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D2C startup Blissclub secures fresh funds at flat valuation

EntrackrEntrackr · 2m ago
D2C startup Blissclub secures fresh funds at flat valuation
Medial

Women’s activewear D2C brand BlissClub has raised Rs 45 crore (around $5.3 million) in a mix of debt and equity funding. The round was led by existing investor Elevation Capital. Women’s activewear D2C brand BlissClub has raised Rs 45 crore (around $5.3 million) in a mix of debt and equity funding. The round was led by existing investor Elevation Capital, with participation from Eight Roads Ventures, and Alteria Capital, which contributed the debt component. The board at Blissclub has allotted 16,076 pre-Series B CCPS at an issue price of Rs 20,528 each and 1,200 non-convertible debentures at an issue price of Rs 1,00,000 each to raise the aforementioned amount, its regulatory filings with Registrar of Companies (RoC) shows. The proceeds will be used to support the company’s business needs, including growth, expansion, and general corporate purposes, the filings added. BlissClub is a homegrown, women-centric wellness brand that specializes in activewear, accessories, and lifestyle products. Recently, the company expanded its portfolio by venturing into the travel wear segment. BlissClub sells its products through its own website as well as major e-commerce platforms like Myntra, Amazon, and AJIO. According to Entrackr’s estimates, Blissclub is valued at Rs 570 crore (around $67 million), the same as during its $15 million Series A round. After allotment of the new round, Elevation Capital is the largest external shareholder in BlissClub, holding a 24.5% stake, followed by Eight Roads Ventures with a 15.79%. According to TheKredible, BlissClub has raised nearly $26 million to date, including the debt component. While BlissClub has yet to disclose its FY25 figures, the company reported a 27% growth in operating revenue to Rs 87 crore in FY24. However, it also incurred a loss of Rs 44 crore during the same period. Disclaimer: Bareback Media has recently raised funding from a group of investors. Some of the investors may directly or indirectly be involved in a competing business or might be associated with other companies we might write about. This shall, however, not influence our reporting or coverage in any manner whatsoever. You may find a list of our investors here.

Battery Smart’s revenue triples in FY24 but losses widen over 2X

EntrackrEntrackr · 2m ago
Battery Smart’s revenue triples in FY24 but losses widen over 2X
Medial

Battery Smart, a battery-swapping network for electric two- and three-wheelers, recorded a three-fold increase in revenue for the fiscal year ending March 2024. However, its losses also doubled as the Gurugram-based company aggressively pursued scale. Battery Smart’s operating revenue soared 193% to Rs 164 crore in FY24 from Rs 56 crore in FY23, as per its consolidated financial statements sourced from the Registrar of Companies (RoC). The company made additional Rs 23 crore from interest on financial assets which pushed its total income to Rs 187 crore in FY24. On the expense side, depreciation charges ballooned 3.8X to Rs 85 crore, while finance costs rose nearly 3.75x to Rs 45 crore. Employee benefit expenses increased 95.2% to Rs 41 crore. Interestingly, advertising expenses fell by 60% to Rs 8 crore during the said fiscal year. Overall, Battery Smart’s total expenditure more than doubled to Rs 327 crore in FY24 from Rs 125 crore in FY23. Despite strong top-line growth, Battery Smart’s losses widened significantly. The company posted a net loss of Rs 140 crore in FY24, more than double the Rs 61 crore loss in FY23. Its Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) and EBITDA margin stood at -18.34% and -5.35%, respectively. On a unit basis, the company spent Rs 1.99 to earn a rupee in operating revenue. As of March 2024, the Gurugram-based firm reported current assets worth Rs 328 crore including Rs 107 crore in cash and bank balance. According to startup data intelligence platform TheKredible, Battery Smart has raised a total of approx $192 million of funding till date, having Tiger Global and Blume Ventures as its lead investors. Its co-founders Pulkit Khurana and Siddhart Sikka together own 28.5% of the company. Battery Smart remains one of the better positioned firms to benefit from the increased electrification of mobility in India, particularly two and three wheelers. The firm has incurred high costs as it establishes the best SOP and learns, never an easy task in a complex market like India. What probably helps it is the almost complete focus on B2B segments. The biggest risk factor of course remains the pushback from large manufacturers to have proprietary batteries, or a preference to build their own swapping networks as seen in the case of Honda recently. However, Battery Smart continues to have a lot going for it particularly in the three wheeler segment, where the swapping model trumps charging for now, by saving time and ensuring higher usage of the vehicle.

FabHotels gross revenue crosses Rs 550 Cr in FY24, losses widen 23%

EntrackrEntrackr · 5m ago
FabHotels gross revenue crosses Rs 550 Cr in FY24, losses widen 23%
Medial

FabHotels gross revenue crosses Rs 550 Cr in FY24, losses widen 23% Casa2 Stays, the parent firm of FabHotels, reported a 34% increase in gross revenue for the fiscal year ending March 2024. However, its loss rose by 23%, driven by a twofold increase in employee benefit expenses. FabHotels’ gross revenue increased to Rs 552 crore in FY24 from Rs 412 crore in the previous fiscal year (FY23), according to its financial statement sourced from the Registrar of Companies (RoC). The revenue for FY23 appears different this year as it marks FabHotels’ first set of financial statements prepared in compliance with Indian Accounting Standards (Ind AS). FabHotels, a budget hotel chain with over 600 properties across more than 50 cities in India, generated 99.4% of its gross revenue from accommodation bookings. Gross revenue increased by 33.35% to Rs 549 crore in FY24. Meanwhile, other revenue sources contributed Rs 3.3 crore. The company also recorded an additional income of Rs 11 crore from interest on deposits and liabilities written off, which pushed its overall revenue to Rs 563.6 crore in the last fiscal year. Accommodation expenses remained the largest cost component forming 74% of the overall cost, which grew by 32% to Rs 435 crore. FabHotels’ employee costs shot up 2X to Rs 92 crore in FY24. This includes Rs 15 crore as ESOP cost. Its commission expenses rose by 8% to Rs 27 crore, while other costs added Rs 34 crore. Overall, total expenses grew by 38.5% to Rs 588 crore in FY24 from Rs 424.7 crore in FY23. The two-fold jump in employee benefits led FabHotel to increase its losses by 23% to Rs 114 crore in FY24, compared to Rs 93 crore in FY23. Its ROCE and EBITDA Margin were recorded at -84.09% and -19.52%, respectively. On a unit basis, the company spent Rs 1.06 to earn a rupee of revenue. At the end of FY24, FabHotel’s current assets stood at Rs 172 crore, including cash and bank balances worth Rs 94 crore. FabHotel has raised around $70 million to date. Accel is the largest external stakeholder with 21.39% followed by Goldman Sachs. FabHotels competes directly with Treebo and Bloom Hotels. In FY24, Treebo surpassed Rs 100 crore in revenue, while Bloom Hotels achieved a 73.6% increase in operational revenue to Rs 250 crore and recorded a profit of Rs 14 crore. FabHotels, with its budget offerings and reach, faces a moment of truth to deliver sustainable profitability that can power future growth. The hospitality sector leaves very little margin for major misses now. FabHotels has placed its bets, with little leeway to change much now. Judgement awaits in the next few months and year, perhaps.

Foxtale's revenue soars to Rs 83 Cr in FY24, losses widen

EntrackrEntrackr · 6m ago
Foxtale's revenue soars to Rs 83 Cr in FY24, losses widen
Medial

Foxtale, a direct-to-consumer (D2C) skincare brand, reported Rs 83 crore of revenue in its third full fiscal year, which ended in March 2024. However, in pursuit of scale, the losses for the Mumbai-based company crossed Rs 50 crore in the same period. Foxtale’s revenue from operations surged around 6X to Rs 83 crore in FY24 from Rs 14 crore in FY23, its annual financial statements sourced from the Registrar of Companies show. Founded in 2021 by Romita Mazumdar, Foxtale is an affordable skincare brand focused on products designed for Indian skin. Its products target issues such as acne, aging, and hyperpigmentation. The brand's products are available on its website and various marketplaces, including Nykaa, Amazon, Blinkit, Flipkart, and Myntra. The sale of skin and beauty products was Foxtale's sole source of revenue in the previous fiscal year. Similar to other D2C skincare brands, Foxtale spent Rs 50 crore on advertising and promotion, which is 36% of its overall cost. This cost saw an increase of 3.8X during FY24. To the tune of scale, its cost of procurement grew 5.8X to Rs 35 crore in the previous fiscal. Foxtale's employee benefit expenses, including salaries, provident fund (PF), gratuity, and ESOPs, surged 2.8x to Rs 20 crore in FY24. Its delivery, legal, outsourcing manpower, and other overheads pushed the overall expenditure to Rs 139 crore in FY24 from Rs 33 crore in FY23. Despite registering 6x fold in scale, higher advertising expenses and employee benefit costs drove Foxtale's losses up by 189% to Rs 55 crore in FY24, compared to Rs 19 crore in FY23. On a unit level, it spent Rs 1.67 to earn a rupee of operating revenue. At the end of FY24, its current assets were recorded at Rs 69 crore, including cash and bank balances of Rs 44 crore. Foxtale has emerged as one of the few D2C startups to secure $48 million across two funding rounds in just seven months. Its latest $30 million round was spearheaded by Japanese beauty products giant, Kose Corporation. Its major competitors include Sugar Cosmetics, WOW Skin Science, Plum, MamaEarth, Minimalist, and several others.

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