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Hashtag Turns 10! #HappyBirthdayHashtag
It’s been 10 years since hashtags were first introduced to the world! Although the symbol ‘#’ has been around since maybe the invention of the keyboard itself, the use of the character to join a conversation on social media is now 10 years old.
Born only a decade ago, an average of 125 million hashtags are now shared on Twitter every single day. First invented by Chris Messina, a Google engineer at the time, hashtags were meant to be the pointy prefix to a word at the end of a message. The idea was to use hashtags as a handy way of separating messages into easily searchable terms for groups, themes or topics. While a similar concept existed in chatrooms, he was the first one to consider using the character on the powerful and scalable social media platforms. He brought a group together using the hashtag #barcamp.
how do you feel about using # (pound) for groups. As in #barcamp [msg]?
— ⌗ChrisMessina (@chrismessina) August 23, 2007
The most used hashtag in 2007 was used around 9000 times whereas the most used hashtag in 2017 so far has been used over 300 million times. Ever since its humble start on Twitter, it has also been ever present on Facebook and its absence would make Instagram all but unusable.
The term hashtag was coined by blogger Stowe Boyd, three days after Messina’s message, who found it a perfect distillation of his own idea of “groupings” or “ad hoc assemblages of people sharing a common interest implied by a tag.” Interestingly, the hashtag was not ‘invented’ for Twitter but for the Internet in general. Slowly, the world caught on to the idea of grouping and the first big hashtag campaign was started in October that year. Following a fire that had broken out in California, Nate Ridder tried to collect reports regarding the fire using the hashtag #sandiegofire which allowed many people to understand the utility of the slanted grid.
To celebrate 10 glorious years of hashtag’s uniting people all over the world, let’s take a look at what are some of the most used hashtags.
The most tweeted television show of all times is not Game of Thrones but #TheWalkingDead, while the most tweeted about the movie is #StarWars.
The first international movement mobilized on Twitter to bring people together to work towards creating a fairer society for black people was the #BlackLivesMatter movement.
The color of a dress was turned into a huge scientific experiment about how humans see color. The color of #TheDress still is a huge debate. It all started with a photo of a dress and whether it was black and blue or white and gold.
A United Nations Women’s Campaign for gender equality was started in 2014 with the aim to inspire men to understand and end inequalities experienced by women. #HeForShe turned into a platform for people to express their own battles with gender inequality in everyday life and campaign for change.
In 2017, one of the most popular hashtags was started by Carter Wilkerson in an attempt to get free chicken nuggets from Wendys. #nuggsforcarter beat Ellen Degeneres’ Oscar selfie with 3.42 million retweets!
Rozana, India’s leading rural retail platform, has secured ₹290 crore ($35 million) in a Series B funding round led by Bertelsmann India Investments (BII), with participation from Omidyar Network India, Vivid Capital, and Tana Investment Holding. This Rozana funding brings its total capital to over ₹500 crore, fueling hyperlocal expansion in underserved rural markets. Founded in 2021 by brothers Prashant and Prateek Chauhan, the startup’s phygital model blends micro-stores, app-based ordering, and last-mile delivery to connect 5 million+ users in 12 states with brands like ITC and HUL.
The ₹290 crore investment will supercharge Rozana’s rural omnichannel retail strategy, targeting 5x growth in 18 months. Plans include adding 5,000 micro-stores in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Rajasthan; AI-powered inventory tech; and new categories like groceries and electronics. By empowering 20,000+ rural micro-entrepreneurs, Rozana taps into India’s $700 billion rural retail boom, where smartphone penetration and UPI drive 12% annual growth.
This Rozana Series B milestone positions it as a frontrunner against rivals like Ninjacart, eyeing unicorn status by 2028 amid ONDC tailwinds. CEO Prashant Chauhan emphasized, “We’re building rural prosperity through accessible premium brands.” For more on Rozana funding news and rural retail trends, stay updated on India’s startup ecosystem.
Peak XV Partners has launched three new funds totaling $1.3 billion, targeting India’s booming startup ecosystem. The lineup features the $600M Surge fund (8th edition) for early-stage ventures, a $300M Growth Fund for Series B+ scaling, and a $400M Acceleration Fund for rapid portfolio expansion. This commitment arrives as India’s VC inflows rebound, with AI and fintech leading 2026 trends.
These funds build on Peak XV’s legacy of backing unicorns like Zomato and Pine Labs, offering founders capital plus strategic guidance amid post-winter recovery. Early-stage deals surged 20% last year per Tracxn, positioning Peak XV to fuel the next wave of innovation in SaaS, climate tech, and consumer plays.
For startups eyeing Peak XV new funds or Surge fund 2026 applications, this signals prime opportunities. Investors and marketers should watch for deployment updates India remains a global VC hotspot.
Hyderabad, January 13, 2026 Neeman’s, India’s leading D2C footwear brand famed for sustainable shoes and patented PIXLL® technology, has raised $4 million from existing investors. This funding boosts its cumulative capital past $10 million since 2015, with a post-money valuation nearing $50 million. CEO Vijay Chahoria emphasized offline retail as the “next frontier,” planning 50+ new stores in Tier 2/3 cities like Jaipur and Lucknow to blend eco-friendly innovation with hands-on customer experiences.
In India’s booming D2C ecosystem where footwear sales hit ₹1.2 lakh crore in 2025 Neeman’s targets hybrid retail amid high online CAC and 25-30% returns. Backed by vegan, machine-washable shoes priced ₹2,000-4,000, the brand leverages PIXLL® (5x more breathable than leather) for carbon-neutral comfort. Recent 5x revenue growth to ₹100 crore ARR, 1M+ pairs sold via Myntra and stores, and awards at India D2C Summit 2025 position it ahead of rivals like Paaduks.
Neeman’s offline expansion India eyes the $15B sustainable footwear market by 2028, fueled by PLI schemes, Gen Z’s 70% eco-preference (Nielsen), and Southeast Asia exports. Challenges like real estate costs are offset by data-driven inventory and omnichannel QR tech. Watch for Q1 2026 launches in Hyderabad and Bengaluru redefining D2C success through authentic, “Wear the Change” branding.
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