These 5 Odia startup founders built successful ventures, now they’re up to something new

Building a successful startup is no easy feat, but these five Odia entrepreneurs have done it and now they’re pushing the boundaries even further. After creating companies that made a mark nationally, they’re not resting on their laurels. Instead, they’re taking on new challenges, launching innovative ventures, and continuing their entrepreneurial journey. Here is the list, presented in no particular order, of 5 Odia startup founders who built successful ventures and are now up to something new.

1. Srikumar Misra

Best known for founding Milk Mantra, a dairy products startup, Srikumar Misra is now focused on his next venture. In 2025, Milk Mantra was acquired by HatsunAgro Product Ltd for Rs 233 crore. Post-exit, Misra is now focused on the future of finance and technology through Aarna Protocol, a Singapore-based platform that blends decentralised finance with AI to create autonomous asset management solutions.

2. Santosh Panda

After successfully co-founding Explara in 2008 — a platform that deals with event ticketing and management across India — Santosh Panda is now turning his focus to the next generation of entrepreneurs. With experience at global companies like eBay and BBC Broadcast, Panda scaled Explara into a go-to platform for event organisers. Since May 2020, he has also been serving as a coach at Explara. His latest venture, Foundership, is a global accelerator VC focused on AI, Web3, and emerging tech. Here, he is mentoring and investing in early-stage startups, helping founders navigate the complex startup landscape.

3. Subrat Kar

Subrat Kar made his mark as co-founder of Vidooly, a video analytics platform that changed how Indian content creators and brands measured video performance. Under his leadership, the platform secured partnerships with major media houses before being acquired by The Good Glamm Group. Now, Kar is leading MotorFloor, an online marketplace for commercial vehicles such as trucks, tractors, buses, and electric vehicles. MotorFloor aims to simplify and digitise the commercial vehicle buying process for individuals and businesses, expanding access to vehicles and related services across India.

4. Sitakanta Ray

After co-founding MySmartPrice, a leading price comparison platform used by lakhs of Indian consumers, Sitakanta Ray exited the company in 2019. According to LinkedIn, his new venture, RetainIQ, is aimed at e-commerce brands looking to enhance their customer engagement. The platform helps brands personalise their email and MMS marketing based on real-time triggers like user behavior, location, weather, and loyalty metrics.

5. Sibasish Mishra

Sibasish Mishra is an Odia serial entrepreneur, best known as the founder of BookingJini, a hospitality SaaS platform serving thousands of hotels. Established in 2017, BookingJini provides cloud-based solutions to help hotels increase direct bookings, streamline operations, and reduce dependence on online travel agencies (OTAs). Prior to this, he worked in banking, and was the founder of 5 Elements.

These five Odia startup founders have already proven their mettle by building successful ventures, and now they’re taking bold steps towards new challenges. As they continue to push the envelope with fresh ideas and new projects, their journeys serve as an inspiration to other aspiring entrepreneurs.

PNN

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