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Funding and acquisitions in Indian startup this week [07 - 12 Oct]

EntrackrEntrackr · 11m ago
Funding and acquisitions in Indian startup this week [07 - 12 Oct]
Medial

During the week, 32 Indian startups raised around $134.42 million in funding. These deals count 4 growth-stage deals and 22 early-stage deals while 6 startups kept their transaction details undisclosed. Last week, 21 early and growth-stage startups cumulatively raised over $92.63 million in funding. [Growth-stage deals] Among the growth-stage deals, 4 startups raised $55.8 million in funding this week. Industrial robotics maker Haber spearheaded with $38 million funding round. SaaS platform for physical therapy professionals Spry Therapeutics raised $15 million followed by aerial intelligence platform Aereo and pharmaceutical packaging startup Sorich Foils with $1.8 million and $1 million in funding, respectively. [Early-stage deals] Further, 22 early-stage startups secured funding worth $78.62 million during the week. D2C diaper brand Bumtum (Millennium Babycares) led the list followed by EV firm UrjaMobility, vacuum and process solutions provider Economy Process Solutions, space-tech firm XDLINX, and dental care platform Dezy among others. Meanwhile, Jivi, Suraasa, Adloggs, Humm Care, A4 Hospital, and Deftouch also raked in funding but did not disclose the transaction details. For more information, visit TheKredible. [City and segment-wise deals] In terms of the city-wise number of funding deals, Bengaluru-based startups led with 11 deals followed by Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Pune, Coimbatore, et al. Segment-wise, Healthtech startups are on the top spot with 5 deals. SaaS, E-commerce, Fintech, Media and entertainment, Edtech, and Robotics startups followed the list among others. [Series-wise deals] During the week, seed funding deals are on top, with 18 deals followed by Series A, pre-Series A, Series B, and pre-IPO deals among others. [Week-on-week funding trend] On a weekly basis, startup funding went up 45.11% to $134.42 million as compared to around $92.63 million raised during the previous week. The average funding in the last eight weeks stands at around $358.15 million with 28 deals per week. [Fund launches] D2C Insider, a community of D2C founders, launched the Super Angels Fund with a corpus of Rs 25 crore. LC Nueva Investment Partners launched the LC Nueva Momentum Fund with a target corpus of Rs 150 crore. Northern Arc launched the Finserv Fund with a target corpus of Rs 1,500 crore. [Key hirings and departures] The startup ecosystem witnessed 17 notable hirings this week. Evenflow onboarded Priyesh Singh, Aparajitha Vijayaraghavan, Prashant Agarwal, and Ruchi Shaikh at different leading positions. Oyo also welcomed Sonal Sinha, Rachit Srivastava, Shashank Jain, Pankhuri Sakhuja, and Ashish Bajpai to fill different roles. Meanwhile, Orios Venture Partners’s CFO & CEO Gaurav Bindal, Zomato’s Independent Director Gunjan Soni, and Menhood’s Compliance Officer resigned. [Mergers and Acquisitions] This week, three notable acquisitions took place in the Indian startup ecosystem. Ozonetel acquired CloudConnect Communications, eBikeGo purchased Varcas Automobiles, and Exicom took over Tritium. [ESOP buyback] Whatfix, a digital adoption platform (DAP), has introduced a $58 million liquidity program for its employees and investors. Online gaming startup Winzo has also announced the completion of its fourth round of employee stock options plan (ESOP) liquidation. [Shutdown and layoffs] Plug-and-play platform Toplyne is shutting down operations and returning capital to investors. While two-wheeler marketplace BeepKart reportedly fired another 60-70 employees. Visit TheKredible to see series-wise deals along with amount breakup, complete details of fund launches, and more insights. [New launches] Fintech startup Jar forays into the D2C jewelry space with the launch of Nek Blinkit to launch ‘Cafe’ for quick snack deliveries IPO-bound Swiggy rolls out large order fleet in Gurugram Ranveer Singh-backed Bold Care ventures into women’s wellness Innov8 launches Managed Office Spaces vertical ShareChat launches social media app ‘Vibely’ [Potential Deals] D2C fashion brand Zouk set to raise $10 Mn led by Aavishkaar Capital Prosus to double down on Urban Company in a secondary deal Amazon-backed ToneTag in talks to raise $50 Mn [Financial results this week] Servify posts Rs 755 Cr revenue in FY24; cuts losses by 59% Kuku FM reports Rs 88 Cr revenue in FY24; spends Rs 100 Cr on marketing Pine Labs India posts Rs 1,384 Cr revenue in FY24; losses jump 3X DCGpac hits profitability as revenue nears Rs 100 Cr in FY24 Leegality turns profitable with 87% revenue growth in FY24 boAt cuts losses by 47% in FY24, revenue holds steady at Rs 3,122 Cr Your-Space posts Rs 142 Cr revenue in FY24; losses up 20% Info Edge revenue touches Rs 1,230 Cr revenue in H1 FY25 [News flash this week] Ola, Uber, and Porter score zero in Fairwork India Ratings 2024 Ola Electric faces show-cause notice amid rising complaints Magicpin becomes the largest food delivery seller app on ONDC Govt. eyes action against e-commerce firms for dark pattern violations Zetwerk begins talks with JP Morgan and other bankers for an IPO Physics Wallah selects four investment bankers for $500 Mn IPO BlackBuck gets SEBI nod For Rs 550 Cr IPO Zomato’s Deepinder Goyal exits, Titan Capital’s Kunal Bahl joins Shark Tank India [Conclusion] After a dip in funding last week, the weekly funding surged over 45% $134.42 million this week. The week saw three startup-focused fund launches namely D2C Insider (Super Angel Fund), LC Nueva Investment, and Northern Arc (Finserv AIF Fund). The Indian government is poised to take action against e-commerce companies that have been accused of flouting dark pattern regulations during the festive season sales. The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) is investigating complaints alleging that these companies have used deceptive design elements to trick consumers into making purchases. Dark patterns, such as creating a false sense of urgency or misleading customers, have become a growing concern as e-commerce has boomed in India. To address this issue, the government introduced guidelines last year to regulate the use of dark patterns and curb deceptive practices by e-commerce companies. Around tech IPOs, Zetwork and Physics Wallah are in talks with investment bankers for their respective IPOs while logistics firm Blackbuck has received SEBI’s green signal for the public listings. Kunal Bahl, the founder of Snapdeal and Titan Capital, is joining Shark Tank India as a new shark. His addition comes after Zomato’s Deepinder Goyal stepped down from his role as a judge due to Swiggy’s sponsorship of the show. A new report by Fairwork India has ranked Ola, Uber, and Porter lowest for working conditions for gig workers in India. The evaluation assessed 11 platforms and found that while BigBasket, Swiggy, Urban Company, and Zomato performed well, no platform fully met all five principles of fair labor standards. The report emphasizes the urgent need to improve conditions for gig workers in the country’s rapidly growing platform economy.

Funding and acquisitions in Indian startup this week [01 - 06 July]

EntrackrEntrackr · 1y ago
Funding and acquisitions in Indian startup this week [01 - 06 July]
Medial

This week, 24 Indian startups raised around $270.3 million in funding. These deals count 4 growth-stage deals and 20 early-stage deals. In the previous week, over 25 early and growth-stage startups cumulatively raised more than $211 million in funds. [Growth-stage deals] Among the growth-stage deals, 4 startups raised $234.2 million in funding this week. E-commerce company Purplle topped with its $120 million Series F round. Hospitality firm OYO, EV startup Matter and agritech brand Arya.ag followed with $50 million, $35 million and $29.2 million funding respectively. [Early-stage deals] Moreover, 20 early-stage startups secured funding worth $36.13 million during the week. D2C brand Comet spearheaded the list followed by health startup Watch Your Health, fintech startup Dice, logistics tech firm Ripplr, and media & entertainment startup Pepul. Automotive tech Bike Bazaar, SaaS startup Wify, and logistics firm Lobb also raised funding among others. For more information, visit TheKredible. [City and segment-wise deals] In terms of the city-wise number of funding deals, Bengaluru-based startups led with seven deals followed by Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Pune and Ahmedabad among others. Segment-wise, e-commerce startups grabbed the top spot with four deals. Healthtech, proptech, agritech and logistics startups followed this list. [Series-wise deals] During the week, Seed funding deals led the list with 5 deals followed by 4 Series A and pre-Series A deals. Pre-seed and debt funding also saw 3 deals and 2 deals respectively. [Week-on-week funding trend] On a weekly basis, startup funding slipped 76.73% to $211 million as compared to around $906 million raised during the previous week. The average funding in the last eight weeks stands at around $404 million with 28 deals per week. [Fund launches] Japanese automaker Suzuki is diving into Indian social impact investing with Next Bharat Ventures. This Rs 340 crore fund targets early-stage startups tackling challenges in rural areas and the informal economy. Focusing on sectors like agriculture tech and financial inclusion, Next Bharat Ventures will invest Rs 1 crore to Rs 8 crore per startup, aiming to support up to 20 ventures annually over the next few years. [Key hirings] Here’s a summary of the key hirings and departures: Among key hirings, Mandar Vaidya, formerly of OYO, took the helm as CEO at Cloudphysician. The investment world welcomed Ajay Mittal to ValuAble as a General Partner and Investment Manager, transitioning from Ascent Capital. Paytm saw a shift with Swati Rustagi taking on a Vice President role at Adobe. Pickrr bolstered their product team with Kunal Bariwal joining as Lead Product at CaptainBiz. Finally, Softbank appointed Lydia Jett as an Independent Director for Flipkart. [M&A] Indian crypto exchange CoinDCX has fully acquired BitOasis, a Middle Eastern virtual asset platform. Both teams will merge, with BitOasis retaining its brand. In the HR tech space, US-Indian platform Phenom gobbled up Tydy, a human resources tech firm, in its fifth acquisition. While Nodwin Gaming, the esports arm of Nazara Technologies, is acquiring German esports agency Freaks 4U Gaming in a two-part share swap deal worth Rs 271 crore, solidifying their position in the esports market. [Layoffs and shutdowns] Edtech giant Unacademy has laid off 250 employees in a restructuring effort aimed at streamlining operations and boosting efficiency. The company seeks to achieve sustainable growth and profitability. While the exact number of impacted employees is undisclosed, Unacademy assures support for those affected during this transition. Koo, the Indian microblogging platform that focused on local languages, is shutting down. Founder Apramyea Radhakrishna announced the closure on LinkedIn, stating they couldn’t find a buyer. Radhakrishna expressed his vision for a local language platform in India but acknowledged the high costs of running a social media app. [Potential deals] Bengaluru-based logistics and distribution platform Ripplr is close to securing Rs 40 crore (around $4.7 million) in debt financing from Northern Arc. Meanwhile, B2B sweets supplier Scandalous Foods, backed by investors like Anthill Angel Fund and EvolveX, is reportedly seeking fresh capital to fuel its growth. Visit TheKredible to see series-wise deals along with amount breakup, complete details of fund launches, and more insights. [New launches] Zomato stops Xtreme delivery service; relaunches intercity food delivery [Financial results this week] Ixigo posts Rs 656 Cr revenue and Rs 73 Cr PAT in FY24 Mylab’s op revenue nosedives to under Rs 100 Cr in FY23, slips into losses NoBroker in FY23: Op revenue grows 87% to Rs 609 Cr; losses up by 64% Akumentis’ income crosses Rs 400 Cr in FY24; posts Rs 57 Cr profit [News flash this week] DPIIT recommends removal of angel tax; Finance Ministry to take final call Zerodha set to stop zero brokerage model after SEBI’s new circular SoftBank-backed FirstCry, Unicommerce get SEBI approval for IPO Zomato receives Rs 9.5 Cr demand notice from GST Swiggy’s two-punch for users: Eatlists and UPI Payments on the Menu Karnataka cracks down on illegal bike taxis after driver protests Delhivery’s drone dream takes flight with MCA nod [Conclusion] After a sudden spike in the weekly funding last week, the startups saw a nearly 77% drop in funding to $211 million this week. Only fund startup-focused fund launched this week namely BizDateUp. The Commerce Ministry has proposed removing the “angel tax” on startups in India. This tax, currently at 30%, is levied on investments exceeding the fair market value of the startup. Many argue the angel tax stifles startup growth and innovation. The government implemented it in 2012 to combat money laundering, but its effectiveness is debated. While DPIIT-registered startups were exempted last year, many still received tax notices. The Commerce Ministry’s recommendation is a positive step for startups, but the final decision lies with the Finance Ministry. SoftBank-backed startups FirstCry and Unicommerce received approval from SEBI to launch their initial public offerings (IPOs). FirstCry, a kids’ retailer, initially filed its IPO application in December 2023 but faced delays due to SEBI requesting more financial data (beyond Q1 FY24). Unicommerce, an e-commerce software company, filed its IPO application in January 2024 and will only offer existing shares for sale, with no new issuance of shares. Food delivery giant Zomato recently shut down its intra-city logistics service “Xtreme” due to a lack of customer demand. Meanwhile, Zomato’s woes deepened with another Goods and Services Tax (GST) demand notice of Rs 9.45 crore from Karnataka authorities. This adds to previous notices exceeding Rs 585 crore, all stemming from a dispute over GST on delivery charges. Zomato argues they only collect these charges on behalf of partner restaurants and shouldn’t be liable for GST. In a separate move, Zomato is relaunching its intercity food delivery service “Legends.” IPO-bound Swiggy is piloting new features. The first feature “Eatlists” allows users to create and share curated lists of their favorite dishes within the app, similar to creating music playlists. Secondly, Swiggy is testing a new in-app UPI payment system developed in collaboration with Yes Bank and Juspay.

Funding and acquisitions in Indian startup this week [17 - 22 Jun]

EntrackrEntrackr · 1y ago
Funding and acquisitions in Indian startup this week [17 - 22 Jun]
Medial

As many as 41 Indian startups raised around $906.7 million in funding this week. These deals count 10 growth-stage deals and 22 early-stage deals. Moreover, eight early-stage and one growth-stage startup kept their transaction details undisclosed. In the previous week, about 31 early and growth-stage startups cumulatively raised over $336 million in capital. [Growth-stage deals] Among the growth-stage deals, 10 startups raised $857.4 million in funding this week. Quick commerce company Zepto grabbed the limelight with its $665 million funding. Ummeed Housing Finance, which provides housing and secured small ticket business loans, followed with its $76 million funding. Microlending platform Aye Finance, craft beer maker Bira 91, and fintech firm Slice also made it to the top five with $30 million, $25 million, and $20 million fundraises, respectively. D2C men’s apparel brand WROGN, small financing company Shivalik Small Finance Bank, Dvara KGFS, Aviom Housing Finance, and Jupiter’s NBFC arm Amica Finance are next on the list. [Early-stage deals] Moreover, 22 early-stage startups secured funding worth $49.3 million during the week. AI sales operating system OrbitShift spearheaded the list followed by healthtech platform Alyve Health, agriculture machinery company Balwaan Krishi, D2C fashion brand focused on custom-made The Pant Project, and SME-focused digital lending platform Supermoney. The list of early-stage startups also includes eight startups that kept the funding amount undisclosed: TaxGenie (Regime Tax Solution), Landeed, Praan, ThriveCo, Fanisko, Nirwana.ai, Lazy Cocktails & Co, and LEO1. For more information, visit TheKredible. [City and segment-wise deals] In terms of the city-wise number of funding deals, Bengaluru-based startups led with 13 deals followed by Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, and Jaipur. Segment-wise, fintech startups grabbed the top spot with 12 deals. E-commerce, AI, SaaS, Food & beverages, and Healthtech startups followed this list among others. [Series-wise deals] During the week, Seed funding deals led the list with 17 deals followed by 7 Series A and 5 pre-Series A deals. Debt funding also saw 4 deals followed by Series F, Series B, pre-Seed, Series E, and Series G. [Week-on-week funding trend] On a weekly basis, startup funding surged 170% to $906.7 million as compared to around $336.45 million raised during the previous week. The average funding in the last eight weeks stands at around $421 million with 29 deals per week. [Fund launches] This week saw three significant fund launches. VentureSoul Partners launched their debut fund of Rs 600 crore to invest in established startups through venture debt. Gujarat Venture Finance Limited announced the first close of their Rs 200 crore “Prarambh Fund” targeting seed-stage tech startups with investments between Rs 1 crore and Rs 3 crore. 8X Ventures achieved a first close of Rs 60 crore for their second VC fund, aiming to invest in 18-20 early-stage deeptech startups, with a potential final corpus of Rs 300 crore. [Key hirings and departures] Here’s a summary of the key hirings and departures: Flipkart: Cleartrip, Flipkart’s travel booking unit, has appointed Anuj Rathi as its new Chief Business and Growth Officer. Vidyakul: Edtech startup Vidyakul has promoted Akhil Hari Angira to Co-founder and Chief Business Officer. He will oversee strategic partnerships, business growth, and expansion into underserved areas. Paytm: Paytm roped in Rajeev Krishnamuralilal Agarwal as a new non-executive independent director, while Neeraj Arora stepped down from the same position. Agarwal brings experience from companies like U GRO Capital and Star Health, while Arora is the founder of Halloapp and previously held positions at Meta and Google. [Layoffs] Silk product B2B marketplace ReshaMandi seems to be in deep trouble. After failing to secure Series B funding, the company has reportedly laid off 80% of its workforce and is significantly scaling down operations. It’s over Rs 300 crore debt leads to legal challenges and potential insolvency. [M&A] Ananta Capital’s beauty and wellness arm, Guardian, has acquired a 55% stake in D2C personal care startup Anveya Living, with plans to increase its stake further. Anveya Living, which owns the brands ThriveCo, Curlvana, and Anveya, will use the investment to launch new products and expand globally. Meanwhile, online travel aggregator Yatra Online has agreed to buy out its partner’s stake in the joint venture Adventure and Nature Network Private Limited (ANN), which operates in adventure tourism. Yatra Online will increase its stake in ANN from 50% to 99%, making ANN a subsidiary of Yatra Online. [Potential deals] The Indian startup scene is buzzing with potential deals. Here’s a glimpse of what’s brewing: AI-powered comic creation platform Dashtoon, with offices in India, is in late-stage talks to raise $10-12 million from a mix of new and existing investors. HealthTech startup HealthPresso is aiming to secure $1 million in pre-Series A funding, capitalizing on strong investor interest in its AI engine and distribution network. B2B SaaS platform Whatfix is on the verge of a $100-150 million funding round led by Warburg Pincus. Edtech giant Unacademy is reportedly in discussions for a historic merger with K12 Techno, the operator behind Orchids International Schools. This potential 50/50 merger could be the first major consolidation in the edtech space, which has faced a funding slowdown in recent years. Notably, Unacademy previously invested in Orchid Schools and both companies share an investor. Logistics firm Ecom Express is also reportedly in advanced talks with existing investors Warburg Pincus, CDC Group, and Partners Group to raise Rs 350-400 crore. The discussions are nearing completion, and this funding round could elevate Ecom Express’s valuation to over $1 billion, potentially making it the latest entrant to India’s unicorn club. Visit TheKredible to see series-wise deals along with amount breakup, complete details of fund launches, and more insights. [New launches] Bellavita co-founder Aakash Anand launches new venture, Unikon.ai Pocket FM partners with ElevenLabs to convert scripts into audio [Financial results this week] Awfis nears Rs 900 Cr income in FY24; losses contract 62% [News flash this week] Ola Electric gets SEBI nod for $660 Mn IPO Financial Intelligence Unit imposes Rs 18.82 Cr penalty on Binance VC firms General Catalyst and Venture Highway merge to focus on India CCI approves WeWork Inc exit from Indian co-working space Ixigo’s market cap spikes nearly 80% from the pre-IPO round Zomato, Paytm confirm acquisition talks for movie, ticketing business Flipkart-backed Blackbuck converts into a public company Peak XV tops the chart of Hurun India Future Unicorn Index 2024 Delhivery, Xpressbees looking to enter quick commerce space: Report OYO gets approval from shareholders to raise Rs 417 Cr: Report [Conclusion] The weekly funding surged around 170% to $906 million this week, majorly followed by the mega funding deal of Zepto worth $665 million. A bunch of financing companies also contributed significantly. The week saw three startup-focused fund launches by VCs namely VentureSoul Partners, GVFL, and 8X Ventures. Additionally, the week saw a layoff as Reshamandi laid off around 80% of its employees. Six months after filing a draft red herring prospectus (DRHP), Ola Electric has received approval for its initial public offering (IPO) from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). The company, which filed the DRHP in December 2023, aims to raise Rs 5,500 crore ($660 million) through the public listing. Ixigo made a remarkable debut on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) on Tuesday, opening at a 48.5% premium above its issue price. Initially priced at Rs 93, Ixigo’s shares listed at Rs 138.5 on the NSE, while on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), the shares opened at Rs 135, according to data from both exchanges. Later, the price touched Rs 194.38. Zomato and Paytm are in talks for Zomato to acquire Paytm’s movies and ticketing business. This deal is estimated to be around Rs 1,600-1,750 crore ($190-210 million). While no final decision has been made yet, Zomato says this potential acquisition aligns with their plan to focus on their core businesses and expand their “going-out” offerings. OYO got the green light from shareholders to raise Rs 416.85 crore by issuing preference shares. The funds will come from InCred Wealth by purchasing 14.37 crore Series G preference shares at Rs 29 each. Additionally, in a move to capitalize on the booming quick commerce market, logistics players Delhivery and Xpressbees are expanding their services beyond traditional e-commerce deliveries. Delhivery is now managing larger warehouses for Swiggy Instamart, which fulfills orders for quick commerce deliveries through a network of smaller, localized stores. Xpressbees is also exploring entry into this space, reportedly in talks with several players. This shift in focus highlights the growing importance of quick commerce deliveries and the potential logistics companies see in this rapidly developing market.

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