Banking technology start-up Zeta is the latest entrant to the unicorn club after raising $250 million in its Series C round from SoftBank Vision Fund 2. Sodexo participated as an additional minority investor in the round. Founded by serial entrepreneur and billionaire Bhavin Thurakia, the startup is now valued at $1.4 billion. It is the 14th company this year to cross the $1 billion valuation mark after Meesho, Cred, Pharmeasy, ShareChat, Moglix and others.
Fintech firm MobiKwik on Monday filed a draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) with the markets regulator, Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), for its initial public offering (IPO). According to its DRHP, the company plans to raise Rs 1,900 crore, which includes a fresh issue of Rs 1,500 crore and an offer for sale of Rs 400 crore. The selling shareholders include American Express Travel, Bajaj Finance, Cisco Systems and Sequoia Capital India, besides founder Bipin Preet Singh. MobiKwik is the latest among tech majors wanting to list on stock exchanges. Food delivery start-up Zomato will launch its IPO on Wednesday.
India emerges as a top destination to set up incubators for global firms
'There are multiple ups and downs.' 'You should be able to withstand all that.' 'You need to have the temperament to run a marathon.'
There are around 4,500 tech-based start-ups in India.
Indian tax laws offer start-ups ways to save taxes.
Start-ups such as Max Wholesale, Jumbotail and ShopKirana are helping them place orders, maintain inventory, optimise delivery routes and make payments, all digitally.
According to experts, the banning of the apps has created negative sentiments and reduced the confidence among the Chinese investors to invest in India.
In 2014, the country witnessed 800 new companies starting up, taking the total number of start-ups to 3,100, Nasscom said.
Here's how you can keep yourself and your team high on confidence.
However, seed-stage deals have shrunk less this year than VC rounds.
Technology infrastructure solves many problems, but it cannot build roads or bridges and provide clean water. However, such activities are essential for human progress, and their creation provides jobs, says R Gopalakrishnan.
Foreign money has been pouring into India's fast-growing e-commerce sector, with investors ranging from Japan's Softbank Corp to Singapore's Temasek Holdings.
Non-engineers have been tagged as a less creative breed of students.
From $10 billion deployed in Indian start-ups in 2017, $6 billion went to unicorns
Invests $50 mn in 11 entities in just over a year, commits $25 mn more; prefers putting money in firms trying to solve India-specific problems
Nasscom is sending team there to check out ways of accessing markets, funding and the technology landscape.
Did you know that 80 per cent start-ups shut shop in the first three years?
In the past few days, many companies, including fashion e-tailer Nykaa, food delivery platform Zomato, logistics and delivery firm Delhivery, insurance discovery platform PolicyBazaar, eyewear retail chain Lenskart, and edtech and online tutoring firm Byju's, have openly spoken about their IPO plans.
The country will witness a mushrooming of technology start-ups over the next five years.
With a modest workforce of 1,200, the 2007 start-up is already taking business from its bigger, established rivals, winning outsourcing contracts from leading US mortgage companies.
India needs to invest a lot more money in science research and translate this research into products and solutions for its people, says trustee at the Infosys Science Foundation and co-founder at Infosys Kris Gopalakrishnan.
'There is little point in getting adoption without profit sustainability or the converse.' 'This is the dilemma that many Indian innovators face,' says R Gopalakrishnan.
It quickly went from being a darling of investors to a liability
Conflict happens in start-ups. It happens more often than we imagine, because not all conflicts come to light, says well-known Indian American venture capitalist, Desh Deshpande.
'As they grow bigger, the trail of their pioneering success often leaves behind a causticity marked by deficient human resource practices, negligible focus on corporate governance and rife sexism.'
His tryst with investing in start-ups began when his juniors started approaching him for guidance and capital.
Large manufacturers are investing in small companies to get a peek into their R&D. Alnoor Peermohamed and Anita Babu report.
Vogo, which has a fleet of over 12,000 vehicles mainly across Hyderabad, Mysuru and Bengaluru, is also betting big on India's growing traffic congestion.
Venture capital investments in India's start-ups nearly halved to $1.5 billion in fourth-quarter 2015
There were fewer Series-B deals this year versus last, but more money was raised
Though startups find 17 mentions in the Budget speech of the finance minister, and have been promised tax exemptions, the reality is that only 2 per cent of the 4,648 applications received from startups for income tax exemption had been approved as of February 2019, according to an answer to a Parliament question. As India's startup space bubbles with activity - new, young players are tapping into opportunities opening up - there are local anti-portfolio stories circulating about investors missing opportunities in 'unicorns', or companies that have reached valuation of $ 1 billion, says Vandana Gombar.
Commerce ministry suggests easy conditions for availing capital gains tax exemptions
The state is planning an event similar to PM Narendra Modi's Startup India.
The partners intend to invest $2 million annually through the India Innovation Growth Programme for the entrepreneurs to develop technology-based solutions for the betterment of the society
From 50 stores Vimal Textiles aims to have 150 in 3 years.
Eleven start-ups completed a programme launched by Gennext Ventures.
Few angels have seen exits; till that happens, they won't be rushing to invest again.
India may get its first unicorn this year as Zepto, which promises 10-minute deliveries, is in talks to get fresh funding that would take the start-up's valuation past $1 billion. The quick-delivery firm is looking to raise $150 million in a series E round, which will take its valuation to $1.3 billion. The round will be led by StepStone Group, a limited partner (LP) of Zepto's existing investor, Nexus Venture Partners, said media reports.
On October 27, the Reserve Bank of India had allowed start-ups to borrow up to $3 million or around Rs 20 crore a year either in rupees or any convertible foreign currency.
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