Madhatters Behind The Curtains: How Ishank, Kunal & Tejas Built Mobavenue’s Tech Empire

Every transformative company is built on its founder's vision and relentless drive. For Mobavenue Media Group, a bootstrapped rising force in AI-powered digital growth, that story belongs to Ishank Joshi, Kunal Kothari, and Tejas Rathod.

Their individual journeys and shared ambition have moved Mobavenue from a budding startup to a global enterprise, fueling the power of how brands connect with consumers in the hyper-digital age.

The genesis of Mobavenue wasn't in a corporate boardroom, but in the entrepreneurial spirit of two young engineers: Kunal Kothari and Tejas Rathod. Both, driven by an innate desire to build from the early age of 17, were already knee-deep in their own ventures in internet marketing.

Their paths converged during their engineering days on a college project—a content monetization platform that, to their sheer delight, earned them a humble yet uplifting $100 paycheck from Google. This sense of self-achievement sparked a deeper question: how could technology truly transform the often-fragmented and inefficient customer journey that traditional digital marketing offered?

The duo recognized a nascent but then powerful trend: MadTech—a seamless convergence of marketing technology (MarTech) and advertising technology (AdTech). In a hyper-digital world where consumers flitted between countless touchpoints in closed ecosystems (walled gardens), the need for a truly continuous, personalized brand experience across the open internet was paramount.

This foresight led them to pivot Mobavenue from a traditional boutique agency into a specialized force in programmatic media in 2017.

In order to make targeted and personalized campaigns not only feasible but also highly effective, efficient, and scalable, they set out to create a consumer advertising platform that could automate the purchasing and selling of online ad space (programmatic advertising).

The foundation for Mobavenue's enterprise tech future was established by their combined early experiences in the digital sphere and their mutual belief in the potential of technology.

The leadership triumvirate was completed with the addition of Ishank Joshi as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. Ishank brought a seasoned expertise of scaling businesses, having successfully co-founded and exited Goals101 (now acquired by M2P Solutions), a fintech venture backed by Nexus Ventures.

Joshi’s extensive expertise in sales, go-to-market planning & strategy, and leading high-performing teams resulted in his prominent career. Over the years, he has helped brands generate over $100 million in B2B revenue, playing the major leadership role in transitioning Mobavenue from a growing startup into a strong, thriving enterprise.

The path for Mobavenue's ascent in digital advertising was then directed by these first-generation founders, each of whom is vital to its growth. Constantly pushing the envelope of media and digital growth, Kothari brought his natural business acumen to drive the company's aggressive product-led expansion strategies, managing multi-million dollar campaigns as Founder, Chairman, and Chief Growth Officer.

Using his wealth of experience in data science, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, Rathod, the company's Founder and Chief Operating Officer, advanced Mobavenue's technological front and laid the bedrock for its consumer advertising platforms. As an early adopter of programmatic advertising, Rathod has successfully optimized over $40 million in programmatic media spend, driving user acquisition, retention, and digital growth.

With their relentless efforts, the company was able to maintain its innovative offerings while drawing in and developing partnerships with major players in the market, including HDFC Bank, Groww, PhonePe, Swiggy, Zepto, Nykaa, and Games 24x7.

As bigger giants firmly shook hands with the madhatters, they earned their trust by delivering tangible ROI, which further extended to diverse sectors and global regions. Kothari’s and Rathod’s contributions were recognized with coveted spots in Forbes Asia 30 Under 30 (Class of 2023) and Business World 30 Under 30, highlighting their impact on the industry.

At the core of Mobavenue's success are its proprietary AI-powered technologies. Their core AI engine and real-time bidding platform power flagship products like PrsmX, which ensures omnichannel brand visibility and engagement; SurgeX, designed for precision user acquisition; and ReSurgeX, specializing in re-engagement and remarketing to keep users coming back for more.

Kothari highlights, “Consumers don’t move linearly; they drop in, drop off, and re-engage across fragmented platforms. Growth is about reach and stitching these micro-moments into a seamless experience.”

Mobavenue’s product suite now allows brands to manage the entire customer journey—from initial awareness to sustained retention—all within a single, unified platform.

Beyond innovation, the founders reflect a deep commitment to data privacy and ethical AI. Joshi often emphasizes, “Mobavenue builds privacy-first advertising solutions that deliver hyper-personalized campaigns without compromising user trust. We aim to ensure both brand safety and transparency in today’s increasingly complex digital world.”

Since that first $100 paycheck that set them on their path, Mobavenue has accomplished 40+ awards, including DIGIXX “Performance Platform of the Year” and E4M “Martech Agency of the Year", continuously proving to be profitable and expanding quickly. The founders have established themselves as a reliable partner for companies of all sizes, from startups to multinational conglomerates, with their operations in eight countries and strategic offices in London, New York, Kuala Lumpur, and Dubai.

The company, as a part of its 2030 roadmap, is now working towards developing fully autonomous tools and AI agent-led systems that will empower its existing and new customers with solutions that think, manage, create, and optimize operations with minimal intervention. “AI-driven automation will allow businesses to achieve sustainable growth and help us stay ahead of the curve,” highlights Rathod.

Ishank Joshi, Kunal Kothari, and Tejas Rathod have built a thriving enterprise and continue to position Mobavenue as a global leader, poised to redefine the future of brand-audience connections.