We first met Murugavel Janakiraman founder and CEO of Matrimony.com in Chennai in 2007. He had a big vision to leverage mobile and online channels to bring exponential orders of efficiency to the problem of matchmaking for Indians globally. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund Human Rights Council, ABC News, as of 2016, 88.40% of marriages in India are arranged, with approximately 107 million unmarried individuals in India within the marriageable age bracket. With the public offering of Matrimony.com, the market has recognized Murugavel and his team for building the leading online matrimony network and helping millions of consumers realize their dream of finding the perfect partner.
Matrimony.com is an early example of the Mayfield belief in network effects businesses. Network effects is defined as a phenomenon whereby a product or service gains additional value as more people use it. It has driven the growth of many technology companies starting with Microsoft in the 70s through current leaders such as Google, Facebook, and Slack. Current Mayfield companies who are leveraging this model include Lyft, the premier ride-sharing company, Poshmark, the largest social fashion ecommerce marketplace, and Alignable, the largest online small business network.
However, this has been more than a labor of love – demanding focus, patience and perseverance from the team. We are honored to be their partner and wish them well for the next phase of their journey.
