Tech

Google’s Youtube acquires Indian social commerce startup Simsim

Google’s video platform YouTube has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Indian social commerce startup Simsim.

With the acquisition, YouTube aims to help viewers to discover and buy products from local businesses. However, till now the terms of the acquisitions have not been disclosed.

“For over 15 years, small businesses have used YouTube to expand their presence online — and many of them use YouTube to reach customers outside of their local community, from Interior Designers to Silk Sarees sellers. By bringing simsim and YouTube together, our goal is to help small businesses and retailers in India reach new customers in even more powerful ways,” said Gautam Anand, VP, YouTube APAC in a blog post.

“Today’s announcement builds on our ongoing investments in India, such as the India Digitization Fund. As we work with our partners to expand access to the Internet, we know the online video will continue to grow as the primary way to find information, entertainment, and connections in India,” added Anand in the blog post.

Simsim was founded by Amit Bagaria, Kunal Suri, and Saurabh Vashistha in July 2019.

Simsim is like an e-commerce platform that helps to connect local businesses, influencers, and customers. Creators post video reviews about products from local businesses, and viewers can buy those products directly through the app. Videos are available in three local languages including Hindi, Tamil, and Bengali.

In a joint statement, simsim cofounders, Amit Bagaria, Kunal Suri, and Saurabh Vashishtha said, “We started simsim with the mission of helping users across India shop online with ease, enabled through small sellers and brands showcasing and selling their products using the power of content by trusted influencers. Being a part of the YouTube and Google ecosystem furthers simsim in its mission. We cannot think of a better ecosystem in which to build simsim, in terms of technology, reach, creator networks and culture. We can’t wait to be part of YouTube and are excited to build simsim within the most admired tech company in the world.”

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