To enter lunch club, which is
Overseeing wider presence in India After a year long beta run.
how it works
LunchClub uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to connect users with similar interests and professional goals. The company’s one-page website states: “We facilitate casual conversations that do not result in casual professional impact.”
Like a dating app, it features business lunches between like-minded professionals and brainstorming sessions over coffee. All you have to do is tell the app your background, your goals, and what you’re excited about. The AI-powered algorithm sifts through your data to find you a new connection every week and arranges face-to-face conversations with like-minded individuals. (We can already see this app becoming a hit with the people of Bangalore on coffee and startup ideas.)
This platform can be accessed through mobile app or web browser.
what sets it apart
Lunchbox isn’t just a platform to help you find your next job. It helps startup founders meet investors, content creators meet potential clients, and freelancers find their next gig.
According to cofounder Vladimir Novbkovsky, LunchClub’s users range from young students to senior executives. Members are asked to specify their interests and to describe what they do when they sign up. Members also list goals such as “explore new projects” or “brainstorm with peers” and add sites such as linkedin And Twitter to provide data for better matchmaking.
“Everyone has long-term goals, and we understand what they are and ask about them upon registration,” he
told online publisher Fast Company earlier this year. “At the end of the day, people understand that the only way they are going to achieve them is through building their networks with relevant people who have mutual interests and mutual values around the same place in their careers. Huh.”
Funding and Valuation
ETTech reported that Lunchbox, founded in 2017 by Novakowski and Scott Wu, raised $24.2 million in a Series A funding round led by Lightspeed at a valuation of $100 million. It has raised a total of $30 million from investors including Andreessen Horowitz and Cotu Management.
India Scheme
Novakowski told ET that LunchClub’s active user base in India has grown 20 times since it began beta operations in mid-2020. “It was interesting to see that people from different industries including media, entertainment, finance and not just tech people, are signing up,” he said.
LunchClub aims to have 100,000 users in India by the end of 2021. To achieve this, it has partnered with coworking platform WeWork as well as Hyderabad-based accelerator T-Hub. The company is also working with communities of alumni from top business schools.
“India is a major global destination when it comes to professional networking,” Novakowski said. “Post-pandemic, while the need to establish quality professional connections remains intact, there is a need for a channel that can help people have meaningful conversations without crowds. “Being a digital AI-led platform, we are able to provide access to the most relevant professionals across the globe.”