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Exclusive: Electric mobility platform Kazam to raise $6 Mn in Series B

EntrackrEntrackr · 4m ago
Exclusive: Electric mobility platform Kazam to raise $6 Mn in Series B
Medial

Exclusive: Electric mobility platform Kazam to raise $6 Mn in Series B Electric mobility startup Kazam is raising Rs 51 crore (around $6 million) in its Series B round, led by Vertex Ventures, with participation from Avaana Capital and Chakra Growth Capital. The board at Kazam has passed a special resolution to issue 36,410 Series B compulsory convertible preference shares at an issue price of $165.06 each to raise the aforementioned sum, its regulatory filing sourced from the Registrar of Companies (RoC) shows. IFC VVSEA Co-Invest LP and Vertex Ventures SEA Fund, representing Vertex Ventures, will jointly invest $4.9 million, while Avaana Capital and Chakra Growth Capital will contribute $1.01 million and $0.9 million, respectively. According to Entrackr’s estimates, the company will be valued at around $51 million post-allotment. Kazam plans to deploy the funds towards business growth, expansion initiatives, and general corporate purposes. After this funding round, Vertex Ventures and IFC VVSEA Co-Invest together will hold a 22.89% stake, while Avaana Capital and Chakra Growth Capital will own 17.02% and 1.51% stakes, respectively. Founded in 2020 by Akshay Shekhar and Vaibhav Tyagi, Kazam is an EV charging software platform that develops smart and affordable charging networks. Its technology supports a wide variety of vehicles, including two-wheelers, commercial electric vehicles (CEVs), three-wheelers, and city buses. It claims to power over 25,000 charging points. The Bengaluru-based firm works with the likes of BigBasket, Zypp, Mahindra, Bajaj, Ather, TVS, Hero MotoCorp, and Ultraviolette. The company is yet to file its annual results for FY25. According to the startup data intelligence platform TheKredible, its revenue from operations surged 3.3X to Rs 12.19 crore during the fiscal year ended in March 2024 while its losses stood at Rs 10.2 crore in the same fiscal year.

Exclusive: Pilgrim raises $9 Mn with 3X valuation surge

EntrackrEntrackr · 1y ago
Exclusive: Pilgrim raises $9 Mn with 3X valuation surge
Medial

Beauty and personal care D2C firm Pilgrim has raised Rs 75 crore (approximately $9 million) in its extended Series B round led by Fireside and Vertex Ventures. The board at Pilgrim has passed a special resolution to issue 854 Series B1 and B2 preference shares at an issue price of Rs 8,77 655 each to raise Rs 75 crore or $9 million, its regulatory filing accessed from the Registrar of Companies shows. Fireside and Vertex Ventures pumped in Rs 25 crore and Rs 23 crore, respectively. NSFO Ventures, Mirabilis Investment, and NABS Vriddhi cumulatively invested Rs 27 crore during the round. The company will use these proceeds for expansion and general corporate purposes as decided by the board, the filings further added. According to the startup data intelligence platform TheKredible, the company’s valuation has soared to approximately Rs 2,075 crore (around $250 million) post-allotment. This marks an over threefold increase from its last funding round, of $20 million where the company was valued at $75 million. The firm may raise more funds in this round. With the recent funding, Fireside Ventures remains the largest external stakeholder with a 23% stake, followed by Vertex Ventures, which holds 11.2%. NSFO Ventures and Mirabilis Investment command 5.57% and 2.81% stakes, respectively. Founded by Anurag Kedia in 2019, Pilgrim offers more than 90 SKUs across face care, haircare, and skincare products, and fragrances in over 25,000 pin codes. The company said that it offers a wide range of products curated with ingredients from France, Korea, Spain, Australia, the Amazon Rainforest, and Swiss glaciers. The five-year-old firm has raised around $35 million across rounds including its $20 million Series B led by Vertex Ventures in 2023. The company posted 4.47X growth in scale to Rs 76 crore in FY23 from Rs 17 crore in FY22. In pursuit of growth, its losses also jumped 3X to Rs 23 crore in FY23. Pilgrim is yet to file annual results for FY24.

Exclusive: Kapiva raises $10 Mn from existing investors

EntrackrEntrackr · 1y ago
Exclusive: Kapiva raises $10 Mn from existing investors
Medial

Homegrown D2C ayurvedic nutrition brand Kapiva has raised Rs 83.5 crore (approximately $10 million) led by OrbiMed Asia with the participation of 3One4 Capital and Vertex Ventures. The board at Kapiva has passed a special resolution to issue 5,62,631 compulsory convertible preference shares to raise the aforementioned sum, its regulatory filing sourced from the Registrar of Companies shows. OrbiMed Asia led the round with Rs 52.2 crore, while 3One4 Capital and Vertex Ventures participated with Rs 11.96 crore and Rs 19.33 crore, respectively. The fresh funding appears to be part of Kapiva’s Series C round, in which the firm is aiming to raise a total of Rs 250 crore. Entrackr exclusively reported about Kapiva’s Series C round in Nov 2022. With the fresh tranche, the firm has raised Rs 132 crore in the ongoing round. It had already raised Rs 48.75 crore ($6 million) in Series C from OrbiMed and other existing investors back in October 2022. Kapiva has also increased its ESOP size by adding 1,415,00 new employee stock, bringing the total ESOP pool to 4,47,741, separate filing shows. As per the Entrackr estimates, its ESOP pool size is now worth Rs 66 crore. Kapiva will use these funds for the expansion and development of the company. Kaviva has raised over $30 million to date and has notable investors including Jetty Ventures, Fireside, OrbiMed, 3One4Capital, and others. According to the startup data intelligence platform TheKredible, the company has been valued at around $80 million post-allotment. Founded in 2015, Kapiva is an ayurvedic nutrition brand that offers natural and organic health and skincare products for hair fall, weight loss, digestion, diabetes in the form of juices, tea, oils, shakes et al. During the fiscal year ended March 2023, Kaviva registered 87% year-on-year growth to Rs 116.48 crore with a loss standing at Rs 64.5 crore in the same period. Kapiva is yet to file its annual results for FY24. While the D2C ayurveda space is crowded with plenty of organized brands, Upakarma Ayurveda, and Dr. Vaidya’s, Varalife, among others are Kapiva’s notable competitors.

E-mobility startup Kazam raises $8 Mn led by Vertex Ventures

EntrackrEntrackr · 1y ago
E-mobility startup Kazam raises $8 Mn led by Vertex Ventures
Medial

E-mobility startup Kazam has secured $8 million in Series A3 funding round led by Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia and India. The round also witnessed participation from Avaana Capital, Alteria Capital, and other notable investors. The company had previously raised $11.4 million from Avaana Capital Advisors and others. The fresh funds will be used to bolster its technology and product teams, enhance platform offerings, and expand market presence, Kazam said in a press release. Co-founded in 2020 by Akshay Shekhar and Vaibhav Tyagi, Kazam is an EV charging software platform which builds smart and affordable EV charging networks. The platform weeds out the hassles of EV infrastructure with its software and hardware solutions, designed to support charge point operators, fleet operators, and electricity grids. The startup’s aims to digitize the entire e-mobility value chain, from managing grid energy to fueling EVs and overseeing fleet operations. According to the Bengaluru-based company, its software enables a diverse range of vehicles, including two-wheelers, commercial electric vehicles (CEV) three-wheelers, and city buses, and claims to serve more than 25,000 charging points. It has recently launched LEV-DC, a fast charging option for electric two-wheelers and three-wheelers that can charge an electric scooter up to 80% in 20 minutes. Kazam has partnered with BigBasket, Zypp, Mahindra Logistics and other third-party logistics, facilitating 1 million transactions and integrating over 25,500 EV charging devices in the last 12 months. The firm also added that its reach extends to major vehicle OEMs including Bajaj, Ather, TVS, Hero MotoCorp, Mahindra, and Ultraviolette.

Exclusive: Virtual credit card app Kiwi set to raise around $23 Mn in Series B

EntrackrEntrackr · 2m ago
Exclusive: Virtual credit card app Kiwi set to raise around $23 Mn in Series B
Medial

Exclusive: Virtual credit card app Kiwi set to raise around $23 Mn in Series B Fintech startup Kiwi is raising $23 million from new and existing investors, according to two sources aware of the matter. The fresh funding is coming at a gap of nearly two years for the Mumbai-based startup. “Vertex Ventures has issued a term sheet to lead the round,” said one of the sources, requesting anonymity as the talks are private. “Kiwi is likely to be valued at over $100 million (post-money) in this round, which will also see participation from existing investors Stellaris VP and Nexus VP.” This fresh fundraise follows Kiwi’s Series A round in November 2023, when it secured $13 million led by the above-mentioned existing backers. At the time of the earlier round, the startup was valued at around $65 million. Entrackr has also confirmed the fundraise through regulatory filings. Founded in 2022 by former Freecharge executive Anup Agrawal along with Satyam Kumar and Siddharth Mehta, Kiwi enables users to make UPI payments via RuPay credit cards. The company works with Axis Bank and has tied up with NPCI to push the adoption of credit on UPI. Unlike traditional credit cards, Kiwi issues a virtual RuPay card that can be directly linked to UPI apps such as Google Pay and PhonePe. The firm competes with Slice, OneCard and Uni among a few others. Kiwi declined to comment on the story while queries sent to Vertex, Omidyar, Nexus, and Stellaris did not elicit any response. Investor interest in Kiwi is in line with the broader push by the Reserve Bank of India and NPCI to enable wider adoption of credit on UPI. Since the feature was introduced in 2022, the product has gained traction with both banks and fintech companies experimenting with solutions to increase credit usage in digital payments. The firm claims to be the first to launch credit on UPI with a full-stack offering. According to startup data intelligence platform TheKredible, Siddharth Mehta, Anup Agarwal, and Mohit Bedi each hold about 16.2% stake in Kiwi as of the Series A round, while Nexus is the largest external stakeholder in the three-year-old startup.

Exclusive: FableStreet parent FS Life to raise $4 Mn in Series B

EntrackrEntrackr · 11d ago
Exclusive: FableStreet parent FS Life to raise $4 Mn in Series B
Medial

Exclusive: FableStreet parent FS Life to raise $4 Mn in Series B FS Life, the parent company of D2C women's fashion brand FableStreet, is raising Rs 35.54 crore (around $4 million) led by Colossa Ventures with the participation of existing investor Fireside Ventures and others. FS Life, the parent company of D2C women's fashion brand FableStreet, is raising Rs 35.54 crore (around $4 million) led by Colossa Ventures with the participation of existing investor Fireside Ventures, HirePro Consulting, ASA Holdings, NKA Resources and other angel investors. This is the first fundraise for the company in 3 years since it raised Rs 50 crore in its pre-Series B round led by Fireside Ventures. The board at FS life passed a resolution to issue 10,282 Series B compulsory convertible preference shares at an issue price of Rs 34,568 each to raise the aforementioned sum, as per its regulatory filing with the Registrar of Companies (RoC). Colossa Ventures, through its Colossa WomenFirst Fund, will lead the round with an investment of Rs 10 crore, followed by Fireside Ventures with Rs 7 crore. ASA Holdings and HirePro Consulting will contribute Rs 3 crore and Rs 2.5 crore, respectively. A group of angel investors, including Rahul Garg, Rahul Kayan, and others, will also participate in the round. The company has already received Rs 9.44 crore from the above round in July from Fireside Ventures, Mirabilis Investment Trust, and others, with the remaining amount expected to be received soon. According to Entrackr's estimates, FS Life’s valuation remained flat at Rs 370 crore or $42 million post-money. Founded in 2015 by Ayushi Gudwani, FS Life is a house of women’s apparel and lifestyle brands, including FableStreet, March Jewellery, and Pinkfort. FableStreet focuses on western wear with an emphasis on perfect fits, March offers sterling silver and semi-precious jewellery, while Pinkfort caters to modern Indian wear with a contemporary take on traditional styles. According to startup data intelligence platform TheKredible, the Gurugram-based company has raised over $9.5 million to date, with Fireside Ventures as its lead investor. The company is yet to disclose its FY25 financials. In FY24, it recorded over 40% year-on-year growth in operating revenue, while its losses widened by 70% to Rs 17 crore during the same period. FS Life competes with other D2C fashion and jewellery brands such as NEWME, which raised $18 million in July last year, as well as FabAlley, Fashor (ethnic wear), and jewellery startups like GIVA and Palmonas, among others.

Exclusive: Wondrlab to raise fresh funds at $90 Mn valuation

EntrackrEntrackr · 1m ago
Exclusive: Wondrlab to raise fresh funds at $90 Mn valuation
Medial

Exclusive: Wondrlab to Raise Fresh Funds at $90 Mn Valuation Martech platform Wondrlab is set to raise Rs 40.8 crore (around $4.6 million) in a fresh funding round led by Wildflower Private Trust with the participation of existing investors Pi Ventures, Tanas Capital, and others. This is the first funding in four years for the marketing firm since it raised $7 million in its seed round in October 2021. The Wondrlab’s board passed a resolution to approve the issue of 7,744 preference shares and 500 equity shares at an issue price of Rs 49,472 each to raise the mentioned sum, according to its regulatory filing from Registrar of Companies (RoC). Wildflower Private Trust will be leading the round with a Rs 12.5 crore investment, while existing investors Pi Ventures and Tanas Capital will infuse Rs 9.85 crore and Rs 6.7 crore, respectively. The rest of the amount will be contributed by a group of angel investors including Nazara’s promoters Nitish Mittersain and Vikash Mittersain. The company will also allot equity shares to the co-founders of its recently acquired firm, BigStep Tech. According to Entrackr’s estimates, the Mumbai-based company will be valued at around Rs 796 crore or $90 million post-money. Founded in 2020 by Saurabh Varma, Vandana Verma, and Rakesh Hinduja, Wondrlab is a platform-first martech startup specializing in technology, digital, and programmatic advertising. Following the latest allotment, Pi Ventures will hold an 11.5% stake, while Tanas Capital will own 7.82%. New investor Wildflower Private Trust will acquire 1.5%, and the promoters will collectively retain a 60.53% stake. For the fiscal year ended March 2024, Wondrlab’s operating revenue tripled to Rs 189 crore from Rs 63 crore in FY23, while profit surged to Rs 11 crore. It has yet to file its FY25 numbers.

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