This Entrepreneur Created Mobile Status Updates and Check-ins, Then Facebook Came Knocking Neeraj Jhanji got the idea on a Saturday morning in Tokyo, walking towards a crowded neighborhood train station. He wondered if any of his friends were nearby to join him for lunch.

By Saheli Roy Choudhury

This story originally appeared on CNBC

CNBC
Neeraj Jhanji

The man who created the technology behind status updates and user check-ins on social networks told CNBC he was tinkering around for the next big idea that could change the world.

No, it's not Mark Zuckerberg.

Neeraj Jhanji created a mobile social network called ImaHima in 1999 that could send users status and location updates from their friends via mobile phones. Back then, social networks were in their nascent stage and Zuckerberg was still in high school.

Jhanji got the idea on a Saturday morning in Tokyo, walking towards a crowded neighborhood train station. He wondered if any of his friends were nearby to join him for lunch.

"I remember taking the phone out of my pocket, looking at it, and thinking: the phone knows where I am... it also knows where my friends are. So why doesn't it tell me [if anyone's nearby]?" he told CNBC's "Capital Connection" on Thursday.

ImaHima gained popularity after its release, but never conquered the U.S. market, and as social networks and the mobile ecosystem evolved with the emergence of key players including Facebook, Apple, Google and Twitter, ImaHima fell out of the picture.

But Jhanji's foresight saw him patent the technology used to create ImaHima as early as 1999. When Facebook turned its sights onto the mobile platform, Zuckerberg's company "came knocking, interested in the patents," said Jhanji.

Facebook acquired the patents from Jhanji in 2013 for an undisclosed sum. Jhanji said he was not allowed to speak about the details but added, "[Facebook] got a very good deal."

Now, Jhanji said, he was looking around for a new project that could create an entirely new industry. For that, he created a company called Tinker that has offices in Silicon Valley and Singapore.

"We're trying to come up with new innovations that could be the start of something."

The company already has several products out. One of them -- Pasteasy -- lets users copy and paste documents, files photos and videos from one mobile device to another over WiFi.

Saheli Roy Choudhury

News Assistant

Saheli Roy Choudhury is a news assistant at CNBC.com. She writes the daily market report for Asia Pacific, and covers macroeconomics, IPOs, M&A, start-ups and other topics across the region. Saheli has a Masters degree in journalism from Columbia University.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Growing a Business

I'm an SEO Expert — Here Are 6 Content Tips to Stand Out in Any Saturated Market

Learn how SEO-driven content marketing strategies can help your business thrive in a saturated market.

Money & Finance

Make Your Money Manage Itself — How to Automate Your Personal Finances and Keep Your Goals on Track

Keeping up with your finances doesn't have to be a juggling act anymore. With just a few adjustments, managing your money can go from daunting to downright simple — here's how.

Science & Technology

AI Agents Are Becoming More Humanlike — and OpenAI Is Launching a New One in January. Are Entrepreneurs Ready to Embrace the Future?

The evolution of AI agents from chatbots to advanced systems capable of autonomously executing complex tasks is becoming increasingly evident. Here are three foundational principles to effectively integrate AI agents into businesses and entrepreneurial ventures.

Franchise

How to Decode Franchise Fees and Find the Right Investment

Learn why focusing on value — not just cost — can lead to franchise success.