Entrepreneur Stories
The Viral Potato – The Story Of How A Potato Went Viral
At a time when sending mails has become quite an outdated means of communications, the internet world has been looking at enabling new forms of sending messages to the ones you love. Taking a page from the extremely successful idea, the Potato Parcel (based out of the United States,) a young couple, Simran and Nav, came up with a similar startup called The Viral Potato! Remember when you were a kid and sent secret notes of love to the person on whom you were crushing? The Viral Potato took this concept and turned it into an online business. The only difference? Instead of sending the love messages through notes, they send the messages on potatoes!
Picture credits: TheViralPotato
Two years ago, when Nav saw how successful the Potato Parcel was as a business, he knew he had a unique business. However, the idea was put to bed for a while and when the young couple returned to India, a random potato in the office pantry sparked it again. A scrawled number on a discarded potato inspired Nav to give birth to The Viral Potato and selling one potato at a time, the startup started picking speed. However, while sending messages on potatoes may seem like a romantic venture, the fact that potatoes could go bad was a problem which had to be factored into the equation.
Fortunately, the team had a solution for the rotten potatoes. Now, the team source special type of potatoes called “pahadhi potatoes” and ensure the vegetables they source last for 4 to 6 weeks! Once they reach their natural state of decay, the team sends replacement magnets and products as placeholders for these messages.
Picture credits: TheViralPotato
Using their individual savings as a roster for The Viral Potato, Simran and Nav have a wide array of services they provide under the umbrella of The Viral Potato. Ask them about their business plan and Nav says, “We are bootstrapping the company with the money we saved from giving consultations to big companies for over 10 years. However, we are not closed to an investment opportunity and it would help us spread love on a potato much faster!”
With no immediate aim of switching to different vegetables, The Viral Potato team has plans of expanding their services from just providing love notes on Valentine’s Day to giving customers the option of sending special messages to their loved ones. The website is where you should go to buy these love potatoes, “We have a website where you can buy our potato boxes for as low as Rs. 99 (plus shipping!) We have different packages for various occasions which run all the way to Rs. 299!”
Picture credits: TheViralPotato
Simran and Nav have grand plans for where they see their startup going. Ask Nav about their future plans and he quips, “We are aware of the existence of The Potato Parcel and our plans are to be bigger and better than the original brand!” The Viral Potato aims at making the world a more loveable place, one potato at a time!
A decade ago, the success of a startup was measured largely by its ability to raise capital. Today, a different metric is gaining importance: the ability to generate meaningful exits for investors. Large stake sales by early backers are becoming increasingly common, not because growth opportunities have disappeared, but because India’s startup ecosystem is entering a more mature phase where capital is expected to complete its full cycle from investment to returns.
This evolution is particularly significant for consumer brands that have successfully blended technology, retail, and strong brand-building. Companies that were once viewed as high-risk startup bets are now attracting institutional investors capable of absorbing large transactions. Such developments indicate that these businesses are no longer being valued solely on future potential; they are increasingly being assessed on operational performance, market leadership, and long-term profitability. In many ways, investor exits are becoming a validation of a company’s ability to create lasting enterprise value.
The broader implication extends beyond a single company or investor. Successful exits encourage more global capital to enter India’s startup ecosystem because they demonstrate that liquidity opportunities exist at scale. As more venture-backed companies approach public listings, secondary transactions, or strategic investments, the focus of founders and investors alike may shift from chasing headline valuations to building durable businesses. The next chapter of India’s startup journey will likely be defined not just by the creation of unicorns, but by the creation of companies capable of delivering sustained returns to all stakeholders.
Apple has unveiled the new MacBook Air with M5 chip, starting at $999 for 13-inch and $1,299 for 15-inch models. The MacBook Air M5 boasts a 2nm M5 chip with 12-core CPU, 18-core GPU, and 50 TOPS Neural Engine for seamless AI tasks like real-time translation and 8K editing. Up to 22 hours of battery life, Thunderbolt 5, and Wi-Fi 7 make it the ultimate ultraportable, now 10% thinner at 0.44 inches with fanless cooling.
Key MacBook Air M5 features include Liquid Retina XDR display (500 nits, nano-texture option), 12MP Center Stage camera, and six-speaker Spatial Audio. Colors like new Sky Blue join Midnight and Starlight. Pre-orders are live today, with macOS Sequoia 15.4 enhancing Apple Intelligence and iPhone Continuity for students, pros, and remote workers.
Why buy MacBook Air M5 now? It outpaces Snapdragon X Elite rivals with ecosystem magic and future-proof performance, eyeing top 2026 laptop sales. CEO Tim Cook calls it “more capable than ever.” Visit apple.com for M5 MacBook deals and specs.
Delhi NCR-based gaming startup Zupee has acquired Mumbai-based microdrama platform Vertical TV in a deal valued under INR 40 Cr. This move strengthens Zupee Studio, its short-video arm launched in September 2025, by integrating Vertical TV’s expertise in bite-sized dramas like romance and thrillers.
Facing challenges from India’s 2025 real-money gaming ban, Zupee valued at $1 Bn after raising $120 Mn has pivoted to non-gaming content, including recent layoffs of 40% of its workforce. The acquisition builds on its November 2025 purchase of Australian AI firm Nucanon for interactive storytelling, targeting its 200 Mn+ users with engaging, mobile-first formats.
This deal underscores the rising microdrama trend in India, helping Zupee diversify amid regulatory pressures and compete in the short-video space dominated by quick, shareable content for on-the-go audiences.
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