Millions of social media users in India are left stranded after homegrown microblogging platform Koo, which positioned itself as an alternative to Twitter, announced it was shutting down its services. The platform, launched in 2020, gained popularity in 2021 when several ministers endorsed it amid a dispute between the Indian government and Twitter.
The decision to shut down Koo was attributed to a shortage of funding and high technology costs, according to the platform’s founders Aprameya Radhakrishna and Mayank Bidawatka. Despite reaching 20 million downloads by the end of 2021, Koo struggled to secure funding in recent years.
In a statement on LinkedIn, the founders expressed their disappointment in not being able to find suitable partnerships with larger internet companies, conglomerates, and media houses. Talks of acquisition by news aggregator Dailyhunt also did not materialize.
As a result of financial difficulties, Koo had to lay off 30% of its workforce in April 2023. The founders mentioned that they would have preferred to keep the app running, but the high cost of technology services made it unfeasible.
The closure of Koo leaves a void for users who had migrated to the platform in response to the government’s dispute with Twitter. It serves as a reminder of the challenges faced by homegrown social media platforms in a competitive market dominated by global giants.
