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Pocket FM raises $103 Mn in Series D round

EntrackrEntrackr ยท 1y ago
Pocket FM raises $103 Mn in Series D round
Medial

Audio series platform Pocket FM has scooped up $103 million in its Series D round led by Lightspeed, and with participation from Stepstone Group. The new funding will strengthen Pocket FMโ€™s push into the US market and also support global expansion as the company plans to expand into Europe and LATAM markets this year, the firm said in a press release. Pocket FM facilitates long-form audio content including audio shows, stories, and novels. The company will keep creating exclusive content libraries by providing a platform to the writer community. This latest round brings Pocket FMโ€™s total funding to date to $196.5 million. Entrackr had exclusively reported about Pocket FMโ€™s new fundraise in October last year. The Bengaluru-based company claims to have over 100,000 hours of content, including more than 2,000 exclusive audio series and more than 400,000 episodes across genres and languages. The company also said that it has surpassed $150 million (Rs 1,250 crore) ARR, and is growing at 57% QoQ. In 2023, it clocked over 20 million transactions and claimed that its US revenue crossed $100 million in average revenue run rate (ARR) during the last calendar year. โ€œUS audiences are the most engaged on the platform globally, spending over 135 minutes daily. The platform has approximately 10 million registered users in the US,โ€ the firm added in the press release. The Indian entity of Pocketโ€™s FM reported an 8.7X surge in its revenue to Rs 148.7 crore in FY23 from Rs 17 crore in FY22, according to startup data intelligence platform TheKredible. The firm also managed to contract its losses by 73.5% to Rs 45.47 crore in FY23 from Rs 171.6 crore in FY22. Its direct competitor Kuku FM raised $25 million in its Series C round in September last year. The companyโ€™s revenue from operations rose to Rs 41.2 crore during FY23 from Rs 4.4 crore in FY22.

Kuku FM reports Rs 88 Cr revenue in FY24; spends Rs 100 Cr on marketing

EntrackrEntrackr ยท 9m ago
Kuku FM reports Rs 88 Cr revenue in FY24; spends Rs 100 Cr on marketing
Medial

Audio content platform Kuku FM has grown at an impressive pace over the last two fiscal years. After achieving approximately 12-fold growth in FY23, the Mumbai-based firm has more than doubled its revenue in the fiscal year ending March 2024, while also reducing its losses. Kuku FMโ€™s revenue from operations surged 2.1x year-on-year to Rs 88 crore in FY24, up from Rs 41 crore in FY23, according to its annual financial statements accessed from the Registrar of Companies. Kuku FM offers a diverse range of audio content across genres such as business, self-help, personal finance, history, religion, entertainment, and fitness. Revenue from paywalled subscription sales served as the sole source of income for Kuku FM. The Fundamental-backed company also made Rs 16 crore, primarily from interest on deposits and the sale of current investments, bringing total revenue to Rs 104 crore in FY24, up from Rs 49 crore in FY23. To expand its audio content reach, Kuku FM allocated over 50% of its total cash burn to advertising and marketing, which stood at Rs 102 crore in FY24โ€”an 8.5% increase from FY23. Interestingly, spending on audio content creation was comparatively lower, at Rs 16 crore. According to financial statements, employee benefits for the Mumbai-based company grew by 37% in FY23. Meanwhile, information technology, legal, rent, payment gateway charges, and other overheads pushed total expenditure up by 21.2% to Rs 200 crore in FY24. FY23-FY24 FY23 FY24 EBITDA Margin -234.69% -89.42% Expense/โ‚น of Op Revenue โ‚น4.02 โ‚น2.27 ROCE -91.41% -46.38% The two-fold increase in scale and controlled expenditure helped Kuku FM reduce its losses by 18% to Rs 96 crore in FY24, down from Rs 117 crore in FY23. Its ROCE and EBITDA margin stood at -46.38% and -89.42%, respectively. Per unit, it spent Rs 2.27 to earn a rupee in FY24. Note: Kuku FMโ€™s total outstanding losses stood at Rs 289 crore at the end of the previous fiscal year (FY24). Kuku FM has raised $71 million to date, including a $25 million Series C round led by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Nandan Nilekaniโ€™s Fundamentum Partnership in October 2023. The company was last valued at around $185 million. Kuku FM is clearly a case of proving a widely held perception wrong (getting Indians to pay for audio content), and getting rewarded handsomely with funding for the same. For, even while it deserves credit for proving that a market exists, it faces the obvious challenge of finding each of those paying customers at a very high cost. And in the cut throat world of streaming platforms, the cost of keeping its flock together somehow. Multiple well established players means a genre that takes off is likely to be picked up elsewhere as well, and very soon at that. International billings for sticky content is one way out of course. What is interesting is the low investments into audio content creation, indicating a low belief in trying to own exclusive content. A firm to watch, both with some hope and trepidation.

Pocket FM seeks Rs 85.7 Cr in damages from KuKu FM; rival calls charges motivated

EntrackrEntrackr ยท 4d ago
Pocket FM seeks Rs 85.7 Cr in damages from KuKu FM; rival calls charges motivated
Medial

The ongoing legal dispute between audio platforms Pocket FM and Kuku FM reached the Delhi High Court on Thursday, with both sides presenting detailed arguments over alleged copyright and trademark violations. Pocket FM has sued Mebigo Labs, which runs Kuku FM, for allegedly copying five of its audio series and is seeking Rs 85.7 crore in damages along with a permanent injunction on the use of its content formats, titles, and artwork. During the virtual hearing, both sides presented their arguments in detail. Pocket FM alleged that Kuku FM has been copying its content for over four years, including shows, thumbnails, episode formats, and overall presentation, to mislead users and draw away its audience. It also pointed to past legal actions that led to content takedowns or temporary relief. In response, Kuku FM denied the broad allegations and told the court that the five disputed series involve significant research and analysis. The company asked for at least two weeks to file a detailed reply. Kuku FM also alleged that Pocket FMโ€™s repeated legal actions are motivated and are timed to disrupt investor and public confidence, especially as the company is preparing for a potential IPO. The court took this into account but focused on the current copyright claims. Acknowledging the complexity of the dispute, the court directed Kuku FM to submit its written response within two weeks. The court also asked the company to provide a Chartered Accountant (CA) certificate detailing the revenue earned from the five allegedly infringing series since their prospective launch dates. Until further notice, Kuku FM has also been restrained from releasing any new episodes of the said shows. The next hearing is scheduled for August 29. The court said that both parties had presented a โ€œbalanced approachโ€ in their arguments and decided not to issue any immediate directions on takedowns or relief, allowing the legal process to progress further. This isnโ€™t the first legal clash between the two companies. Since 2022, theyโ€™ve filed multiple cases against each other. One was settled in December 2022, after Pocket FM accused KuKu FM of publishing audio summaries of books it held exclusive rights to. More recently, on May 30 this year, the Delhi High Court issued an injunction against KuKu FM in another case filed by Pocket FM, which alleged that KuKu FM had copied its original content, including a voiceover urging listeners to โ€œaage ki kahani ke liye, log in kariye Pocket FM par,โ€ directly mimicking Pocket FMโ€™s format.

Apna Mart raises $25 Mn led by Fundamentum and Accel

EntrackrEntrackr ยท 3m ago
Apna Mart raises $25 Mn led by Fundamentum and Accel
Medial

Exclusive: Apna Mart raises $25 Mn led by Fundamentum and Accel Founded by Abhishek Singh and Chetan Garg, Apna Mart guarantees grocery and FMCG deliveries within 15 minutes, in addition to its brick-and-mortar stores. Apna Mart, a franchise-driven omnichannel grocery and FMCG chain, has raised Rs 214.5 crore (approximately $25 million) in equity and debt led by Fundamentum Partnership Fund and Accel with the participation of existing investors. The board at Apna Mart has passed a special resolution to issue 6,342 Series B compulsory convertible preference shares at an issue price of Rs 2,78,402 to raise Rs 176.5 crore or $20.5 million and 3,800 debentures for Rs 38 crore or $4.5 crore, its regulatory filings sourced from the Registrar of Companies (RoC) show. Fundamentum Partnership Fund is leading the round with Rs 84 crore while Accel India, Peak XV, and Sparrow Capital will invest Rs 60.88 crore, Rs 17.4 crore, and Rs 4 crore, respectively. 2 AM Ventures, Disruptors Capital, and Alteria will invest the rest of the amount. Entrackr estimates Apna Mart's post-allotment valuation at approximately Rs 738 crore ($87 million), an 81% jump from its previous funding round. Founded by Abhishek Singh and Chetan Garg, Apna Mart guarantees grocery and FMCG deliveries within 15 minutes, in addition to its brick-and-mortar stores. Operating across 14 citiesโ€”including Ranchi, Hazaribagh, and Bilaspurโ€”the firm utilizes a franchise model to ensure operational efficiency. According to startup data intelligence platform TheKredible, Apna Mart has raised approximately $40 million across multiple funding rounds. Following the latest investment, Accel India remains the largest external stakeholder with a 20.91% stake, followed by Peak XV at 13.06% and Fundamentum at 11.39%. The Bengaluru-based firm recorded an 85.6% year-on-year growth to Rs 59.6 crore of revenue during the previous fiscal year ended March 2024. In pursuit of growth, the losses for the firm also grew 51.4% to Rs 33 crore in the same period. Apna Mart has been working to crack the grocery model through a franchise-led approach with a strong online touch. The company is scaling steadily with solid backing from investors, including Nandan Nilekaniโ€™s Fundamentum and Accel, which has doubled down on its investment. Apna Mart certainly seems to be a company to watch in the grocery category for the long haulโ€”a space currently dominated by quick commerce players like Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart, and Zepto.

FlexiLoans raises $35 Mn from Accion, Fundamentum, and others

EntrackrEntrackr ยท 10m ago
FlexiLoans raises $35 Mn from Accion, Fundamentum, and others
Medial

MSMEs-focused fintech lender FlexiLoans has raised Rs 290 crore approximately $35 million in its series C round led by global investors Accion, Nuveen (the investment manager of TIAA), and Fundamentum, along with existing backer Maj Invest. The Mumbai-based NBFC-fintech company will use these proceeds to scale its operations, broaden its product portfolio, and boost its technological infrastructure. Flexi loan also raised a total of $16 million in debt this year i.e. $9 million from JM Financial in August and $7 million from Vivtri AMC. Entrackr exclusively reported both the developments. Founded by Deepak Jain, Manish Lunia, Ritesh Jain and Abhishek Kothari, FlexiLoans provides MSMEs access to collateral-free funds through its digital lending platform. The company uses proprietary technology and risk models to score customers and approve loans within 48 hours. The company has disbursed over Rs 7,000 crore in loans mostly to small and medium businesses to date. FlexiLoans covers more than 2000 cities and has partnerships with over 400 partners. FlexiLoans has secured over Rs 2,500 crore in debt and equity financing to date, including a $90 million Series B round, which was a combination of debt and equity led by Fasanara Capital, MAJ Invest, and the family office of Caravel Group chairman Harry Banga, alongside existing investors such as Sanjay Nayar. The Fundamentum-backed company demonstrated a robust financial standing with a 2.4X year-on-year growth to Rs 262 crore in the previous fiscal year (FY24) from Rs 108.5 crore in FY23. However, in pursuit of growth, the profits of the company declined by 50% to Rs 3.3 crore in the same period.

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