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Meet Beyoung, Udaipur-based D2C fashion brand that’s eyeing Rs 650 Cr GMV

EntrackrEntrackr · 1y ago
Meet Beyoung, Udaipur-based D2C fashion brand that’s eyeing Rs 650 Cr GMV
Medial

Independent fashion brands have come a long way in recent years. While the offline segment is still dominated by legacy players and franchises, the rise of social media and e-commerce has facilitated the growth of quite a few D2C brands. Moreover, the over $14 billion Indian e-commerce fashion market has helped brands like Bewakoof, Rare Rabbit, and The Pant Project to gain traction. One of the popular names in this space remains Beyoung. Founded in 2018, the startup claims to have delivered over 20 lakh online orders. The company recently announced accelerating its offline expansion by 300 stores across India and growing GMV two-fold to Rs 650 crore by 2027 We spoke to the company founder Shivam Soni to learn more about Beyoung, its history, growth, and lots more. Here are the edited excerpts: How did you come up with the idea of Beyoung? We always wanted to enter the essentials market, and the idea to start Beyoung was initiated with this thought. At one point, we recognized a significant gap in the market for aspirational yet affordable fashion options in tier 2, 3, and 4 cities across India, which we refer to as the ‘Real Bharat.’ While many brands were focusing on niche segments, we aimed to serve the mass market. We chose to focus on Kapda from the essentials ROTI, KAPDA, MAKAN (clothing), offering branded products to consumers in these underserved regions, providing both aspirational choices and value for money. What are the key challenges in the industry that still need to be addressed? And how do you plan to address them? Catering to diverse target audiences with varying buying power across regions is challenging. It’s crucial to adapt products and marketing to different regional preferences and cultures, as what works in North India might not work in South India. Managing an efficient supply chain and ensuring timely delivery adds to the complexity. Additionally, attracting and retaining skilled talent in a Tier 3 city like Udaipur is difficult. To solve these problems, we have leveraged technology and data-driven marketing campaigns. We analyze behavioral patterns and channel our efforts toward solving our audience’s pain points. While staying headquartered in Udaipur posed some challenges, it has also helped us address the challenges of tier 2, 3, and 4 cities in understanding their pain points and solving their problems How has your startup performed since its inception? Since its inception, Beyoung has shown significant growth and achieved notable milestones. Some key performance statistics highlight our progress: we have successfully built a robust customer base of 5 million, underscoring the strong demand and engagement with our brand. This growth reflects our ability to connect effectively with our target audience. Recognizing the potential and spending power in the men’s fashion segment, we have strategically made it our primary focus. This decision has paid off, as 90% of our revenue comes from male customers. In the last financial year of 2023, we achieved an impressive annual recurring revenue (ARR) of 200 million. This reflects our ongoing efforts to expand our market reach, enhance our product offerings, and improve customer engagement. What are your short-term and long-term product and business expansion and diversification goals? Our short-term and long-term goals for product and business expansion and diversification are driven by the evolving ways users interact with brands and the significant growth potential within the Indian fashion industry, projected to reach 289.6 million users by 2029. We aim to be the top choice for customers by offering trendy styles and great value for money. Our focus will be on efficiently engaging with and serving the mass market, both domestically and internationally, to become a part of their everyday wardrobe. Over the next three years, we plan to expand our presence by establishing physical stores in various neighborhoods across India. This will complement our existing online platform and provide a seamless shopping experience. Our long-term vision is to extend our reach beyond India and establish a global presence. We aspire to make Beyoung a recognizable and trusted brand worldwide, serving customers across different countries.

Zepto Cafe hits pause in smaller cities amid supply chain woes and high burn

EntrackrEntrackr · 5m ago
Zepto Cafe hits pause in smaller cities amid supply chain woes and high burn
Medial

Zepto Cafe has temporarily closed in several smaller North Indian cities, including Agra, Chandigarh, Meerut, Mohali, and Amritsar. Around 44 cafes have shut down, affecting over 400 employees, including some from newly opened locations. The closures are happening due to rising costs and supply chain issues. A Moneycontrol report says Zepto was spending Rs 250–300 crore per month late last year. Recently, that spending has dropped to about Rs 95 crore a month, down from Rs 115–120 crore in March and Rs 105–110 crore in January and February. A big factor is Zepto’s push to hire more staff. The Aadit Palicha-led company is reportedly trimming store teams from nine people to seven or eight to lower expenses and streamline operations. In a statement to ET Now, the company confirmed that the impacted outlets have been put on hold to resolve ongoing supply chain challenges. Zepto said it expects to resume operations in these locations by the end of the next quarter. “We remain committed to the cafe business and will invest aggressively going forward,” a spokesperson added. Despite the turbulence, Zepto maintains an optimistic outlook. The company reported crossing 1,00,000 daily orders in February and expects that number to triple within the next 12 months. This development comes as major competitors revisit their rapid food delivery strategies. Zomato recently shut down its 10-15 minute food delivery service, while Swiggy has scaled up Swiggy Bolt to more than 500 cities.

Proptech firm Bandhoo raises pre-Series A round led by VCats

EntrackrEntrackr · 1y ago
Proptech firm Bandhoo raises pre-Series A round led by VCats
Medial

Proptech firm Bandhoo has raised Rs 7.35 crore ($0.9 million) in a pre-Series A funding round led by Venture Catalysts along with participation from Neeraj Aggarwal, Manish Gupta, S Srinivasan, Amit Khera, and Abhishek Kumar. Bandhoo had previously raised $1.5 million in its seed round in June 2021 from Unitus, InfoEdge Ventures, and Bharat Innovation Fund. The fresh funds will be used to continue our investments in the Technology solutions we offer as well as Go-To-Market teams on ground in various metro cities. Co-founded in 2020 by Prashant Gupta and Sridhar Sundaram, Bandhoo is a construction technology and services company which offers multiple cloud-Saas and marketplace solutions that cater to the construction ecosystem like developers, builders, contractors, PMCs, material suppliers and construction workers. According to the Bengaluru-based company, it leverages SaaS solutions and managed marketplaces and empowers stakeholders across real estate, infrastructure, and construction domains, ensuring efficient project management and uninterrupted operations. Bandhoo claims that it has more than 20 developers, 10,000 material suppliers, 1 lakh contractors, and 2.5 lakh construction workers. Venture Catalysts is an integrated incubator and typically invests $250K – $2 Mn in early-stage startups where it has invested in over 300 startups since inception.

Seekho app raises $8 Mn in Series A led by Lightspeed

EntrackrEntrackr · 10m ago
Seekho app raises $8 Mn in Series A led by Lightspeed
Medial

Learning-focused OTT platform Seekho has raised $8 million in its Series A round, with Lightspeed leading the investment, according to a LinkedIn post by the company’s founder and CEO, Rohit Choudhary. The round also saw participation from Elevation Capital. Previously, the Bengaluru-based startup raised $3 million from Elevation and other investors in March of last year. Entrackr exclusively reported about the deal in September. “This is a testament to the trust our users, team, and investors place in us as we build India's go-to short video platform for Lifelong Learning,” said Choudhary via Linkedin post. While the company did not provide many details about the round, it was expected to be valued at around $45 million. Founded in 2020 by Choudhary, Keertay Agarwal, and Yash Banwani, Seekho helps individuals acquire new skills and knowledge. The platform offers a variety of courses to prepare learners for careers in fields such as parenting, the stock market, Instagram, and education, among others. Targeting audiences in tier-II cities and beyond, Seekho delivers educational content through short 2-5 minute videos in episodic series. The platform provides flexible subscription plans, with weekly and monthly options starting at Rs 149. According to startup data intelligence platform TheKredible, Elevation Capital acquired nearly a 24% stake in the company after the pre-Series A round. All three co-founders held 16.65% stake each as of that round. As per Entrackr's sources, Seekho is expected to dilute 20% of its equity in the Series A financing round.

Redcliffe Labs posts Rs 419 Cr revenue in FY25; narrows EBITDA losses

EntrackrEntrackr · 3m ago
Redcliffe Labs posts Rs 419 Cr revenue in FY25; narrows EBITDA losses
Medial

Redcliffe Labs posts Rs 419 Cr revenue in FY25; narrows EBITDA losses Diagnostics platform Redcliffe Labs has posted a 20% increase in its operating revenue to Rs 419 crore in FY25 from Rs 350 crore in FY24 and managed to narrow its EBITDA losses, as per the company’s press release. Diagnostics platform Redcliffe Labs has posted a 20% increase in its operating revenue to Rs 419 crore in FY25 from Rs 350 crore in FY24, as per the company’s press release. The Gurugram-based firm also managed to reduce its EBITDA losses from -38% to -21% during the same period. Founded by Aditya Kandoi, Redcliffe operates a nationwide network of over 80 labs and claims to have the widest home sample collection footprint in the country. Diagnostic services contributed over 95% of the company’s revenue in FY25, with the rest coming from product sales and other operating income. The company said it diagnosed over 2.5 million cases last fiscal and continues to focus on expanding in underserved regions, with more than 70% of its testing volumes now coming from Tier II cities and beyond. On the profitability front, Redcliffe reported a gross margin of 70% in FY25 and is aiming to expand it to 74% in FY26. It has also set a revenue target of Rs 560 crore for the ongoing fiscal through organic growth and strategic acquisitions. “We are transforming lives and making diagnostics a first-line solution for millions who were previously underserved,” said Kandoi. The company plans to expand its presence to over 300 cities with 150 labs by FY28. According to startup data platform TheKredible, Redcliffe has raised $113 million to date, including a $42 million Series C round led by LeapFrog. It also acquired Bengaluru-based Celara Diagnostics in a $7 million deal. Redcliffe competes with players like PharmEasy-owned Thyrocare, Tata 1mg, and Healthians.

Care.fi secures Rs 7.5 Cr in debt from Vivriti Capital

EntrackrEntrackr · 7m ago
Care.fi secures Rs 7.5 Cr in debt from Vivriti Capital
Medial

Care.fi secures Rs 7.5 Cr in debt from Vivriti Capital Healthcare-focused fintech startup Care.fi has secured Rs 7.5 crore in debt capital from Vivriti Capital. This latest investment follows its previous funding rounds, which included Rs 8 crore in debt capital raised from Wint Wealth and Caspian, along with $2.5 million (around Rs 21 crore) in debt from Trifecta Capital and UC Inclusive Credit. In total, the group has raised approximately Rs 29 crore to date. The fresh funding will be utilized to accelerate its aim to empower Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) for hospitals and expand the reach of RevNow, Care.fi said in a press release. Co-founded in 2021 by Sidak Singh and Vikrant Agarwal, Care.fi aims to weed out the hassles of insurance claims, which remain a complex challenge for hospitals, often leading to delayed discharges, revenue leakages, and operational inefficiencies. According to the Gurugram-based company, its AI-driven RCM platform, RevNow, is making a significant impact by expediting claim settlements and ensuring hospitals receive payments within 3–5 days post-discharge. It enables 30-minute patient discharges by automating final billing and approvals, drastically reducing wait times. RevNow optimizes hospital workflows with real-time query notifications, automated responses, and integrated mailing services. It also enhances financial transparency by providing real-time reconciliation of cash flows at the entity, unit, and claim levels, offering hospitals greater visibility. “Since our inception, we have focused on solving critical operational pain points in hospital revenue management. With RevNow, we are setting new benchmarks in claims processing efficiency. This latest funding will enable us to scale further, helping hospitals optimize financial workflows while ensuring better patient experiences. As the healthcare ecosystem grows, we aim to continue innovating and improving revenue realization for providers,” said Sidak Singh, co-founder of Care.fi. Care.fi claims that it is handling over Rs 800 crore in claims across over 300 hospitals and auditing more than 50,000 claims. The platform also aims to expand RevNow’s capabilities and integrate further with hospital information systems (HIS), electronic health records (EHR), and billing platforms.

Exclusive: Droom India raises funds at $360 Mn valuation

EntrackrEntrackr · 7m ago
Exclusive: Droom India raises funds at $360 Mn valuation
Medial

Exclusive: Droom India raises funds at $360 Mn valuation IPO-bound used car marketplace Droom is raising Rs 25 crore (approximately $2.9 million) in a fresh funding round co-led by India Accelerator (IA), and Rameshchandra Shah. The board at Droom has passed a special resolution to issue 15,62,500 preference shares at an issue price of Rs 160 each to raise Rs 25 crore or $2.9 million, its regulatory filings sourced from the Registrar of Companies (RoC) shows. India Accelerator and Shah both will invest Rs 5 crore each, Shirish Patel, CEO of Prudent Corporate Advisory (wealth management company) will invest Rs 3 crore and the remaining amount will be invested by other individual investors. The firm will use these proceeds for general corporate purposes, the filings said. As per Entrackr’s estimates, the Gurugram-based firm will be valued at approximately Rs 3,097 crore or $360 million post-allotment. “We deliberately kept the valuation very low for the Indian subsidiary as a strategic move to give material upside to Indians who did not have opportunity to participate in the making of Droom in the past one decade,” said Sandeep Aggarwal, Founder and CEO of Droom, in response to queries about the company's valuation. “We plan to raise a bit more capital in the near term at much higher valuation both in Singapore and India…” Droom is an online marketplace for buying and selling used vehicles, including cars, motorcycles, and electric vehicles. It also offers rental services. According to startup data intelligence platform TheKredible, Droom has raised approximately $330 million from investors including 57 Stars, Seven Train Ventures, Lightbox, and Beenext. Droom reported Rs 85 crore in revenue for FY24, a 66% decline from Rs 253 crore in FY23. It managed to reduce its losses by 35% to Rs 40 crore in FY24. Droom is reportedly planning to file draft papers for a Rs 1,000 crore IPO in 2027, targeting a valuation between $1.2 billion and $1.5 billion.

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