Currently Social Shark Tank India Episode Review
Currently Social appeared on Shark Tank India Season 5, Episode 29, with founder Mitesh Sethwala (serial entrepreneur with decade+ experience, IT Engineering degree, MBA Marketing, multiple successful ventures/exits in IT outsourcing, fashion e-commerce, service sectors including Friendly and Hi Name companies) seeking ₹1.2 Crore for 1% equity (₹120 Crore valuation) but left with no deal after all five Sharks declined citing valuation concerns and business model skepticism.
The Ahmedabad-based real-time activity-sharing platform combats “doom-scrolling” and curated social media targeting Gen Z through “post-to-view” model featuring live camera-only (no gallery uploads), mandatory activity tagging (eating/traveling/pitching), proximity alerts encouraging offline meetups, and controversial “consented stalking” opt-in instant notifications, achieving 11,000 daily posts with 17,000 active Ahmedabad users and significant clusters in Surat/Rajkot with 1,212 monthly organic visitors requiring SEO improvement. Sharks reacted critically—Anupam called scaling logic “stupidest thing” though emotionally desired Indian social network success, Kunal challenged virality claims noting effective virality likely below 1 after retention factoring, Vineeta questioned core value lacking data proving actual offline meetings, Namita doubted cultural fit arguing India already has strong informal networks (WhatsApp/family circles), and Varun remained skeptical of ad-based monetization competing with Meta.
Operating in global social media market projected at $234.34 billion (2026) with 500+ million active Indian users within Indian advertising market reaching ₹1.30 lakh crore (2026, 60-70% digital) and growing “anti-Instagram” trend (73% users shifting toward human-generated raw content), Currently Social targets Gen Z (16-24) and younger millennials (25-28) valuing “radical authenticity” experiencing social media fatigue from curated content within 250 million Gen Z population seeking 10-15 million urban users in Tier 1/2 cities amid 1-in-7 global shoppers primarily shopping via social media enabling “hyperlocal commerce” meetups, planning city-by-city rollout establishing 20,000+ user “critical mass,” hyperlocal ad tech for local businesses bidding on activity tags, and social ledger split-payment fintech revenue stream targeting Unicorn status.
Website Information
- Website:- Currently Social
- Build on JavaScript frameworks GSAP 3.4.2
- Poor SEO Performance, SEO Improvement is Needed.
- ORGANIC TRAFFIC: 1212 visitors per month.
Brand Founder: Currently Social
- Mitesh Sethwala is the serial entrepreneur behind the brand.
- A seasoned founder with over a decade of experience, he holds an IT Engineering degree and an MBA in Marketing.
- His professional history includes multiple successful ventures and exits in the IT outsourcing, fashion e-commerce, and service sectors (notably the companies Friendly and Hi Name).
Brand Overview: Currently Social
- Currently Social is a real-time activity-sharing platform designed to combat “doom-scrolling” and the curated nature of traditional social media.
- Based in Ahmedabad, the app targets Gen Z users by focusing on authenticity and immediate human connection.
- The platform aims to transition online interactions into real-world meetups by showing friends what someone is doing at that exact moment.
Shark Tank India Appearance and Ask: Currently Social
- During his appearance on Shark Tank India Season 5, Mitesh Sethwala made a bold entry wearing mismatched shoes to reflect his brand’s quirky personality.
- He sought an investment of ₹1.2 crore for 1% equity, which placed the company at a staggering ₹120 crore valuation.
- This high valuation immediately became a point of friction between the founder and the Sharks.
Season and Episode Air Date
- Season: 05
- Episode: 29
- Episode Air Date: Thursday, 12 February, 2026
Product Overview: Currently Social
- The Currently Social app is built on a “post-to-view” model that prioritizes live interactions over polished content. Key features include:
- Live Camera Only: Users cannot upload photos from their gallery; posts must be captured in real-time.
- Activity Tagging: Users must tag their current action (e.g., eating, traveling, or pitching).
- Proximity Alerts: Friends receive notifications when a contact is nearby, encouraging instant offline meetups.
- Post-to-View: To see what others are doing, a user must first share their own current activity.
Investor Reactions: Currently Social
The Sharks had mixed but ultimately critical reactions to Currently Social:
- Anupam Mittal: Critiqued the scaling logic, calling Mitesh’s explanation the “stupidest thing” he had said. However, he expressed an emotional desire to see an Indian social network succeed.
- Kunal Bahl: Challenged the founder’s virality claims, pointing out that the effective virality was likely below 1 once retention was factored in.
- Vineeta Singh: Questioned the core value, noting a lack of data proving that users were actually meeting offline.
- Namita Thapar: Doubted the cultural fit, arguing that India already has strong informal social networks like WhatsApp and family circles.
- Varun Alagh: Remained skeptical of the ad-based monetization strategy, noting the difficulty of competing with tech giants like Meta.
Customer Engagement Philosophy: Currently Social
- The engagement philosophy of Currently Social is rooted in radical authenticity and “consented stalking.”
- The brand believes that by forcing users to share “boring” or “real” moments without filters, it creates a more genuine connection.
- The controversial “stalking” feature allows users to opt-in to receive instant notifications every time a specific person posts, turning active interest into a social status symbol.
Product Highlights: Currently Social
- Authenticity First: Elimination of the gallery upload feature prevents the use of curated or old photos.
- High Engagement: The app recorded 11,000 daily posts and significant active user clusters in cities like Ahmedabad (17,000 active users).
- Community Focused: High density in specific regions like Surat and Rajkot demonstrates the app’s ability to take hold in local hubs.
Future Vision: Currently Social
- Moving forward, Currently Social plans to focus on building dense networks in specific cities before attempting a national expansion.
- The brand aims to prove its business model by facilitating offline connections at scale and eventually monetizing through targeted advertisements based on the rich, real-time lifestyle and geographic data collected from its users.
Deal Finalized or Not: Currently Social
- No deal was finalized.
- Despite the founder’s impressive background and the Sharks’ interest in the social networking space, all five investors—Anupam Mittal, Namita Thapar, Vineeta Singh, Varun Alagh, and Kunal Bahl—declined to invest.
Currently Social Shark Tank India Business Plan
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Website | Currently Social |
| Technology | JavaScript + GSAP 3.4.2 |
| SEO Performance | Poor SEO Performance (Improvement Needed) |
| Organic Traffic | 1,212 visitors per month |
| Founder | Mitesh Sethwala |
| Founder Background | IT Engineer + MBA (Marketing), 10+ years experience |
| Previous Ventures | Friendly, Hi Name (successful exits) |
| Headquarters | Ahmedabad, Gujarat |
| Industry | Social Networking / Real-Time Activity App |
| Brand Positioning | Anti-Doomscrolling, Authentic Social Media |
| Shark Tank Season | Season 05 |
| Episode Number | Episode 29 |
| Episode Air Date | Thursday, 12 February, 2026 |
| Initial Ask | ₹1.2 Crore for 1% Equity |
| Valuation Sought | ₹120 Crore |
| Business Model | Real-time activity-sharing platform |
| Core Concept | “Post-to-View” real-time interaction |
| Key Feature 1 | Live Camera Only (No gallery uploads) |
| Key Feature 2 | Activity Tagging (Eat, Travel, Study, etc.) |
| Key Feature 3 | Proximity Alerts |
| Key Feature 4 | Consented “Stalking” Notifications |
| Engagement Data | 11,000 daily posts |
| Active User Cluster | 17,000 users in Ahmedabad |
| Target Demographic | Gen Z (16–24) & Young Millennials |
| Psychographic Target | Authenticity-seeking, FOMO-driven users |
| Geographic Focus | Tier-1 & Tier-2 Cities |
| Shark Concern 1 | Scaling logic questioned (Anupam Mittal) |
| Shark Concern 2 | Weak virality metrics (Kunal Bahl) |
| Shark Concern 3 | Lack of offline meetup data (Vineeta Singh) |
| Shark Concern 4 | Cultural fit doubts (Namita Thapar) |
| Shark Concern 5 | Monetization vs Meta competition (Varun Alagh) |
| Deal Status | No Deal |
| TAM | India: 500M+ social media users |
| Global Social Media Market | $234.34 Billion (2026) |
| SAM | 250M Gen Z users in India |
| SOM | 10–15M urban Gen Z users |
| India Digital Ad Market | ₹1.30 Lakh Crore (2026 projection) |
| Core Revenue Model | Hyperlocal targeted advertising |
| Future Monetization | Activity-based ad bidding |
| Distribution Strategy | Hyperlocal city-by-city density |
| Campus Strategy | 500+ nano-influencers |
| Viral Loop | “Post-to-View” incentive |
| Competitive Advantage | Real-time + proximity integration |
| Key Challenge 1 | Privacy & stalking perception |
| Key Challenge 2 | High CAC vs retention risk |
| Key Challenge 3 | Competing with Meta & WhatsApp |
| Mitigation Strategy 1 | Invisible Mode privacy controls |
| Mitigation Strategy 2 | Offline meet streak gamification |
| 6-Month Goal | 500K downloads |
| 12-Month Goal | Launch hyperlocal ad tech |
| 24-Month Goal | Social Ledger (split-pay fintech tool) |
| Long-Term Vision | India’s first major real-time social network |
| Valuation Ambition | Unicorn pathway through dense network effects |
1. Total Addressable Market (TAM): Currently Social
The potential for Currently Social is defined by the massive digital acceleration in India:
- Total Addressable Market (TAM): India’s social media market is part of a global industry projected to reach $234.34 billion in 2026. Specifically, India has over 500 million active social media users.
- Serviceable Addressable Market (SAM): Focusing on the Gen Z population (aged 13–25), which consists of roughly 250 million individuals in India who are “video-first” and seek “authentic” engagement.
- Serviceable Obtainable Market (SOM): Targeting 10–15 million urban Gen Z users in Tier-1 and Tier-2 cities (like Ahmedabad, Mumbai, and Bangalore) who are currently experiencing “social media fatigue” from curated content.
2. Ideal Target Audience and Demographics: Currently Social
The core user base for Currently Social is precisely defined:
- Primary Demographic: Gen Z (Ages 16–24) and younger Millennials (Ages 25–28).
- Psychographics: Individuals who value “radical authenticity,” are tired of highly edited influencer content, and suffer from “FOMO” (Fear Of Missing Out) regarding real-world interactions.
- Location: Students and young professionals in high-density urban hubs with active café cultures, sports clubs (e.g., pickleball), and co-working spaces.
3. Business Potential in India: Currently Social
The business potential for Currently Social is bolstered by India’s unique digital landscape:
- Digital Ad Spend: India’s advertising market is projected to reach ₹1.30 lakh crore in 2026, with digital accounting for nearly 60–70%.
- Social Commerce: With 1 in 7 global shoppers primarily shopping via social media by 2026, Currently Social can tap into “hyperlocal commerce” where users meet and shop/eat together.
- The “Anti-Instagram” Trend: There is a growing shift (73% of users) toward human-generated, raw content, which perfectly aligns with the Currently Social “No Gallery Upload” rule.
4. Marketing and Content Strategy: Currently Social
To reach the ideal audience, Currently Social will employ a multi-layered approach:
- Content Strategy: Leveraging “Micro-Dramas” and “2016-Nostalgia” trends to highlight the simplicity of early social media.
- Digital Marketing: * Social Search Optimization (SSO): Optimizing for discoverability on TikTok/Instagram Reels where Gen Z now searches for “places to hang out.”
- Nano-Influencer Partnerships: Using 500+ campus ambassadors in cities like Ahmedabad to post their daily “real” activities.
- Viral Loops: The “Post-to-View” model acts as a natural incentive for user-generated content (UGC).
5. Distribution Strategy: Currently Social
The Currently Social growth model relies on “Hyperlocal Density”:
- City-by-City Rollout: Establishing a “Critical Mass” (at least 20,000 users) in a single city before expanding. This ensures that when a user sees a “Proximity Alert,” there is actually someone nearby to meet.
- Alternative Marketplaces: Utilizing WhatsApp Channels and private Telegram groups for community-led onboarding.
6. Advantages and Challenges: Currently Social
- Advantages:
- First-Mover in Local Real-Time: Unlike BeReal, Currently Social integrates proximity and activity tagging.
- Founder’s Pedigree: Mitesh Sethwala’s history of three successful exits provides operational maturity.
- Challenges:
- The “Stalking” Perception: Privacy concerns regarding the “Consented Stalking” feature.
- High Acquisition Costs: Competing for attention against Meta and Google’s massive budgets.
7. Success Factors and Mitigation: Currently Social
- Why it can be Successful: High user engagement (11,000 daily posts) proves the concept works. The “Consented Stalking” feature, while controversial, serves as a high-stickiness “Bell Icon” for people’s lives.
- Mitigation Strategies:
- Privacy Guardrails: Implement clear, time-bound “Invisible Modes” to mitigate safety risks.
- Retention Focus: Improve the DAU/MAU ratio by introducing “Daily Streaks” for meeting friends offline.
8. Future Business and Roadmap to Valuation: Currently Social
To increase the valuation from the sought-after ₹120 crore to a Unicorn status:
- Phase 1 (6 Months): Fix SEO (currently poor) and hit 500,000 downloads through campus-led viral marketing.
- Phase 2 (12 Months): Introduce “Hyperlocal Ad Tech” allowing local businesses (cafés, gyms) to bid for “Activity Tags.”
- Phase 3 (24 Months): Integrate a “Social Ledger” for split-payments when friends meet up, creating a fintech revenue stream.
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