as early as October, the Bloomberg report noted.
The company counts tech heavyweights such as Amazon and Google, part of Alphabet, among its key backers. Both firms have continued to deepen their ties with Anthropic through multi-billion-dollar, performance-linked investments.
Interestingly, earlier reports had suggested that Anthropic was cautious about raising funds at valuations of $800 billion or more. The latest developments, however, indicate that market enthusiasm for advanced AI models and infrastructure may be shifting those thresholds quickly.
As the race for AI dominance accelerates, Anthropic’s next move could set a new benchmark for startup valuations, and signal just how high investors are willing to bet on the future of artificial intelligence.
