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FIITJEE-backed PlanetSpark raises fresh funds in ongoing round

EntrackrEntrackr · 1y ago
FIITJEE-backed PlanetSpark raises fresh funds in ongoing round
Medial

Edtech platform PlanetSpark has raised Rs 141.8 crore or $17 million in an extended Series B round led by Prime Venture Partners via Seabright. The round also saw the participation of InnoVen Capital, Alteria Capital, myPat, GGT3 Ventures, Ashish Gupta, and IAN Investors. Its co-founders Maneesh Dhooper and Kunal Malik also invested in the firm. The fresh funding for the Gurugram-based edtech company has come after a gap of 26 months. The funding also includes Rs 30 crore debt while the rest is in the form of equity. The board at PlanetSpark has passed a special resolution to issue 887 compulsory convertible preference shares (CCPS) at an issue price of Rs 3,10,000 per share and 2,271 CCPS & 1,974 equity shares at an issue price of Rs 1,51,462.32 a piece for a consideration of Rs 91.8 crore or $11 million. The company also issued 5,000 non-convertible debentures (NCDs) to raise Rs 50 crore or $6 million in debt from InnoVen Capital and Alteria Capital, per the company’s regulatory filings with the Registrar of Companies. Note: The information is based on the four separate regulatory filings filed in October and November of 2022 and May and November of 2023. Prime Venture Partners led the equity round with Rs 49.7 crore followed by InnoVen Capital and Alteria Capital which invested Rs 43.6 crore and Rs 10.9 crore, respectively. Co-founders Maneesh Dhooper and Kunal Malik also joined with Rs 14.95 crore each. FIITJEE powered myPAT (Edfora Infotech), GGT3 Ventures, Ashish Gupta, and IAN Investors poured in the remaining sum. As per the startup intelligence platform TheKredible. the company has mopped up over $34 million to date in debt and equity capital across several rounds. Previously, it raised $13.5 million in the Series B round in December 2021. While the company’s financial picture in the ongoing fiscal year would be known when it discloses FY24 results, PlanetSpark’s revenue from operations grew 41.3% to Rs 42.4 crore during FY23 as compared to Rs 30 crore in FY22. As per TheKredible, the firm managed to control its losses by 18% to Rs 89.5 crore in FY23 against Rs 109.4 crore in FY22. PlanetSpark offers live 1:1 classes in public speaking, creative writing, storytelling, debate, podcasting, stand-up comedy, and poetry for the K8 generation.

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FIITJEE-backed PlanetSpark trims losses by 70% in FY24

EntrackrEntrackr · 5m ago
FIITJEE-backed PlanetSpark trims losses by 70% in FY24
Medial

FIITJEE-backed PlanetSpark trims losses by 70% in FY24 PlanetSpark’s revenue from operations grew 60% to Rs 67 crore in FY24 from Rs 42 crore in FY23, its annual financial statements sourced from the Registrar of Companies show. Edtech platform PlanetSpark secured $17 million in funding, led by Prime Venture Partners by the close of FY24. This major investment follows the company's steady growth and reduced losses in the fiscal year ending March 2024. PlanetSpark offers live 1:1 classes in public speaking, creative writing, storytelling, debate, podcasting, stand-up comedy, and poetry for the K8 generation. Income from rendering education services formed 96% of the total operating income which increased 54% to Rs 64.5 crore in FY24. The rest of the income comes from the platform and cancellation fees. It also added Rs 1.13 crore from interest and liability written back which tallied its overall revenue to Rs 68.4 crore in FY24, compared to Rs 43.5 crore in FY23. Similar to other edtech companies, its employee benefits accounted for 50% of the overall expenditure. The company managed to curb these costs by 25% to Rs 47 crore in FY24 from Rs 63 crore in FY23. This includes Rs 3.5 crore as ESOP cost (non-cash). The teacher's salary and marketing cum branding costs were controlled by 59% and 38% to Rs 11 crore and Rs 18 crore respectively in FY24 from Rs 27 crore and Rs 29 crore in FY23. Its legal, traveling, communication, and server pushed the total expenditure to Rs 95 crore in FY24 from Rs 133 crore in FY23. The reduction in employee benefits, teacher's salary, and marketing along with the 60% growth in scale helped PlanetSpark to reduce its losses by 70% to Rs 26.6 crore in FY24, compared to Rs 89.5 crore in FY23. Its EBITDA margin improved to -35% while its expense-to-revenue ratio refined to Rs 1.42. At the end of FY24, the company has current assets of Rs 13.5 crore including cash and bank balances of Rs 7 crore. PlanetSpark has raised over Rs 260 crore including debt-equity rounds and is currently valued at Rs 620 crore. According to the startup data intelligence platform TheKredible, Prime Venture Partners (Seabright) is the largest external stakeholder followed by FIITJEE.

PlanetSpark posts Rs 41 Cr revenue and Rs 90 Cr loss in FY23

EntrackrEntrackr · 1y ago
PlanetSpark posts Rs 41 Cr revenue and Rs 90 Cr loss in FY23
Medial

Edtech business is hard to crack and this is evident from the balance sheets of most of the companies in the space which have shown astounding losses. Seven-year-old PlanetSpark is no exception as the firm’s losses were more than twice its revenue in the fiscal year ending March 2023. FITT-JEE-backed PlanetSpark’s revenue from operations increased 41%to Rs 42 crore in the last fiscal year (FY23) from Rs 30 crore in FY22, as per its filings with the Registrar of Companies (RoC). Founded in 2017 by Kunal Malik and Manish Dhooper, PlanetSpark offers live 1:1 classes in public speaking, creative writing, storytelling, debate, podcasting et al for the K8 generation. The sale of educational services was the only source of revenue for the company while it also made Rs 1.1 crore from interest on deposits. In the end, tPlanetSpark’s total income stood at 43.5 crore during the last fiscal year. PlanetSpark spent Rs 63.17 crore towards employee benefits which includes Rs 5.5 crore as ESOP cost (non-cash component). Similar to other ed-tech startups, it spent a significant 90 crore on marketing and teachers’ salaries. Its legal/professional, rent, information technology, and other overheads led its total cost to Rs 133 crore in FY23 from Rs 139.5 crore in FY22. Head to TheKredible for a complete expense breakdown and its YoY financial health. Expense Breakdown Total ₹ 139.53 Cr https://thekredible.com/company/planetspark/financials View Full Data To access complete data, visithttps://thekredible.com/company/planetspark/financials Total ₹ 133.02 Cr https://thekredible.com/company/planetspark/financials View Full Data To access complete data, visithttps://thekredible.com/company/planetspark/financials Employee Benefit Employee Benefit Teachers Pay Teachers Pay Marketing and Branding expense Marketing and Branding expense Software and Server Charges Software and Server Charges Payment Gateway charges Payment Gateway charges Other Expenses To check complete Expense Breakdown visit thekredible.com View full data With over 40% scale and controlled expenses, PlanetSpark managed to trim its losses by 18% to Rs 90 crore in FY23. Its ROCE and EBITDA margin also improved to -197.1% and 226% respectively. On a unit level, PlanetSpark spent Rs 3.14 to earn a rupee of operating revenue in FY23. FY22-FY23 FY22 FY23 EBITDA Margin -362% -197.1% Expense/₹ of Op Revenue ₹4.65 ₹3.14 ROCE -1065% 226% According to the startup data intelligence platform TheKredible, PlanetSpark has mopped up over $34 million to date including a $17 million round this year. Prime Venture Partners is the largest stakeholder with 32.6% followed by FIIT- JEE. Its co-founder Kunal Malik and Maneesh Dhopper cumulatively command 29.6%.

ED raids 8 locations linked to FIITJEE over centre closures

EntrackrEntrackr · 2m ago
ED raids 8 locations linked to FIITJEE over centre closures
Medial

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) reportedly launched a money laundering probe against premier coaching institute FIITJEE, conducting raids at eight locations across Delhi-NCR. The searches were carried out under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and are linked to multiple FIRs registered by the Economic Offences Wings (EOW) of Delhi and Noida Police. The probe was initiated following complaints from parents, who claimed that FIITJEE unexpectedly closed multiple centres without any prior intimation, disrupting students’ education and withholding refunds. According to a report by Mint, ED officials searched FIITJEE’s offices as well as properties associated with its promoter and Managing Director, Dinesh Kumar Goel. The Delhi Police has already booked Goel and the company under IPC sections related to cheating, criminal conspiracy, and breach of trust. The report added that Dinesh Goyal’s PAN was linked to 172 current accounts and 12 savings accounts. In February, the Noida Police froze Rs 11.11 crore across 12 bank accounts associated with the FIITJEE founder. Founded in 1992, FIITJEE has been a key player in India’s IIT-JEE coaching space, operating over 70 centres nationwide. However, recent developments have cast a shadow over its reputation. Several complaints also cite exaggerated marketing claims and failure to honour refund policies, according to The New Indian Express. Parents and students have been staging protests across closed centres, demanding accountability. “We invested lakhs based on trust and were completely blindsided,” said a parent outside FIITJEE’s east Delhi office. While FIITJEE is yet to release an official statement, the incident has sparked fresh debate around the regulation of India’s booming private coaching industry. The ED’s investigation is ongoing.

Exclusive: Agrostar raises fresh funds from existing investors

EntrackrEntrackr · 2m ago
Exclusive: Agrostar raises fresh funds from existing investors
Medial

Exclusive: Agrostar raises fresh funds from existing investors Agritech startup Agrostar has raised Rs 57.65 crore in a fresh round from existing investors. This is the first round of investment for the Accel-backed company this year. Agritech startup Agrostar has raised Rs 57.65 crore or $6.7 million in a fresh round from existing investors. This is the first round of investment for the Accel-backed company this year. The board at Agrostar has passed a special resolution to issue 1,45,397 compulsory convertible preference shares at an issue price of Rs 3,965 each to raise Rs 57.65 crore, its regulatory filing accessed from the Registrar of Companies shows. Existing investors Accel India, Evolvence, Chiratae Ventures, Hero Enterprises, Bertelsmann, and Aavishkaar India participated during the round. According to Entrackr’s estimates, the company has been valued at around $293 million post-allotment. Agrostar operates as a comprehensive platform catering to farmers, offering both online and offline channels for farm advisory solutions and agricultural inputs. Agrostar generates revenue from the sale of agri inputs. Agrostar has raised over $110 million to date, including $70 million Series D led by Schroders. According to the startup data intelligence platform TheKredible, before this round, Chiratae Ventures was the largest external stakeholder, followed by Aavishkaar Capital, Accel, and Bertelsmann. The company last filed its financial statements in FY22, where it recorded 88.4% year-on-year growth to Rs 260 with the loss of Rs 142 crore in the same period. It competes with Ninjacart, DeHaat, and Waycool. 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.

ixigo-backed Fresh Bus raises $10.5 Mn in Series A round

EntrackrEntrackr · 10m ago
ixigo-backed Fresh Bus raises $10.5 Mn in Series A round
Medial

All-electric intercity bus startup Fresh Bus has raised Rs 87.5 crore ($10.5 million) in Series A funding round led by international early-stage transportation-focused VC fund Maniv, with participation from Shell Ventures, Alteria Capital, and existing investor Riverwalk Holdings. Last month, Entrackr exclusively reported about Fresh Bus’ new round. Fresh Bus will utilize the new funds to add 15 routes and deploy 150 new electric buses, the firm said in a press release. Besides scaling ops, the funds will also be deployed towards raising technological capabilities, and strengthening its team. Fresh Bus was previously backed by notable industry leaders such as CRED founder Kunal Shah, TVS Motors MD Sudarshan Venu, and Rivigo CEO Deepak Garg. Earlier, the firm also secured Rs 16 crore ($2 million) from public company ixigo. FreshBus, which offers ticketing, real-time tracking of buses, loyalty program, among other services, was founded by Sudhakar Reddy Chirra. Chirra had built bus aggregator Abhibus which was acquired by ixigo in August 2021 in a cash and stock deal. The Bengaluru-based company claims to have ferried over 4 lakh passengers to date. According to Chirra, the firm expects to scale to 1000 electric buses pan-India over the next four years. As per startup data intelligence platform TheKrediblle, FreshBus was a pre-revenue stage firm with a loss of Rs 2.1 crore during FY23. The company is yet to file its annual financial results for FY24. Fresh Bus competes with IntrCity SmartBus, ZingBus, Yolobus, and gogoBus, among several organized travel agencies across regions.

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