Sarath Sura

Early stage founders who are ready with MVP or early traction, connect with Pod Invest they will make your life very easy. DM if you want me to introduce you. Great initiative by Vittal Ramakrishna for the #earlystage startup ecosystem #earlystage #founders #preseed #funding

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It seems that every other day we hear of Private Equity taking control of a company in India, especially in the Healthcare Sector, which has been on their cards for long - both Single and Multi Specialty. 💊 🏥 Multi Specialty: - Manipal Hospital - Temasek - KIMS Health - Blackstone - Max Hospitals - KKR - Apollo Hospitals - Advent 👨‍⚕️ Single Specialty: - Indira IVF - Baring PE - Baby Memorial Hospital - KKR - Dr. Agarwal's Health Care - Temasek and TPG And many more like Nephroplus, Cloudnine, Motherhood Hospitals, Sahyadri Hospitals, Ujala Cygnus, etc. Opportunity for PE? 📈 Well, they have identified a gap in the Healthcare sector - India’s Healthcare sector has a lot of potential with a population of 1.4 billion people and rising awareness post-COVID. Yet, the number of beds per 1,000 patients is only 0.6 as of 2021 (National Health Profile 2021) as compared to the WHO recommended 3 beds per 1,000 patients. This shortfall is seen as a lucrative opportunity. Outlook for Hospitals and India? 🏨 Expansion and Innovation - PE brings in expertise and capital which leads to quick expansion across geographies and service offerings leading to growth in the sector and better access to healthcare for Indians. 💲 Future Outlook - At the end of the day, PEs are here to make a quick buck and exit in a few years, so the future outlook looks bleak as patient care and satisfaction may not be their top priority. ⁉️There are numerous failed PE Healthcare stories in Europe and the USA. We hope that's not how it turns out here in India too, but only time will tell. 🤔 What do you think? Inspired by Finshots 🥇

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It's been a year since I began exploring a career in venture capital (VC). Initially, I talked to people outside the industry, which didn't lead me anywhere. However, I soon started building meaningful connections with those who've successfully navigated this path. I made an invaluable connection with Maulik Mehta, a Senior Associate at Arc Ventures in New York. With his extensive experience in VC and a genuine passion for supporting innovative startups, Maulik has been a dynamic friend and mentor, guiding me with insights and advice on breaking into the VC world. This interview discusses how to break into the venture capital industry. We talk about what makes you stand out, share tips for getting started, and highlight the importance of internships. We address common challenges and offer advice for overcoming them, especially for those from non-traditional backgrounds. We explore the skills VC firms look for and the role of mentorship. We also touch on emerging trends in VC and share valuable lessons learned. Give it a listen; I hope it helps those navigating the VC journey: https://lnkd.in/e8aKTqWJ #venturecapital #careers #vc #startupinvesting

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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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As the foreign venture capital world shifts and changes, to me it is evident that the next generation of Indian companies are going to be built with the support of Indian capital. The emergence of strong domestic brands in the VC space is a great start. And most of them (including Rukam) have raised capital from Indian institutions and family offices. The focus of Indian family offices too towards investing in startups is a step in the right direction. No country in the world has or can build a large startup ecosystem without domestic capital. As someone rooted in the Indian milieu it is of course significantly easier to understand the risks and the opportunities of building in India. There aren’t inflated business plans because it’s pretty evident to anyone who has lived most of their lives here that these just won’t fly no matter what. Domestic VCs have a great opportunity to build an ecosystem that showcases the best-in-class way of doing business. The emergence of domestic VC brands is a good sign of the robustness of our ecosystem. The next step is to make deeper pools of LP capital available as well as other enabling policies to domestic VCs so that this gets bigger and bigger. The more risk capital available to our founders, the bigger the pie becomes for everyone. #rukamfounders #riseofdomestocvcs #domesticcapital

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There was a recent stir in India's capital markets as a US-based short seller leveled serious allegations pertaining to #ConflictofInterest against the top brass of our regulatory body ie Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Are #VC Firms free of from this glare ? Not really The gravity of this situation highlights a chilling potential for a #ConflictofInterest that could cast #Founding Partners and "Members of the IC/ Key Persons" into a damaging spotlight in the following scenario : ✳️ Selective Share Acquisition : Founding Partner purchases shares in "cherry-picked" folio company that is at an advanced stage of revenue, profitability and, a risk profile that is << rest of folio where Fund Investors ie #LPs are invested e.g. the company may be at Series C while balance folio is mostly at pre A/ A or even written off due to a large governance lapse ✳️ Personal or Related Party Purchases : Make the purchase in their own names or that of #relatedparties, clearly for personal gain ✳️ Insider Markups : They buy shares with insider knowledge of a say 3x fund raise, anticipating substantial markups that only they benefit from ✳️Exclusion of LPs : The Fund doesn't purchase any shares and LPs lose out on the capital gains ✳️ Lack of Disclosure : There's no transparency or consent sought from #LPs ✳️ Coercion Tactics : Pressure is applied on key personnel, IC Members, or even #founders of portfolio companies to facilitate these transactions What would this lead to ? Regulation #24 of #AIF Regulations 2012 outlines the obligations and procedures related to managing #Conflictofinterest It states : ✅ Disclosure of Conflicts: The investment manager and other key personnel must disclose any conflicts of interest to the AIF and its investors. This includes any potential conflicts arising from personal interests, business interests, or financial arrangements This puts the onus on all "Key Persons/ IC Members" & Chief Compliance Officer, legal team that enabled such a transaction, to come forward and inform #LPs and Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) if they have been a party to this Else, it creates an immediate co-liability that may hurt careers and ability to operate in capital markets, when called into question from a prospective / existing #LP or even an internal #whistleblower For #LPs esp from Government of India Official handling tax payer monies, I would recommend a simple question to be asked as part of #Duediligence to uncover such a violation : ✅ Did any member of the IC/ Key persons/ Designated partner of the VC firm purchase any shares of any folio company under their name or their related parties, without making a full disclosure to #LPs OR without offering the same opportunity to the Fund OR without taking permission from #LPs ? Hope this is useful to those in #VCcareers and to prospective LPs ( Useful links in comments) #Governance #transparency #EnhanceDuediligence

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The process of getting deeper into the Indian start-up ecosystem as an angel investor and limited partner (2 new hats of mine since 2023) is well on its way. Today spent the day attending Ivycap day 2024 as a special attendee. getting to understand the dynamics of investing, assessing business models and plans, valuation and most importantly founders. should have started a bit earlier but then no regrets. these new hats are part of a larger connecting the dots am attempting.

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🍷 Sula Vineyards: Seed to IPO (a 4000 Crore Company) | Ep12: The India Opportunity Podcast ft Chaitanya Rathi, Partner at Sharrp Ventures | Harsh Mariwala Investment Office 🍷 Watch here: https://lnkd.in/gE-ZHDCz We talk about: > Early experiences in alco-bev space in Scotland led to Chaitanya finding his way to Sula Vineyards > Saw it as a seed stage company, and was instrumental in launching Wine Tourism in India to make Sula - the world's most visited vineyard in the world! > How during COVID, Sula hit ZERO revenues (very close to its IPO) and how the team improved the company's financial metrics through the period > What it takes to become an IPO-able company - The process, the mindset and the preparation - it literally takes a village > Evaluation for investment criteria both as an angel and a fund manager > Leverage Edu's remarkable turnaround during the pandemic, we talk about Akshay Chaturvedi's journey > Lessons from investing in legendary consumer brands in India such as Veeba, epigamia, Woodsmen Mountain Whiskey and themes he's interested in > The evolution of the consumer landscape in India both from a market expansion and funding perspective > How being an operator helps CR be a better investor and partner to portfolio companies What a gold mine of an episode! Deep and rich insights from the consumer sector from someone who has not only invested but also built iconic companies. Must listen for founders. #consumer #D2C #sula #investing #publicmarkets #angelinvestors #alcobev

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🏥 The Global Health Tech Boom: A VC's Playbook for US & India In the US, the consumer health tech market is expected to reach a whopping $400 billion by 2027, while India is experiencing a similar surge, with its consumer health tech market projected to hit a staggering $32 billion by 2025. As a VC actively investing in innovative health tech startups across both continents, here is what gets me excited: 🚥 Seed Funding ($0.5M-$5M): Focus on validation, not chasing unicorns. Early traction is crucial – think $300K-$2M in annual sales depending on your niche. Demonstrate efficient customer acquisition (sub-$30 CAC) and cultivate loyalty (lifetime value exceeding CAC). Most importantly, show product-market fit. A passionate user base willing to pay a premium is a winning formula. 🚥 Valuation: Seed-stage valuations are concept-driven. Expect a range of $3M-$15M, with a typical multiple of 5x-10x revenue. This considers market size, innovation, and team experience. 🚥 Series A ($10M-$20M): Scale-up time! We look for 2x-4x YoY revenue growth and a minimum of $2M in annual sales. This validates your customer acquisition strategy and a repeatable sales engine. Retention remains king! High customer retention signifies a strong brand connection and sustainable growth. 🚥 Valuation: Early traction and a clear path to profitability are essential. Series A valuations can range from $10M-$30M, with a typical multiple of 4x-8x sales. Revenue growth, market potential, brand strength, and team expertise influence this multiple. 🚦 Decoding Valuation in Global Health Tech: ⚡ Market Potential: A large addressable market with room for significant brand capture is key. Think millions of potential customers! ⚡ Profitability Path: Growth is exciting, but we need a data-driven roadmap to profitability, consider factors like insurance reimbursement models, pricing strategies etc. ⚡ Brand Strength: Show us metrics like social media engagement, brand mentions, and positive user sentiment. A strong brand can command a premium valuation. ⚡ Customer Empathy: Consumers are value-conscious and diverse. Deeply understand your target audience and tailor your product accordingly. ⚡ Passion is Key: Demonstrate your passion for transforming healthcare delivery on a global scale. 🚥 Key Areas of Opportunity: These areas hold immense potential: ⚡ Telehealth & Remote Patient Monitoring: Simplifying access to quality healthcare for remote populations. ⚡ Chronic Disease Management: Offering personalized solutions for managing chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease. ⚡ Mental Health & Wellness: Address growing need for mental health support through accessible and affordable solutions. ⚡ AI-powered Diagnostics & Treatment: AI to improve healthcare accuracy, efficiency, and affordability. ⚡ Preventive Health & Personalized Medicine: Fostering proactive health through personalized preventive care and wellness solutions. 🗣 Love to hear from HealthTech Startups! 🏥

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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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Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) is on the rise globally, with India hosting over 150 CVCs. This trend reflects corporations' recognition of the innovation startups bring and their desire to stay competitive. By investing in startups, corporations gain access to innovation, value-adding technologies, and financial incentives. CVCs play strategic roles by investing in startups within their industries, offering benefits like industry networks and expertise, while also providing general support such as access to experienced professionals and relaxed return expectations. The significance of corporates investing in the startup ecosystem is continually growing globally, with many Southeast Asian corporations turning their attention to South Asia, particularly India. Read More Here: https://bit.ly/4a8vsTJ #Restaurants #Hospitality #Technology #Business #Innovation #AI #investing #venturecapital Branded Hospitality Ventures Noah Stern

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✨ Breaking: Alkemi Growth Capital Announces New Fund.- Alkemi Growth Capital A women-led healthcare-focused fund in India, led by Alka Goel, planning to launch a second fund. Alkemi Growth Capital For the ❤️ of Startups #Fusion42 #Startups #Founders #Venturecapital

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Abyro Capital Floats $25 Mn Fund To Back India Startups. Abyro Capital said that it will back startups across sectors such as AI, SaaS, healthcare, manufacturing, supply chain, delivery, among others. India and US-focussed venture capital (VC) firm Abyro Capital has launched its maiden $25 Mn (about INR 210 Cr) fund to back early stage technology startups in the two countries. In a statement, the VC firm said that it will look to back 12 to 15 startups, over the course of next four years, across sectors such as artificial intelligence (AI), SaaS, healthcare, manufacturing, supply chain, delivery, among others. Abyro Capital said that the fund will be driven by operators and entrepreneurs, and will also offer operational expertise and access to global networks to its portfolio startups. #startupfunding #capital #AIfunding #saas #healthcare #vcfirms #equityfunding #loanconsultants #legaladvisorinindia

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Optimising for survival vs valaution During my previous startup journey My Dream Store we grew from 3cr annualRevenue to 30cr annual Revenue in 24 months and we were on look out for series A of 5Mn usd , Talked to almost every VC in town by that time we have only raise an angel round of 300k usd only. Everything was green we were super ambitious , stayed in market for 3 months could not close . During this time there were few Angel groups who could write 500k to 1mn cheques but we thought it would be too small for our ambitions. We went back to building again - our growth began to drop and became flattish at 2cr monthly revenue , we went back to market to raise 2Mn after 1yr to market to a different set of VCs - very hard to raise on back of degrowth, we were willing to dilute more but yes could not close. Lesson learnt always raise when you are going to peak in the next 3-6 months. As founders we would be focused on growth during that cycle but it’s better to put more money in war chest. Back to story one more year passed on flattish growth, we did some working capital solves , cut expenses we de grew to 1.5cr monthly revenue . Was again out in market this time looking for Angels founder angels or syndicates to raise 500k to 2Mn to build back. I was almost on verge of giving up but then Sujayath Ali wrote a small cheque gave us hope to rethink and started building Nobero. Only a founder can truly understand the grit and struggle. Now Nobero is a rocket ship we are super excited along side strong partner like TMRW House of Brands . From my journey of fundraising failures here are something’s that other founders / people who want to start can pick up 1. Always raise when you are on the raise 2. Do not be finicky about valuation pick best of what you are getting and go back to building 3. Like you see in my essay I moved down from 5Mn to 2Mn to 500k , very foolish . In hindsight had I picked the 500k to 1Mn cheque when we were at 30cr the story would have been totally different . Pick whatever you can at best price you can close fast. The art is to close deal fast and move from position to position strongly on back of good metrics 4. Small cheques get large cheques , you are no longer alone in journey. It’s in interest of all parties to protect org and do what is right for org to grow 5. Fundraising is sales , be very strategic of what you offer -if you are degrowing offer a larger share, create phased offers milestone led - 500k to x size and if I hit X follow on with 2Mn if I do not grow to X be willing to take more hit on equity. Always offer what others cannot 6. Have some founders on your cap table who have been part of these , it’s millions saved #fundraising #startup #lessonsbuildingnobero

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Tech of today was at some point of time considered as DeepTech. This evolution happens gradually, powered by visionary innovators and supportive investors who pave the way forward. Today, India stands in a unique position—not only to drive groundbreaking innovation and attract top talent but to do so at a significantly lower cost than in other markets. At Aeravti Ventures, we are continuously inspired by the innovation potential of the Indian founders and are thrilled to be at the forefront of it. Below is the link of the The Economic Times article in collaboration with Ankit K. of Capital-A https://lnkd.in/gPhJ3pyk

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"Health is an investment, not an expense." — Anonymous Just a few days ago, our teams at DeVC and PeerCapital brought together an incredible group of entrepreneurs and enablers to explore the real investments and expenses in healthcare. On stage, we had the dynamic trio of Mayank Banerjee , Dilip Kumar and Tarun Bhambra, who combined their wit and wisdom to delve into: - The consumerization of healthcare, preventive vs. curative approaches, accessibility and affordability challenges, offline vs. online dynamics, and how founders can bridge skill gaps. - The evolving role of AI and tech in healthcare, and how founders are strategically allocating resources to build cutting-edge solutions. - Collaborating with doctors, aligning incentives across systems and how ambitious change starts with robust foundational systems (think CAC's and LTV's). The conversations were raw, experiential, and refreshingly honest. If it weren’t for the ticking clock and the rainy day, we might still be chatting! It was inspiring to engage with so many passionate builders committed to reshaping India's #healthcare future. Let’s keep the dialogue alive. We invite more of your participation and views. Together, we are investing in the future of health. #healthtech #investing #founders

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Funding Update - INDIA - E-commerce & SaaS startups grabbed maximum funding Growth Stage #Atlan: Data and AI governance company raised $105 mn in its Series C funding round, co-led by GIC and Meritech Capital.   #NephroPlus: Dialysis chain raised $102 mn from Quadria Capital.   #GreenCellMobility: Shared electric mobility startup raised $36.7 mn from Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) for its electric bus project in Uttar Pradesh.   #K12TechnoServices: Provider of full-stack education, content, and technology services raised $27 mn from Venturi Partners Pte. Ltd, acquiring a 5.12% stake.   #Lendingkart: Lending firm raised $10 mn from external commercial borrowing (ECB) from BlueOrchard Fund.   #MyelinFoundry: Deeptech AI startup raised $4 mn led by SIDBI Venture Capital, with participation from Endiya Partners, Pratithi Investment Trust, and Subh Labh.   #BharatRohan: Agritech firm focused on drone-based hyperspectral remote sensing raised $2.3 mn in a pre-IPO round from Villgro Innovation Foundation, Caspian, RevX, Venture Garage, and UHNI individuals.   Early Stage #Superplum: Direct-from-farm produce supply chain startup raised $15 mn in a Series A round led by Erik Ragatz.   #Poshn: Foodtech startup raised $4 mn in equity and $2 million in debt in a pre-Series A funding round led by Prime Venture Partners and Zephyr Peacock India.   #Parseable: Log analytics startup raised $2.75 mn in a seed funding round led by Surge, with participation from NP-Hard Ventures.   #Cornext: Agritech startup raised $2.2 mn in a seed funding round led by Omnivore.   #Regrip: Re-engineered tyre startup raised $2 mn in a funding round co-led by Sirious One, Inflection Point Ventures, and Let’s Venture.   #ICON: Startup raised $1.2 mn in a seed round led by DSG Consumer Partners with participation from angel investors.   #Atomgrid: Startup raised $1.2 mn in a seed funding round led by Merak Ventures, with participation from Dexter Ventures, Upsparks, Point One Capital, and UniCards's founders Nitin Gupta and Prateek Jindal.   #Eternz: Startup raised $1.15 mn in a pre-seed funding round led by Kae Capital, with participation from Gemba Capital, IIMA Ventures, TDV Partners, and Venture Lab.   #Knit: Startup secured $1 mn from Endiya Partners, Axilor Ventures, and angel investors.   #SelectBrands: Startup raised $778k in Pre-Series A funding led by Agra Gwalior Pathways and Airen Holdings, with contributions from We Founder Circle, Prataap Snacks, Apricot Foods, Workie, and IVY League Ventures.   #50Fin: Startup raised $550k from Arali Ventures and Nitin Gupta.   #Treacle: Cybersecurity startup raised $479k in a pre-seed round led by Inflection Point Ventures.   New Fund Launch #InCredAlternativeInvestments: Marked the first close of its inaugural private equity fund.   #ClientAssociates: Wealth management and investment banking firm announced the first close of its inaugural Cat II AIF @$36 mn. Like it? Follow me for more updates like this.

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Funding Alert! Exciting developments at Artha Venture Fund as we announce InstaAstro’s successful raise of ₹18.50 crores ($2.30m) in a Pre-Series A funding round that we led with amazing co-investors including @logX Ventures, Singularity Ventures, IR Capital Partners, Blume Ventures Founders Fund, and Aloke Bajpai of Ixigo.   Why InstaAstro? Nitin Verma's brainchild, InstaAstro has rapidly ascended as a leader in the online astrology market. With a robust user base engaging in over 50,000 minutes of consultations daily and consistently growing to a $5M ARR, their trajectory is nothing short of stellar.   What’s Next? InstaAstro is not just scaling—they're innovating. With the new funding, they're set to unveil an expansive suite of spiritual e-commerce and Reiki healing services. These initiatives aim to deepen user engagement and expand InstaAstro's reach into comprehensive spiritual guidance.   👉 https://bit.ly/4dG1Yj9   #arthaventurefund #funding #VentureCapital Artha Group

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