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Delhi HC directs shutdown of scam impersonating INDmoney and founder

EntrackrEntrackr · 6d ago
Delhi HC directs shutdown of scam impersonating INDmoney and founder
Medial

The Delhi High Court has ordered a sweeping crackdown on an online scam that allegedly impersonated wealth-tech platform INDmoney and its founder, Ashish Kashyap, to defraud investors. In a July 28 order, Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora directed domain registrars, app stores, messaging platforms, banks, and cybercrime units to work together to shut down the operation. The case, filed by INDmoney Tech and its affiliate INDstocks, alleges that since November 2024, a person identified as “Ashok Kumar” used fake identities to lure victims through WhatsApp and Telegram groups, rogue websites, and mobile apps. The accused allegedly promised high returns from block trading, IPO tips, and stock market bets, using forged SEBI certificates and fake documents to appear credible. The fraudulent network involved eight websites, four fake apps, dozens of messaging accounts, and multiple bank accounts. According to INDmoney, the accused also copied its trademarks, logos, and website content to mislead users. Finding a clear case of trademark infringement, passing off, and copyright violation, and noting the actions were causing “irreparable injury”, the court restrained the defendant, its associates, and agents from using the brands or running the infringing platforms. It directed Gname.com, Dominet, and Dynadot to block the domains and share ownership details; Google and Apple to remove the fake apps; WhatsApp and Telegram to block the listed numbers and groups; and over a dozen banks to freeze linked accounts and provide KYC details. The National Cyber Cell and Gurugram Cyber Police were also told to file investigation reports. The next hearing is on September 2 before the Joint Registrar, and on December 17 in court. Following the order, Kashyap posted on LinkedIn, calling it a “strong digital-first stand against online financial fraud” and a key step towards protecting people from sophisticated scams. He urged people to “stay alert, stay informed, stay safe.”

Funding and acquisitions in Indian startups this week [19-24 Feb]

EntrackrEntrackr · 1y ago
Funding and acquisitions in Indian startups this week [19-24 Feb]
Medial

This week as many as 26 Indian startups raised funding amounting to nearly $129.5 million. These deals count five growth-stage deals and 19 early-stage deals. The early-stage deals also include two startups that kept their transaction details undisclosed. Last week, 27 early and growth-stage startups collectively raised around $162 million, including four undisclosed deals. [Growth-stage deals] Among the growth stage deals, five startups raised $73.7 million in funding this week. Furniture rental brand Rentomojo topped the list with its $25 million fundraise. This was followed by D2C ice cream brand NIC and electric two-wheeler startup Yulu which raised $20 million and $19.25 million, respectively. Further, education-focused NBFC Auxilo and train ticketing platform RailYatri also secured funding this week. [Early-stage deals] Equivalent to 19 early-stage startups raked in funding worth $55.77 million during the week. EV financing and vehicle lifecycle management platform Vidyut scooped $10 million in funding while agriculture financing startup Samunnati, climate-tech firm Varaha, EV company Pure EV, and digital-first retailer Pratech Brands also raised a significant amount to make it to the top five early-stage startups. The list further includes foodtech platform Ghost Kitchens India, augmented reality startup AutoVRse, healthcare edtech startup Virohan, elder care company Samarth Life, and B2B fintech supply chain startup QuiD among others. For more information, visit TheKredible. [City and segment-wise deals] In terms of the city-wise number of funding deals, Bengaluru-based startups are on the top of the list with nine deals. This was followed by Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune, Chennai, and Udaipur. The complete breakdown of the city and segment can be found at TheKredible. [Series wise deals] This week, eight startups raised funding in their seed round followed by five pre-seed, four Series A, and two Series C deals. The list further includes debt, Series D, Series B, and other funding deals. [Week-on-week funding trend] On a weekly basis, startup funding declined by 20% to $129.5 million as compared to $162 million in the previous week. The average funding in the last eight weeks stands at around $158 million with 25 deals per week. [Mergers & Acquisitions] This week saw a few acquisition deals. DroneAcharya Aerial Innovations Ltd is acquiring a majority (76%) stake in Aerophile Academy Pvt Ltd, which provides drone pilot training. Signzy has acquired fraud risk management solutions provider Difenz for $5 million. Redcliffe Labs-owned Medicentre Sonography & Clinical Labs has acquired Prime Sonography & Diagnostic Centre and Xoriant, backed by ChrysCapital, has acquired technology-solutions provider MapleLabs Inc. [Fund launches] Aroa Venture Partners has launched a new fund targeting a corpus of Rs 400 crore. Spyre PropTech Venture Fund, supported by Venture Catalysts and Neovon, has initiated a Rs 400 crore fund to invest in over 30 Indian startups in the PropTech sector. Equirus Capital achieved the first close of its maiden venture capital fund shortly after receiving SEBI approval for a category-I alternative investment fund (AIF). [Departures] Amid efforts to improve profitability, Flipkart, led by Walmart, has seen the departure of four senior vice presidents. Cleartrip’s Ayyappan R, Flipkart’s Amitesh Jha, Dheeraj A, and Bharath Ram, who held key positions in various departments, have recently left the company. Visit TheKredible to see series-wise deals and amount breakup, complete details of fund launches, and more insights. [New launches] ▪️ Razorpay launches an AI chatbot, RAY ▪️ Pocket FM rolls out e-novel platform Pocket Novel ▪️ Google to roll out SoundPod to more merchants [Financial results this week] ▪️ RailYatri posts Rs 274 Cr revenue in FY23; losses shrink 58% ▪️ Smallcase spends Rs 176 Cr to earn Rs 31 Cr in FY23 ▪️ Baazi Games’ revenue crossed Rs 200 Cr in FY23; profit grew nearly 4X ▪️ EatClub posts Rs 315 Cr revenue and Rs 69 Cr loss in FY23 ▪️ Fintech firm CASHe’s revenue crosses Rs 560 Cr in FY23; remains profitable ▪️ Quikr posts Rs 51 Cr revenue in FY23, losses shrink 62% [News flash this week] ▪️ RBI’s additional steps aim to protect ‘@paytm’ users, merchants ▪️ AR-based toy maker PlayShifu in talks to raise $6 Mn ▪️ NIIF to acquire a majority stake in iBus ▪️ Flipkart in talks to acquire Dunzo ▪️ Construction firm Infra.Market to raise $60 Mn debt ▪️ RBI grants Payment Aggregator license to Mswipe Technologies ▪️ X to withhold certain accounts, posts in India following govt orders [Entrackr’s analysis] The weekly funding again shrank by a significant margin, however, the week did not witness any major layoffs or business shutdowns. Additionally, the week witnessed three startup-focused funds: Aroa Venture, Spyre PropTech, and Equirus Capital. In another development, IRCTC partnered with Swiggy to deliver pre-ordered meals at four railway stations, following a similar move by Zomato four months ago. This reflects a growing trend of leveraging food delivery platforms for railway catering services. Meanwhile, Flipkart is reportedly in talks to acquire Dunzo, a hyperlocal delivery startup facing financial challenges for nearly a year. However, complexities surrounding Dunzo’s ownership, particularly its association with Reliance, are complicating the potential deal. Additionally, the RBI has moved to provide more safeguards to customers affected by its actions against Paytm Payments Bank. This includes migrating ‘@paytm’ handles to other banks and advising customers to make alternative arrangements before March 15, 2024. Meanwhile, drama has continued to unfold at Byju’s for one reason or another. On Friday, select shareholders held an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) to vote for leadership change and board restructuring. Later, Byju’s said the outcome of the EGM was “invalid and ineffective.” It also highlighted the interim relief provided by the Karnataka HC, which stated that any decisions made during the meeting would not be given effect until the next hearing.

Funding and acquisitions in Indian startup this week [01 - 06 July]

EntrackrEntrackr · 1y ago
Funding and acquisitions in Indian startup this week [01 - 06 July]
Medial

This week, 24 Indian startups raised around $270.3 million in funding. These deals count 4 growth-stage deals and 20 early-stage deals. In the previous week, over 25 early and growth-stage startups cumulatively raised more than $211 million in funds. [Growth-stage deals] Among the growth-stage deals, 4 startups raised $234.2 million in funding this week. E-commerce company Purplle topped with its $120 million Series F round. Hospitality firm OYO, EV startup Matter and agritech brand Arya.ag followed with $50 million, $35 million and $29.2 million funding respectively. [Early-stage deals] Moreover, 20 early-stage startups secured funding worth $36.13 million during the week. D2C brand Comet spearheaded the list followed by health startup Watch Your Health, fintech startup Dice, logistics tech firm Ripplr, and media & entertainment startup Pepul. Automotive tech Bike Bazaar, SaaS startup Wify, and logistics firm Lobb also raised funding among others. 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 seven deals followed by Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Pune and Ahmedabad among others. Segment-wise, e-commerce startups grabbed the top spot with four deals. Healthtech, proptech, agritech and logistics startups followed this list. [Series-wise deals] During the week, Seed funding deals led the list with 5 deals followed by 4 Series A and pre-Series A deals. Pre-seed and debt funding also saw 3 deals and 2 deals respectively. [Week-on-week funding trend] On a weekly basis, startup funding slipped 76.73% to $211 million as compared to around $906 million raised during the previous week. The average funding in the last eight weeks stands at around $404 million with 28 deals per week. [Fund launches] Japanese automaker Suzuki is diving into Indian social impact investing with Next Bharat Ventures. This Rs 340 crore fund targets early-stage startups tackling challenges in rural areas and the informal economy. Focusing on sectors like agriculture tech and financial inclusion, Next Bharat Ventures will invest Rs 1 crore to Rs 8 crore per startup, aiming to support up to 20 ventures annually over the next few years. [Key hirings] Here’s a summary of the key hirings and departures: Among key hirings, Mandar Vaidya, formerly of OYO, took the helm as CEO at Cloudphysician. The investment world welcomed Ajay Mittal to ValuAble as a General Partner and Investment Manager, transitioning from Ascent Capital. Paytm saw a shift with Swati Rustagi taking on a Vice President role at Adobe. Pickrr bolstered their product team with Kunal Bariwal joining as Lead Product at CaptainBiz. Finally, Softbank appointed Lydia Jett as an Independent Director for Flipkart. [M&A] Indian crypto exchange CoinDCX has fully acquired BitOasis, a Middle Eastern virtual asset platform. Both teams will merge, with BitOasis retaining its brand. In the HR tech space, US-Indian platform Phenom gobbled up Tydy, a human resources tech firm, in its fifth acquisition. While Nodwin Gaming, the esports arm of Nazara Technologies, is acquiring German esports agency Freaks 4U Gaming in a two-part share swap deal worth Rs 271 crore, solidifying their position in the esports market. [Layoffs and shutdowns] Edtech giant Unacademy has laid off 250 employees in a restructuring effort aimed at streamlining operations and boosting efficiency. The company seeks to achieve sustainable growth and profitability. While the exact number of impacted employees is undisclosed, Unacademy assures support for those affected during this transition. Koo, the Indian microblogging platform that focused on local languages, is shutting down. Founder Apramyea Radhakrishna announced the closure on LinkedIn, stating they couldn’t find a buyer. Radhakrishna expressed his vision for a local language platform in India but acknowledged the high costs of running a social media app. [Potential deals] Bengaluru-based logistics and distribution platform Ripplr is close to securing Rs 40 crore (around $4.7 million) in debt financing from Northern Arc. Meanwhile, B2B sweets supplier Scandalous Foods, backed by investors like Anthill Angel Fund and EvolveX, is reportedly seeking fresh capital to fuel its growth. Visit TheKredible to see series-wise deals along with amount breakup, complete details of fund launches, and more insights. [New launches] Zomato stops Xtreme delivery service; relaunches intercity food delivery [Financial results this week] Ixigo posts Rs 656 Cr revenue and Rs 73 Cr PAT in FY24 Mylab’s op revenue nosedives to under Rs 100 Cr in FY23, slips into losses NoBroker in FY23: Op revenue grows 87% to Rs 609 Cr; losses up by 64% Akumentis’ income crosses Rs 400 Cr in FY24; posts Rs 57 Cr profit [News flash this week] DPIIT recommends removal of angel tax; Finance Ministry to take final call Zerodha set to stop zero brokerage model after SEBI’s new circular SoftBank-backed FirstCry, Unicommerce get SEBI approval for IPO Zomato receives Rs 9.5 Cr demand notice from GST Swiggy’s two-punch for users: Eatlists and UPI Payments on the Menu Karnataka cracks down on illegal bike taxis after driver protests Delhivery’s drone dream takes flight with MCA nod [Conclusion] After a sudden spike in the weekly funding last week, the startups saw a nearly 77% drop in funding to $211 million this week. Only fund startup-focused fund launched this week namely BizDateUp. The Commerce Ministry has proposed removing the “angel tax” on startups in India. This tax, currently at 30%, is levied on investments exceeding the fair market value of the startup. Many argue the angel tax stifles startup growth and innovation. The government implemented it in 2012 to combat money laundering, but its effectiveness is debated. While DPIIT-registered startups were exempted last year, many still received tax notices. The Commerce Ministry’s recommendation is a positive step for startups, but the final decision lies with the Finance Ministry. SoftBank-backed startups FirstCry and Unicommerce received approval from SEBI to launch their initial public offerings (IPOs). FirstCry, a kids’ retailer, initially filed its IPO application in December 2023 but faced delays due to SEBI requesting more financial data (beyond Q1 FY24). Unicommerce, an e-commerce software company, filed its IPO application in January 2024 and will only offer existing shares for sale, with no new issuance of shares. Food delivery giant Zomato recently shut down its intra-city logistics service “Xtreme” due to a lack of customer demand. Meanwhile, Zomato’s woes deepened with another Goods and Services Tax (GST) demand notice of Rs 9.45 crore from Karnataka authorities. This adds to previous notices exceeding Rs 585 crore, all stemming from a dispute over GST on delivery charges. Zomato argues they only collect these charges on behalf of partner restaurants and shouldn’t be liable for GST. In a separate move, Zomato is relaunching its intercity food delivery service “Legends.” IPO-bound Swiggy is piloting new features. The first feature “Eatlists” allows users to create and share curated lists of their favorite dishes within the app, similar to creating music playlists. Secondly, Swiggy is testing a new in-app UPI payment system developed in collaboration with Yes Bank and Juspay.

Funding and acquisitions in Indian startups this week [11-16 Mar]

EntrackrEntrackr · 1y ago
Funding and acquisitions in Indian startups this week [11-16 Mar]
Medial

The second week of March saw 30 startups funding deals worth $287 million. These deals include six growth-stage deals and 20 early-stage deals. While one growth and three early-stage startups kept their transaction details undisclosed. Last week, about 27 early and growth-stage startups collectively raised over $307 million, including three undisclosed deals. [Growth-stage deals] Among the growth-stage deals, six startups raised $234 million in funding this week. SaaS-based B2B fintech firm Perfios led the pack with $80 million in funding and turned unicorn. Battery tech startup Lohum, healthtech data analysis firm HiLabs, and AI-based workflow automation platform Nanonets followed the list with $54 million, $39 million, and $29 million funding. Further, D2C beauty and personal care brand CureSkin and alternative credit platform BlackSoil also secured funding this week. Medical device maker S3V Vascular did not disclose the funding details. [Early-stage deals] As many as 20 early-stage startups scooped funding worth $53 million during the week. Debt relief platform FREED topped the list followed by E2E business guide provider RapidCanvas, geriatric care service provider Kites Senior Care, D2C bottled water brand Clear Premium Water, and type 2 diabetes and prediabetes focused platform Sugar.fit. The list further includes a provider of smart metering solutions for power distribution Kimbal Technologies, fintech startup TapFin, provider of mortgage finance LoanKuber (Janasha Finance), Binny Bansal-led end-to-end solutions provider to e-commerce firm OppDoor, and brand analytics platform GobbleCube among others. The list of early-stage startups also includes two that kept the amount undisclosed. The startups are The Quorum Club, Indicold, and IntelloSync. For more information, visit TheKredible. [City and segment-wise deals] In terms of the city-wise number of funding deals, Delhi-NCR-based startups led with 11 deals followed by Bengaluru with 10 deals. Pune, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, and Mysore are next on the list. The complete breakdown of the city and segment can be found at TheKredible. [Series-wise deals] This week, Seed and Series A funding deals shared the top spot with eight deals each. Five startups raised funding in Series B, followed by three pre-Series A, three pre-Seed, and two pre-seed deals. [Week-on-week funding trend] On a weekly basis, startup funding remained somewhat stable at $287 million across 30 deals. Last week, 24 startups raised around $307.8 million in funding. The average funding in the last eight weeks stands at around $229 million with 27 deals per week. [Mergers and Acquisitions] Metaverse and gaming technology platform OneVerse acquired two companies: Calling Station, and BatBall11. Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG)-focussed BIA Brands has bought beauty brand Asa Beauty for an undisclosed amount to expand its foothold in the beauty and personal care (BPC) space. While IPO-bound food delivery major Swiggy has reportedly merged its premium grocery vertical InsanelyGood with its quick commerce unit Instamart. [Fund launches] The week witnessed three startup-focused fund launches. Venture capital fund 8i Ventures today announced the launch of ‘Origami’, a seed funding program aimed at supporting early-stage founders. Prath Ventures has raised Rs 120 crore in a second close co-led by SIDBI Funds and others. The fund will seek to deliver Indian consumption opportunities to its LPs while adhering to the standards of institutional fund management. Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has secured $24.5 Mn from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) for its maiden anchored sustainability and climate focussed fund Avaana Sustainability Fund (ASF). [ESOP] Meesho announced the initiation of an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) buyback program of Rs 200 crore (approximately $25 million), making it the company’s largest ESOP buyback pool to date. As per a report, CRED also initiated its fourth Accelerated Wealth Programme (AWP) for employees earlier this week, offering employees the chance to purchase additional stock options with an accelerated vesting period. Visit TheKredible to see series-wise deals and amount breakup, complete details of fund launches, and more insights. [New launches] ▪️ Magicpin forays into logistics aggregation space, launches Velocity ▪️ CoinSwitch founders to launch an investment platform by June [Financial results this week] ▪️ FabAlley and Indya-parent posts Rs 185 Cr revenue and Rs 45 Cr loss in FY23 ▪️ Toothsi-parent MakeO’s revenue spikes 2X in FY23, posts Rs 220 Cr loss ▪️ Table Space revenue spikes 2X to Rs 780 Cr in FY23; stays profitable ▪️ CoinSwitch’s scale dwindles 82% in FY23; posts Rs 385 Cr loss ▪️ Juspay’s revenue spikes 88% to Rs 213 Cr in FY23; losses stand still ▪️ Decoding the financial health of leading cloud kitchen startups ▪️ KaarTech posts Rs 359 Cr revenue in FY23; remains profitable ▪️ Stanza Living posts Rs 442 Cr revenue and Rs 495 Cr loss in FY23 [News flash this week] ▪️ Paytm gets NPCI nod to become third-party app provider for UPI ▪️ IB Ministry blocks 18 OTT platforms for publishing obscene content ▪️ Swiggy merges InsanelyGood with Instamart ▪️ IPO-Bound Ullu Digital faces complaints for pornographic content ▪️ Classplus named in cheating, forgery case by Abhinay Maths ▪️ Pune RTA rejects the applications of Ola and Uber for aggregator license ▪️ Pocket FM to raise $100 Mn in new funding from Lightspeed ▪️ JioCinema partners with Sharechat and Moj to showcase its sports content [Entrackr’s analysis] The weekly funding remained somewhat stable at $287 million across 29 funding deals. In a positive development, Meesho and CRED have reportedly initiated ESOP plans for their employees. Additionally, three VC firms launched startup-focused funds to support Indian entrepreneurs. Swiggy, the food delivery giant, has merged its premium grocery vertical, InsanelyGood, with its quick commerce unit, Instamart. The move comes as InsanelyGood operations are paused temporarily, with plans to integrate it into the Instamart offering. InsanelyGood, previously a standalone app, was integrated into Swiggy’s main app last year, receiving a separate tile alongside services like Instamart and others. The merger follows a scaling down of InsanelyGood’s operations from six cities to just Bengaluru, aimed at curbing cash burn. On a different note, Ullu Digital, an IPO-bound streaming platform, is under scrutiny for allegedly selling “pornographic” content involving school children. Various government bodies, including SEBI, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, and MeitY, are investigating the platform following complaints. This investigation comes after the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) raised concerns about the app’s content being accessible to children. The Pune Regional Transport Authority has rejected the pending applications of Ola and Uber for an aggregator license. The rejection was based on document discrepancies and failure to meet the standards outlined in the government’s Motor Vehicles Aggregators’ Guidelines, 2020. Used car marketplace Cars24 is piloting a new service in Gurugram that allows car owners to hire drivers on demand on an hourly basis. The service, launched earlier this month, offers options for round trips, one-way trips, and outstation journeys, with stringent driver verification and testing processes in place. Lastly, investment tech platform Jar is reportedly venturing into the peer-to-peer (P2P) lending space with its new offering, Jar Plus, in partnership with Mumbai-based NBFC, P2P LenDenClub. Jar Plus has been rolled out for select users and aims to connect lenders with potential borrowers, similar to other P2P lending platforms.

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.

Funding and acquisitions in Indian startup this week [19 - 24 Aug]

EntrackrEntrackr · 11m ago
Funding and acquisitions in Indian startup this week [19 - 24 Aug]
Medial

During the week, 21 Indian startups raised around $144.46 million in funding. These deals count 5 growth-stage deals and 13 early-stage deals while 3 early-stage startups kept their transaction details undisclosed. During the previous week, 25 early and growth-stage startups cumulatively raised $432 million in funding. [Growth-stage deals] Among the growth-stage deals, 5 startups raised $91 million in funding this week. D2C water purifiers and air conditioners manufacturer Livpure spearheaded its $28 million worth Series C round. D2C ice cream brand Hangyo raised $25 million followed by online lending platform Axio, MSMEs-focused fintech lender FlexiLoans, and D2C luggage brand Uppercase with $20 million, $9 million, and $9 million in funding, respectively. [Early-stage deals] Further, 13 early-stage startups secured funding worth $53.46 million during the week. Healthtech care startup Even led the list followed by equity investment platform InvestorAI, D2C spice brand Zoff, cricket league featuring senior cricketers Legends League Cricket (LLC), and fintech startup TransBnk among others. As many as 3 startups that did not disclose the funding amount raised are; PadelPark, NxtQube, and TailBlaze. For more information, visit TheKredible. [City and segment-wise deals] In terms of the city-wise number of funding deals, Bengaluru and Delhi-NCR-based startups co-led with 7 deals each followed by Mumbai, Mangalore, Chennai, Raipur, and Nashik. Segment-wise, Fintech startups are in the top spot with 7 deals. E-commerce, Sportstech, Agritech, AI, Aquatech, and Dronetech startups followed this list among others. [Series-wise deals] During the week, Seed funding deals are on top with 7 deals followed by 5 Series A, 2 pre-Series A, 2 Series B, and 1 Debt deal. Pre-seed, pre-Series B, Series C, and Series G deals are next on the list. [Week-on-week funding trend] On a weekly basis, startup funding slipped 66.57% to $144.46 million as compared to around $432 million raised during the previous week. The average funding in the last eight weeks stands at around $225.36 million with 26 deals per week. [Fund launches] Titan Capital Winners Fund, backed by Snapdeal co-founders Kunal Bahl and Rohit Bansal, has raised its target corpus of Rs 200 crore. This fund will focus on follow-on investments in standout companies from its seed portfolio, with Bahl and Bansal serving as the largest investors. Meanwhile, Volt VC has launched its first fund, Volt VC Fund-1, aimed at closing the gap in pre-seed funding for startups across India. Additionally, Arka Investment Advisory Services has completed the final closing of its Arka Credit Fund I, a sector-agnostic, diversified credit fund that supports mid-market corporates. Edtech unicorn PhysicsWallah has introduced the PW School of Startups (SOS), backed by a Rs 100 crore fund, to nurture entrepreneurial skills and support 100 startups over the next five years through training, mentorship, and capital access. [Key hirings] Brij Bhushan, co-founder and former COO of Magicpin, has joined Prime Venture Partners as a full-time venture partner. In this role, he will be deeply involved in the firm’s investment strategies, portfolio management, and fundraising efforts, contributing his extensive experience in building and scaling startups. Sachin Bansal’s Navi Finserv onboarded former RBI executive Anil Kumar Misra as their non-executive chairman at the board. In other leadership updates, Perfios has appointed Rajesh Kini, formerly with Infosys, as their new CFO, while the Veefin Group has named Shantanu Bairagi as CEO of Veefin Capital, focusing on MSME supply chain finance. Additionally, Zapcom Group Inc. has appointed Prasanth Nair as CTO to lead their engineering initiatives, leveraging his expertise in global team management. [Mergers and Acquisitions] Zomato, the leading food delivery platform in India, has announced the acquisition of Paytm’s movies and ticketing business. This strategic move will allow Zomato to expand its offerings beyond food delivery and cater to a wider customer base. The acquisition is valued at Rs 2,048 crore ($244 million) and includes two of Paytm’s subsidiaries, TicketNew and Insider, along with their 280 employees. Zappfresh, an online retailer of fresh fish and meat, has acquired Bonsaro, a Mumbai-based company specializing in the online delivery of poultry, goat, and seafood. This acquisition marks Zappfresh’s second strategic move, following the acquisition of Sukos Foods-owned Dr. Meat in July 2023. With Bonsaro, Zappfresh aims to expand its operations in the western region and enhance its brand presence. [Shutdown] Kenko Health, a Mumbai-based healthcare startup, has shut down operations due to a financial and operational crisis. Despite raising over $13.7 million and achieving significant revenue growth, the company faced mounting losses and failed to secure an insurance license. The startup’s offices have been closed, leaving employees without pay for months. Founders Aniruddha Sen and Dhiraj Goel admitted the firm ran out of funds and was taken to the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) by investors. Attempts to secure further funding or investor support failed, leading to the company’s collapse. Visit TheKredible to see series-wise deals along with amount breakup, complete details of fund launches, and more insights. [Financial results this week] MobiKwik posts Rs 875 Cr revenue and Rs 14 Cr profit in FY24 [News flash this week] Ola Electric market share drops more than 30% in last two months Baron Capital values Swiggy at $14.7 Bn How Fampay’s Rs 200 Cr bet on fintech for teenagers fell flat Paytm proposes to cut directors’ remuneration Swiggy eyes $15 Bn valuation for its $1-1.2 Bn IPO RBI imposes Rs 4 Cr fines on LenDen Club and LiquiLoans NCLT approves slice and North East Small Finance Bank’s merger IPV announces full exit from Fashor with 33% IRR Mitron TV, TrainMan co-founders set to launch AI startup Callmatic [Conclusion] The weekly funding again dwindled 66.57% to $144.46 million this week. Meanwhile, four startup-focused funds launched this week namely Titan Capital (Winners Fund), Volt VC, Arka Credit Fund, and PW School of Startups. Ola Electric, which recently went public, has seen a significant decline in its market share in the electric two-wheeler segment over the past two months. According to a report by Jefferies, Ola’s market share dropped from 49% in Q1 FY25 to 39% in July, and further to 33% in August. Meanwhile, TVS has regained some ground, increasing its market share to 19% in August from 15% in Q1 FY25. Despite this recent decline, Ola Electric has maintained its dominance in the market, with its market share having grown from 21% in FY23 to 35% in FY24. US investor Baron Capital has valued Swiggy at $14.74 billion as of June 2024, reflecting a slight decrease of 2.6% from its previous valuation of $15.1 billion in March. This dip is attributed to rupee depreciation. The valuation update comes as Swiggy prepares for its $1.25 billion initial public offering (IPO), for which it has already received shareholder approval and reportedly filed confidential papers with SEBI in May. Paytm has proposed reducing the remuneration of its independent directors as part of an effort to enhance corporate governance. The annual compensation for independent directors, currently up to Rs 2.07 crore, will be capped at Rs 48 lakh from April 2024, with a fixed portion of Rs 20 lakh and the rest tied to their attendance and contributions. Meanwhile, Fampay, a fintech startup that initially targeted teenagers, raised $38 million in 2021 but faced setbacks after losing its payment partner, IDFC Bank, in February 2023. This led to a pivot towards becoming a UPI-focused app, but the company still reported significant losses of Rs 120 crore in FY23. Despite entering the top 10 UPI apps by late 2023, Fampay’s future remains uncertain, with a potential selloff being a plausible outcome as it struggles to achieve profitability.

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