How this startup helps SMEs by acting as a virtual CIO

Technology discovery platform, Tech Jockey performs as a personalized IT guide for all kinds of businesses including jewellery, farmer, tailoring, healthcare, fashion, retail, education, hospitality, amongst others

A recent study published by Zinnov reported that, digital enablement is going to present a USD 25.8 Billion for tech vendors by 2020. India is home to over 51 Million Small and Medium Businesses. While today only 40% of these SMB’s are influenced by technology, the number is expected to increase to 90% of all SMB’s by 2020. “IT adoption by SMB’s in India is hindered because inability to easily adopt solutions meant for large enterprises. They aren’t in a position to invest upfront in infrastructure, most solutions offered to them in the market are generic and lack vertical centricity, and majority of the solutions are feature rich solutions with high learning curve,” reads the study.

Looking at the opportunity, Akash Nangia, former Vice President of restaurant discovery company Zomato, along with his friend Arjun Mittal launched technology discovery platform, Tech Jockey to perform as a personalized IT guide for all kinds of businesses including jewellery, farmer, tailoring, healthcare, fashion, retail, education, hospitality, amongst others.

The startup aggregates software or even hardware solutions from small or large partners/vendors to offer industry specific IT solutions. Similar to Zomato, the listings at the platform has review and rating capabilities for better decision making.

“We act as an IT solutions and consulting services to SMEs, for example, a restauranteur would get to choose right options for recipe management softwares, billing, inventory management, security, restaurant management system etc” said Nangia, co-founder and Director, Tech Jockey.

Currently, the startup has about 1500 partners including vendors like Zoho, Tally, Team Viewer, Microsoft, IBM, F-secure, Adobe, VM Ware, Amazon Web Services, Corel and Blue Coat. ” We are expecting 5000 partners by March 2017, and touch mark of 10,000 by end of 2017,” told Nangia. “The list of partners support and help bring the latest software solutions to suite one’s IT needs and budget, to bolster effectiveness for Tech Jockey’s clients,” said Nangia.

“We strive to bring modern practices in place and want to enable SMBs to not have to depend on too much human intervention in their day to day work-life. For this, we intend to make a universe of all the 10,000+ small software solution companies by end of 2017, present even in remote areas in India on a single platform that allows SMBs to get end to end services on demand and at their fingertips. In a nutshell, we are telling the SMBs to Leave IT on us,” said Nangia.

He also told that the startup has clocked sales of Rs 1 crore for the FY 2016-17. Gurgaon headquartered Tech Jockey has presence in Mumbai, Bangalore & Chandigarh, and it will expand its presence in Pune, Jaipur and Hyderabad by March 2017.

Tech Jockey is backed by SISL, which was started by same founders back in 2012 to push technology into public sector. GSTN (Goods and Service Tax Network) has shortlisted GST Suvidha Providers to help businesses/tax payers/SMBs in compliance of GST. One of the 34 companies shortlisted is SISL Infotech. Nangia with his friend Mittal, thought that if given a platform, now even the smaller software companies would have a chance to make some mark, if they had it in their product. “Requirement was of a simple UI that doesn’t make software buying/selling too complex, so we segregated the softwares as per different businesses like- hotels, hospitals, manufacturers, colleges, media houses etc,” told Nangia.