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Exclusive: Trading app Investmint halts services; explores M&A deal

EntrackrEntrackr · 1y ago
Exclusive: Trading app Investmint halts services; explores M&A deal
Medial

Signal-based trading app Investmint has halted its services as the company found it difficult to figure out a reliable business model, sources aware of the development told Entrackr. In October 2022, Investmint raised $2 million in Seed round led by Nexus Venture Partners, with participation from other angel investors. As per sources, the firm had decent traction with substantial money left from the last fundraise but the team couldn’t translate them into monetization. “Investmint has been exploring acquisition opportunities with well capitalized wealth management companies,” said one of the sources requesting anonymity. Founded in February 2022 by Aakash Goel and Mohit Chitlangia, Investmint used to assist users in arriving at investment decisions and managing wealth with data backed signals. “If the acquisitions talks won’t materialize, the company may return remaining capital to its backers,” said another source who also requested anonymity. The company’s spokesperson confirmed that the team has discontinued Investmint as a product and is re-evaluating its offerings. “We’re in late-stage talks with a few big players for M&A,” the spokesperson said. A clutch of startups have returned or are in the process of returning investors’ money after their startup failed to find a product market fit (PMF) or sustainable business model. Earlier this year, Nintee, a digital health startup launched by Wingify founder Paras Chopra, announced shutting down its operations. The firm also announced that it will return the majority of funding it raised from the investors. As per an ET report, fashion startups Virgio and Fashinz are planning to return most of the capital they raised from the investors after a failed pivot. Virgio has raised nearly $40 million while Fashinza has scooped up over $150 million in funding to date. While the majority of investors don’t like to exit out from a portfolio company with a slice of their original investment, the trend of returning capital by founders seems to be a progressive one. After all, there is no point in being stuck when things aren’t working out for long.

Soaring stock prices mint super rich founders

EntrackrEntrackr · 11m ago
Soaring stock prices mint super rich founders
Medial

The rise in the market cap of Zomato, Policybazaar, MamaEarth, EaseMyTrip, TBO, and Ixigo has laid out a promising future for Indian startups aspiring to go public. This phenomenon has also helped create fortunes for shareholders, retail investors, and founders alike. Most recently, Zomato co-founder Deepinder Goyal checked into the billionaire club with his food tech company crossing the market cap of Rs 2,00,000 crore or $24 billion. Entrackr in collaboration with startup data intelligence platform TheKredible dives deeper into the holdings of startup founders, and their respective (current) worth. We are focusing on founders who have taken their startups public in India. At the top are Nykaa’s Falguni Nayar and her family (including trusts) as they command over 50% of the company. The collective worth of their holding is over $3.25 billion. Veteran entrepreneur and investor Sanjeev Bikhchandani comes next with his shares (via Info Edge) reaching $3.24 billion. Info Edge is an early investor in Zomato and Policybazaar, ShopKirana, Sploot, and Skylark Drones. ALSO READ: No hurry to sell, indefinite horizon on Zomato holding: Sanjeev Bikhchandani Zomato’s founder and CEO, Deepinder Goyal, joined the billionaire club as the value of his stock ownership surpassed $1 billion. Rashmi and Rakesh Verma, founders of MapMyIndia, have holdings valued at $830 million followed by Mamaearth duo Varun and Ghazal Alagh at $657 million. Despite the bumpy ride after its public offering and recent regulatory jolts, Paytm’s Vijay Shekhar Sharma currently holds stocks worth $319 million, while PolicyBazaar’s Alok Bansal’s holding is valued at $129 million. Ixigo, recently listed and now a unicorn, has seen its founders Aloke Bajpai and Rajnish Kumar create a combined value of $81.5 million. While net worth numbers based on the public value of holdings in their own firms is one figure, it’s important to note that almost all the founders mentioned here and many who are yet to go public, their personal net worth is well beyond just the value of their stake in their own firm. Liberalization has been particularly generous when it comes to founder compensations and options in the past decade, which has allowed many professionals and non-founders also to benefit. We have also observed the phenomenon of loss making startup founders investing in a parallel portfolio of other startups, many of which have delivered handsome returns as well. In a market awash with liquidity driven asset prices, one can only hope that the new status as acknowledged multi millionaires or billionaires doesn’t lead to the kind of visible excesses that can turn public opinion in the wrong direction. ‘Self made’ startup founders have an obligation to give back, be seen as giving back, and most importantly perhaps, set an example in how they do it better.

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