In 2007, long before India’s startup ecosystem found its global footing, Naveen Tewari took a bold step into a then-uncharted territory — mobile advertising. What began as a small experiment in a Bengaluru apartment became India’s first unicorn, InMobi, a global leader in mobile ad technology.
At a time when smartphones were just beginning to reshape digital behavior, Tewari saw an opportunity: advertising tailored to mobile screens. With co-founders Amit Gupta, Abhay Singhal, and Mohit Saxena, he built a platform that enabled brands to reach users directly on their mobile devices — personalized, measurable, and efficient.
Fast forward to 2025, InMobi now powers ad experiences on 1.6 billion+ devices across 190 countries, generating $500 million in annual revenue. It stands as one of the few Indian startups to achieve and sustain global scale while maintaining a strong technological edge.
InMobi’s core strength lies in its AI-driven personalization engine — analyzing massive data sets to deliver relevant, context-aware ads to users worldwide. The platform doesn’t just display ads; it understands who the user is, what they might need, and when to engage them — all while maintaining user privacy standards.
The company operates through three major verticals:
- InMobi Marketing Cloud, which offers AI-powered advertising and media monetization tools.
- Glance, its content discovery platform that delivers personalized news, entertainment, and commerce experiences directly on mobile lock screens — reaching over 400 million users.
- TruFactor, a data intelligence arm that powers safe, anonymized insights for marketers and telecom operators.
InMobi’s evolution reflects a deep understanding of digital behavior across emerging markets. Its “global-first, India-rooted” philosophy helped it thrive in markets like Southeast Asia, the U.S., and Latin America — adapting to local cultures while staying ahead of global advertising trends.
Becoming a unicorn in 2011, InMobi achieved something no Indian startup had done before: building world-class technology for a global audience. It paved the way for other Indian startups to think beyond domestic markets.
In the years since, Naveen Tewari and his team have consistently pushed boundaries — experimenting with AI, machine learning, and programmatic advertising to enhance campaign performance for global brands. By offering advertisers transparency, precision targeting, and measurable outcomes, InMobi has earned partnerships with some of the world’s largest companies.
Its focus on privacy and responsible data usage has also become a defining factor in a post-GDPR world. Through TruFactor, InMobi ensures compliance while enabling secure, insight-driven marketing.
The company’s success also underscores India’s emergence as a global innovation hub, not just a service economy. InMobi’s ability to compete with Silicon Valley giants like Google and Meta in mobile advertising remains one of India’s biggest startup achievements.
For Tewari, the mission extends beyond business — it’s about creating technology that connects people meaningfully. Whether through Glance’s personalized content or AI-powered ad solutions, InMobi continues to shape the future of digital engagement.
By combining data intelligence, creativity, and AI innovation, InMobi stands as proof that Indian technology can lead — not just follow — in the global digital economy.
Last Updated on Saturday, October 25, 2025 11:50 pm by The Entrepreneur Today Desk
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