Vipul Amin is a man who means business. He has a track record in sound business management. Most notably, he’s one of the team members behind the ground-breaking British comparison site, uSwitch.
Amin has Indian heritage but has built his name in Europe. His investments now span from Brazil to Turkey and beyond. In business, Vipul Amin is often associated with George Milford Haven. This English aristocrat is the cousin of Queen Elizabeth II.
Vipul Amin has often worked with George Milford Haven
During their first commercial endeavour, the financial specialist Amin worked with George Milford Haven and Andrew Salmon to create new ground in the internet comparison world. They provided a simple and easy-to-use portal that allowed people to compare the deals on offer for utilities such as gas and electricity.
The three business leaders, Vipul Amin included, felt it was important to give power back to consumers in the purchasing process. Their business model worked because the utilities companies paid a commission to uSwitch whenever a transfer was successful.
This was just after the British market had been deregulated, so it was the first time people had the chance to easily move providers. The idea was a hit and has reportedly saved millions of pounds for customers looking for a better deal.
The sale of uSwitch attracted over £200 million
The mark of the success of uSwitch came when American firm EW Scripps decided to purchase the endeavour for over £200 million in 2006. Since then, Vipul Amin has gone on to be involved in many similar ventures.
Today, Vipul Amin and George Milford Haven still invest in new ideas together, and they are extending their energies into a Turkish comparison site, EnCazip. This new investment, like uSwitch, is enabled by technology. Vipul Amin and George Milford Haven only helped develop the Turkish operation because the would-be founder reached out to them via LinkedIn.
Cagada Eroğlu was looking for advice for getting his company off the ground, but what he got was a large capital investor.
The site is entirely inspired by uSwitch. The founder, Eroğlu came across the original system when studying in the UK. He knew instantly this was something he could make work back in his own country. On his return, he reached out to Vipul Amin and George Milford Haven – and now his dream is being rolled out.
EnCazip now does much of what uSwitch does in the UK. It’s a way for people to look at all of the options available (the Turkish market used to be highly regulated so this is very new). The advantages for customers are the same though – better value and more appropriate deals for energy services.
It is interesting to know the origin of Encazip. I didn’t know that Eroglu, a UK student of Turkish origin, decided to contact Vip Amin and George Milford Haven to export the idea of uSwitch to his country.