Abhishek Singh

CHANNELIAM FUNDING TRACKER RECENT UPDATES 1.    Chosen® Raises USD 1.2 Mn in Seed Round 2.    Clodura.AI Raises USD 2 Mn from Bharat Innovation Fund 3.    Digital marketing automation #startup Maino.ai raises $1.8 Mn 4.    #Healthtech startup DocPlix raises Rs 1.2 Cr in bridge round 5.    Speciality chemicals startup Scimplify to raise $5 Mn 6.    Robinhood acquires Bitstamp in $200M deal to expand #crypto presence globally #funding #startups #businessnews #channeliam

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We're all set for the podcast that is to be live on 8th may, and so should you. 🙌🏻🎙 Our guest Paras Thakkar - Founder of Sourceinfi shares his insights of importing products Internationally in the E-commerce World. ✅ Stay tuned for the complete episode on May 8th and elevate your international business game. The link to my channel is in the comments, make sure to subscribe to the channel to never miss a video. #kushalarora #kushalkonversations #kushalarorapodcast #parasthakkar #sourceinfi #ecommerceimport #ecommerceimportbusiness

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5 MOVIES THAT START-UP FOUNDERS SHOULD WATCH! I usually don’t get the time to watch a lot of content. But on the recommendation of a few friends, I watched these amazing movies and learned from each one of them. Here are my learnings- 1️⃣ THE SOCIAL NETWORK Lesson: No idea is small. Every dorm room has the power to give birth to a multi-billion-dollar startup. All you need is the right vision, the right strategy, and the right team. 2️⃣ STEVE JOBS Lesson: Challenge everything from the minutest process in your company to the biggest decisions. That’s the only recipe to revolutionize the industry that you’re a part of. 3️⃣ THE FOUNDER Lesson: Age is just a number. If there is hunger for growth, one can even start in his 50s and build a global brand. 4️⃣ AIR Lesson: You’ll never know which product/brand has the potential to go big. Hence your only responsibility is to keep trying! 5️⃣ BLACKBERRY Lesson: Nothing is permanent, not even success. Your business must be anti-fragile enough to constantly change with time. If not, it’ll be obsolete in no time. WHICH ONE IS YOUR FAVORITE OF ALL? #startup #movies #branding #casestudy #lifelessons #work #mcdonalds #michaeljordan #apple #facebook #blackberry #startupfounder #entrepreneurship #edutainment

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#SuccessfulExit: Highlights the positive outcome of the investment, showcasing a profitable venture for all involved. #InvestorWins: Celebrates the success of Inflection Point Ventures and their ability to generate significant returns. #D2CFashionSuccess: Showcases the growth potential and profitability in the direct-to-consumer fashion industry. #IndianStartupEcosystem: Emphasizes the thriving startup environment in India and the opportunities it presents for investors and entrepreneurs. #BackingDreams: Conveys the role of angel investors in supporting and nurturing early-stage startups. #GrowthStory: Captures the journey of Fashor, from a startup to a successful brand, thanks to strategic investment. #EmpoweringEntrepreneurs: Highlights the role of Inflection Point Ventures in empowering and enabling entrepreneurs to realize their visions.

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4 Reasons Why Nykaa IPO was so successful. Nykaa's IPO was a breakout moment in the Indian startup ecosystem. But what made this beauty brand such a darling of the public markets. Here's a breakdown of the key factors: #IPO #Ecommerce #Startup

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Gururam-based angel investment platform Inflection Point Ventures has announced a full exit from Jaipur-based D2C fashion brand Fashor with a 33% IRR. The firm said it has achieved 3.75X MoM (Money over money) from this exit within 54 months of investing in the startup. Read the full story here: 👇 https://lnkd.in/djhTrmvS #funding #investors #angelinvestors #d2c #fashion #entrepreneur #indianstartupnews

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🚨Zepto Raises $665 Mn From Avenir, Lightspeed, and avra (Anu Hariharan new fund) at $3.6 Bn Valuation While startups are struggling to raise funding at a higher valuation, Zepto's valuation jumps ~ 2.5X -> 2024: Zepto bags the biggest fund raise in 2024 -> 2023: Becomes the first Indian startup to turn unicorn in 2023 #Zepto #Funding #Indianstartups #Quickcommerce #Valuation Inc42 Media (To read more, click the article link in the comment section 👇🏽)

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Online shopping of jewelry is growing at a CAGR of 28% & offers $77B market opportunity. Enter Eternz Fashion Private Limited - A one stop shop for all your jewelry needs, TDV Partners latest investment and portfolio company. It is an Omnichannel curated marketplace for Jewelry focusing on millennials & GenZs with focus on personalization & customization from a variety of brands from not just India but globally. Jewelry market’s online shopping penetration globally is around 8% with developed markets like US having 12% contribution to the total sales. India hardly has 2% online penetration currently. The no. of jewelry brands out there is increasing by leaps and bounds. You might have seen a bunch of jewelry startups in the season 3 of Shark Tank India already. With this trend increasing further, the need of a platform, one stop shop kinds for all the jewelry needs is evident and Eternz Fashion Private Limited is the answer to that. Excited to back Arthi Ramalingam in building Eternz along side Kae Capital, IIMA Ventures, Gemba Capital & Venture Labs #Eternz #jewelry #marketplaces #portfolio #investment https://lnkd.in/g-ggyiFS

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Q-Commerce overtaking traditional e-commerce? Currently we are seeing a big boom in terms of the different SKUs being sold in Quick commerce apps like Zepto, Blinkit, etc. - Atomberg Technologies 's fans - Sony's PS5 - Samosa, Chai and what not - Digital Gold from Jar! Zepto is in talks to raise $300m for its broader ecommerce play. While Swiggy is preparing to file for an IPO this year, incumbent Flipkart is readying its entry into quick commerce. Zomato has invested $240 million in Blinkit over the last one year. Taking a step back, the lines between quick commerce and traditional e commerce have started to become increasingly blurred with QCom pretty much catering to every needs! Also, multiple reports suggest that QCommerce can potentially become bigger than traditional e commerce in India!  Case in point : According to Goldman Sachs, the valuation of Blinkit is greater than Zomato's core food delivery biz! Non-grocery boom in Q-Commerce: Categories including beauty, toys, health and electronics are witnessing robust sales growth on quick-commerce platforms overall. While the overall base for the new categories is still small, aggressive expansion by these players is starting to ensure a dominant presence for these categories. Plus AOV is higher which also comes with better margins, making it a win-win! Case in point: Zepto - 2x sales MoM in segments such as toys and electronics accessories - Beauty category expanded 3x QoQ - ~15% of Zepto’s $1.2bn annualised gross sales currently comes from non-grocery products (Source: Goldman Sachs) For several D2C quick commerce has become the fastest growth channel as well as the platform with highest customer engagement This is definitely a positive for the consumers and the Q-Commerce players, but is everything on the up and up?   As the demand for space on quick-commerce platforms skyrockets, niche D2C cos in segments like FMCG, beauty and personal care, and health and fitness are agreeing to pay a 30-45% commission on sales, besides shelling out on advertising and discounting on these Q-Com platforms. On top of the commissions, brands are also regularly spending around 20% of their total sales on ads on the platforms, and discounting their products by about 20-25% (totaling 60-70% revenue!). This is in stark contrast to the 10-20% commission that large FMCG cos pay these platforms reflecting the intense competition for visibility. The brand's scale and comparison with competitors are crucial considerations when it comes to new listings. On the positive side, smaller D2C brands have seen 40-60% total revenue coming from Q-Commerce compared to ~10-20% from traditional ecommerce, which is surprising! Essentially, Q-com currently has a BIIIG Bargaining power against new D2C brands and can essentially make or break their businesses! Is this sustainable on the long run? #ecommerce #quickcommerce #india #zepto #businessmodel #d2c #startups #LIPostingChallenge

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There are only 4 major drivers of competitive advantages in building a D2C business in 2025. 1. Category creation 2. Distribution moats 3. Ecosystem dynamics 4. Founder brand But if you're just starting out, you really only have one option. Founder Brand Why? -> Category creation is the ultimate prize but demands massive capital. At any given moment, based on market conditions and investor appetite, only a handful of companies can sustain this burn. Most implode trying. -> Distribution moats are beautiful in theory but nearly impossible to build from scratch. Getting to true escape velocity in distribution requires either vast resources or perfect timing. Usually both. -> Ecosystem dynamics seem promising, but the modern stack is brutally efficient at commoditizing partnerships. What took 5 years to build in 2015 gets replicated in 5 months today. This puts early-stage founders in a bind. If category creation needs endless capital, distribution moats need perfect timing, and ecosystem plays get commoditized instantly, what's left? -> You lean into the Founder brand. This makes technical founders deeply uncomfortable because it can't be engineered or automated. But that's precisely why it's POWERFUL. Because it takes time. Because it’s difficult. And because it’s very hard to fake. It is the reason why folks like Shantanu Deshpande and Satyajit Hange are leading their companies to such strong performance. You couldn’t fake being either one of them for a second. They are simply themselves. Brands leverage the power of trust. And in a world of digital exhaustion, trust is the most precious resource there is. DO NOT STOP INVESTING IN YOUR BRAND The velocity of trust = Velocity of growth = Reference = Momentum That's how the Founder's brand becomes a scaling engine. If you want to build something enduring, your early customers need to bet on you before they bet on your solution. The game has evolved. Early companies chasing venture-scale outcomes must weaponize their founder's natural magnetism. A perfect product is table stakes. Your escape velocity comes from being an undeniable force in your space. The ones who embrace this rise above the noise. The ones who resist become ambient noise. Choose wisely. #startups #entrepreneurship

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🚀 7 Crucial Aspects Every D2C Founder Must Prioritize Building a successful D2C brand is about making the right decisions at the right time. Here's a roadmap for prioritizing your focus, ranked by impact: The 100 Crore Decisions 1️⃣ Your Product The backbone of your brand. If the product doesn’t solve a real problem or deliver on its promise, nothing else matters. 2️⃣ Your Positioning & Audience Nail your narrative and know exactly who you’re speaking to. Great brands don’t sell to everyone—they build deep connections with their audience. 3️⃣ Your Offer & Price Point The sweet spot between perceived value and affordability. Craft offers that feel irresistible yet sustainable for your margins. The 10 Crore Decisions 4️⃣ Your Ad Creative Creative is the engine of growth. Great hooks, vernacular appeal, and testing are the key to unlocking better CTRs and conversions. 5️⃣ Your Email Popup/First-Party Data Capture The long-term goldmine. A seamless way to capture intent from your visitors is non-negotiable. 6️⃣ Your Email & SMS Follow-Ups Retention is the secret to profitability. Nurture leads and customers with smart automations that convert interest into loyalty. 7️⃣ Your Content & Brand Build a voice and a story people love to follow. A strong brand differentiates you when everything else feels like a commodity. 💡 Focus matters: The first 3 are game-changers—they're worth 100 crore decisions. The last 4 are essential but won’t move the needle as dramatically—they're 10 crore decisions. 🌟 Everything else? Probably not worth your time. Let go of distractions. Delegate, automate, or ignore anything that doesn’t serve these priorities. Let’s create brands that don’t just survive—they thrive. 💪 #D2C #FounderMindset #BrandBuilding #Prioritization

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Who exactly is losing market share in the hotly contest grocery commerce? I thought it must be the now-not-so modern retail, but I'm not so sure. Zepto raised $665 Mn at a valuation of $3.6 Bn, and is in talks to raise $250 Mn more. And their cofounder and CEO Aadit Palicha recently commented that they can beat DMart - Avenue Supermarts Ltd on GMV in the next 12-18 months. Swiggy Instamart also is growing, and Blinkit is likely to be more valuable than their owner Zomato itself - so they are all doing well, even if Dunzo isn't. Sure, no idea what JioMart Digital is doing, but deep pockets. Same with Tata Digital and their weird assortment forced to converge on Neu. bigbasket.com is trying to unlearn and relearn, and it just might. And Flipkart Grocery and Amazon Fresh are also upping their game - launching faster deliveries, discounts, improved fill rates, and selection. So I wonder if it is the modern-trade players? The likes of More Retail Private Limited, Spencer's Retail, STAR BAZAR, and SPAR Retail that are suffering? The nearest Spencer's to me is definitely a sore sight, now reduced to a shell of it's former glory - I think they aren't even replenishing inventory now. And we all know what happened to Big Bazaar - Future Retail. But Dmart itself isn't doing half bad - with pareto presence in just 23 cities, and no presence in UP (except NCR), Bihar, and West Bengal, they have considerable headroom, still. And they haven't yet quite solved for ecommerce, so while The Ken says that they are lost, they may find their way, eventually? I also don't think that the real consumption is growing, if at all, it may even shrink with the K-growth. Thus, some one _is_ losing share. And if it is not modern trade, then is it the regional chains? The single kiranas? The corner-store? The hand-cart? I'm not entirely sure because this data is hard to organize, and get. Would you know? Image created by AI in Microsoft Bing Copilot.

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It is good that meat delivery is doing well. It solves a significant public health issue as well. The meat (red meat and fowl) and fish supply chain in India is very poor and unhygienic. Hygiene issues are further complicated by the near-ubiquitous absence of a cold chain. Quite a few meat delivery companies have emerged and are doing well. They are helping to clean up the unorganized sector and introduce basic hygiene and safety standards. Their consumers can now get safe food and hold these companies accountable. In addition, I also hope they can exercise control over suppliers and ensure humane slaughter and transportation of animals. Animal cruelty is also rampant in India, and we must adopt the same regulations that the developed world is increasingly moving towards. Additionally, animal husbandry is one of the best ways to enhance the incomes of small farmers. This profession has always had the problem of a lack of assured markets and organized support. Maybe businesses will emerge that can create and support farmer clusters and link them up to assured purchase from these emerging organized sector players. Another important issue is the funny obsession of Indian meat eaters with "fresh meat," and a lack of preference for frozen meat, although almost all of them are cooking and eating meat that has been outside the cold chain for too long, and there is nothing fresh about it. People must be educated that frozen produce, which is frozen almost immediately after slaughter/catch, is probably the healthiest and "freshest" meat. A successful education campaign will create a market, reducing wastage at the supplier's end by giving longer shelf life to stuff. Also, I am willing to bet that many purchases from these vendors are not cooked immediately and go into the home freezer anyway, to be thawed and cooked later.

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VCs don't want you to wait anymore. :) Antler India is coming to Delhi/NCR with its fast track edition on 12th September. Referrals received upto 10th September shall be considered. - Ticket Size -> 1. $500k ($250k initially + $250k rolling) - Funding 20 companies - $10Mn total investment by 2024 end. - Decision on residency within 24hrs of meeting the team, and decision on investment within 2-4 weeks. - The only caveat is that you must be recommended by someone known to any team member of Antler India. Here's the process - 1.  Find someone in Antler Team members' networks or someone who knows them. 2. Ask them to message them, tag them on linkedin, tweet, etc. whatever. Convince them to write a 1-2 good lines. 3. All shortlisted individuals and teams will get a direct slot with Antler India on September 12/13 to meet team Antler India (happening mostly in Gurgaon). We could collate the list of all people in Antler India. I will try tagging a few in comments. Also, would need that referral myself if someone knows them 😂. #AntlerIndia #Startups #Funding #thisisgulshan

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"What do investors look for in startups? " is one question I often get asked. Let's answer this - 📍Team The passion, experience, and skills of the founders as well as the management team to drive the company forward are equally crucial in addition to all the factors mentioned above. 📍Market dominance Market size, obtainable market share, product adoption rate, historical and forecasted market growth rates, macroeconomic drivers for the market your plans to target. 📍Usp The offering of any startup should be differentiated to solve a unique customer problem or to meet specific customer needs. Ideas or products that are patented show high growth potential for investors. 📍Customers Clear identification of your buyers and suppliers. Consider customer relationships, stickiness to your product, vendor terms as well as existing vendors. 📍Sales No matter how good your product or service may be, if it does not find any end-use, it is no good. Consider things like a sales forecast, targeted audiences, product mix, conversion and retention ratio, etc. 📍Competitive analysis Consider the number of players in a market, the market share, obtainable share in the near future, product mapping to highlight similarities as well as differences between different competitor offerings. 📍Financial model A detailed financial business model that showcases cash inflows over the years, investments required key milestones, break-even points, and growth rates. #investors #startups #founders #experience

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5-point strategy for conquering the market with a startup I came across this strategy in a post by Santosh Sharan, and here are the key points he emphasizes: 1. Capture Attention Better Than Your Competition. 2. Just Be Different. 3. Refuse To Copy Your Dominant Competitor. 4. Relentless Focus On Optimizing The Low End Of The Market. 5. Be the best at something and don't try to be good at everything. Using Gearheart.io as an example, I will show how these points can be put into practice. 1. Capture Attention Better Than Your Competition Think globally, act locally. Inspired by business futurist Adrian Slywotzky at UCU Business School (LvBS), we’ve been generating buzz for Gearheart right here in Silicon Valley, since I moved here. What we’re doing: - LinkedIn activity to create valuable content for startup founders. Startups usually do this, not dev agencies. - Sponsoring and organizing our own local events in San Francisco and the Valley. - Building a community of allies by offering value to startups before we even start working with them. 2. Just Be Different - We have the mindset of entrepreneurs, having built our own startups, while also operating as an offshore team. - We specialize in B2B SaaS platforms that focus on creating time. - We’re located in hi-tech hubs like San Francisco and London, giving us access to a valuable network and exceptional expertise. 3. Refuse To Copy Your Dominant Competitor With countless competitors, we studied the market to see what everyone else was doing the same, and then chose to do things our way. As a startup founder myself, I speak the same language as our customers. 4. Relentless Focus On Optimizing The Low End Of The Market We combine the expertise and presence of an American agency that knows how to build products for this market, while leveraging offshore pricing by building teams in Ukraine and working remotely - a practice we’ve been mastering for over 12 years, long before COVID. 5. Be the best at something and don't try to be good at everything We focus on building B2B SaaS platforms designed for efficiency and speed, essentially creating time for our clients. That’s our niche. P.S. I invite you to apply this model to your business and share it in the comments.

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#morningupdates 1) D2C fashion brand Zouk set to raise $10 Mn led by Aavishkaar Capital 2) Govt Agencies Start Probe Into WazirX’s $234 Mn Crypto Hack 3) How Pune Is Fast Becoming A Hotbed For Startups In India 4) Ten years on, Startup Inc’s raring to rev it up to 110% 5) A ringside view of the greatest value-creation cycles of all 6) Zomato’s top ranks needed a spring clean after IPO highs 7) Founders, investors hail 'best congregation' 8) Going global is the refrain at Met Gala of startup calendar 9) New-age firms solving real-life issues with solid government backing 10) Warm-up decade is done, clock is now ticking for the real game Sudip Mondal Ravindra Gupta Nitisha Jain Zomato

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