Shark Tank India Gets New Judge, Azhar Iqubal: 5 Facts About Him

Shark Tank India is back with another season of aspiring entrepreneurs who are aiming for investments and guidance from a panel of some of the biggest names in Indian business. For its latest season, Shark Tank India has roped in another Shark aka judge this season –  Inshorts co-founder and CEO Azhar Iqubal. 

InShorts is a content aggregator that condenses news, videos, infographics, and blogs into concise summaries.

Confirming his association with the show, Mr Iqubal said: “On Shark Tank India Season 3, I want to convey to the youth of India that your background and whether you possess a degree are not significant; what matters is your hunger, discipline, and focus. If you have these qualities, I am here to support you in achieving your entrepreneurial dream.”

Here are five facts about Azhar Iqubal:

1. Azhar Iqubal, 31, co-founded InShorts as a Facebook page with Deepit Purkayastha and Anunay Arunav  in 2013. Soon it was shortlisted for the third batch of Nasscom's 10,000 startups. He now serves as the CEO of the company.

2. After seeing success with an Android InShorts application, Mr Iqubal and the other founders launched the application for iPhones in 2015.

3. Azhar Iqubal is an IIT dropout. As per his LinkedIn profile, Mr Iqubal studied mathematics and computer science at Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, from 2009 to 2012 before dropping out. 

4. Reports estimate an $119 million funding for InShorts through various rounds. Firms such as Tiger Global, Vy Capital, Rebright Partners and Times Internet are reported to be backing the company.

5. Azhar Iqubal, who will be aiming to support small businesses, has previously invested in QuickReply.ai, a WhatsApp marketing platform.