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Ecom Express DRHP: Partners Group to sell stake worth Rs 931 Cr

EntrackrEntrackr · 11m ago
Ecom Express DRHP: Partners Group to sell stake worth Rs 931 Cr
Medial

Logistics firm Ecom Express has filed its draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) with the Security Exchange Board of India (SEBI) for an initial public offering (IPO). The DRHP has come just after days of an Entrackr report about the firm’s board giving a nod for the IPO. The firm has proposed to raise RS 2,600 crore in IPO, through a fresh issue of equity shares aggregating up to Rs 1,284.5 crore and an offer for sale (OFS) of up to Rs 1,315.5 crore worth equity shares. Partners Group will be offloading shares worth up to Rs 931 crore, while Warburg Pincus and BII (formerly CDC Group) will sell shares worth Rs 211 crore and Rs 137 crore, respectively, during the offer for sale. As per the time of filing, Partners Group is the largest stakeholder with 49.76% followed by Warburg Pincus and BII (British International Investment ) which hold 27.13% and 10.03%, respectively. As per the DRHP, IIFL Securities Limited, Axis Capital, Kotak Investment, and UBS Securities India are the book-running lead managers of the issue. This is the second attempt by the 13 year-old-firm for public listing. In February 2022, it approved a fundraise of up to Rs 4,860 crore via a public issue of shares. However, the firm put a hold on its IPO plan then. Meanwhile, Ecom Express is also raising Rs 1,424 crore (approximately $172 million) from existing investors via right issue. Since its inception, it has scooped up more than $250 million through equity and debt. Ecom Express provides logistics services in over 2,700 towns and 27,000 pin codes in India. The firm delivered 514 million shipments in 2024 while its competitor Delhivery did 740 million during the same period. Importantly, out of 514 million shipments handled in FY24, Tier 2 cities accounted for 81.79% of the shipments while Metro and Tier 1 cities were at 10.52% and 7.69% respectively. The logistics firm reported flat revenue in the last fiscal year, but the firm managed to cut costs drastically. It posted a modest 2.1% increase in its revenue to Rs 2,609 crore in FY24 as compared to Rs 2,554 crore in FY23. Its losses shrank by 40% to Rs 256 crore in the same period.

Ecom Express’ revenue goes past Rs 2,500 Cr in FY23; losses surge 4X

EntrackrEntrackr · 1y ago
Ecom Express’ revenue goes past Rs 2,500 Cr in FY23; losses surge 4X
Medial

E-commerce-focused logistics company Ecom Express has managed 20% year-on-year growth during the fiscal year ended March 2023. However, the company’s losses skyrocketed four-fold as its shipping and employee benefits costs rose sharply in the same period. Ecom Express’ revenue from operations increased by 21.9% to Rs 2,548 crore in FY23 from Rs 2,090 crore in FY22, its consolidated financial statements filed with the Registrar of Companies show. Twelve-year-old Ecom Express is an e-commerce focused logistics solution provider. Income from its courier services formed 90% of the revenue. This income grew 17.5% in FY23 whereas the remaining collections minted from warehousing services. The company also made Rs 34 crore from interest on deposits and current investments tallying its overall income to Rs 2,582 crore in FY23. See TheKredible for the detailed revenue breakup Expenses Breakdown Total ₹ 2,185 Cr Total ₹ 2,856 Cr ”https://thekredible.com/company/ecom-express/financials” View Full Data To access complete data, visit”https://thekredible.com/company/ecom-express/financials” Cost of materials consumed Cost of materials consumed Employee benefit Employee benefit Rent and repairs Rent and repairs Legal professional Legal professional Safety security Safety security Others To check complete Expense Breakdown visit thekredible.com View full data Caveat: We have not included the cost of impairment loss on non-financial assets during the fiscal year ending March 2023. The increased shipping cost and employee benefits made Ecom Express bleed heavily, shooting its losses up by 4X to Rs 375 crore in FY23 from Rs 91 crore in FY22. Its ROCE and EBITDA margin stood at -21% and -5.2% respectively. On a unit level, it spent Rs 1.12 to earn a rupee in FY23. FY22-FY23 FY22 FY23 EBITDA Margin 4% -5.2% Expense/₹ of Op Revenue ₹1.05 ₹1.12 ROCE -4% -21% The Warburg Pincus-backed company has raised over Rs 2,000 crore ($240 million) to date. According to the data intelligence platform, TheKredible, Warburg Pincus was the largest external stakeholder with 48.26% followed by Partners Ground and CDC Group. Ecom Express was all set to float its initial public offering (IPO) in early 2022 as it approved a fundraise through a public issue of shares. However, it postponed listing plans in October 2022 and dialed up existing investors to raise $39 million during the same period. Built on a promise of wringing out more efficiencies with use of technology and other steps, the worsening of margins seems to be a one off, as the firm will look to a more balanced output in FY24. It has done well to carve out a share for itself in the logistics space, and the only crimp on the horizon seems to be the deceleration seen in e-commerce sales itself. That will hurt Ecom Express, seeing how deeply the firm is focused on the segment. A year of single digit growth, even with lower profits is not something it will want at this stage, and that might actually force more streamlining than it bargained for.

FarEye narrows losses by 63% amidst modest growth in FY24

EntrackrEntrackr · 2m ago
FarEye narrows losses by 63% amidst modest growth in FY24
Medial

FarEye narrows losses by 63% amidst modest growth in FY24 FarEye recorded only modest double-digit year-on-year growth in operating revenues for the fiscal year ending March 2024. However, it significantly reduced its losses, cutting them by nearly two-thirds during the same period. FarEye’s revenue from operations rose by 13% to Rs 157 crore in FY24 from Rs 139 crore in FY23, according to its consolidated financial statements recently filed with the Registrar of Companies (RoC). This marks a sharp slowdown from the 40% year-on-year growth the Tiger Global-backed company reported in FY23. FarEye provides software solutions to manage large logistics platforms’ supply chain and delivery across manufacturing, e-commerce et al. The sale of logistics services was the sole source of revenue for the company. The cost structure saw a dramatic reset as employee benefit expenses fell 39% to Rs 153 crore in FY24. Information technology expenses decreased by 6% to Rs 46 crore, while legal charges and advertising expenses shrank by 43% and 60% to Rs 23 crore and Rs 8 crore, respectively. Other overheads also contracted by 22% to Rs 39 crore in FY24. Overall, FarEye’s total expenses dropped by 34% to Rs 269 crore in FY24, from Rs 410 crore in the previous fiscal year. The stringent cost controls helped the company to bring down its losses by 63% to Rs 89 crore in FY24, a sharp improvement from Rs 243 crore loss in FY23. Its ROCE and EBITDA margin improved to -26.82% and -45.83% respectively. On a unit basis, FarEye spent Rs 1.71 to earn a rupee of revenue in FY24, a huge improvement from Rs 2.95 in FY23. The Noida-based firm’s current assets stood at Rs 372 crore, out of which Rs 305 crore are in cash and bank balance. According to TheKredible, FarEye has raised a total of approx $152 million of funding till date, having TCV, Fundamentum, Eight Roads Ventures and Elevation Capital as its lead investors. The company’s co-founders Kushal Nahata and Gautam Kumar together own 13% of the company. An underperformer by any stretch, FarEye’s struggles will worry investors who invested on the promise of opportunities in the booming logistics sector. With its focus on last mile solutions, FarEye has picked a particularly promising niche to target, with over 30% of costs linked to the last mile delivery. However, costs have been consistently high due to a global footprint, and sales have simply not grown as fast as it would have wished. How FY25 goes, considering global disruptions in markets and consequently, with FarEye’s clients both present and potential, is anyone’s guess. We wouldn’t be expecting a sharp change in trajectory anytime soon therefore. With adequate cash balances, the firm certainly has no reason to stress, but another ordinary year will mean it has not really made a worthwhile impact even after a dozen years in the market. That will affect the possibility of further backing as well as valuations in no small way. FarEye needs to see the risks getting closer.

Funding and acquisitions in Indian startup this week [17 - 22 Jun]

EntrackrEntrackr · 1y ago
Funding and acquisitions in Indian startup this week [17 - 22 Jun]
Medial

As many as 41 Indian startups raised around $906.7 million in funding this week. These deals count 10 growth-stage deals and 22 early-stage deals. Moreover, eight early-stage and one growth-stage startup kept their transaction details undisclosed. In the previous week, about 31 early and growth-stage startups cumulatively raised over $336 million in capital. [Growth-stage deals] Among the growth-stage deals, 10 startups raised $857.4 million in funding this week. Quick commerce company Zepto grabbed the limelight with its $665 million funding. Ummeed Housing Finance, which provides housing and secured small ticket business loans, followed with its $76 million funding. Microlending platform Aye Finance, craft beer maker Bira 91, and fintech firm Slice also made it to the top five with $30 million, $25 million, and $20 million fundraises, respectively. D2C men’s apparel brand WROGN, small financing company Shivalik Small Finance Bank, Dvara KGFS, Aviom Housing Finance, and Jupiter’s NBFC arm Amica Finance are next on the list. [Early-stage deals] Moreover, 22 early-stage startups secured funding worth $49.3 million during the week. AI sales operating system OrbitShift spearheaded the list followed by healthtech platform Alyve Health, agriculture machinery company Balwaan Krishi, D2C fashion brand focused on custom-made The Pant Project, and SME-focused digital lending platform Supermoney. The list of early-stage startups also includes eight startups that kept the funding amount undisclosed: TaxGenie (Regime Tax Solution), Landeed, Praan, ThriveCo, Fanisko, Nirwana.ai, Lazy Cocktails & Co, and LEO1. 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 13 deals followed by Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, and Jaipur. Segment-wise, fintech startups grabbed the top spot with 12 deals. E-commerce, AI, SaaS, Food & beverages, and Healthtech startups followed this list among others. [Series-wise deals] During the week, Seed funding deals led the list with 17 deals followed by 7 Series A and 5 pre-Series A deals. Debt funding also saw 4 deals followed by Series F, Series B, pre-Seed, Series E, and Series G. [Week-on-week funding trend] On a weekly basis, startup funding surged 170% to $906.7 million as compared to around $336.45 million raised during the previous week. The average funding in the last eight weeks stands at around $421 million with 29 deals per week. [Fund launches] This week saw three significant fund launches. VentureSoul Partners launched their debut fund of Rs 600 crore to invest in established startups through venture debt. Gujarat Venture Finance Limited announced the first close of their Rs 200 crore “Prarambh Fund” targeting seed-stage tech startups with investments between Rs 1 crore and Rs 3 crore. 8X Ventures achieved a first close of Rs 60 crore for their second VC fund, aiming to invest in 18-20 early-stage deeptech startups, with a potential final corpus of Rs 300 crore. [Key hirings and departures] Here’s a summary of the key hirings and departures: Flipkart: Cleartrip, Flipkart’s travel booking unit, has appointed Anuj Rathi as its new Chief Business and Growth Officer. Vidyakul: Edtech startup Vidyakul has promoted Akhil Hari Angira to Co-founder and Chief Business Officer. He will oversee strategic partnerships, business growth, and expansion into underserved areas. Paytm: Paytm roped in Rajeev Krishnamuralilal Agarwal as a new non-executive independent director, while Neeraj Arora stepped down from the same position. Agarwal brings experience from companies like U GRO Capital and Star Health, while Arora is the founder of Halloapp and previously held positions at Meta and Google. [Layoffs] Silk product B2B marketplace ReshaMandi seems to be in deep trouble. After failing to secure Series B funding, the company has reportedly laid off 80% of its workforce and is significantly scaling down operations. It’s over Rs 300 crore debt leads to legal challenges and potential insolvency. [M&A] Ananta Capital’s beauty and wellness arm, Guardian, has acquired a 55% stake in D2C personal care startup Anveya Living, with plans to increase its stake further. Anveya Living, which owns the brands ThriveCo, Curlvana, and Anveya, will use the investment to launch new products and expand globally. Meanwhile, online travel aggregator Yatra Online has agreed to buy out its partner’s stake in the joint venture Adventure and Nature Network Private Limited (ANN), which operates in adventure tourism. Yatra Online will increase its stake in ANN from 50% to 99%, making ANN a subsidiary of Yatra Online. [Potential deals] The Indian startup scene is buzzing with potential deals. Here’s a glimpse of what’s brewing: AI-powered comic creation platform Dashtoon, with offices in India, is in late-stage talks to raise $10-12 million from a mix of new and existing investors. HealthTech startup HealthPresso is aiming to secure $1 million in pre-Series A funding, capitalizing on strong investor interest in its AI engine and distribution network. B2B SaaS platform Whatfix is on the verge of a $100-150 million funding round led by Warburg Pincus. Edtech giant Unacademy is reportedly in discussions for a historic merger with K12 Techno, the operator behind Orchids International Schools. This potential 50/50 merger could be the first major consolidation in the edtech space, which has faced a funding slowdown in recent years. Notably, Unacademy previously invested in Orchid Schools and both companies share an investor. Logistics firm Ecom Express is also reportedly in advanced talks with existing investors Warburg Pincus, CDC Group, and Partners Group to raise Rs 350-400 crore. The discussions are nearing completion, and this funding round could elevate Ecom Express’s valuation to over $1 billion, potentially making it the latest entrant to India’s unicorn club. Visit TheKredible to see series-wise deals along with amount breakup, complete details of fund launches, and more insights. [New launches] Bellavita co-founder Aakash Anand launches new venture, Unikon.ai Pocket FM partners with ElevenLabs to convert scripts into audio [Financial results this week] Awfis nears Rs 900 Cr income in FY24; losses contract 62% [News flash this week] Ola Electric gets SEBI nod for $660 Mn IPO Financial Intelligence Unit imposes Rs 18.82 Cr penalty on Binance VC firms General Catalyst and Venture Highway merge to focus on India CCI approves WeWork Inc exit from Indian co-working space Ixigo’s market cap spikes nearly 80% from the pre-IPO round Zomato, Paytm confirm acquisition talks for movie, ticketing business Flipkart-backed Blackbuck converts into a public company Peak XV tops the chart of Hurun India Future Unicorn Index 2024 Delhivery, Xpressbees looking to enter quick commerce space: Report OYO gets approval from shareholders to raise Rs 417 Cr: Report [Conclusion] The weekly funding surged around 170% to $906 million this week, majorly followed by the mega funding deal of Zepto worth $665 million. A bunch of financing companies also contributed significantly. The week saw three startup-focused fund launches by VCs namely VentureSoul Partners, GVFL, and 8X Ventures. Additionally, the week saw a layoff as Reshamandi laid off around 80% of its employees. Six months after filing a draft red herring prospectus (DRHP), Ola Electric has received approval for its initial public offering (IPO) from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). The company, which filed the DRHP in December 2023, aims to raise Rs 5,500 crore ($660 million) through the public listing. Ixigo made a remarkable debut on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) on Tuesday, opening at a 48.5% premium above its issue price. Initially priced at Rs 93, Ixigo’s shares listed at Rs 138.5 on the NSE, while on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), the shares opened at Rs 135, according to data from both exchanges. Later, the price touched Rs 194.38. Zomato and Paytm are in talks for Zomato to acquire Paytm’s movies and ticketing business. This deal is estimated to be around Rs 1,600-1,750 crore ($190-210 million). While no final decision has been made yet, Zomato says this potential acquisition aligns with their plan to focus on their core businesses and expand their “going-out” offerings. OYO got the green light from shareholders to raise Rs 416.85 crore by issuing preference shares. The funds will come from InCred Wealth by purchasing 14.37 crore Series G preference shares at Rs 29 each. Additionally, in a move to capitalize on the booming quick commerce market, logistics players Delhivery and Xpressbees are expanding their services beyond traditional e-commerce deliveries. Delhivery is now managing larger warehouses for Swiggy Instamart, which fulfills orders for quick commerce deliveries through a network of smaller, localized stores. Xpressbees is also exploring entry into this space, reportedly in talks with several players. This shift in focus highlights the growing importance of quick commerce deliveries and the potential logistics companies see in this rapidly developing market.

Exclusive: Snapmint crosses Rs 150 Cr revenue threshold in FY25, turns profitable

EntrackrEntrackr · 8d ago
Exclusive: Snapmint crosses Rs 150 Cr revenue threshold in FY25, turns profitable
Medial

Exclusive: Snapmint crosses Rs 150 Cr revenue threshold in FY25, turns profitable Buy now, pay later (BNPL) startup Snapmint has made a strong comeback in FY25, recording nearly 80% year-on-year revenue growth after a flat performance in FY24. The company also turned profitable during the year, according to two sources and documents reviewed by Entrackr. Snapmint’s revenue from operations soared to Rs 158.5 crore in FY25 from Rs 88.5 crore in FY24, as per the documents. Founded in 2017 by Nalin Agrawal, Anil Gelra, and Abhineet Sawa, Snapmint offers credit solutions for purchases in categories like electronics, health, and home essentials. Its digital platform, Nimbus, helps merchants boost sales and reach with customized credit options. Interest income received from granting on services was the primary source of revenue, while commissions, subvention, discount from partners, and processing fees were other allied services for Snapmint. According to the sources, Snapmint also turned black with a profit after tax of Rs 15 crore, a reversal from a loss of Rs 33.6 crore in FY24. Queries sent to Snapmint did not elicit a response. Their comments will be added if and when they respond. The company has also been in talks to raise fresh funding to the tune of $40 million, with General Atlantic likely to lead the round at a valuation of around $150-160 million. Entrackr exclusively reported this development last month. According to the startup data intelligence platform TheKredible, the company has raised around $60 million to date, including its $18 million in a mix of debt and equity led by Prashasta Seth (Prudent Investment Manager), Perpetuity Ventures, and Pegasus Fininvest. With offerings that go beyond credit cards, using credit scores instead to perform a credit check and provide limits, Snapmint certainly fills a use case that has become more relevant after the advent of UPI for many users. However, Snapmint faces competition from several BNPL players, including Axio, which was recently acquired by Amazon, Fibe (formerly EarlySalary), which raised $90 million from TR Capital, and Amara Capital. Other competitors include Simpl, Layup, DMI Group-owned ZestMoney, and a few others. With investors no longer as willing to burn money to acquire customers or invest in community building, all the firms, especially those not affiliated to a large ecom platform, face the difficult challenge of access and recognition. With Fibe having raised significant capital, the journey ahead for Snapmint is tougher, but certainly not impossible. The best interest of these apps will be served by a tougher crackdown on unauthorized and illegal lending apps that will clear out the market and bring in a fresh, if smaller segment of new customers. A case for cooperation if there ever was one.

Funding and acquisitions in Indian startups this week [04-09 Mar]

EntrackrEntrackr · 1y ago
Funding and acquisitions in Indian startups this week [04-09 Mar]
Medial

This week, equivalent to 27 Indian startups raised funding amounting to nearly $307.8 million. These deals include seven growth-stage deals and 17 early-stage deals. The early-stage deals also include three startups that kept their transaction details undisclosed. Last week, about 32 early and growth-stage startups collectively raised over $384 million, including five undisclosed deals. [Growth-stage deals] Among the growth-stage deals, seven startups raised $141 million in funding this week. D2C skincare and nutrition brand The Ayurveda Experience spearheaded with a $27 million Series C funding round. ID verification platform IDfy also shared the top spot with its Series E funding worth $27 million. D2C Craft beer brand Bira 91, B2B construction equipment supplier Zetwerk and education software company Educational Initiatives (Ei) also made it to the top five with their respective fundraises. Further, edtech startup PlanetSpark and electric vehicle financing platform Mufin Green also raked in funding this week. For more information, visit TheKredible. [Early-stage deals] As many as 17 early-stage startups scooped funding worth $166.8 million during the week. Surprisingly, an early stage startup mPokket led the overall funding chart with its $60 million debt this week. Generative AI startup Ema followed the list with social media startup Hunch, rural commerce startup Rozana, and D2C skincare brand Foxtale. The list further includes business tools provider Exly (formerly MyScoot), Sales enablement platform Louisa AI, and D2C coffee chain abCoffee among others. The list of early-stage startups also includes three startups which kept the amount undisclosed. The startups are Azimuth AI, Swizzle, and Onramp Money. [City and segment-wise deals] In terms of the city-wise number of funding deals, Delhi-NCR-based startups led with 10 deals followed by Bengaluru with 9 deals, collectively amounting to 65% of the total fundraise during the week. This was followed by Mumbai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Surat, Lucknow, and Hyderabad. The complete breakdown of the city and segment can be found at TheKredible. [Series-wise deals] This week, nine startups raised funding in their seed round followed by five Series A deals. While three startups raised funding in pre-Series A, this was followed by debt, Series E, and Series B funding with 2 deals each. [Week-on-week funding trend] On a weekly basis, startup funding shrank 20% to $307.8 million as compared to $384.16 million in the previous week. The average funding in the last eight weeks stands at around $216 million with 26 deals per week. [Fund launches] The week witnessed four startup-focused fund launches. GetVantage has launched the Rise-Up Fund, dedicating Rs 100 crore to supporting women entrepreneurs’ businesses with capital, aiming to deploy the funds within the next 12 months. Colossa Ventures, a SEBI-registered venture capital management company, announced the first close of its Colossa WomenFirst Fund at Rs 100 crore. Additionally, climate tech venture studio NOW has officially launched in India with a dedicated $2 million fund to invest in early-stage Indian deeptech startups, aiming to support and nurture innovation in the deeptech space. An early-stage venture capital firm Navam Capital, focused on backing startups in frontier technology sectors, has also made the first close of its maiden investment vehicle. [ESOP Buyback] Community management app MyGate announced employees stock buyback program for more than 50 employees. The buyback came on the back of improved financial results for the Bengaluru-based company in the past couple of years. MyGate announced the buyback plan of 20% of vested shares for employees who have completed four years at the firm. Visit TheKredible to see series-wise deals and amount breakup, complete details of fund launches, and more insights. [New launches] ▪️ Flipkart launches UPI services to counter third-party apps ▪️ Cashfree unveils a new payment solution for software platforms ▪️ Gupshup rolled out Conversation Cloud to facilitate AI-backed B2C conversations ▪️ OYO to launch self-operated premium hotels under the ‘Palette’ brand ▪️ ZestMoney’s ex-CEO Lizzie Chapman to launch new venture, SwiffyLabs [Financial results this week] ▪️ Ergos gross revenue crosses Rs 200 Cr in FY23; losses stagnant ▪️ Yubi posts Rs 328 Cr revenue and Rs 482 Cr loss in FY23 ▪️ Trell revenue plummeted 94% to Rs 5 Cr in FY23; losses stood at Rs 59 Cr ▪️ BigHaat’s gross revenue nears Rs 700 Cr in FY23 ▪️ Healthians posts Rs 224 Cr revenue and Rs 184 Cr loss in FY23 [News flash this week] ▪️ Infibeam Avenues receives RBI’s final nod for Payment Aggregator license ▪️ Flipkart to take on Zepto, Blinkit with quick commerce foray ▪️ Google agrees to temporarily restore delisted apps ▪️ Karnataka withdraws the electric bike taxi scheme citing its misuse ▪️ Tech Fini partners with NPCI to offer credit line on UPI ▪️ NITI Aayog to roll out the initiative to create DPI for policymaking and governance ▪️ Antfin offloaded a 2% stake in Zomato via bulk deals worth Rs 2,827 Cr ▪️ BlackBuck to raise $300 million, gearing up for IPO ▪️ Meesho to raise funds from Peak XV, Tiger Global via a secondary transaction [Entrackr’s analysis] The weekly funding slipped nearly 20% to $307.8 million as compared to $384.16 million the previous week. Fortunately, there was no news of major layoffs, shutdowns, or departures in the startup ecosystem. Additionally, four firms launched startup-focused funds to support Indian entrepreneurs. Google announced that it would temporarily restore applications removed from the Play Store due to policy compliance issues last week. This decision followed intervention by the Indian government after IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw criticized the delisting of select Indian apps. He later disclosed that he had engaged with Google representatives and app developers to address the issue. NITI Aayog is set to launch NITI for States, a digital cross-sectoral knowledge platform, to create a digital public infrastructure for policymaking and governance. The platform, accessible on various devices including mobile phones, aims to support the digital transformation of governance by providing practical knowledge and insights to improve decision-making for government officials, district collectors, and block-level officials across states and UTs. In another development, e-commerce giant Flipkart is gearing up to enter the quick commerce sector, with infrastructure ramp-up already underway. Meanwhile, Flipkart-backed logistics startup BlackBuck is preparing for an IPO in the next fiscal year, aiming to raise up to $300 million. Additionally, investors like Peak XV Partners and Tiger Global are reportedly eyeing a stake in e-commerce unicorn Meesho through a secondary transaction. Some angel and early investors of Meesho may offload shares worth around $200 million, with the deal expected to value between $3.5 billion and $3.9 billion based on final terms.

Funding and acquisitions in Indian startup this week [02 - 07 Sep]

EntrackrEntrackr · 10m ago
Funding and acquisitions in Indian startup this week [02 - 07 Sep]
Medial

During the week, 26 Indian startups raised around $421.29 million in funding. These deals count 4 growth-stage deals and 16 early-stage deals while 6 startups kept their transaction details undisclosed. During the previous week, 31 early and growth-stage startups cumulatively raised $490.32 million in funding. [Growth-stage deals] Among the growth-stage deals, 4 startups raised $385.61 million in funding this week. Ride-hailing app Rapido spearheaded with a $200 million worth unicorn round. Cross-border trade fintech firm Drip Capital raised $113 million followed by D2C jewellery retailer Bluestone and food delivery and grocery platform Swiggy with $72 million and $0.61 million in funding, respectively. Two growth-stage startups that did not disclose the transaction details are Xolopak and Plan B. [Early-stage deals] Further, 16 early-stage startups secured funding worth $35.68 million during the week. Proptech startup Justo Realfintech led the list followed by D2C retail brand Nutrabay, a platform for booking hostel accommodations The Hosteller, chemical recycling and sustainability startup RecommerceX, and fabless semiconductor design startup BigEndian among others. As many as 4 startups that did not disclose the funding amount raised are; Nautical Wings Aerospace, ReCircle, 0xPPL, and Carrum. 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 10 deals followed by Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Pune, and Raisen. Segment-wise, E-commerce startups are on the top spot with 6 deals. Cleantech, Fintech, PropTech, SaaS, Automotive Tech, and Aviation startups followed this list among others. [Series-wise deals] During the week, Seed funding deals are on top with 11 deals followed by 5 Series A, 2 pre-Series A, 2 pre-Seed, and 1 Series E deal and more. [Week-on-week funding trend] On a weekly basis, startup funding slipped 14% to $421.29 million as compared to around $490.32 million raised during the previous week. The average funding in the last eight weeks stands at around $332.75 million with 27 deals per week. [Fund launches] VentureSoul Partners has successfully raised Rs 146.5 crore for its debut fund, targeting a total corpus of Rs 600 crore. Additionally, the Indian government has introduced a new fund called AgriSure, which is dedicated to supporting agritech startups with a financial commitment of Rs 750 crore. [Key hirings and departures] Mohit Rajani, formerly with Meta, has joined Meesho as a CPO. Freshworks onboarded former ServiceNow executive Murali Swaminathan as CTO, CoinDCX appointed Prashant Verma as chief growth and marketing officer, Wellbeing Nutrition onboarded Harleen Bhatti as the head of growth, and Nykaa (Kay Beauty) hired Sukhleen Aneja as SVP and Business Head. Meanwhile, Adda247’s Co-founder Chandan Singh and CaratLane’s MD and CEO Avnish Anand resigned from their respective companies. [Mergers and Acquisitions] Hearing care provider Hearzap has acquired Speech and Hearing Care to expand its market share in Bihar and Jharkhand, while Yatra has acquired Globe Travels to strengthen its position in the corporate travel sector and increase its customer base. [Layoffs] Airmeet, a virtual event startup, laid off around 80% (30 employees) of its tech team and some employees from its product and design teams. Dozee, a healthtech startup, also laid off around 40-50 employees from its on-field, customer success, sales, and marketing teams. Visit TheKredible to see series-wise deals along with amount breakup, complete details of fund launches, and more insights. [New launches and partnerships] Fampay launches UPI app Namaspay for foreign travelers in India Ola Electric to bring three-wheeler to market soon Zepto to launch Buy Now Pay Later service: Zepto Postpaid Mygate launches smart door locks; enters consumer electronics EaseMyTrip ventures into electric bus manufacturing Swiggy follows Zomato, pilots large order fleet in Delhi-NCR Infibeam Avenues launches CCAvenue SoundBox Max [Potential Deals] SarvaGram to raise $50 Mn from Peak XV, others B2B digital lending startup Mintifi in talks to raise $100 Mn Moneyview raising $30 Mn debt via private placement [Financial results this week] Starbucks India posts Rs 1,218 Cr revenue in FY24; losses surge 3.2X BigBasket’s revenue crosses Rs 10,000 Cr in FY24 Porter scales up 56% to Rs 2,734 Cr in FY24; losses dip 45% Swiggy reports Rs 11,247 Cr revenue in FY24; cuts losses by 44% [News flash this week] Mayhem at Arthmate after Vihaan Kumar’s arrest: COO resigns, employees exodus, and more GST Council may impose 18% GST on PAs for Small Transactions Byju’s auditor resigns over lack of transparency; founder cries foul CLSA raises Zomato price target to Rs 353 post Paytm deal Nykaa accuses former CEO Asthana of breach of confidentiality, misappropriation B2B unicorn OfBusiness eyes IPO in the second half of 2025 Coworking Space Provider IndiQube Plans IPO: Report Zepto eyes $450 Mn IPO by August 2025, initiates talks with bankers Ather Energy targets Rs 4,500 Cr IPO, to file DRHP next week: Report InMobi’s Roposo shifts to the social commerce model PharmEasy valuation slashed to $458 Mn by Janus Henderson Logistics firm Delhivery receives GST demand notice GST troubles continue for Zomato; receives another demand notice PayGlocal gets RBI payment aggregator license [Conclusion] The weekly funding shrank around 14% to $421.29 million this week. Meanwhile, two startup-focused funds launched this week namely AgriSure and VentureSoul Partners. Arthmate, a lending enabler, has been embroiled in a legal dispute with Gameskraft, leading to the arrest of its co-founder and former CEO, Vihaan Kumar. Gameskraft accused Kumar of financial irregularities and fraudulent activities, resulting in an FIR and subsequent arrest. The legal battle has caused significant disruption within Arthmate, with employee departures and a decline in company morale. Kumar’s actions, including alleged forgery and financial losses to Gameskraft, have raised serious concerns about his conduct and the impact it has had on the company. The GST Council is considering imposing an 18% GST on payment aggregators for small-value digital transactions. This move could increase costs for merchants and customers, while also impacting the profitability of fintech startups. The proposed levy could hinder the adoption of digital payments and create a more competitive landscape for payment aggregators. It is essential for the GST Council to carefully evaluate the potential consequences before making a final decision. OfBusiness, a B2B marketplace unicorn, is close to finalizing bankers for its $1 billion IPO in the second half of 2025. Meanwhile, IndiQube, a coworking space provider, is also in talks with merchant bankers to file its DRHP within the next three months. IndiQube aims to raise between $120 and $180 million through its IPO, primarily through a fresh issuance of shares.

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