Timbuckdo, a Bangalore-based startup in the student gig economy, successfully raised seed funding of INR 2,00,00,000 (USD 238,878) from two US-based angel investors, Morton Meyerson and Nandkishore (Andy) Kalambi.
Founded by Mythri Kumar and Apoorv Sharma Prasad, Timbuckdo connects students with part-time gig opportunities, bridging the gap between students seeking flexible employment and businesses in need of part-time support. By leveraging AI & technology to match students with suitable gigs, Timbuckdo aims to empower the next generation of workers with opportunities that fit their schedules and skill sets.
In a conversation with Connected to India, over email, the founders spoke about the company’s AI-driven approach. “Timbuckdo is revolutionising the gig economy with the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Large Language Models (LLMs). Our advanced technology ensures precise profile matching between part-timers and employers, streamlining the on demand hiring process.
“Our AI-driven system not only matches profiles but also assists in building comprehensive profiles and standardizing job descriptions. This innovation results in a swift and efficient hiring process, benefiting both employers and job seekers,” the founders said in an emailed response to CtoI’s questions.
Timbuckdo informed that it is developing ‘Student GPT’, which it termed as “a groundbreaking tool designed to empower students”. As per the company, Student GPT will help students understand effective time utilisation, monetisation strategies, and skill development, further enhancing their career prospects.
“Timbuckdo remains committed to leveraging cutting-edge technology to create a seamless and productive gig economy. We use Azure Open AI & Open AI as we are Microsoft partners under their startup program,” the founders said.
When asked how they conceived the idea, the duo said they wanted to find constructive ways to engage teenagers, which is a challenge in today’s fast paced world.
Mythri Kumar, the CEO of Timbuckdo traced the inception of the company to a panicked phone she received from a friend. Her friend was desperately seeking a constructive way to engage her teenage son and help him monetise his time. She also observed her own brother, who, during his summer holidays, worked as a delivery executive to earn money.
This real-life example underscored the significant impact of part-time jobs on students and the importance of the money they earn. These experiences made her realise that there was a significant opportunity to address this need on a larger scale.
Understanding that Gen Z is inherently digital-native and reward-driven, Mythri and her team realised that any platform aimed at engaging students must offer tangible rewards. This insight was the cornerstone upon which Timbuckdo was built — a part-time job portal specifically designed for students.
“With over 50% of India’s population under the age of 25, it’s crucial to harness their potential and empower them relevant opportunities. The part-time job market is experiencing significant growth, with a 30% increase in opportunities over the past year alone. At Timbuckdo, we are committed to provide flexible and meaningful employment to the younger generation and thereby drive economic growth,” said Mythri and Apoorv.
Talking about their new investors, Nandkishore Kalambi and Morton Meyerson, they said: “Their belief in our vision of creating a dynamic gig portal for student part-timers underscores the growing importance of flexible work solutions in the modern economy. With their support, we are well-positioned to enhance our platform and expand our reach to students across the country.”
Kalambi has over 25 years of executive leadership experience in managing enterprise technology solutions across multiple geographies, brings a proven track record of introducing and rapidly scaling new technologies with industry giants like Siemens, SAP, and Dassault Systèmes. Currently, through Kanu Ventures, he focuses on applying his knowledge and expertise to the application of AI for Nature and Business.
“Future of Work is gig, and Timbuckdo is building the next generation workforce for the world by catching them young and providing real-world work exposure through various part-time jobs,” said Nandkishore Kalambi.
Morton Meyerson is the former Chief Technology Officer at General Motors and retired President and Vice-Chairman of Electronic Data Systems (EDS). He was also the Chair, President and CEO of Perot Systems for five years when he grew the revenue 10x and transformed it into a highly profitable operation.
Notably, Meyerson has had a long association with India having set up HCL-Perot and grew it rapidly from inception to over 13,000 employees before selling the business entirely to HCL. He played a pivotal role in mentoring Michael Dell during the early years of Dell Computer and was a principal investor and mentor to Mark Cuban at broadcast.com.
“I believe in the idea of Timbuckdo and I am confident it will become one of my most promising investments,” he said. “The platform has the potential to transform the gig economy for students and create significant opportunities. I am also delighted to team with Andy for our first joint investment in India.”
