The owner of InMobi, Naveen Tewari is a popular Indian entrepreneur and businessman. He established InMobi with the vision of transforming the realm of advertising in a ‘user-first’ way and strives to disrupt the mobile ecosystem with innovative approaches and strategies. Acknowledging startups as a significant source to flourish India, he is a co-founder of iSPIRT, designed to address government policy, and build maturity of product entrepreneurs, thus aiming to stock India with a whole new line of software products.
Moreover, he established a U.S.-based nonprofit called India School Fund which is entrusted with the responsibility of financing and building schools in rural India. As a board member of Paytm, he garnered huge praise for bringing his entrepreneurial caliber to different channels. Recognizing the importance of Startups in bringing innovation, he is making contributions to thriving over 30 startups and has supported many startups such as NestAway, SlideRule, Mettl, Moneysights, Bombay Canteen, Zimmber, and Razorpay by offering investment.
Birthplace and Family
Hailing from Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, Naveen Tewari belonged to a middle-class family. His father was a government officer and his mother worked as a school teacher, offered him a thriving environment, and shaped his life in remarkable ways. Besides, Naveen Tewari wife is Aditi Tewari, who always supported him.
Educational Journey
After completing his schooling, he enrolled in the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, and completed his Bachelor’s degree. Then, he joined Harvard Business School and pursued a Master’s degree in Business Administration. During his years in the Harward Business School, he achieved the Dean’s Award for his leadership qualities. In 2013, he was recognized with the esteemed ‘Distinguished Alumnus Award’ for his brilliance in entrepreneurship. Currently, Naveen Tewari age is 37 years.
Career and Startup Launch
After completing Engineering, Naveen started working at McKinsey and Company in 2000. There, he worked as a business analyst from 2000 to 2003. In 2003, he attended Harvard Business School to pursue an MBA. Along with this, he worked as an associate at Charles River Ventures in 2004.
In 2007, Naveen Tewari began his first startup mKhoj, an SMS search engine that didn’t garner success. Following this, he shifted his business to a mobile advertising and technology platform and co-established InMobi.
InMobi Growth Trajectory
In 2008, Kleiner Perkins offered US$7.1 million in Series A funding, which helped the company to operate in the initial phase. In 2009, business got broadened to Europe through hiring of the local talents. Later in 2010, Kleiner Perkins and Sherpalo Ventures offered US $8 million in Series B funding and enabled it to flourish in the market. In 2011, it took over Sprout, a mobile advertising solutions provider based in the USA. This acquisition went further when in 2012, it obtained ownership of a start-up company, MMTG Labs, which belongs to San Francisco and maintains the Facebook apps marketplace Appbistro.
In 2012, the world’s largest mobile native advertising exchange powered by the Rubicon Project was introduced and in 2015, it partnered monetarily with APUS group from China. Such milestones led InMobi to become the second unicorn company in India in 2016. In 2017, it took over AerServ, a premium inventory and audience monetization technology for mobile publishers. Further in 2018, it collaborated with Microsoft Corp to pursue new generation CMOs to transfer from digital to mobile marketing. Moreover, in 2019, it attained the control of Roposo, a short video content platform.
| Year | Milestones |
| 2008 | Series A funding of US$7.1 |
| 2009 | Business expansion to Europe |
| 2010 | Series B funding of US$8 million |
| 2011 | Ownership of Sprout |
| 2012 | MMTG Labs ownership |
| 2014 | Launching new technology |
| 2015 | Partnership with APUS group |
| 2016 | Got the status of a second unicorn company |
| 2017 | AerServ acquisition |
| 2018 | Partnership with Microsoft Corp |
| 2019 | Roposo ownership |
Business Outlook and Key Principles
Naveen Tewari has been a major force behind blooming startups in India. Besides, Due to his strategic business approach and mindset, he achieved great business success. Here are the key philosophies that led to his foundation as a successful businessman and entrepreneur.
- Entrepreneurial Flair: Driven by harnessing technology to find creative solutions to prominent issues, thus fostering a meaningful change in society. Moreover, his business approach is unique, committed to serving customers by prioritizing their requirements.
- Management and Leadership: He is well known for his remarkable leadership by offering a collaborative working environment, building a productive work culture, and encouraging his teams to innovate and bring transformation.
- Inspiration: Naveen is an inspiring business leader for this generation due to his innovative business approach and his vision towards empowering startups. His successful business ventures are the outcome of his creative talents, resilience, and business excellence.
Note: In the INSIGHTS series podcast, he shared various business leadership insights related to the co-founder’s role in building morale among employees, connecting them to the common vision, and creating a work culture, productive for employees instrumental in their startup journey.
Naveen Tewari Net Worth
As per the information available in prominent media platforms, Naveen Tewari Net worth is approx. ₹1,668 crores.
Awards
For his business expertise and entrepreneurial talent, he is recognized with multiple awards. In 2013, he received the Pathbreaker of the Year Award, given by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi. Then, in the same year, he was recognized as the 7th Most Important Person in the Mobile Power List of renowned publication Business Insider. Additionally, he got the ‘Distinguished Alumnus Award’ for entrepreneurship excellence, presented by the Indian Institute of Technology(IIT), Kanpur.
| Year | Award |
| 2013 | Pathbreaker of the Year Award |
| 2013 | Distinguished Alumnus Award |
| 2013 | 7th Most Important Person in Business Insider’s Mobile Power List |
| 2014 | Forbes India Leadership Award |
| 2015 | Future Leaders Award |
| 2016 | 15th on the ‘World’s Top 50 Innovative Companies 2016 |
Later in 2014, he received the Forbes India Leadership Award in the category of ‘Outstanding Start-Up’ and in 2015, he achieved the Future Leaders Award from the hand of Narendra Modi, Indian Prime Minister. In 2016, he was listed as 15th on ‘World’s Top 50 Innovative Companies 2016’, presented by Fast Company.
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