Exclusive: Mobile & tablet repair service provider Gadgetwood raises funding from IAN

Delhi-based Gadgetwood eServices Pvt Ltd, which owns and operates online repair and support centre for mobile phones and tablets, has raised an undisclosed amount of funding from a bunch of individual investors from Indian Angel Network (IAN), including Ajai Chowdhry of HCL, Ashvin Chadha of North India Sotheby's International Realty (an associate of US-based property brokerage firm Sotheby's International) and Yogesh Bansal of Apnacircle.com, founder of the company told Techcircle.in.

Nitin Singhal of Fresco Global also participated in the round. Chadha and Bansal have joined the board of the company.

The startup is a multi-brand repair and support service centre for feature and smartphones besides tablets. It provides on-site and in store servicing facilities besides remote support by connecting to the desktop. It also offers pick-up and delivery services for devices.

The startup offers both one-time support and annual maintenance contracts in its home city.

It will use the funds to strengthen the core team, enhance technology and expand to other metros in the country.

The firm is also looking to raise $3-5 million in its Series A round of funding and is in talks with a few VCs.

The company was founded in 2013 by Jayant Jha, Ankit Saraf and Anmol Gupta. Jha has a bachelor's degree in commerce from Delhi University; Saraf holds a master's in Business Administration from Bundelkhand University and Gupta has a degree in computer science from IPS Academy.

The trio was earlier working with eTechies.in. While Jha was head of operations, Gupta was project lead and Saraf was manager - accounts and finance.

Gurgaon-based managed services startup eTechies, which offered technology support to consumers and small offices and home offices dealing with repair of desktops, laptops, printers and other digital peripherals, was shut down sometime in the past.

eTechies had raised $2 million from Inventus Capital in a series A funding round after raising angel funding from Google's Rajan Anandan. It is not clear when and why was it shut down but one of its co-founders' LinkedIn profile says he was last associated with the firm a year ago. The site is not active currently. The founders couldn't be immediately reached out to for a clarification.

Meanwhile, Gadgetwood is likely to lock horns with PICKme eSolutions India Pvt Ltd, which runs a gadget repair concierge under the Pick Me (pickmeindia.com) brand. The company had raised $500,000 from Mumbai Angels, Bangalore Angels and Chennai Angels in 2013.

(Edited by Joby Puthuparampil Johnson)