Entertainment conglomerate KWAN on Thursday announced the acquisition of Gigstart and has launched a mobile app to fill the gap between a plethora of entertainment talent across the country and consumers who are looking to curate events themselves.
A booking service, Gigstart verifies and reviews all artistes before listing them on the platform.
On the partnership, Anirban Blah, Founder and Managing Director, KWAN, said in a statement: “Today there exists a lacuna in a talent industry skewed in favour of known celebrities but lacking when it comes to capitalising on creative talent from across the country.
“This gap is what Gigstart aims to fill with a platform that marries scale with sensible unit economics in a way that no other company does. KWAN’s acquisition of Gigstart makes it the first platform of its kind to have legitimacy and credibility in the industry.”
Vijay Subramaniam, Founding Partner, KWAN, added: “There is a wealth of talent in India today — from a singer in Raipur to the biggest Bollywood star but not enough real opportunities for them to reach out to audiences without going through a succession of middle-men.
“Gigstart is first of its kind dais to address this requirement and we hope to make it a home and community for talent in addition to building a sustainable business.”
With KWAN’s network, Gigstart is now poised to take advantage of the growing appetite of consumers in smaller towns and cities.
The app’s launch signals the beginning of a process of event planning that empowers consumers to custom-make events as per their specific requirements – from make-up and mehendi artists to sound rentals, stand-up acts and celebrity appearances.
Gigstart has over 4200 verified artists on board and growing. Its interface enables users to browse through artist categories and book talent via their phones.
