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Exclusive: Whatfix bags $100 Mn in primary and secondary capital

EntrackrEntrackr · 1y ago
Exclusive: Whatfix bags $100 Mn in primary and secondary capital
Medial

SaaS-based digital adoption solution provider Whatfix has scooped nearly $100 million in primary and secondary funding led by Sweet Nectar Investments (Warburg Pincus) and SoftBank. With this, the Bengaluru-based company has marked its first funding round in the last three years. The board at Whatfix has passed a special resolution to issue 13,201 Series E compulsory convertible preference shares (CCPS) at an issue price of Rs 2,24,788.44 per share to raise Rs 296.74 crore in primary capital, the company’s regulatory filings with the Registrar of Companies show. Additionally, the transaction also includes secondary funding worth nearly Rs 530 crore, the filings reveal. Whatfix aims to use the primary proceeds to expand and grow the business. Sweet Nectar Investments (Warburg Pincus) led the round with Rs 615 crore (Rs 271.7 crore primary and Rs 343.2 crore secondary) while the company’s existing backer SoftBank poured in Rs 210.5 crore (Rs 25 crore primary and Rs 185.5 crore secondary) funding. The secondary funding has been extracted from taking the same issue price under consideration. However, the transaction could also have taken place at a discount rate which reduces the overall amount raised. As per the startup intelligence platform TheKredible, Whatfix has been valued at around Rs 6,871 crore or $820-830 million (post-money). It has raised over $140 million before the fresh funding round. In June, the Economic Times reported that Whatfix is in talks to raise a new round which will see partial exits of early investors Helion Venture Partners and Eight Roads Ventures. Post allotment of the round, SoftBank increased its stake to 15.51% while Warburg Pincus’ Sweet Nectar Investments acquired 8.94% shares in the company (including the secondary transaction). Queries sent to Whatfix did not elicit an immediate response. Founded by Khadim Batti and Vara Kumar, Whatfix provides in-app guidance and performance support for web applications and software products. Its tools can be used by large companies and organizations, and integrated into their own apps to help guide the workforce in using them more efficiently. Whatfix recorded a 65.7% growth in revenue from operations to Rs 285 crore while its losses also went up 31.2% to Rs 328 crore in FY23. Importantly, Whatfix generated the entire revenue from global markets: America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East region. About 61% of the revenue emerged from the US followed by Europe. The company is yet to reveal its FY24 numbers.

SoftBank-backed Whatfix lays off 6% of workforce

EntrackrEntrackr · 1m ago
SoftBank-backed Whatfix lays off 6% of workforce
Medial

SoftBank-backed Whatfix lays off 6% of workforce Software-as-a-service (SaaS) company Whatfix has laid off 6% of its workforce. This marks the first layoff announced by the Bengaluru-based firm since its inception. Economic Times, which reported the development first, added that 60-80 employees were impacted in the strategic realignment. Responding to Entrackr’s queries, a company spokesperson said, “Whatfix undertook a strategic realignment to sharpen its focus on long-term, sustainable, and efficient growth in a rapidly changing market. As part of this shift, approximately 6% of our current headcount was impacted, including around 4% in our GTM (go-to-market) teams, to better align our go-to-market with the strong traction we are seeing in our AI-first product lines.” “These decisions are never easy, and we remain committed to handling the transition with care and empathy for our colleagues. We will continue to support impacted team members and ensure uninterrupted excellence for our customers,” the spokesperson added. Founded by Khadim Batti and Vara Kumar, Whatfix provides in-app guidance and performance support for web applications and software products. Its tools are used by large companies to drive efficiency. In September last year, the company raised $125 million in a Series E round led by Warburg Pincus, with participation from existing investor SoftBank Vision Fund 2. After the funding, Whatfix launched a $58 million liquidity program for employees and investors, marking its fourth ESOP buyback. While Whatfix has yet to disclose its FY25 numbers, the company’s revenue from operations grew 49% to Rs 424.58 crore in FY24 from Rs 284.74 crore in FY23. It also reduced its losses by 20% to Rs 262.63 crore in FY24. The US emerged as Whatfix’s largest revenue contributor and accounted for 72.13% of its total revenue.

Kinetic Green's losses balloon 11X in FY24, revenue dips 3%

EntrackrEntrackr · 10m ago
Kinetic Green's losses balloon 11X in FY24, revenue dips 3%
Medial

Kinetic Green's losses balloon 11X in FY24, revenue dips 3% Electric vehicle manufacturer Kinetic Green faced significant financial strain in FY24, with losses increasing 11X. Meanwhile, the Greater Pacific Capital-backed company's revenue declined by 3% year-on-year. Kinetic Green’s revenue from operations decreased to Rs 291 crore in FY24 from Rs 301 crore in FY23, its consolidated financial statement from the Registrar of Companies (RoC) shows. Kinetic Green manufactures electric vehicles, including two and three-wheelers such as electric scooters, rickshaws, cycles, and buggies. Collections from the sale of electric vehicles were the sole source of revenue for Kinetic Green for the fiscal year ending March 2024. The cost of procurement remains the largest cost center for Kinetic Green, forming 62% of the overall expenditure. To the tune of scale, this cost dipped by 5.4% to Rs 229 crore in FY24 from Rs 242 crore in FY23. The firm’s advertising cost spiked 8.2X to Rs 58 crore while its employee benefits saw a surge of 52.4% during the previous fiscal. Its finance, transportation, legal, travel, and other overheads increased the total expenditure by 19% to Rs 369 crore in FY24 from Rs 310 crore in FY23. The 8X surge in advertising and a sharp rise in employee benefits led Kinetic Green to widen its losses by 11X to Rs 77 crore in FY24, compared to Rs 7 crore in FY23. Its EBITDA margins stood at -20.55% while the company spent Rs 1.27 to earn a rupee of operating revenue in FY24. By the end of FY24, the Pune-based firm reported current assets worth Rs 169 crore including Rs 2.3 crore of cash and bank balance. Kinetic Green has raised a total of $27 million of funding to date, including a $25 million round from Greater Pacific Capital. According to the startup data intelligence platform TheKredible, Greater Pacific Capital is the largest external stakeholder with 5.6%. Its co-founders Sulajia Firodia Motwani and Ritesh Ramesh Mantri cumulatively hold 91.7% of the company.

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