Barath Shankar Subramanian

The recent IPO of IKS Health marks a milestone for Malpani Ventures as one of our first cheques to list successfully. It re-affirms our belief in the power of patient capital and the importance of backing resilient entrepreneurs. We believe our role is to support startups with a multi-decadal outlook and enable the entrepreneur to focus on solving big market needs rather than succumbing to short-term pressures. Read our learnings here: https://lnkd.in/gHrjEQCG

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We fund (via W Health Ventures) and found (via 2070 Health) healthcare ventures and often ask ourselves what does it take to forge a successful healthcare startup. Pankaj and I share some (rather unfiltered) thoughts in this op-ed around:   ➙ Identifying the right patient problems [by conducting empathetic patient interviews and understanding clinical workflows better by having doctor conversations] ➙ Crafting innovative solutions [by looking at global innovation, contextualizing them for India, and mapping the solution with a multi-stakeholder patient journey] ➙ Building the right 0 to 1 team [assembling a complementary team, with co-founders and early team members whose skills align like a piece of jigsaw]   In short, establishing and sustaining a healthcare startup in India demands strategic acumen, and also involves navigating mental, emotional, and financial challenges. Cheers to all founders and builders out there! Thank you YourStory Media for the coverage. #healthcare #VC #investing #digitalhealth Tushar | Vedika | Shailja

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🚀 Introducing Blume's Healthcare Financing BluPrint: Unlocking India's $7B Fintech Opportunity. The future of Indian healthcare hinges not just on medical breakthroughs, but on solving its $156B financing gap - a challenge that's creating unprecedented opportunities at the intersection of health and fintech Our research reveals 3 big opportunities: 💡 Embedded Finance: Making healthcare payments as seamless as your UPI transactions 💡 Blended Finance: Novel public-private models serving 400M+ underserved Indians 💡 Healthcare FinOS: Building the financial infrastructure for India's next-gen hospitals The stakes? → 58% of Indian households face catastrophic health expenses → Healthcare market growing at 22% CAGR to $1.7T → $156B funding gap by 2034 Read the complete BluPrint: https://lnkd.in/geM5exAp Building the future of healthcare financing? Let's talk: [email protected] #HealthTech #FinTech #StartupIndia #VentureCapital #IndianStartups #DigitalHealth #HealthcareInnovation #FutureOfHealthcare #HealthFinancing #IndiaVC #BlumeVentures Blume Ventures Ashish Fafadia Karthik B. Reddy Sanjay Nath Sajith Pai Arpit Agarwal Vikram Gawande Rohit Kaul Joseph Sebastian Jatin Madhra Karan Jhaveri

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Eye care chains are turning to be pall bearers in healthcare service delivery industry in India. PE funded players grew by 46% ( median) YoY, along with profitability. And with current acquisitions spree, the next phase of scaling up is to penetrate the Tier -2/3 cities. #healthcareIndia #eyecarechains

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Many VCs have written about eldercare as an exciting market opportunity in India. And indeed it is. India’s greying population will have a series of new unmet needs and therefore new TAMs will get created. However, the mistake that many are likely to make is to think of the silver years only from the lens of decline and disability. Think adult diapers and senior living. Like with everything else in India, it would be a fatal mistake to paint all the silvers with the same brush. Think the actors Rekha, Kirron Kher, Anil Kapoor and Anupam Kher. Rekha and Kirron Kher haven’t traded their lush Banarasis and Kanjeevarams with suti, neutral coloured cottons. The adornments too are celebratory and not subtle. Anupam Kher has built his body in his advancing years. Anil Kapoor is of course a case study of keeping himself current and relevant. Each of them continue to look at their careers from the lens not only of age but their abilities as actors. The much trolled Malaika Arora, though not yet in her silver years is refusing to allow her fifth decade to change her to a more matronly appearance. These though in the glamour business aren’t anamolies but rather an embodiment of how Indians are thinking about life post-sixty. Income, affluence is allowing Indians to redefine how life should be post 60. Founders looking for ideas to build for this burgeoning cohort should study this segment carefully for possilities of building large, venture fund able businesses. As I have said before on this platform, the best bussineses get built when you spot an unique opportunity early enough. #rukamfounders #ageingwell #newideas

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From a Father’s Concern to a $500M Valuation: HealthKart’s Incredible Journey What began in 2011 as a bold vision by IIT Delhi grads Prashant Tandon and Sameer Maheshwari to organize India’s fragmented healthcare market has blossomed into a $500M powerhouse redefining health and fitness. 🚀 HealthKart, now the largest health and nutrition platform in India, boasts 25,000+ products, 100+ stores, and 10M+ customers served across 40+ cities. The journey took a personal turn when Sameer wondered why his children, aged 7 and 13, shared the same generic nutrition drink. Enter Gritzo, HealthKart’s personalized child nutrition brand tackling India’s protein deficiency head-on, now growing 20% month-on-month with 50,000+ happy customers. This year, HealthKart hit another milestone, raising $153M in secondary funding led by ChrysCapital and Motilal Oswal Alternates, bringing its valuation to $500M.💸 Backed by years of research, innovation, and a relentless focus on consumer needs, HealthKart isn’t just selling products—it’s changing lives. From personalized nutrition for kids to empowering athletes and fitness enthusiasts, HealthKart is proving that passion + data = impact. 🌟 Which part of HealthKart’s journey inspires you the most? Let’s discuss! 👇

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Signs of fatigue in India's IPO market? After a remarkable resurgence post-COVID-19 in 2020, led by Rossari Biotech's successful listing, the Indian IPO market is showing early signs of slowing down. Recent IPOs from Swiggy, ACME Solar Holdings, Sagility India, and Afcons Infrastructure have received lukewarm responses from investors. What's driving this trend? Investors are becoming increasingly selective, seeking high-quality companies that demonstrate robust free cash flow and strong return on equity. With back-to-back IPOs flooding the market, investors are struggling to find breathing space and are prioritizing only the most promising opportunities. What does this mean for the market? #IPO #IndianMarket #Investing

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🌿✨ Embracing AYUSH: Empowering Health Naturally! 🌟 Did you know? Recent data from the survey on AYUSH conducted by National Sample Survey Office, India reveals that 50% of Indians used AYUSH healthcare system in the last year! 🔹 AYUSH system of medicines refers to the use of one or more of the system(s) of Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa and Homeopathy 🔹 95% of rural and 96% of urban folks are aware of AYUSH traditions. 🔹 85% of rural and 86% of urban households practice Medicinal Plants/Home Remedies/Local Health Traditions. 🔹 Nearly half of rural (46%) and over half of urban (53%) individuals used AYUSH in the last year for health benefits. We at SaveIN work with several leading alternate medicine providers like Dr Batra’s Healthcare Jiva Ayurveda Madhavbaug Homeocare International among others, and are witnessing tremendous demand for alternate therapies, especially for chronic diseases and lifestyle disorders. Let's continue to explore the power of traditional wisdom in promoting holistic wellness alongside adopting the latest in healthcare! 🌱💪 #AYUSH #HolisticHealth #WellnessJourney #TraditionalMedicine #Healthcare #Lifestyle

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Kenko Health: From Skyrocketing Growth to Sudden Shutdown Kenko Health’s story was one many startups dream of—rapid growth, big-name investors, and a solution that promised to transform healthcare access. But in a flash, they’ve gone from a company with ₹85 crore in revenue to shutting down operations. What happened? Well, picture this: You’re climbing Everest. You’ve got a great climbing team, amazing resources, and you’ve trained hard. You have got a good chunk of international trainers who have been helping you get there and the local sherpas who are going to provide you with all the necessary equipment to reach the summit. The summit is in sight, but then the sherpas wants the climbing team to be mostly domestic leading to distress among the international trainers who have been helping you reach there. They can't turn their backs now and go back since they are equally invested in making the summit happen. Local Sherpas= Domestic regulator who gives out the coveted Insurance License (summit) International Trainers/ Team Members= Foreign Investors Kenko grew revenue 17x in one year, rising from ₹5 crore in FY22 to ₹85 crore in FY23. Impressive, right? Yet, despite their successes, they stumbled on a critical hurdle: securing an insurance license from the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDAI). We all saw the potential. With Lightrock, Peak XV Partners (Sequoia Capital), BEENEXT backing Kenko, the startup seemed destined for greatness. But behind the scenes, things weren’t as perfect. Kenko’s quasi-insurance model worked brilliantly at first, providing affordable subscription health plans. But when it came to the regulatory complexities of acquiring that golden insurance license, things fell apart. They had the customers, the revenue, and the drive, but when the insurance goal became unreachable, the air thinned out. They even had investors lined up for a $27m Series B round—money that would have given them the capital cushion to survive. But then, to receive the insurance license, there were problems. The regulator wanted domestic investors to lead the charge. This, of course, caused a massive restructuring headache. Suddenly, the founders were caught between a rock and a hard place—international VCs on one side, domestic regulatory requirements on the other. And then, the final nail in the coffin—Kenko ran out of money. Even though the founders personally infused ₹9cr to keep the ship afloat, it wasn’t enough. By early 2024, employees weren’t getting paid, debts were mounting, and Kenko’s shutdown was all but inevitable. But this isn’t just about Kenko. It’s a case study on how regulatory hurdles can undo even the most promising companies in the startup ecosystem. Could this have been avoided? #kenko #insurtech #fintech #india #startups ------------------------------- 💡 I write interesting posts every week about my thoughts on the startup ecosystem, AI & disruptive technologies. Do follow Sabhareesh M for more!

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At Queo Health, we're revolutionizing healthcare management in India. Here's our journey: The Problem: Millions of Indians struggle with fragmented health information, leading to uninformed decisions and compromised care. Our Solution: A comprehensive mobile app that integrates health records, medications, and more into a unified platform. Technical Challenges Overcome: 1.Developed a robust Queo Health API for complex health data processing 2.Implemented Client-Side Field Level Encryption for top-notch security 3.Refined our LabReport pipeline through five generations Market Potential: We're targeting over 75 million users with chronic health issues and health-conscious individuals in India. Exciting News: The Queo Health app is now live on the Google Play Store!, Download now and take control of your health journey in India: https://lnkd.in/eK2b65HE Future plan: 1. QueoConnect: An aggregator platform that will connect users with local healthcare services, including diagnostics, pharmacies, and healthcare products. This marketplace will also venture into consumer genomics, setting the stage for personalized medicine. 2. QueoScribe: In the future, we aim to develop an AI-powered clinical note transcription service in local language. This tool will revolutionize doctor-patient interactions by providing real-time, accurate documentation of consultations. Funding: We're raising funds to scale our product and drive further innovation in health tech. I'm attending the Sifted Summit today and tomorrow. If you're interested in discussing Queo Health, our vision for the future of healthcare, or potential collaborations, I'd be delighted to connect. Let's work together towards a healthier, more informed India! #QueoHealth #HealthTech #DigitalHealthcare #StartupIndia #SiftedSummit #HealthAppIndia #FundingAnnouncement #MobileHealth #PreventiveCare #DataDrivenHealthcare #VCs #investors #digitalindia

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Thoroughly enjoyed my conversation with Harbinder !! We are at an inflection point in India on Consumer health !! Bio science + Data/AI will massively disrupt this space !! Do write to me if you are an entrepreneur disrupting this space !! #consumerhealth #innovation

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its not just about VC/investor appetite for more mature start-ups where the risk is relatively less, its the turn now of VCs being treated the same by LPs. very likely to happen in India as well if not already happening. The infamous long tail in VC universe is very much going to be a reality.

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growX ventures Unveils Fund II: A Boost for Healthtech & DeepTech 🚀 Nikita Saha writes ✍️, growX ventures launch Fund II with a corpus of INR 400 Cr to #empower B2B and DeepTech #startups in sectors like healthtech, spacetech, and fintech. With plans to back 20–24 #startups, Fund II will offer cheques of up to INR 10 Cr for seed-stage and INR 20–30 Cr for Series B.💡 GrowX’s portfolio includes Pixxel, Bellatrix Aerospace, and more, spotlighting #innovation in AI, genomics, and #cybersecurity. The first close is expected this year. 🔗Read More - https://lnkd.in/d4e69Yv3   🌐Stay Informed with our Latest Stories – https://lnkd.in/gMUPB2Zp Pixxel, Locus, Progcap, Aereo, Bellatrix Aerospace, Wiom, CynLr, Stashfin, RACE Energy #GrowXVentures #DeepTech #Healthtech #Innovation #StartupsIndia #TechInvestment #B2B

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From ₹1.2Cr. to ₹60Cr. ARR in less than 3 years! Big congratulations to Team Let's Try and Nitin Vinod Kalra on getting funded by Wipro Consumer Care Ventures and 100Unicorns in the recent round. Perfect example for early D2C founders, of how at an early stage: ✅ A frugal mindset with a clear and rigorous roadmap, ✅ An experienced, yet nimble team, ✅ Strong belief in the product and brand. ❌ No unnecessary marketing/celebrity overspends, ❌ No crazy discounts to fuel unsustainable topline growth, ❌ No straying into too many channels, SKUs and regions to change a winning formula too quickly. 🚀 Can help deliver solid result and help build a robust, profitable and sustainably growing business. Super excited to be part of the journey. Link to article: https://lnkd.in/dGzNyvw5 #EarlyStage #Startup #VentureCapital #D2C #Consumer #Investing #LatePost Anvit Baliga Rajesh Mane Dr. Apoorva Ranjan Sharma Reshma Jhaveri Venture Catalysts++ | India's 1st Multi-Stage VC

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🚀✨ Consumer health companies in India are revolutionizing the market through quick commerce! 🏃‍♂️💨 With the rise of instant delivery services, brands are making health products more accessible than ever. From over-the-counter medications to wellness supplements, consumers can now get what they need at lightning speed. This shift not only meets the growing demand for convenience but also empowers consumers to prioritize their health with just a few clicks. 💊📦 🌟 Key trends to watch: 24/7 Access: Health products available anytime, anywhere. Personalized Offerings: Tailored solutions based on consumer data. Tech Integration: Seamless app experiences for better health management. Let’s embrace this new era of health and wellness! 💪❤️ 📌 If you are a founder & building something exciting in this space, do reach out to us at [email protected] 4point0 Health Ventures Zepto Blinkit Swiggy instamart #ConsumerHealth #QuickCommerce #HealthInnovation #India #WellnessRevolution #InstantDelivery #HealthTech #Ecommerce #DigitalHealth #FutureOfHealthcare

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Cloud kitchen startup Curefoods (EatFit) has raised Rs 80 crore ($9.6 million) in debt from investors Binny Bansal and Jitender Kumar Bansal, marking its second fundraising round within six months. This infusion will bolster Curefoods’ growth strategy as the company prepares for an additional $40 million Series D round, potentially increasing its valuation to $500 million. Founded in 2020, Curefoods operates popular brands like EatFit and Yumlane, with over 100 kitchens across 15 cities. The startup recorded a Rs 384 crore revenue in FY23, establishing itself as a prominent player in India's growing cloud kitchen market. #Curefoods #CloudKitchen #Fundraising #BinnyBansal #JitenderBansal #StartupFunding #FoodTech #InvestmentNews #CulinaryInnovation #GrowthStrategy #EatFit #Yumlane #SeriesDRound #KitchenExpansion #IndianStartups #RevenueGrowth

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