private equity drives growth in India's beauty care market

Private Equity Drives Growth in India’s Beauty Care Market

Both innovation and consumer preference are reshaping the beauty and personal care sector, and PE is cashing in. As the industry shows no signs of slowing down (statistical data predicts the global beauty and personal care market will exceed $716 billion by 2025), private equity firms have been turning their sights to this sector, viewing it as a stable, high-margin, high-growth vertical that is only getting more interesting as the rise of e-commerce converges with moves towards sustainability.

Private Equity Firms Betting Big on Beauty

The beauty and personal care space is blowing up, seriously… And among the various sectors it encompasses, private equity finds its pot of gold. Private equity-backed deals comprised roughly 40% of all beauty-sector mergers and acquisitions (M&A) over the last twelve months, according to a number of recently released industry reports – indicative of an increase that is likely to bring some welcome relief for brands suffering from the impacts of COVID-19.

This investment spree is driven by the increased emphasis on innovation in skin care and clean beauty as well as wellness-driven product categories. In line with the growing demand of markets aligned with health and sustainability, PE firms are paying more attention to its related brands.

Recent Big Deals in Beauty

Some of these include the fairly large newspaper and government public deals that seem to be new over the past year:

  • Advent International took the majority investment in Olaplex, the performance hair care brand who have achieved cult status. This transaction further demonstrates the emphasis on premium quality in general, but also on science-informed formulations.
  • Il Makiage, a DTC beauty brand that uses data analytics and AI to deliver personalized recommendations, raised $29M via LCatterton, showing the role of tech in today’s beauty.
  • Carlyle Group acquired a majority stake in BeautyQuest Group, which manufactures and distributes branded and private-label hair care, skin care, and other personal care products. The deal suggests that more value is being placed on companies that provide cross-category innovation, appealing to investors.

Private equity GPs are also stocking up on the wellness and self-care trend, with their sights set on companies specializing in supplements, personal care products, and men’s grooming.

Private Equity Eyes India’s Expanding Beauty & Personal Care Market

India’s steadily growing beauty and personal care market, expected to rise at a CAGR of 6.5% during the next five years has garnered significant attention from private equity firms. Given the expected improvement in per capita income as middle-class spending accelerates in an increasingly modernised country blessed with fast-growing internet penetration and e-commerce platform adoption, India is being viewed by global investors for what it is: an emerging market.

Many global PE firms with big Indian experience have made bold moves in this market over the past few months.

Warburg Pincus Joins Indian Beauty Revolution Through Cash-Infusion Good Glamm Group, A Digital-First Beauty And Personal Care Giant That Owns Brands Like MyGlamm, POPxo & Plixxo The move highlights the attractiveness of D2C beauty brands in India.

TPG Growth Acquires Pre-IPO Stake in Nykaa, India’s Leading Beauty Products E-commerce Platform Nykaa’s successful listing on the Indian stock market in turn turned the heads of investors going long on India’s e-tail sector.

Sugar Cosmetics – Earned investment from L Catterton, a multinational firm and one of the largest beauty pure-play investments in India. The investment will help Sugar grow its overall volume and product rollout as the brand looks to quickly expand online and in-store.

Puig Acquires Kama Ayurveda IBN Almost one-quarter of the globe away in Spain a culture rich in age-old tradition and history.

These investments highlight the outlook that global PE giants are having as part of their beauty and personal care portfolios in India, given the presence of demographic boon; a growing appetite towards wellness habits, and developments shifting towards digital-first or D2C (direct-to-consumer) models.

Numerous Trends Enabling Global Investments In Local Markets

Several broader global macro trends are contributing to the increase in private equity capital commitments, including:

Digitisation: In emerging markets such as India, there is already a fundamental transformation in the way beauty products are marketed and sold with e-commerce and social media platforms leading the charge. Investors too are betting on digital strategy and data analytics-powered customer experiences which is why they are backing brands like Pinduoduo.

Sustainability and Clean Beauty: Brands that are clean, cruelty-free, and sustainable are taking significant capital as consumers demand a more eco-friendly approach to cosmetics. More and more Indian brands like Mamaearth specializing in toxin-free beauty products are stepping up to the plate and catching investor attention.

Personalisation and Innovation: Global PE investors seek businesses that provide custom solutions to a variety of consumer demands. Investors are especially interested in brands that leverage technology for personalized beauty offerings.

Future Outlook For India’s Beauty Sector

With private equity capital still flowing steadily into India’s beauty and personal care sector, analysts believe the landscape could evolve further with an increased focus on innovation, product diversification, and market consolidation. This opens the door for foreign investors to invest capital with an expectation of growth in India, given its young population and increasing demand of premium and sustainable products.

The beauty market in India is expected to grow significantly on account of increased consumer consciousness, disposable income, and inclination towards wellness-oriented beauty products. This will mean that startups and independent beauty brands, which are usually more tied to disruption, become better supported as a result.

A few American leading Beauty Brands are now planning to raise funding also from Global Private Equity players and for that is on boarding with FundTQ as their exclusive advisor for the round.

The founder growth Partner of FundTQ, commenting on the current market trends in Beauty and Personal Care said “Evolving consumer behavior, coupled with growing private equity investment is reforming the global beauty and personal care industry. An interesting way in which this ecosystem is growing is the significant participation of global investors in accelerating innovation and scaling of Indian brands to new levels. It shows the amount of potential opportunities for top Indian brands like this when it comes to global growth,” he says.

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challenges-in-valuing-start-up-ventures-key-factors-to-consider

Challenges in Valuing Startup Ventures: Key Factors to Consider

Valuing new businesses is one of the most challenging tasks in finance. Unlike established companies, startups often lack historical data, have uncertain business models, and face high failure rates. These factors make traditional valuation methods less effective. However, understanding these challenges and adapting conventional techniques can help investors and entrepreneurs estimate a startup’s potential worth. This guide delves into the unique difficulties of valuing startups and explores strategies to navigate these complexities, ensuring that both the business and investors can agree on a fair valuation for successful fundraising.

How Should New Businesses Be Valued?

Perhaps the most fascinating and difficult valuation task is valuing fledgling companies. This is a problem that many investors, including venture capitalists, startup funds, and business angels, encounter when attempting to assess if a new initiative has the potential to be an attractive investment opportunity.

The conventional methods for valuing reasonably established enterprises have been extensively discussed in Firm Valuation. This section’s goal is to help you comprehend the unique difficulties that come with valuing startup companies and explore ways to modify conventional valuation methods so that they may at least roughly estimate the prospective financial worth of a new endeavor.

The valuation of firms is not a precise science. This is particularly valid for new businesses. Nevertheless, the process of carefully evaluating a startup’s financial viability will provide us a better grasp of the business case and, ideally, assist us in identifying the critical success determinants and value drivers that investors and management should pay particular attention to.

Challenges in Valuing Startup Ventures

When trying to value startup companies, we are typically confronted with a set of additional challenges such as:

1. No Historical Data:

Without a financial history, it is more challenging to make meaningful judgments about significant value drivers like growth, efficiency, cost structure, etc.

2. Tangible Assets (if any):

A startup’s value is mostly based on potential future investment prospects. There aren’t many, if any, valuable tangible assets.

3. No Revenues, Negative Earnings:

Without representative sales and earnings, standard relative valuation measures like the P/E ratio and the EV/EBITDA ratio are useless.

4. Lots Of Uncertainty In The Business Model:

The future of the business model is far from obvious. The company does not yet have a comprehensive plan for marketing and advertising, despite having a beta version and a small number of test clients in place.

5. High Probability Of Failure:

The majority of new businesses fail. Failure must so be taken into account while valuing.

6. Positive Free Cash Flows Are Years Away:

Anticipated break even and positive free cash flows are frequently in the relatively far future, regardless of the sales and marketing plan. If predicting the sources and uses of finances for the upcoming month might be difficult for startups, making long-term estimates that extend beyond break even is a more formidable task.

7. No Comparable Firms:

Finding publicly traded companies with a comparable business strategy will also be difficult for a startup with a truly novel idea. The lack of similar companies makes it more difficult to validate the business strategy and estimate important valuation characteristics like a fair growth rate of the pertinent cost of capital.

8. Additional Risks:

Startups frequently face other “systematic” risks as well, like finance issues, survival issues, and technical difficulties. These extra risks are usually not taken into account in full when assessing the cost of capital with comparable enterprises.

9. Hockey Sticks:

Startup companies’ revenue projections usually look like a hockey stick: flat for a few years, then sharply rising after that. Regretfully, most businesses never reach the stage where their earnings begin to rise. When they do, the growth period is frequently shorter and less dramatic than expected.

10. Management Flexibility:

The management has freedom in how the firm is launched because the majority of significant investments are made in the far future. For instance, if demand is not as strong as anticipated, it might invest less or promote an alternative sales channel. Such adaptability in management may represent worthwhile actual choices. Nevertheless, the majority of conventional valuation techniques have difficulty accurately capturing these genuine options.

11. Dependence on Funding Rounds:

Start-ups sometimes require many investment rounds to finance their expansion. The valuation process can become more complex as a result of valuation changes that occur between fundraising rounds, contingent upon investor opinion, market conditions, and the company’s progress.

12. Subjective And Biases:

Start-up valuation is subjective in that it relies heavily on assumptions, market trends, and investor sentiment. Divergent growth projections and varying degrees of risk tolerance among investors might lead to divergent value.

These difficulties make it more difficult to put together a business or financial strategy, estimate capital costs, use relative valuation, and employ discounted cash flow techniques. Or, to put it another way, they complicate corporate value.

Still, in order to acquire capital, a business needs a financial plan. It must specify in this plan how much money it needs, when it needs it, when capital suppliers can anticipate receiving their first payments, and when they can expect to withdraw their investment. Pro forma income statements, cash flow statements, and balance sheets are among the documents needed for this financial strategy. This financial strategy can serve as a foundation for our company’s valuation.

The main focus of this module is to discuss the application of standard valuation techniques in the context of startup firms. In particular, we discuss:

  • How to modify the DCF-approach to obtain a very approximate potential valuation of the business in order to facilitate acquisitions.
  • How venture capitalists typically value companies
  • How to calculate the issue price of an equity offering based on its prospective valuation
  • How to guard against “dilution” in upcoming funding rounds for investors
  • How option pricing can be used to capture the true option value of fledgling companies and when it cannot.

The business and the investors must also agree on a price in order to raise capital. It’s implied from the difficulties raised above that this won’t always be simple. Most of the time, an entrepreneur has far higher expectations for his business than do possible investors. Finding a transaction structure that takes into account the varying tastes and expectations of both sides will therefore be essential. The “Deal Structuring” module provides detailed instructions on how to identify these structures and subsequently enable deals.

Also Read: Business Continuity Plan

business-continuity-plan-expect-the-unexpected-and-prepar-effectively

Business Continuity Plan: Expect the Unexpected and Prepare Effectively

In managing and growing their companies, seasoned entrepreneurs prepare for unforeseen circumstances. Operations disruptions could cost your firm a lot of money or cause serious losses. But when issues emerge, business owners and entrepreneurs who create a business continuity plan (BCP) can be ahead of the game.
Discover the definition, potential uses, and operation of business continuity plans (BCPs) in our overview.

What’s a Business Continuity Plan?

Any company may have disruptions in its operations. Occasionally, a calamity strikes without warning and does more damage than anticipated to corporate operations. Being ready for these interruptions can help you reduce risks and protect yourself from unfavorable circumstances.
A business continuity plan (BCP) is a collection of procedures and actions that are typically documented in a document and serve to maintain stability in the event of operational disruptions. In the event of an unanticipated disruption, this paper assists in proactively solidifying systems and procedures to keep things operating.

Companies should write business continuity plans to encompass a wide variety of unexpected occurrences. These may include:

  • Natural disasters
  • Power outages
  • Public health emergencies
  • Civil unrest
  • Cyberattacks
  • Supply chain issues
  • Reputational damage
  • Acts of terror

How to Create a Business Continuity Plan?

Plans for business continuity might vary greatly from firm to company. Business continuity plans should, however, generally include explicit policies, recovery plans, and backup plans for promptly resuming regular business operations and restoring vital business functions.

Key steps to creating your plan:

1. Assess And Identify Vulnerabilities.

Assemble your teams to produce an analysis of the business impact. The analysis ought to encompass potentially catastrophic disruptions and their potential effects on finances and operations. Think about discussing:
– Essential business operations a summary of the essential company functions that must continue in the case of an unforeseen interruption.
– Potential dangers to essential company operations a list of the most plausible dangers unique to the company. Potential hazards can be found with the aid of a risk assessment and business impact analysis.

2. Create And Prepare Your Plan.

Enterprises must concentrate on their recovery procedures, reaction, correspondence, and the duties and responsibilities of team members carrying out strategies. BCPs ought to contain:

– Accountable parties: a personnel and team roster called the continuity team, which is in charge of carrying out the business continuity strategy.
– Strategies for preventing and regaining business disruptions: The strategies and procedures for resuming vital business operations are described in these policies’ particular operational and backup plans.
– Key personnel, emergency personnel, suppliers, etc. can be reached at: a directory of people to contact on the business continuity team for assistance in implementing backup plans and resuming operations.

3. Test And Train.

Once your plan has been created, test it and train continuity teams. If staff members haven’t rehearsed carrying out the strategy, even a carefully designed one may not succeed. You ought to:
Describe the procedures used to test business continuity plans a summary of the steps involved in ensuring that a company’s emergency or disaster plans will function as intended.

4. Update Your Plan.

These policies can and ought to be “living, breathing” documents that are routinely examined and revised as necessary. Make sure a plan is in place for routinely testing, evaluating, and reevaluating plans.
Depending on the type of business, a continuity plan’s actual contents will change. In order to determine the biggest and most likely threats to their operations and to choose the best course for business recovery, businesses frequently conduct risk assessments and business impact analyses.

Business Continuity Plans vs. Disaster Recovery Plans

“People frequently discuss business continuity and disaster recovery planning together. The two ideas complement one other. Even though the terms are occasionally used synonymously, it’s crucial to understand their distinctions.

Here are some key differences between the plans:

1. Business Continuity Plans

  • Plans that are specific and proactive about how a company will respond in the event of a disaster or other unforeseen business interruption.
  • Address a variety of situations, both little and large.
  • These programs may concentrate more on holistic prevention and preparation.

2. Disaster Recovery Plans

  • Outline procedures in advance for reacting to emergencies.
  • Record a company’s response to a significant incident so that it may resume safe, regular operations.
  • Discusses information technology, data security, and strategies for recovering data access and backup data in the event of a disaster.

Why are Business Continuity Plans Important?

Plans for business continuity play a crucial role in an organization’s entire risk-management approach. They serve as the cornerstone for a company’s strategy for emergency management and disaster preparedness in all situations. Building your company’s resilience in the face of future unpredictability starts with a business continuity plan, or BCP.

If a firm doesn’t have a solid business continuity plan—and related paperwork, such a catastrophe response plan—it can find itself in a precarious situation when an unforeseen incident occurs. Plans for business continuity are in place to assist mitigate both short- and long-term risks and to offer a route back to stability.

Supplement business continuity plans with other risk-management documents, like succession plans, to ensure comprehensive proactive protection. Businesses can reduce risk more successfully the more ways they can support their operations in the case of an emergency or disaster. In fact, in the event of a disaster, doing so can assist safeguard your company’s revenue.

investment memorandum a guide for startup founders

Investment Memorandum: A Guide for Startup Founders

The path from ground-breaking concepts to successful fundraising rounds can be intimidating for many business founders. The investment memorandum is a crucial document that forms the basis of this journey. This document is a powerful instrument that informs investors about the potential of your startup and presents a strong case for their investment in your vision; it is not just a formality.

What Is An Investment Memorandum?

An investment memorandum is a document prepared by a start-up company targeting potential investors and outlines the main aspects of the business and the investment opportunity. It is a detailed introduction to your company and provides an overview of your market, product, team and finances. It’s a narrative that highlights your business’s potential for expansion and success by fusing data, analytics, and its own story.

Role And Importance Of Investment Bonds

Investment bonds play a key role in the investment decision making process. They help investors understand the nature of your business, the problem you are solving, and how you plan to earn a return on your investment. A well-crafted note can set your startup apart from the competition, highlight your strengths, and address potential issues. This is an opportunity to generate investor interest and lay the groundwork for in-depth discussions and due diligence.

Main Audiences For Investment Memorandum

Investment memorandum serve a wider audience, even if their primary target audience is potential investors like angel and private equity investors. Advisory boards, possible partners, and even important staff members who wish to know the startup’s financial situation and strategic orientation may find them helpful. You can make sure your pitch resonates with these audiences and achieves its goals of obtaining money and assisting your startup’s growth demands by customizing it for them.

Key Elements Of An Effective Investment Memorandum

Creating an investment memorandum that describes the nature of your startup and attracts potential investors requires careful consideration of its content. Here’s what to add to make your note stand out.

Key elements of Investment Memorandum

1. Summary

The summary is your first (and sometimes only) chance to get an investor interested.It should precisely outline the value proposition, primary goal, and distinctive solution that your startup provides through its goods or services. Make sure you convey the potential for development and profit, and emphasize the market opportunity and your plan for taking advantage of it.

2. Market Analysis

A thorough market analysis shows that you understand the market you are entering. This should include the size of your target market, growth trajectory and key trends supported by reliable data. This section is crucial to convince investors of the significant opportunity your startup is ready to take advantage of.

3. Product/Service Overview

Find out what the startup provides, what issues it resolves, and why it performs better than current options. Provide details regarding the level of development, intellectual property, and any traction or client feedback obtained. This section shows the profitability and scalability of your product or service.

4. Business Model

Your business model describes how your startup plans to make money. Describe your revenue streams, pricing strategy, sales and distribution channels, and partnerships that drive your business forward. The clear and logical explanations presented here will convince investors of the sustainability and profitability of your company.

5. Competitive Environment

Understanding your competition is just as important as knowing your business. Analyze your competitors, their strengths and weaknesses, and how the startup differentiates itself. Highlighting your competitive advantage shows investors why your startup is a better bet.

6. Financial Information

Provide a clear picture of your financial situation and projections. Include current financial data, when available, and detailed projections showing revenue, costs and profitability over time. This section should also explain the assumptions behind your projections and provide a realistic view of your financial planning.

7. Team

Investors invest in both people and ideas. Introduce your team by highlighting their backgrounds, expertise and roles within the startup. Demonstrating a strong and competent team will increase investors’ confidence in your startup’s ability to execute its business plan.

8. Use Of Money

Clearly indicate how you intend to use the investment. Learn how finances drive growth by determining how much to allocate to product development, marketing, sales and other critical areas. Clear and well-founded plans for the use of money can significantly strengthen your desire to invest.

9. Drafting The Investment Memorandum

With the components in mind, it is time to draft the memorandum. The goal is clarity, brevity and impact. Investors are busy; your note should adopt them quickly and strongly support your startup. Use images such as charts and graphs to complement your story, making complex information easy to digest. Above all, tell a compelling story that connects with the reader emotionally and financially.

10. Common Mistakes To Avoid

Avoid common pitfalls such as neglecting the story, underestimating the competition or providing unclear financial information. Each part of your note should build on the last and create a cohesive and compelling argument for the success of your startup.

11. Drafting And Delivery Of the Investment Memorandum

Before drafting the memorandum, seek feedback from mentors, advisors and colleagues. Tailor your pitch to your audience and understand that different investors may prioritize different aspects of your business. When presenting, include a confident verbal or visual presentation in the memo that reinforces your key messages.

Summary

An investment memorandum is more than just a document; it’s a strategic tool that can catalyze your startup’s growth by securing critical funding. By understanding its importance, focusing on the most important parts and avoiding common mistakes, you can create an attractive note that stands out in the eyes of investors. Remember that the goal is to inform, persuade and instil confidence in your vision and your team.

Check out some of our Information Memorandum Templates

7 important agreements for startups

7 Important Agreements For Startups

Establishing a business is a thrilling adventure full of aspirations for expansion and success. However, amidst the excitement, it’s crucial for entrepreneurs to establish a solid legal framework to avoid potential pitfalls down the road. In this guide, we’ll explore seven critical legal agreements for every startups that should be prioritized to prevent costly legal battles in the future.

Contracts for Startups

Following are the important agreements for startups:

important agreements for startups
Important Agreements for Startups

1. Articles Of Incorporation

Often overlooked by eager entrepreneurs, the Articles of Incorporation lay the groundwork for a company’s organizational structure. Choosing the right business entity, such as a C corporation or a limited liability company (LLC), is essential. The decision impacts personal liability, taxes, and overall financial burden. Taking the time to weigh the pros and cons ensures a strong foundation and guards against personal liability risks.

2. Intellectual Property (IP) Assignment Agreement

In the tech-driven landscape, startups must safeguard their intellectual property (IP) to secure development finance. An IP Assignment Agreement is instrumental in establishing ownership of all IP assets, protecting against patent trolls and imitators. Two key contracts, Technology Assignment Agreements and Invention Assignment Agreements, enable startups to acquire pre-existing IP and gain legal rights to works developed post-founding, respectively.

3. Bylaws

Establishing robust rules early on is crucial for the effective operation of a startup. Bylaws outline internal processes, dispute resolution mechanisms, and shareholder obligations. Importantly, they set minimum support levels for significant corporate activities, such as electing board members or taking on debt.

4. Operating Agreement (Founder’s Agreement)

To prevent future conflicts, founders should sign a comprehensive operating agreement outlining ownership of work and establishing communication and conflict resolution procedures. This agreement solidifies the relationship between founders and ensures clarity on each member’s contributions and responsibilities.

5. Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs)

Protecting sensitive information is paramount, especially when dealing with third parties. NDAs are essential before engaging in any commercial transactions, ensuring confidentiality regarding closely guarded secrets. The agreement should address when information is classified as confidential, the care taken with it, decision-making authority, the duration of confidentiality, and the maintenance of secrecy.

6. Employee Contracts And Offer Letters

Drafting detailed employment contracts and offer letters is crucial before hiring employees. These documents clarify employment terms, roles and responsibilities, intellectual property rights, and company policies. Clear communication through written materials ensures compliance with legal duties and sets expectations for both parties.

7. Shareholder Agreements

When seeking private financing, a well-drafted shareholder agreement is essential. It defines shareholder rights, governance, the right of first refusal, redemption in case of death or incapacity, and the right to transfer shares. Founders selling shares must comply with state and federal laws to avoid severe fines.

Bonus 

Website Terms of Use Agreement

As startups expand their online presence, a well-crafted Website Terms of Use Agreement becomes indispensable. This agreement regulates the relationship between the company and its clients, covering issues such as website usage restrictions, disclaimers, liability limitations, privacy policy disclosures, copyright warnings, and dispute resolution jurisdiction.

Conclusion

Establishing a startup is an exciting venture, but neglecting the legal foundation can lead to unforeseen challenges. Entrepreneurs must recognize the importance of seeking legal counsel to avoid potential pitfalls. While budget constraints may be a concern, hiring a qualified attorney is an investment that pays off in the long run.

Clear and comprehensive legal agreements not only protect the company but also make it more attractive to investors. A systematic and organized approach to legal matters demonstrates a commitment to professionalism, reducing the risk of legal challenges and allowing the company to focus on growth and development. As the saying goes, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” and in the startup world, these legal agreements are the preventive measures that pave the way for success.

Also Read: Investment Memorandum Guide

FundTQ Helps Fabheads Raise Their Pre-Series A Round

FundTQ served as an exclusive advisor for the deeptech startup, which manufactures carbon fiber parts  and has recently raised INR 8 crore in a pre-series A round from Inflection Point Ventures. FundTQ is the lead sourcing partner of Inflection Point Ventures on this transaction. Existing investors Keiretsu (Chennai chapter) and Vijay Kedia, MD, Kedia Securities also participated in the round.

Fabheads is a renowned company for being the first and only company in India to have developed their patented continuous fiber 3D printing process, a feat only a handful of companies across the world have achieved. Founded in December 2015 by experienced ISRO engineers Dhinesh Kanagaraj, Abhijeet Rathore and Akshay Ballal, Fabheads Automation develops automation equipment to manufacture high-end carbon fiber parts in the country. The startup primarily deals in the Aerospace, Automobile, and Biomedical sectors.

It is also the winner of the National Award for Technology Startups (2021) by the Department of Science and Technology, National Startup Awards (2020) in the 3D Printing Category by Startup India, DRDO’s DaretoDream Award (2019), JEC’s Outstanding Innovation in composites award (2018) and the Top Startup in Manufacturing (2018) by CII.  

Fabheads is offering design and manufacturing services to drones, robotics, and shipping companies in India. It counts E-plane Company, Synergy Marine, Planys Technologies and ADA (Aeronautical Development Agency) as clients. It has also onboarded a couple of Singapore clients and recently started pilot operations across Asia.

“Fabheads is a niche deal, therefore, choosing a right partner for it was of the utmost importance. We believe the partnership and expertise of IPV will assist Fabheads in growing faster and effectively. We believe it’s vital to have right investors onboard, and that too at right valuation” said by Aanchal Malhotra, growth partner of FundTQ

FundTQ is a Digital Funding Assistance Platform for Institutional Investment and Mergers & Acquisitions known as One of its kind fundraising platform with products such as  “Valuation Software” and “Choose right investors platform”.

FundTQ follows a hybrid approach for fundraising and M&A for startup companies through their distinctive technology products, holistic advisory services and their network of firms. Two of their exclusive product offerings include a Proprietary Valuation software available on Subscription basis which allows companies to value their venture in 10 minutes using 15 data points in the most complex and highly data driven manner; and Choose Right Investors platform that helps startups pick and choose right institutional and strategic investors from a pool of 3000+ investors anytime, anywhere in a click of a button.

Close to a 100 startups and mid corporates are currently using FundTQ’s products to raise capital. Founders need to approach fundraising through a filtered process. You start with a large pool of potential investors and trickle down to investors that you feel connected with. FundTQ helps you build that pool of investors and connect with them. Their primary focus is to get you the right investors, at the right valuation, and at the earliest. 

PhonePe set to acquire content and app discovery platform

Company Overview

  • PhonePe is a mobile payment app that allows users to transfer money instantly to anyone by just using their phone number.
  • PhonePe was found in December 2015 and was acquired by Flipkart in 2016. In 2018, Flipkart was acquired by Walmart and PhonePe was also part of the transaction.
  • Flushed with funds after a massive $700 million funding round led by Walmart, PhonePe has been very aggressive with its marketing and acquisition. PhonePe was valued at $5.5 billion, making it the second most valuable fintech after Paytm.
  • In April, it processed 1.19 billion UPI transactions, worth Rs. 2.34 lakh crore, cornering nearly 45% of the market. And with this recent acquisition, it has hit another milestone in the business world.

Acquisition Overview

  • Bengaluru-based India’s leading UPI payment platform, Phonepe is all set to acquire homegrown content and app discovery platform, Indus OS for a deal valued at $60 million.
  • This is believed to be the second acquisition PhonePe has made. In 2018, PhonePe had acquired point-of-sale startup Zopper as well, as part of its aggressive expansion.
  • The rationale behind this acquisition is to boost its ‘super app’, called Switch, designed to offer a wide range of services under one umbrella. The super app aggregates 400 apps across verticals including categories such as food, travel, shopping, and lifestyle which users can access.
  • With this acquisition, PhonePe not only gets Indus OS’ customer base of English-speaking 100 million users, but also plans to expand it for users not having English as their primary language.

Razorpay Raised $160 Million In Series E Funding

Overview

  • Razorpay started with the objective of making online payments accessible to all companies whether big and small. Company offers a fast, affordable and secure way for merchants, schools, ecommerce and other companies to accept and disburse payments online. 
  • With the new funds in hand, Razorpay has a wide range of goals that it has set out to achieve. The company is looking to expand its presence in South East Asian countries, scale up its business banking suite and also invest in acquiring new companies. 
  • The company had recently acquired two startups – Opfin, a payroll and HR Management software company, and Thirdwatch, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) startup. It also plans to hire over 600 employees for the expansion plan. 

Revenue and Valuation

  • Razorpay raised $160 million from Sequoia India and Singapore-based GIC in Series E funding round that has trebled the valuation of the payment gateway startup to $3 billion in less than six months. 
  • Razorpay’s core business is payment gateway Company registered 2.6X jump in its revenues to Rs 509 crore in FY20. While it posted loss of Rs 6.15 crore during the same fiscal, it turned cash flow positive at the operational level during the fiscal. 
  • Now Razorpay has become the 3rd most valued company in the fintech segment after Paytm and PhonePe. 

are we stuck with the same startup business models

Are We Stuck With The Same Startup Business Models?

“Your vision is a story. It is how you revolutionize it, how well you imagine it, how amazingly you narrate it, and how often you innovate it.”

“The strength of the vision of your business model governs who will rule the game or the investors

version of business model

Are You Bringing A Revolution Or Playing A Safe Game?

Are we giving enough to satisfy the appetite of investors? As Myles Munroe, a speaker and an author correctly highlighted a striking difference between self-employed and an entrepreneur. Self-employed are the people working for themselves whereas, entrepreneurs are people who have a long-term vision and goals to achieve that vision.

So are the startups we innovating appropriately? Or are we going overboard with existing startup business models making money. We are experiencing a world with entry of new players in the existing business models itself. Everyone is making the hay while the sun is shining. Indian economy is flourishing with entry of aggregators, and every new business model is based on aggregation of products or services.

To move a step further, there is an aggregator model and then there is a grand-aggregator model (aggregator of aggregators) such as Trivago, aggregator of hotel aggregators and Cabto, aggregator of ride sharing aggregators. Are we awarding the players having the first mover advantage. Those who carried out extensive R&D to build demand, who took the risk in an unknown economy. However, startups really need to rejuvenate themselves to think beyond what is available. Does the business model you are choosing fall within your vision or are they just doing it because the industry is well tested and they can provide a new feature and make it look different? There is a bundle of instances I would highlight here:

bringing a revolution or playing a safe game

And there are many other case studies such as Rigo, Truecabs, Cabby in Ride sharing; Spinny in used-car selling and others.

Are You Prepared Or Are You Just Ready?

As an entrepreneur one needs to keep in mind that is there any problem one is trying to resolve or is one tweaking the loopholes in existing startup business models. We need to empathize with the business models which closed down in their early years of operation. Research shows that nearly 90% of business models fail within their first 5 years of operation.

The major set-backs experienced by business models in the past were by the following:

business model

The reasons stated by most news agencies for failure of business models are failing to innovate, lack of funding, lack of uniqueness, among others. No indian startup ever got shortlisted for Forbes’ 25 most innovative companies or Forbes Top 25 Innovative Growth companies. Why don’t we see rise of meta-level startups such as Google, Linkedin, Facebook, Whatsapp and Twitter.

Entrepreneurs need to think that are they just trying their hands on entrepreneurship or they have a vision and a dream to accomplish.

Investors Herd Mentality And Are We Living In An Investor-Biased World?

The point to ponder here is that all the businesses which failed had atleast one series of funding, which means someone believed in their story? That means if the business models were not unique and innovative, why would an investor invest money at the first place.

As an investor, did you think if you are investing in a business lead by an entrepreneur or a self employed? Are investors fell prey to fancy stories of manipulation and articulation narrated by some of the media companies today which showcase the startups as unique, adventurous while showcasing founders as superheroes.

Fund raising in startups has become a “game of confusion” which needs clarity at the earliest. To do this, thoroughly evaluate the entrepreneur’s vision by asking key questions: Is he ready for the next 10 years? Does he have a diversification plan or is it just a cash burn strategy relying on investors? Does he believe in his story? How prepared is he? Is he putting in the effort to achieve his goal or just burning the midnight oil?

Additionally, there is a slew of new era investors including many individual investors trying to make a buck out of demand-driven startup business models. So, when choosing investors, ask yourself: Is he the right fit? Has he helped his portfolio companies grow or led them to failure? Does he stand by his portfolio companies through thick and thin?

Fundraising: Let’s Clear The Air

Lets reiterate that there are no free lunches and lets learn from the demise of VG Siddhartha. When an entrepreneur raises funding, one is making him vulnerable and accountable to unknown band of investors. It’s a game where you end up diluting to the effect that the investors (strangers to you) take up majority of the stake in your own company. To exemplify this, Jeff Bezoz has 12% stake in Amazon, Flipkart founders had 5% stake, Ola founders have nearly 12% stake in their own company and others.

The flip side of this appears in stories like Uber’s co-founder Travis Kalanick resigning from his own company and Naresh Goyal stepping down and being barred from bidding for Jet Airways, which he founded in 1993. Cofounders of Flipkart resigned / stepped down after Walmart bought controlling stake, among other reasons.There are also other cases, such as Jack Dorsey’s resignation from Twitter and Andrew Mason stepping down from Groupon (now rebranded as nearbuy). In the wake of this, Oyo’s founder declined SoftBank’s offer to infuse USD1.1bn, fearing a loss of control. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to be more learned and mature while raising funds (startups) and providing funds (investors). While concluding this, we can state:

“Nothing can fail your business if you have a vision for next 10 years and you narrate the story of your vision well to those who could believe in you. Just remember business models might fail, dreams donot.”

Also ReadBusiness Continuity Plan