Biography of Piyush Kumar: CEO & Co-Founder of Rooter Sports Technologies -Indian Entrepreneur
Story of Piyush Kumar: Revolutionizing Gaming Industry
Piyush Kumar is the CEO and Co-Founder of Rooter Sports
Technologies Pvt. Ltd., which is recognized as India's first live sports fan
engagement platform. With a dynamic and passionate approach to consumer-focused
marketing, Piyush has significantly influenced brands like John Players, HCL,
Micromax, Dish TV, and Rado throughout his career.
Educational Background
Piyush Kumar holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer
Applications from Delhi University, where he laid the foundation for his career
in technology and entrepreneurship. Piyush Kumar is the Founder and CEO of
Rooter, a platform dedicated to creating the largest gaming and esports
community. His vision for Rooter focuses on connecting fans and gamers through
a dynamic social community experience.
Previous Experience and Achievements
Before founding Rooter, Piyush Kumar gained extensive
experience in marketing and brand management. He served as the Marketing
Manager for Rado at Swatch Group, where he managed brand communication and
media strategies. Additionally, he was a Senior Brand Manager at DishTV and
held various roles in client servicing and brand management at FCB Ulka and Ideastreamz.
His diverse background in marketing and brand strategy has significantly
contributed to his success in building and scaling Rooter.
Biography of Piyush Kumar: CEO & Co-Founder of Rooter Sports Technologies Indian Entrepreneur/Angel Investor/Success story of Piyush Kumar/Life story
Founder and CEO of Rooter
Piyush Kumar is the Founder and CEO of Rooter.gg, a premier
game streaming and e-sports content platform based in New Delhi, India. Since
its inception in September 2016, Rooter has established itself as the largest
player in the Indian gaming market, consistently ranking as the #1 sports app
on the Google Play Store since October 2020. The platform, which focuses on driving
the creator economy, boasts a user base of over 450 million gaming enthusiasts.
Rooter has garnered significant attention from a range of investors, including
March Capital, Lightbox, and PayTM, among others.
Rooter's Growth and Metrics
Under Piyush’s leadership, Rooter has achieved impressive
growth metrics. The app is rated between 4.6 and 4.8 stars with over 500,000
reviews and has approximately 50 million downloads. It enjoys a high level of
engagement, with 16 million monthly active users (MAUs) and 1.4 million daily
active users (DAUs). These users spend an average of 35 minutes daily watching
live streams, driven by 15,000+ professional streamers and 1.2 million content
creators. Rooter’s monetization strategy has been successful, with an annual recurring
revenue (ARR) of $5 million.
A Journey from Marketing to Entrepreneurship
A seasoned marketer, Piyush Kumar founded Rooter, India's
largest gaming and esports community platform, which gives a voice to millions
of gaming fans. In his role, he leads business growth and partnership efforts
while managing the company's sales and revenue. Piyush's career spans nearly 14
years in consumer marketing, including notable roles at Dish TV and Swatch
Group India, where he directed marketing strategies for five years.
In 2016, Piyush made a bold shift into entrepreneurship by
launching Rooter with his business partner Dipesh Agarwal. Initially focused on
creating a vibrant community of sports fans, Piyush pivoted in March 2020 to
embrace the growing trend of gaming streaming. This strategic move helped
Rooter build one of the largest gaming communities in India, with over 40
million gamers and esports players from the Indian subcontinent now using the
platform.
Strategic Partnerships and Media Rights
Rooter holds the media rights for a vast array of live
e-sports content in India, totaling over 8,200 hours per year. The platform’s
recent partnership with Skyesports, a leading e-sports tournament organizer in
South Asia, is a testament to its expanding influence in the industry. This
partnership highlights Rooter’s role as a key player in the e-sports landscape
and its commitment to providing extensive content offerings to its users.
Expansion and Future Plans
Currently, Rooter is focusing on expanding its team and
offerings to further solidify its position as the leading gaming content
platform in India and Southeast Asia. The company plans to broaden its language
options to cater to a diverse audience and enhance its international presence.
Piyush Kumar’s vision for Rooter includes scaling the platform’s impact both
domestically and globally, ensuring it remains at the forefront of the gaming
and e-sports sectors.
Building and Scaling Rooter
Piyush Kumar shares insights on how Rooter was launched and
scaled to prominence. He discusses the key components of an MVP (Minimum Viable
Product) and what it should ideally look like. Hiring strategies and
philosophies are also covered, providing valuable lessons on assembling a
successful team. Piyush reflects on the mistakes made during the early days of
Rooter and how they were overcome.
The Future of Social Networking and Business Insights
The conversation also explores why Piyush believes the
future of social networking lies in gaming. He provides an in-depth look at
Rooter’s business model and the process of raising over $25 million in funding.
This segment offers a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to build and
sustain a consumer app in a competitive market.
E-Sports and the Role of Parents
Piyush discusses the evolving e-sports landscape in India,
including challenges such as dealing with the perceptions of parents regarding
gaming. His insights shed light on the broader cultural shifts happening within
the gaming industry and how they impact both players and stakeholders.
Future Goals and Philanthropy
Piyush's vision is to make Rooter the largest gaming
community in India, encompassing streamers, esports players, and gamers on a
single platform. Alongside his entrepreneurial ventures, Piyush is dedicated to
philanthropy, particularly in supporting the education of disadvantaged girls
in India. In his free time, he enjoys playing sports, surfing Twitter, and
spending quality moments with his family in Delhi.
Piyush Kumar: Leading Rooter to New Heights
Piyush Kumar is the Founder and CEO of Rooter, a cutting-edge
sports social community platform designed to enhance fan engagement. Rooter
offers sports enthusiasts access to curated content in their preferred
languages, covering a wide range of sports including cricket, football, and
more. In addition to sports, the platform supports gaming fans by allowing them
to live stream their games and share top game videos through interactive voice
and video features. Currently, Rooter boasts nearly 5 million active users, who
engage with the platform for approximately 24 minutes daily.
A timeline of Piyush Kumar’s career and achievements:
Early Career
Before 2016: Various roles in marketing and brand management
including Marketing Manager at Rado (Swatch Group), Senior Brand Manager at
DishTV, and roles at FCB Ulka and Ideastreamz.
Founding and Leading Rooter
September 2016: Co-founded Rooter Sports Technologies Pvt.
Ltd., a leading live sports fan engagement platform.
March 2020: Pivoted Rooter to focus on gaming streaming,
expanding it into one of India’s largest gaming and esports communities.
Rooter’s Growth and Metrics
October 2020: Rooter ranked as the #1 sports app on Google
Play Store.
Current: The platform has over 450 million users, 50 million
downloads, 16 million monthly active users (MAUs), and an annual recurring
revenue (ARR) of $5 million.
Strategic Partnerships and Media Rights
Ongoing: Holds media rights for over 8,200 hours of live
e-sports content in India and partnered with Skyesports.
Current and Future Plans
Present: CEO of Rooter, focusing on expanding team,
offerings, and international presence. Plans to broaden language options and
enhance global reach.
Philanthropy and Personal Interests
Ongoing: Dedicated to supporting education for disadvantaged
girls in India. Enjoys playing sports, surfing Twitter, and spending time with
family in Delhi.
This timeline highlights Piyush Kumar’s transition from
marketing roles to establishing and leading Rooter, alongside the platform's
growth and his current initiatives.
