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Amazon-backed ToneTag turns profitable after 10 years of operations

EntrackrEntrackr · 7m ago
Amazon-backed ToneTag turns profitable after 10 years of operations
Medial

After experiencing slow growth over the past two years (FY22 and FY23), contactless payment solution provider ToneTag has made a strong comeback, doubling its revenue in the fiscal year ending March 2024. By effectively cutting expenses, the Bengaluru-based company has also achieved profitability for the first time since its inception in 2014. ToneTag’s revenue from operations jumped 111.7% to Rs 47.78 crore during FY24 in contrast to Rs 22.57 crore generated in FY23, its financial statement sourced from the Registrar of Companies shows. ToneTag offers three product categories for businesses—voice commerce, online store, and in-store solutions—that cater to retail and F&B businesses. The firm enables businesses to integrate voice-powered interactions for shopping, ordering, and payment through its Oyeti platform. For customers, its VoiceSe UPI payment service facilitates voice-based transactions that work without internet access. The company collected Rs 30.87 crore via upfront customization services in FY24 accounting for 64.6% of the total operating revenue during the year. Revenue from smart stores dwindled 53.8% to Rs 10.33 crore year-on-year (YoY) from Rs 22.36 crore. The company also generated revenue of Rs 4.14 crore from monthly fees (from businesses), Rs 1.63 crore via one-time integration fees, and Rs 81 lakh through license fees. Moving toward the expense side, employee benefits formed 49% of the total expenditure. This cost remained almost flat at Rs 13.22 crore during the last fiscal year (FY24). Finance cost ballooned over 5X to Rs 2.49 crore while telephone cum IVR charges surged 143.8% to Rs 2.17 crore during the period. Overall, the company spent Rs 26.95 crore in FY24, 9.3% less compared to FY23 (Rs 29.70 crore). Followed by an impressive growth in scale and controlled expenditure, ToneTag turned profitable and booked Rs 20.94 crore profits during FY24 against Rs 6.12 crore loss in FY23. Operating cash outflows, however, increased 73.6% to Rs 2.24 crore in FY24. ToneTag’s improved bottom line also helped it to register positive EBITDA margin and ROCE which bettered to 54.18% and 30.09%, respectively. On a unit level, the firm spent Re 0.56 to earn a rupee of operating revenue in the last fiscal year. At the end of FY24, the company reported Rs 1.6 crore in cash and bank balances. However, its current assets nearly tripled to Rs 41.94 crore, driven by a significant spike in trade receivables during the period. According to media reports, ToneTag is looking to raise $50 million in primary and secondary funding from Iron Pillar and other investors. As per TheKredible, ToneTag has raised over Rs 90 crore ($11 million) to date and was valued at nearly Rs 800 crore ($96 million) in its last round. The company, which is backed by Amazon, Reliance, and 3one4 Capital, hasn’t raised a new round for more than six and a half years. Among contactless payment solution providers, ToneTag competes with Paytm, PhonePe, PineLabs, BharatPe, and MobiKwik et al.

Curefoods to raise debt from Blacksoil and Binny Bansal

EntrackrEntrackr · 3m ago
Curefoods to raise debt from Blacksoil and Binny Bansal
Medial

Exclusive: Curefoods to raise debt from Blacksoil and Binny Bansal Cloud kitchen startup Curefoods is raising Rs 56.4 crore (approximately $6.6 million) in debt, led by BlackSoil Group and with participation from existing backer Binny Bansal. This will be the first debt round for the Bengaluru-based firm this year. The board at Curefoods has passed a special resolution to issue 1,000 non-convertible debentures at an issue price of Rs 5,00,000 each to BlackSoil, raising Rs 50 crore, and 595 compulsory convertible debentures to Binny Bansal worth Rs 6.4 crore, according to a regulatory filing accessed from the Registrar of Companies (RoC). The proceeds will be used for the company's working capital requirements and business expansion, as per filings. Curefoods is a cloud kitchen platform operating brands such as EatFit, Sharief Bhai, Olio Pizza, Krispy Kreme, Nomad Pizza, and others. Currently, it runs over 100 kitchens in over 200 locations in India. According to startup data intelligence platform TheKredible, Curefoods has raised $125 million across rounds from the likes of Binny Bansal-backed Three State Capital, Iron Pillar, and Chiratae Ventures, among others. Curefoods has also raised Rs 37 crore from Landmark Group in February via equity. Curefoods demonstrated notable financial performance in FY24, reporting a surge of over 50% in operating revenue to Rs 585 crore, while reducing losses by 50% to Rs 172.6 crore during the same period. The Ankit Nagori-led firm is reportedly planning to launch its $300–400 million initial public offering (IPO) in the latter part of FY26.

Amazon-backed ToneTag secures $78 Mn after 7-year hiatus

EntrackrEntrackr · 5m ago
Amazon-backed ToneTag secures $78 Mn after 7-year hiatus
Medial

Amazon-backed ToneTag secures $78 Mn after 7-year hiatus Contactless payment solution provider ToneTag has raised $78 million in its Series B2 funding round. The funding is a combination of primary and secondary capital and is led by ValueQuest S.C.A.L.E. Fund and its co-investors who have committed over 50% of the fundraise. Existing investor Elevate Innovation Partners LLC are also participating in this round. This investment will enable ToneTag to revamp customers' payment experiences and accelerate its global expansion, the company said in a press release. The Bengaluru-based company has secured a new funding round after nearly seven years, making it one of the few startups to raise capital after such a long hiatus. Founded by Kumar Abhishek, ToneTag provides three product categories for businesses: voice commerce, online store solutions, and in-store solutions, tailored for retail and F&B sectors. Through its Oyeti platform, the company enables businesses to integrate voice-powered shopping, ordering, and payment experiences. For customers, its VoiceSe UPI payment service allows voice-based transactions even without an internet connection. ToneTag processes over 30 million transactions daily using its unique soundwave technology. This allows secure payments through sound, making it easy to use even without the internet. Big companies like Google and Amazon, along with major Indian banks like SBI and ICICI, trust ToneTag for their payment solutions. According to data intelligence platform TheKredible, ToneTag’s revenue from operations jumped 111.7% to Rs 47.78 crore during FY24 in contrast to Rs 22.57 crore generated in FY23. The firm also achieved profitability for the first time since its inception in 2014. Among contactless payment solution providers, ToneTag competes with Paytm, PhonePe, PineLabs, BharatPe, and MobiKwik et al.

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