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I’ve been saying this for Lenskart & Peyush Bansal for 1.5+ years now: THEY ARE AN ANOMALY (in a super positive way)! And with founder Peyush Bansal’s latest move, that assertion only strengthens. What move? - The company is set to go for a Big Bang mega IPO in coming 3-4 months - And at this stage, Peyush Bansal is doubling down by buying shares worth $150mn or so from several early investors This move, negotiated at a staggering $7-8 billion valuation, isn't just a financial transaction - it's the ultimate insider bet on a company that has consistently defied gravity. .. But, but and but - To truly grasp this moment, one must look back. More than a year ago, when startup valuations were in a freefall, Lenskart executed a masterstroke. It raised $200 million in a secondary sale, not at the customary 20-40% discount, but at a 12% premium to its last funding round (at that time). Marquee investors - Temasek and Fidelity - willingly paid up for a piece of the pie at a $5 billion valuation, a move that was almost unheard of in the then-gloomy market. .. And, that premium valuation wasn't a fluke - it was the start of a trend. - Since that secondary round, Fidelity, a marker of private company valuations, has repeatedly upped its assessment of Lenskart - It first marked it up by another 12% to $5.6bn, and then again recently to $6.1bn While other unicorns were bleeding value, Lenskart was quietly, consistently accruing it, backed by solid business performance. .. This brings us to today's seismic move. Bansal’s confidence to buy shares at a valuation of up to $8bn, a significant premium over even Fidelity's last mark-up, speaks volumes. A founder increasing his stake right before an IPO is the strongest possible signal of his belief that the company's public market value will far exceed its current private one. Thus, though this note is no trading/.investing advisory, but in my personal lens, this is the final, powerful act before the curtain rises on its much-anticipated IPO. .. With the company having already converted to a public limited entity and the draft IPO papers expected to be filed within weeks of Bansal closing this share purchase - This deal would set a new, aggressive valuation floor, sending a clear message to the market: Lenskart is not just entering the public arena, it is planning to command it. And this is going to be so exciting to track the rise of this beast of a company - oops - shark of a company :) What do you think?