On January 21, three leading IT companies announced that they would form a new business, Stargate, to expand artificial intelligence infrastructure in the US. The business, which President Donald Trump referred to as the “largest AI infrastructure project in history,” was announced by Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison, SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman at the White House on January 21 afternoon.
With plans to invest up to $500 billion in Stargate over the next few years, the firms will first invest $100 billion in the project. According to Trump, the project is anticipated to generate 100,000 new employment in the US. According to Trump, Stargate will construct data centres across the nation as well as the physical and virtual infrastructure needed to support the next generation of AI. According to Ellison, work is already underway in Texas on the organization’s first data project, which will span one million square feet.
Fulfilling the Long Standing Demand
In order to power their aspirations for artificial intelligence in the upcoming years, AI leaders have been stressing for months that more data centres, along with the processors, electricity, and water resources to run them, are required. Altman stated, “I believe this will be the most significant project of this era.” “Without you, Mr. President, we could not accomplish this.”
One of the largest operators of data centres in the United States is Oracle. Additionally, SoftBank has the kind of large financial resources required to finance the anticipated billion-dollar cost of expanding AI infrastructure. Given that AI has the potential to affect everything from the economy to military capabilities, Altman has previously pushed US leaders to support that infrastructure buildout in order to guarantee that the US stays ahead of China in the AI arms race. According to reports, the CEO of OpenAI met with Masayoshi Son, the CEO of Softbank, last year to ask for funding for new semiconductor facilities that would produce AI chips.
Altman, who was present at Trump’s inauguration, told a news agency last month that he looks “forward to working with his administration on it” and that he thinks Trump will “be very good at” luring investments in AI infrastructure to the US.
Holding the Upper Hand in the AI Race
OpenAI urged the US government to develop a foundational strategy to ensure that infrastructure investment benefits the greatest number of people and maximises access to AI. The policy white paper was released last week and stated that investment in US AI infrastructure can guarantee that US AI tools outperform Chinese technology, as well as create new US jobs and economic opportunities. According to the brief, there are $175 billion in worldwide funds that are ready to be invested in AI initiatives. “Those funds will flow to China-backed projects if the US doesn’t attract them, strengthening the Chinese Communist Party’s global influence,” the company stated.
Oracle claimed in a statement that the Stargate project “will secure American leadership in AI, generate massive economic benefit for the entire world, and create hundreds of thousands of American jobs.” In addition to aiding in the United States’ reindustrialization, this project will give the country and its allies a strategic capability to safeguard their national security.
OpenAI will be in charge of operations, while SoftBank will be in charge of finances for Stargate. MGX, a fourth partner, is also providing financial support. According to OpenAI, the chairman of Stargate will be the son of SoftBank. To encourage a purported revival of American industry, new presidents and presidents-elect have frequently announced large US investments in conjunction with businesses. However, their success record is distinctly uneven.
India is becoming theworld’s fastest-growing startup ecosystem with 118 Unicorn Startups, as of January 2025. In today’s world, unicorn startupsare not as uncommon as before; however, building a unicorn startup is not easy. It takes a lot of hard work, commitment, and perseverance throughout the startup’s journey to climb the ladder of unicorns, and the ones that have bagged the title of unicorns are discussed in this article.
Unicorn Startup consists of two words, “Unicorn” and “Startup”. Unicorn is a business term used to define a startup with a valuation of over $1 billion. The term was coined by a venture capitalist and a seed investor, Aileen Lee. On the other hand, Startups are privately owned companies typically at the early stages of their development.
Being hopeful and supportive of the unicorn culture of India, the Union Minister of State for Entrepreneurship, Skill Development, Electronics & Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that India will see a 10X increase in its unicorn count, in the next 2-3 years, which will reach more than 1,000. The Indian government also mentioned that it expects the next wave of startup founders to come from the Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities of India.
The Indian startups have reportedly raised around $42+ billion in funding across 1,584 deals in 2021. The startup ecosystem of India, where 90,000+ new startups have been established since 2016, across 56+ different sectors in the country, has also managed to create over 4.5 lakh job opportunities in the country. This has even got a special mention from President Ram Nath Kovind in his Presidential address on 31 January 2022, where he emphasized the new opportunities that the startups of India are ushering in.
A Celebration for 100 Indian Unicorns
With Neobank Open achieving unicorn status, India became a country of 100+ unicorns. The first unicorn was seen in India in 2011, and after a decade, India crossed the mark of 100 unicorns. The boasting of 100 unicorns is not a regular affair, and this is why the startup ecosystem has been tossing in joy and swelling with pride for quite some time now. In the meanwhile, many distinguished founders also voiced their thrill and joy for such an achievement.
“Crossing the 100th unicorn milestone is a proud moment for the country and the entire startup ecosystem. This is just the beginning of a long journey,” said Sujeet Kumar, the cofounder of B2B marketplace unicorn Udaan.
Vamsi Krishna of Vedantu also relished the mood that the startup ecosystem is in, and said, “The rise of India as a global superpower is inevitable and entrepreneurs will be the ones driving it. 100 unicorns are just a start. We will soon become the startup capital of the world.”
Divya Gokunath, the cofounder of Byju’s and the wife of Byju Raveendran also said, “We became India’s 16th unicorn, just seven years after we started operations. The valuation did not matter to us, but the milestone did because it was one of the few at that time which put India on the map. Today, for the first 100 Indian companies which made it, it’s a mark that we are on a mission to create something of value and something from India for the world.”
The faster growth of companies and the sprouting of more unicorns is what India wishes for now. This means that the companies should definitely have to be more serious, and resourceful, and work with an integrated team of specialists to reach the unicorn milestone and beyond. It also means that the Indian startups should forget racial, gender and caste divides, and work with all of their strength, and resources. Here, what is striking among the present unicorns is the apparent gender divide. Yes, only 15% of the present unicorns of India have at least one female founder, while the remaining companies have no female as their founders. This certainly needs to improve to give the upcoming companies a fresh gear of growth. Though the situation is improving, for around 79% of the Indian unicorns with female founders were incorporated after 2011, it still needs to be given considerable thought and a whole lot of action.
Here we have listed 118 Indian Unicorn Startups, which is the total number of unicorns in India at present in 2025! Don’t miss out on the regular updates in this list by bookmarking the article.
The following table is sorted by the year startups are turned into a unicorn (Latest to oldest).
Abhay Singhal, Amit Gupta, Mohit Saxena, Naveen Tewari, Piyush Shah
Founded
2007
Investors
Lightbox, Softbank Group, Kleiner Perkins
Products and Services
InMobi Pulse, Mobile Marketing
Valuation
$12 billion (April 2021)
InMobi is a Bengaluru-based mobile advertising platform that helps in optimizing the ranks of the advertisements offered on mobile phones. InMobi was founded in January 2007 and has been the first unicorn startup of India and thus, a torchbearer of the unicorn league of Indian startups that followed. Glance, a subsidiary company of InMobi, has also turned a unicorn in 2020.
Ecommerce marketplace that offers over 150 million products
Valuation
$37.6 billion (July 2021)
Being the most favored eCommerce marketplace in India, Flipkart needs no introduction simply because the Big Billion Days are one of the most sought-after online events that millions of Indians look up to. Flipkart was among the first Indian unicorns that achieved the unicorn valuation during the 2011-2012 era after inMobi, which was the first Indian unicorn. With over 350 million users, and 150+ million products, which are distributed across 80+ categories Flipkart is a household for the Indian masses. This ecommerce giant was acquired by Walmart in 2018 for a whopping $16 billion, which helped it scale fast and easily. The Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal-founded company currently boasts of a valuation of over $37.6 billion and is the highest-valued Indian company, as of 2023.
BharatPe is an Indian digital payments app, merchant aggregator, and payments platform that encourages digital payments via QR and POS. It is not a government company but a private limited company that goes by the name, Resilient Innovations Private Limited. Headquartered in New Delhi, India, the company tripled its valuation to $2.85 billion and joined the unicorn club on August 4, 2021.
BharatPe Co-founder Ashneer Grover was recently engaged in a telephone controversy where he allegedly abused a Kotak employee. Grover was also infamously featured on various social media and news platforms several times due to his rash behaviour and his blunt remarks where he also said “naukri dhoond” to one of his fellow pitchers. Furthermore, he is also associated lately with a financial fraud concerning BharatPe along with his wife Madhuri and five others, the investigation of which is continuing, as per reports dated January 29, 2022. Ashneer is currently observing a mandatory leave of absence, as mentioned last by the company and its Board. Grover might not see his place back and is likely to get fired, mentioned sources close to the matter.
Steadview Capital, Tencent, Tiger Global Management, Falcon Edge
Products and Services
Dream11 sports platform
Valuation
$8 billion (November 2021)
Dream11 is an Indian fantasy sports platform, which brings a host of sports including but not limited to cricket, football, hockey, volleyball, handball, futsal, and rugby, for the Indian sports fanatics to delve into their favourite games. A homegrown sports platform, Dream 11, aims to help Indian sports enthusiasts to expand and showcase the sports knowledge they boast of!
Earlier in April 2019, Dream11 raised funding worth $60 million from Steadview Capital and others and joined the unicorn league of Indian startups. The last valuation of Dream11 was recorded at $8 billion, after the company completed an investment of $840 million in November 2021.
PhonePe is a digital payment and merchant aggregator platform that has already had a huge contribution to making digital payments smooth, fast, and easy for Indian customers and merchants. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Andheri, Maharashtra, India, the company boasts of having the largest market share among the UPI apps. The company showed a huge potential for growth and has already achieved unicorn status before 2020. The company was acquired by Flipkart in April 2016 and has witnessed a considerable amount of growth since then. The PhonePe Business Model and “how PhonePe earns money?” is pretty interesting too.
Byju’s is a Bangalore-based edtech platform. It is an online tutoring and coaching firm that started in 2011 and runs on a freemium model. Launched by Byju Raveendran, Byju’s is used by more than 15 million students all over the world and has over 900,000 paid subscribers. Byju’s Current valuation has reached 16.5 Billion USD. Know in detail about BYJU’s business and revenue model.
SoftBank Group, Tiger Global, Tencent, Matrix Partners, and DST Global
Products and Services
Mobile app, website, Vehicle for hire, Goods and food delivery, Mobile payment and digital wallet
Valuation
$6.5 billion (FY20)
Ola is an Indian ride-sharing company that was launched on 3rd December 2010. As of 2019, Ola has expanded to over 1.5 million drivers across 250 cities. Ola has also expanded its network into its first overseas market, Australia, and New Zealand in September 2018. Ola began its operations in the UK introducing auto rickshaws.
SoftBank Group, Didi Chuxing, Greenoaks Capital, Sequoia India, Lightspeed India, Hero Enterprise, Airbnb, and China Lodging Group.
Products and Services
OYO Rooms, OYO Hotels & Homes
Valuation
$9 billion (July 2021)
OYO is among the top travel startups in India. Founded by 21-year-old Ritesh Agarwal in 2013, India’s largest hospitality startup comprises budget hotels. The startup works in liaison with existing hotels and offers travellers vacant rooms at a cheaper price. OYO rooms start at a nominal price of Rs 999. Besides bulk renting hotels, they have also invested in their own properties as well.
Norwest Venture Partners, Naspers, Accel, SAIF Partners, Meituan-Dianping
Products and Services
Food delivery
Valuation
$5.5 billion (July 2021)
Swiggy is one of the most valuable online food ordering and delivery platforms. Swiggy was founded by Nandan Reddy, Sriharsha Majety, and Rahul Jaimini in 2014. In early 2019, Swiggy expanded into general product deliveries, under the brand name Swiggy Stores. Swiggy today has more than 5,000,000 mobile application installations.
Zomato is an Indian food delivery startup restaurant aggregator. Zomato was founded by Deepinder Goyal and Pankaj Chaddah in 2008. Zomato primarily provides concrete information, menus, and user reviews of the restaurants. Along with this, Zomato also has food delivery options from partnered restaurants in the selected cities. The pandemic was dangerous indeed for everyone, and it is almost as dangerous to the food tech companies as it is for every other individual and business, if not more. The food delivery unicorn, Zomato also fought the pandemic hard and thrived.
Freshworks offers innovative customer engagement software for a diverse range of businesses of varying sizes and kinds. Founded in 2010 in Chennai, the company now has its headquarters in San Mateo, USA, the products which help provide a 360-degree view of the customers. The Saas products brought in by FreshWorks are designed to be used instantly. Besides, they are easy to use, and also offer quick returns on investments.
Freshworks attained the prestigious unicorn club of the Indian companies in July 2018, thereby becoming the first unicorn startup belonging to the Saas market that the country has seen. Now, increasing the customer engagement and the retention rate for Saas companies is not as difficult as it was earlier
Moglix is an Asia-based B2B E-commerce company that was founded by Rahul Garg in 2017. The company has its headquarters in Singapore and head offices in India. The startup ambitions to digitally change the chain of manufacturing areas in India. Moglix wants to digitize and seriously change every component of the delivery chain, and B2B commerce which is unorganized and increases options to seriously change the grant chain via technology.
Moglix, presently serves the manufacturing sector, institutional clients (B2B), and private clients (B2C). The automotive sector, metals and mining, and FMCDs are the best three sectors they cater to. The platform provides Industrial products and services such industrial products and services such as Safety equipment, Electrical and Lighting products, Cleaning and Laundry products, Office Supplies, and Industrial Tools, among others. Moglix is one of the most trusted eCommerce sites for industries as it is known to deliver world-class services worldwide. So far the company has 150,000 industry essential products from 30 different categories and 25,000 SME clients.
upGrad is an online coaching program for all students opting for higher education. Partnering with some of the top universities of the world, upGrad brings a wide range of industry-ready courses including Bachelor’s degrees, MBA, Data Science, Machine Learning courses, and more. The company has grown to attain unicorn status on August 6, 2021, with the help of a $185 million fundraising.
Prosus & Nasper, Sierra Ventures, Helion Venture Partners, Helion Venture Partners, Tiger Fund
Products and Services
Booking tickets for shows, movies, flights, hotels, holidays, buses, trains, etc.
MakeMyTrip is one of the top online travel companies in India that was founded by Deep Kalra in 2000. The company has its headquarters based in Gurgaon and is known for its services such as booking holiday packages, hotel reservations, movies or even booking tickets for everyday traveling through fights, buses, trains, cars, etc. MakeMyTrip is currently operating in 14+ cities around the world with over 30 franchise stores and in 28 cities in India alone. The MakeMyTrip route planner feature allows its user to access basic information on over one million routes across India.
Steadview Capital, Fidelity, TPG Growth, Hero Corporate Service Private Limited
Products and Services
Cosmetics, skin & wellness products, etc.
Valuation
$2.3 billion (June 2021)
Nykaa is a leading cosmetic-based eCommerce platform that was founded in 2012 by Falguni Nayar. Nykaa has its headquarters based in Mumbai, Maharashtra, and is known for its app and website that sells a wide range of cosmetics, skin, and wellness products. The company also has over 26 offline stores across India and became a Unicorn startup in 2020. The platform has a huge range of 200,000 products from 2000 national and international brands, as of 2020. Many Bollywood actresses like Alia Bhatt and Katrina Kaif have been the brand ambassadors of Nykaa.
Intel Capital, Wellington Management Group, Inventus Capital Partners, Softbank Group True North and IDG Venture Partners
Products and Services
Life, Health, Motor, travel insurance, etc
Valuation
$2.4 billion (July 2021)
Policybazaar is one of the most well-known and trusted insurance companies in India. The company was started in 2008 by Yashish Dahiya, Alok Bansal, and Avaneesh Nirjar. The company initially started out as an insurance comparison website, but later on started providing different types of insurance plans like Life insurance, Health, Motor, and even Travel. Policybazaar.com is currently the largest insurance company in the country and is also popular in UAE. Policybazaar has both a website and an app, which allows its users to compare financial services from the top insurance options. Here’s knowing how Policy Bazaar witnessed an overwhelming growth via its marketing strategies.
CoinDCX is an Indian cryptocurrency exchange aggregator based in Mumbai. The company specializes in crypto-enabled financial services. CoinDCX aims to develop financial services without any borders to enable a simpler and seamless flow of capital powered by impregnable security. CoinDCX raised $90 mn in Series C funding to emerge as a unicorn. Thus, the company became India’s first cryptocurrency unicorn.
Mastercard, Lone Pine Capital, Flipkart, Temasek, Sequoia
Products and Services
POS devices and software solutions
Valuation
$5+ billion (Marh 2022)
Pine Labs is an Indian merchant platform, equipped with financing and last-mile retail transaction technology, which helps merchants and institutions receive their payments via easy and secure POS apps and devices. Pine Labs collaborated with the New-York based financial services giant, Mastercard in January 2020, and shortly after it attained unicorn status. It was the first company to have turned unicorn in 2020.
Highradius
Startup Name
Highradius
Industry
Fintech, AI, Saas, Software
Founder
Sashi Narahari
Founded
2006
Investors
Tiger Global, D1 Capital Partners, ICONIQ and more
Products and Services
AI-based order-to-cash and treasury management software
Valuation
$3.1+ billion (March 2021)
Highradius is an AI-powered, data-driven fintech enterprise software as a service (Saas) platform that extends autonomous software for smooth and easy management of order to cash (O2C), treasury, and record to report (R2R). Headquartered in Houston, Texas, US, Highradius claims to be the world’s number 1 data-driven AI software platform that helps “lower DSO, optimize working capital, fast-track financial close, and improve productivity.”
Raising $125 mn right at the start of 2020, Highradius turned into India’s first unicorn company in 2020 in a Series B funding round led by ICONIQ Capital, along with some of its existing investors like Susquehanna Growth Equity and Citi Ventures.
Zetwerk emerges as a B2B marketplace for manufacturing items. The online marketplace based out of Bengaluru connects large manufacturing companies with vendors and suppliers, who help them get various components of industrial tools and machinery that they require from time to time. The company joined the unicorn club on August 20, 2021, and became India’s youngest billion-dollar company.
Chanakya Hridaya, Rajesh Yabaji, Ramasubramaniam B
Founded
2015
Investors
Trifecta Capital Advisors, Sequoia, Accel, InnoVen Capital
Products and Services
Trucks, logistics and transportation services for shippers and fleet operators
Valuation
$1.02 billion (August 2021)
BlackBuck is a truck aggregator and one of the largest truck aggregators operating in India that aims to solve the transportation and logistics problems of countless Indians. Today, BlackBuck boasts of being the largest trucking network in India that is equipped with freight and fleet management technology platforms. Blackbuck entered the unicorn club on July 23, 2021, after it raised $67 mn as part of its Series E funding round at a valuation of $1.02 bn.
The company currently has a collection of 12,00,000+ trucks and extends its services to over 2000 locations with 15,000+ happy clients.
Lightbox, Toyota Tsusho, SevenTrain Ventures, Integrated Capital
Products and Services
Marketplace for used cars, bikes, scooters and other merchandise
Valuation
$1.2 billion(August 2021)
Droom is a marketplace for used cars, bikes, scooters, and other automotive, along with other products and merchandise. Powered by cutting-edge data science technology, the company helps its customers to buy and sell automobiles and other products seamlessly.
Droom has around 600K automobiles and dominates with a massive 80% market share of the automobile transactions online, Droom is India’s largest automobile platform online and is counted among the biggest E-Commerce companies in the country.
OfBusiness or OFB Tech, as it is often referred to, is a raw material procurement and credit platform for SMEs. The company focuses primarily on the manufacturing and construction industries. OfBusiness leverages state-of-the-art technology to integrate the same into the buying behaviors of the SMEs. This way it makes better products available at better prices and in the right timelines.
Internet, Mobile Apps, Social Media, Social Network
Founder
Ankush Sachdeva, Bhanu Pratap Singh, and Faris Ahsan
Founded
2015
Investors
Lightspeed Venture Partners, Tiger Global Management, Twitter Ventures, SAIF Partners, Shunwei Capital, and Xiaomi
Products and Services
Social Networking and Regional Contents
Valuation
$3.7 Billion (December 2021)
ShareChat is an Indian video-sharing social networking service, developed via Mohalla Tech Private Limited in the year 2015, established by Ankush Sachdeva, Bhanu Pratap Singh, and Farid Ahsan. The company is headquartered in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
ShareChat App acts as a content consumption and sharing platform solely in Indian vernacular languages, which caters to over 1.17 billion wifi customers of India. The company offers features such as messaging, sharing different kinds of media, tagging, etc. ShareChat enabled user-generated content creation on its platform, permitting customers to share their very own posters and innovative content. The company also has 400 plus employees and more than 50 million creator communities. The company went on to raise $500 mn from investors, which increased its valuation to $3 billion.
Verse Innovation
Startup Name
VerSe Innovation
Industry
Content, Technology, Social Media, Internet
Founders
Umang Bedi, Virendra Gupta
Founded
2007
Investors
Google, Sequoia Capital, Microsoft, ByteDance, B Capital and more
Products and Services
Powers Josh, Dailyhunt with technological support and expertise
Valuation
$5 billion (April 2021)
VerSe Innovation is the parent company of the leading vernacular news aggregating platform, Dailyhunt. Headquartered in Bengaluru, Verse Innovation is a local language technology platform that is currently powering two of the leading names among the Indian applications – Josh and Dailyhunt and boasts of an amazing reach of over 300 million users.
VerSe Innovation has raised funds close to $100 mn in December 2020 from a clutch of investors including Google, Microsoft, Falcon Edge’s Alpha Wave Incubation, Sequoia Capital India, Sofina Group, and others to enter the coveted club of unicorn companies in India. With this, Verse became the 10th Indian startup to attain the unicorn valuation in 2020.
B Capital, Prosus, Temasek, Think Investments, Tiger Global, A Velumani, etc.
Products and Services
Online pharmacy services, medicines, healthcare products, diagnostic test, etc.
Valuation
$5.6 billion (JuOctoberne 2021)
PharmEasy is an online healthcare delivery platform that was founded by Mikhil Innani, Dharmil Sheth, and Dhaval Shah in 2015. The company has its headquarters in Mumbai Maharashtra and is currently the leading online healthcare aggregator in India. Besides selling medicines online, the platform also helps connect patients with the closest local pharmacy and diagnostic center based on their medical needs. It delivers medicines in over 1000 plus cities and across 22,000 pin codes. PharmEasy claims to have delivered more than 1.5 crore orders and has over one lakh medicines available on its website.
MyGlamm (The Good Glamm Group)
Startup Name
MyGlamm
Industry
Cosmetics, Beauty, Marketplace
Founder
Darpan Sanghvi, Priyanka Gill
Founded
2015
Investors
Prosus, Warburg, Trifecta, Amazon and more
Products and Services
Beauty and cosmetics products marketplace
Valuation
$1.2+ billion (November 2021)
MyGlamm is a direct-to-consumer (D2C) beauty and cosmetics startup that extends an e-commerce marketplace with a wide range of products for stylists, beauticians, and others. The Mumbai-based D2C brand combines technology with content and social media in order to help the customers to shop for their preferred products along with gaining rich, personalized content and tutorial from the experts.
MyGlamm has turned into a unicorn company when it raised $150 mn in funding from Prosus Ventures and others on November 9, 2021. MyGlamm was the 34th Indian startup to turn a unicorn in the year 2021 and the 76th Indian company overall to enter the coveted club of unicorn companies of India.
Rentpay, CRED Stash, Store, Credit Card Payments and Cred Pay
Valuation
$2.2 billion (April 2021)
CRED is an upcoming Fintech startup that was started by Kunal Shah in 2018. The company has its headquarters in Bengaluru, Karnataka, and is known for its app that allows users to make credit card payments and even get rewarded. Besides rewards, CRED also gives its customers access to a wide range of additional services such as credit and a premium catalog of products from top brands. So far the platform has over 5.9 million users and has processed about 20% of all credit card bill payments in the country. CRED services are divided into five major products which are CRED RentPay, CRED Cash, CRED Pay, CRED Store, and CRED Travel Store. The Cred Business and Revenue Model depends on the app, its customers, and the business partnerships it sees.
Meesho is a popular Indian social ecommerce company that was founded in 2015 by batchmates, Vidit Aatrey and Sanjeev Barnwal. The company has its headquarters in Bengaluru Karnataka. Meesho helps small and medium businesses or even individuals to start their online stores through social media apps like Facebook, Instagram, and Whatsapp. Meesho also has an online reselling website and app that allows people to sell their products without investments. So far it is known to have 2.6 million resellers across the country.
Meesho became a unicorn on April 6, 2021, after raising $300 mn in funds in a funding round that was led by Japan’s Softbank Corp. Group. Know more about Meesho Business Model & Revenue Model.
professionals for cleaning, beauticians, masseurs, carpenters, etc
Valuation
$2.8 billion (June 2021)
Urban Company is said to be Asia’s largest home services company as it is an all-in-one platform that helps users find professionals for different home services. The platform has its headquarters in Gurgaon and offers professional home cleaning services to beauticians, masseurs, and even carpenters. Urban Company was founded in 2014 by Abhiraj Bhal, Varun Khaitan, and Raghav Chandra, while the platform currently has served over 5 million customers across India, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sydney, and Singapore. As of 2021, it is also known to be the UAE’s largest home services company. Here’s knowing all about Urban Company’s business model, and the marketing strategies that Urban Company uses.
Construction Materials, Infrastructure, and Heavy Equipment Rental
Valuation
$2.5 billion (August 2021)
Infra.Market is one of the best construction solutions companies and an online procurement marketplace that uses technology to provide an enhanced procurement experience. The company provides its services to the real estate and construction materials industry. The company was started by Souvik Sengupta in 2016 and has its headquarters in Thane, Maharashtra. Infra.Market specializes in manufacturing construction materials, infrastructure, and heavy equipment rental for all the sectors of a construction ecosystem. It caters to both institutional customers and the construction materials sector to build their projects. Infra.Market turned unicorn with a $100 mn funding on February 25, 2021
Insurance for Car, Health, employee, 2 Wheeler, 3 Wheeler, etc.
Valuation
$4 billion (May 2022)
Digit Insurance is one of the top general insurance companies offering health, car, bike, and travel insurance. The company was founded in 2016 by Kamesh Goyal, and has its headquarters in Bengaluru, Karnataka. The company is popular for Go Digit Mobile Insurance, a tailor-made mobile insurance that covers damages related to different mobiles or Smartphones such as accidental damage, etc. Digit Insurance was the first Indian Unicorn of 2021 and has been successful in achieving the feat in less than 4 years. Besides, Digit Insurance is one of the companies that are endorsed by Virat Kohli, who is the brand ambassador of Digit.
Innovaccer
Startup Name
Innovaccer
Industry
Healthcare
Founders
Abhinav Shashank, Kanav Hasija and Sandeep Gupta
Founded
2014
Investors
Steadview Capital, Dragoneer, B Capital Group, Mubadala Capital Microsoft Venture Funds.
Products and Services
Clinical Integration, Health Management, Big data analytics, Quality Reporting, Healthcare data platform
Valuation
$1.3 billion (February 2021)
Innovaccer is one of the top healthcare companies that is known for its top-notch healthcare services and products that are done through pioneering analytics and accurate data. Innovaccer was founded in 2014 by Sandeep Gupta and has its headquarters in San Francisco. It has head offices in India and America. Innovaccer products are available in over 500 locations and it also has more than 10,000 providers. The company has helped thousands of institutions, governmental organizations, hospitals, clinics, and healthcare organizations such as Mercy ACO, StratiFi Health, Catalyst Health Network, and Osler Health Network.
Innovaccer has turned into a unicorn after it received $105 mn of funding from Tiger Global Management on February 24, 2021. With this, Innovaccer also became the first health tech unicorn in India to turn unicorn.
Sequoia Capital India, Norwest Venture Partners, KKR, TVS Capital, Matrix Partners
Products and Services
Small Business Loans, Mortgage Loans, Home Loans, Property Loans
Valuation
$1.4 billion (March 2021)
Five Star Business Finance (FSBF) is one of the oldest Indian investment firms that was started by V.K Ranganathan in 1984. The company provides different kinds of loans like Small Business Loans, Mortgage Loans, Home Loans, Property Loans, among others. The company has been making strides in the financial industry over the last three decades. Five Star Housing Finance Private Limited which is the company’s subsidiary is designed to help its clients with small housing loans.
Stock broking services, direct mutual funds, IPO, ETF, digital gold
Valuation
$1 billion (May 2021)
Groww is one of the most popular online investment platforms in India. The company was started in 2017 by Lalit Keshre, Harsh Jain, Ishan Bansal, and Neeraj Singh. The company has its headquarters in Bengaluru, Karnataka, and has so far raised over $14 million as of April 2021. This mutual fund investments platform started out by offering wealth management and currently offers direct investments in mutual funds, stocks, digital gold, and exchange-traded funds, among others. The parent company of Groww is Nextbillion Technology.
Tiger Global Management Llc, Think Investments, Malabar Investments, Harbor Spring Capital, White Oak , Fidelity Management
Products and Services
Chatbots
Valuation
$1.4 billion (July 2021)
Gupshup is an upcoming Software company that provides services such as SMS, email, voice, and IP messaging. Gupshup company operates in India, America and UK and is known for its chatbox development services to retail and eCommerce companies. The company developed a smart messaging app called Teamchat and handles over 6 million messages every month. Gupshup is one of the first companies to launch the chatbot building platforms known as gupshup.io which currently offers its services to over 30,000 developers. The platform also has 30,000 chatbots across 22 different social media channels.
Eruditus is an Edtech platform headquartered in Mumbai. Founded in 2010, the company collaborates with the leading universities from across the globe in order to make executive education accessible globally. Eruditus Executive Education boasts of partnering with over 30 universities with a collection of more than 100 courses that extends to the students of around 80 countries. The company has recently turned into a unicorn with a $650 million fundraise as part of its series E funding round!
invoicing, taxes, SaaS metrics, accounting and customer management.
Valuation
$1.4 billion (April 2021)
Chargebee is a SaaS Company with its headquarters in San Francisco, California. The company specializes in providing subscription and recurring billing based SaaS and E-commerce services like invoicing, taxes, SaaS metrics, accounting and customer management. The company also supports over 100 currencies and numerous well-known payment gateways such as Stripe, Braintree, WorldPay and PayPal. The SaaS startup has gathered 3,000 customers most of whom are from America, Europe, and India.
cloud-native, API-first neo-banking and other Fintech services.
Valuation
$1.45 billion (May 2021)
Zeta is a financial technology company that provides a full-stack, cloud and API first neo banking services. The fintech company was founded in 2015 by Bhavin Turakhia and Ramki Gaddipati with its headquarters based in Los Angeles, California, and has head offices in India. It is known for its Omni stack that includes modern credit and debit processing, BNPL, banking, and mobile experiences. The company products are used by banks like RBL Bank, IDFC First Bank, and Kotak Mahindra Bank, along with 14000 corporates. So far Zeta has over 2 million users with over one million transactions per day.
Zeta is a budgeting app for couples. It integrates personal and shared accounts, which include bank accounts, loans, and credit cards. Connect your account immediately for automated updates or manually add an account to manage it yourself.
You can see your joint incomes, expenses, and financial savings in one place. It lets you create more than one budget for private and shared expenses. Plus, you can set precise monetary goals for you and your partner, such as saving for a holiday or placing up an emergency fund.
BrowserStack is a cloud net and mobile testing platform, which is used by two million developers in around a hundred thirty-five countries. The product’s price proposition is to assist groups to fasten up launch cycles and develop websites and mobile app that work seamlessly on any user interface. The aim is to limit the time, price, and protection overhead related to testing.
More than 25,000 world corporations use BrowserStack, which includes Microsoft, ING, MasterCard, Dow Jones, Garmin, National Geographic, Volvo, NRK, HubSpot, Walt Disney, and AngularJS. BrowserStack has offices work in San Francisco, Mumbai, Dublin, and is privately held and backed by Accel.
Paytm Mall, Paytm Payments Bank, Paytm Money, Gamepind, Paytm Smart Retail, Payment system, Mobile payments, Online shopping
Valuation
$16 billion (June 2021)
Paytm is one of the biggest unicorn startups in India. It is among the largest digital payment service providers in India with a market share of 11.63% and is currently in the third position in the list of top UPI apps in India, as recorded in June 2021. The fintech startup is famous for its payment gateway service, which helps consumers to make seamless payments to the seller from their bank accounts. Paytm entered the unicorn club in 2015. Paytm’s valuation was over $7 billion, and it has now increased to $16 billion in 2020.
Paytm Mall is a B2C model inspired by China’s largest B2C retail platform TMall. Paytm Mall was launched by Paytm in 2017. Launched in 2016, as a hyperlocal offline-to-online (O2O) business, Paytm Mall turned unicorn in 2018 on raising half a billion from Softbank and others.
Kite, Coin, Console, Varsity, Equity Trading, Currencies and Commodities Trading, Mutual Funds and Bonds
Valuation
$2 billion (June 2021)
Zerodha is an Indian fintech startup that offers retail and institutional broking, currencies and commodities trading, mutual funds, and bonds. The Company was founded in the year 2010 in order to achieve the goal of breaking all the barriers traders and investors face in India. Zerodha is headquartered in Bangalore and has a physical presence in several major Indian cities.
In Dec 2020, Zerodha was the largest retail stockbroker in India by active client base and contributes upwards of 15% of daily retail volumes across Indian Stock Exchanges. Zerodha entered the unicorn club in July 2020 with a self-assessed valuation of about $1 billion. This valuation was based on the ESOP buyback exercise the company undertook valuing each share at more than four times the book value of ₹700 per share. Know why is Zerodha not raising funds for its operation?
Disruptive pricing models and in-house technology have made Zerodha the biggest stockbroker in India in terms of active retail clients. Over 5+ million clients place millions of orders every day through our powerful ecosystem of investment platforms, contributing over 15% of all Indian retail trading volumes.
ReNew Power Limited is an Indian renewable energy company. It is an independent power producer which was founded by Sumant Sinha in 2011. ReNew Power has a pipeline of close to 1400 MW solar and wind projects. It has a current valuation of $8 billion, which makes it one of the most valuable startups in India in 2021.
Hari Menon, V.S. Sudhakar, Vipul Parekh, Abhinay Choudhari and V.S. Ramesh
Founded
2011
Investors
Alibaba, CDC Group, Ant Financial, Intel Capital, and Berkshire Hathaway
Products and Services
Grocery Delivery
Valuation
$1.85 billion (March 2021)
BigBasket is India’s largest online grocery store which was founded by Hari Menon, V.S. Sudhakar, Vipul Parekh, Abhinay Choudhari, and V.S. Ramesh in 2011. BigBasket founder Hari Menon is one of the most revered entrepreneurs, who deserves a place among the top entrepreneurs of India. It has gained popularity among the Indians and receives over 100,000 orders per day. BigBasket has also launched 3 new businesses BB Daily, BB Instant, and BB Beauty. Here’s something that might interest you – JioMart VS BigBasket: Top Contenders Of Online Grocery Market
Udaan is a B2B e-commerce platform that provides a wholesale product solution to different vendors in all categories. It was founded by Sujeet Kumar, Amod Malviya, and Vaibhav Gupta in 2016. Udaan is a B2B (Business to Business) marketplace for trade that is working for connecting retailers, wholesalers, traders, and manufacturers using technology as the main tool. Udaan turned a startup unicorn in 2018, which is just after 2 years and 2 months since it was launched in 2016. It is thus, the first startup to be called the fastest unicorn.
SoftBank, Tiger Global, Ratan Tata, Hyundai Motors, Matrix Partners, Tiger Global and The Munjal Family.
Products and Services
Electric two and tree wheeler vehicles
Valuation
$5+ billion (January 2022)
Ola Electric is a brainchild of Ola which is currently one of the largest ride-hailing companies. Ola Electric is a tech mobility startup that provides transit services. Besides that, the company also offers a platform to work with driver-partners, vehicle manufacturers, and battery companies and also advance into making future technology for daily mobility. The company was founded in 2017 by Ankit Jain and Anand Shah and had its headquarters in Bengaluru, Karnataka. Ola Electric is also known to be the fastest unicorn after Udaan.
Lightspeed Ventures, Tiger Global, Twitter, India Quotient,
Products and Services
MOJ and Sharechat
Valuation
$3.7 billion (December 2021)
Mohalla Tech is a software company that was founded by Ankush Sachdeva, Farid Ahsan and Bhanu Singh in 2015. The company has its headquarters in Bengaluru, Karnataka, and is known for its platforms – MOJ and Sharechat. Mohalla Tech designs and develops social media platforms for sharing various quotes, videos, images, and news content. Currently, Moj and Sharechat are known to have a combined user of 340 million. According to some reports, an average user will spend over 34 minutes on the MOJ platform every day, which also gets 4.5 million views every day.
TPG, Chrys Capital, Premji Invest, Elevation Capital, MegaDelta and Vertex
Products and Services
Baby and Kids Products
Valuation
$2 billion (March 2021)
FirstCry is one of the top E-commerce companies for Baby and Child products. The company was founded by Supam Maheshwari, Amitava Saha, Prashant Jadhav, and Sanket Hattimattu in 2010, with its headquarters based in Pune, Maharashtra. Currently, the company has 380 plus stores across the country and also has a hospital contact program that helps in reaching out to more than 70,000 new parents every month. Firstcry has over 100,000 plus baby, kids, and new mom products from more than 1000 international and national brands.
Temasek, Falcon Edge Capital, KKR, Bay Capital, and Chiratae
Products and Services
Eyewear, opticians
Valuation
$4.32 billion (April 2022)
Lenskart is a leading eyewear company that was started by Peyush Bansal, Amit Chaudhary, Sumeet Kapahi in 2010. The company has its headquarters in Faridabad and has manufacturing facilities in Delhi, Zhengzhou (China). The company is known to manufacture over 300,000 eyewear every month, as it has more than 500 stores in over 70 cities across India. Besides having a huge range of eyewear it also offers its users branded contact lenses and sunglasses.
And this is not the end of the story. There are many new entrants to this unicorn club. Multiple startups strive hard to reach the top 10 unicorn startups but only a few make it to the top. India is the third-largest startup ecosystem in the world. It can be said that India is the future of great startups.
Grofers is an Indian online supermarket that helps in the home delivery of food, grocery products, and essentials. Founded in 2013, Grofers started with groceries and gradually expanded to a whole list of categories that includes beauty products, household care, baby care, and more. The company is now a unicorn with a $120 million fundraising round from the food aggregator, Zomato. Grofers was rebranded to Blinkit after a rebranding attempt on December 13, 2021.
A subsidiary company of inMobi, Glance is an artificial intelligence platform that offers customized lock screen content to the owners of the smartphones of the present. The company was founded in 2019 as a subsidiary of inMobi, a Bengaluru-based mobile ad network, and turned unicorn on December 22, 2020. Its parent company had already become a unicorn company back in 2011.
Google, Alphawave, Microsoft, Sequoia Capital, Falcon Capital
Products and Services
Dailyhunt app
Valuation
$1 billion (March 2021)
Dailyhunt is an Indian content and news aggregator services platform that helps its users access updates on trending topics along with online news, books, and magazines. The company is popular for offering content in 14 different local languages for a wide variety of Indian readers. The company raised around $100 million from Google and Microsoft and Falcon Edge’s Alpha Wave to become India’s first tech unicorn focused on vernacular content on December 22, 2020.
Accel, Norwest Venture Partners, Steadview Capital, Tiger Global Management
Products and Services
Salon software, spa software, med spa software
Valuation
$1.5+ billion
A cloud-based software platform for spa and salon services of the country, Zenoti was founded in 2010 with its headquarters in Bellevue, Washington, United States, and Hyderabad. Zenoti has been since the day it was founded and is now used by over 10,000 customers and has already established its presence in 50+ countries. With a fundraise that amounted to $160 million, the company entered the unicorn club on December 15, 2020.
Cars24 website/app, cars buying and selling service
Valuation
$1.6 billion (July 2021)
Cars24 is an online marketplace that encourages the buyers and sellers of used cars and helps them to buy and sell automobiles online without any hassles. Via an AI-enabled pricing algorithm, Cars24 displays the appraisal price along with the market price of the vehicles. Furthermore, it also arranges appointments for vehicle inspection, thereby making the selling process as transparent as possible.
The Gurgaon-based company, Cars24 was founded in 2015 and has already become a unicorn on November 24, 2020, with the $200 million Series E funding round led by Yuri Milner’s DST Global fund, Exor Seeds, Moore Strategic Ventures, and more. The company was valued at over $1 billion when assessed in November 2020.
RazorPay is a digital payment gateway that enables businesses and individuals to process, receive and disburse payments smoothly and securely. Razorpay accepts a wide range of the latest payment devices and platforms to improve the customer’s payment journeys online.
RazorPay is among the last year unicorn companies in India, which joined the unicorn club of Indian startups on October 11, 2020, when the company raised around $100 million. The company was valued at around $3 billion in April 2021.
Gaurav Munjal, Hemesh Singh, Roman Saini, Sachin Gupta
Founded
2015
Investors
Temasek Holdings, Dragoneer Investment Group, Softbank, Facebook, Sequoia Capital
Products and Services
Courses and classes
Valuation
$3.44 billion (August 2021)
Unacademy is an Indian unicorn Edtech company based in Bangalore, which climbed to unicorn status on September 2, 2020, thereby becoming the second e-learning startup to achieve the status.
Founded in 2015, Unacademy offers educational content for competitive examinations and other video lectures, some of which are also freely accessible for students. With the latest fundraise where the company received $440 million, Unacademy is now valued at $3.44 billion, as of August 2021. Here’s a List of Startups Acquired by EdTech Giant Unacademy
Postman raised $150 million in June 2020 to turn into a unicorn. The API development environment is used by around 6 million developers worldwide across 200,000 companies located globally. Postman serves as a platform that makes it easy for developers and enterprises to build, test, and debug their APIs.
With a valuation of $5.6 billion, as per the reports in August 2021, after the company received funding of around $225 million, Postman is presently acknowledged as the most valued Saas startup in India.
CitiusTech
Startup Name
CitiusTech
Headquarters
Princeton, New Jersey, United States
Industry
Healthcare Technology
Founders
Jagdish Moorjani, Rizwan Koita
Founded
2005
Investors
Baring Pvt. Equity Asia, Bain Capital
Products and Services
Consulting, Digital & Product Engineering, Data & Analytics
Valuation
$2.4 billion (May 2022)
CitiusTech is a major technology service and solution provider for the healthcare industry. CitiusTech boasts of having over 4000 professionals worldwide. With its workforce, the company aims to empower the healthcare and life sciences companies with reassuring consultation and digital technology services and drive clinical value chain excellence across integration and interoperability, data management, data science, performance management, and more.
CitiusTech was acquired by Baring Private Equity Asia, after the Hong Kong-based company signed a definitive agreement on July 12, 2019. This deal has valued the company at a little over a billion dollars, thereby granting its entry into the unicorn club of Indian companies.
As per the news dated May 5, 2022, Bain Capital has bought 40% of the stakes of CitiusTech from Baring Private Equity Asia, as the latter sold half of its tech to the American private investment firm. Apax Partners and Fujitsu of Japan were the other contenders for the stake. The 40% stakes of CitiusTech were valued between $960 mn to $1 bn, which has successfully catapulted the valuation of CitiusTech to around $2.4 bn, as of May 2022. The other 40% stakes of the firm are with Baring, while the remaining stakes are held by the company’s founders.
B Capital Group, Ignition Partners, Eight Roads Ventures
Products and Services
Contract Management Software
Valuation
$2.8 billion (March 2021)
Icertis is designed as a powerful AI-enabled contract management platform that promises ultimate compliance and aims to reduce the risks involved in it. Being an enterprise contract management platform, Icertis extends easy solutions to hard contract management issues.
When the company raised $80 million in March 2021, at a valuation of $2.8 billion, Icertis was declared as the second most-valued startup unicorn of India. The company turned into a unicorn even before that in 2020.
Druva
Startup Name
Druva
Headquarters
Sunnyvale, California, United States
Industry
Software, Cloud Data Services, Cloud Security, Saas
Sequoia Capital India, Viking Global, Indian Angel Network
Products and Services
Data protection solutions
Valuation
$2 billion (April 2021)
Druva is an Indian enterprise software platform that is designed to protect and manage enterprise data across endpoints, data centers, and cloud workloads. Built on AWS, Druva offers a Saas platform that extends superior data resiliency options, which is infinitely scalable, for the companies operating across the globe.
The India-based Saas company headquartered in the US is one of the earliest companies of India that turned into a unicorn. Druva attained unicorn status in 2019.
Rivigo is a logistics platform empowered by the latest technologies that extend effective transport services for a wide range of industries including clothing, eCommerce, automotive, automobiles, and more. The company was founded in 2014 in Gurgaon, Haryana, and was valued at $1.05 billion when it turned unicorn in September 2019.
Polygon or Matic Network, as it was named previously, is a Bengaluru-based blockchain startup that was founded as a result of the infamous RBI ban of cryptocurrencies that came in April 2018. Founded by Jaynti Kanani, Sandeep Nailwal, and Anurag Arjun, Matic Network focussed on solving the “scalability and usability issues, without compromising on decentralization”. It was on February 9, 2021, that Matic was renamed into Polygon.
Polygon is already a unicorn when last reported in May 2021 and is currently valued at over $10 bn, as of February 2022. The market capitalization of its native MATIC token has crossed the $20 billion mark once in December 2021.
MindTickle is a sales readiness platform founded in 2011, which helps in onboarding, product training, coaching, and ongoing readiness. The company offers a vital sales solution to the fast-growing startups to prepare their sales team in a scalable and effective way. MindTickle was founded in 2011 and turned a unicorn on August 6, 2021, with the influx of $100 mn in Series E funding led by Softbank Vision Fund II.
Bhavesh Manglani, Kapil Bharati, Mohit Tandon, Sahil Barua, Suraj Saharan
Founded
2011
Investors
FedEx, Fidelity, Steadview Capital, Tiger Global management
Products and Services
Cargo and freight services
Valuation
$4 billion (June 2021)
Delhivery was founded in 2011 in Gurgaon, Haryana, as a logistics and supply chain startup that aims to provide seamless transportation, warehousing, freight, and order fulfillment services. Delhivery Pvt. Ltd. turned unicorn back in 2019 where it raised around $413 million and was valued at $1.5 billion.
Billdesk is a company conceived in 2000 as IndiaIdeas.com Ltd., which helps Indian customers pay their bills safely and easily. Powered by the latest advancements in the electronic medium, BillDesk offers its customers better ways to organize and manage their payments online. Billdesk has already achieved unicorn status in 2018 when it mopped up nearly $300 million in a fundraising round led by Visa.
The company is currently acquired by PayU, a Prosus-owned company headquartered in the Netherlands via a deal worth $4.7 billion, one of the biggest deals in the Fintech range of India.
Mu Sigma was founded in 2014 as a data analytics services platform that offers data analytics services along with developing decision support system tools and software for Fortune 500 companies. Mu Sigma offers a range of services including market measurement, product/customer segmentation and profiling, prospecting, RFM analytics, and more. It was in 2016 when Fortune declared Mu Sigma a unicorn company.
Info Edge
Startup Name
Info Edge
Headquarters
Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
Industry
Enterprisetech
Founders
Sanjeev Bikhchandani
Founded
1995
Investors
Temasek Holdings, Lightbox
Products and Services
Employment, Education, Real estate, Matrimonial service
Valuation
$6.6 Billion (May 2023)
Info Edge, founded by Sanjeev Bikhchandani in 1995, is a technology-driven Indian internet company offering a wide range of online services in sectors such as recruitment, matrimony, real estate, and education. The company is well-known for its flagship platforms, including Naukri.com for jobs, Jeevansathi.com for matrimonial services, 99Acres.com for real estate listings, and Shiksha.com for educational resources.
The company attained a valuation of over $1 billion in 2014 and became an elite member of the Indian unicorn club.
Sai Srinivas Kiran G, Shubh Malhotra, Shubham Malhotra
Founded
2018
Investors
Sequoia, Moore Strategic Ventures, Legatum Capital
Products and Services
EGaming platform
Valuation
$2.3 Billion (September 2021)
Mobile Premier League, now if the name rings a bell, then you’re right! MPL is another fantasy gaming and esports platform from India after Dream11 that has turned unicorn. The Sequoia Capital and Moore Strategic Ventures-backed startup was founded in September 2018, just 3 years ago by Sai Srinivas Kiran G and Shubh Malhotra, which emerged as the second gaming unicorn from the subcontinent.
Sequoia Capital, Tiger Global Management, Lightspeed
Products and Services
Professional networking platform and job portal
Valuation
$1.1 Billion (September 2021)
Apna is a leading professional networking platform that helps the rising workforce of India stay updated in terms of professional requirements and recruitment and grab them anytime and anywhere. Apna is currently available across 28+ cities in India for students and blue-mand gray-colored working professionals to get the best communities and land jobs.
The Series C round was on September 15, 2021, where Apna raised around $100 million from investors like Tiger Global, Sequoia, and others and turned into a unicorn within just 21 months of its foundation. This makes Apna the fastest unicorn in India.
Vamsi Krishna, Pulkit Jain, Saurabh Saxena, and Anand Prakash
Founded
2011
Investors
Coatue, Tiger Global Management, WestBridge Capital, Accel Partners
Products and Services
Online tutoring, courses and classes
Valuation
$1 Billion+ (September 2021)
Vedantu is an Edtech platform that offers online e-learning courses and classes to empower real-time personalized learning experiences. Vedantu believes in bridging the gaps between a student and his/her tutor to enjoy the benefits of real-time one-to-one teaching. Vedantu can help students pursue online tuitions for Maths, Physics, Chemistry, English, French, Hindi, Social Studies, German, Computer Science, and more.
Vedantu raised $100 mn via its Series E round led by ABC World Asia, Coatue, Tiger Global, WestBridge, and others on September 29, 2021, and became the 27th Indian unicorn of 2021 and the 69th unicorn startup in the country.
Bertelsmann, Mayfield Fund, Vertex Growth Fund, 3one4 Capital
Products and Services
Meat, fish, eggs packaging and delivery services
Valuation
$1 Billion+ (October 2021)
Licious was founded in 2015 and headquartered in Bengaluru as a Direct-to-consumer brand that offers fresh meat, eggs, fish, and seafood, which the customers can order online to receive the same at their doorsteps. The meat industry in India is largely unorganized and Licious is born out of the sole aim of organizing this sector and delivering fresh, trustworthy, delicious meat and fish to the house of the Indians.
The company raised $52 million in its latest funding round led by IIFL AMC’s Late Stage Tech Fund, emerging as the 29th Indian unicorn company of 2021 so far, and the first unicorn from the D2C segment, as of October 5, 2021.
Paradigm, Ribbit Capital, Sequoia Capital, Tiger Global Management
Products and Services
Cryptocurrency exchange platform
Valuation
$1.9 Billion (October 2021)
CoinSwitch Kuber is hailed as a cryptocurrency exchange platform that encourages users to buy and sell cryptocurrencies via their platform, ensuring secure and convenient transactions. The company supports a wide list of over 100 cryptocurrencies from which the customers can buy cryptos at the best rates, through a range of payment options.
CoinSwitch Kuber turns into India’s 30th unicorn startup in 2021 so far. The company raised a Series C funding round worth $260 million on October 6, 2021, led by a16z (Andreesen Horowitz) and Coinbase Ventures to join the coveted club of the unicorn companies. CoinSwitch Kuber boasts of being the second crypto unicorn of India, which crossed the 1 billion dollar mark in less than 2 months after CoinDCX was hailed as the first crypto unicorn of the country in August 2021. CoinSwitch Kuber is reportedly valued at $1.9 billion on October 2021, which is higher than what CoinDCX announced in August, which was $1.1 billion.
Rebel Foods, also termed Faasos Food Services Pvt. Ltd., is a food delivery platform of India that takes care of the food delivery requirements across the country, delivering food products at the doorsteps of the customers. Besides, the company also boasts of a huge network (over 450) of dark kitchens that operates in over 10 countries. Rebel Foods currently serves over 10,000 Indian customers, the numbers of which are jumping rapidly.
The Indian cloud kitchen and food delivery startup becomes the 31st unicorn of India in 2021. Rebel Foods has raised $175 million via its Series F funding round led by the investors like Qatar Investment Authority, Coatue and Evolvence, and more, to be valued at $1.4 bn, as of October 7, 2021.
Sequoia Capital India, HDFC Bank, LeapFrog Investments
Products and Services
Cars, Used cars retailing services
Valuation
$1.2 billion (October 2021)
CarDekho is a leading name in the used car retailing space. Headquartered in Gurugram, Haryana, CarDekho helps users browse through a wide selection of cars and select one that fits them in all aspects. The platform of CarDekho is equipped with the relevant details about the car, along with other detailed specs, experts’ reviews, comparisons, and more. All of these further ease the selection process of the car models and are some of the reasons that have contributed to the rising popularity of the company.
CarDekho has turned into a unicorn following its recent Series E and Debt financing rounds dated October 13, 2021, and led by LeapFrog Investments. The company has successfully raised around $200 mn and $50 mn respectively, with the last funding rounds that it saw. With the recent funding, CarDekho becomes the 33rd unicorn and the 3rd unicorn startup in the used car retailing space in India so far in 2021.
Sequoia Capital India, Hindustan Media Venture, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority
Products and Services
Digital payments platform
Valuation
$1 billion (October 2021)
MobiKwik is a Fintech company founded in 2009 as digital payments platform that offers phone-based payment options along with the facility of a digital wallet for its users. Headquartered in Gurgaon, MobiKwik is one of the trusted names in the digital payments space that also provides payment gateway and other financial services.
MobiKwik turned unicorn on October 12, 2021, after the conclusion of its secondary ESOP sale round led by Mathew Cyriac, former Head of Blackstone India.
Insurtech, Insurance, Health insurance, Auto insurance
Founders
Ruchi Deepak, Varun Dua
Founded
2016
Investors
Munich Re Ventures, Amazon, General Atlantic, Multiples Alternate Asset Management Private Limited
Products and Services
Car, bike and health insurance products
Valuation
$1.1 billion (October 2021)
Acko is a digital insurance provider of India, dubbed as the first insurance startup that efficiently processes car, bike, and health insurance without any paperwork. Furthermore, Acko also possesses the license, which allows the company to underwrite and distribute bite-sized insurance products.
Acko raised around $255 million in its Series D round led by General Atlantic and Multiples Private Equity and turned a unicorn on October 27, 2021. The unicorn insurance provider is the 34th Indian company to join the unicorn club in 2021 and is currently valued at $1.1 bn.
CureFit
Startup Name
CureFit
Headquarters
Bengaluru, India
Industry
Healthcare, wellness
Founders
Ankit Nagori, Mukesh Bansal
Founded
2016
Investors
Temasek Holdings, Accel, Tata Digital, Zomato, Axis Bank
Products and Services
Nutrition products, Consultation services for mental and well-being
Valuation
$1.5 billion (November 2021)
CureFit is a health and fitness company that extends online and offline experiences to bring in adequate nutrition, foster physical fitness, and mental well-being via improved yoga and meditation, medical and lifestyle care consultation.
The Bangalore-based fitness brand turned unicorn on November 10, 2021, in a deal where the foodtech giant Zomato sold its fitness facility arm Fitso for $50 mn and infused another $50 mn in CureFit. This helped Zomato own 6.4% shares in CureFit, worth $100 mn. As a result of the cross-selling, CureFit joined the unicorn club of Indian startups as the 36th company to turn unicorn in 2021 and the 77th company overall among the Indian startups.
Mensa
Startup Name
Mensa
Headquarters
Bengaluru, India
Industry
Financial services, Venture capital
Founders
Ananth Narayanan, Pawan Kumar Dasaraju
Founded
2021
Investors
Alpha Wave Incubation, Norwest Venture Partners, Accel, Falcon Edge Capital
Products and Services
finance, working capital
Valuation
$1 billion+ (November 2021)
Brands’ aggregator and roll-up firm, Mensa has been founded by former Myntra CEO and Medlife cofounder, Ananth Narayanan and Pawan Kumar Dasaraju. Mensa Brands stands as an investment firm that strives to partner with entrepreneurs to build digital brands and scale them. The company embraces a Thrasio-based model via which it invests working capital and picks up equity in other D2C startups, thereby scaling the presence of the brands online. The platform that Mensa offers helps in driving growth, product, merchandising, technology, supply chain, product, and access to global markets, which eventually lets the founders get lucrative financial exits along with transforming their business through a stable and successful partnership.
Mensa raised $135 mn in a new Series B funding round led by Alpha Wave Ventures (Falcon Edge Capital) on November 16, 2021, and has joined the coveted club of unicorn companies in India. The company turned unicorn within just 6 months since it started its operations, thereby emerging as the fastest Indian startup to turn unicorn.
Tiger Global Management, General Atlantic, Trifecta Capital, BEENEXT
Products and Services
Peer-to-peer property listings platform
Valuation
$1 billion+ (November 2021)
NoBroker, as the name states, is designed on the concept of building a brokerage-free real estate platform, which will take care of the entire journey of a customer from choosing a house, listing it, securing a home loan, contacting the packers and movers, opting for painting and other services and more. Founded by Akhil Gupta, Amit Kumar Agarwal, Saurabh Garg in 2014, NoBroker is based in Bengaluru and is currently hailed as a unicorn.
NoBroker is, in fact, India’s first proptech (property tech) startup that has achieved a unicorn status on November 23, 2021. The company is the 38th Indian startup to emerge as a unicorn in 2021. The unicorn valuation of the company was disclosed after it raised around $210 Mn in its Series E funding round on the same date.
Tiger Global Management, General Atlantic, Trifecta Capital, BEENEXT
Products and Services
Used car listing and selling platform
Valuation
$1.7 billion+ (November 2021)
Spinny is a used-car buying platform that is powered by new-age technologies and enables reliable and hassle-free transactions in used cars. Founded in 2015 in Gurgaon, Haryana, India, Spinny is built on a full-stack business model with the aim of making the process of buying used cars simple and transparent and ultimately helping the customers to buy cars that match their aspirations.
Spinny has turned unicorn after it received its Series E funding round of $248 million (Rs 1,849 crore), as of November 24, 2021. The company received an investment of Rs 739.7 crore each from Tiger Global and Abu Dhabi Growth Fund, while the remaining funds poured in from Somerville SPV and Aveni Spinny. Spinny is now officially the fourth Indian startup from the used car space to join the unicorn club, where Droom, CarDekho, and Cars24 have already joined earlier.
Upstox is a fintech company that offers innovative investment solutions for users, including securities brokerage and stock trading services. Based in Mumbai, Maharashtra, the company extends equity trading opportunities for retail investors via the platform, promising their clients to be benefited from their cutting-edge trading platform that brings in the best-in-class services.
Upstox turned unicorn with the recent fundraising round led by Tiger Global Management, as of November 25, 2021. The company agreed to allot around 18761 Series C preference shares at an issue price of Rs 98,608 in order to raise the sum of $25 million (Rs 185 crore) from Tiger Global. Upstox has raised the recent funds at a post-money valuation of an estimated $3.4 bn, which pushes it past its rival Groww, which was recently valued at $3 bn in October 2021. Upstox thus became the 40th unicorn startup in India in 2021.
Slice is a financial startup based out of Bengaluru, India that focuses on payment cards/credit cards, and extends them to their target audiences, mostly comprising Gen Z and millennials.
Slice has mopped around $220 mn in the recent funding round dated November 29, 2021, led by Tiger Global and Insight Partners to achieve a unicorn valuation. The series B round that Slice witnessed included participation from Flipkart co-founder Binny Bansal and Checkout co-founder and CEO, Guillaume Pousaz, along with a list of existing investors that includes Sunley House Capital, Moore Strategic Ventures, Anfa, Gunosy, Blume Ventures, and more. Slice is currently the 41st Indian startup unicorn of 2021.
Pristyn Care
Startup Name
Pristyn Care
Headquarters
Haryana, India
Industry
Healthtech, Health care
Founders
Harsimarbir (Harsh) Singh, Dr. Garima Sawhney and Vaibhav Kapoor
Founded
2018
Investors
Tiger Global Management, Hummingbird Ventures
Products and Services
Healthcare services
Valuation
$1.2 billion (December 2021)
Pristyn Care is a healthcare startup founded in September 2018, which is designed to disrupt elective surgery procedures. Headquartered in Gurgaon, Haryana, India, Pristyn Care believes in leveraging cutting-edge technology and advanced procedures to simplify medical care and surgery experiences.
The startup successfully raised $84 Million on December 7, 2021, via new funding round, Series E, led by Sequoia Capital, Tiger Global, Hummingbird Ventures, Epiq Capital, QED, and others to enter the unicorn club of Indian startups. With its unicorn valuation, the health tech startup from Gurgaon has turned to be the fourth startup to achieve the feat in its space in India after Innovaccer, PharmEasy, and CureFit.
Founded in 2021, GlobalBees is a Thrasio-style startup focused on acquiring other companies, especially startups, and scaling them with adequate funds and resources to extend joyful product experiences. GlobalBees can also be considered as the venture arm of FirstCry.
GlobalBees has already been in talks ever since it raised $150 mn in India’s largest Series A funding round. Furthermore, the company has become a unicorn when it again raised around $111.5 mn in a mix of equity and debt round of Series B led by a clutch of investors including FirstCry, SoftBank, Premji Invest, Chiratae Ventures, Trifecta Capital, and others.
Beauty, baby care, skin care, body care products and more
Valuation
$1.1 billion+ (December 2021)
Founded in 2016, Mamaearth is a personal care brand that was established as an organic alternative to the baby, hair, face and skincare products in the market. Headquartered in Gurgaon, Haryana, Mamaearth extends the best organic products for babies and their mothers.
Mamaearth turned unicorn after the latest funding round that it raised on December 28, 2021, worth $80 million led by Sequoia Capital. Gurugram-based organic skincare, haircare, and body care brand, Honasa or Mamaearth became the first unicorn in India in 2022.
Fractal Intelligence is a Mumbai-based analytics startup founded in 2000 by Ramakrishna Reddy, Pranay Agrawal, Srikanth Velamakanni, Nirmal Palaparthi, and Pradeep Suryanarayan and is currently headquartered in New York, US. Primarily established as a strategic analytics partner to the most sought-after Fortune 500 companies globally, Fractal empowers every human decision by bringing analytics, AI, and other cutting-edge technology to the decision-making process.
Fractal Analytics currently has its presence across 15 countries including the United States, UK, Ukraine, and India. The company has recently turned unicorn by raising $360 million from a fundraising round led by TPG Capital, and Apax Partners, as per the reports dated January 5, 2022. Fractal is one of the leading players in the AI space with Qure.ai, Crux Intelligence, Theremin.ai, Eugenie.ai and Samya.ai as its flagship products. It is also important to note that Fractal is the second Indian unicorn of 2022.
LEAD School is a Mumbai-based edtech company that helps bring in improved marketing and academic solutions for educational institutions to transform their school education in India. Founded in 2012 by Smita Deorah and Sumeet Mehta, LEAD School helps digitize and transform private schools to help them serve students from varying economic backgrounds better.
LEAD School turned unicorn on January 13, 2022, thereby becoming the first Indian edtech startup to achieve a unicorn valuation in 2022. LEAD raised a funding round worth $100 mn today, led by GSV Ventures and WestBridge Capital to attain unicorn status. The Deorah and Mehta-led startup has thus become the third unicorn startup in India in 2022.
Darwinbox has been founded by Chaitanya Peddi, Jayant Paleti and Rohit Chennamaneni as a cloud-based Hr technology product, which serves as an end-to-end HR software that helps enterprises automate the entire employee lifecycle. The HR software that the company provides the organizations, helps them manage all of their HR requirements including recruitment, payroll, employee engagement, talent management, and people analytics across the employee life cycle under one platform.
Darwinbox has already served 1.5 million employees across 650+ organizations from over 90 different industries. The company claims to be the third-largest HRTech platform after SAP and Oracle. The growing HR Tech platform has raised $72 million in its Series D funding round from TCV on January 25, 2022, to attain the unicorn club of Indian companies. The unicorn valuation obtained by Darwinbox has made it the first Indian Saas unicorn of 2022 and the fourth unicorn overall that the country has seen this year.
DealShare
Startup Name
DealShare
Headquarters
Bengaluru, Andhra Pradesh, India
Industry
Ecommerce, Grocery
Founders
Rajat Shikhar, Sankar Bora, Sourjyendu Medda, and Vineet Rao
Founded
2018
Investors
Tiger Global, Alteria Capital, Alpha Wave Global, Innoven Capital and other
Products and Services
Grocery and other consumer products via its ecommerce business
Valuation
$1.62 billion+ (January 2022)
DealShare is a social eCommerce startup based in Bengaluru. Founded in 2018 by Rajat Shikhar, Sankar Bora, Sourjyendu Medda, and Vineet Rao, DealShare boasts of having multi-category consumer goods that are available at affordable prices.
DealShare has turned into a unicorn, as per the reports dated January 27, 2022. The Bangalore-based grocery and essentials delivery eCommerce platform have raised $130 million via a Series E funding round led by Tiger Global, Alpha Wave, Kora Investment, and others for this recent round in funding.
ElasticRun
Startup Name
ElasticRun
Headquarters
Pune, Maharashtra, India
Industry
Ecommerce, Logistics, Transportation
Founders
Sandeep Deshmukh, Saurabh Nigam, Shitiz Bansal
Founded
2015
Investors
Softbank, Kalaari, Prosus, Innoven, Norwest Venture Partners and more
Products and Services
Online system, logistics and transportation support
Valuation
$1 billion+ (February 2022)
ElasticRun is an eCommerce logistics and transportation-based startup headquartered in Pune, Maharashtra, which is designed to serve as an online system that will empower the eCommerce and distribution industry of India by improving the reception of orders from customers and the dispatch of delivery drivers.
In a recent round of funding dated February 8, 2022, ElasticRun has raised over $300 million from SoftBank Vision Fund 2, Goldman Sachs with some of its existing investors including Prosus Ventures. At the conclusion of the fresh funding round, the company posted a post-money valuation of $1.44 bn. ElasticRun was just valued at $400 mn during the last round that it saw in April 2021, thereby implying that the valuation of the company saw a 3X rise. With this round, the Kirana commerce platform becomes the 6th unicorn startup in India in 2022.
Trifecta, Saint Gobain, Bessemer Venture, Helion Venture, Kharis Capital, and more
Products and Services
Interior Design solutions
Valuation
$1.44 billion+ (February 2022)
Built with an aim to connect individuals with designers, services, and products, Livspace is an interior designing startup that works as an omnichannel home interior and renovation platform. Headquartered in Bengaluru, Livspace helps homeowners to find pre-created looks for rooms, kitchens, and storage areas on the platform. Furthermore, Livspace also extends the opportunities to its customers to choose and buy the designs they want, along with further options for customization.
The Anuj Srivastava and Ramakant Sharma-led startup raised $180 Mn in a Series F funding round led by American investment giant KKR & Co. and other existing investors of Livspace including Jungle Ventures, Venturi Partners, Ingka Group (Ikea), and Peugeot Investments. This has lifted the valuation of Livspace to $1.44 bn. With the unicorn valuation that Livspace attained with the funding round dated February 8, 2022, the company witnessed a 2X jump in its valuation since December 2019, when it was valued at $500 million. The company became the 7th Indian unicorn in 2022 and is the 50th unicorn since January 2021.
Founded by Supam Maheshwari and Amitava Saha, Xpressbees is an eCommerce logistics platform that extends reliable delivery solutions to its partners along with customized delivery solutions. Headquartered in Pune, India, the company offers a wide range of delivery and logistics-oriented services including comprehensive last-mile delivery, reverse logistics, payment collection, drop shipping, vendor management, cross-border services, fulfilment services, and more. Furthermore, Xpressbees also boasts of bringing in tailored software solutions to clients.
Xpressbees is the 8th unicorn company in India, which raised $300 million worth of funds in its latest Series F funding round led by Blackstone Growth, TPG Growth, and ChrysCapital on February 9, 2022. The funding round via which it raised the funds that will support the next phase of business growth of Xpressbees also saw participation from its existing investors including Investcorp and Norwest Venture Partners.
Uniphore
Startup Name
Uniphore
Headquarters
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India and Palo Alto, California, USA
Industry
AI, Saas, Software
Founders
Ravi Saraogi, Umesh Sachdev
Founded
2008
Investors
IIFL, Sorenson, March Capital, Chiratae Ventures and more
Products and Services
auMina and akeira and other software products
Valuation
$2.5 billion+ (February 2022)
Uniphore is a Conversational Automation platform founded by Ravi Saraogi and Umesh Sachdev in 2008. The customer service platform developed by Uniphore is powered by AI and automation technologies the vision of which is to bridge the gap between people and machines through voice. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, Uniphore extends first-rate customer service to global businesses and helps them benefit from the integrated suite of software products for conversational analytics, assistance, and security that Uniphore provides. auMina and akeira, two proprietary AI solutions are already developed by Uniphore in the speech analytics and virtual assistant verticals.
Uniphore raised $400 million in a Series E round led by NEA, March Capital, and others to become the eighth unicorn of India in 2022, as per the reports dated February 16, 2022, at the end of which the company was valued at $2.5 billion.
Hasura
Startup Name
Hasura
Headquarters
Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Industry
Software
Founders
Rajoshi Ghosh and Tanmay Gopal
Founded
2017
Investors
Greenoaks, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Vertex Ventures and more
Products and Services
GraphQL development platform
Valuation
$1 billion+ (February 2022)
Hasura is a Bengaluru-based GraphQL development platform that has built its platform with an aim to boost web application development. The Rajoshi Ghosh and Tanmay Gopal-led startup plan to do this by reducing the roadblocks, thereby making data access easy for the frontend and full-stack developers. The platform turned into an open-source platform in July 2018 and since then developers from around the world have used Hasura to help themselves build the data layer for modern applications.
This developer-focused tooling products platform turned into a unicorn on February 22, 2022, thereby becoming the 10th Indian startup to enter the coveted unicorn club in 2022. It raised a funding of $100 million to obtain unicorn status in its Series C funding round.
CredAvenue
Startup Name
CredAvenue
Headquarters
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Industry
Fintech, Finance, PaaS
Founders
Gaurav Kumar and Vineet Sukumar
Founded
2017
Investors
Dragoneer, B Capital Group, Insight Partners, Sequoia Capital and more
Products and Services
CredLoan, CredCo-Lend, Plutus
Valuation
$1.3 billion+ (March 2022)
Termed as a complete corporate debt solution, CredAvenue is founded by Gaurav Kumar in 2017 and is designed as a fully integrated, unified digital platform, which helps investors discover, trade, execute and fulfil debt solutions for investors. Vineet Sukumar, who joined the startup in October 2020 also stands as the Founder and Director of CredAvenue.
CredAvenue turned into a unicorn on March 6, 2022, by raising $137 million worth of funds in a series-B round led by Insight Partners, B Capital Group, and Dragoneer. The company is currently valued at over $1.3 billion, which is more than double the valuation of CredAvenue that was measured in September 2021. The Chennai-based debt marketplace startup becomes the 11th Indian startup to attain unicorn status in 2022.
Baskar Subramanian, Srinivasan KA, Srividhya Srinivasan
Founded
2008
Investors
Accel, Mayfield, Premjiinvest, Emerald Media and more
Products and Services
Cloud solutions for broadcasting
Valuation
$1 billion+ (March 2022)
Founded in 2009, by Baskar Subramanian, Srinivasan KA, Srividhya Srinivasan, and originally headquartered in Bengaluru, Amagi is a media-tech and broadcasting startup that helps target TV advertisements geographically. As a Cloud Saas technology provider, Amagi offers a mix of media and innovation to bring services that are powerful, cost-effective, and result-oriented, thereby making a way for a new TV-media advertising platform.
Amagi raised $95 million in funding on March 16, 2022, led by Accel and a clutch of existing investors like Norwest Venture Partners and Avataar Ventures, which helped it attain a unicorn valuation. With this funding round, Amagi becomes the 12th Indian startup to enter the unicorn club in 2022. It is also presently hailed as one of the highest valued media tech companies in the world.
Started as Boomerang Commerce, founded by Guru Hariharan, CommerceIQ is an omnichannel management platform that is currently headquartered in Palo Alto, California, US. Founded in 2012, CommerceIQ uses cutting-edge technologies including Machine Learning and Automation to multiply e-commerce sales.
CommerceIQ raised $115 million in its Series D funding round dated March 21, 2022, led by Softbank to turn a unicorn. This funding round made CommerceIQ the 13th unicorn that India has seen so far in 2022 and the second Indian company to turn unicorn by a funding round led by SoftBank after ElasticRun.
Alpha Wave, LLC, Matrix, Capital Management, Tiger Global, Norwest and more
Products and Services
Financial Services
Valuation
$1 billion+ (March 2022)
Oxyzo is a credit solutions provider, working as the lending arm of the unicorn industrial goods and services procurement platform, OfBusiness. Founded by Asish Mohapatra, Ruchi Kalra, with a deep understanding of the SMEs’ business trends, Oxyzo aims to transform small and medium-scale enterprises into something bigger in terms of operations, revenue, and profit margins.
In the latest Series A funding round that Oxyzo witnessed on March 23, 2022, where it received $200 million from a clutch of investors including Alpha Wave Global, Tiger Global, Matrix Partners, Norwest Venture Partners, and more, the company turned unicorn. This was the first external round of investment that Oxyzo received that has made it attain unicorn status. Owned by OfBusiness, Oxyzo is the second unicorn of the group. Raising such a large amount in the Series A round, Oxyzo has also been recorded as the first Indian startup to do so to date.
Games 24×7
Startup Name
Games 24×7
Headquarters
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Industry
Gaming, Fantasy Sports
Founders
Bhavin Pandya, Trivikraman Thampy
Founded
2006
Investors
Malabar Investment and more
Products and Services
Gaming platform
Valuation
$1 billion+ (April 2022)
Games 24×7 is India’s leading scientific gaming company. Founded by Bhavin Pandya and Trivikraman Thampy, on June 1, 2006, headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra, Games 24×7 offers real money skill gaming, daily sports fantasy games, and casual gaming for its users.
The leading games platform recently turned unicorn on March 30, 2022, by raising $75 mn of funds led by Malabar India Fund and is currently valued at $2.5 billion. Tiger Global was an existing investor who also took part in the same funding round. Games 24×7 is currently hailed as India’s 99th unicorn company, as per the reports dated 30th March 2022.
Open is a neobanking startup that was founded in 2017 and is headquartered currently in Bangalore. Ajeesh Achuthan, Anish Achuthan, Deena Jacon, and Mabel Chacko were the minds behind the foundation of Open.
The neobanking culture is rapidly influencing the Indian banking and financial system and Open has been one of the major players in this growing culture. Open is currently powering 2.3+ million SMEs and processing over $30 billion in annualized transactions, which is certainly huge. This neobanking startup has put another feather in its cap by raising $50 mn in its Series D round on May 2, 2022, and turning into a unicorn, led by IIFL, Temasek, 3one4 Capital, and Tiger Global. With this, Open has seized the title of being the 1st Indian unicorn from the neobanking space and the 16th unicorn that India has seen so far in 2022.
It is also important to note here that Open has resumed India’s unicorn streak, which showed an unprecedented pause towards the end of March 2022, after Games 24×7 achieved the unicorn status.
Tutoring, Study materials for Classes 6-12, and Live Courses for them and for the other entrance examinations like JEE, NEET and more
Valuation
$1.1 billion+ (June 2022)
PhysicsWallah is an edtech company founded by Alakh Pandey in 2016, where Prateek Maheshwari. It offers online and offline courses and study materials for engineering and medical entrance examinations like JEE and NEET along with various entrance and state board exams. Video lectures, live classes, test series, and dynamic exercises are some of the main services that PhysicsWallah offers.
PhysicsWallah had last seen the Series A funding round, which was the maiden fundraising round that poured $100 mn into the startup. This round was led by Westbridge and GSV Ventures and helped the bootstrapped startup turn into an Indian unicorn company on June 7, 2022, thereby making PhysicsWallah the 101st Indian unicorn. PhysicsWallah, which was valued at $1.1 bn post the infusion, is currently hailed as the second bootstrapped Indian company that turned a unicorn. PhysicsWallah belongs to the edtech space that is seeing a huge upheaval after the unwinding of the country post-pandemic. Losses rage the edtech sector now, and layoffs are the new normal for the Edtech space in India.
Blume Ventures, Kedaara Capital, PremjiInvest, Goldman Sachs and more
Products and Services
Ecommerce platform for cosmetics and beauty products including haircare, skincare products and more
Valuation
$1.1 billion+ (June 2022)
Purplle is an Indian multi-brand beauty retailing online marketplace that was founded in 2011. Founded by Rahul Dash and Manish Taneja, Purplle is an online store that offers a wide range of products spanning numerous categories like fragrances, cosmetics, hair and skincare, and more.
The Mumbai-headquartered D2C cosmetic ecommerce brand turned unicorn on June 7, 2022, by raising $33 mn of funding from South Korea-based Paramark Ventures and its existing investors including Kedaara Capital, Blume Ventures, and PremjiInvest.
LeadSquared
Startup Name
LeadSquared
Headquarters
Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Industry
Saas, Technology
Founders
Nilesh Patel, Prashant Singh, and Sudhakar Gorti
Founded
2011
Investors
WestBridge Capital, International Finance Corporation, Gaja Capital and more
Products and Services
Marketing Automation, Field Force Automation, Self-serve Portal, Sales Execution CRM, Sales Performance Suite
Valuation
$1 billion+ (June 2022)
Raising $153 mn in its Series C funding round from WestBridge Capital and others, LeadSquared turned unicorn, thereby becoming the 103rd Indian unicorn, as of June 21, 2022. With this latest funding in its arsenal, LeadSquared is planning to invest more in its business in India and North America. It is also looking to foray into the APAC and EMEA regions ahead, and would also fund some acquisitions. Besides, it is also looking to increase its workforce, and might even double its headcounts in the next 18 months.
LeadSquared was founded by Nilesh Patel, Prashant Singh, and Sudhakar Gorti in 2011, and is currently headquartered in Bengaluru. New Jersey, Philippines, South Africa, Australia, and Indonesia are some other territories where the company has seen its expansion to date. As a company, LeadSquared offers solutions for end-to-end sales, marketing, and onboarding automation, making these processes easy for its customers. LeadSquared already has 2,000+ customers, which belong to a variety of industries, including education, BFSI, healthcare, real estate, automotive, hospitality,and more. Some of its customers include biggies like Byju’s, Godrej Housing Finance, Olx, Dunzo, Practo, Kotak Securities, Amazon Pay, NIIT, Uni,and more.
OneCard
Startup Name
OneCard
Headquarters
Pune, Maharashtra, India
Industry
Financial Services, Credit card challenger
Founder
Vaibhav Hathi, Rupesh Kumar, Anurag Sinha
Founded
2018
Investors
Sequoia Capital, Ocean View Investment, QED Holdings, Matrix Partners, Hummingbird and more
Products and Services
Metal credit cards, Visa credit cards, OneScore
Valuation
$1.3 billion (FY22)
OneCard was founded in 2018 by Vaibhav Hathi, Rupesh Kumar, and Anurag Sinha, and is a subsidiary of FPL Technologies. Being an Indian startup from the credit card challenger space, OneCard competes with companies like Slice, Karbon Card, Uni Card, and more. OneCard rolled out its first mobile metal credit card in 2020, which it offers as a service along with Visa credit cards in partnership with numerous banks, and OneScore, a digital credit score checking platform that helps users check their credit scores without paying anything and without even any spams. OneCard currently extends its services in 12+ states across India.
OneCard turned unicorn after it raised $100 mn in funds via its Series D funding round led by Temasek, Sequoia Capital, QED Holdings, Matrix Partners, Hummingbird, and others, on June 13, 2022. With this fundraising round, OneCard is now valued at around $1.3 bn, thereby turning into the 104th Indian unicorn in 2022. Its total funding now crossed $225 mn, as of July 14th, 2022. After Slice, OneCard is now the second unicorn Indian startup in the credit card challenger space now.
5ire
Startup Name
5ire
Headquarters
London, England, UK
Industry
Blockchain Network
Founder
Pratik Gauri, Prateek Dwivedi, and Vilma Mattila
Founded
August 2021
Investors
SRAM & MRAM, GEM Global Yield LLC SCS (GGY), Launchpool, Sanctum Global Ventures
5ire is a London-based 5th generation Layer-1 (L1) blockchain network founded by Pratik Gauri and Prateek Dwivedi, who are of Indian origin, and with the help of web3 financier Vilma Mattila, in August 2021. 5ire aims to build a space in the web3 revolution, just like Google did in the case of web1 revolution and Facebook revolutionised the web2 space, mentioned the company CEO Pratik Gauri. The name “5ire” came from the idea of the 5th industrial revolution.
5ire raised $100 mn in Series A funding from UK-based conglomerate SRAM & MRAM at a valuation of $1.5 Bn to be listed as the 105th unicorn of India.
Shiprocket
Startup Name
Shiprocket
Headquarters
New Delhi, India
Industry
Ecommerce, Logistics, Supply Chain Management
Founders
Gautam Kapoor, Saahil Goel, Vishesh Khurana and Akshay Ghulati
Founded
2017
Investors
Tamesek Holdings, Lightrock, Bertelsmann, Moore Strategic Ventures
Products and Services
Ecommerce Logistics and Shipping Software, Courier Delivery App
Valuation
$1.2 billion (August 2022)
Shiprocket was founded in 2017 by Gautam Kapoor, Saahil Goel, Vishesh Khurana and Akshay Ghulati. The startup is a developer of an eCommerce shipping and enablement application and is headquartered in New Delhi. The platform makes use of a machine learning-based data engine to recommend the best courier service for a business and select a courier company. Apart from this, it offers benefits like packaging, warehousing, printing shipping labels, and tracking orders from a single panel. This helps the merchants and sellers to manage the deliveries smoothly.
The Zomato-backed logistics startup has become the 106thunicorn startup in India after raising $33.5 million from Temasek Holdings and Lightrock raising its valuation to $1.2 billion. This makes it the 21st Indian startup to turn unicorn in 2022.
Tata 1mg (formerly 1mg) was founded in the year 2015 by Prashant Tandon, Gaurav Agarwal, and Vikas Chauhan. The startup is headquartered in Gurugram, Haryana. It is an online drug delivery platform that intends to make healthcare more accessible and affordable. The platform is known to offer medicines and other healthcare products, lab tests, and online consultations from healthcare professionals. All this makes it a one-stop solution for all of the customers’ healthcare needs.
The Tata-owned health tech platform has become the 107th unicorn startup in India after raising $40 million in an internal round of funding led by Tata Digital, raising its valuation to $1.25 billion.
Molbio Diagnostics
Startup Name
Molbio Diagnostics
Headquarters
VERNA, Goa, India
Industry
HealthTech, MedTech
Founders
Chandrasekhar Nair, Sriram Natarajan
Founded
2010
Investors
Temasek Holdings, Motilal Oswal Private Equity
Products and Services
Medical Diagnostics, TB Diagnostic Tools, RT-PCR
Valuation
$1.53 (September 2022)
Molbio Diagnostics is a manufacturer of molecular diagnostics. The company was founded by Sriram Natarajan and Chandrasekhar Nair and is headquartered in Verna, Goa. It operates as a platform that specializes in providing affordable diagnoses for tuberculosis and other infectious diseases.
After raising $85 million from Temasek and existing investor Motilal Oswal Alternates, Molbio Diagnostics became India’s 108th unicorn startup in September 2022 and the first unicorn startup from Goa, increasing its valuation to $1.53 billion.
Zepto was founded by Kaivalya Vohra and Aadit Palicha, both Stanford students who decided to drop out of the university to pursue entrepreneurship. The startup was founded in 2021 and is headquartered in Mumbai. It is a quick commerce platform designed to deliver groceries to your doorstep within 10 minutes, ensuring convenient access to essential food items.
Zepto became India’s first unicorn in 2023 after a long 11-month unicorn drought. The startup raised $200 million in a Series E funding round led by StepStone Group with participation from Goodwater Capital and existing investors in August 2023. This funding round increased Zepto’s valuation to $1.4 billion, making it an exclusive member of the unicorn club.
Krutrim
Startup Name
Krutrim
Industry
Research Services
Founder
Bhavish Aggarwal
Founded
2023
Investors
Matrix Partners India and others
Valuation
$1 billion (January 2024)
Krutrim is an artificial intelligence startup launched by Ola founder and Chairman Bhavish Aggarwal in 2023. Krutrim AI is a part of the Ola group and is committed to building the entire AI computing stack for the future. It aims to provide an advanced AI computing stack for India, including infrastructure, cloud services, foundational models, and AI-powered applications. By offering a comprehensive AI computing stack tailored for the Indian market, Krutrim aims to empower consumers, startups, enterprises, and scientists with cutting-edge technology.
India’s own AI, Krutrim AI, raised $50 million at a valuation of $1 billion in a funding round led by Matrix Partners India and others. This not only makes Krutrim India’s first unicorn of 2024 but also represents a historic achievement as India gets its first artificial intelligence unicorn, marking it as Bhavish Aggarwal’s third unicorn startup.
Real-Time Credit Decisioning, Analytics, Onboarding Automation, SME Lending Solutions, and More
Valuation
$1 billion (March 2024)
Perfios Software Solutions is India’s leading B2B fintech software company. Headquartered in Bangalore, Perfios specializes in credit decisioning, analytics, and onboarding automation. Their core data platform seamlessly aggregates and analyzes both structured and unstructured data, providing tailored solutions for the BFSI sector. Perfios empowers financial institutions to make informed decisions while enhancing customer experiences across the banking, financial services, and insurance sectors.
Perfios raised $80 million from Teachers’ Venture Growth (TVG), the late-stage venture and growth investment arm of Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan. This deal has raised Perfios’ valuation to $1 billion, making it a unicorn startup in India.
Porter
Startup Name
Porter
Headquarter
Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Industry
Logistics, Transportation
Founder
Pranav Goel, Uttam Digga, Vikas Choudhary
Founded
2014
Investors
Tiger Global Management, Vitruvian Partners
Products and Services
Two-wheelers, Trucks, Packers and Movers, Porter for Enterprise, Courier Service
Valuation
$1 Billion (May 2024)
Porter is an online logistics marketplace that simplifies truck booking for businesses. They offer mini trucks and tempo rentals based on date and location, with real-time tracking for efficient logistics management.
Founded in 2014 by Pranav Goel, Uttam Digga, and Vikas Choudhary and headquartered in Bengaluru, Porter has disrupted logistics with its on-demand marketplace for LCVs, bikes, and specialised services like Enterprise and Packers & Movers.
Porter became the third unicorn startup in India in 2024 following a recent friends and family round, during which individuals purchased shares from the company’s employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) at a valuation of $1 billion. This came after a successful funding round in 2021, where Porter raised $100 million from investors like Tiger Global Management and Vitruvian Partners.
RateGain
Startup Name
RateGain Travel Technologies Limited
Headquarter
Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
Industry
SaaS, Travel Technology, Hospitality Solutions
Founder
Bhanu Chopra
Founded
2004
Investors
Pinebridge Global Funds, Troo Capital, ICICI Prudential MF, Kotak Mahindra Life Insurance
Products and Services
Hotel Distribution, Hotel Booking Engine, Travel-Intent, Competitor Pricing Intelligence
Valuation
$1 Billion
RateGain Travel Technologies Limited is a SaaS company in the travel and hospitality industry. It offers solutions for hotels, airlines, online travel agents, and more. Founded in 2004 by Bhanu Chopra, RateGain operates in over 100 countries.
In 2024, RateGain became the only listed company to reach unicorn status in India, with a valuation of $1 billion. Headquartered in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, the company helps businesses grow revenue through acquisition, retention, and wallet share expansion. It was one of the six companies that entered the Indian startup unicorn club in 2024.
Rapido
STARTUP NAME
Rapido
Headquarter
Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Industry
Transportation, Mobility Tech
Founder
Aravind Sanka, Pavan Guntupalli, Rishikesh SR
Founded
2015
Investors
WestBridge Capital, Nexus Venture Partners
Products and Services
Bike Taxi Service, Auto Rickshaw Services
Valuation
$1 Billion (July 2024)
Rapido is India’s largest and fastest-growing bike taxi app service. Headquartered in Bengaluru, Rapido offers two-wheeler ride services with transparent fares, making intra-city travel and last-mile connectivity affordable and fun. The platform also includes app-based auto rickshaws and delivery services, quickly expanding into various transportation solutions.
Founded in 2015 by Aravind Sanka, Pavan Guntupalli, and Rishikesh SR, Rapido raised $120 million in a Series E funding round in July 2024, led by WestBridge Capital. This funding round boosted Rapido’s valuation to over a billion, making it a unicorn startup in India.
Ather Energy
Startup Name
Ather Energy
Headquarters
Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Industry
Automotive, Electric vehicles, Motor Vehicle Manufacturing
Ather Energy is a leading electric two-wheeler manufacturer in India, headquartered in Bengaluru. The company is known for its innovative and eco-friendly scooters, including the Ather 450 series and Ather Rizta, which feature advanced lithium-ion battery packs and digital management systems. Ather Energy’s products are designed to offer a cleaner, smarter mode of transportation.
Founded in 2013 by Tarun Mehta and Swapnil Jain, Ather Energy secured $71 million in a funding round led by the existing investor National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) in August 2024. This funding round increased Ather Energy’s valuation to $1.3 billion, making it a unicorn startup in India.
Moneyview
Startup Name
Moneyview
Headquarters
Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Industry
FinTech, Digital Lending, Personal Financial Management
Founder
Puneet Agarwal, Sanjay Aggarwal
Founded
2014
Investors
Accel India, Nexus Ventures, Tiger Global Management
Products and Services
Loans, Investments, Personal Finance Management Solutions, Smart Pay, Credit Tracker
Valuation
$1.2 Billion (September 2024)
Moneyview, a leading consumer lending platform, offers personalised financial products such as loans, credit tracking, investments, and personal financial management solutions. Headquartered in Bengaluru, the company enables users to access instant personal loans, track finances, and manage expenses through a seamless, paperless process.
Founded in 2014 by Puneet Agarwal and Sanjay Aggarwal, Moneyview became a unicorn startup in September 2024 after raising $4.6 million in a funding round from Accel India and Nexus Ventures, bringing its valuation to $1.2 billion.
Fleet Camera System, Driver•i One, Driver•i Hub-X, Driver Drowsiness with Driver Monitoring System (DMS) Sensor
Valuation
$1.34 Billion (January 2025)
Netradyne is a leading logistics AI startup, transforming fleet management with advanced technology. The company utilises artificial intelligence, machine learning, and edge computing to enhance driver safety by minimising accidents, identifying risky driving behaviours, and shielding drivers from false claims. Its flagship product, Driver•i, collects and analyses vast amounts of data to set new safety standards for commercial vehicles, helping businesses enhance safety, boost profitability, and build a driver-focused culture.
Founded in 2015 by Avneesh Agrawal, Netradyne became India’s first unicorn of 2025 in January after securing $90 million in a Series D funding round led by Point72 Private Investments, alongside Qualcomm Ventures and Pavilion Capital, bringing its valuation to$1.34 billion.
Former Indian Unicorn Companies
India has seen many unicorn companies to date and the above list containing is a testament to that. However, if you wonder about the total number of unicorns in India, then the numbers would be even more than what reflects in the list above because many of the unicorn companies in the country have either gone defunct or devalued thus, lost their unicorn status. Here’s remembering the prominent ones among them:
Quikr is a Bengaluru-based Indian online marketplace and classified advertising company that was founded in 2008 by Pranay Chulet. Quikr boasts of having its listings in over 1000 cities in India across a wide range of product categories including cars, mobile phones, household products, education, jobs, services, and more.
The online classified ads major was valued at over $1.5 billion on October 8, 2015. However, the company lost its unicorn status in February 2020.
Started as a social media instant messaging app, Hike Messenger was beyond a craze when it first launched. It was the time when Whatsapp was launched recently in India and was far from gaining the popularity that it is currently known for. Kavin Bharti Mitta, who was the founder and CEO of Hike, founded the company in December 2012.
Hike raised $175 million in a Series D funding round, which valued the startup at $1.4 billion in just under 3.7 years in August 2016, thereby becoming the then youngest startup in India to achieve the feat!
However, the company saw a massive drop in its revenue as Whatsapp rapidly rose to fame and dominated the market. The company tried some strategies to lift its brand value. It even tried a sticker-centric experience by rebranding itself as Hike Sticker Chat in April 2019. The company finally announced its shutdown on January 15, 2021.
ShopClues was founded by Sanjay Sethi, Radhika Aggarwal, and Sandeep Aggarwal in 2011 and has claimed to be India’s first and largest managed marketplace. It was once a promising company with over 2.5 crore listed products and 6,00,000+ merchants. Shopclues also turned into a unicorn back in 2016 and was hailed as the fourth unicorn startup in India. However, ShopClues has slowly and steadily collapsed from being a promising unicorn to an also-ran by the company and was finally sold to Singapore-based Qoo10 Pte Ltd at a valuation of just $70-100 million in an all-stock deal.
FAQs
What is the meaning of a Unicorn startup?
Startups with a valuation of over $1 Billion are known as Unicorns.
How many unicorn startups are there in India in 2024?
As of September 2024, there are 117 unicorns in India.
Which are the top Indian unicorns?
Some of the top unicorns that India boasts of today are:
Zomato
Nykaa
PolicyBazaar
OYO
Ola
Paytm
Swiggy
BYJU’S
FirstCry
Lenskart
Freshworks
Moglix
Nykaa
Swiggy
Pine Labs
BlackBuck
Which is India’s first unicorn startup?
InMobi, a Bangalore-based multinational mobile advertising technology company, founded in 2007 is the first to enter the unicorn club. InMobi became the first unicorn in 2011.
Is Nykaa a unicorn?
Nykaa entered the unicorn club in 2020.
Which country has the most unicorns?
The United States is at the top of the list with over 650 unicorns as of August 2023.
What is the obsession with unicorn startups?
Unicorn startups boast of their valuation, which has crossed the $1 billion mark, and are always at the edge of their gameplay. The companies grouped in as unicorns are forever in competition with each other, and always stand as inspirational figures for the rest of the startups and other budding companies.
How many companies turn unicorns?
Though startups are everywhere now around us, as per the recently conducted surveys, 9 out of every 10 startups fail. Therefore, being a successful startup and turning it into a unicorn is always difficult for startups. AngelList says that a venture-backed seed-stage startup has a 1 in 40 shot, which is equivalent to a 2.5% chance of achieving unicorn status today.
Is Zerodha a unicorn?
Yes, Zerodha entered the unicorn club in 2020 with a valuation of about $1 billion.
Which Indian startups became unicorns in 2020?
Pine Labs
FirstCry
Nykaa
Unacademy
Zerodha
Razorpay
Postman
Cars24
Dailyhunt
Glance, InMobi, and more.
Which Indian startups became unicorns in 2021?
BrowserStack
Moglix
PharmEasy
CRED
Meesho
Urban Company
Digit Insurance
Groww
Gupshup
Chargebee
Zeta
Infra.Market
Innovaccer
Five Star Business Finance
Licious
Vedantu and more.
How many startups turned unicorns in India in 2024?
As of September 2024, six startups turned unicorns including Krutrim, Perfios, Porter, Rapido, Ather Energy, and Moneyview.
What are the Indian companies that turned unicorns in 2022?
The Indian companies that turned unicorns in 2022 are:
Is it just me, or is skipping school or the college exit door like a secret handshake to the world of success and stardom? There are so many dropouts-turned-superstars out there that it’s starting to seem like an underground club, where the membership fee is ditching the classroom.
On a lighter note, we usually encounter successful people who don’t hold a proper or suitable college degree. But such people have created a history that stands as a testimony to their intellect for all the future.
In this article, we explore the journey of one such person, who dropped out of school to later found India’s largest stockbroker – Zerodha. We will explore the success story of Nikhil Kamath, early life, his education, personal life, career, investments, and much more.
Nikhil Kamath was born in Karnataka, India, in 1986. Since his dad was a bank employee, he often got transfers. Nikhil was 9 years old when they finally settled in Bangalore.
Though Nikhil displayed a strong aptitude for mathematics and problem-solving from a young age, he hated the traditional way of taking formal school education. In Bangalore, he attended a local school. Since the school didn’t let him appear for the 10th board exams citing his disinterest in studies as a reason, he decided to drop out of school. Thus, Nikhil didn’t have a formal mode of education after that.
Nikhil Kamath – Career
After dropping out of school in 10th grade, which was a huge decision, Nikhil Kamath’s journey to success was a remarkable tale of determination and resourcefulness.
After leaving school without a clear plan, he found himself working at a call center at the age of 17. To make ends meet, he even faked his birth certificate to land the job, which paid him a meager salary of INR 8,000.
During those challenging times, he labored at the call center from 4 PM to 1 AM, and in the mornings, he delved into the world of trading. Nikhil learned the ropes of life outside his family’s protective cocoon, and he discovered that it was in the outside world where the real lessons were learned.
Around the age of 18, Nikhil decided to venture into stock trading more seriously. His father entrusted him with some of his savings. This leap of faith from his father marked the beginning of Nikhil’s journey as a trader. He not only managed his father’s money successfully but also convinced his manager at the call center to invest in stocks.
It turned out to be a fruitful endeavor, and soon, others followed suit, allowing Nikhil to manage their funds. In his final year at the call center, he cleverly managed the entire team’s money, which meant he didn’t have to go to work physically, yet he received incentives.
Zerodha’s Inception
Nikhil’s ambition eventually led him to leave his job and team up with his older brother Nithin Kamath, to launch Kamath Associates in 2010, which later evolved into the highly successful brokerage firm, Zerodha. His journey from a call center employee to a prominent figure in the financial world is a testament to his resourcefulness and dedication.
Nikhil Kamath – Personal life
Nikhil Kamath resides in the city of Bangalore, India. His parents are U.R. Kamath, an employee of Canara Bank, and Revathi Kamath. He was married to Amanda Puravankara who was the director of Provident Housing Ltd., Bangalore. The couple reportedly separated within a year of their marriage. Kamath is an avid reader and a chess player.
Nikhil Kamath also hosts a podcast series “WTF is”, in which he interviews industry leaders and close friends in light-hearted but thought-provoking conversations. The program discusses various subjects including technology, social media, alternative energy, and more.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi made his podcast debut with Nikhil Kamath on 10 January 2025. The two-hour episode, titled “People with The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi x Nikhil Kamath,” is part of Kamath’s “WTF is” podcast series.
The conversation explored various topics, including PM Modi’s childhood, similarities between politics and entrepreneurship, essential skills for entering politics, governance, and global affairs.
People with The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi x Nikhil Kamath
Nikhil Kamath – Zerodha
Zerodha Website
Zerodha, a game-changing player in India’s trading and investment scene, commenced its operations on August 15, 2010, with a clear-cut mission: to remove the hurdles that traders and investors often faced, especially in terms of cost, support, and technology. The company’s name, “Zerodha,” cleverly combines “Zero” with “Rodha,” a Sanskrit word meaning barrier, to reflect their commitment to this vision.
Today, Zerodha proudly stands as one of India’s largest stockbrokers, thanks to its innovative pricing models and cutting-edge technology developed in-house.
They boast a massive client base of over 1 crore, managing millions of orders daily through their user-friendly investment platforms. Their influence is felt in the trading world, accounting for a significant 15% of all retail trading volumes in India.
Another creation of Kamath, True Beacon is a fee-free investment management company that targets investors with extremely high net worths.
Also, Rainmatter is their venture capital fund and incubator that invests in fintech companies and ventures that promote financial inclusion.
Nikhil Kamath – WTFund
Nikhil Kamath introduced the ‘Innovators Under 25‘ at the most recent WTFund Summit in Mumbai. An inaugural event was held in September 2024, to celebrate the establishment of WTFund, the first non-equity grant fund in India, to support innovation among entrepreneurs under the age of 25. It was a pivotal event for India’s startup ecosystem, showcasing the next generation of innovators ready to shape the country’s future.
The role of young entrepreneurs in creating India’s future was highlighted by Kamath. Anyone, from 25 to 80 years old, may be an entrepreneur and create the next great product. “But, come on, the enthusiasm, determination, and boldness usually come more naturally when you’re younger,” Kamath said.
To support nine startups now and nine thousand young businesses tomorrow, Kamath said, “We’re dedicated to building an India that isn’t afraid to take risks and step outside our comfort zones.” He went on to say that he hopes to aid thousands of startups in the future. Whoever decides to build their own aspirations instead of helping someone else realize theirs will lead India in the coming decade. The diversity of India’s innovation landscape is on full display among the fifteen grantees.
Kamath has recently revealed in his podcast about his investment of INR 400 crore in Radico Khaitan for a 1.6-1.7% stake. Additionally, Nikhil has made some significant personal investments:
Announced Date
Organization Name
Lead Investor
Funding Round
Money Raised
September 11, 2023
Pee Safe
–
Series B
₹250 million
June 26, 2023
Mainstreet
–
Seed Round
₹2 million
January 31, 2023
Nourish You
–
Seed Round
₹163.7 million
July 26, 2022
Nas Company
–
Venture Round
₹12 million
March 15, 2022
Licious
–
Series F
₹11.5 billion
February 8, 2022
Kofluence
Yes
Seed Round
₹4 million
January 27, 2022
Growth School
–
Seed Round
₹375 million
April 1, 2021
Third Wave Coffee
Yes
Seed Round
–
March 17, 2021
Vokal
–
Secondary Market
–
Nikhil Kamath – Partner Investments
In addition to his personal investments, Nikhil has also made investments as a partner:
Announced Date
Organization Name
Investor Name
Lead Investor
Funding Round
Money Raised
October 13, 2023
Emoha Elder Care
Gruhas Proptech
Yes
Series B
$11 million
April 5, 2023
Ossus Biorenewables
Gruhas Proptech
Yes
Seed Round
₹197 million
March 15, 2023
Spirit Media
Gruhas Proptech
Yes
Venture Round
–
February 25, 2022
Licious
Gruhas Proptech
Yes
Series F
₹91.4 million
February 17, 2022
Omnipresent Robot Technologies
Gruhas Proptech
Yes
Venture Round
–
Nikhil Kamath – Philanthropy
Nikhil is also known for his philanthropy:
Nikhil Kamath recently joined the list of wealthy people around the world who have signed the Giving Pledge & pledged to donate 50% of their money to philanthropic causes. Notably, Kamath is the youngest Indian philanthropist to join the Giving Pledge.
Kamath also launched the Young India Philanthropic Pledge (YIPP), which mandates the signatories who are below 45 years of age to donate 25% of their fortune with a minimum spend of ₹1 crore per year.
According to the EdelGive-Hurun India Philanthropy List 2022, Kamath donated ₹100 crore of his wealth in 2022, along with his brother and co-founder of Zerodha, Nithin Kamath.
Nikhil Kamath – Controversies
Nikhil Kamath competed in a charity chess match against Viswanathan Anand, a five-time world chess champion. He won the match, much to the amazement of everyone. However, the multibillionaire eventually apologized for beating the chess champion unfairly and acknowledged doing so.
He tweeted, “I had help from the people analyzing the game, computers, and the graciousness of Anand sir himself to treat the game as a learning experience. This was for fun and charity. In hindsight, it was quite silly as I didn’t realize all the confusion that can get caused due to this. Apologies.”
Nikhil Kamath – Awards & Recognitions
Here are some prominent awards and recognitions for Nikhil Kamath:
He was among the Forbes India ‘30 under 30’ young entrepreneurs, in 2016
He was listed as the richest self-made Indian under 40 by ‘IIFL Wealth Hurun India 40 & Under Self-Made Rich List 2022’
He made it into Forbes’ list of the world’s billionaires in 2023
The Hurun India Report 2024 ranks Nithin and Nikhil Kamath 8th among self-made entrepreneurs for Zerodha, valued at Rs 64,800 crore.
FAQs
Who is Nikhil Kamath?
Nikhil Kamath is the founder and CFO of Zerodha, which is an online trading service provider company.
Where is Nikhil Kamath birthplace?
Nikhil Kamath was born on September 5, 1986, in Shimoga, Karnataka.
Who are Nikhil Kamath parents?
Nithin was born in Shivamogga, Karnataka, India, to a Konkani family. His father, Late U.R. Kamath, was employed as one of the executives of Canara Bank. His mother, Revathi Kamath, taught him to play the musical instrument, the veena.
When was Nikhil Kamath born?
Nikhil Kamath was born on September 5, 1986. His age is 39 years.
Who are the founders of Zerodha?
Nikhil Kamath and Nithin Kamath co-founded Zerodha.
Where did Nikhil Kamath study?
Nikhil Kamath did not follow a traditional education path. He dropped out of school after completing the 10th grade to pursue his interests in chess, stock trading, and entrepreneurship.
What is Nikhil Kamath net worth?
The net worth of Nikhil Kamath is $3 billion (January 2025).
What is Nikhil Kamath education?
Since the school in Bangalore, didn’t let him appear for the 10th board exams citing his disinterest in studies as a reason, he decided to drop out of school.
How Nikhil Kamath became billionaire?
Nikhil Kamath became a billionaire by co-founding Zerodha, India’s largest discount brokerage, which revolutionized stock trading with its low-cost, user-friendly platform. His success was driven by his expertise in stock trading, strategic thinking, and focus on simplifying investments for retail investors.
Shark Tank India has stormed the Indian entrepreneurial world. It has not only inspired budding entrepreneurs but also taken business ideas into the living rooms of millions. In its unique format, Shark Tank India has inspired many towards big dreams of success. However, the show is not without its criticism. Right from controversies related to valuation to complaints about favoritism, Shark Tank India has been targeted on several fronts.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the most notable controversies surrounding the Indian version of this global phenomenon, supported by real examples that stirred debates.
Ashneer Grover, the previous co-founder of BharatPe, was considered one of the most spoken-about personas in season one of Shark Tank India. As much as his blunt criticism won some fans, it outraged many.
The “Doglapan” Incident
Ye Sab Doglapan Hai! | Shark Tank India Controversy
During a presentation by Bummer, a D2C innerwear brand, Grover tore into its branding and financials, rounding off his critique with that now-legendary phrase, “Yeh sab doglapan hai.” If some applaud him for coming out bluntly, many others feel he was rudely dismissive. In a curious twist of fate, the phrase soon went viral, became a meme, drew attention to the show, but also brought into question the Sharks and their treatment of participants.
Grover’s Critique of EventBeep
Shark Tank India Controversy
EventBeep, a platform connecting students with events, faced similar sharp criticism from Grover. He labeled their business model as impractical, leading to a heated exchange. Post-show, the founders revealed that they received funding from other sources and proved their critics wrong, which sparked discussions on whether Grover’s feedback was constructive or discouraging.
Grover’s Post-Show Controversies
Even after he left the show, Grover was involved in financial scandals related to BharatPe that tainted his credibility as an investor. His straightforward attitude on and off the show irked a section of viewers.
Valuation debates have been a consistent theme on Shark Tank India, with many entrepreneurs feeling that their startups were undervalued.
Hammer Lifestyle’s Valuation Dispute
Hammer – Shark Tank India Controversy
The Sharks offered INR 1 crore for a 40% stake in Hammer Lifestyle, a D2C electronics brand. The founder went on to say that his company was already profitable and did not need to dilute such a large stake once the episode aired. This incident sparked debates about whether the Sharks were undervaluing businesses to secure favorable deals for themselves.
JhaJi Store’s Funding Dilemma
Jhaji Store – Shark Tank India Controversy
JhaJi Store, a pickle and chutney brand from Bihar, was another business that faced valuation challenges. While the Sharks admired the product, the founders felt their offered valuation didn’t reflect the business’s growth potential. After the show, the company secured external funding at a much higher valuation, reinforcing concerns about the Sharks’ evaluation methods.
Snitch’s Missed Opportunity
Snitch – Shark Tank India Controversy
Snitch is another fast-fashion men’s wear brand that received a no from the Sharks then, citing scalability issues; it grew by leaps and bounds, ultimately achieving a huge turnover of INR 100 crores inside a year fact that makes this question arise again if the Sharks were too focused on short-term metrics.
Favoritism Claims
Favoritism has been another recurring criticism of the show, with some Sharks accused of backing businesses from their comfort zones or personal networks.
Peyush Bansal’s Investments in Tech Startups
Peyush Bansal, founder of Lenskart, was often seen favoring tech-enabled or SaaS-based startups. For instance, his investment in a smart footwear brand raised eyebrows, as other Sharks felt the product lacked immediate market readiness. This led viewers to speculate whether Bansal’s preferences were overly influenced by his expertise in tech.
Aman Gupta and Lifestyle Brands
Aman Gupta, co-founder of boAt, often showed a bias toward lifestyle and consumer-tech brands. For example, his interest in certain audio or wearable brands, despite limited innovation, led to discussions about whether he was favoring businesses aligned with his own industry.
Several viewers pointed out that businesses from metro cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru received more attention compared to startups from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. This pattern sparked debates about whether regional biases were influencing investment decisions.
Shark Tank Sparks Debate Over Branding and Business Priorities
Gaurav Taneja’s LinkedIn Post
YouTuber and fitness influencer Gaurav Taneja, also known as Flying Beast, pitched his supplements brand BeastLife on Shark Tank India Season 4 but faced criticism from the Sharks. He valued his company at INR 100 crore and asked for INR 1 crore for 1% equity. The Sharks questioned if he could focus on the business while still running his YouTube channel, with some advising him to quit YouTube. Taneja refused, calling it a risky move.
In a LinkedIn post, Taneja questioned Shark Tank India’s branding impact, revealing just 22K website visits from the episode—far less than his brand launch and Instagram promotions. He suggested the paywall and absence from TV broadcasts in Season 4 might have hurt its reach. Taneja also compared his brand to Shaadi.com, noting that BeastLife surpassed Shaadi.com’s Instagram followers (127K vs 125K) in just 8 months, highlighting the power of organic reach and cost-effective marketing.
Rejected Pitches That Later Succeeded
Several businesses rejected by the Sharks went on to thrive, challenging the credibility of their judgment.
Moonshine
Shark Tank India – Controversy
Asia and India’s first meadery, was founded by 2016 by Nitin Vishwas and Rohan Rehani. The founders appeared on Shark Tank India with a valuation of INR 160 crores and wanted INR 80 lakhs in exchange for 0.5% of equity. Sadly, the founders did not like any of the counteroffers and rejected the deal.
Urban Monkey
Shark Tank India – Controversy
Urban Monkey is a streetwear fashion brand built by Mumbai-based Yash Gangwal. Aimed to target the younger crowd, the brand appeared on Shark Tank India for INR 1 crore in exchange for 1% equity. But even though the brand was already popular with celebrities like Rannvijay Singha and Raftaar, the Sharks did not accept the deal.
Torch-it
Shark Tank India – Controversy
Founded in 2016 by Hunny Bhagchandani and Mohit Chelani, Torch-It creates disability assistive devices that fosters a sustainable ecosystem. The startup creates devices that uses ultrasonic sensors to highlight the proximity of objects to help visually impaired people navigate their everyday lives. The founders wanted INR 75 lakhs in exchange for 1% equity but sadly none of the Sharks accepted.
The personal lives and professional actions of the Sharks have sometimes overshadowed the show itself.
Ashneer Grover’s Financial Scandals
Grover’s controversial exit from BharatPe, amidst allegations of financial impropriety and verbal abuse, dominated headlines during Shark Tank India’s airing. This raised questions about whether someone with such allegations should be representing ethical business practices on national television.
Namita Thapar’s Social Media Gaffe
Namita Thapar, the executive director of Emcure Pharmaceuticals, faced backlash after a cryptic tweet appeared on her account accusing her of hypocrisy. Thapar later claimed her account was hacked, but the incident led to speculations about internal family or professional conflicts.
Aman Gupta was criticized for his overly casual remarks during certain pitches, with some viewers feeling he didn’t take all entrepreneurs seriously. For instance, his comment about a pitcher’s product being “not cool enough” was seen as dismissive.
Copyright Issues Faced by Entrepreneurs
Several entrepreneurs reported legal challenges after appearing on the show.
Dorje Teas’ Copyright Infringement Claim
Sparsh Agarwal, founder of Dorje Teas, was served a copyright infringement notice for using clips of their Shark Tank pitch for promotional purposes. This led to widespread criticism of the show’s restrictive policies toward entrepreneurs.
Social Media Account Closures
Other businesses, such as Fit & Flex, faced challenges when their social media accounts were temporarily disabled after using show-related content. Such actions led to questions about whether the show prioritized protecting its brand over supporting entrepreneurs.
Critics argue that Shark Tank India often prioritizes emotional backstories over business discussions to attract viewers, leading to accusations of over-dramatization.
Emotional Pitches Taking Center Stage
Many episodes focused heavily on founders’ struggles rather than their business models. For example, a pitch about a family-run food startup turned into a sentimental story about the founder’s hardships. While touching, critics felt it diverted attention from assessing the product’s market potential.
Manipulative Editing
Some contestants claimed that their pitches were edited to emphasize emotional moments, making their businesses seem less viable. Entrepreneurs argued that this focus on theatrics undermined the show’s mission to support serious startups.
Dramatic Music and Narration
The use of dramatic music and exaggerated narration during pitches also drew criticism. Viewers noted that these elements sometimes overshadowed the core business discussions, making the show more about entertainment than entrepreneurship.
The Sharks have faced backlash for rejecting unconventional or niche businesses that later achieved significant success.
Agri-Tech Innovations Rejected
Several agri-tech startups such as ‘Pure-Holidayism’ and ‘Green Protein’ pitching innovative solutions were dismissed for being “too early.” One notable example was a company offering AI-based solutions for farmers, which struggled to secure funding despite its transformative potential.
Eco-Friendly Ventures Overlooked
The few eco-friendly startups rejected included those on sustainable packaging such as PDD Falcon and renewable energy such as Zypp, for instance, because they seemed unscalable. These later became successful, calling into question the Sharks’ willingness to take risks on ideas that were not mainstream.
Gaming and E-Sports Startups Ignored
With India’s growing gaming industry, the rejection of gaming-related startups such as Dacby surprised many. Critics argued that the Sharks were overlooking emerging markets in favor of safer, more traditional sectors.
Judges’ Social Media Issues
The Sharks’ off-screen behavior has also led to controversies, particularly their public spats on social media.
Ashneer Grover vs. Aman Gupta
Ashneer Grover and Aman Gupta kept pulling each other’s legs on social media post-show. While Grover attacked Gupta’s investment strategy, Gupta responded with some cryptic tweets. These only hinted at the friction between the judges on set.
Namita Thapar’s Tweet Controversy
Namita Thapar’s cryptic tweet, which accused someone of “hacking” her account, triggered speculation over internal family disputes. Although she later came forward to clarify the situation, this raised questions over the professionalism of the judges.
Judges Responding to Criticism
Several Sharks, including Anupam Mittal and Peyush Bansal, have publicly responded to viewer criticism on X, sometimes engaging in heated debates. While this showcased their accessibility, it also fueled unnecessary drama.
Shark Tank India has opened a doorway for young and emerging entrepreneurs to get investments for their ideas. Yet, with a lot of controversies surrounding the judges themselves and the show, much is to be improved in terms of eliminating biases and questions of credibility. Though it will continue to inspire future entrepreneurs, it needs to take care of these concerns if it is to retain credibility and present a balanced view of business and entertainment.
Lesson-tucking from such controversies will lead Shark Tank India down the road to creating a fairer and more inclusive platform, fostering innovation but not at the cost of an entrepreneurial spirit.
FAQs
What is Shark Tank India?
Shark Tank India is an Indian business reality television series based on the popular global format Shark Tank. It has budding entrepreneurs pitching their business ideas to a panel of potential investors called ‘Sharks’ to secure investment deals.
Who are the sharks in Shark Tank India?
Vineeta Singh, Peeyush Bansal, Namita Thapar, Anupam Mittal, Amit Jain, Deepinder Goyal, Varun Dua, Radhika Gupta, Ronnie Screwvala, Azhar Iquabal, Ritesh Agarwal, and Aman Gupta are the sharks in Shark Tank India. Season four features two new sharks, Kunal Bahl and Viraj Bahl.
Which are the top startups rejected in Shark Tank India?
Some of the successful startups rejected in Shark Tank India are:
Company Profile is an initiative by StartupTalky to publish verified information on different startups and organizations.
The medicine industry has always been as disorganized as we can imagine. Though we were all pleasantly happy with the wholesale and retail market structure that the pharmaceutical industry has offered its customers, the digitalization of the same was evident. Thus, it happened.
With the digitalization of the medical industry, we can now order our medicines from a wide range of eCommerce medical stores online and get them delivered online without any hassles. One of the major players that makes online ordering of medicines easy is PharmEasy.
PharmEasy has developed a healthcare delivery platform to simplify and modernize the healthcare setup in India. The platform helps patients to stay connected with various local pharmacy stores and outlets. Data and technology are the driving factors behind a robust health and well-being ecosystem today and PharmEasy is leveraging both of them to strengthen healthcare in India.
If you are wondering “What does PharmEasy do?” then PharmEasy serves as an online pharmacy and handles the hassle-free delivery of medicines and other medical equipment. PharmEasy operates in several major cities in India. Shopping for medicines online has thus, become convenient and easy through PharmEasy. The company delivers medicine and other medical equipment to thousands of customers every day.
Recently, API Holdings, the parent company of PharmEasy, had its valuation reduced to $458 million in September 2024. This is a big drop of around 92% from its previous highest valuation of $5.6 billion in 2021. One of its investors, Janus Henderson lowered the value of its investment in PharmEasy by 91.8%.
PharmEasy’s parent company, API Holdings, is seeing a major shift as three of its co-founders—Dharmil Sheth, Dhaval Shah, and Hardik Dedhia—step away from active roles in the organization.
Read on to find out more about PharmEasy’s success story, founders and owners, net worth, business model, growth, competitors, revenue model, funding details, and acquisitions.
PharmEasy – Company Highlights
Startup Name
PharmEasy
Headquarters
Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg, Mumbai, India
Founder/Owner
Dharmil Sheth, Dr. Dhaval Shah
Founded
2014
Net Worth/Valuation
$458 million (November 2024)
Parent Organization
91streets Media Technologies/API Holdings Private Limited
Pharmacy is an e-commerce platform for the purchase of medicines and other healthcare-related equipment. Whenever one uploads a prescription on PharmEasy, it is then sent to a drugstore in their vicinity. The company uses a mobile app and web technology to offer the best quality healthcare products and essentials to its customers at affordable rates.
You might be thinking, “Ah! discounted products, they would be of cheap quality for sure.“ But no, a discount has nothing to do with compromise in terms of quality. The pharmacy provides top-notch products at par with the quality that you can find in reputed pharmacies and medical stores.
Once PharmEasy sends your medical prescription to the drugstore, a delivery agent collects the medicines from the drugstore while adhering to all sorts of precautions and guidelines. Your order is then packaged and eventually delivered to your doorstep.
PharmEasy – Industry
Along with all the industries of now, the medicine/healthcare industry has also been witnessing decent growth empowered by the penetration of new-age technologies and the internet. Internet users have already grown at a CAGR of 18.17% between 2015 and 2019 and are further expected to rise at a CAGR of 9.3% till 2028. Besides, the e-commerce transactions also increased by 26.2% in 2023.
The market of Indian e-pharmacies is predicted by a leading consulting firm to grow greater than 7X times between 2019 and 2023. It reached a total value of $394.09 million in 2024 and is expected to rise to $801.34 million by 2030, at a CAGR of 12.62%, which is fascinating, to say the least.
PharmEasy – Founders and Team
Dharmil Sheth and Dr. Dhaval Shah are the founders of PharmEasy.
Dharmil Sheth and Dhaval Shah
Dharmil Sheth
Dharmil is the Co-founder of PharmEasy along with being the Co-founder of API Holdings. He is also the founder and president of Ekagrata. Sheth also founded 91streets before founding PharmEasy. Dharmil is an Electronics Engineer with a Btech degree, after which he obtained an MBA in Marketing from IIM Ghaziabad. Techno Gravity Solutions and MakeMyTrip.com were among the first companies that Dharmil Sheth worked with in Business Development and as a Summer Intern respectively.
Dr. Dhaval Shah
Dr. Dhaval Shah has an MBBS from Rajiv Gandhi Government Medical College, after which he pursued an MBA from XLRI Jamshedpur. Shah has been the General Secretary at both of his colleges. He eventually became a Consultant at McKinsey & Company and then founded PharmEasy and API Holdings.
The team behind PharmEasy has set its sights on becoming India’s best healthcare delivery venture. The focus at the moment is digitization to the maximum possible extent. PharmEasy is a private company that is adding new employees to its task force every other day.
PharmEasy is undergoing a significant change as three co-founders of the parent organization, API Holdings—Dharmil Sheth, Dhaval Shah, and Hardik Dedhia—step back from active roles in the firm.
Siddharth Shah, the fourth co-founder, will continue to lead the company.
As per a company statement on 22 January 2025, the three co-founders will remain part of the group, align their shareholding for the long term, and continue as board members or observers, but they have chosen to step away from daily executive responsibilities.
PharmEasy – Startup Story
Dharmil Sheth, the founder of PharmEasy, and his doctor pal, Dr. Dhaval Shah came up with the idea of building an online pharmacy. Both of them agreed on the potential of technology in the healthcare sector and it is this idea that primarily gave rise to PharmEasy in 2014. Presently, the company extends its supplies to nearly 98% of the Indian pin codes.
The company wanted to achieve the mission of doorstep delivery of everything related to healthcare, which it is always on the verge of achieving. Digitization has become an integral component of India’s healthcare industry. Be it scheduling a doctor’s appointment or delivery of reports and medicines, every step in the industry has been digitized. A major chunk of the credit goes to the e-pharmacies like PharmEasy for this initiative. The “health commerce industry” in India is growing at unprecedented rates courtesy of these e-pharmacies.
PharmEasy – Name, Tagline and Logo
“Take it easy PharmEasy” says the tagline of the company.
PharmEasy Logonet
PharmEasy – Business Model
PharmEasy delivers medicines and other medical accessories across Indian towns and cities. It is like Grofers for medicine. The pin codes maintained by PharmEasy are used to identify pharmacies closest to the customers. Customers can either access PharmEasy’s website or use its mobile app to order items. They are entitled to discounts of up to 20% if they order using the mobile app, which further increases brand recognition and adds new customers to PharmEasy.
PharmEasy is an e-pharmacy, the processes of which are mostly online acting as a 3-way chain between the buyers, suppliers, and the distribution network.
Buyers – PharmEasy is a ready platform from which buyers can search for their medicines or healthcare accessories and buy them online without any hassles.
Suppliers – PharmEasy collaborates with a wide range of local suppliers and medical shops, all of which help the company arrange their stocks and keep them live online. Besides, the company also earns revenue from various pharmaceutical companies that want to showcase their products online and on the PharmEasy app as featured brands.
Distribution channel – PharmEasy operates with a vast distribution spread out all across the nation. This helps the company to deliver its products for a broad range of pin codes all over India.
Due to various rules and regulations set by the Indian government, the company doesn’t deliver Schedule H drugs.
Why do people abstain from e-pharmacies? Research has found that most people do this because they aren’t sure where the medicines are coming from. PharmEasy is dispelling this notion for good!
PharmEasy primarily earns by displaying the sponsored results of various pharmaceutical entities. These kinds of advertisements are found on the home pages of such organizations. Advertising is a major source of revenue and this e-pharmacy leverages it to the hilt. Besides, with the new-age strategies, you can now advertise your products, services, or business with little or no money and market your brand. Attractive discounts also contribute to PharmEasy’s revenue. Furthermore, PharmEasy earns commission from its customers for the healthcare products and medicines that are sold via the platform. The brand also earns through the delivery charges that get levied on the products.
PharmEasy – Funding and Investors
API Holdings, the parent company of PharmEasy, has raised INR 1,804 crore ($216 million) in a funding round led by Ranjan Pai’s Manipal Education and Medical Group (MEMG) along with its existing investors on 29 April 2024. However, this new investment comes with a 90% drop in the company’s valuation from its highest point. The valuation of PharmEasy as of September 2024 is $458 million, slashed 92% from the peak of $5.4 billion.
PharmEasy has received $1.7 billion in funding to date in over 14 rounds. PharmEasy had last raised a private equity fund from VestinWolf Capital Management after raising a pre-IPO round worth $354 million from a clutch of investors. Market volatility, low investor sentiments, and the funding winter are some of the popular reasons behind PharmEasy looking to raise funds at a lower valuation.
The primary round saw an infusion of the $354 million funding round was worth $204 million and led by Amansa Capital, Steadview Capital, OrbiMed, Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund ADQ, and more. In the second round of funding that PharmEasy received, the company mopped up around $150 mn from the partial exits of a bunch of existing angels and other early-stage investors like Fundamentum, Eight Roads Ventures, Bessemer Venture Partners, and others. PharmEasy, which is all set to file its Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP) has also disclosed that over 20 senior employees, five founders, and some of the new investors had picked secondary shares at a valuation of $5.6 billion. The company was valued at $5.4 billion in February 2022. The company is yet to decide on its IPO round and will not be setting its pricing before the nod from SEBI.
Before this round where the company has further raised $354 million worth of funding in its Pre-IPO round of funding, split into 2 rounds, it raised a whopping $500 million round via its Series F funding round that was led by Arokiaswamy Velumani, valuing the company at $1.8 billion in June 2021.
Here are all the funding and investor details of PharmEasy to date.
Date
Series
Amount
Investors
April 29, 2024
Venture Round
$216 million
MEMG Family office, Existing Investors
Nov 7, 2022
Debt Financing
–
EvolutionX Debt Capital
November 1, 2021
Private Equity Fund
–
VestinWolf Capital Management
Oct 20, 2021
Venture Round
–
Trifecta Capital Advisors
October 18, 2021
Pre-IPO Round
$354 million
Amansa Capital, Fundamentum, Steadview Capital, Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund ADQ and more
July 7, 2021
Series F
$500 million
Arokiaswamy Velumani
June 17, 2021
Secondary Market
$20 million
B Capital
April 7, 2021
Series E
$390 million
Prosus Ventures, TPG Growth and others
November 27, 2019
Series D
$220 million
Temasek Holdings and others
September 26, 2018
Series C
$50 million
Eight Roads Ventures India and others
September 11, 2018
Debt Financing
$5.44 million
InnoVen Capital and more
February 28, 2018
Series C
$27.23 million
Eight Roads Ventures India, F-Prime Capital, and others
PharmEasy was reportedly valued at $5.4 billion in February 2022. Due to the exceptional growth that the company had seen, PharmEasy decided to reward the cofounders and employees by creating new employee stock options (ESOPs) for them.
The healthcare major had passed a special resolution, where it has declared that it would be allotting around 79,987 ESOPs to each of the five co-founders of the firm – Siddharth Shah, Dharmil Sheth, Hardik Dedhia, Karsh Parekh, and Dhaval Shah. The collective worth of all these shares making the Founders’ ESOP pool is estimated to be around INR 236 crores. PharmEasy has also additionally expanded its ESOP pool with INR 356 crore worth of new options for eligible employees. This new ESOP pool has reportedly been expanded with 603,103 equity shares. Moreover, PharmEasy has also amended its existing ESOP Scheme to align it with the SEBI regulations.
PharmEasy – Acquisitions
PharmEasy has acquired 3 companies –
Acquiree Name
Date
Deal Value
Aknamed
September 14, 2021
$144 million
Thyrocare Technologies
June 26, 2021
$605.70 million
Medlife
May 25, 2021
$250 million
Aknamed – A healthcare company that strives to streamline the supply chain of the industry in India. PharmEasy has acquired Aknamed on September 14, 2021. PharmEasy acquired the majority stakes of Aknamed for an initial investment of INR 308 crores ($41.90 mn). The company will be acquiring Aknamed completely in a few months in a deal size estimated to be around INR 1000 crores ($136.04 mn).
Thyrocare Technologies – Thyrocare is a full automatic diagnostic laboratory, which claims to be the first of its kind in India. PharmEasy acquired Thyrocare on June 26, 2021. In a definitive agreement where the company has acquired 66.1% stakes in Thyrocare, the deal size is mentioned at INR 4564 crores ($620 mn).
Medlife – Medlife is an online medicine supplier from Bangalore, India, which has facilities for home delivery. On September 22, 2020, the Competition Commission of India approved the merger of Medlife (Online Pharmacy) with PharmEasy. It is noted as the First Major Consolidation in this sector after the entry of Amazon and Reliance. According to this deal, PharmEasy’s Parent Entity will acquire 100% equity in Medlife and the promoters of Medlife will get a 19.95% stake in the entity. Though the talks of the acquisition began in August 2020, the CCI approval was received in September 2020, and it is not earlier than May 2021, 8 months after the CCI nod that PharmEasy finally announced the merger with its rival Medlife. From May 25, 2021, Medlife discontinued its operations and fully merged into the PharmEasy platform. The company acquired majority stakes in Medlife valued at $250 million.
PharmEasy – Challenges Faced
The company started its journey in the year 2014 and has now become a major player in the online pharmacy segment. However, PharmEasy didn’t witness overnight success. Challenges are inevitable and the mentioned e-pharmacy also had its share of problems. It was difficult for PharmEasy to deliver products without a prescription.
Knowing the medicines by their names wasn’t enough. A valid prescription was compulsory for supplying the products. Many didn’t want to upload their prescriptions fearing consequences. Furthermore, location tracking back then when the company started, was difficult for PharmEasy’s delivery agents. It is not like that anymore, though.
The company eventually overcame the challenges thrown at it and has grown tremendously since its inception in 2014.
PharmEasy Layoffs
PharmEasy laid off 40 employees, as per the reports on June 16, 2022. The company has laid off around 40 of the employees who were working with its subsidiary Docon Technologies during the week. These employees who were laid off mainly belonged to the sales department and hailed from Mumbai, Delhi, Chandigarh, Jaipur, and more. PharmEasy has offered a two-month salary for the employees as part of the severance package and is reportedly helping the employees too in getting new jobs. It was also announced that Docon Technologies would be rebranded to PharmEasy One and would then be a whole entity and that most of the Docon employees would be shifted to any of the API Holdings’ entities.
Customer acquisition of a company depends upon trust and faith. It’s a symbiotic relationship between how much the company is giving to its customers and how those users are benefitting in return.
Acquiring new users has not been problematic for PharmEasy ever since it overcame the initial hiccups and challenges. A solid user-retention rate has proved PharmEasy’s expertise in keeping customers satisfied.
PharmEasy – Partnerships
Swiggy
Swiggy plans to enter the online pharmacy market by delivering medicines in 10 minutes. Partnering with PharmEasy, it will leverage its infrastructure and regulatory framework via Instamart for rapid delivery of prescription and OTC drugs.
Besides, there are also other hospitals and chains like Apollo Pharmacy that are trying to boost overall sales via their online platform along with their brick-and-mortar stores. Most of the companies mentioned here are trying to reinforce their online delivery system of medicines. However, most of them are trailing PharmEasy.
PharmEasy – Growth and Revenue
PharmEasy Financials
PharmEasy Financials
FY22
FY23
FY24
Operating Revenue
INR 5,729 crore
INR 6,644 crore
INR 5,664 crore
Total Expenses
INR 8,491 crore
INR 8,974 crore
INR 7,254.8 crore
Profit/Loss
Loss of INR 2,731.7 crore
Loss of INR 5,211.7 crore
Loss of INR 2,533.5 crore
PharmEasy Financials
In 2023, PharmEasy had an operating revenue of INR 6,644 crore, and its total expenses were higher at INR 8,974 crore, leading to a loss of INR 5,211.7 crore. In 2024, their revenue decreased to INR 5,664 crore, and expenses also dropped to INR 7,254.8 crore, resulting in a smaller loss of INR 2,533.5 crore.
Dhaval Shah and Dharmil Sheth are playing a major role in this growth through excellent leadership and superior decision-making.
PharmEasy Financials
FY22
FY23
FY24
EBITDA Margin
-39.66%
-20.38%
-9.59%
Expense/Rupee of ops revenue
INR 1.48
INR 1.35
INR 1.28
ROCE
-32.11%
-27.12%
-15.71%
India’s IPO market slowed in 2022 after 2021 saw the largest amount of funds raised in at least a decade. API Holdings Ltd., owner of India’s largest online pharmacy PharmEasy, withdrew its preliminary filing for an initial public offering, citing market conditions and strategic considerations. PharmEasy had filed its DRHP with the market regulator SEBI and was planning to raise INR 6,250 crore through a fresh issue of shares on November 10, 2021. The existing investors of the company were not selling any shares in the upcoming IPO, as per the DRHP.
Furthermore, PharmEasy had announced that it would be looking for a pre-IPO fundraising of up to INR 1,250 crore via private placement after consulting with the BRLMs (Book Running Lead Manager). However, according to the latest news, PharmEasy was looking to slash its IPO valuation considering the volatility of the current market, as of February 19, 2022. PharmEasy currently partners with over 60K brick-and-mortar pharmacies from across the country and has served 20 mn+ patients since it was formed.
Finally, there is no shortcut to success and PharmEasy is a case in point. From being an unknown candidate in the online pharmacy space to becoming an established brand, Dharmil Sheth-founded PharmEasy has conquered varying obstacles to reach the zenith of success.
PharmEasy plans to launch an IPO in the future if its performance remains strong. The company is working to reduce its debt before going public. It is waiting for approval from the Competition Commission of India (CCI) to move ahead with its plans.
FAQs
Who is PharmEasy owner?
API Holdings Private Limited is the Parent Organisation of PharmEasy. Dhaval Shah and Dharmil Sheth are the Founders of PharmEasy.
How much is PharmEasy Revenue and Profit?
In 2023, PharmEasy had an operating revenue of INR 6,644 crore, and its total expenses were higher at INR 8,974 crore, leading to a loss of INR 5,211.7 crore. In 2024, their revenue decreased to INR 5,664 crore, and expenses also dropped to INR 7,254.8 crore, resulting in a smaller loss of INR 2,533.5 crore.
How PharmEasy work?
Customers can upload a prescription on PharmEasy, which is then sent to a drugstore in your vicinity. The package is then delivered to their doorsteps within the stipulated time.
How much is PharmEasy net worth?
API Holdings, the parent company of PharmEasy, had its valuation reduced to $458 million in September 2024.
Is the Pharmeasy office in Bangalore its headquarters?
Through an all-cash business transfer agreement, agritech startup DeHaat has acquired Olam Agri’s farm consultancy portal AgriCentral. DeHaat hopes to strengthen its position as India’s largest full-stack agritech platform, reach a wider audience within the farming community, and offer a wider range of digital services for farmers with this strategic purchase. With more than 10 million users, AgriCentral is an app-based platform for Indian farmers. It was established in 2018 and provides community engagement, health diagnostics, customised agricultural planning, and real-time crop prices. AgriCentral spearheads the shift to digital farming by utilising technology such as GPS, satellite images, big data, machine learning, and image analytics. Through a network of more than 15,000 DeHaat Centres, DeHaat has effectively built strong supply chain capabilities to provide 360-degree agricultural solutions to Indian farmers in more than 120,000 villages, according to cofounder and CEO Shashank Kumar.
DeHaat’s attempts to reach millions of underserved farmers with its full-stack agri-value chain services will be aided by AgriCentral’s affordable digital capabilities. In order to improve farmers’ livelihoods, it will also allow DeHaat to implement a number of value-added services, like precision advice, mechanisation, insurance, and cattle advisory, Kumar continued.
Now, 12 Million Farmers are Connected with DeHaat
Through the agreement, DeHaat will now provide services to more than 12 million farmers across the country, with the goal of surpassing its 2024 farmer network target. DeHaat is a comprehensive agritech platform that offers farmers end-to-end agricultural services. It was founded in 2012 by Kumar and Amrendra Singh. This includes market linkages to sell their produce, financial access, individualised farm assistance, and high-quality agricultural inputs. Temasek and Prosus Ventures are among the investors that have contributed $221 million to the business, which was once valued at $700 million.
DeHaat Expanding its Network
With more than 15,000 DeHaat centres spread across 11 states, the company has grown its digital network to provide 2.7 million farmers with individualised crop advising and digital farmer services. In order to promote sustainable agriculture, DeHaat has established exclusive distribution agreements with over ten international bio-agri-input innovators and distributes over 3,000 agricultural inputs through these centres. Due in significant part to an increase in total expenses, the Gurugram-based startup’s consolidated net loss increased by 3.76% to INR 1,133.1 Cr in the fiscal year 2023–24 (FY24) from INR 1,094.4 Cr the previous year. It was on course to reach breakeven by the final quarter of the current fiscal year (Q4 FY25); nevertheless, it reduced its operational losses by 42% YoY in FY24.
With the use of alliances with more than 1,000 agricultural organisations, such as input producers, produce purchasers, warehouse managers, and financial institutions, the platform’s supply chain capabilities extend throughout 120,000 communities.
According to reports, the civil aviation ministry is looking at creating a regulatory sandbox for advanced electric air mobility options in India in an attempt to address the problem of increasing urban congestion. According to a media report, Vumlunmang Vualnam, the secretary of civil aviation, stated, “We are ready to encourage and assist advanced air mobility.” He was giving a speech at the Greater Noida International Conference on Air Mobility. In addition to developing new solutions for the future, the centre anticipates that the move will help enhance efforts in the research and development of advanced mobility solutions. According to the article, representatives from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) have already begun touring possible field locations for advanced air mobility testing trials and other associated activities.
Observing Other International Players
Six working groups pertaining to different facets of advanced air mobility have also been established by the regulating body. The nation is currently investigating the work being done in the areas of airspace management, infrastructure development, and regulatory framework for advanced air mobility by other nations, including the US, EU, Singapore, and Dubai. The ePlane Company, an air mobility startup, teamed up with TCS this month to create electric air mobility solutions for both passenger and freight transportation. The business raised $14 million in its Series B fundraising round two months ago in order to accelerate its commercialisation goals and acquire international regulatory approvals. Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft and associated solutions are developed by the startup.
A Sector with Bundle of Opportunities
With its ability to reduce carbon emissions, ease traffic, and offer quicker, more effective means of transit, advanced air mobility has the potential to completely transform urban transportation. India is in a unique position to gain from these technologies because of its quickly growing metropolitan centres. India’s aviation infrastructure is growing, as Vualnam pointed out. There are already more than 150 airports in the nation, and by 2047, there will be 350. India is expected to carry 3.5 billion passengers a year by that point, solidifying its position as one of the aviation economies with the greatest rate of growth in the world. Advanced air transportation solutions could be included in this ecosystem to solve important urban issues and boost economic growth even further.
Major Challenges to Address
Although the future looks bright, there are many obstacles in the way of the broad use of sophisticated air mobility. It takes a lot of money and careful planning to build the required infrastructure, such as charging stations and vertiports. To meet the special needs of eVTOLs and other AAM technologies, airspace management will also need to be rethought. A proactive strategy to address these obstacles is the creation of a regulatory sandbox, which offers a framework for innovation while guaranteeing public safety and regulatory compliance. India may establish itself as a world leader in advanced air mobility by encouraging cooperation between industry participants, legislators, and regulatory agencies.
According to a media outlet report, Zepto, a quick commerce startup, is thinking of raising the amount of its initial public offering (IPO) to between $800 million and $1 billion, including secondary shares.
The company’s intentions for a public offering, which include an expected $5.5 billion in gross sales for the last quarter of FY26 with positive EBITDA (excluding ESOPs), were recently discussed by CEO Aadit Palicha with large mutual funds. According to the article, which cited brokers, this estimated amount is approximately equal to the rapid commerce industry’s total gross sales for the prior calendar year.
In mid-2024, the corporation started preparing for its initial public offering (IPO), initially aiming for $450 million in primary capital. The business is considering a range of at least $800 million or more, according to a source cited in the paper. This includes an enhanced primary fundraise and the possibility of selling at least $300–400 million worth of shares in an Offer for Sale (OFS).
Zepto Writing a New Success Story
By surpassing 900 dark stores, Zepto has surpassed expectations and is aiming to reach 1,000 locations. This development is a component of a larger plan to concentrate on growing the company and guaranteeing profitability. At the moment, Zepto receives between 1.1 million and 1.3 million orders every day. Sales of non-food items such as clothing, electronics, and miscellaneous merchandise now account for INR 200 crore of the company’s monthly revenue.
Increasing its domestic ownership is one of Zepto’s other main objectives. Prior to filing for its IPO, the company wants to have at least 40% of its shares held domestically. Zepto is moving its domicile to India as part of this process by combining its Singaporean parent business with an Indian organisation.
Zepto’s IPO
With plans to add more firms closer to the offering, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley are among the lead banks for Zepto’s initial public offering. As it competes with rivals like Flipkart Minutes, Blinkit by Zomato, and Swiggy Instamart in the quickly expanding industry, Zepto secured $350 million in a financing round in November 2024, increasing its total cash reserves to almost $1.4 billion. Although Zepto’s IPO pricing is still up in the air, the firm is thinking of comparing its KPIs to those of Blinkit.
Zepto has lost a lot of money despite its expansion, spending between INR 1,000 and 1,100 crore in the previous three months to fight with its main rivals. According to the various media reports, Zepto’s high burn rate helped it grow its network of dark stores in both existing and new areas, bringing its gross sales to $3 billion, just below Blinkit’s $3.7 billion. Although it too experienced an adjusted EBITDA loss of INR 103 crore, Blinkit claimed a 120% year-over-year rise in gross order value for the December quarter, hitting INR 7,798 crore.
For INR 233 Cr, or around $26 million, Chennai-based Hatsun Agro purchased Milk Mantra in order to increase its presence in the dairy industry. The board of the company has “approved the acquisition of 100% of the issued and paid-up share capital of the Milk Mantra Dairy Private Limited,” according to a BSE filing from HAP. According to the filing, Milk Mantra, situated in Bhubaneswar, will become a fully owned subsidiary of HAP upon the acquisition. HAP hopes to increase its presence in Odisha and the eastern dairy sector with this agreement. According to the document, it also wants to investigate its current market in north Andhra Pradesh as well as possible markets in West Bengal and nearby states. Following the acquisition, Milky Moo will be a new brand in addition to HAP’s current ones, Arun, IBACO, Hatsun, and Arokya.
About Milk Mantra
Milk Mantra was established in 2009 by Srikumar and Rashima Misra, and it started operations in 2012. Moo Shake and Milky Moo are the two brands that the firm offers its goods under. It offers flavoured milkshakes, lassi, paneer, curd, bottled milk, and mishti dahi. Due to its ability to keep costs under control, the company generated a profit in the fiscal year 2023–2024 (FY24), generating INR 9.8 Cr as opposed to INR 12.3 Cr in the previous fiscal year.
Indian Dairytech Startups Performance in 2024
In recent years, dairytech innovators have done everything they can to transform the Indian dairy industry, from utilising IoT (Internet of Things) devices to utilising AI and ML. Today’s farmers are therefore more equipped to keep an eye on the health of their cattle, which results in increased milk quality, better dairy products, and larger yields.
Additionally, Indian dairytech entrepreneurs are tackling long-standing problems that plague the industry. Poor disease control, inadequate animal healthcare, and low-quality feed are some of the main issues.
New-age hyperlocal delivery services like MilkBasket, DailyNinja, and Supr Daily (now InsanelyGood), to mention a few, have revolutionised the Indian dairy startup scene by displacing established brands like Mother Dairy and Amul through retail channels. Later, businesses like Country Delight, Milk Mantra, and others arose to solve issues with timely delivery and quality.
Nevertheless, a number of issues still need to be addressed in spite of the boom of businesses in this field. One of the biggest problems is getting milk from different dairy farms. This has a direct effect on milk quality. Indian companies have responded to this by establishing their own farms and implementing a direct-to-consumer (D2C) business model. Barosi, Happy Milk, Doozy Happy Nature, The Milk India Company, and The Good Cow Company are a few of these names.
The green economy is growing faster, and this is creating opportunities for organisations to relate growth and profitability with sustainability. In general, it will be useful to focus on the scrap car removal business to leverage and advance this transition. The green economy influences various sectors of economic activity, including scrap car removal, by promoting sustainable practices.
This is because by adopting environmentally friendly activities in their business, they can save on costs while also minimising waste, emissions, and other negative impacts on the environment, all while expanding their business.
Understanding the Green Economy
Definition of the Green Economy
The green economy is an economic system designed to reduce environmental degradation while promoting sustainable development. It is built on the principles of social equity, environmental sustainability, and economic viability. For businesses, this means creating a low-carbon, resource-efficient, and socially inclusive economy that fosters sustainable growth. In the context of scrap car removal, this involves adopting practices that minimize environmental impacts, such as recycling and using energy-efficient technologies.
Key Elements of the Green Economy
The green economy encompasses several key elements that are crucial for businesses aiming to be more sustainable:
Renewable Energy: Transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and hydroelectric power can significantly reduce carbon emissions.
Energy Efficiency: Improving energy efficiency in buildings, transportation, and industrial processes helps reduce overall energy consumption and operational costs.
Sustainable Agriculture: Promoting practices that reduce the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers, conserve water, and maintain soil health.
Waste Reduction and Management: Implementing strategies to reduce waste generation, increase recycling rates, and promote sustainable waste management practices.
Green Infrastructure: Investing in green infrastructure, such as green roofs, green spaces, and energy-efficient buildings, to reduce urban pollution and enhance biodiversity.
Sustainable Transportation: Encouraging the use of electric vehicles, public transportation, and non-motorized transportation options to reduce carbon emissions.
Green Jobs and Skills: Creating job opportunities in the green economy sector and promoting skills development to support sustainable practices.
By focusing on these key elements, scrap car removal businesses can align their operations with the principles of the green economy, contributing to a more sustainable future.
The Circular Economy and Waste Management
What is the Circular Economy?
The circular economy is a system of production and consumption designed to reduce waste and resource consumption. It operates on the principles of designing out waste, keeping products and materials in use, and regenerating natural systems. For the scrap car removal industry, this means creating processes that are restorative and regenerative, promoting sustainable growth and development.
In terms of waste management, the circular economy aims to:
Eliminate Waste: Designing products and systems that eliminate waste and encourage recycling and reuse.
Reduce Waste: Implementing sustainable consumption and production practices to minimize waste generation.
Recycle and Reuse: Promoting the recycling and reuse of materials to conserve resources and reduce waste.
Regenerate Natural Systems: Supporting sustainable agriculture, forestry, and conservation practices to restore natural systems.
What Circular Economy is All About
The green economy is defined by sustainable development and minimising negative impacts on the environment. It focuses on conservation of resources and energy, reduction of emissions, and efficiency of renewable resources. This includes efforts to reduce the environmental footprint of businesses. For businesses that offer scrap my car services, this implies transitioning their operations toward environmentally sustainable processes, including car recycling and employing energy-effective technologies. Additionally, businesses need to improve their environmental performance to align with green economy principles.
Benefits of Eco-Friendly Scrap Car Removal and Waste Management
Environmental Impact
Cars that are considered scrap have residual substances such as engine oil, car batteries, and other dangerous chemicals. These hazardous substances should not be left anyhow on the floor, in the drain, or anywhere since they can pollute soil and water if not properly recycled and disposed of. Recycling materials like steel, aluminium, and rubber also helps avoid fresh purchases, saving natural resources besides lowering emissions.
Additionally, the challenges of disposing of chemical waste safely and legally cannot be overlooked. Most junk haulers can take a wide range of items but typically exclude hazardous materials like chemical waste, emphasizing the need for proper knowledge of local disposal methods.
Economic Opportunities
One advantage of carving a niche in the green enterprise is the ability to grab the attention of consumers who are conscious of the environment. Industries that use recycled material can also be a source of additional revenue in the long run. Furthermore, there are also policies from the government to support sustainable initiatives that make profitability better.
Building Customer Trust
Establishing sustainability in operations indicates concern towards the environment and planet. It can help increase your company’s profile, pull in the right kind of customers, and help you outsmart other similar businesses. For example, a clear-cut explanation of the processes that involve junk car removal can be appealing to eco-friendly clients.
Key Elements of Business Opportunities
Market Expansion
In recent times, the focus on sustainability has presented some new developments in this industry. This means that in cutthroat markets, businesses offering scrap your car services are standing themselves out through certifications and environmentally friendly programs. Small businesses can benefit significantly from adopting these sustainable practices, as they help eliminate waste and promote resource reuse. This approach makes it possible to attract clients and partners friendly to the environment.
Resilient supply chains are crucial in the green economy, as decentralization and recycling efforts can mitigate disruptions from natural disasters and geopolitical issues, contributing to greater sustainability and reduced dependency on volatile raw material prices.
Government Incentives
Most areas for business offer great returns on practicing green business. Tax exemptions at the company level, grants, and subsidies are meant for the promotion of green initiatives in the automotive recycling industry.
Technological Innovation
Advanced Processing
Innovative technologies make it possible to effectively recycle materials. Advanced processing technologies can optimize production processes for better sustainability, minimizing waste, and improving efficiency. Speed and efficiency increase through automation of sorting and other necessary tools to dismantle cars.
Digital Integration
Technological software solutions enable some key areas, including inventory tracking, customer relationships, and others. This form of transformation is beneficial in day-to-day business operations and helps minimise the use of paper.
Community Engagement
Educational Initiatives
Effective management strategies can include community education about the value of car recycling. Such initiatives foster brand familiarity and significantly enhance brand image.
Local Partnerships
Partnering with environmental organisations and local businesses forms a great network of sustainable practices. This approach, as a matter of fact, opens up business opportunities and fosters social support.
How to Enter the Green Economy?
Adopt Recycling Best Practices
Implement innovative procedures to scrap cars and reuse parts productively. Metals, plastics, and glass that are collected can be resold to manufacturers to be processed and utilized again as a form of recycling. Considering the entire life cycle of products can improve sustainability by ensuring that environmental impacts are minimized at every stage, from production to disposal.
Product life extension is also crucial in reducing waste and promoting sustainability. By focusing on extending the life of products, businesses can contribute to a circular economy and reduce the need for new resources.
Utilize Eco-Friendly Technology
Acquire new technologies in terms of equipment that does not utilize very much energy. Such things as switching to electric or hybrid tow trucks can greatly help to bring down your carbon footprint.
Reducing energy intensity can be easily achieved by buying equipment that uses minimal energy. Small measures like replacing old tow trucks to electric or hybrid can greatly lower its negative effects on the environment.
Marketing Your Eco-Friendly Approach
Highlight Sustainable Practices
Promote your green activities through websites and social media sites. For instance, explain how a car is recycled or where toxic substances are dumped or how they are disposed of.
Engage Local Communities
Make use of education techniques and compile educational activities or even informational campaigns to prevent environmental degradation. This will accustom your target audience to your junk car removal services, and its importance.
Earn Eco-Certifications
Earning an accreditation of sustainability in your business affairs is likely to attract clientele to your business side and differentiate your enterprise from all the other firms in a certain market.
Environmental Impact: Challenges and Solutions
Regulatory Compliance
Compliance with environmental standards may be challenging. The best tip is to become well conversant with local laws and seek legal help to ensure that your business meets compliance.
Cost of Green Technology
Adopting environmentally friendly technology may pose high costs at the outset. Nevertheless, there are long-term benefits such as the lower operational costs and the incentives that make it more worth it.
Future Growth
Emerging Markets
Electric vehicle recycling also offers new opportunities as these vehicles reach their end of life. Adopting circular business models can drive future growth in the green economy by improving design and end-of-life management practices. Companies need to address challenges associated with batteries and other unique parts.
Industry Standards
Industry leaders are setting new standards on how corporations should reduce their environmental impact. This influences industry growth by elevating industry standards as well as providing competitive advantages to early adopters of such trends.
Economic Benefits
Cost Reduction
Optimisation lowers the operating expense by ensuring efficient use of the resources in the recycling processes. This efficiency increases profitability and the sustainability of the business ventures.
Revenue Streams
Venturing into specific services of recycling offers extra streams of revenue. The sale of automotive parts, metals, and environmental consulting services opens up business opportunities.
The scrap car removal business has a vast potential to contribute to sustainability while earning good profits. If they incorporate sustainable processes, promote their sustainable work, and manage problems, they will succeed in the green economy and contribute to change within their sector.
Nitin Konde
