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Exclusive: Peak XV-backed Jupiter expands ESOP pool

EntrackrEntrackr · 1y ago
Exclusive: Peak XV-backed Jupiter expands ESOP pool
Medial

Neobanking platform Jupiter has expanded its employee stock option plan (ESOP) pool by Rs 40 crore (nearly $5 million). With this, the firm has joined a host of growth and late-stage companies which have expanded their ESOP pool in the ongoing calendar year. Jupiter has approved the issuance of 21,665 ESOP options to the “Jupiter Employee Welfare Trust, its regulatory filing accessed from the Registar of Companies (RoC) shows. Each equity share is priced at Rs 18,826.29, including premium, making the total ESOP worth Rs 40.7 crore. In March 2022, Jupiter had its last ESOP buyback worth $4 million for 21 employees. According to the filing, Jupiter’s total ESOP pool formed 7.89% of the total share capital. The development comes at a time when Jupiter is expanding its product portfolio and it recently received wallet licence from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The firm also scooped up strategic funding from its existing investor for its non-banking financial (NBFC) business Amica Finance. Entrackr had exclusively reported the development in June. Jupiter was last valued at around $710 million during a $86 million Series C round in December 2021. It has raised over $160 million to date from QED Investors, Peak XV and Matrix Partners among others. As per startup data intelligence platform TheKredible, Jupiter achieved a total revenue of Rs 56 crore but reported a loss of Rs 327 crore in FY23. Jupiter competes with the likes of Niyo, Slice, and Fi among others.

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Exclusive: Darwinbox adds $21 Mn worth of ESOP for employees

EntrackrEntrackr · 1m ago
Exclusive: Darwinbox adds $21 Mn worth of ESOP for employees
Medial

Exclusive: Darwinbox adds $21 Mn worth of ESOP for employees According to Entrackr’s estimates, the newly added ESOPs are valued at around Rs 186.6 crore (around $21 million), taking the total ESOP pool to Rs 426 crore ($48.4 million). HR tech platform Darwinbox has expanded its existing ESOP plan by adding additional employee stock options worth over $20 million. The board at Darwinbox has passed a resolution for approval to add 64,377 options to its existing plan, bringing the total ESOP pool to 1,46,908 options, its regulatory filing with the Registrar of Companies (RoC) shows. According to Entrackr’s estimates, the newly added ESOPs are valued at around Rs 186.6 crore (around $21 million), taking the total ESOP pool to Rs 426 crore ($48.4 million). In addition, the company holds 1,13,903 equity shares in its ESOP trust worth about Rs 330 crore ($37.5 million). In total, Darwinbox’s ESOP pool is valued at around Rs 756 crore ($86 million). This ESOP expansion comes on the heels of its Rs 86 crore ($10 million) ESOP buyback in June this year. Hyderabad-based Darwinbox offers a cloud-based HR management platform that covers recruitment, payroll, engagement, talent, and analytics. The company serves more than 1,000 clients, managing 4 million employees across 130 countries. According to the firm, the majority of its revenue comes from Southeast Asia and India. According to startup data intelligence platform TheKredible, Darwinbox has so far raised over $290 million across multiple funding rounds, including its $140 million in March co-led by Partners Group and KKR. The Peak XV-backed Darwinbox reported a 48% increase in operating revenue to Rs 333 crore in FY24, while its net losses widened to Rs 191.8 crore. The company is yet to disclose its FY25 financials.

Exclusive: Zepto expands ESOP pool by $169 Mn; total pool at $527 Mn

EntrackrEntrackr · 11d ago
Exclusive: Zepto expands ESOP pool by $169 Mn; total pool at $527 Mn
Medial

Exclusive: Zepto expands ESOP pool by $169 Mn; total pool at $527 Mn Quick commerce company Zepto has expanded its existing ESOP plan by adding additional employee stock options worth over $169 million. The board at Zepto has passed a resolution for approval to add 39.39 lakhs ESOP options to its existing plan, bringing the total ESOP pool to 122.90 lakhs, its regulatory filing with the Registrar of Companies (RoC) shows. According to Entrackr’s estimates, the newly added ESOPs are valued at around Rs 1,486 crore (around $169 million), taking the total ESOP pool to Rs 4,637 crore ($527 million). As per the filings, the company is extending an interest-free loan of up to Rs 700 crore to the Zepto Employee Stock Option Trust to facilitate the purchase or subscription of its equity shares under the Zepto Share Option Plan I (ESOP Plan), as approved by the Board. This ESOP expansion coincides with the company’s $450 million Series H funding led by California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS). As per filings, the company has received a primary injection of Rs 2,562 crore or $291 million from the likes of GC Holdings, Gladebook, Stepstone, Springblue, Goodwater, Lightspeed, and others. The company has raised a total of $2.3 billion since its inception, including $1.8 billion since January last year. Zepto’s revenue for FY24 was Rs 4,454 crore, more than double the Rs 2,026 crore reported in FY23. The company’s losses narrowed slightly from around Rs 1,272 crore in FY23 to Rs 1,249 crore in FY24. As per filings, Zepto clocked a turnover of Rs 11,110 crore ($1.3 billion) in FY25.

Exclusive: Bluestone expands ESOP pool, COO Sudeep Nagar receives $11 Mn worth grant

EntrackrEntrackr · 4m ago
Exclusive: Bluestone expands ESOP pool, COO Sudeep Nagar receives $11 Mn worth grant
Medial

Exclusive: Bluestone expands ESOP pool, COO Sudeep Nagar receives $11 Mn worth grant Omnichannel jewellery retailer Bluestone has expanded its existing ESOP plan to $80 million by adding additional employee stock options for its employees. The board at Bluestone has passed a resolution for approval to add 42,43,312 employee stock options to its existing plan, bringing the total ESOP pool to 1,17,27,642 options, its regulatory filing accessed through the Registrar of Companies (RoC) shows. According to Entrackr’s estimates, the newly added ESOPs are worth around Rs 245 crore or around $29 million. Out of the newly added stock options, Rs 92.6 crore ($11 million) will be granted to the company’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), Sudeep Nagar. This addition brings the total value of Bluestone’s ESOP pool to Rs 678 crore or around $80 million. Notably, these valuations are based on the company's last funding round, where it raised around Rs 900 crore pre-IPO round led by Prosus, out of which Rs 300 crore is secondary. Ahead of Bluestone’s IPO, Global consumer internet group Prosus values the company at $950 million, just shy of unicorn status ahead of its IPO. Prosus has valued its stake in BlueStone at $42 million, as per its latest annual report. The stake, held through its fund MIH Investments One B.V., represents a 4.43% ownership in the jewellery brand. As per ET report, Bluestone is all set to join the unicorn status with secondary transactions worth Rs 300-350 crore by private wealth management arms of 360 One and Centrum Wealth. This will value the company at $1.2 billion. In December 2024, Bluestone filed its draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) with SEBI for an IPO, comprising a fresh issue of equity shares worth up to Rs 1,000 crore and an offer for sale (OFS) of up to 2.398 crore shares, allowing a full exit for Samma Capital, IvyCap Ventures, and Kalaari Capital. Founded in 2011, omnichannel jewellery brand BlueStone offers high-value gold and diamond jewellery, including rings, pendants, chains, and earrings, through its retail stores and online platform. As per its DRHP, the company operates over 203 stores across 86 cities. BlueStone has raised around $262 million across multiple funding rounds from investors such as Accel, Prosus, Peak XV Partners, 360 One, Kalaari Capital, and others, according to startup data intelligence platform TheKredible. In FY24, BlueStone’s revenue grew 64% year-on-year to Rs 1,266 crore, up from Rs 771 crore in FY23. The company also trimmed its losses by 15% during the same period, bringing them down to Rs 142 crore.

Exclusive: Curefoods gets Landmark Group backing, expands ESOP pool

EntrackrEntrackr · 8m ago
Exclusive: Curefoods gets Landmark Group backing, expands ESOP pool
Medial

Exclusive: Curefoods gets Landmark Group backing, expands ESOP pool Cloud kitchen startup Curefoods is raising Rs 37 crore (around $4.4 million) from Landmark Group. The funding comes just a month after Curefoods acquired Krispy Kreme’s South and West India operations from the same group. The board at Curefoods has passed a special resolution to issue 3,458 compulsory convertible preference shares at an issue price of Rs 1,07,526 each to raise Rs 37 crore, its regulatory filing accessed from the Registrar of Companies (RoC) shows. The Landmark Group is reportedly to invest an undisclosed amount in Curefood in its $40 million round of fundraising. After the latest funding, Landmark Group will retain a 0.96% stake in the company, which could increase with additional investments. Entrackr estimates the firm's post-allotment valuation at around $460 million. Curefoods has also increased its ESOP pool size by adding fresh 10,613 employee stock options worth Rs 114 crore or $13.5 million, the separate resolution shows. According to Entrackr’s estimates, Curefood’s total ESOP plan is now valued at approximately Rs 213 crore or 25 million, encompassing 19,842 employee stock options. Launched in 2020, Curefoods operates brands like EatFit, Yumlane, Aligarh House Biryani, Masalabox, and CakeZone. It has over 100 kitchens in over 200 locations across 15 cities serviced by a backend operation of over 7 food factories, and 150 multi-brand cloud kitchens. The company also acquired two brands – YumLane Pizza and Millet Express in 2023. Curefoods grew at a rapid clip with a 53% year-on-year growth in its revenue to Rs 585 crore in FY24 from Rs 382 crore in FY23. According to its annual report, the sharp decline in advertising costs helped Curefoods to control its losses by 50% to Rs 172.6 crore in the same period.

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