STARTUP STORY
We were delighted to meet FlexiFone, the bootstrapped Brighton based startup specifically targeting the needs of Generation Z mobile users with a fully eSIM powered MVNO
Tell us about your start up
FlexiFone is Europe’s first multi-network MVNO targeted towards Gen Z mobile users. Being a multi-network MVNO, our customers can choose a mobile plan from a carrier with the best coverage in their area. By subscribing to a FlexiPlan not only get a mobile plan with access to EE, O2 and Three’s network, but also over 50% discounts on subscriptions to dozens of apps like Netflix, Disney+, VPNs, and more!
It’s “Revolut for your mobile plan”.
What is your USP?
FlexiFone is a 100% digital MVNO powered by eSIMs, with no physical presence. By reducing overhead costs on logistics, inventory, and through digital on-boarding plus a remote team based in Asia, we pass on the savings directly to our customers offering affordable value for money bundles. You don’t have to wait for your SIM card to arrive over post unlike other MNOs, your eSIM QR code and setup guide is sent on your email immediately after payment.
Traditional mobile network operators work on a very capital-intensive distribution model, where they have physical stores and inventory in order to sell a mobile plan plus a handset on a 12 to 24 month contract. Due to this, the end customer pays a higher price for the same service due to in-efficiencies in their distribution model.
What is your relationship with the telecom sector?
We partner with MNOs including EE, O2 and Three through aggregators (MVNAs), to provide our plans to end customers.
How have you got to your current stage of development?
FlexiFone started as a concept which was brainstormed during an assignment in the University of Sussex, and fast forward a lot of hustling, we are now at the pilot-test stage. We’re currently bootstrapped, and would be raising funds before our grand public launch Q1 of 2023.
Why did you establish the business?
Sarthak Sethi says, I worked for business incubator based in Dubai and London, and supporting entrepreneurs in launching and scaling online businesses was my role for the last two years, and it was always in my mind to build a product that solves a real-world problem.
While conducting research on the state of the telecom sector in the UK, I identified that there are in-efficiencies in the distribution model being utilized by traditional MNOs that lead to expensive mobile bills for end users, and I decided to build Europe’s first asset-light, 100% digital and affordable mobile network.
Who is your mentor?
My mentor is my uncle Mr. Bhushan Sethi, who currently works as the VP of Product (IoT) in Vodafone-Idea Group, and has been in the telecom industry for over two decades. He was able to provide me with insights about the industry such as customer acquisition strategy, plan pricing model, and licensing, which today has enabled me in taking this product from an idea to an MVP.
What does the future hold for your business?
Globally, the MVNO market size is going to reach USD$123 Billion by 2028, so it’s a market with huge potential. As we progress onto eSIMs, we will see more ‘neo-telecos’, which would basically be mobile network operators following the Revolut / Monzo model. We’ve already seen in the US that the latest iPhone 14 only supports eSIMs and soon other manufacturers will follow.
COMPANY CV
HEADQUARTERS: Brighton, United Kingdom
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 3
LAST FUNDING TYPE: Bootstrapped
URL: www.flexifone.co.uk
FOUNDER: Sarthak Sethi
If you are interested to know more about FlexiFone, you’ll find them in the Startup Village at Total Telecom Congress – in London on the 1-2 November 2022. To come along, register at www.totaltele.com/congress
RELATED CONTENT: more interviews and Startup Stories are in the interview section of the Total Telecom website
The post Startup stories: the benefit of a multi-network MVNO for Gen Z customers first appeared on Total Telecom.