Playment: Building on crowdsourcing

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Today, before listing products on their website, internet-based companies face a huge challenge of a basic check of the products, such as its background and hygiene. For these checks, companies usually have huge teams, which involves huge overhead costs.

Playment enables large companies to crowdsource completion of tasks that are typically done by in-house or outsourced teams, in a cost and time efficient manner.

Started in November last year by Siddharth Mall, Akshay Lal and Ajinkya Malasane, the company takes up projects and breaks down the complex tasks into fun micro ones, which reflects on its app to the curated skilled workforce, also called players. Anyone can download the app by logging with a Facebook account to assure genuineness and can perform tasks.

Tasks such as cataloguing and quality check of catalogue are performed and then is collated and given back to the companies in an automated way. In turn, the task performers get remuneration in form of points. These points can be redeemed through Paytm wallet and gift vouchers at Flipkart, Myntra, Amazon, Bookmyshow.

Recently, the start-up raised $700,000 (Rs 4.7 crore) in a pre-Series-A funding from SAIF partners.

"We process around 100,000 tasks a day and ensure work quality with the help of statistical algorithms ," says Siddharth Mall, co-founder and chief executive officer.

Companies such as Flipkart, Myntra, Voonik, Roposo avail the services of the app. The start-up charges these e-commerce platforms, depending on the project and keep a part of it while the rest goes to the task performer.

Currently, operating with a team of 16 the start-up plans to hire people for their product and technology division in coming months.