Helical Insight
About the Company
Helical Insight is a B2B-focused enterprise software company specializing in Business Intelligence (BI). The company’s software enables clients to analyze and visualize data, supporting data-driven decision-making across multiple industries, including clinical trials, finance, manufacturing, and education. Helical Insight offers a cost-effective paid version in addition to a free version, making it competitive by being up to 85% cheaper than alternatives while still providing extensive features.
The BI tool Helical Insight is currently in version 4.1, with a strong roadmap leading to version 5.0. Future enhancements include integrations with emerging technologies such as Natural Language Processing (NLP), machine learning algorithms, and customizable user interfaces. With clients in the U.S., India, and other global locations, Helical Insight serves a broad client base and continues to expand its presence.
Idea Behind Company
Nitin Sahu and Nikhilesh Tiwari both have backgrounds in data warehousing and BI, which inspired them to develop Helical Insight. They initially tried building companies in unfamiliar sectors like healthcare, but these ventures did not succeed. Their struggles taught them the importance of industry expertise, prompting them to return to their BI and data warehousing roots.
The team leveraged their knowledge in the BI industry to create a product they felt directly addressed pain points they had encountered firsthand. Their initial venture into BI services allowed them to understand clients' needs in data management and analytics, shaping the idea of Helical Insight as a BI tool that simplifies complex data tasks while remaining cost-effective.
Creating the Company
Starting as a services company, Helical Insight provided data warehousing, BI, and ETL solutions to various clients, emphasizing open-source tools. The team raised initial funding from a friend, which helped them remain profitable without needing subsequent rounds of funding. Over time, they built a robust client portfolio, including notable names like Tata Communications and Fractal Analytics.
They eventually transitioned from services to product development, creating Helical Insight. They sought to differentiate their BI tool by offering an open-source, developer-friendly framework with a free and a competitively priced paid version. Their product development approach included frequent updates based on client feedback, enabling rapid product improvements and refinements.
Launching the Business
Launching Helical Insight was facilitated by existing relationships in the BI space, enabling the founders to attract early adopters by addressing known industry challenges. With an inbound marketing strategy focusing on SEO, they increased product visibility. The team produced technical blogs and invested in link-building to boost site traffic, while also providing support for prospective clients.
Customer satisfaction was prioritized, leading to strong retention and conversion rates. Helical Insight’s development cycle incorporated client feedback, allowing for regular feature enhancements and faster conversions. This customer-focused approach helped them attract a steady stream of new clients and maintain ongoing engagement.
Earnings
Today, Helical Insight generates around $80,000 in monthly revenue, employs 42 people, and maintains a 35% profit margin. The company is adding 1-2 clients monthly and expanding its workforce to take on additional consulting and development projects. Plans for the future include expanding the team, partnering with global entities, and possibly raising funding to support further growth.
Helical Insight’s ongoing goal is to maintain its status as an affordable BI tool with extensive customization capabilities. They aim to expand their reach, open additional offices, and improve financial margins, leveraging their robust product development and customer support practices.
