Knocksense

What Knocksense does

Knocksense Media Services Private Limited is a private, Lucknow-headquartered digital media company founded in 2016 that operates a city-first hyperlocal content platform covering five Indian cities — Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Indore, Kanpur, and Mumbai. The platform publishes city-specific editorial content across categories including education, environment, food and nightlife, health and wellness, lifestyle and culture, events, and local news, targeting urban residents in Tier II and Tier III cities who seek locally relevant content that national media under-serves. The company's primary revenue mechanism is advertising, monetizing through hyperlocal brand partnerships and the Screenpe sub-brand, a digital noticeboard platform deployed in residential societies, offices, and public spaces with 100+ active screens and 1M+ monthly reach across 2+ cities.

The underlying technology is a web-based content management and publishing platform paired with Screenpe's in-house built digital noticeboard system featuring a central dashboard for screen management and community-first content delivery. Distribution runs through the Knocksense website, social media channels, and physical Screenpe displays in residential and commercial spaces, with go-to-market organized around community-led audience building and direct partnerships with residential societies and local brands rather than enterprise sales motions. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, and Screenpe advertising is positioned as a way for brands to "connect with neighbourhoods, not just audiences," targeting SMB and mid-market advertisers seeking community-level reach.

Knocksense has raised $1 million in cumulative pre-Series A funding across multiple tranches in 2023-2024 from investors including Nitish Mittersain (founder of Nazara Technologies), Lucky Ali, and Venture Catalysts, with capital directed at geographic and product expansion. The company is founder-led by Varul Mayank and Vibhore Mayank, operates with 11-50 employees, and has no parent company or public listing. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed, and there is no evidence of AI/ML capabilities, patents, or external technology partnerships in the source data.

Name

Knocksense

Legal name

Knocksense Media Services Private Limited

Website

https://knocksense.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Knocksense is a Lucknow-based digital media company operating a hyperlocal content platform covering five Indian Tier II cities, serving urban residents with city-specific news and events while monetizing via Screenpe digital noticeboard advertising in residential and office spaces.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hyperlocal Digital Media

NAICS

Indoor and Outdoor Display Advertising (54185), Media Buying Agencies (54183)

SIC

Services-Advertising (7310), Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) Screens & Networks (BPAFALAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Digital Signage & Commercial Displays (HDACADAL)

Keywords

• Hyperlocal content platform
• Digital media publishing
• Digital noticeboard advertising
• City-focused media
• Community engagement platforms

Headquarters

HQ city

Lucknow

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Screenpe Advertising: Screenpe monetizes screens with relevant brand communication, enabling hyperlocal advertising for brands targeting residential and community spaces.
2. Brand Partnerships: Helping brands connect with neighbourhoods, not just audiences, through hyperlocal advertising and community-focused campaigns.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Knocksense owns and operates a hyperlocal digital content platform delivering city-specific editorial coverage across Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Indore, Kanpur, and Mumbai. It also offers Screenpe, a digital noticeboard and hyperlocal advertising platform installed in residential societies, offices, and public spaces, enabling brands to reach neighbourhood audiences via centrally managed digital screens.

Product overview

Knocksense operates as a city-first media and community platform with a multi-product portfolio. The core product is the Knocksense hyperlocal content platform covering cities like Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Indore, Kanpur, and Mumbai. It offers city-specific content across categories including Education & Career, Environment, Food & Nightlife, Health & Wellness, Lifestyle & Culture, Events, and News. A key sub-product is Screenpe, a digital noticeboard and advertising platform for residential societies and public spaces. The platform also encompasses service offerings in City Media, Community Platforms, Brand Partnerships, and Events & Experiences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Screenpe: A next-gen digital noticeboard and advertising platform designed to transform residential societies, offices, and public spaces into connected, informed, and revenue-enabled communities. Features 100+ active screens across 2+ cities with 1M+ monthly reach.

Products and services

• Knocksense Hyperlocal Content Platform A city-first media and community digital content platform delivering hyperlocal news, events, food, lifestyle, and culture coverage across Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Indore, Kanpur, and Mumbai, targeted at urban residents of Tier II Indian cities.
• Screenpe Digital Noticeboard Platform A next-gen digital noticeboard and advertising platform installed in residential societies, offices, and public spaces, featuring smart noticeboards, hyperlocal advertising capabilities, and a central dashboard for screen management.
• Brand Partnerships and Hyperlocal Advertising Advertising and partnership solutions enabling brands to connect with neighbourhoods rather than broad audiences, leveraging Knocksense's editorial platform and Screenpe's 100+ digital screens across Indian cities.
• Events and Experiences On-ground events and experiential moments that turn Indian cities into communities, aligned with Knocksense's youth engagement and city-first positioning.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100+ Active Screens deployed
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Screenpe PartnersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBusiness partnerships for advertising, Screenpe digital screens, and other business-related discussions are handled through [email protected] contact.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• NDTV: Major Indian digital news and city content publisher with extensive city coverage and advertising operations; competing for the same urban ad dollar in cities Knocksense operates in.
• Times OOH: Indian OOH/DOOH advertising arm with a large national screen network; directly comparable infrastructure business to Screenpe, operating at greater scale and broader geographic reach.
• HT Media (Hindustan Times): Large Indian media house with city editions and a strong digital hyperlocal footprint across metros; comparable in targeting ad spend at a city level, but with deeper resources and broader audience.
• Laqshya Media Group: One of India's largest OOH/DOOH media companies with extensive inventory across airports, transit and urban environments; directly analogous business model to Screenpe's screen-based advertising approach in India.
• JCDecaux: Global leader in out-of-home advertising, including DOOH; useful comparator for Screenpe as a digital screen network, though operating at vastly larger scale and across international markets.

Emerging players

• YourStory: Indian digital media platform (startups/sector stories) and partner network; overlaps with Knocksense through digital-native content-to-brand monetization, though focused on the startup/tech vertical rather than city lifestyle.

Direct peers

• Little Black Book (LBB): Urban discovery and hyperlocal lifestyle platform focused on city living, events, food and culture across India — directly comparable to Knocksense's city-first community content play.
• EazyDiner: City-restaurant discovery and booking platform operating across multiple Indian metros; both serve advertisers and partners looking to reach affluent urban audiences in specific cities, mirroring Knocksense's hyperlocal ad inventory model.
• CityShor: Indian hyperlocal events and city-life platform catering to Tier I/II audiences; overlapping use cases around events coverage, local discovery and city targeting for brand partners.
• Local Samosa: Indian city-by-city hyperlocal digital content and storytelling platform covering local culture, food and lifestyle in multiple Indian cities — the closest direct comparison to Knocksense's editorial offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.knocksense.com%2F
• Xx.com/knocksensein

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds7 records

Investors8 records

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Knocksense