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Libas raises $18 Mn in maiden external round from ICICI Venture’s fund

EntrackrEntrackr · 1y ago
Libas raises $18 Mn in maiden external round from ICICI Venture’s fund
Medial

Fast fashion omnichannel ethnic wear brand Libas has raised Rs 150 crore ($18 million) by IAF Series 5, a fund managed by ICICI Venture. This is the first external funding round for the decade-old company. Libas will strengthen its omni-channel presence and ramp up its exclusive brand and retail outlets across key metros and tier I, II, and III cities over the next few years, the company said in a press release. Libas also plans to leverage its brand, design capabilities, technology infrastructure, and supply chain network across channels to create the omnichannel business. Led by Sidhant Keshwani, Libas offers ethnic wear and comfortable fusion silhouettes with an online presence on platforms such as Flipkart and Myntra, alongside offline presence through EBOs, large format stores and multi-brand outlets. It solely focuses on women’s fashion. According to the Delhi-based company, a significant portion of the revenue comes from the brand’s own D2C channels. Recently, the brand announced Bollywood actress Kiara Advani as its brand ambassador. Libas claims that it crossed Rs 500 crore revenue mark in FY24 and the projection seems pretty much feasible as the firm posted Rs 365 crore in operating revenue in the fiscal year ending March 2023. During the same period, its profit stood at Rs 13.8 crore. Several fast fashion brands have raised funds in the past couple of years. The list counts Newme, DSLR, French Crown and Virgio, a startup launched by former Myntra’s CEO Amar Nagaram. As per a media report, Virgio was planning to return most of the capital it raised from the investors after a failed pivot.

MyDesignation raises $1.25 Mn in seed round

EntrackrEntrackr · 11m ago
MyDesignation raises $1.25 Mn in seed round
Medial

Thiruvananthapuram-based direct-to-consumer (D2C) fashion brand MyDesignation has raised $1.25 million (approximately Rs 10.7 crore) in its seed funding round led by Multiply Ventures, with participation from Veltis Capital, Sattva Ventures, Dominor Investment Holdings, and Green Trunk Ventures. According to MyDesignation, the capital will be utilized to enhance hiring, improve technology, expand offline presence, and enter new markets. Founded in 2020 by husband-wife duo Swaroop Krishnan and Gopika B Raj, MyDesignation offers fashion and lifestyle products. The brand claims to have built a customer base of over 500,000 consumers, with a 35% monthly repeat rate, and aims to double this user base within the year. MyDesignation operates independently without relying on third-party platforms or marketplaces, allowing full control over the customer journey. The firm plans to deepen its technological capabilities, expand its offline footprint, and hire talent aligned with its mission. In the competitive D2C fashion space, MyDesignation faces competition from brands like NNNOW, Nicobar, and Yepme.

Eternal Capital and Mamaearth’s Ghazal Alagh back Dressfolk

EntrackrEntrackr · 1y ago
Eternal Capital and Mamaearth’s Ghazal Alagh back Dressfolk
Medial

Dressfolk, a handloom clothing brand, has secured a fresh round of undisclosed funding led by Eternal Capital, along with D2C founders Ghazal Alagh (founder, Mamaearth) and Dhruv Koli (founder, Boba Bhai), with participation from Nobody Ventures and Eagle Wings Ventures. The round also saw participation from 3 Peaks Ventures joined the round with existing investors All In Capital, Sidhant Keshwani (of Libas) and Vidur Kataria (of Master Chow). The proceeds will be used to enable it to rapidly expand its offerings beyond sarees and build a broader portfolio of contemporary Indian wear. Earlier in October 2023, the brand had raised Rs 3.3 crore in its seed round led by All-In Capital and others. Founded by Nitin Mehrotra in 2017, Dressfolk focuses on empowering local artisans and sustainable fashion. Having grown close to 200% in FY24, Dressfolk claims to have an AOV (average order value) of over Rs 7,000. Currently, it collaborates with a network of over 800 weavers and 120 artisans across six states. Besides its website, the brand has scaled its distribution through leading marketplaces such as Aza Fashions, Nykaa, and Myntra, while also hosting pop-ups across India.

WROGN raises $9 Mn from Aditya Birla Digital Fashion

EntrackrEntrackr · 1y ago
WROGN raises $9 Mn from Aditya Birla Digital Fashion
Medial

Men’s apparel brand WROGN has raised approximately Rs 75 crore (approximately $9 million) in funding from Aditya Birla Digital Fashion Ventures Ltd (ABDFVL), increasing ABDFVL’s stake in the D2C fashion brand from 17.10% to 32.84% on a fully diluted basis, as per a stock exchange filing. Earlier, in June this year, WROGN secured Rs 125 crore ($15 million) from TMRW House of Brands, an Aditya Birla Group company. This investment saw TMRW acquiring a 16% stake in WROGN, valuing the Bengaluru-based brand at around $105 million. Aditya Birla Group’s TMRW has now backed eight Indian fashion brands, including men’s casualwear brand The Indian Garage Co, casualwear Bewakoof, athleisure brand Nobero, children’s brand Nauti Nati, denim label Urbano, and casualwear brands JuneBerry and Veirdo. Founded in 2014 by siblings Anjana and Vikram Reddy, WROGN is a leading name in casual wear, offering a wide range of apparel, footwear, and accessories. Leveraging cricketer Virat Kohli’s influence, the brand has expanded its reach through exclusive brand outlets and partnerships with major e-commerce platforms. Since its inception, WROGN has raised approximately $90 million from investors like Accel, Flipkart, Virat Kohli, and Sachin Tendulkar. In November 2020, Flipkart invested an undisclosed amount in WROGN’s Series F round. Flipkart is also an investor in Hrithik Roshan’s HRX, which competes with WROGN. WROGN’s revenue from operations dropped by 29.2% to Rs 243.75 crore in FY24, down from Rs 344.3 crore in FY23. Despite implementing cost-cutting measures, the Virat Kohli-backed brand saw its losses up by 28.2%, reaching Rs 56.76 crore compared to Rs 44.26 crore in FY23, primarily due to a sharp decline in sales. According to a recent report by TMRW X Bain & Company, the fashion and lifestyle sector is India’s second-largest consumer category, valued at $110 billion, with online sales accounting for around $11 billion, or 10% of the market.

Fashion brand Libas profit falls 64% in FY24, nears Rs 500 Cr revenue

EntrackrEntrackr · 11m ago
Fashion brand Libas profit falls 64% in FY24, nears Rs 500 Cr revenue
Medial

Fashion brand Libas profit falls 64% in FY24, nears Rs 500 Cr revenue Libas, a direct-to-consumer brand specializing in ethnic and fusion wear, approached Rs 500 crore in revenue during the fiscal year ending March 2024. However, increased spending on advertising and employee benefits resulted in a 64% fall in profits during the same period. Libas’ revenue from operations increased by 38% to Rs 487 crore in FY24, from Rs 352 crore in FY23, as per its financial statement sourced from the Registrar of Companies (RoC). Libas is a digital-first women’s ethnic wear brand offering kurtis, salwar suits, dresses, and bottoms in fabrics like cotton, silk, and georgette. The sale of these products was the sole source of income for the company in FY24. The growth in scale came with a sharp increase in expenses across the board. Total expenses rose 45% to Rs 483 crore in FY24 from Rs 334 crore in FY23. When it comes to expenses, Libas’s material costs remained its largest expense, making up over 61% of total costs, which rose 41% to Rs 296 crore. Advertising expenses surged 121% to Rs 42 crore, and employee benefits increased 56% to Rs 28 crore, while shipping costs totaled Rs 49 crore. The sharp spike in advertising and employee costs led to a 64% decline in profit, falling to Rs 5 crore in FY24 from Rs 14 crore in FY23. The company reported a Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) of 26.32% and an EBITDA margin of 3.06%. On a per-unit basis, Libas spent Re 0.99 to earn every rupee in revenue. As of March 2024, the Delhi-based company reported current assets of Rs 269 crore, with inventory alone accounting for Rs 154 crore. Significantly, its cash and bank balance stood at just Rs 30 lakh. According to startup data intelligence platform TheKredible, Libas has raised $18 million of funding from India Advantage Fund. The company’s co-founders, Sidhant Keshwani and Sunil Keshwan, own 84% of the company. Women’s ethnic wear is a crowded market at the best of times, and Libas has done well to get close to Rs 500 crores. But every milestone in the segment takes a lot of effort with ever changing trends for a fickly consumer. Libas has its work cut out if it wants to regain better margins, and quite simply, there is no easy way to get there. Be it exports, an offline play, or a cutback on advertising, the brand faces tough choices ahead to ensure it does not flare out like so many fashion brands. The good news is that contrary to opinion you might hear, ethnic wear is not going anywhere soon, as the strength in even saree sales indicates. If anything, the top brands have moved to a premiumisation model after building a strong reputation for quality. With its online focused approach, Libas will not find that easy to do, hence our belief that the brand is set to make some tough calls soon.

Rare Rabbit raises $18 Mn from A91 Partners, Zerodha founders’ fund, others

EntrackrEntrackr · 1y ago
Rare Rabbit raises $18 Mn from A91 Partners, Zerodha founders’ fund, others
Medial

New-age fashion brand Rare Rabbit has raised Rs 150 crore (approximately $18 million) in primary capital led by A91 Partners. This is the maiden institutional investment for a Bengaluru-based company since its inception in 2015. The board at Rare Rabbit has passed a special resolution to issue 69,230 compulsory convertible preference shares at an issue price of Rs 21,670 each to raise Rs 150 crore, its regulatory filings accessed from the Registrar of Companies show. A91 Partners led the round with Rs 102 crore while Zerodha’s founders NKSquared injected Rs 29 crore. Gruhas Proptech, Ravi Modi Family Trust, and Vendant Modi cumulatively participated with Rs 18.92 crore during the investment. As per TheKredible’s estimates, the company has been valued at around Rs 2,350 crore or $283 million post-allotment. Following the fresh proceeds, the A91 emerging fund will hold 9.65% of the capital while NKSquared and Ravi Modi Family Trust will get 4.15% and 2.13% of the stake in the company, the filing further added. This appears to be a part of a larger round as Rare Rabbit was in talks to raise Rs 500 crore led by A91 partners. Inc42 reported the development first. Rare Rabbit is a high-end fashion brand specializing in designer clothing for men and women. The brand operates more than 100 stores across India and offers collections through its online store. Rare Rabbit demonstrated rapid growth, which is evident from its revenue that scaled 72.3% to Rs 381 crore in FY23 with a positive bottom line of Rs 32 crore in FY23. The company reportedly clocked a revenue of Rs 600 crore in FY24. Rare Rabbit competes with brands like Souled Store, which raised around $29 million and achieved a revenue of Rs 235 crore in FY23. Its other competitors Snitch and WROGN also raised $13 million and $15 million in December 2023 and June respectively. In the past couple of months, a clutch of fashion and apparel brands have raised their maiden institutional round. In May, A91 Partners led a $21 million round in TechnoSport whereas Libas raised $18 million led by ICICI Venture’s fund.

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