Tanvi Bhardwaj, Co-Founder and CTO MishiPay
Five Minute Founder Interview
By Kajal Sanghrajka, @kajalnyclon
In previous editions of the Transatlantic Post, I’ve written about how critical it is for the best and brightest international student entrepreneurs to be able to stay in the UK and build their businesses. In 2014, Tanvi graduated from the University of Manchester with a First Class Honours degree in Computer Systems Engineering. She is now the Co-founder and CTO of multi-award winning retail technology company MishiPay based in London and Bangalore. I interview Tanvi Bhardwaj on her experience of the UK immigration process to stay and build her business.
Mishi Pay Key Facts
MishiPay is a retail payment technology that allows shoppers in retail stores to use their app to pick up a product they want to buy, scan the barcode with their phone, pay within the phone and walk out without having to queue. MishiPay uses RFID and cloud computing to ensure seamless integration and provide security against theft.
Since creating the initial prototype in 2015, the company has grown fast, winning numerous awards and accolades. The company became a Cisco Solutions Partner and won support of Mayor of London, was selected by UK Department of International Trade to represent the UK at the World Retail Congress. It subsequently raised £1.65 million in seed funding, led by European VC Nauta Capital.
Today, MishiPay is being used in pilot projects in stores across Europe, including a French DIY retail giant and the launch the Saturn Express, Europe’s first cashierless electronics store in partnership with Media Markt Saturn, in Austria. The company continues develop new and innovative partnerships with retailers across the world.
Key Facts
Founded: August 2015
Team: Mustafa Khanwala Founder and CEO, Tanvi Bhardwaj CTO and Co-founder
Universities: University College London and University of Manchester
Awards: UCL Bright Ideas, Top 50 Digital Innovators
Funding: $1.65 million [Nauta Capital]
Employees: 10 and looking to grow to 20 by the end of the year
Can you give me some background on the founding of MishiPay?
Mustafa Khanwala the Founder and CEO did a post graduate degree at UCL — he worked on the idea as part of his university dissertation project. To secure the Tier 1 Visa, he had to present his idea, and his vision, then the university decided to endorse him. He had offers from several companies but once he got his entrepreneur visa, he incorporated the company. I decided to join MishiPay after he had started the company in London.
What options were available for you to stay and build MishiPay in the UK?
There were two types of visas we could have gone for, one is the Tier 1 visa which you get for a year and then to get residency, you need to be in the UK for a set number of years. The other is a Tier 1 exceptional talent visa from TechCity UK where the path to residency is clearer but it is more complex upfront and is not an entrepreneur specific visa. We decided to go for the exceptional talent visa and submitted about 20 documents per person to show evidence that we qualify.
We had strong letters of recommendation from highly respected professors, the CISCO head of innovation and Leanne Kemp a successful serial entrepreneur and dear friend.
What was your experience of the overall process MishiPay? What improvements could be made?
We’ve incorporated two companies in India and the UK. It is much easier to do it in the UK. Just in general, we do really appreciate how seamless and simpler it has been for us probably compared to what other immigrants might face. TechCity also has an alumni group of those who have been awarded the visa which is a good network to lean on. The visa process is very competitive, I do think it would be a benefit to bring in a wider variety of experts to judge the process.
MishiPay is hiring in London please see here for roles.
About The Transatlantic Post
A monthly Transatlantic editorial at the confluence of entrepreneurship, start-up policy and city ecosystems. With occasional British satire. Written and edited by Kajal Sanghrajka, Churchill Fellow 2017–18 on immigrant entrepreneurship and Founder of Growth Hub.
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