Kunil Gupta

WHAT GOT YOU STARTED?

by Burke Campbell 

Published in the Financial Post

 March 9, 2009

Kunal Gupta is CEO of Polar Mobile ( www.polarmobile.com ). Headquartered in Toronto, the firm provides traditional publishers and advertisers the means to reach a Smartphone audience. Kunal Gupta tells the Financial Post what motivated him to become an entrepreneur.

Mindset: “As a teenager, in Ottawa, I worked in my parents’ retail stores. Later, at the University of Waterloo, I helped found the Impact Entrepreneurship Group, showing students they could create jobs, not just fit into one.”

Ever mindful: “Research in Motion, makers of the Blackberry, were located down the street from the university, so we recognized the popularity of mobile devices.”

Connectivity: “People were using laptops, but with the convergence of cellular and Internet technologies, I could see the potential of new media. So Polar Mobile created a proprietary platform that delivers breaking news, financial reports, entertainment, and sports coverage to Blackberry and iPhone users.”

Vast market: “For instance, we created an application for The Hockey News, now reaching 100,000 mobile fans. That’s close-to-live hockey scores, stats, and news directly on your BlackBerry. This dynamic content attracts advertisers.”

Life in motion: “During the work week, I travel extensively. I appreciate my customers’ mobile needs since they’re the same as mine.”

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