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Myntra Design receives $125 Mn from parent entity

EntrackrEntrackr · 3m ago
Myntra Design receives $125 Mn from parent entity
Medial

Myntra Design, a fashion e-commerce platform owned by Flipkart and operated in India, secured Rs 1,062.5 crore or $125 million from its Singapore-based parent company FK Myntra Holdings. Prior to this, Flipkart infused $81 million in Myntra’s holding entity in Singapore. The board at Myntra allotted 19,43,753 equity shares at an issue price of Rs 5,466 each on a right issue basis to raise the aforementioned amount, its regulatory filing accessed from the Registrar of Companies (RoC) shows. This development comes at a time when e-commerce platforms are facing intense competition, further heightened by the re-entry of Chinese fashion brand Shein into the Indian market through Reliance Retail. Flipkart acquired Myntra in 2014 for $240 million. The fashion e-commerce major turned profitable in the fiscal year ending March 2024, reporting a profit of Rs 30.9 crore—a significant turnaround from a massive loss of Rs 782.4 crore in FY23. During the same period, its revenue from operations surpassed Rs 5,100 crore. In November 2024, Myntra entered the quick commerce space with the introduction of its new feature, M-Now to deliver fashion and beauty products in just 30 minutes to 2 hours to compete with other major players in the space including Zepto, Blinkit, Instamart. Flipkart also joins the likes of Pine Labs, Razorpay, Meesho who are relocating their domicile to India ahead of their public listing.

BluSmart drivers face uncertainty amid company troubles, founder issues

EntrackrEntrackr · 4m ago
BluSmart drivers face uncertainty amid company troubles, founder issues
Medial

BluSmart suspended its operations in April in Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, and Bengaluru, asking its 10,000 driver-partners to return their vehicles. The move has left several drivers scrambling to find new sources of income. Rajesh [name changed], a 35-year-old man in Gurugram, secured a driving job with a heavily VC-funded electric vehicle cab hailing company which once aimed to take on the duopoly of Ola Cabs and Uber in India. An average income of Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000 per month, Rajesh admits, was not much for his family but managed to pay bills. Though, Rajesh, who also is a father of two young children, put in 10 hours to 12 hours daily - to reach the estimated monthly income. With his company now pausing the services, Rajesh has no source of earning, and does not know how he will pay his kids’ education fees. "... Now, I don’t know how I’ll manage. I missed my kids' school fees this month. My family depends on me, and I’ve never felt so helpless,” a visibly stressed Rajesh told Entrackr. One of the things that is agonising Rajesh the most is the deceptive way his employer pushed them out. “On Wednesday (April 16th), we [drivers] received a message saying the car needed to be submitted to the hub for a breakdown. We thought it was just a minor technical issue. When we got there, they told us it was a failure and we’d be informed later. But there was no word from the company after that. We just had to go home. We were left in complete shock," says Rajesh as his voice strains, reliving the fateful moment. Rajesh says he was among the first lot of employees, when the company had just 50 cars. Like many others, he too bought the company’s promise of stability. “Now, it feels like we’ve been left out to dry,” he said. “I’m considering working with Uber or Ola… I’m looking for something else, maybe a different field altogether. But BluSmart was my livelihood, and I’d go back in a heartbeat if they reopened. It was my only source of income,” he added. Rajesh’s story resonates with another thousands of drivers who are now scrambling to find new sources of income after BluSmart’s sudden suspension of its services. Entrackr has reached out to BluSmart seeking responses on how they plan to compensate the affected drivers. In case they respond, we will incorporate their inputs. Staging the protest On May 4, a group of BluSmart drivers raised their grievances at Jantar Mantar, a historic site for protests. They pressed for demands for alternative income avenues as well as called for crucial policy reforms to prevent similar abrupt dismissals. Additionally, they also sought a government intervention. Tajinder Singh, president of Parivahan Morcha Athavale and also among those spearheading the protest, told Entrackr that women drivers of BluSmart were among those bearing the brunt the most as other taxi companies refused to recruit them. He further said that some drivers were working on a per day basis as and when required but asserted that this was not a long-term solution. “We are demanding compensation for affected BluSmart drivers. We have also sought government intervention so that the drivers can continue to earn their livelihood,” Singh said. Singh also claimed that hundreds of BluSmart employees working at charging hubs were affected by the company’s sudden suspension of its services. A business model that promised to be different than rivals Even as ‘sustainability’ remained the headline grabber, BluSmart also deployed a rather different business model compared to rivals Ola Cabs and Uber. The company used a full-stack B2C model wherein they owned and managed the vehicles whereas Ola and Uber work with independent drivers. The model allowed BluSmart to have a better control on the quality of cars, maintenance, and subsequently better customer service. For drivers, the company offered a fixed salary along with incentives. An assured income was a big factor why a lot of drivers showed interest in joining BluSmart. Ola and Uber, on the other hand, operated on a familiar commission-based system, also common with several gig working-reliant service providers. Singh also highlighted this stark difference between BluSmart and its rivals. He said that the job of driver was to pick and drop the passenger and earn a regular income (per day payout and incentives). They needed to work 10 hours to 12 hours a day. Other things like maintenance and documentation was taken care of by the company, giving drivers a more relaxed environment to operate. Blusmart has raised over $180 million to date, including its $50 million series B round in January this year. Though, it received only Rs 61 crore out of $50 million. That said, a heavily-funded BluSmart juggernaut appeared unstoppable, until it did. Earlier this year, reports emerged that BluSmart delayed salary payments to cash crunch. It had also shut down operations in Dubai and also saw an exodus of top management employees, including CEO, CBO, and CTO. A month later, SEBI published findings of its probe into Gensol Engineering, BluSmart’s partner and EV lessor. The SEBI order highlighted misuse of funds, and also barred promoters Anmol and Puneet Singh Jaggi from accessing the securities market and holding key positions in Gensol Engineering. What next for BluSmart drivers BluSmart drivers facing joblessness due to the shutdown can go for legal remedy and urgently demand clearance of any unpaid dues and better severance compensation, if not given already. The legal course, which may take a relatively long time, may also help them investigate if BluSmart violated the contract by sudden halting of their services and returning vehicles. Moreover, they can also seek intervention from regulatory boards. Singh, however, did not appear enthusiastic about taking the legal course. “Companies like these make such contracts that they keep them protected in such incidents and don’t have to own any responsibility towards people working so hard for them,” he said [loosely translated from Hindi]. As far as the future of the company goes, it’s hard to predict considering the massive VC money riding on the company. Despite the major dent in public image and also several legal troubles, it’s likely that the company may stay afloat with a rather new management and new board - a few known steps troubled companies often take to course correct. It’s worth noting that quality of drivers and cabs were the top highlight of the platform, and if it resumes, it should continue with that. With the ongoing protests and lack of communication between drivers and management, it seems unlikely that the company will enjoy the same level of trust from its network drivers.

True Balance’s profit zooms over 2X to Rs 138 Cr in FY24

EntrackrEntrackr · 1y ago
True Balance’s profit zooms over 2X to Rs 138 Cr in FY24
Medial

True Balance, founded by South Korean entrepreneur Cheolwon Lee, started with a mobile and DTH recharge platform. However, the company’s business dynamics changed drastically after FY21 when it started lending (personal or short-term loans). This shift enabled the company to register over 74X growth in its scale in the past five fiscals as its revenue ballooned to Rs 667 crore in FY24 from Rs 8.95 crore in FY19. For context, the SoftBank-backed firm started lending in FY20 through third parties, and a year later it also got its own NBFC —True Balance. On a fiscal to fiscal basis, True Balance’s operating revenue grew 54.8% to Rs 667 crore in FY24 from Rs 431 crore in FY23, its consolidated financial statements sourced from Registrar of Companies show. True Balance’s personal loan platform usually targets borrowers who are neglected by banks and have no credit scores. The service and processing charges on the loans offered contributed 56% of the firm’s total operating revenue. This income spiked 63.2% to Rs 377 crore in FY24 from Rs 231 crore in FY23. Meanwhile, the income from interest stood at Rs 280 crore in FY24. The penalties on dues and non-operating incomes (interest from fixed and current investments) took True Balance’s overall revenue to Rs 673 crore in the fiscal year ending March 2024 from Rs 433 crore in FY23. See TheKredible for the detailed revenue breakup. For the cash loan firm, the bad debts (NPAs) and their provisions formed 36.2% of its overall cost which increased by 26.3% to Rs 202 crore in FY24 from Rs 160 crore in FY23. The fintech firm had written off the bad debts worth over Rs 114 crore while the rest were the provisions related to the bad debts in FY24. The firm’s spending on employee benefits, finance, advertising, information technology, technical, legal, and other overheads took its overall cost up by 51.4% to Rs 557 crore in FY24. Head to TheKredible for the detailed expense breakdown. Over 50% YoY growth helped True Balance to post a 2.3X jump in its net profits to Rs 138 crore in FY24 from Rs 59 crore in FY23. Its ROCE and EBITDA margins improved to 42.24% and 27.64%, respectively. On a unit level, the ten year-old firm spent Rs 0.84 to earn a rupee in FY24. FY23-FY24 FY23 FY24 EBITDA Margin 22.40% 27.64% Expense/₹ of Op Revenue ₹0.85 ₹0.84 ROCE 32.11% 42.24% According to TheKredible, True Balance has raised $140 million across equity and debt rounds including its $28 million led by SoftBank and Daesung Private Equity. The company raised its last round almost three years back. Looking at the numbers, one can’t help but wonder at not just the numbers, but the impressive balancing act True Balance must manage to stay below the radar of regulators and watchdogs including the RBI. With its short tenure, high interest and high processing charges True Balance tries to balance out its high margins with the promise of 24×7 service and higher risk appetite. But as the delinquency numbers indicate, it must be a high intensity gig, balancing out risks versus margins. Even as margins are winning for now, we still believe the risk of sudden regulatory heavy handedness is intrinsic to its otherwise impressive business. It is also at a stage where the other next stage of growth will be fueled by more debt than equity. Considering the large appetite it can be expected to have to maintain its growth momentum, it will be fascinating to see if it has a trick or two for that too up its sleeve.

CarTrade posts Rs 169 Cr revenue in Q4 FY25, profit jumps 2X

EntrackrEntrackr · 4m ago
CarTrade posts Rs 169 Cr revenue in Q4 FY25, profit jumps 2X
Medial

CarTrade has released its financial results for the fourth quarter of the last fiscal year (Q4 FY25) on Wednesday. The company reported a 17% year-on-year revenue growth compared to Q4 FY24, with profit doubling in the same time period. CarTrade’s revenue from operations grew 17% to Rs 169 crore in Q4 FY25 in contrast to Rs 145 crore in Q4 FY24, as per the firm’s unaudited consolidated financial results sourced from the National Stock Exchange. For the full fiscal year ending March 2025, CarTrade’s revenue rose 31% to Rs 641 crore. Including other undisclosed income, its total income for Q4 FY25 grew to Rs 189 crore, up from Rs 161 crore in Q4 FY24. The Mumbai-based company operates in three segments: Consumer, Remarketing, and Classifieds. Income from the consumer segment formed 37% of the total operating revenue which increased to Rs 63 crore in Q4 FY25 from Rs 49 crore in Q4 FY24. Income from the remarketing and classified segment stood at Rs 59 crore and Rs 47 crore, respectively, in the fourth quarter of the ongoing fiscal year. During the full fiscal year (FY25), income from the consumer segment stood at Rs 238 crore, whereas collection from the remarketing and classified segment stood at Rs 212 crore and Rs 192 crore, respectively. On the expense front, employee benefits expenses formed 52% of the overall spending which went up a modest 6% to Rs 71 crore during the period. Including other costs, CarTrade’s overall expenses increased 4% to Rs 136 crore in Q4 FY25 from Rs 131 crore during Q4 FY24. On a fiscal-on-fiscal year basis, its overall expenses increased to Rs 543 crore in the last fiscal year from Rs 457 crore in FY24. The decent growth and controlled spending enabled CarTrade to double its net profit to Rs 46 crore in Q4 FY25, compared to Rs 23 crore in Q4 FY24. On a fiscal basis, the company’s profit spiked to Rs 145 crore in FY25. CarTrade recorded a 5.8% hike in its share price today and is trading at Rs 1,721 (as of 12:50) with a total market capitalization of Rs 8,168 crore.

Fasal reports Rs 34 Cr revenue in FY24; earns 91% from fruit sales

EntrackrEntrackr · 1y ago
Fasal reports Rs 34 Cr revenue in FY24; earns 91% from fruit sales
Medial

Agritech startup Fasal raised $12 million led by TDK Ventures and British International Investment (BII) in December last year. The significant funding seems to have given cushion to the six-year-old firm which earned only Rs 58 crore since its inception in 2018. Fasal’s revenue from operations increased 89% to Rs 34 crore in FY24 from Rs 18 crore in FY23, as shown in its annual financial statements filed with the Registrar of Companies (RoC). Founded in 2018, Fasal leverages AI, crop sciences, and IoT to deliver crop-stage-specific intelligence which optimizes resources and enhances productivity. Despite such strong focus on tech, only 9% of the firm’s total revenue ~Rs 3 crore came from these services. Meanwhile, Fasal made 91% of its revenue from selling fruits. For the agritech model which eventually converted into a supply chain, the cost of procurement was naturally the largest cost center which accounted for 47% of the overall expenditure. To the tune of scale, this cost increased 83% to Rs 33 crore in FY24. Its employee benefits, legal, advertising cum business promotion, packaging, forwarding, and other overheads pushed the overall cost to Rs 70 crore in FY24 from Rs 52 crore in FY23. See TheKredible for the detailed cost breakup. At Rs 30 crore, the increase in fruit sales helped Fasal to contain its losses in FY24. Its ROCE and EBITDA margin hovered at -45.7% and -80%, respectively. On a unit level, the firm spent Rs 2.06 to earn a rupee in the fiscal year ending March 2024. FY23-FY24 FY23 FY24 EBITDA Margin -146.32% -80% Expense/₹ of Op Revenue ₹2.89 ₹2.06 ROCE -163.53% -45.71% Fasal has raised $18 million to date including its pre-series of $4 million in 2021. According to the startup data intelligence platform TheKredible, Omnivore is the largest external stakeholder with 15.99% followed by 3One4 Capital. See TheKredible for the complete shareholding pattern. By now, far too many agritech startups have followed the same pattern. Start off with a heavy on tech proposition that promises to disrupt farming itself, before discovering it’s just too difficult to move the needle there. And while at it, spot an alleged opportunity in price arbitrage between farmer rates and retail rates, and turn a seller. For one, this pattern is flawed simply because most of these startups are mistaken if they think they can negotiate better than the established network of traders on the ground. That is probably why we see startups allegedly selling farm fresh fruits and veggies still retailing stuff that can be a 100% premium to the push cart based sellers. On top of that are quality issues of depending on luck versus the hand picked comfort of buying yourself. Finally, the search for margins leads to a gradual spread of the portfolio or Sku’s, a surefire recipe to burn through funding faster. If it’s ever going to work, it might work for a handful of startups. For the rest, we have to wonder just what it will take.

Shadowfax posts Rs 1,885 Cr revenue in FY24, turns EBITDA profitable

EntrackrEntrackr · 9m ago
Shadowfax posts Rs 1,885 Cr revenue in FY24, turns EBITDA profitable
Medial

Shadowfax, one of India's leading new-age logistics and delivery platforms, delivered a strong financial performance in FY24, reducing its losses by 90%. Simultaneously, the company recorded over 33% year-on-year growth in operating revenue, and turned EBITDA positive with Rs 23 crore for the fiscal year ending March 2024. The Flipkart-backed firm’s revenue from operations spiked to Rs 1,884.8 crore in the last fiscal year, from Rs 1,415 crore in FY23, as per its annual financial statements filed with the Registrar of Companies. Shadowfax claims to provide 3PL logistics (third party logistics) to e-commerce and D2C firms across 2,500 cities and 18,000 pin codes in the country. The sale of logistics and delivery services are the only source of revenue for Shadowfax. Co-founder and chief executive Abhishek Bansal attributed the company’s sustainable growth in FY24 to its focus on value-added services, including reverse logistics, same-day delivery, and quick commerce offered through its Flash service. “While most logistics companies have chosen to focus on a single service and transition into B2B, Shadowfax has remained in the B2C space. Quick commerce gives us an edge, as we are the only 3PL offering these services,” said Abhishek Bansal, co-founder and CEO of Shadowfax, in a telephonic conversation with Entrackr. The company also generated Rs 11.6 crore from non-operating activities, contributing to a total income of Rs 1,896.4 crore in FY24. On the expense side, transportation and distribution (delivery partners) expenses accounted for the bulk of costs, surging 24.7% to Rs 966.2 crore in FY24. This cost represents 50.63% of total expenses during the last fiscal year. Vehicle running costs increased by 35.8% to Rs 394.5 crore, while costs related to lost shipments rose by 39.7% to Rs 94.6 crore. Employee benefit expenses marginally declined to Rs 211.5 crore, constituting 11.08% of total expenses, whereas other costs added another Rs 241.5 crore. Overall, the Bengaluru-based firm’s total expenses rose by 21.9% to Rs 1,908.3 crore in FY24. By the end of FY24, the company's net loss declined by 92% to Rs 11.8 crore, compared to Rs 142.6 crore in FY23. Shadowfax also achieved a positive EBITDA of Rs 23 crore in the last fiscal. Its ROCE and EBITDA margin stood at -1.06% and 1.21%, respectively. On a unit basis, Shadowfax spent Rs 1.01 to earn a rupee of operating income in the last fiscal year. The company’s assets nearly doubled, rising to Rs 619.5 crore in FY24 from Rs 320.8 crore in FY23. Its cash and bank balance at the end of FY24 stood at Rs 102.8 crore. Just before FY24 ended, Shadowfax scooped up $100 million Series E round led by TPG NewQuest. Recently, Uber has partnered with Shadowfax to integrate its two-wheeler fleet with UberMoto, allowing Shadowfax to offer bike-taxi services during lean hours. Reports indicate that the Bansal-led company is gearing up to launch its initial public offering (IPO). It will join industry peers like Delhivery and Blackbuck, which are already listed on the stock exchange, while another player, Ecom Express, has also secured SEBI approval for its IPO. Shadowfax has emerged as the fastest-growing logistics company in India, evident from its performance relative to competitors. Ecom Express recorded a modest 2.3% growth, reporting flat revenue of Rs 2,607 crore in FY24. Meanwhile, listed competitor Delhivery posted 12.7% year-on-year revenue growth in the last fiscal year.

Funding and acquisitions in Indian startup this week [29 Jul - 3 Aug]

EntrackrEntrackr · 1y ago
Funding and acquisitions in Indian startup this week [29 Jul - 3 Aug]
Medial

During the week, equivalent to 32 Indian startups raised around $341 million in funding. These deals count 6 growth-stage deals and 22 early-stage deals while 4 early-stage startups kept their transaction details undisclosed. During the previous week, 22 early and growth-stage startups cumulatively raised $113.39 million in funding. [Growth-stage deals] Among the growth-stage deals, 6 startups raised $216.8 million in funding this week. Mobility startup Rapido spearheaded with its $120 million worth of unicorn round. Fintech firm Navi, NBFC Clix Capital, Trade financing startup Vayana Network, fintech firm BharatPe, and sportstech company KheloMore followed with $38 million, $26.3 million, $20.5 million, $10 million, and $2 million in funding, respectively. [Early-stage deals] Further, 22 early-stage startups secured funding worth $124.24 million during the week. Renewable energy services company BluPine led the list followed by EV startups Simple Energy and Kinetic Green while wedding services company Meragi, and a platform for sourcing and manufacturing of specialty chemicals Scimplifyare are next on the list. As many as 4 startups did not disclose the funding amount raised are; BoldFit, Game Theory, Cogniquest, and Vitra.ai. For more information, visit TheKredible. [City and segment-wise deals] In terms of the city-wise number of funding deals, Bengaluru-based startups led with 16 deals followed by Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Jaipur, Pune, Bicholim, and Surat. Segment-wise, Fintech startups grabbed the top spot with 6 deals. SaaS, AI, E-commerce, and EV startups followed this list among others. [Series-wise deals] During the week, Series A funding deals are on top with 11 deals each followed by 7 pre-Series A, 5 Seed, 2 pre-Seed, and 2 Debt deals. Angel, Series B, Series C, Series D, and Series E are next on the list. [Week-on-week funding trend] On a weekly basis, startup funding surged 200% to $341.04 million as compared to around $113.39 million raised during the previous week. The average funding in the last eight weeks stands at around $316.78 million with 29 deals per week. [Fund launches] Trifecta Capital, known for its investments in companies like Atomberg, BigBasket, and BlueStone, has launched its fourth fund with a potential corpus of Rs 2,500 crores. Gemba Capital is also expanding its portfolio with a second fund of up to Rs 250 crore. [Key hirings and departures] Hero Vired, the Hero Group’s online education platform, has appointed Prakhar Kasar as its new CEO. CoinDCX has elevated Mridul Gupta to the role of founding partner. Meanwhile, e-commerce firm Meesho has strengthened its board with the addition of four independent directors: Hari S Bhartia, founder of Jubilant Bhartia Group; Kalpana Morparia, former JP Morgan Chairman; Rohit Bhagat, non-executive Chairman of PhonePe; and Surojit Chatterjee, a former Flipkart executive. While, Prashant Sinha, co-founder and chief revenue officer of Metadome.ai, announced his exit from the company. [Mergers and Acquisitions] Infibeam Avenues, a financial services company, acquired a majority stake in Rediff.com. Additionally, SaveDesk, another financial services company, acquired a majority stake in the Bengaluru-based fintech startup Fairexpay. Nazara Technologies, a gaming company, acquired the intellectual property rights of the popular mobile game “Ultimate Teen Patti”. [Shutdowns] Apollo Tyres faced a short-lived run with its doorstep car service initiative, Trumigo. Launched just six months ago, the service was discontinued due to a lack of customer traction and competition from established businesses in the market. Meanwhile, CarTrade, after acquiring OLX India’s business last year, decided to streamline its operations. The company will be shutting down its used car retail segment (C2B) to focus on the core classifieds business (Olx.in). [Potential deals] Raise Financial Services, the parent company of stock trading platform Dhan, is in talks to raise around $100 million in a new funding round. This investment is expected to propel the company’s valuation to between $1.2 billion and $1.5 billion, securing its unicorn status. Another fintech player, M2P Fintech, is on the verge of closing a $80 million funding round, which will value the company at $900 million. Visit TheKredible to see series-wise deals along with amount breakup, complete details of fund launches, and more insights. [New launches] Delhivery to launch dark stores for e-commerce players Zomato to launch District app for dining out, events, ticketing biz [Financial results this week] Delhivery turns profitable with Rs 52 Cr PAT in Q1 FY25 Infibeam Avenue reports 43% growth in PAT in Q1 FY25 Zomato crosses $25 Bn market cap with Rs 253 Cr profits in Q1 FY25 Freshworks cuts losses by 14% in Q2; eyes $713 Mn revenue in CY24 CarTrade revenue and profit slip in Q1 FY25; shuts down used car retail biz Ideaforge’s profits dwindle 89% in Q1 FY25 Ixigo records 78% quarterly growth in PAT in Q1 FY25 Auxilo’s profit jumps 2.5X in FY24; revenue grows double Ola Electric reports Rs 5,010 Cr revenue in FY24 FirstCry FY24 revenue crosses Rs 6,500 Cr; GlobalBees contributes 18.6% [News flash this week] Unicommerce and FirstCry files RHP as it gears up for IPO launch on Aug 6 PhysicsWallah launches Rs 250 Cr Scholarship Fund for JEE/NEET aspirants InsuranceDekho secures composite broking license Byju’s, BCCI settle payment dispute MapMyIndia accuses Ola Electric of copying data; Aggarwal calls them ‘Opportunist’ MCA imposed penalty on Zerodha AMC and Nithin Kamath for delay In appointing CFO Avanse Financial Services refiles DRHP to SEBI for Rs 3,500 Cr IPO Infra.Market and Fractal are next in line to file DRHP soon [Conclusion] After a dip in funding, the weekly funding again rose up nearly 3X to $341 million across 32 deals. The week saw two VC fund launches namely Gemba Capital and Trifecta Capital. Logistics platform Delhivery plans to establish a network of multi-tenant dark stores to facilitate rapid in-city deliveries for e-commerce businesses. This move, coupled with their focus on shortening delivery times to 2-4 hours, aims to enhance the overall customer experience. Meanwhile, foodtech platform Zomato is diversifying its portfolio. It has introduced a new app called ‘District’, dedicated to its “going-out” business. This app will encompass dining, movie ticketing, and event bookings, expanding Zomato’s reach beyond food delivery. The Indian IPO market is witnessing a surge in activity with multiple companies gearing up for their public debuts. E-commerce SaaS platforms Unicommerce and BrainBees Solutions, the parent company of FirstCry, are set to launch their IPOs on August 6th. Avanse Financial Services has refiled its IPO papers after addressing regulatory concerns, while Infra.Market is exploring investment banks for its public listing. Adding to the pipeline, SaaS unicorn Fractal is planning to file its DRHP soon. Byju’s has reached a settlement with the BCCI. The edtech giant has agreed to pay a Rs 158 crore debt to the cricket board in installments by August 9th. This comes after the BCCI initiated insolvency proceedings against Byju’s due to non-payment. While the settlement offers temporary relief to the embattled company, the NCLAT has imposed conditions to ensure the funds are not misappropriated. MapMyIndia has sent a legal notice to Ola Electric alleging that the latter copied its data after launching its own mapping service. Ola Electric had previously used MapMyIndia’s services for its electric scooters. Ola Electric’s founder, Bhavish Aggarwal, has dismissed the allegations as opportunistic.

Indian startups attract $4 Bn in funding during September quarter

EntrackrEntrackr · 11m ago
Indian startups attract $4 Bn in funding during September quarter
Medial

Indian startups have shown impressive resilience in the third quarter of 2024, raising over $4 billion. This funding amount is nearly on par with the previous quarter and exceeds the total from the first quarter of the year. The landscape featured several significant deals, including multiple transactions over $300 million and $200 million, along with pre-IPO rounds and secondary market activity. This robust support, especially from early-stage startups, highlights a strong recovery and continued investor confidence, making it one of the most successful quarters during the ongoing funding winter. According to data compiled by TheKredible, Indian startups raised approximately $4.08 billion in funding during the third quarter of 2024. This amount included 85 growth and late-stage deals totaling $3.3 billion, along with 207 early-stage deals worth $754.26 million. Additionally, there were 58 undisclosed deals during this period. Notably, three new unicorns emerged in Q3: Ather, Rapido, and Moneyview. In total, six startups joined the unicorn club in 2024, all based in Bengaluru. In contrast, only two startups reached unicorn status in 2023, while 26 and 44 unicorns were born in 2022 and 2021, respectively. [Y-o-Y and M-o-M trend] In Q3 2024, Indian startups secured 352 deals totaling $4.08 billion, a slight decrease from the $4.27 billion raised across 363 deals in the previous quarter. Over the last seven quarters, Q3 2024 stands out as the second most funded period. Additionally, on a monthly basis, September achieved the second-highest funding with $1.63 billion, trailing behind the peak of $1.92 billion recorded in June. As of now, Indian startups have raised $11 billion in the first nine months of 2024, matching the total amount raised throughout 2023. [Top 10 growth stage deals in Q3] This growth can be largely attributed to Zepto’s remarkable $340 million funding round, closely followed by DMI Finance, which raised $334 million. Other significant contributors included PhysicsWallah, Rapido, Oyo, and Whatfix, each securing substantial funding. Notably, all top 10 growth-stage startups on the list have raised over $100 million each, including Purplle, Drip Capital, M2P Fintech, and InMobi. [Top 10 early-stage deals in Q3] Renewable energy services company BluePine led the early-stage startups with $28.8 million in funding. Following closely were AI firm Nutrix AI, EV companies Kinetic Green and Simple Energy, healthcare startup Even, fintech startup Centricity, and gen-z focused fast fashion D2C brand Newme, all of which made it into the top five. The complete list is available through TheKredible. [Mergers and Acquisitions] Merger and acquisition activity has surged to new heights. According to data compiled by TheKredible, Q3 saw 54 M&A deals, nearly matching the combined total of 55 deals in Q1 and Q2. The top acquisition in Q3 was OYO’s purchase of G6 Hospitality for $525 million, followed by Zomato’s acquisition of Paytm’s movies and ticketing business for $244 million. OYO also acquired Checkmyguest for $27.4 million. Other notable M&A activities included Nazara acquiring Pokerbaazi and Kiddopia, Redcliffe Labs acquiring Celara Diagnostics, HomeLane taking over Design Cafe, and Radio Mirchi’s parent company ENIL acquiring Gaana. [City and segment-wise deals] Bengaluru once again led the pack, with 122 startups from the city raising over $1.38 billion in funding during Q3, representing 34% of the total funding. Following closely, Delhi-NCR-based startups completed 91 deals amounting to $1.3 billion, accounting for nearly 32% of the total funding, putting them not far behind Bengaluru. Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Pune were next on the list. Notably, Mumbai-based startups contributed to more than 21% of the total funding in the last quarter. Segment-wise, fintech was at the top with 61 startups raising over $1.15 billion. E-commerce, healthtech, SaaS, and AI startups were next on the list. Amount-wise, automotive tech startups raised more money than SaaS and healthtech. Agritech, foodtech, edtech, and proptech saw their downfall during the first half of 2024. Edtech secured $233 million in funding during the period, with PhysicsWallah alone raising $210 million. Agritech was one of the least funded segments, contributing just 1.39% to the total fundraising, while the electric vehicle (EV) sector accounted for nearly 5% of the total. [Stage-wise deals] In Q3 2024, seed and pre-seed stage startups completed 138 deals totaling over $168 million. Series A and pre-Series A rounds recorded 73 and 37 deals, respectively. Additionally, there were 23 debt funding rounds worth $314 million, contributing 7.72% to the overall total. For more details, check TheKredible. [Layoffs, shutdowns and departures] Layoffs continued to impact the ecosystem in Q3, with 10 companies letting go of more than 1,200 employees. However, this figure is significantly lower than the over 2,200 employees dismissed in Q2. Overall, approximately 4,500 employees received pink slips in the first nine months of 2024. In comparison, this year’s layoffs are notably better than the 24,000 layoffs recorded in 2023 and the 20,000 in 2022. Recent market conditions have led to an increase in business closures. In Q3, eight startups announced their shutdowns, including Koo, Wynk Music, and Greenikk. This figure surpasses the six shutdowns recorded in Q1 and Q2 combined. Meanwhile, the startup ecosystem experienced notable departures of top executives in Q3. According to data, 16 top-level executives, including CEOs, CBOs, CFOs, co-founders, managing directors, and presidents, have resigned. During the period, there were 77 key hirings. The full list can be accessed here. [Trends in Q3 2024] Agritech: Agritech continues to be one of the least funded segments in 2024, with over 30 startups raising only $150 million by September. This trend reflects ongoing challenges, as last year saw just $178 million in agritech funding, a significant drop from $772 million in 2022 and $636 million in 2021. Wealthtech: Wealthtech is witnessing rapid growth, with venture capitalists making significant investments over the past 12 months. According to data intelligence platform TheKredible, Indian wealthtech startups raised over $100 million across five deals in Q3. IPOs from Bengaluru: Following a wave of startup IPOs from Delhi NCR and Mumbai, Bengaluru is making strides in 2024. Ola Electric and Digit Insurance have already been listed, while Ather and Swiggy have submitted their Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP). Additionally, co-working space startup IndiQube is also planning to launch its IPO soon. BharatPe settles with Ashneer Grover: Fintech company BharatPe has resolved its long-standing dispute with former co-founder and managing director Ashneer Grover. This settlement represents a significant development, particularly given the serious nature of the complaints filed by BharatPe against Grover. Titan Capital launches Indicorns: Titan Capital has introduced Indicorns, a new index that showcases profitable startups generating over Rs 100 crore in revenue. This initiative highlights the growing trend of self-sustaining businesses in India, illustrating that startups can achieve profitability without heavily depending on external funding.

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