Vishal Gondal
{{short description|Indian businessman}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Vishal Gondal
| image = Vishal Gondal.jpg
| caption = Vishal Gondal at Ra.One Press Conference in October 2011
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1976|07|14}}
| birth_place = Mumbai, India
| other_names =
| alma_mater = Mumbai University
| occupation = {{flatlist|
- Entrepreneur
- Venture Capitalist
}}
| title = CEO GOQii, Ex CEO Indiagames
| children =
| parents =
| relatives =
| signature =
| website =
| footnotes =
}}
Vishal Gondal ({{langx|hi|विशाल गोंडल}}) (born 14 July 1976) is an Indian entrepreneur and angel investor.{{Cite web |url=http://archive.vccircle.com/wordpress/2008/07/31/vishal-gondal-turns-startup-saviour-forms-investment-group/ |title=Vishal Gondal Turns Startup Saviour; Forms Investment Group |access-date=3 December 2012 |archive-date=24 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121124072618/http://archive.vccircle.com/wordpress/2008/07/31/vishal-gondal-turns-startup-saviour-forms-investment-group/ |url-status=dead }} He is the founder and CEO of GOQii (pronounced Go-Key).
Gondal founded the game development and publishing company Indiagames, which he sold to DisneyUTV Digital,a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company India, in 2011.
He briefly served as the Managing Director of Digital division of The Walt Disney Company India from September 2012 to June 2013.{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/Walt-Disney-Company-to-restructure-digital-assets/articleshow/15326155.cms|title=Walt Disney Company to restructure digital assets}}
On 4 September 2020, Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar announced the planned release of FAU-G, a game developed by Bengaluru-headquartered nCORE Games, under Vishal Gondal, which is released on 26 January 2021.{{Cite web|last=Team|first=M. G. H.|date=2021-01-03|title=FAU-G Game Officially Announced To Release In January 2021|url=https://mobilegaminghub.com/fau-g-game-officially-announced-to-release-in-january-2021/|access-date=2021-01-03|website=Mobile Gaming Hub|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|date=2020-09-08|title=FAU-G Game: When will the Indian PUBG Mobile release?|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/gaming/pubg-mobile-ban-indian-alternative-fubg-6583153/|access-date=2020-09-08|website=The Indian Express|language=en}}
History
=Indiagames=
In 1999, Gondal founded Indiagames, a video game development and publishing company.{{citation|title=Vishal Gondal: The Ideas Man is Onto a New Trend|url=http://forbesindia.com/article/work-in-progress/vishal-gondal-the-ideas-man-is-onto-a-new-trend/38519/1|work=Forbes India|access-date=10 February 2015}}{{citation | url =http://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/vishal-gondal-banks-on-goqii-new-venture-fitness-as-service/1/214996.html | title = Vishal Gondal on GOQii New Venture Fitness As Service| publisher = Business Today| access-date = 12 February 2015}} By 2009 the company had approximately 300 employees and offices in Mumbai, Beijing, London and Los Angeles.{{citation |url=http://allthingsd.com/20111006/disney-set-to-acquire-top-indian-game-developer-indiagames/ |title=Disney Set to Acquire Top Indian Game Developer Indiagames |publisher = AllThingsD |access-date=20 February 2015}} Gondal sold a majority stake (76.29% of the company) to TOM online Games, a subsidiary of TOM Online Inc, in 2009 and retained his position as CEO. At the time of acquisition, Indiagames was making an approximate profit of $400,000 on revenues of $11 million.
=Other activities=
In 2008, Gondal launched Sweat and Blood Venture group to invest in startups at a seed level.[http://contentsutra.com/article/419-vishal-gondal-turns-startup-saviour-forms-investment-group/ Vishal Gondal Turns Startup Saviour; Forms Investment Group]{{citation |url=https://gigaom.com/2008/07/31/419-vishal-gondal-turns-startup-saviour-forms-investment-group/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150310014404/https://gigaom.com/2008/07/31/419-vishal-gondal-turns-startup-saviour-forms-investment-group/|url-status=dead|archive-date=10 March 2015|title=Vishal Gondal Turns Startup Saviour; Forms Investment Group |date=31 July 2008 |publisher=GigaOM |access-date=20 February 2015}} The organization has invested in Instablogs and Docsuggest, among others.[http://archive.vccircle.com/wordpress/2008/07/31/vishal-gondal-turns-startup-saviour-forms-investment-group/ Sweat And Blood Venture Group]
In August 2012, The Walt Disney Company India Pvt. Ltd. restructured its digital assets under a new division, DisneyUTV Digital, with Vishal Gondal as its managing director.[http://www.thehindu.com/business/companies/article3718219.ece The Walt Disney Company (India) Pvt. Ltd.]
In March 2014, Gondal launched GOQii, a fitness technology company based in Menlo Park, California.{{cite web|url=https://www.dnaindia.com/technology/report-indian-entrepreneur-launches-fitness-band-goqii-backed-by-bollywood-star-madhuri-dixit-nene-1965664|title=Indian entrepreneur launches fitness band GoQii, backed by Bollywood star Madhuri Dixit Nene|date=28 February 2014|website=dna}}{{cite web|url=https://www.recode.net/2014/2/26/11623950/introducing-goqii-startup-pairs-new-fitness-tracker-with-human-coaches|title=Introducing GOQii: Startup Pairs New Fitness Tracker With Human Coaches|first=James|last=Temple|date=26 February 2014|website=Recode}}
Gondal has presented at the INK Conferences in Mumbai.{{citation |url = http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2014-10-28/news/55521285_1_ink-conference-ted-talks-co-founder |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141111012949/http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2014-10-28/news/55521285_1_ink-conference-ted-talks-co-founder |url-status = dead |archive-date = 11 November 2014 |title=Fifth INK Talks to begin October 28; to focus on innovation|publisher=The Economic Times India |access-date= 23 February 2015}}
Awards
- In 2001, Top 40 Indian Entrepreneurs by Business Today.
- In 2005, Mobile Entertainment magazine listed Gondal as listed as one of the top 50 executives in the mobile content space.[http://www.rediff.com/money/2005/dec/14vishal.htm Vishal Gondal in top 50 mobile executives list]
- In 2005, Indiagames was listed by Red Herring among Asia's Top 100 companies.{{citation |url=https://gigaom.com/2005/08/19/red-herring-puts-indiagames-in-top-asia-100-list/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181024073809/https://gigaom.com/2005/08/19/red-herring-puts-indiagames-in-top-asia-100-list/|url-status=dead|archive-date=24 October 2018|title=Red Herring Puts Indiagames In Top Asia 100 List|date=20 August 2005|publisher=GigaOM|access-date=20 February 2015}}
- In 2012, techcircle.in included Gondal in a list of the top 25 powerful people in Indian digital business.[http://techcircle.vccircle.com/500/digirati-top-25-powerful-people-in-indian-digital-business-2/ Top 25 powerful people in Indian digital business]
- In 2019, "Entrepreneur Magazine" awarded Gondal Entrepreneur of the Year Award.{{Cite web|title=Virtual Awards - 10th Annual awards for Entrepreneurship & Startups|url=https://www.entrepreneurindia.com/virtual-awards/|access-date=2020-06-14|website=www.entrepreneurindia.com}}