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Pocket FM raises $103 Mn in Series D round

EntrackrEntrackr · 1y ago
Pocket FM raises $103 Mn in Series D round
Medial

Audio series platform Pocket FM has scooped up $103 million in its Series D round led by Lightspeed, and with participation from Stepstone Group. The new funding will strengthen Pocket FM’s push into the US market and also support global expansion as the company plans to expand into Europe and LATAM markets this year, the firm said in a press release. Pocket FM facilitates long-form audio content including audio shows, stories, and novels. The company will keep creating exclusive content libraries by providing a platform to the writer community. This latest round brings Pocket FM’s total funding to date to $196.5 million. Entrackr had exclusively reported about Pocket FM’s new fundraise in October last year. The Bengaluru-based company claims to have over 100,000 hours of content, including more than 2,000 exclusive audio series and more than 400,000 episodes across genres and languages. The company also said that it has surpassed $150 million (Rs 1,250 crore) ARR, and is growing at 57% QoQ. In 2023, it clocked over 20 million transactions and claimed that its US revenue crossed $100 million in average revenue run rate (ARR) during the last calendar year. “US audiences are the most engaged on the platform globally, spending over 135 minutes daily. The platform has approximately 10 million registered users in the US,” the firm added in the press release. The Indian entity of Pocket’s FM reported an 8.7X surge in its revenue to Rs 148.7 crore in FY23 from Rs 17 crore in FY22, according to startup data intelligence platform TheKredible. The firm also managed to contract its losses by 73.5% to Rs 45.47 crore in FY23 from Rs 171.6 crore in FY22. Its direct competitor Kuku FM raised $25 million in its Series C round in September last year. The company’s revenue from operations rose to Rs 41.2 crore during FY23 from Rs 4.4 crore in FY22.

Pocket Entertainment elevates Umesh Bude to CTO

EntrackrEntrackr · 2m ago
Pocket Entertainment elevates Umesh Bude to CTO
Medial

Pocket Entertainment elevates Umesh Bude to CTO Pocket Entertainment, the parent company of Pocket FM, Pocket Toons, and Pocket Novel, has elevated Umesh Bude to Chief Technology Officer (CTO). Previously Senior Vice President of Engineering, Umesh will now lead the company’s technology strategy, focusing on developing the future of AI-powered storytelling across its platforms. As CTO, Umesh will oversee the end-to-end tech stack at Pocket Entertainment and spearhead innovations to scale its products globally. His responsibilities will include designing scalable systems, advancing generative AI capabilities, and delivering technology-led innovations to empower both creators and consumers. “It’s a privilege to take on this role at a time when technology and creativity are deeply intertwined at Pocket Entertainment. I look forward to driving the next wave of innovation, where technology and AI are not just enablers, but storytellers in their own right,” said Bude on his promotion. Umesh will continue to report to Prateek Dixit as the company aims to consolidate its position at the intersection of entertainment and technology. Earlier this year, Pocket Entertainment launched Pocket Toons, an AI-first comics (webcomics) platform that uses AI to transform storytelling and content creation. In March 2024, Pocket FM secured $103 million in its Series D funding round, led by Lightspeed and joined by Stepstone Group. The company has raised $196.5 million in total funding and was valued at $750 million in its last equity round. Pocket FM’s global revenue spiked to Rs 1,051.97 crore in FY24 from Rs 176.36 crore in FY23. The Bengaluru-based company also improved its economics as its losses narrowed by 21% to Rs 165 crore in FY24.

Hike’s revenue soars 8X to Rs 150 Cr in FY23; losses up 24%

EntrackrEntrackr · 1y ago
Hike’s revenue soars 8X to Rs 150 Cr in FY23; losses up 24%
Medial

After years of stagnant growth and change in business, Hike posted a notable increase in its scale in the last fiscal year. Hike’s Rush Gaming Universe (RGU)—which hosts multiple skill-based casual games—grew nearly 8X and crossed the Rs 150 crore revenue mark in FY23. The firm’s losses, however, also stood close to Rs 150 crore in the same period. Hike’s revenue from operations skyrocketed 7.8X to Rs 150.5 crore during the fiscal year ending March 2023 as opposed to Rs 19.21 crore in FY22, according to its standalone financial statement with the RoC. Hike generates revenue from commission on entry fees, winning amount and membership fees for joining the application as a VIP member. Previously, Hike used to be a P2P messaging application but in January 2021 it shut down the product and switched to a different domain by introducing two new platforms Vibe and Rush. Vibe is a social media platform to watch videos together whereas Rush is a real money skill-based gaming platform which hosts multiple casual games. The company also earned Rs 1.4 crore via interest and gain on investments and other non-operating income during the year. Including these, its overall revenue reached nearly Rs 152 crore in FY23. As per startup data intelligence platform TheKredible, marketing expenses emerged as the largest cost element for Hike which grew 4X to Rs 142.65 crore in FY23 from Rs 35.86 crore in FY22. Its employee benefit expenses accounted for 35% of the total expenditure and went up 46.2% to Rs 104.42 crore in FY23. Importantly, this cost also includes employee share based payment (settled in equity) of Rs 26.71 crore. Due to the GST crackdown on real money gaming companies coupled with a challenging funding environment, Hike’s Rush Gaming Universe (RGU) had fired around 55 people or 22% of the total workforce. To check complete Expense Breakdown visit thekredible.com View full data Hike’s expenses on server, information technology consultancy, payment gateway and other overheads catalyzed its total expenditure by over 2X to Rs 299.3 crore in FY23 as compared to Rs 140.4 crore in FY22. Visit TheKredible for complete expense breakdown and YoY performance. Despite rising expenses, the company’s losses didn’t increase at that pace. Its losses increased 24% to Rs 147.3 crore during FY23 as compared to Rs 118.7 crore in FY22. Moreover, its outstanding losses mounted to Rs 1,923 crore in the last fiscal year. Hike’s cash outflows from operations, however, declined by 9.5% to Rs 94.5 crore during FY23. Its EBITDA margin improved to -93.92% during the year which can be ascribed to the rising scale. FY22-FY23 FY22 FY23 EBITDA Margin -525% -93.92% Expense/₹ of Op Revenue ₹7.31 ₹1.99 ROCE -61.20% -136.21% On a unit level, the firm spent Rs 1.99 to earn a rupee of operating revenue in FY23. Hike turned unicorn in 2016 when Temasek led a $175 million funding round at a $1.4 billion valuation. In January 2021, it shut down its chat services to enter the real money skill-based gaming space. Since then, it has raised three undisclosed funding rounds from various investors. Its last funding round came in May 2022 led by Web3 investor Jump Crypto to develop Rush Gaming Universe (RGU) — a web3 based social gaming metaverse. Hike’s efforts to find a perfect fit seem to have paid off as the company generated a healthy revenue — even though it took a long time to get there. The company’s losses, however, are still a point of concern. From the time it first raised money in 2013 to the present day, Hike has seen its earliest investor Bharti Airtel grow five times in revenue. Even Softbank, the other early backer, has written off its interest in the firm sometime back as inconsequential. While that takes some pressure off, there is no denying that its legacy weighs heavily on Hike, even when it seemingly is the closest to discovering a viable business model. Will it be able to sustain this new momentum long enough to finally deliver a worthwhile return to any of its investors? Time will tell.

Foxtale's revenue soars to Rs 83 Cr in FY24, losses widen

EntrackrEntrackr · 7m ago
Foxtale's revenue soars to Rs 83 Cr in FY24, losses widen
Medial

Foxtale, a direct-to-consumer (D2C) skincare brand, reported Rs 83 crore of revenue in its third full fiscal year, which ended in March 2024. However, in pursuit of scale, the losses for the Mumbai-based company crossed Rs 50 crore in the same period. Foxtale’s revenue from operations surged around 6X to Rs 83 crore in FY24 from Rs 14 crore in FY23, its annual financial statements sourced from the Registrar of Companies show. Founded in 2021 by Romita Mazumdar, Foxtale is an affordable skincare brand focused on products designed for Indian skin. Its products target issues such as acne, aging, and hyperpigmentation. The brand's products are available on its website and various marketplaces, including Nykaa, Amazon, Blinkit, Flipkart, and Myntra. The sale of skin and beauty products was Foxtale's sole source of revenue in the previous fiscal year. Similar to other D2C skincare brands, Foxtale spent Rs 50 crore on advertising and promotion, which is 36% of its overall cost. This cost saw an increase of 3.8X during FY24. To the tune of scale, its cost of procurement grew 5.8X to Rs 35 crore in the previous fiscal. Foxtale's employee benefit expenses, including salaries, provident fund (PF), gratuity, and ESOPs, surged 2.8x to Rs 20 crore in FY24. Its delivery, legal, outsourcing manpower, and other overheads pushed the overall expenditure to Rs 139 crore in FY24 from Rs 33 crore in FY23. Despite registering 6x fold in scale, higher advertising expenses and employee benefit costs drove Foxtale's losses up by 189% to Rs 55 crore in FY24, compared to Rs 19 crore in FY23. On a unit level, it spent Rs 1.67 to earn a rupee of operating revenue. At the end of FY24, its current assets were recorded at Rs 69 crore, including cash and bank balances of Rs 44 crore. Foxtale has emerged as one of the few D2C startups to secure $48 million across two funding rounds in just seven months. Its latest $30 million round was spearheaded by Japanese beauty products giant, Kose Corporation. Its major competitors include Sugar Cosmetics, WOW Skin Science, Plum, MamaEarth, Minimalist, and several others.

Qure.ai revenue soars 83% to Rs 141 Cr in FY24, slashes losses

EntrackrEntrackr · 10m ago
Qure.ai revenue soars 83% to Rs 141 Cr in FY24, slashes losses
Medial

Healthcare firm Qure.ai recently raised $65 million in a funding round led by Lightspeed Ventures and 360 One Asset Management. This investment follows an impressive 83% growth in Qure.ai’s revenue, which surpassed Rs 140 crore in FY24. The Lightspeed-backed firm also reduced its losses by 38.5% in this period. Qure.ai’s revenue from operations grew to Rs 141 crore in the fiscal year ending March 2024 from Rs 77 crore in FY23, its consolidated financial statements sourced from the Registrar of Companies show. Qure.ai offers AI-driven solutions designed to assist radiologists and physicians in diagnosing critical conditions such as tuberculosis, lung cancer, and stroke. In the last fiscal year, sales of these tools and software contributed 87.23% of the company’s operating revenue, doubling to Rs 123 crore. The remaining revenue was generated from the sale of healthcare products. In line with many tech and AI-driven companies, employee benefits made up more than half of Qure.ai’s total expenses. These costs surged by 66.2%, rising to Rs 108 crore in FY24 from Rs 65 crore in FY23, with Rs 12 crore allocated to ESOP expenses, a non-cash component. Additional expenses, including costs for materials, communication, travel, advertising, legal, and other overheads, contributed to an 18.2% overall increase in expenses, pushing total costs to Rs 201 crore in FY24 from Rs 170 crore in FY23. See TheKredible for the detailed expense breakup. An over 80% surge in scale, combined with effective cost controls, enabled Qure.ai to cut losses by 38.5%, reducing them to Rs 48 crore in FY24 from Rs 78 crore in FY23. While its EBITDA margin improved, it remained negative at -22.73% in FY24. On a unit basis, the company spent Rs 1.43 to earn a rupee in FY24. FY23-FY24 FY23 FY24 EBITDA Margin -78.02% -22.73% Expense/₹ of Op Revenue ₹2.21 ₹1.43 ROCE NA NA The Mumbai-based firm has raised over $120 million to date, including a recent $65 million round. According to startup data platform TheKredible, notable investors in Qure.ai include Peak XV, Lightspeed, Fractal, and Novo Holdings. Large funding rounds of the type Qure.ai has attracted are increasingly available only for firms that have traveled some distance in demonstrating market acceptance. For Qure.ai, that is evident in the topline as well as the spread of more sophisticated diagnostic tools that are available more widely in India today, promising a heady period of strong growth for the foreseeable future.

Bijak’s GMV soars 13X to Rs 807 Cr in FY23; controls losses

EntrackrEntrackr · 1y ago
Bijak’s GMV soars 13X to Rs 807 Cr in FY23; controls losses
Medial

Agritech startup Bijak’s gross revenue flew 13X in the fiscal year ending March 2023 as compared to FY22. Moreover, the Gurugram-based company also managed to cut its losses by over 16% in the same period. Bijak’s gross revenue (aka gross merchandise value – GMV) surged 13X to Rs 807 crore in FY23 from Rs 62 crore in FY22, its annual financial statements filed with the Registrar of Companies show. Founded in 2019, Bijak is a B2B agricultural commodities trading marketplace for agriculture supplies which also provides logistics and working capital requirements to suppliers. The sale of agricultural commodities via its apps (Bijak Mandi, Vyapaar, Global, and Just Fresh) was the primary source that formed 99% of the revenue in FY23. Income from commission, logistics, and interest were some other revenue drivers for Bijak. The company also made Rs 6 crore from interest on deposits and current investments tallying its overall income to Rs 813 crore in FY23. For the B2B commodity supplier, the cost of procurement of agricultural commodities accounted for 92% of the overall expenditure. To the tune of scale, this cost surged 12.4X to Rs 791 crore in FY23. Its employee benefits, advertising, doubtful debts, payment gateway, logistics, brokerage, and other overheads catalyzed the firm’s total expenditure to Rs 860 crore in FY23 from Rs 121 crore in FY22. See TheKredible for the detailed expense breakup. The optimum control in employee benefits and advertising helped Bijak to control its losses by 16.4% to Rs 46 crore in FY23 from Rs 55 crore in FY22. Its ROCE and EBITDA margin also improved to -28% and -4.7% respectively. On a unit level, it spent Rs 1.07 to earn a rupee in FY23. FY22-FY23 FY22 FY23 EBITDA Margin -83% -4.7% Expense/₹ of Op Revenue ₹1.95 ₹1.07 ROCE -30% -28% Bijak has raised around $33 million to date including its $19.4 million Series B round led by Peak XV and Omidyar Network in January 2022. According to the startup data intelligence platform TheKredible, Peak XV’s Surge Ventures is the largest external stakeholder with 13.8% followed by Bertelsmann and Omidyar Network. Bijak has based its success on removing the trust deficit between buyers and sellers of agricultural produce, and in doing so, expanded the market of opportunities for both. It seems to be doing that based on a combination of technology that enables it to keep a track record for both sides, and by offering credit to fill this gap directly. That sounds like a recipe for success, without involving a significant disruption to existing marketplaces. With more and more buyers and sellers, or transactions, the firm will also keep strengthening its own understanding and user base, which should help further reduce costs for marketing and promotions. With profitability in sight, there is much more good news to expect for its investors in the future.

The Ayurveda Co posts Rs 60 Cr revenue in FY24, loss soars 3X

EntrackrEntrackr · 6m ago
The Ayurveda Co posts Rs 60 Cr revenue in FY24, loss soars 3X
Medial

The Ayurveda Co, a D2C consumer brand, recorded a 66% year-on-year growth in its scale during the last fiscal year ended in March 2024. However, the losses for the Sixth Sense Venture-backed firm surged over three-fold in the same period. The Ayurveda Co’s revenue from operations increased by 66% to Rs 59.6 crore in FY24 from Rs 36 crore in FY23, shows its financial statement sourced from the Registrar of Companies (RoC). The Ayurveda Co offers ayurvedic beauty and personal care products, including hair care, skincare, makeup, and wellness items. The firm's revenue is generated exclusively from the sale of these products. The Ayurveda Co earned an additional Rs 2.4 crore from interest income, which increased its total revenue to Rs 62 crore in FY24. On the expense side, the cost of materials was its largest cost center which jumped 2.4X to Rs 28.6 crore from Rs 12 crore in FY23. Its advertising and employee benefits grew by 73.3% and 80.2% to Rs 26 crore and Rs 15.5 crore, respectively, in the last fiscal year. Manpower and recruitment expenses surged to Rs 11.3 crore. In the end, the company’s total expenses increased 97% to Rs 109.5 crore in FY24 from Rs 55.6 crore in FY23. The sharp increase in expenditures resulted in a 3.2X spike in losses to Rs 68 crore in FY24, compared to a Rs 21 crore loss in FY23. Its ROCE and EBITDA margin stood at -700% and -100.65%, respectively. On a unit level, the company spent Rs 1.84 to earn a single rupee. At the end of FY24, the Gurugram-based company reported current assets worth Rs 45 crore, including cash and bank balances worth an alarming Rs 52 lakh. The Ayurveda Co has secured approximately $16 million in funding to date, including its Rs 100 crore Series A round led by Sixth Sense Ventures in 2023. The company competes with brands like Ayurveda Experience, which reported Rs 250 crore in revenue for FY23, along with Wow Skin, Sugar, and others. The sharp rise in costs is a little surprising, even in a year just after the firm raised significant funding, as we have seen earlier. One hopes FY25 will bring not just a moderation in costs but also a disproportionate rise in topline, considering the significant funding it seems to have raised. In a fiercely competitive market with valuations sagging for all but the most profitable firms, The Ayurveda Co’s numbers are more than a little underwhelming to be honest. The firm’s only argument from here on will have to be a strong performance in FY25.

InsuranceDekho revenue soars 7.7X in FY24, posts Rs 86 Cr profit

EntrackrEntrackr · 9m ago
InsuranceDekho revenue soars 7.7X in FY24, posts Rs 86 Cr profit
Medial

InsuranceDekho turned out a stellar financial performance in the last fiscal year, with revenue from operations spiking 7.7 times. At the same time, the company reported a profit of Rs 86 crore for the fiscal year ending March 2024, compared to a loss of Rs 51 crore in FY23. InsuranceDekho’s revenue from operations surged to Rs 743.6 crore in FY24 from Rs 96.5 crore in FY23, its standalone financial statement filed with the Registrar of Companies (RoC) shows. InsuranceDekho helps customers to compare and buy motor, health, travel and pet insurance. It also offers several investment plans including ULIP, child, fixed deposit, retirement plans among others. At Rs 726.61 crore, insurance brokerage was the largest revenue generator for the firm which accounted for 97.7% of the total operating revenue while ancillary services brought in Rs 17 crore. The Gurugram-based firm also made an additional Rs 41.3 crore from non operating sources, including software sales and interest income which pushed InsuranceDekho total income to Rs 785 crore in FY24. Looking at the expenses, point of sales charges was the major element, which formed 43% of the total expense. This cost surged by 36X to Rs 301 crore in FY24, from mere Rs 8.3 crore in FY23. Employee benefit expenses stood at Rs 130.26 crore, showing a 21.7% rise from Rs 107.05 crore in FY23. Manpower management was another expense that ballooned 53X to Rs 35 crore in FY24. Advertising, finance costs collectively formed Rs 98 crore. In the end, the CarDekho-incubated company’s total expenses increased by 4.6X to Rs 699.21 crore during the last fiscal year. With over 650% growth in scale, InsuranceDekho turned profitable in FY24. It posted a profit of Rs 85.71 crore in the last fiscal year from a loss of -51.59 crore in FY23. Its ROCE and EBITDA margin improved to 16.5% and 11.73%, respectively. On a unit basis, the company spent Re 0.94 to earn a rupee of operating revenue in FY24. InsuranceDekho reported a Cash and Bank Balance of Rs 37.7 crore and Current Asset of 795.32 crore in the fiscal year ending March 2024. In October 2023, the firm secured $60 million in a Series B funding round led by Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group. It is reportedly in discussions to merge with Renewbuy—a strategic move intended to establish a major player in the insurance aggregation market and compete with industry leader PolicyBazaar. PB Fintech, the parent firm of Policybazaar closed FY24 with about Rs 3,500 crore, which places the Rs 750 odd crores of InsuranceDekho in context. A very positive context, we will add, considering the fact that Insurance Dekho has managed to turn up the numbers with profits to show as well. Something Policybazaar managed well after it crossed the Rs 2,000 crore mark. In a market that is evolving at a pace it has never seen before, the opportunities for InsuranceDekho remain immense, and another strong year in FY25 will open up the IPO route as well, in all probability, making it a formidable competitor in the market that increasingly looks like it will consolidate into a two or three horse race as far as aggregators go.

CityMall’s GMV soars 2.4X to Rs 352 Cr in FY23; losses grow 10%

EntrackrEntrackr · 1y ago
CityMall’s GMV soars 2.4X to Rs 352 Cr in FY23; losses grow 10%
Medial

Social commerce startup CityMall raised $75 million in its Series C round led by Norwest Ventures just before the start of FY23. The fundraise enabled it to hack 140% growth in its gross revenue in the last fiscal year. CityMall’s revenue from operations surged to Rs 352 crore in the fiscal year ending March 2023 from Rs 144 crore in FY22, its annual financial statement filed with the Registrar of Companies shows. CityMall deals in lifestyle, grocery, and other essentials through a network of community resellers in tier II and III cities. The Gurugram-based firm claims to have around 20,000 resellers, and 200K consumers in eight smaller cities across the state of Haryana. The sale of traded goods formed 94.8% of the total operating revenue for CityMall which increased 2.43X to Rs 334 crore in FY23. Logistics, marketing contracts, brand, and scrap were other revenue drivers of the Elevation Capital backed company. See TheKredible for the detailed revenue breakup. When it comes to cost, procurement of goods was the largest burn accounting for 62% of the firm’s overall expenditure. In line with scale, this cost surged 2.4X to Rs 326 crore in FY23 while its employee benefits saw an increase of 56.4% during the said period. Its rent, advertising cum promotional, transportation, cloud/hosting, contractual manpower, and other overheads took the overall expenditure up by 88.53% to Rs 526 crore in FY23 from Rs 279 crore in FY22. Check TheKredible for the complete expense breakdown. Expenses Breakdown Total ₹ 279 Cr https://thekredible.com/company/citymall/financials View Full Data To access complete data, visithttps://thekredible.com/company/citymall/financials Total ₹ 526 Cr https://thekredible.com/company/citymall/financials View Full Data To access complete data, visithttps://thekredible.com/company/citymall/financials Cost of procurement Cost of procurement Employee benefit Employee benefit Rent Rent Advertising promotional Advertising promotional Cost transportation Cost transportation Cloud and hosting Cloud and hosting Manpower Manpower Others To check complete Expense Breakdown visit thekredible.com View full data Despite a spurt in expenses, CityMall has managed to hold tight control on losses which grew only 10% to Rs 145 crore in FY23 compared to Rs 131 crore in FY22.Its ROCE and EBITDA margin stood at -25% and -35.7% respectively. On a unit level, it spent Rs 1.49 to earn a rupee. FY22-FY23 FY22 FY23 EBITDA Margin -86% -35.7% Expense/₹ of Op Revenue ₹1.94 ₹1.49 ROCE -23% -25% CityMall has raised over $110 million across several rounds and was valued at around $300 million in its last equity funding round. According to the startup data intelligence platform TheKredible, Elevation Capital is the largest external stakeholder with 18.58% followed by Accel Partners and Jungle Ventures. Its co-founders Naisheel Verdhan and Angad Kikla collectively hold 19.23% of the company.

Kuku FM reports Rs 88 Cr revenue in FY24; spends Rs 100 Cr on marketing

EntrackrEntrackr · 10m ago
Kuku FM reports Rs 88 Cr revenue in FY24; spends Rs 100 Cr on marketing
Medial

Audio content platform Kuku FM has grown at an impressive pace over the last two fiscal years. After achieving approximately 12-fold growth in FY23, the Mumbai-based firm has more than doubled its revenue in the fiscal year ending March 2024, while also reducing its losses. Kuku FM’s revenue from operations surged 2.1x year-on-year to Rs 88 crore in FY24, up from Rs 41 crore in FY23, according to its annual financial statements accessed from the Registrar of Companies. Kuku FM offers a diverse range of audio content across genres such as business, self-help, personal finance, history, religion, entertainment, and fitness. Revenue from paywalled subscription sales served as the sole source of income for Kuku FM. The Fundamental-backed company also made Rs 16 crore, primarily from interest on deposits and the sale of current investments, bringing total revenue to Rs 104 crore in FY24, up from Rs 49 crore in FY23. To expand its audio content reach, Kuku FM allocated over 50% of its total cash burn to advertising and marketing, which stood at Rs 102 crore in FY24—an 8.5% increase from FY23. Interestingly, spending on audio content creation was comparatively lower, at Rs 16 crore. According to financial statements, employee benefits for the Mumbai-based company grew by 37% in FY23. Meanwhile, information technology, legal, rent, payment gateway charges, and other overheads pushed total expenditure up by 21.2% to Rs 200 crore in FY24. FY23-FY24 FY23 FY24 EBITDA Margin -234.69% -89.42% Expense/₹ of Op Revenue ₹4.02 ₹2.27 ROCE -91.41% -46.38% The two-fold increase in scale and controlled expenditure helped Kuku FM reduce its losses by 18% to Rs 96 crore in FY24, down from Rs 117 crore in FY23. Its ROCE and EBITDA margin stood at -46.38% and -89.42%, respectively. Per unit, it spent Rs 2.27 to earn a rupee in FY24. Note: Kuku FM’s total outstanding losses stood at Rs 289 crore at the end of the previous fiscal year (FY24). Kuku FM has raised $71 million to date, including a $25 million Series C round led by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Nandan Nilekani’s Fundamentum Partnership in October 2023. The company was last valued at around $185 million. Kuku FM is clearly a case of proving a widely held perception wrong (getting Indians to pay for audio content), and getting rewarded handsomely with funding for the same. For, even while it deserves credit for proving that a market exists, it faces the obvious challenge of finding each of those paying customers at a very high cost. And in the cut throat world of streaming platforms, the cost of keeping its flock together somehow. Multiple well established players means a genre that takes off is likely to be picked up elsewhere as well, and very soon at that. International billings for sticky content is one way out of course. What is interesting is the low investments into audio content creation, indicating a low belief in trying to own exclusive content. A firm to watch, both with some hope and trepidation.

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