Ruchir Kanakia

We've been part of this journey with Vidur Kataria Sidhanth Madan & Radhika Mittal since the pre-seed round in 2020 (also closer to heart since this was the first deal from Fund II). The investment thesis for us was always very simple - we tried cooking Chinese food at home during Covid, and all that was available was "Ching's Secret Schezwan Fried Rice Masala" & it was surprising that the second most enjoyed cuisine in the country is Chinese & we have just one brand that catered to this audience. Then we ended tasting the Masterchow sauces & we were just floored to see the difference in quality and taste. Having said that, the thesis that we believed in, didn't ring a bell with a lot of folks that we spoke to in the last 4 years. These were the top reasons why VCs hesitated -> 1) Market size is not large enough - Our belief was that the market appeared to be small, because the only brand available thus far was Ching's. Then Ching's got sold to Tata for ~5500cr, then noone questioned the market size any more. 2) Products are too expensive - Their sauces which was the first category they got into - was priced at ~Rs.240. Lot of people thought that this was expensive for India. But that was just the first category, after that in just last 2 years the founders have innovated on the product (Cup Noodles, Ramen, Chilli oil) and made products cheaper (Masterchow Staples, Chowmein, Schezwan). But I'm glad we got some believers along the way in the form of Anicut Capital LLP & Surge. And now, Tanglin Venture Partners. The founders continue to surprise everyone & I believe they'll do so in the future as well! #startup #funding #fmcg https://lnkd.in/g2wdAvmx

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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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Meet Ankur Bansal, a Senior Product Consultant at BlueStacks, who is not just a community member but also a 1% Club Commando. He has seen his stock market portfolio rise by 67% in 4 years. In an interview with the team, Ankur shares some simple but interesting insights from his investing journey till now. Here’s his full story - https://lnkd.in/dwCn4z-c #stockmarket #investing #community #financialplanning

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Thanks Bismah and Inc42 Media for the insightful coverage and deep dive into the vital role of operator VCs! Bismah's thoughtful analysis underscores the growing need for operator VCs in today's startup landscape. As an operator VC , I've witnessed firsthand how founders increasingly value more than just capital. They seek partners who bring operational expertise, strategic guidance, and an extensive network to the table. These elements are crucial for driving sustainable growth and navigating the complexities of scaling a business. At GrowthCap Ventures , we understand the unique challenges faced by early-stage startups, which is why we prioritize offering not just funding, but also hands-on support and access to our extensive network. Together, we're empowering founders to realize their vision and build transformative businesses. #OperatorVC #StartupEcosystem #Gratitude

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PLG by GrowthX®completely changed my perspective on how to approach partnerships. From thinking of cracking partnerships as a set of ad-hoc activities to finding a structured process, I have come a long way. I now have a structured outreach process for every partnership opportunity I want. From figuring out the right partner to finding the right person to take it forward and more importantly, having the right outreach, conversion and, GTM plan, the process has now become a playbook that can be replicated quickly. The outcome? Shortened partnership cycle, improved process efficiency and most importantly, direct impact on revenue (for both, us and the partner). Shout out to folks Bharatsure, Anuj Parekh Sanil Basutkar to have supported in doing this. Also, special mention to GrowthX®, Abhishek Patil Udayan Walvekar for creating this awesome community. If you are looking for a plug-and-play stack to power insurance for your users/customers with a quick turnaround time, reach out to me at [email protected] to understand how we can help you generate additional revenues while providing value add to your clients.

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🚀 Big News from OYO! 🚀 Exciting developments from OYO as the Ritesh Agarwal-led traveltech giant is reportedly in the advanced stages of raising approximately Rs 1,000 crore (around $120 million) in funding. This significant investment comes from the family offices of prominent Indian corporate executives and stock market experts, including: Anand Jain: Corporate strategy advisor and former senior executive at Reliance Industries Ramesh and Rajeev Juneja: Promoters of Mankind Pharma Utpal Sheth: Close associate of the late market expert Rakesh Jhunjhunwala 🔍 Valuation Insights: The funding round will value OYO at about $2.5 billion. This is a notable decrease from its peak valuation of $9 billion in 2021, marking a 72% drop. 📅 Upcoming EGM: OYO will hold an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) on Tuesday to approve the fundraise, following an increase in its authorized share capital. 💼 Negotiations with Khazanah Nasional: In addition to this, OYO is in the final stages of talks with Khazanah Nasional, the Malaysian sovereign wealth fund. The discussions are focused on securing certain rights before finalizing the deal, with an expected raise of Rs 250-300 crore from Khazanah, supplemented by domestic investors. 📈 Profit Milestone: In a recent announcement, Ritesh Agarwal revealed that OYO has achieved its first full-year net profit in its 12-year history, recording a profit after tax of nearly Rs 100 crore in FY 2023-24. This is a remarkable turnaround from the Rs 1,286.5 crore loss in the previous fiscal year. 📊 Growth Projections: Gross Booking Value: Projected at $1.8 billion for FY25, up from $1.2 billion in FY24 Revenue Forecast: $957 million for FY25, compared to $657 million in FY24 🌍 Strategic Focus: OYO continues to focus on key markets including India, Europe, Malaysia, and Indonesia, with 95% of its storefronts in these growth regions. The company is also expanding in the Nordics, Southeast Asia, the US, and the UK, adding around 5,000 hotels and 6,000 homes globally in FY24. 📅 Emerging Travel Trends: OYO is poised to capitalize on emerging travel trends such as premiumization, spiritual travel, business travel, conferences, and destination weddings to drive further growth. Kudos to the OYO team for these impressive strides and looking forward to seeing their continued success! 🎉🌟 #OYO #FundingNews #TravelTech #BusinessGrowth #Profitability #Expansion

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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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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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Founders focusing on category-specific Quick-Commerce (QC) should note: when Myntra/Nykaa launched, Flipkart/Amazon weren't operating in those categories. Also, e-commerce players are now venturing into quick commerce. They already know which individuals in which locations order what products and at what frequencies! I see no chance for category-specific QCs. I've noticed many VCs lamenting that 70% of new founders are pitching category-focused QC ventures. These founders seem inspired by broad-QC successes (Zepto/Blinkit/Instamart) and draw parallels to e-commerce, where broad players (Flipkart/Amazon) coexist with category specialists (Myntra/Nykaa). The VCs' concerns are valid, and many founders are missing the crucial point. When Myntra/Nykaa launched, they faced no competition from major e-commerce players. These category specialists captured significant market share before broader players entered. By then, they had built unique user experiences and strong brand recall. This helped them survive and thrive. Today, every broad QC (Zepto/Blinkit/Instamart) is raising crazy capital to expand. It's unlikely they'll leave room for category-focused players to establish themselves. Unless the broad QC players mess it up big time, I fail to see how category-focused QC players will make a dent. Additionally, the entry of established e-commerce players into quick commerce (like Flipkart with Minutes) complicates things. These players have years of data on which pincodes order what products, and at what frequencies. They are aware that you place an order for Vim liquid every month and a laptop every three years. You can also be confident that they will aggressively defend their key categories, such as electronics. New category-focused QC ventures will face significant challenges in competing with them. D2Cs (Mamaearth/Licious/Akshayakalpa) may succeed by targeting specific market segments that value unique attributes (organic, premium, etc.). However, they'll find it difficult to expand beyond their niche. Mass-market capture will remain a broad QC play. Thoughts?

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Country Delight is one of the fastest & fewest Indian D2C brands to >2x valuation every ~1-2 years. How? Country Delight (CD) in 2024 raised ~₹160 Cr in Series E. It initially had a successful PMF, growing bootstrapped for its first 4 years without funding • Valuation jump - Series C Nov'21 : ~$94 MM Series D Mar'22 : ~$428 MM Series E Jan'24 : ~$790 MM . How? » By turning into a Free #Cashflow Machine (-ve WC biz). Somewhat like the retail-tech behemoth Apple! • In the last 8 years - 1.) Average cash collection time from customers has fallen from ~66 days, to just <10 days (mostly pay in advance) 2.) How long do they pay suppliers in? From >10 days in 2017, to ~25-30 days today. 3.) Average cash conversion cycle has gone from >45 days in 2015, to less than ~1 day today. ✓Result? Operating Cashflows >>> Profits » Cash on the books explodes - From ~₹12 Lakhs in FY'17, To over ~₹484 Crores in FY'24! World's "Highest Customer Retention" within D2C? ✓ Dairy category. Almost ~70% of all CD customers acquired ~3-4 years ago give nearly the SAME revenue, EVERY month consistently even till today. New customers add on to these, as CDs marketing spends in last couple of years grew ~5x, simultaneously exploding the free cashflows flywheel. In addition, Cross sell & Up-sell of "high gross margin" newly added products (~60% success rate) like ghee, paneer, vegetables, essentials, etc. In this model "owning customers long-term" gives - ✓ Highest LTV, Lowest CAC, Highest ROCE. Amidst giant peer brands like Amul and Mother Dairy that handle close to ~45M litres / day.. • Country Delight carved its "premium niche" from scratch - Growing ~1.5-2x YoY - From ₹0 to ~₹1380 Crores revenue in last ~8-9 years! - More than 15M deliveries per month - Network of 10,000+ Indian farmers, lakhs of cattle. One of my favourite quote, by the Founder - » Animals are the best non-depreciable assets because they only multiply ;) #india #business #startups #technology #consumer

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🚨Swiggy IPO gets oversubscribed led by QIB bids Swiggy’s IPO was oversubscribed 1.07 times by the third day, driven largely by QIBs, who oversubscribed their portion 1.52 times. Retail investors subscribed to 97% of their portion, while Non-Institutional Investors (NIIs) made bids for 22% of their allocation. Swiggy's employee quota also saw strong demand, with a subscription rate of 1.38 times. Swiggy raised around Rs 5,085 crore (approx. $605 million) from anchor investors like HDFC, ICICI, SBI, and global players including Fidelity and BlackRock. by Akshita Toshniwal | #SwiggyIPO #IPO #QIB #RetailInvestors #Foodtech Read more 👇 https://lnkd.in/ggm_piMt

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Once the fire is burning, adding fuel in the form of funding can help it grow stronger and brighter. However, without the initial fire, the fuel alone won't be enough to sustain the business in the long run. #startups #fundraise

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As founders, the journey of building our baby The Insurance Bar has been filled with incredible highs and challenging lows in past 6 months. When things aren’t going your way, it can feel overwhelming. It has been mix of both, joy of getting small early success and building wonderful team & lows while stressing over future strategies to make the idea work at any cost! However, these moments are crucial for growth and learning. Here are some strategies that have helped us navigate tough times: 1. Stay Resilient and Positive: Challenges are part of the journey. Maintaining a positive mindset and being resilient in the face of adversity are key. We think every setback is a setup for a comeback. 2. Reassess and Pivot if Necessary: Sometimes, the initial plan takes long time to be successful. On personal front, one thing I have learned while watching TVF Pitchers was that there's no harm in pivoting to a new product and parallel, let your initial plan work in its own pace. I am lucky enough to have such co-founders who have always been open about reassessing and pivoting. 3. Focus on What You Can Control: There can be lot of external influences or hindrances which might make you feel low, hindering your concentration. We as founders rather chose concentrating on the aspects of our business that we ourselves can influence, rather than stressing over things beyond our control. This approach helped us in managing stress and staying proactive. 4. Embrace Continuous Learning: We used challenging times as an opportunity to learn and grow. We started developing new skills, enrolled for various courses, and started staying up-to-date about industry trends. Knowledge is a powerful tool in navigating uncertainty. 5. Build a Strong Support System: One thing we will always be proud about is the team we have been able to build at The Insurance Bar. We have a set of people who believes in us, our vision and have made organization's vision as their own vision. These are few people who celebrates the success together and pledges to stand rock solid in case of any uncertainties. 6. Stay Persistent and Patient: We feel building an organization is a marathon and not a race. It needs persistence and lot of patience. No one can get overnight success. We try to stay true to this thought as much as possible. As Winston Churchill said, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.” Amit Sejwani Pinkesh Vyas We feel every challenge faced is an opportunity to break free and be at the top. What strategies have you found helpful during tough times? Share your experiences and insights in the comments below! #StartupLife #Entrepreneurship #Resilience #Adaptability #ContinuousLearning #Leadership #FoundersJourney

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Indian venture market has exploded. Someone reported that there are 800+ funds/networks/syndicates/ accelerators active in Indian venture market now. Not sure, if that number is correct but if you are an early stage tech founder on your fundraise journey, chances are, you would meet hundreds of people. While majority of the fund houses are doing incredible work and shaping the ecosystem. There are certain kinds of investors you need to identify & avoid to save time and stay focused: Sharing from my personal experience, top 5 such cohorts to avoid and the takeaways for the founders: 1. Data collectors: At early stage, you don't have historical data to present. Your projections are just that, Projections. I wasted one whole week discussing with a prospective angel investor on why the CLTV to CAC ratio is x, and not y. Takeaway: Discuss high level strategic numbers only without going into the details. None of the projections would be accurate anyway when rubber hits the road. 2. Document collectors: Met few folks, who would watch from the fences and ask for n number of documents, data rooms, statements without sharing the purpose of the ask or even revealing their investment intent. Takeaway: It is supposed to be a bi-directional conversation. Say 'no' often, till the time, an official relationship is established. 3. Valuer (! investor): At early stage, valuation is a function of multiple parameters, the opportunity itself, the team, or anything else except steady cash flows, because you don't have much. I wasted another week with a prospective investor trying to justify valuation, had to shut down that conversation, after both of us started quoting Aswath Damodaran and his valuation principles. Takeaway: Too much content on the internet for both parties anyway. Shouldn't be a bone of contention at early stages. 4. Facilitators posing as investors: Met numerous people, who would go to any lengths to pose themselves as serious investors, even buying paid media articles. Only to reveal at the last: The success fee. Takeaway: Avoid facilitators until Series A 5. Brokers posing as market makers: People posing as market makers sharing tons of gyaan on LinkedIn but are actually deal brokers looking to make quick %. Personal experience: Two rounds of conversation happened and then out of blue, they added a third party in the mail trail, someone who facilitates mergers & acquisitions. There wasn't even a single instance in the past conversations where we indicated any such intent. Takeaway: Avoid name & shame in public but at least share within founder communities. #venture #fundraise #startups #investing

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As an investor its fascinating to watch founders tackle a complex market, nail a sticky value proposition and figure out global GTM. When we met Shashank Bijapur Madhav Bhagat and Rohith Salim a couple of years back it was still early. In a short while Spotdraft has changed the way mid-market businesses leverage AI to make contract management more efficient and intelligent. The company has seen strong market pull by scaling to 400+ customers, 120% NRR, 85%+ gross margin while doubling revenue in each of the past three years. Here is their journey straight from the founders. SpotDraft Arkam Ventures

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"Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together" GalaxEye announced investment by MountTech Growth Fund - Kavachh, a $60 million Category-II AIF, has made its inaugural investment in GalaxEye’s $10 million Series A fundraising round. GalaxEye, founded by a dynamic and skilled team from IIT-M, is on a mission to revolutionize space-based surveillance with cutting-edge, multi-sensor (SAR and MSI) fusion technology. With the first LEO satellite launch slated for mid-2025, GalaxEye aims to meet critical security and commercial needs, showcasing the power of innovation driven by purpose and precision. This partnership exemplifies our commitment to supporting trailblazing solutions that address pressing challenges in surveillance and security. GalaxEye’s ambition to leverage SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) and MSI (Multispectral Imaging) fusion for space-based surveillance aligns well with the evolving demands of both defence and commercial sectors. Their innovative approach with LEO #satellite constellations promises to address critical security and monitoring needs with unmatched precision and real-time insights. Backing a driven and skilled team like GalaxEye, rooted in a legacy of innovation like Avishkar Hyperloop, speaks volumes about the fund's dedication to fostering groundbreaking technology. This partnership not only reflects the fund's commitment to advancing national security infrastructure but also highlights a forward-looking vision that appreciates the convergence of innovation and practical impact. The anticipated satellite launch in mid-2025 is set to be a milestone in this collaborative journey, and it will be exciting to witness the tangible outcomes of this strategic alliance! #space #venturecapital #investment #india #strategic https://lnkd.in/ggZuW2xs

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A significant milestone for Venture Catalysts' latest fund, VC Grid. Our team at VC Grid is making waves in the startup ecosystem with its recent investment in Ideal Insurance, a leading insure tech platform. In  collaboration with family offices and high net-worth individuals, VC Grid has contributed to an impressive pre-series funding round of Rs 8 crore, totaling a $1 million investment. This funding round also saw participation from industry veterans such as Sagar Daryani of Wow! Momo and Artha Group, among others. Founded by Rahul Agarwal, CA Ravi Kothari, and Rahul Mohata, Ideal Insurance is poised to capitalize on India's burgeoning insurance market, expected to reach $1.3 trillion by 2030.With ambitious targets of achieving a premium collection surpassing Rs 1,100 crore and an EBITDA of Rs 33 crore within the next two years, Ideal Insurance is now gearing up for its next phase of growth. To support this expansion, Ideal Insurance is seeking to raise $10 million at a valuation ranging from $70-90 million. Exciting times lie ahead as we continue to champion innovation and growth in the startup landscape! Venture Catalysts++ | India's 1st Multi-Stage VC, 9Unicorns, Anuj Golecha, Anil G Jain, Gaurav Jain, Vansh Oberoi, Sidhi Dalmia, Shreeyesh Chandgothia, Anusha Bhat #VentureCatalysts #AngelInvestor #VC #IndianStartups #StartupInvesting #InsureTech #VCGrid #IdealInsurance #StartupFunding https://lnkd.in/dRThdKp2

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✨ Chet Kapoor ✨ is quite the Silicon Valley legend. Three-time founder and currently the CEO of DataStax his wisdom for founders is incredibly spot-on ✅ and timeless ⏰ ! In this most recent and probably best-ever episode of The Enterprise GTM podcast, Chet discusses what it takes to build enduring tech companies. Some 🎤 soundbites 🎤 from our conversation: 👩‍🏫 The quality of people influences the outcome of your startup the most. 🔥 You do not need smart people who sit around and pontificate. ☄ Momentum is everything. Never underestimate it. 🌟 Having complete clarity of thought at any given time is very important--who are you doing this for, and how will it change their lives? 🌈 One of the best ways to create a large company is to create a parade or join one. ☝ Know who you are. There's a high likelihood that the company will become more like who you are rather than who you want to be. 🛑 Don't make the mistake of hiring sales execs too soon. Be extra cautious about partnerships. 📣 Tune in to hear about what he has to say about AI startups getting started today, the future of the data layer, the evolving importance of data roles (data science, data engineering), and so much more! #devtool #founder #startup #data #ai https://lnkd.in/gW-58nvE

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