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BrightCHAMPS acquires Edjust in cash and stock deal

EntrackrEntrackr · 9m ago
BrightCHAMPS acquires Edjust in cash and stock deal
Medial

**BrightCHAMPS acquires Edjust in cash and stock deal** Edtech platform BrightCHAMPS has acquired the Indian K12 education marketplace Edjust to fortify global expansion. The cash and stock deal concludes BrightCHAMPS’s fourth acquisition since its inception in 2020 – Education10x (2021), Schola (2022), Metamorphosis Edu (2023), and now Edjust (2024). With this, Edjust’s founders will lead the company’s efforts to open up a new distribution channel. The soon-to-be-announced vertical will deliver learning in academic subjects like Maths, Science, and English for students’ all-round success and future readiness. Post-acquisition, Edjust is set to refine its sales model while also expanding its presence across 30 geographies, introducing parents to immersive digital experiences. Founded in 2022 by Dushyant Panchal, Anmol Mittal, and Sanjay Panikar, Edjust uses a combination of AI and human EQ, sophisticated data, and contact centers to ensure that only parents with a high inclination for edtech products are approached for sales. Edjust claims to have a track record of success with vast networks of parents in the US and UK. BrightChamps, led by Ravi Bhushan, offers online programming and AI courses for kids in the K-12 segment. It operates in 30 countries, including the US, Canada, Nigeria, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. The startup also provides courses on coding, financial literacy, and robotics for children aged 6-16. In November 2021, it raised $51 million, valuing the company at $500 million. So far, BrightChamps has secured a total of $63 million through two funding rounds.

Snitch raises $40 Mn in Series B round; to enter quick commerce

EntrackrEntrackr · 4m ago
Snitch raises $40 Mn in Series B round; to enter quick commerce
Medial

Snippets Snitch raises $40 Mn in Series B round; to enter quick commerce D2C menswear brand Snitch has raised up to $40 million in its Series B funding round led by 360 ONE Asset. Existing investors IvyCap Ventures and SWC Global participated, along with the Ravi Modi Family Office and other angel investors. Entrackr had exclusively reported the development last week. This is the second major funding round for the Bengaluru-based fashion brand, following its $13 million Series A raised in December 2023. The proceeds will be used to expand Snitch’s offline retail footprint from 55 to over 100 stores by the end of 2025, enter quick commerce, and test international markets. The company also plans to expand into new apparel and lifestyle categories. Founded in 2020 by Siddharth Dungarwal, Snitch offers trendy and affordable apparel through its own website, mobile application, and an expanding network of offline retail stores. “With 120% YoY growth, 55+ stores with strong unit economics, and strong loyal customer base, we’re stepping into a bigger league, building a world-class brand with India at its heart and agility at its core. As we gear up for global expansion and soon enter the public markets, this marks a bold step towards creating one of India’s most iconic fashion stories,” said Dungarwal. Snitch featured during the second season of Shark Tank India and raised Rs 1.5 crore against 1.5% equity from Anupam Mittal, Aman Gupta, Namita Thapar, Vineeta Singh, Peyush Bansal, and Amit Jain at Rs 100 crore valuation. The firm is targeting scale across India and international markets and is preparing for a public listing. For the fiscal year ending March 2024, Snitch reported a 100% year-on-year increase in its revenue to Rs 241 crore with Rs 4.39 crore profits. The company has yet to release its annual results for FY25.

Exclusive: Snitch to raise Rs 280 Cr in Series B round at Rs 2,500 Cr valuation

EntrackrEntrackr · 5m ago
Exclusive: Snitch to raise Rs 280 Cr in Series B round at Rs 2,500 Cr valuation
Medial

Exclusive: Snitch to raise Rs 280 Cr in Series B round at Rs 2,500 Cr valuation D2C menswear fashion brand Snitch is set to raise Rs 278.93 crore or $33 million, led by 360 One Asset Management Fund with the participation of existing investors SWC Global and IvyCap Ventures. This will be the second major funding round for the Bengaluru-based fashion brand, following its $13 million Series A raised in December 2023. The Snitch’s board passed a special resolution to approve the issue of 1,755 Series B CCPS at an issue price of Rs 15,89,385 to raise Rs 278.9 crore or approximately $33 million, its regulatory filings accessed from the Registrar of Companies (RoC) show. 360 One will spearhead the round with Rs 220 crore or $25.9 million, while existing backers SWC Global and IvyCap Ventures will contribute with Rs 29.4 crore or $3.5 million respectively. As per Entrackr’s estimates, Snitch will be valued at around Rs 2,400-2500 crore or $294 million post-allotment, marking a nearly 5X spike in its valuation from Rs 500 crore in its previous round. Snitch, founded in 2019 by Siddharth Dungarwal, is a direct-to-consumer (D2C) fashion brand specializing in fast fashion for men. The company offers trendy and affordable apparel through its own website, mobile application, and an expanding network of offline retail stores. As of now, Snitch has established 58 physical stores across India, with a presence in major cities such as Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi, and locations in Gujarat, among others. The company claims to open over 100 offline stores across India by 2028. Snitch featured during the second season of Shark Tank India and raised Rs 1.5 crore against 1.5% equity from Anupam Mittal, Aman Gupta, Namita Thapar, Vineeta Singh, Peyush Bansal, and Amit Jain at Rs 100 crore valuation. According to startup data intelligence platform TheKredible, IvyCap Ventures and SWC Global are the largest external shareholders, holding 10.39% and 10.17% stakes respectively, while new investor 360 One will hold a 9.67% stake in the company. For the fiscal year ending March 2024, Snitch reported a 100% year-on-year increase in its revenue to Rs 241 crore with Rs 4.39 crore profits. The company has yet to release its annual results for FY25. Snitch operates in a competitive D2C fashion landscape, going head-to-head with brands like The Souled Store, which achieved profitability in FY24. It also competes with Rare Rabbit, which recently secured $6 million in funding from A91 Partners, and Wrogn, which raised $9 million in October last year from Aditya Birla Digital Fashion.

Lenskart raises nearly $20 Mn led by Peyush and Neha Bansal

EntrackrEntrackr · 1y ago
Lenskart raises nearly $20 Mn led by Peyush and Neha Bansal
Medial

Eyewear retailer Lenskart has raised nearly $20 million from its co-founders Peyush Bansal, Neha Bansal, Amit Choudhary and Sumeet Kapahi. This is the second investment in Lenskart by its co-founders in the last seven months. The board at Lenskart has passed a special resolution to issue 695,875 CCPS at an issue price of Rs 2,300 each to raise Rs 160 crore or $19.12 million, its regulatory filing accessed from the Registrar of companies (ROC) shows. Piyush Bansal led the round with Rs 70.70 crore while Neha Bansal put Rs 70.39 crore. Amit Choudhary and Sumeet Kapahi participated with Rs 9.60 crore and Rs 9.35 crore, respectively. As mentioned above, this is the second instance where the co-founders invested in the company in less than a year. Piyush and Neha invested Rs 29.89 crore and Rs 29.77 crore, respectively, in December 2023 along with Choudhary and Kapahi. The development comes soon after a $200 million secondary deal announced by Lenskart. Temasek and Fidelity Management & Research Company (FMR) solely invested in the secondary at a valuation of more than $5 billion. Lenskart claims to have more than 2,500 stores of which approximately 2,000 are in India. While India accounts for nearly 60% of its revenue, the rest of the income was generated from international operations in countries such as Singapore, Dubai, the US, and Southeast Asia. Despite funding winter, the Delhi-based company has raked in over $1 billion in the last 18 months. The continued interest of investors in the company is largely driven by its strong financial performance, unit economics and growth opportunities in overseas countries. For the fiscal year ending in March 2023, Lenskart’s revenue from operations surged to Rs 3,788 crore from Rs 1,502 crore in FY22. The decent scale and controlled expenditure helped the company to reduce its losses by 37.3% to Rs 64 crore in FY23 from Rs 102 crore in FY22. The firm is yet to file its annual financial report for FY24.

Exclusive: EV charging startup Statiq in talks to raise $15-18 Mn

EntrackrEntrackr · 5d ago
Exclusive: EV charging startup Statiq in talks to raise $15-18 Mn
Medial

Founded in 2020 by Akshit Bansal and Raghav Arora, Statiq builds and operates EV charging infrastructure and runs a consumer app for locating and booking charging points. EV charging network startup Statiq is in advanced talks to raise around $15 to 18 million in a new funding round from new and exiting investors, according to two people familiar with the potential deal. “Statiq was earlier exploring a much larger round, but the company has now decided to settle for a smaller cheque in the range of $15–18 million,” said one of the people cited above, requesting anonymity. “A new institutional investor is likely to lead the round, with participation from other new and existing investors.” Statiq last raised $25.7 million in a Series A round led by Shell Ventures in mid 2022. The firm was later reported to be in talks for a $50 million Series B last year but the round did not materialize at that scale. The startup offers a mix of hardware and software led services, with its hardware segment including chargers and related infrastructure contributing the majority of its revenue. Statiq also runs a financing program for EV charging stations in partnership with State Bank of India to accelerate infrastructure expansion. As per sources, Statiq’s valuation will remain flat in the Series B round, at around $100 million post-money. The flat valuation isn’t surprising, as Statiq’s Indian entity (Sharify Services Pvt Ltd) saw its revenue from operations decline 40% year-on-year to Rs 40.9 crore in FY24 from Rs 67.53 crore in FY23. At the same time, the company’s losses ballooned 3.1X to Rs 44.52 crore in FY25. It’s yet to disclose FY25 numbers. “The company is likely to deploy the fresh capital toward network expansion and product development to strengthen its position in the EV charging space,” said the source quoted above. Terms of the deal may change. Entrackr reached out to Statiq’s founders and Shell Ventures for comment but did not receive a response until the time of publication. In the EV charging infrastructure sector, Statiq faces competition from well-funded startups such as Charge Zone, ElectricPe, Bolt.Earth, and IPEC.

8i Ventures to double down on early-stage investments with Origami

EntrackrEntrackr · 11m ago
8i Ventures to double down on early-stage investments with Origami
Medial

8i Ventures, an early-stage venture capital fund, has announced the second edition of its pre-seed funding program Origami, aimed at supporting early-stage founders. The program’s first edition, launched in March 2024, saw the fund invest $600,000 across three startups: Cobalt, a SaaS platform for native integrations; Cautio, a fleet dashcam and video telematics platform; and another pre-launch startup. According to 8i Ventures, the Origami program offers rapid access to funding, with a streamlined process that guarantees a response within one week, a term sheet in two weeks, and deal closure in just four weeks. The firm recently announced the first close of its $50 million second fund, raising $25 million. Out of this, $10 million has been allocated to the Origami initiative. 8i Ventures seeks founders with a clear vision and a deep understanding of their customers' pain points. The firm aims to support teams with a well-rounded skill set, encompassing technology, product development, and sales, providing them with rapid funding and support to turn their ideas into successful businesses. The venture fund boasts a strong track record with early-stage investments. For instance, its first investment of $200,000 in M2P Technologies delivered 36x returns, with M2P recently raising a round at an $800 million valuation. Other notable early investments include Slice, Easebuzz, and Bbetter, which have grown significantly after receiving seed funding from 8i Ventures. Over the last decade, 8i Ventures and its partners have backed over 50 seed and early-stage startups, creating more than $5 billion in value for shareholders in India and globally. Their portfolio includes challenger brands such as Slice, Kodo, Blue Tokai, and Carwale.com (NSE: CARTRADE), as well as fintech enablers like M2P, Signzy, Easebuzz, BharatX, Transbnk, and EzeTap.

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