In a surprising turn of events, social media users in India were left stranded after the promising microblogging platform Koo, hailed as an alternative to Twitter, announced its closure. The platform, launched in 2020 with messaging in over 10 Indian languages, gained popularity in 2021 following government controversies with Twitter.
The platform’s downfall was attributed to funding shortages and high technology costs, ultimately leading to its shutdown. Many government officials and supporters had migrated to Koo during the tumultuous times, catapulting its downloads to 20 million by the end of 2021.
Despite talks of potential partnerships and acquisitions, Koo was unable to secure the necessary funding to sustain its operations. In a bold move, the founders fired 30% of the workforce due to financial constraints, signaling the end of the once-promising platform.