Skip to main content

Hike

Category: AI in Media / Gaming / Entertainment

Hike is a company that started as a social messaging app and later pivoted to a blockchain-based mobile gaming platform called the Rush Gaming Universe (RGU). Hike was founded in 2012. The company is led by Kavin Bharti Mittal. Based in Delhi, India. Team size: 101-250. Total funding raised: $261M. Latest round: Venture - Series Unknown. Key investors include Tencent Holdings, Foxconn Technology Group, Tiger Global Management, SoftBank Vision Fund, Jump Crypto, Tribe Capital, Republic Crypto.

Founded
2012
Headquarters
Delhi, India
Team size
101-250
Total funding
$261M

Value proposition

For Hike Messenger, the value proposition was a feature-rich, localized messaging experience with a high degree of privacy and expressive stickers. For the Rush Gaming Universe, the value proposition was a blockchain-based gaming platform offering economic opportunities to players through play-to-earn mechanics.

Products and solutions

Hike Messenger (discontinued), Hike Sticker Chat (discontinued), Rush Gaming Universe (RGU), Vibe by Hike (a social media platform)

Unique value

Hike's initial uniqueness came from its focus on the Indian market, offering localized features like regional stickers, app themes, and privacy features such as hidden chats. Later, its innovation shifted to the Web3 space with the Rush Gaming Universe, which integrated blockchain technology, NFTs, and a play-to-earn model to create a new gaming economy.

Target customer

Initially, the target customers were young Indian smartphone users for its messenger app. After the pivot, the target customers were mobile gamers interested in play-to-earn and real-money gaming.

Industries served

Social Media, Mobile Gaming, Blockchain & Web3, Entertainment

Technology advantage

Hike's key technological advantage was its early adoption of AI and machine learning for features like sticker recommendations in its messaging app. With the pivot to gaming, its advantage was in leveraging blockchain technology to build a decentralized gaming ecosystem. The company's ability to build a large user base with Hike Messenger provided an initial audience for its subsequent products.

How they differentiate

Hike differentiates itself through its focus on the Rush Gaming Universe (RGU), a blockchain-based social gaming metaverse. This platform emphasizes a 'play-to-earn' model, combining elements of Web2 and Web3 to create new economic opportunities for gamers.

Main competitors

Gamee, ZBD, RockFlow

Key partnerships

Bharti SoftBank (a joint venture between Bharti Enterprises and SoftBank), Tencent Holdings, Foxconn Technology Group, Tiger Global Management, Airtel Payment Bank (for digital payment wallet integration), Google Cloud (for infrastructure and professional services)

Major milestones

Became the youngest startup in India to achieve unicorn status in 2016., Successfully pivoted from Hike Messenger to the Rush Gaming Universe (RGU)., Raised significant funding to develop its Web3 gaming platform., Achieved operational profitability with the Rush Gaming Universe.

Growth metrics

The Rush Gaming Universe (RGU) surpassed 5 million users and recorded 100 million gameplays in Q1 2023. The platform has been operationally profitable since October 2022, with an annualized gross revenue surpassing Rs 2,500 Crore.

Market positioning

Hike is positioned as a blockchain gaming company that is building a new social gaming experience. It targets the intersection of social interaction and real-money gaming, aiming to create a comprehensive ecosystem for mobile gamers.

Geographic focus

The primary geographic focus for Hike and its competition is India, leveraging the country's large and growing mobile gaming market.

Patents and IP

There is no publicly available information on patents held by Hike.

About Kavin Bharti Mittal

Kavin Bharti Mittal is an internet entrepreneur who founded Hike in 2012, initially as a messaging app. He later pivoted the company to focus on mobile gaming with the Rush Gaming Universe (RGU). Before Hike, he founded AppSpark and MoviesNow and held internships at McLaren Racing, Google, and Goldman Sachs.

Official website: