Anooja Bashir, a trailblazing entrepreneur hailing from Kochi, has defied societal expectations and charted her own course in the realm of business. Despite familial pressure to follow in her father's bureaucratic footsteps or join her husband's family enterprises post-marriage, Anooja embarked on a journey of entrepreneurship that would ultimately lead her to reshape the landscape of managed cloud hosting.
The path she chose was far from smooth. Her initial entrepreneurial endeavors faced setbacks, resulting in mounting debts. However, Anooja's unwavering determination propelled her forward. Her third venture, a tech startup, emerged as a beacon of hope amidst the challenges, showcasing the power of perseverance.
A Civil Engineer by training, Anooja's role as the CEO and Chief Marketing Officer of FlexiCloud, a pioneering venture she co-founded with Vinod Chacko, a former colleague, and seasoned tech expert, is a testament to her visionary leadership.
Headquartered in Kakkanad, Kochi, FlexiCloud stands as an innovative platform, revolutionizing shared hosting solutions. The company caters to startups, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and server message blocks (SMBs), ensuring their access to robust backups, an impressive 99 percent uptime, and robust server security. The clientele spans various digital businesses, particularly those in the e-commerce and high-traffic sectors.
Since its inception in 2020, FlexiCloud has grown exponentially, amassing 1,500 paid subscribers. The company's revenue model is subscription-based, with a range of plans tailored to meet the diverse needs of its clients.
FlexiCloud's distinctive edge lies in its provision of managed cloud hosting solutions, granting clients flexibility in choosing servers and locations. Following the Platform as a Service (PAAS) model, FlexiCloud addresses the complexities of the hosting landscape with finesse.
Anooja Bashir's strategic prowess has been instrumental in shaping FlexiCloud's success. Reflecting on the company's approach, she shares, "Hosting is a cluttered space. There are many small players. What makes us different is the way we created our product as per market requirements,".
Anooja's entrepreneurial journey has been one of evolution. Prior to FlexiCloud, her venture Ourea transitioned into a martech company, a venture she spearheaded alongside Vinod Chacko, who served as its Director and COO.
The creation of FlexiCloud was driven by Vinod's expertise as a cloud consultant, which underscored the significance of managed cloud hosting in addressing prevalent pain points. At its core, FlexiCloud acknowledges the critical need for digital businesses to have a dedicated hosting partner, one that expertly manages their server and hosting concerns.
Anooja elaborates, "While hosting normal services, websites and applications go through issues like slow loading, downtime issues, cyber-attacks, and security issues. Sometimes it isn't easy to retrieve the data and content of the website once hacked. Moving to cloud space helps digital businesses to an extent but startups, SMEs, and SMBs, they cannot afford to have an in-house team to manage the cloud servers. Resorting to experts in the cloud space again is costly for SMBs, SMEs, and startups. Our platform helps them", Anooja said.
FlexiCloud's impact extends beyond geographical boundaries, with clients spanning 20 countries. The company continues to expand its global footprint, aiming to deepen its reach in the international market.
However, Anooja's role goes beyond being a business leader. She is a fervent advocate for diversity, a mentor to startups, and an influencer on LinkedIn. Her multifaceted identity is underscored by her commitment to fostering opportunities for women, the LGBT+ community, and individuals with disabilities.
Anooja's brainchild, NEED, is a testament to her dedication to diversity promotion. NEED focuses on creating avenues for underrepresented groups through networking events, mentorship, and training sessions.
"I believe that empathy is very important in life, especially in business. I try to create opportunities for women, the LGBT+ community, and individuals with disabilities", she said, in a world where innovation and inclusion are paramount, Anooja Bashir's journey stands as an inspiring testament to the transformative power of entrepreneurship and the unwavering commitment to making a positive impact. Through FlexiCloud and her advocacy efforts, she continues to reshape industries and empower voices that have long been marginalized.