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Exclusive: Darwinbox adds $21 Mn worth of ESOP for employees

EntrackrEntrackr · 20d ago
Exclusive: Darwinbox adds $21 Mn worth of ESOP for employees
Medial

Exclusive: Darwinbox adds $21 Mn worth of ESOP for employees According to Entrackr’s estimates, the newly added ESOPs are valued at around Rs 186.6 crore (around $21 million), taking the total ESOP pool to Rs 426 crore ($48.4 million). HR tech platform Darwinbox has expanded its existing ESOP plan by adding additional employee stock options worth over $20 million. The board at Darwinbox has passed a resolution for approval to add 64,377 options to its existing plan, bringing the total ESOP pool to 1,46,908 options, its regulatory filing with the Registrar of Companies (RoC) shows. According to Entrackr’s estimates, the newly added ESOPs are valued at around Rs 186.6 crore (around $21 million), taking the total ESOP pool to Rs 426 crore ($48.4 million). In addition, the company holds 1,13,903 equity shares in its ESOP trust worth about Rs 330 crore ($37.5 million). In total, Darwinbox’s ESOP pool is valued at around Rs 756 crore ($86 million). This ESOP expansion comes on the heels of its Rs 86 crore ($10 million) ESOP buyback in June this year. Hyderabad-based Darwinbox offers a cloud-based HR management platform that covers recruitment, payroll, engagement, talent, and analytics. The company serves more than 1,000 clients, managing 4 million employees across 130 countries. According to the firm, the majority of its revenue comes from Southeast Asia and India. According to startup data intelligence platform TheKredible, Darwinbox has so far raised over $290 million across multiple funding rounds, including its $140 million in March co-led by Partners Group and KKR. The Peak XV-backed Darwinbox reported a 48% increase in operating revenue to Rs 333 crore in FY24, while its net losses widened to Rs 191.8 crore. The company is yet to disclose its FY25 financials.

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Exclusive: ShareChat adds new ESOP options worth $108 Mn

EntrackrEntrackr · 7m ago
Exclusive: ShareChat adds new ESOP options worth $108 Mn
Medial

Exclusive: ShareChat adds new ESOP options worth $108 Mn The board at ShareChat has approved a special resolution to add 5,83,800 employee stock options to its existing plan, bringing the total ESOP pool to 14,30,100 options. Mohalla Tech, the parent entity of the vernacular social media platform ShareChat and short video entertainment app Moj, has added fresh employee stock option (ESOP) options for its employees as part of its existing ESOP plans. The board at ShareChat has approved a special resolution to add 5,83,800 employee stock options to its existing plan, bringing the total ESOP pool to 14,30,100 options, its regulatory filing accessed through the Registrar of Companies (RoC) shows. Every 100 stock options will be converted into one equity share at a later date decided in the agreement. The expansion of the ESOP pool aims to foster employee ownership while attracting, retaining, and motivating talent, the filing further added. As per Fintrackr’s estimates, the newly added ESOPs are worth Rs 2,283 crore or $271 million while the value of the total ESOP pool stood at Rs 5592 crore or $665 million. Notably, these valuations are based on the company's $2 billion valuation. According to startup data intelligence platform TheKredible, ShareChat has raised around $1.2 billion from investors including Twitter (now X), Alkeon Capital, Moore Strategic Ventures, and Tencent, among others. Despite mopping up more than $1 billion, the company wasn’t able to show substantial revenue as of FY23. Struggle in monetization led to a steep fall in valuation which stood at less than $2 billion in the recent bridge round. The firm was valued at $5 billion during its last fundraise in June 2022. However, the firm has recorded a 30% year-on-year growth to Rs 718 crore during the fiscal year FY24. With the reduction in expenses, the adjusted EBITDA loss for the Tencent-backed firm stood at Rs 793 crore in the same period.

Flipkart announces new ESOP liquidity worth $50 Mn

EntrackrEntrackr · 2m ago
Flipkart announces new ESOP liquidity worth $50 Mn
Medial

Flipkart announces new ESOP liquidity worth $50 Mn This announcement follows Flipkart’s record $700 million payout to employees in 2023, one of the largest ESOP buyback events in Indian startup history. Flipkart has announced a fresh ESOP (Employee Stock Option Plan) liquidity opportunity for its employees, according to an internal note from the company’s chief executive officer Kalyan Krishnamurthy. As per the note, eligible employees will be allowed to liquidate up to 5% of their vested ESOPs as of July 5, 2025, at a buyback price of $174.32 per option. Payouts will be made in August 2025 under the Flipkart Stock Option Plan 2012. An ET report estimates the size of the ESOP buyback at $50 million, with 7,000 to 7,500 employees expected to benefit from the liquidity program. Flipkart is currently valued at around $36 billion. Krishnamurthy also added that if key performance goals are met by the end of 2025, another 5% liquidity window could open in early 2026. A Flipkart spokesperson confirmed the development to Entrackr. This announcement follows Flipkart’s record $700 million payout to employees in 2023, one of the largest ESOP buyback events in Indian startup history. Media reports indicate the firm plans to launch its IPO with a valuation of $60-$70 billion. The company’s board has already approved the process to shift its holding structure from Singapore to India. In 2025, a clutch of startups including Darwinbox, Rapido, Univest, Deserve, and Even Healthcare have implemented ESOP buyback, liquidity, and payout programs worth around $67 million. In 2024, more than 20 startups implemented $200 million. According to startup data intelligence platform TheKredible, the ESOP buyback or liquidity amount stood at $802 million in 2023, $440 million in 2021, and $200 million in 2022.

Exclusive: Peak XV-backed Jupiter expands ESOP pool

EntrackrEntrackr · 1y ago
Exclusive: Peak XV-backed Jupiter expands ESOP pool
Medial

Neobanking platform Jupiter has expanded its employee stock option plan (ESOP) pool by Rs 40 crore (nearly $5 million). With this, the firm has joined a host of growth and late-stage companies which have expanded their ESOP pool in the ongoing calendar year. Jupiter has approved the issuance of 21,665 ESOP options to the “Jupiter Employee Welfare Trust, its regulatory filing accessed from the Registar of Companies (RoC) shows. Each equity share is priced at Rs 18,826.29, including premium, making the total ESOP worth Rs 40.7 crore. In March 2022, Jupiter had its last ESOP buyback worth $4 million for 21 employees. According to the filing, Jupiter’s total ESOP pool formed 7.89% of the total share capital. The development comes at a time when Jupiter is expanding its product portfolio and it recently received wallet licence from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The firm also scooped up strategic funding from its existing investor for its non-banking financial (NBFC) business Amica Finance. Entrackr had exclusively reported the development in June. Jupiter was last valued at around $710 million during a $86 million Series C round in December 2021. It has raised over $160 million to date from QED Investors, Peak XV and Matrix Partners among others. As per startup data intelligence platform TheKredible, Jupiter achieved a total revenue of Rs 56 crore but reported a loss of Rs 327 crore in FY23. Jupiter competes with the likes of Niyo, Slice, and Fi among others.

Exclusive: Fintech unicorn Yubi adds fresh ESOPs worth $26 Mn

EntrackrEntrackr · 1y ago
Exclusive: Fintech unicorn Yubi adds fresh ESOPs worth $26 Mn
Medial

Fintech unicorn Yubi (formerly CredAvenue), which provides loans to businesses, has added fresh employee stock option (ESOP) options for its employees under its existing and new ESOP plans. The board at Yubi has approved a special resolution to add 22,00,000 employee stock options to its new and existing plan, bringing the total ESOP pool to 60,08,920 options, its regulatory filing accessed through the Registrar of Companies (RoC) shows. Yubi has added 11,00,000 new stock options to its existing 2022 ESOP plan, bringing the total to 4,908,920 options. The company has introduced a new 2024 ESOP plan with another 11,00,000 options, a separate filing with the RoC shows. The filing further added that expanding the ESOP pool is an attempt to attract and retain talents working with the company. According to TheKredible’s estimates, the newly added ESOP options are worth around $26 million while the company’s total ESOP plan stood at $70 million. Yubi turned unicorn in March 2022 after a $135 million Series B round led by Insight Partners, Dragoneer Investment Group, and B Capital Group. Last year, its valuation touched $1.5 billion after secondary sale. For the uninitiated, Yubi’s platform connects businesses seeking loans with financial institutions and other investors. Its solutions include vendor and dealer financing, and a bonds marketplace that provides access to exclusive primary and secondary bonds. In July, Yubi led a Rs 150 crore debt round for Infra. Market and also participated in a debt round for Auxilo. Entrackr exclusively reported both developments. The Vivriti-backed company almost doubled its revenue to Rs 328 crore in FY23. However, in its pursuit of growth, the firm’s losses spiked more than eight-fold to Rs 482 crore during the same period. The Bengaluru-based firm is yet to file annual financial statements for FY24.

Exclusive: PB Fintech adds new ESOP worth near Rs 2,000 Cr

EntrackrEntrackr · 1y ago
Exclusive: PB Fintech adds new ESOP worth near Rs 2,000 Cr
Medial

Policybazaar and Paisabazaar’s parent PB Fintech has introduced a new ESOP plan worth Rs 1,931 crore (approximately $233 million) under PB Fintech Limited Employees Stock Option Scheme 2024. The board at PB Fintech has passed a resolution to grant 1,14,00,000 employee stock options to its staff, directors and subsidiaries, its regulatory filing accessed from the National Stock Exchange shows. The employee stock under ESOP plan 2024 will be vested after 4 years from the date of granting. According to Entrackr estimates, the new ESOP plan is worth Rs 1,931 crore or $233 million. The above-passed resolution is subject to shareholders approval. PB Fintech has posted Rs 1,010 crore of revenue during the first quarter of the ongoing fiscal year with a steady profit that stood at Rs 60 crore. The firm also showcased robust financial growth with a 34.4% year-on-year revenue increase to Rs 3,438 crore in FY24. Meanwhile, it also turned profitable with Rs 64 crore in the last fiscal year. The ESOP approval was followed by impressive growth in the share price. The firm touched its 52-week high share price of Rs 1,763 on August 20. The company is currently trading at 1,694 (as of 15.37 today) with a total market capitalization of Rs 77,252 crore ($9.3 billion). Last month, the food tech major Zomato also received a shareholder’s nod for its new ESOP plan worth Rs 3,800 crore or $458 million, tallying its total ESOP pool worth $788 million. Among the public companies, Nykaa and TBO Tek also increased their ESOP pool in 2024.

Exclusive: Bluestone expands ESOP pool, COO Sudeep Nagar receives $11 Mn worth grant

EntrackrEntrackr · 3m ago
Exclusive: Bluestone expands ESOP pool, COO Sudeep Nagar receives $11 Mn worth grant
Medial

Exclusive: Bluestone expands ESOP pool, COO Sudeep Nagar receives $11 Mn worth grant Omnichannel jewellery retailer Bluestone has expanded its existing ESOP plan to $80 million by adding additional employee stock options for its employees. The board at Bluestone has passed a resolution for approval to add 42,43,312 employee stock options to its existing plan, bringing the total ESOP pool to 1,17,27,642 options, its regulatory filing accessed through the Registrar of Companies (RoC) shows. According to Entrackr’s estimates, the newly added ESOPs are worth around Rs 245 crore or around $29 million. Out of the newly added stock options, Rs 92.6 crore ($11 million) will be granted to the company’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), Sudeep Nagar. This addition brings the total value of Bluestone’s ESOP pool to Rs 678 crore or around $80 million. Notably, these valuations are based on the company's last funding round, where it raised around Rs 900 crore pre-IPO round led by Prosus, out of which Rs 300 crore is secondary. Ahead of Bluestone’s IPO, Global consumer internet group Prosus values the company at $950 million, just shy of unicorn status ahead of its IPO. Prosus has valued its stake in BlueStone at $42 million, as per its latest annual report. The stake, held through its fund MIH Investments One B.V., represents a 4.43% ownership in the jewellery brand. As per ET report, Bluestone is all set to join the unicorn status with secondary transactions worth Rs 300-350 crore by private wealth management arms of 360 One and Centrum Wealth. This will value the company at $1.2 billion. In December 2024, Bluestone filed its draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) with SEBI for an IPO, comprising a fresh issue of equity shares worth up to Rs 1,000 crore and an offer for sale (OFS) of up to 2.398 crore shares, allowing a full exit for Samma Capital, IvyCap Ventures, and Kalaari Capital. Founded in 2011, omnichannel jewellery brand BlueStone offers high-value gold and diamond jewellery, including rings, pendants, chains, and earrings, through its retail stores and online platform. As per its DRHP, the company operates over 203 stores across 86 cities. BlueStone has raised around $262 million across multiple funding rounds from investors such as Accel, Prosus, Peak XV Partners, 360 One, Kalaari Capital, and others, according to startup data intelligence platform TheKredible. In FY24, BlueStone’s revenue grew 64% year-on-year to Rs 1,266 crore, up from Rs 771 crore in FY23. The company also trimmed its losses by 15% during the same period, bringing them down to Rs 142 crore.

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