Koo, India’s Homegrown Twitter Alternative, Shuts Down

Koo, the Indian microblogging platform launched in March 2020 as a potential rival to Twitter, has officially announced its closure. Co-founders Aprameya Radhakrishna and Mayank Bidawatka shared the news on LinkedIn, citing failed partnership talks and the high cost of maintaining a social media platform.

Aiming to Bridge the Language Gap

One of Koo’s key differentiators was its focus on enabling communication in local Indian languages. Co-founder Mayank Bidawatka emphasized the need to democratize expression and connect people in their native tongues, highlighting the dominance of English in global social products.

Challenges and Missed Opportunities

Despite building a scalable product with superior features compared to Twitter, Koo faced challenges in securing sufficient funding. Bidawatka revealed that they were close to surpassing Twitter’s user base in India in 2022 but lacked the necessary capital to achieve this goal.

Future Possibilities and a Promise to Return

Although the platform is shutting down, the founders are exploring options for utilizing Koo’s assets. They expressed interest in sharing the technology with a company aligned with India’s vision for social media or even transforming it into a digital public good to facilitate native language conversations globally.

A Promise of Return

While the future of Koo’s technology remains uncertain, the founders have expressed their determination to return to the social media arena in one form or another. Bidawatka concluded the announcement with a promise to their users: “You will see us back in the arena one way or another.”

The tale of Koo serves as a reminder of the challenges faced by homegrown platforms in a competitive global market. While the app’s journey may have come to an end, its impact on India’s social media landscape and its focus on local languages leave a lasting legacy. Whether Koo’s technology finds new life in other hands or the founders fulfill their promise of a comeback, the spirit of innovation and the desire to create a truly Indian social media experience remain undeterred.