Cloudtech startup Rapyder has partnered with AWS to help clients with digital transformation
Bengaluru-based cloudtech startup Rapyder has clients across verticals, including BFSI, ITeS, retail, hospitality, education, travel and tourism, and ecommerce. It has partnered with AWS, and is currently gunning for bigger ticket-size customers.
Cloud computing has made handling data extremely smooth. Startups and small businesses no longer need to invest in physical servers to store, manage, and process data. Added benefits include reduced IT costs and a boost in scalability, flexibility, and ease of collaborating.
The spread of cloud computing has given rise to a bunch of startups leveraging the opportunity to help businesses with this digital transformation: transferring data from physical servers to the cloud. One such startup is Rapyder Cloud Solutions, a cloudtech consulting company specialising in cloud migration and digital transformation.
Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Bengaluru, Rapyder has offices in New Delhi and Mumbai, and is an Amazon Web Services (AWS) Advanced Consulting Partner.
Team Rapyder
The story so far
BTech computer engineer Amit Gupta, 47, worked with US-based digital government service provider NIC Inc., where he had the opportunity to learn about the eGov domain. Once back in India, Amit joined hands with a former colleague to start Paradigm Applications LLC in 2006. As the company wanted to expand to the US, Amit decided to exit and sold his shares.
Amit went on to take leadership roles in startups in the cloud service space, until he decided to take the entrepreneurial plunge again. In 2011, he founded Intelligentia IT Systems, which focused on staffing and software solutions. Intelligentia built big data analytics company Spocto’s product on cloud. It was also the first time AWS recognised Intelligentia’s efforts and offered the opportunity to leverage its cloud services.
“In Intelligentia, we were into diverse domains. I decided to exit and focus entirely on the cloud business,” Amit says.
He joined hands with another technologist friend and colleague, Athreya Ramadas, to start Rapyder by investing Rs 50 lakh. Athreya, 33, is an AWS-Certified DevOps professional. He previously worked in Intelligentia and Nokia, as a Cloud Architect and Software Engineer.
“Both of us saw the enormous potential for growth and innovation in leveraging new technologies and providing effective solutions in the digital transformation space,” Amit says.
The operational model
Rapyder’s services include consulting services that “may be monetised, if the customer is not looking for other services from us”, Amit says.
Rapyder provides cloud migration or digital transformation for its customers, DevOps and ongoing managed services, including security in the cloud and disaster recovery.
“Being an AWS Advanced Consulting Partner enables us to provide seamless, secure, and scalable services in the cloud transformation space,” Amit says.
Cloudzatic, its cloud-based product, has built-in practices that identify and fix anomalies related to security and compliance in any cloud infrastructure.
Rapyder’s services are offered at different costs, depending on the clients’ requirements. For consulting and migrations, cost is based on the effort; Rapyder charges Rs 25,000 per day as service charge. Managed services are available in different models; it charges either a certain percentage (usually 20 percent of AWS billing) or Rs 8,500 for each server, per month.
Managed services provide Rapyder’s recurring revenues, and it aims to have up to 80 percent of its revenue from them. “This is the recurring cash flow we are aiming for,” Amit says.
Rapyder’s growth has been organic since inception, with no external funding. Its revenue has been increasing by 250 percent, year on year, clocking $1 million annually at present.
Rapyder’s customer base
The cloudtech startup targets CIOs and CEOs of organisations. It sourced its first clients from the founder’s personal contacts, LinkedIn, and through word of mouth. Now, clients approach Rapyder when the requirement arises.
Currently, Rapyder is predominantly working with AWS and its requirements on cloud migration and digitisation services.
“In the future, we may decide to work with other cloud providers as well but that is a strategic decision that we will take at the leadership level in the future. As of now, we are committed to building our organisation with AWS as our primary focus,” Amit says.
The cloudtech startup has clients across verticals, including BFSI, ITeS, retail, hospitality, education, travel and tourism, and ecommerce. Rapyder’s key clients are Royal Orchid Hotels, Reliance Nippon Life Insurance, NeoGrowth, Easy Policy, Extra Marks, and QuickRide, among others.
Amit claims they have been acquiring 300 percent new clients, year on year.
Market overview and future plans
Rapyder is working in a very niche space. The cloud space has big players like Wipro, Cognizant, and Sify, along with cloud-born companies. Its leading competitors include Powerup Cloud Technologies (which was acquired by Larsen & Toubro Infotech), To The New, BlazeClan, and others.
However, Amit feels that the cloud space offers a “rather great opportunity”. “The growth projected for 2020 alone is over 100 percent and we see enough space for all of us to operate,” he says.
Rapyder is at present working towards acquiring bigger ticket-size customers. It aims to leverage big data, data analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, in the near future.
“We have 55 employees across our offices, and plan to hire up to 50 more professionals by the end of 2020,” Amit says.
Clearly, the Bengaluru-based startup is aiming for Rapyder growth!
(Edited by Teja Lele Desai)
