Thiruvananthapuram: The Thiruvananthapuram-based startup Engagespot has become the first from Kerala to earn a place in the prestigious Techstars New York City Accelerator Program. Co-founded by Shiv Shankar, Anand Sukumaran, and Anandu S, Engagespot was one of only 12 startups chosen globally for Techstars’ 15-week flagship program, held at its New York City headquarters.
Techstars, a renowned accelerator with a network of over 4,000 startups—including 150 unicorns—selects only high-potential startups for its programs. Engagespot’s selection marks a major achievement for Kerala’s growing presence in the global tech ecosystem, particularly in the field of developer tools.
Engagespot is revolutionising user notifications, helping companies streamline and optimise their communication across channels such as SMS, email, push notifications, and Slack. Many businesses struggle to find the right timing and medium for their messaging, often missing the mark with users. Engagespot’s AI-powered system enhances engagement by intelligently scheduling and routing notifications, reducing messaging costs by up to 50 per cent.
Despite being just 11 months old, Engagespot has attracted over 2,000 companies as users, including unicorn clients like Veho, Sameday, and Nivoda. The company has secured several contracts exceeding $100,000 annually, a testament to its strong early impact in the market.
“The Techstars experience has been transformative. In 15 weeks, we grew revenue fivefold, achieved operational profitability, and accelerated our monthly growth rate to 25%,” said Shiv Shankar, CEO and Co-Founder. “We gained insights and connections from top U.S. tech mentors and investors, including founders of Digital Ocean, Squarespace, and Veho, which were invaluable in driving our journey forward.”
CTO and Co-Founder Anand Sukumaran added, “Joining Techstars NYC allowed us to test our product directly with engineering leaders from leading companies and iterate rapidly. Beyond the program, the community and alumni network will continue to be an asset.”
During the program, Engagespot raised $250,000 from Techstars and angel investors such as Fred Cook, CTO of Veho, and Great Valley Investments. With plans to expand its North American presence, the company’s founders will base their operations in New York while maintaining their engineering hub in Trivandrum. Engagespot aims to hire 20 engineers in the coming financial year to support its growth. This milestone underscores Engagespot’s potential as a key player in user notification solutions and reinforces Kerala’s role in the global tech landscape.