Twitter co-founder Biz Stone invests in local shopping app Lookup

New Delhi: Lookup, a free and secure messaging app that connects shoppers with local businesses, has raised Series A funding from Twitter co-founder Biz Stone.

It raised a total of $382,000 in its seed round, from multiple investors including Infosys’ Kris Gopalakrishnan, Teru Sato, DeNA and MKS Group (Switzerland). It was started by Innoz’s Deepak Ravindran and within about five months of launch, Lookup has already registered over 2, 00,000 downloads and has answered over 3 million queries.

Biz has joined the team as an investor and advisor.

Lookup will be employing the funds towards investment in expanding its merchant base in order to enhance convenience for its users and to branch out in newer geographies.

Biz Stone said, “I am honored to be a part of Deepak’s next big project and I am truly impressed by what he has already accomplished in his life. I am very excited about working with such an inspiring entrepreneur, whom I share common ideologies with.”

Deepak Ravindran, Founder and CEO of Lookup, said, “I am extremely thrilled that Biz Stone is personally investing in our Series A round. It is almost surreal. His beliefs and ideals are very fascinating and I am glad that someone so altruistic and with such a genuine moral compass is a mentor and advisor to me and my company.”

On his future plans, he added, “Receiving this funding is like getting another opportunity to blazon the world with innovation; to fill more e-pages in the world of businesses and start-ups. We plan to integrate all the offline businesses into the online world and connect them to their customers. The final goal is to make Lookup a global phenomenon and hope to ease the busy lives of the people.”

Besides co-founding Twitter, Biz Stone also helped create and launch Xanga, Odeo, The Obvious Corporation and Medium. In 2012, Stone co-founded a start-up called Jelly Industries where he serves as CEO.