CanvasFlip makes it to Blackbox Connect

CanvasFlip, a cloud-based prototyping and usability-testing platform from India, is all set for a soft launch in the US on December 13.

CanvasFlip was among the 15 startups selected for the Silicon Valley-based two-week startup programme Blackbox Connect Fall 2015, powered by Google Ventures.

“As the programme concludes, about seven-eight startups will get an opportunity to present their ideas and innovation to a large audience in Silicon Valley. CanvasFlip will be one among them. This will be our soft launch in the US,” said Vipul Mishra, CEO of CanvasFlip on phone from Silicon Valley.

“We will use the learnings from here, for a much larger launch in January next year. It will help us enhance our product further,” he said. Blackbox Connect is a founder-focused accelerator with a network of alumni in over 50 countries.

It mostly selects startups based on partner organisations’ recommendations. The recommendation for CanvasFlip was made by NASSCOM 10,000 startups.

Mishra, who sounded upbeat about the atmosphere at Blackbox Connect, said: “We are mainly here to understand the startup culture of Silicon Valley. We want to understand the customers, marketing channels and investor sentiments here. While talking to people, we want to understand the end-to-end ecosystem,” he said.

Launched in 2014, CanvasFlip, which started off as an animation platform, has come to realise that its platform is best suited for testing and prototyping.

“Over time, we have evolved based on user feedback and insights from industry experts. This is very important for us,” he said. He added, “At the Blackbox Connect, with mentorship discussions scheduled everyday, we get to learn from experts about best practices, how to pitch and buyer expectations, among other things.”

Although the company plans to remain and base all of it operations out of India, it believes that Silicon Valley will give it that much needed credibility. “The US still offers a large market, and we do not want to miss any of the trends at the Valley,” said Mishra. The company plans to collaborate with complementary service providers and investment partners in SV. “We are primarily exploring the marketing channels here,” he added.

The company, which has witnessed 70 per cent growth over the last five months, has over 220 customers including Paytm, MakeMyTrip, Dineout and Tech Mahindra, among others. Creator accounts on the platform are priced at $20 per user per month, and validator accounts at $5 per user per month.