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IntrCity SmartBus raises Rs 250 Cr in Series D led by A91 Partners

EntrackrEntrackr · 11d ago
IntrCity SmartBus raises Rs 250 Cr in Series D led by A91 Partners
Medial

IntrCity SmartBus raises Rs 250 Cr in Series D led by A91 Partners Intercity bus network IntrCity SmartBus has raised Rs 250 crore ($28 million) in a Series D funding round led by A91 Partners. IntrCity had earlier raised $4.5 million from Samsung Venture Investment and other investors in February last year. As per the startup data intelligent platform TheKredible, IntrCity has raised nearly $80 million to date and was valued at around $110 million in the last funding round. The Noida-based company will use the funds to enhance customer travel experience, upgrade its fleet management technology platform, and expand coverage across tier-II and tier-III cities. Co-founded in 2019 by Kapil Raizada and Manish Rathi, IntrCity SmartBus operates as the bus arm of RailYatri, offering standardized intercity bus travel through an asset-light model. Its “SmartBuses” are equipped with IoT devices for real-time tracking and data monitoring. “The brand continues to scale up organically and profitably and is projected to maintain its 50% year-on-year growth this year. We are excited to onboard A91 Partners in the next phase of our journey,” said Raizada. “This new capital enables us to further double down on our vision to transform the bus-travel landscape in India.” IntrCity SmartBus claims to operate on more than 630 routes across 15 states. Its sister platform, RailYatri, serves over 12 million monthly users offering train ticket booking and travel insights. The company aims to double its fleet and touch Rs 1,000 crore in turnover by next year. While the company has yet to file its annual financial statements for FY25, it reported a 15.9% jump in its revenue from operations to Rs 317.34 crore during FY24 as compared to Rs 273.9 crore in FY23. It competes with Abhibus, Zingbus, Leafybus and ixigo’s Freshbus.

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RailYatri’s parent IntrCity raises $4.5 Mn more in Series C

EntrackrEntrackr · 1y ago
RailYatri’s parent IntrCity raises $4.5 Mn more in Series C
Medial

Mobility platform IntrCity, which owns SmartBus and RailYatri, has raised Rs 37 crore (approximately $4.5 million) more in its Series C round. This round of investment has been led by Mirabilis Investment Trust, and with participation from existing investors – Nandan Nilekani’s family trust, Omidyar Network India, and US-based Ujamaa Ventures. IntrCity will utilise the funds to enhance product offerings, user acquisition, and go deeper on its hubs routes by providing more offerings to its growing traveler base, the company said in a press release. As per the startup data intelligent platform TheKredible, the company has been valued at around Rs 912 crore or $110 million after receiving the latest tranche of this round. IntrCity has raised over $50 million to date. IntrCity offers both train and bus services to budget travelers. While its flagship brand IntrCity SmartBus provides travel options around India’s long-distance routes, its companion brand RailYatri provides comprehensive train travel information, serving more than 15 million per month. IntrCity SmartBus operates across more than 630 routes such as Delhi–Lucknow, Delhi–Kanpur, Mumbai–Pune, Bengaluru–Hyderabad, and Chennai–Coimbatore in 16 states. RailYatri has also launched a ‘flexi-ticket’ feature that allows users to make last-minute changes to their plans when finding a reservation on trains isn’t available. Co-founded by Kapil Raizada, Manish Rathi, and Sachin Saxena, the company makes more than 90% of its revenue via roadway operations while the remaining part came from commissioning and advertising publicity. In an interview with Entrackr, Raizada had claimed that one-third of IntrCity’s transactions come from its website and application, while the rest is tapped from aggregators and offline channels (read as organized agents). RailYatri’s revenue from operations surged 2.3X to Rs 273.7 crore during FY23 from Rs 117.2 crore in FY22. The company managed to control its losses which shrank 58.6% to Rs 18.18 crore in FY23 from Rs 43.87 crore in FY22. The firm claims to have achieved EBITDA profitability in the ongoing fiscal year.

IntrCity crosses Rs 320 Cr income in FY24, nears break-even

EntrackrEntrackr · 10m ago
IntrCity crosses Rs 320 Cr income in FY24, nears break-even
Medial

Travel-tech platform IntrCity, which owns SmartBus and RailYatri, could not replicate its FY23 growth momentum in FY24. After achieving six-fold growth in FY23, the company recorded a modest 16% year-on-year revenue increase for the fiscal year ending March 2024. However, the Nandan Nilekani family trust-backed firm reduced its losses by over 52%, bringing them below Rs 10 crore in FY24. IntrCity's revenue from operations grew 15.9% to Rs 317.34 crore during FY24 as compared to Rs 273.9 crore in FY23, as per the company's consolidated financial statements with the Registrar of Companies. IntrCity operates web and mobile platforms for its brands, SmartBus and RailYatri. The flagship brand, IntrCity SmartBus, caters to long-distance bus routes across India, while RailYatri offers train travel services such as ticket booking and meal ordering. As per the filings, the majority of commission revenue came from the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) during FY24. The company collected 93.8% of the revenue from bus operations which went up 16.9% to Rs 297.71 crore in FY24. It also earned Rs 18.08 crore from commission along with Rs 1.55 crore via advertisement services. Additionally, collection from interest and gain on financial assets (non-operating revenue) stood at Rs 3.38 crore. Including this, the company's overall revenue climbed to Rs 320.7 crore in FY24. On the expense side, the cost of revenue (direct cost for the distribution of services) accounted for 68.3% of the total expenditure. This cost grew 14.2% to Rs 225.8 crore in FY24 from Rs 197.8 crore in FY23. Operation and maintenance costs went up 9.3% to Rs 43.5 crore while spending on employee benefits remained almost flat at Rs 36.85 crore during the last fiscal year. The company incurred Rs 7.42 crore on advertisement and promotions and paid Rs 3.9 crore commission for catering and payment gateway services. In the end, IntrCity's expenses increased 9.7% to Rs 330.6 crore during FY24 in comparison to Rs 301.3 crore during FY23. On the back of controlled expenditure and double-digit growth in revenues, the firm managed to bring down its losses by 53.7% to Rs 9.9 crore in FY24. The losses were at Rs 21.4 crore in the previous fiscal year. Operating cash outflows of IntrCity also improved by 69.8% during the period and stood at Rs 6.1 crore. As of the last fiscal year, the firm's outstanding losses stood at Rs 242.5 crore. During FY24, the travel-tech platform managed to improve its EBITDA margin by 459 BPS to -2.08%. On a unit level, IntrCity spent Rs 1.04 to earn an operating revenue during the said period. IntrCity has Rs 17.4 crore in cash and bank balances while its total assets stood at Rs 41.2 crore for the fiscal year ended March 2024. As per the startup data intelligent platform TheKredible, IntrCity has raised over $50 million to date and was valued at around Rs 912 crore or $110 million in the latest funding round in February this year. Among online travel aggregator (OTA) platforms, MakeMyTrip is the largest player in terms of revenue. Ixigo, EaseMyTrip, Yatra, and Cleartrip are also the key players in the segment.

Smallcase raises $50 Mn in Series D led by Elev8

EntrackrEntrackr · 7m ago
Smallcase raises $50 Mn in Series D led by Elev8
Medial

Smallcase raises $50 Mn in Series D led by Elev8 Wealthtech startup Smallcase has raised $50 million in its Series D round led by Elev8 Venture Partners, a $200 million growth-stage fund focused on high-potential Indian startups. The round also saw participation from State Street Global Advisors, Niveshaay AIF, Faering Capital, and Arkam Ventures. The capital will be used to expand Smallcase’s investment product offerings across asset classes and strengthen its relationships with retail investors and ecosystem partners, Smallcase said in a press release. The new round is coming after a gap of more than 3.5 years. Smallcase has raised around $120 million to date, including $40 million in a Series C round led by Faering Capital in August 2021. According to the startup data intelligence platform TheKredible, Peak XV is the largest external stakeholder, followed by Faering Capital and Blume Ventures. Launched in 2016, Smallcase offers a model portfolio platform that has served over 10 million investors. It also provides technology solutions to more than 250 financial institutions, including research firms, advisors, wealth managers, and brokerages. The platform recently expanded its offerings through a joint venture with Zerodha to launch an asset management company focused on index funds and ETFs. Smallcase's revenue from operations surged to Rs 67.4 crore in FY24 from Rs 30.6 crore in FY23. A drop in advertising and employee benefits enabled the company to reduce its losses by 74.4% to Rs 34 crore in the last fiscal year. According to TheKredible, Indian wealthtech startups such as Neo, Dezerv, Centricity, Stable Money, Fisdom, InvestorAi, and Wealthy have garnered nearly $250 million in funding across 15 deals in the past 18 months. Elev8 Venture Partners, backed by South Korea’s KB Investment, focuses on B2B SaaS, enterprise tech, consumer tech, and fintech. This is its third investment after supporting identity verification platform IDfy and astrotech platform Astrotalk.

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.

Spacewood raises Rs 300 Cr at Rs 1,200 Cr valuation

EntrackrEntrackr · 5d ago
Spacewood raises Rs 300 Cr at Rs 1,200 Cr valuation
Medial

Spacewood raises Rs 300 Cr at Rs 1,200 Cr valuation Modular furniture maker Spacewood Furnishers has raised Rs 300 crore ($36 million) from A91 Partners at a valuation of Rs 1,200 crore ($135 million). The investment gives A91 Partners a minority stake and will support expansion, brand building, and operations. Spacewood plans to scale from 35 exclusive stores to 100 stores across India over the next few years. Founded by Kirit Joshi and Vivek Deshpande, Spacewood manufactures modular furniture for homes and offices. The company works through an omnichannel model with exclusive stores, a dealer network, and online platforms. The company runs a manufacturing facility of about 1 million sq. ft. with panel processing and sheet metal capabilities. Its dealer network covers over 500 partners across 150 towns and cities. In 2011, Nitin Sudame set up the office furniture division under Spacewood Office Solutions (SOS). SOS has supplied office furniture to over 1,000 corporates and developers. Spacewood targets group revenue of Rs 700 crore for FY26. It aims to grow 25–30% annually over the next five years with a focus on profitability. Its clients include Accenture, Capgemini, HDFC, Adani Group, and several educational institutions. Sumai Doors works with over 200 real estate developers, including Godrej Properties, DLF, Lodha, M3M, and Kolte Patil. Spacewood operates in the modular furniture market competing with brands such as Godrej Interio, IKEA, Homelane, Pepperfry, Wurfel, and Urban Ladder.

MS Dhoni-backed Garuda Aerospace raises Rs 100 Cr in Series B round

EntrackrEntrackr · 6m ago
MS Dhoni-backed Garuda Aerospace raises Rs 100 Cr in Series B round
Medial

MS Dhoni-backed Garuda Aerospace raises Rs 100 Cr in Series B round Drone technology startup Garuda Aerospace has raised Rs 100 crore ($11.6 million) in its Series B funding round led by Venture Catalysts (VCAT) at a post-money valuation of $250 million. Previously, the firm had raised $22 million in its Series A round led by Venture Capital firm SphitiCap in February 2023. The fresh proceeds will be used to scale up drone manufacturing, enhance production capabilities, and complete an R&D and testing center focused on defense drone technology. Founded in 2015 by Agnishwar Jayaprakash, Garuda has grown to a team of over 200 members and manufactures 30 drone types while offering 50 services. Garuda currently holds over 20 patents and operates a fleet of over 400 drones with 500 trained pilots across 84 cities. It serves clients including government agencies and major corporations such as TATA, Reliance, and Adani. It has also partnered with global companies like Lockheed Martin and Elbit Systems. As per TheKredible, Garuda Aerospace’s revenue from operations grew by 2.3X to Rs 110 crore in FY24 from Rs 47 crore in FY23. Its net profit reached Rs 16 crore in FY24, a 2.7X increase from Rs 6 crore in the previous year. Garuda competes with the likes of ideaForge, Aarav Unmanned Systems, Throttle Aerospace Systems, General Aeronautics, and Omnipresent Robot Tech in the drone manufacturing and drone-as-a-service (DaaS) segment across defense, agriculture, and industrial applications.

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