Biography of Shagufta Anurag: Founder of Saltmine, Livspace & Space Matrix-Entrepreneur
Story of Shagufta Anurag: A Trailblazing Entrepreneur
Early Life and Background
Shagufta Anurag, a renowned entrepreneur and visionary, has
built an impressive career in interior design and workspace management. Born in
Bangalore, India, Shagufta was a premature baby, arriving seven months early,
which she humorously attributes to her lifelong tendency to be in a hurry.
Growing up as the second of four children, she was influenced by her
enterprising mother, who sold a variety of goods before establishing a catering
company, and her father, who ran a travel agency and instilled confidence in
her abilities.
Early Career and Discoveries
Shagufta's creative flair emerged early. At just 16, she was
staging fashion shows and designing clothes, including for former Miss India
Sushmita Sen. After graduating from BMS College of Architecture in Bangalore,
Shagufta began her professional journey as an architect. However, her passion
for the dynamic nature of interior design led her to shift her focus. The
transition was driven by her realization that interior design allowed for
quicker changes compared to the slower-paced process of architecture, which
often involved long waits for approvals and permits.
Early Career and Challenges
Shagufta Anurag’s career took a significant turn when she
became the first hire for Interics, an interior design company that opened an
office in Bangalore. Her boss, who was from England, struggled to adapt to life
in India and left after six months. Shagufta was then entrusted with running
the office, where she took on roles spanning financial management, sales, and
business development for four years.
Her life changed dramatically in 1999 when she moved to
Singapore after marrying Anurag Srivastava, an IT professional turned venture
capitalist. Finding a job in Singapore proved challenging, and she took on a position
at the bottom of the ladder, which left her feeling miserable. Despite the
tough start, she learned a great deal about the local design industry, which
fueled her desire to start her own venture.
Biography of Shagufta Anurag: Founder of Saltmine, Livspace & Space Matrix/Success story of Shagufta Anurag/Story of Shagufta Anurag/Saltmine, Livspac
Entrepreneurial Ventures
Space Matrix
In the early 2000s, Shagufta founded Space Matrix, starting
from a modest 200 sq ft office in Haji Lane. Over two decades, Space Matrix
grew into the largest interior design company in Asia and the 7th
fastest-growing workplace interior design firm globally. Under her leadership,
the firm expanded to 15 cities across eight countries, including the United
States, China, and Australia.
Founding Space Matrix
With $5,000 in savings, Shagufta rented a small attic office
on the third floor of a shophouse in Haji Lane, Singapore, in 2001, and started
Space Matrix with a few freelancers. Her first major project involved
redesigning the offices of Hyperion Solutions. Despite being initially
rejected, Shagufta's persistence led to a successful pitch after a sleepless
night of reworking her proposal. The project, valued at half a million dollars,
was a game changer for her and won the DuPont Antron Design Award 2002.
The success of this project led to others, including a $1
million contract with T-Mobile and projects with clients like American Express
and Bloomberg. Within a year, Space Matrix expanded to 15 employees and moved
to a new location in Amoy Street. Even during the SARS outbreak in 2003, the
company remained unaffected.
Growth and Expansion
Shagufta's approach to business was marked by her fearless
attitude and relentless drive. She made cold calls and walked into large
companies to market her services, even securing contracts through persistence.
By 2011, Space Matrix was listed among Interior Design magazine's Top 100
Giants, boasting 400 staff across 10 locations and an annual revenue of $100
million. The company is now Asia's second-largest premier workplace design
firm, with an annual revenue of $175 million.
Her husband, Anurag Srivastava, joined as CEO in 2005,
bringing valuable process-oriented management to the company and allowing
Shagufta to focus on business development. Her ability to balance motherhood
with her entrepreneurial ambitions was evident as she continued to work
actively even shortly after childbirth.
Livspace
In 2014, Shagufta co-founded Livspace, an interior design
platform that operates in Singapore and India. Livspace revolutionized home
renovation by offering a tech-driven solution that connects homeowners with
designers and contractors, streamlining the renovation process and making it
more accessible.
Ventures into New Territories
In 2014, Shagufta co-founded Livspace, a home design and
decor marketplace that enables homeowners to explore and customize interior
designs. Livspace became a significant player in the home renovation industry,
enhancing accessibility and personalization for users.
Shagufta’s latest venture, Saltmine, focuses on workplace
management. Launched in 2017, Saltmine provides a cloud-based platform that
integrates all workplace data—strategy, design, pricing, and analytics—into one
place. This innovation aims to transform real estate management, which is a
major expense for companies, by replacing outdated methods with digital
solutions.
Saltmine
Building on her success, Shagufta founded Saltmine in 2017,
a workplace management startup based in San Francisco. Saltmine provides a
cloud-based platform that helps companies make data-driven decisions for
creating effective workspaces. The company raised $20 million in Series A
funding in February 2021 and has since expanded with nearly 130 employees
across offices in New York, Singapore, Budapest, and Vietnam.
Philosophy and Leadership
Shagufta’s journey reflects her belief in the importance of
timing and perseverance in entrepreneurship. She emphasizes that while skills
and intelligence are important, attributes like resilience, courage, and a bit
of luck are crucial for success. Her approach to business is rooted in her
personal experiences, including her early lessons in selling and value
articulation from her timeshare sales role, which honed her ability to sell
dreams and articulate value propositions effectively.
Personal Traits and Achievements
Describing herself as a free spirit, Shagufta’s career is
marked by her passion for creativity and innovation. Her ability to adapt and
thrive in different areas of interior design and workspace management
underscores her entrepreneurial spirit. As a mother of two teenage boys, she
balances her personal and professional life with remarkable grace, continuing
to drive change and inspire through her various ventures.
Shagufta Anurag’s story is a testament to the power of
combining creative vision with strategic thinking, resilience, and the ability
to seize opportunities at the right time.
A timeline of Shagufta Anurag's story:
1970: Born in Bangalore, India.
1986: Graduated from BMS College of Architecture in
Bangalore.
1999: Moved to Singapore and faced initial career
challenges.
2001: Founded Space Matrix in Singapore with a small office
and few freelancers.
2003: Space Matrix continued operations despite the SARS
outbreak.
2011: Space Matrix was listed among Interior Design
magazine's Top 100 Giants.
2014: Co-founded Livspace, an interior design platform.
2017: Launched Saltmine, a cloud-based workplace management
platform.
2021: Saltmine raised $20 million in Series A funding.
