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Libas raises $18 Mn in maiden external round from ICICI Venture’s fund

EntrackrEntrackr · 1y ago
Libas raises $18 Mn in maiden external round from ICICI Venture’s fund
Medial

Fast fashion omnichannel ethnic wear brand Libas has raised Rs 150 crore ($18 million) by IAF Series 5, a fund managed by ICICI Venture. This is the first external funding round for the decade-old company. Libas will strengthen its omni-channel presence and ramp up its exclusive brand and retail outlets across key metros and tier I, II, and III cities over the next few years, the company said in a press release. Libas also plans to leverage its brand, design capabilities, technology infrastructure, and supply chain network across channels to create the omnichannel business. Led by Sidhant Keshwani, Libas offers ethnic wear and comfortable fusion silhouettes with an online presence on platforms such as Flipkart and Myntra, alongside offline presence through EBOs, large format stores and multi-brand outlets. It solely focuses on women’s fashion. According to the Delhi-based company, a significant portion of the revenue comes from the brand’s own D2C channels. Recently, the brand announced Bollywood actress Kiara Advani as its brand ambassador. Libas claims that it crossed Rs 500 crore revenue mark in FY24 and the projection seems pretty much feasible as the firm posted Rs 365 crore in operating revenue in the fiscal year ending March 2023. During the same period, its profit stood at Rs 13.8 crore. Several fast fashion brands have raised funds in the past couple of years. The list counts Newme, DSLR, French Crown and Virgio, a startup launched by former Myntra’s CEO Amar Nagaram. As per a media report, Virgio was planning to return most of the capital it raised from the investors after a failed pivot.

Fashion brand Libas profit falls 64% in FY24, nears Rs 500 Cr revenue

EntrackrEntrackr · 2m ago
Fashion brand Libas profit falls 64% in FY24, nears Rs 500 Cr revenue
Medial

Fashion brand Libas profit falls 64% in FY24, nears Rs 500 Cr revenue Libas, a direct-to-consumer brand specializing in ethnic and fusion wear, approached Rs 500 crore in revenue during the fiscal year ending March 2024. However, increased spending on advertising and employee benefits resulted in a 64% fall in profits during the same period. Libas’ revenue from operations increased by 38% to Rs 487 crore in FY24, from Rs 352 crore in FY23, as per its financial statement sourced from the Registrar of Companies (RoC). Libas is a digital-first women’s ethnic wear brand offering kurtis, salwar suits, dresses, and bottoms in fabrics like cotton, silk, and georgette. The sale of these products was the sole source of income for the company in FY24. The growth in scale came with a sharp increase in expenses across the board. Total expenses rose 45% to Rs 483 crore in FY24 from Rs 334 crore in FY23. When it comes to expenses, Libas’s material costs remained its largest expense, making up over 61% of total costs, which rose 41% to Rs 296 crore. Advertising expenses surged 121% to Rs 42 crore, and employee benefits increased 56% to Rs 28 crore, while shipping costs totaled Rs 49 crore. The sharp spike in advertising and employee costs led to a 64% decline in profit, falling to Rs 5 crore in FY24 from Rs 14 crore in FY23. The company reported a Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) of 26.32% and an EBITDA margin of 3.06%. On a per-unit basis, Libas spent Re 0.99 to earn every rupee in revenue. As of March 2024, the Delhi-based company reported current assets of Rs 269 crore, with inventory alone accounting for Rs 154 crore. Significantly, its cash and bank balance stood at just Rs 30 lakh. According to startup data intelligence platform TheKredible, Libas has raised $18 million of funding from India Advantage Fund. The company’s co-founders, Sidhant Keshwani and Sunil Keshwan, own 84% of the company. Women’s ethnic wear is a crowded market at the best of times, and Libas has done well to get close to Rs 500 crores. But every milestone in the segment takes a lot of effort with ever changing trends for a fickly consumer. Libas has its work cut out if it wants to regain better margins, and quite simply, there is no easy way to get there. Be it exports, an offline play, or a cutback on advertising, the brand faces tough choices ahead to ensure it does not flare out like so many fashion brands. The good news is that contrary to opinion you might hear, ethnic wear is not going anywhere soon, as the strength in even saree sales indicates. If anything, the top brands have moved to a premiumisation model after building a strong reputation for quality. With its online focused approach, Libas will not find that easy to do, hence our belief that the brand is set to make some tough calls soon.

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