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Billion Hearts

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uuid0000wyh

Namestring
Billion Hearts
Legal namestring
Billion Hearts Software Technologies Private Limited
Websiteurl
billionhearts.com
Company typeenum
Private
Founded yearint
2024
Descriptiontext

Billion Hearts Software Technologies Private Limited is a Bangalore-based, privately held consumer technology company founded on August 29, 2024 by serial entrepreneur Mayank Bidawatka, the former co-founder of the now-defunct Indian social media platform Koo. The company's stated mission is to build simple, joyful digital consumer products for global markets, with the explicit ambition of creating Indian brands that are recognized and used internationally. Billion Hearts operates as a parent brand (represented by an elephant mascot named 'Happy') intended to incubate multiple product sub-brands over time.

The company's first product is PicSee, an AI-powered mobile photo-sharing application launched in October 2025. PicSee uses facial recognition technology to automatically identify friends in photos and exchange relevant images without manual requests, addressing the problem of users missing photos taken of them at events and gatherings. The app is differentiated by a privacy-first architecture: photos are stored locally on user devices rather than in the cloud, end-to-end encryption secures transfers, and screenshots are blocked. PicSee is distributed globally through the Apple App Store and Google Play Store under an open beta subscription model. Within three months of launch, the app grew from 25 to over 1,875 users across 27 countries, with primary adoption in India and secondary presence in the US, UK, Japan, Germany, and France.

Billion Hearts is funded by a $250,000 angel round (September 2024) from 13 investors including founders of redBus, Ola, Myntra, InMobi, and Flipkart, and a $4 million seed round (November 2024) led by Blume Ventures with participation from General Catalyst (represented by Neeraj Arora, ex-CBO of WhatsApp) and Athera Venture Partners. The company employs a small team of 11–50 individuals focused on engineering, product, and design, and follows a product-led growth motion targeting global smartphone consumers through app store distribution and organic social media channels.

Short descriptiontext

Billion Hearts Software Technologies, founded in 2024 by former Koo co-founder Mayank Bidawatka, builds AI-powered digital consumer products for global markets. Its flagship product PicSee uses facial recognition to automate mutual photo sharing among friends, with privacy-first local storage and end-to-end encryption.

Operating statusenum
Operating
Ownership categoryenum
Headcount rangeband
1–10
akta.pro rankint
HeadquartersBangalore, India
HQ citystring
Bangalore
HQ countrystring
India
HQ regionstring
Asia
Markets served

Serves global market

Keyword5 values
photo sharing app, AI photo exchange, facial recognition app, consumer mobile app, privacy-first sharing
Product category
Consumer Photo Sharing App
GTM motion2 records

Each record includes

Type, Description, Source

Revenue model1 record
1Subscription-based App
TypeSubscription Recurring
Description

The company is developing a consumer application with a beta subscription model. Specific pricing tiers and monetization details are not yet publicly disclosed.

economictimes.indiatimes.com
Marketing channels6 records

Each record includes

Title, Type, Stage, Description, Source

Distribution channels2 records

Each record includes

Title, Type, Scope, Target buyer, Description, Source

Cost components5 values
Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
GTM typeB2C
B2C
Offering typeSoftware
Software
Brand1 record
1PicSee
Description

AI-powered photo sharing app that uses facial recognition to automate mutual photo sharing among friends, with privacy features such as no cloud storage and end-to-end encryption.

billionhearts.com
Core offering1 text field

Billion Hearts develops and operates PicSee, a consumer mobile application that uses AI-powered facial recognition to automate mutual photo sharing among friends. Photos are stored locally on devices rather than in the cloud, with end-to-end encryption for transfers and screenshot blocking to protect privacy. The app is offered via a beta subscription model and distributed globally through the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

Differentiator
Functional benefit
Problem solved
Quantifiable outcome1 value
  • User growth from 25 to 1,875 users within three months of launch
Product overview1 text field

Billion Hearts Software Technologies is a digital consumer products company founded by serial entrepreneur Mayank Bidawatka on August 29, 2024. The company operates as a parent brand (represented by its elephant mascot named 'Happy') under which it develops multiple global digital products. Currently, the company's primary product is PicSee, an AI-powered photo sharing application that uses facial recognition technology to automate photo sharing among friends. PicSee is available on both iOS (App Store) and Android (Google Play) platforms, positioning itself as a privacy-focused alternative to mainstream photo sharing services.

Product and service1 record
1PicSee
CategoryConsumer Photo Sharing App
Description

PicSee is an AI-powered photo sharing mobile application designed for individual smartphone users. It uses facial recognition to automatically identify friends in photos and exchange relevant photos among friend groups, eliminating the need for manual sharing. Photos are stored locally on the user's device with end-to-end encryption and screenshot prevention, positioning the app as a privacy-focused alternative to WhatsApp and Google Photos. It is available on iOS App Store and Google Play Store and is offered on a subscription basis.

Scale indicator3 records

Each record includes

Type, Value, Description, Source

Recent move5 records

Each record includes

Date, Type, Title, Description, Source

Expansion highlight4 records

Each record includes

Type, Description

Peers10 records
1WhatsApp
TypeOthers
2BeReal
TypeDirect peer
Description

BeReal is a direct peer — a consumer mobile app that uses photo sharing between friends with anti-curation, time-window mechanics. BeReal's friend-group photo exchange overlaps with PicSee's mutual photo sharing use case, though BeReal emphasizes real-time over AI matching.

3iCloud Photos
TypeBroad incumbent
Description

iCloud Photos (with Shared Library and Advanced Data Protection) is a broad incumbent for cross-device photo sync and sharing on Apple's ecosystem. PicSee's local-storage and E2E encryption position it as a privacy-first alternative for cross-platform smartphone users.

4Google Photos
TypeBroad incumbent
Description

Google Photos is a broad incumbent — the dominant cloud photo management and sharing platform with billions of users and advanced AI features. PicSee explicitly positions against Google Photos' privacy and sharing limitations.

5Locket Widget
TypeDirect peer
Description

Locket is a direct peer — a mobile widget/app that lets friends send photos directly to each other's home screens. Both PicSee and Locket target the same 'see unseen photos from friends' use case with mutual-share mechanics and consumer mobile distribution.

6Telegram
TypeBroad incumbent
Description

Telegram is a broad incumbent in messaging with strong photo-sharing and privacy features (Secret Chats with E2E encryption). It competes with PicSee for the same 'private friend photo exchange' use case, especially for tech-savvy consumer segments.

7Snap Inc.
TypeDirect peer
Description

Snapchat is a direct peer in private friend-to-friend photo sharing with disappearing content and AR/computer-vision features. While broader in scope, Snapchat's core photo-messaging mechanic overlaps directly with PicSee's mutual photo-sharing value proposition.

8Popsy
TypeEmerging player
Description

Popsy is an emerging player focused on automated photo curation and storytelling using AI/computer vision on user photo libraries. Both Popsy and PicSee leverage on-device AI to surface and organize photos that users would otherwise miss.

9Apple AirDrop
TypeDirect peer
Description

Apple AirDrop is a direct peer for local, peer-to-peer photo sharing with privacy-preserving local transfer. Both PicSee and AirDrop address the use case of moving photos between nearby devices without cloud intermediation.

10Instagram
TypeBroad incumbent
Description

Instagram is a broad incumbent in photo sharing and social discovery. While PicSee targets private friend-group sharing (versus public broadcast), Instagram's Direct messaging and Close Friends features overlap with PicSee's use case for event and group photos.

Market position
Strengths5 records

Each record includes

Headline, Details, Source

Weaknesses5 records

Each record includes

Headline, Details, Source

Competitive moat4 records

Each record includes

Type, Details

Key risks6 records

Each record includes

Headline, Details, Source

Key highlights7 records

Each record includes

Headline, Details, Source

Customer concentration

Classification, Details

Segment1 record

Each record includes

Title, Type, Primary, Description, Pain point addressed, Use case, Source

Ideal customer profile1 record

Each record includes

Profile, Firmographic size, Sales motion, Sales cycle length, Buying structure, Purchase trigger, Buyer persona, Geography, Industry vertical, Primary use case, Description, Pain points, Evidence proof points, Target buyer

Technology focused
Yes
API detail
Has APIbool
No

Docs URL, Description

AI capability4 records

Each record includes

Type, Description, Source

AI maturity
App detail

Has app

Feature3 records

Each record includes

Title, Differentiator, Description, Source

Core technology
Revenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Number of profiles
Profiles1 record

Each record includes

Name, Designation, Designation category, Overview, Profile commentary, Source

No data
No data
Funding overview

Funding stage, Last funding date, Total funding USD

Funding rounds3 records

Each record includes

Round, Amount USD, Date, Pre money valuation, Total investors, Investors, News

Investors5 records

Each record includes

Name, Type, Date of entry, Rounds participated, Website

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Each record includes

Name, Acquisition type, Announced date, Completed date, Status, Website, News

Investment

Each record includes

Name, Round, Announced date, Lead investor, Website, News

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Billion Hearts

Consumer Photo Sharing Appbillionhearts.com

Billion Hearts Software Technologies, founded in 2024 by former Koo co-founder Mayank Bidawatka, builds AI-powered digital consumer products for global markets. Its flagship product PicSee uses facial recognition to automate mutual photo sharing among friends, with privacy-first local storage and end-to-end encryption.

What Billion Hearts does

Billion Hearts Software Technologies Private Limited is a Bangalore-based, privately held consumer technology company founded on August 29, 2024 by serial entrepreneur Mayank Bidawatka, the former co-founder of the now-defunct Indian social media platform Koo. The company's stated mission is to build simple, joyful digital consumer products for global markets, with the explicit ambition of creating Indian brands that are recognized and used internationally. Billion Hearts operates as a parent brand (represented by an elephant mascot named 'Happy') intended to incubate multiple product sub-brands over time.

The company's first product is PicSee, an AI-powered mobile photo-sharing application launched in October 2025. PicSee uses facial recognition technology to automatically identify friends in photos and exchange relevant images without manual requests, addressing the problem of users missing photos taken of them at events and gatherings. The app is differentiated by a privacy-first architecture: photos are stored locally on user devices rather than in the cloud, end-to-end encryption secures transfers, and screenshots are blocked. PicSee is distributed globally through the Apple App Store and Google Play Store under an open beta subscription model. Within three months of launch, the app grew from 25 to over 1,875 users across 27 countries, with primary adoption in India and secondary presence in the US, UK, Japan, Germany, and France.

Billion Hearts is funded by a $250,000 angel round (September 2024) from 13 investors including founders of redBus, Ola, Myntra, InMobi, and Flipkart, and a $4 million seed round (November 2024) led by Blume Ventures with participation from General Catalyst (represented by Neeraj Arora, ex-CBO of WhatsApp) and Athera Venture Partners. The company employs a small team of 11–50 individuals focused on engineering, product, and design, and follows a product-led growth motion targeting global smartphone consumers through app store distribution and organic social media channels.

Billion Hearts firmographics

Firmographics
Name
Billion Hearts
Legal name
Billion Hearts Software Technologies Private Limited
Website
https://billionhearts.com
Company type
Private
Founded year
2024
Operating status
Operating
Headcount range
1–10 employees
Short description
Billion Hearts Software Technologies, founded in 2024 by former Koo co-founder Mayank Bidawatka, builds AI-powered digital consumer products for global markets. Its flagship product PicSee uses facial recognition to automate mutual photo sharing among friends, with privacy-first local storage and end-to-end encryption.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Where Billion Hearts is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city
Bangalore
HQ country
India
HQ region
Asia

Markets served

Billion Hearts business model

Business model
GTM type
B2C
Offering type
Software
Cost components
Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

  1. Subscription-based App: The company is developing a consumer application with a beta subscription model. Specific pricing tiers and monetization details are not yet publicly disclosed.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Billion Hearts product offering

Product offering

Core offering

Billion Hearts develops and operates PicSee, a consumer mobile application that uses AI-powered facial recognition to automate mutual photo sharing among friends. Photos are stored locally on devices rather than in the cloud, with end-to-end encryption for transfers and screenshot blocking to protect privacy. The app is offered via a beta subscription model and distributed globally through the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

Product overview

Billion Hearts Software Technologies is a digital consumer products company founded by serial entrepreneur Mayank Bidawatka on August 29, 2024. The company operates as a parent brand (represented by its elephant mascot named 'Happy') under which it develops multiple global digital products. Currently, the company's primary product is PicSee, an AI-powered photo sharing application that uses facial recognition technology to automate photo sharing among friends. PicSee is available on both iOS (App Store) and Android (Google Play) platforms, positioning itself as a privacy-focused alternative to mainstream photo sharing services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

  • PicSee: AI-powered photo sharing app that uses facial recognition to automate mutual photo sharing among friends, with privacy features such as no cloud storage and end-to-end encryption.

Products and services

  • PicSee PicSee is an AI-powered photo sharing mobile application designed for individual smartphone users. It uses facial recognition to automatically identify friends in photos and exchange relevant photos among friend groups, eliminating the need for manual sharing. Photos are stored locally on the user's device with end-to-end encryption and screenshot prevention, positioning the app as a privacy-focused alternative to WhatsApp and Google Photos. It is available on iOS App Store and Google Play Store and is offered on a subscription basis.

Quantifiable outcome

  • User growth from 25 to 1,875 users within three months of launch

Companies that use Billion Hearts

Customer profile

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Billion Hearts technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API
No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature3 records

Billion Hearts partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Billion Hearts competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Others

Direct peers

  • BeReal: BeReal is a direct peer — a consumer mobile app that uses photo sharing between friends with anti-curation, time-window mechanics. BeReal's friend-group photo exchange overlaps with PicSee's mutual photo sharing use case, though BeReal emphasizes real-time over AI matching.
  • Locket Widget: Locket is a direct peer — a mobile widget/app that lets friends send photos directly to each other's home screens. Both PicSee and Locket target the same 'see unseen photos from friends' use case with mutual-share mechanics and consumer mobile distribution.
  • Snap Inc. Snapchat is a direct peer in private friend-to-friend photo sharing with disappearing content and AR/computer-vision features. While broader in scope, Snapchat's core photo-messaging mechanic overlaps directly with PicSee's mutual photo-sharing value proposition.
  • Apple AirDrop: Apple AirDrop is a direct peer for local, peer-to-peer photo sharing with privacy-preserving local transfer. Both PicSee and AirDrop address the use case of moving photos between nearby devices without cloud intermediation.

Broad incumbents

  • iCloud Photos: iCloud Photos (with Shared Library and Advanced Data Protection) is a broad incumbent for cross-device photo sync and sharing on Apple's ecosystem. PicSee's local-storage and E2E encryption position it as a privacy-first alternative for cross-platform smartphone users.
  • Google Photos: Google Photos is a broad incumbent — the dominant cloud photo management and sharing platform with billions of users and advanced AI features. PicSee explicitly positions against Google Photos' privacy and sharing limitations.
  • Telegram: Telegram is a broad incumbent in messaging with strong photo-sharing and privacy features (Secret Chats with E2E encryption). It competes with PicSee for the same 'private friend photo exchange' use case, especially for tech-savvy consumer segments.
  • Instagram: Instagram is a broad incumbent in photo sharing and social discovery. While PicSee targets private friend-group sharing (versus public broadcast), Instagram's Direct messaging and Close Friends features overlap with PicSee's use case for event and group photos.

Emerging players

  • Popsy: Popsy is an emerging player focused on automated photo curation and storytelling using AI/computer vision on user photo libraries. Both Popsy and PicSee leverage on-device AI to surface and organize photos that users would otherwise miss.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Billion Hearts social profiles

Digital presence

Billion Hearts financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Billion Hearts leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Billion Hearts funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors5 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Billion Hearts M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Billion Hearts

What does Billion Hearts do?

Billion Hearts develops and operates PicSee, a consumer mobile application that uses AI-powered facial recognition to automate mutual photo sharing among friends. Photos are stored locally on devices rather than in the cloud, with end-to-end encryption for transfers and screenshot blocking to protect privacy. The app is offered via a beta subscription model and distributed globally through the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

Is Billion Hearts a public or private company?

Billion Hearts is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.

When was Billion Hearts founded?

Billion Hearts was founded in 2024. It employs 1 to 10 people.

Where is Billion Hearts based?

Billion Hearts is headquartered in Bangalore, India, in the Asia region.

How does Billion Hearts make money?

One revenue line is on record: subscription-based App.

Who are Billion Hearts's main competitors?

WhatsApp is listed as an others. Direct peers are BeReal, Locket Widget, Snap Inc. and Apple AirDrop. Broad incumbents are iCloud Photos, Google Photos, Telegram and Instagram. Popsy is listed as an emerging player.

Does Billion Hearts have an API?

No public API is recorded for Billion Hearts.

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Live signals
BW DisruptKoo’s Mayank Bidawatka Shuts Photo‑Sharing App PicSeeKoo co-founder Mayank Bidawatka has shut down his photo-sharing startup PicSee, which launched in October 2025 under Billion Hearts Software Technologies, after failing to acquire sufficient users due to its requirement that entire friend groups join rather than individual users. The app used AI for facial recognition and operated a photo barter system, but could not achieve growth despite having monetization plans including premium subscriptions. Following the shutdown, Billion Hearts Software Technologies will return 65 percent of raised capital to investors including Blume Ventures, General Catalyst, and Athera Venture Partners.The Times of IndiaKoo cofounder Mayank Bidawatka shuts down new venture PicSee - The Economic TimesKoo cofounder Mayank Bidawatka has shut down his AI-powered photo-sharing app PicSee less than a year after launch, announcing the decision on LinkedIn after failing to achieve product-market fit. The startup will return approximately 65% of its $4.25 million seed funding to investors including General Catalyst, Athera Venture Partners, and Blume Ventures, with the parent company Billion Hearts winding down operations. This marks Bidawatka's second consecutive startup failure following the shutdown of vernacular microblogging platform Koo in July 2024.Storyboard18After Koo’s shutdown, Mayank Bidawatka launches AI-driven photo app ‘PicSee’ for effortless, private sharingMayank Bidawatka, former co-founder of the shut-down Koo platform, has launched PicSee, an AI-powered photo-sharing app developed by his new startup Billion Hearts Software Technologies, using a 'give to get' mutual sharing model with AI facial recognition. The app, soft-launched in July 2025, has achieved 75-fold growth in two months with users across 27 countries and 160 cities, and has exchanged over 150,000 photos. Billion Hearts is backed by $4 million in seed funding from Blume Ventures, General Catalyst, and Athera Venture Partners.Inc42Koo Cofounder Mayank Bidawatka Rolls Out Photo Sharing App PicSeeKoo cofounder Mayank Bidawatka has launched an AI-enabled mutual photo sharing app called PicSee on Google Play and Apple Store, under his new venture Billion Hearts Software Technologies. The app uses AI photo finder and face recognition technology to enable a photo barter system where users exchange photos with friends, featuring privacy controls including screenshot blocking and a 24-hour review window. Billion Hearts raised $4 million in seed funding nearly a year ago from Blume Ventures, General Catalyst, and Athera Venture Partners.BwdisruptKOO Co-founder Mayank Bidawatka Raises Rs 33 Cr For His New Venture Billion HeartsBillion Hearts, a stealth-mode startup founded by Koo co-founder Mayank Bidawatka, has secured Rs 33 crore ($4 million) in seed funding from Blume Ventures, General Catalyst, and Athera Venture Partners. The capital will support the development of a global smartphone application designed to deliver happiness and surprises to users, which has already attracted thousands of beta sign-ups.The Times of IndiaBillion Hearts: Koo cofounder Mayank Bidawatka raises $4 million for new consumer tech startup Billion Hearts - The Economic TimesBillion Hearts, a new consumer tech startup founded by Koo cofounder Mayank Bidawatka, has raised $4 million in a seed funding round led by Blume Ventures with participation from General Catalyst and Athera Venture Partners. The Bengaluru-based company plans to use the funds to build a global team and enhance its technology for a mobile app targeting underserved needs in the global smartphone market. The first product is scheduled for a beta launch early next year.Analytics India MagazineKoo Founder Mayank Bidawatka Raises $250K for New Venture Billion HeartsMayank Bidawatka, co-founder of the defunct Koo platform, has secured $250,000 in angel funding for his new stealth-mode startup, Billion Hearts Software Technologies. The venture aims to launch a consumer-facing application for global smartphone users by early 2025, backed by investors from prominent Indian tech companies like Ola, InMobi, and Flipkart. Bidawatka intends to capitalize on the multi-billion-dollar smartphone market while applying lessons learned from his previous entrepreneurial experience.YourStoryEx-Koo Co-founder's new venture Billion Hearts raises $250K in angel fundingBillion Hearts, the new venture founded by Koo co-founder Mayank Bidawatka, has raised $250,000 in an angel funding round. The startup is backed by 13 prominent Indian investors from companies such as redBus, Ola, and Flipkart, and is currently preparing for its official launch while accepting beta subscribers. This development follows the recent shutdown of Bidawatka's previous microblogging platform, Koo.LinkedInBidawatka joins Billion Hearts Software TechnologiesMayank Bidawatka, co-founder of the now-defunct microblogging platform Koo, is launching a new venture called Billion Hearts Software Technologies with a $250,000 angel investment raised from 13 angel investors including co-founders of other major companies. The startup aims to develop a consumer application targeting global smartphone users, with a beta version expected between December and January. The company plans to grow its team and focuses on creating innovative digital products in a major market segment.