Shivam Jindal

Zepto announces its $ 665M Series F financing at a $3.6bn valuation yesterday. They started as KiranaKart (part of YC's W21 program) & re-branded to Zepto; the firm has defied all funding winters with crazy momentum ⤵️ June '20: $50K Contrary Capital fellowship Nov '20: $125K YC W21 program  Jan '21: $700K Seed round Oct '21: $60M Series A/B round Dec'21: $100M Series C round May '22: $200M Series D round Aug '23: $200M Series E round Zepto's investors include Y Combinator, Nexus Venture Partners, StepStone Group and even Glade Brook Capital (former investor in Zomato). 📈 And, their metrics in the last few months have been astounding: (1) ~4.5M (i.e. 45 Lakh) Zepto Pass subscribers in 3 months - Initially this was free, then they began charging > ₹99 per month (2) 75% of ~350 dark stores are EBITDA positive - Time to EBITDA breakeven per store is down from 23 months to 6 months (3) ~28% market share in Quick Comm - Impressive given they are an independent company (versus Instamart or Blinkit) ✅ And, Zepto is just getting started:  (a) Entry in non-metro cities next (b) Entry into private label (Zepto Cafe & Meats) (c) Going to x2 the number of dark stores ➡ What I've seen lately in the key metro cities: There is a shift from e-comm to QC. I think it is only going to accelerate as QC co's bring in more categories & tap into long tail SKUs via larger warehouses.. Product searches first moved from Google to Amazon, now they may move from Amazon to Zepto et al. incredible to see how the Power Law plays out - these folks are going to change Commerce in India. Congratulations Aadit, Kaivalya + team Zepto! #startups #india #venturecapital

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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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Co-Build a VC fund in Public: Day 4 (and funding announcement) We not only co-build but invest too :) Today, at Ortella Global Capital - OG Capital, India's only fund that co-builds companies, we take our first leap into the future with Medial as our inaugural portfolio company announcement. This is not just an investment—it is a partnership with a vision to solve one of the most pressing challenges in the professional world. The tech and startup ecosystem are fragmented, forcing users to switch between countless platforms for news, networking, career opportunities, and meaningful insights. Medial changes the game, bringing it all together in one seamless, intuitive space. What drew us to Medial was the team. From our first meeting with Niket Raj Dwivedi, Aishwarya Raj Pandey, Prateek Kaien, and Harsh Dwivedi we saw a rare combination of audacity and discipline. Their commitment to profitability and monetisation from day one along with their relentless focus on user engagement, made it clear they were not just building a company—they were creating a movement. In just a few months, Medial has surpassed critical milestones: collaborating with top global partners, rapid growth, and extraordinary user metrics. But beyond the metrics, they are building a sustainable business with a clear-eyed vision and sharp execution that inspires us. This team is not just chasing trends—they are creating a legacy! This is why we exist as a fund: to back founders who dream boldly and deliver consistently. Founders like these remind us why we started OG Capital—to build alongside those who dare to reimagine what is possible. Thank you Prateek Agarwal (Pre-seed investor) for everything :) P.S.: Here is a snapshot of the moment when my co-founder, Rajvardhan Mohite and I, with pens in hand and excitement in our hearts, sealed the deal with Niket and the team. The start of something extraordinary, captured in ink and ambition. Docusign is too old school for us :P

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Greed < Growth 📈 The age-old question is, would you rather have greed or growth? At Merak Group, we’re on a mission for growth. Why? Because greed is temporary and only benefits a handful of people, whereas growth is permanent and benefits everybody. Instead of focusing on sexy companies, money, and quick turnarounds, we focus on making a positive impact within the business community, growing the companies we work with, and ensuring everybody in the organization can thrive. After all, greatness isn’t born, it’s built 💪 Learn more about who we are and how we’re shaking up the private equity world: https://buff.ly/3USxbs9 #PrivateEquity #Investment #Growth #Success

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A few VCs with large seed cheques often view 'Capital' as a moat. And for good or bad, in many cases it does play out that way. In any large market, there are multiple high caliber founders trying to solve similar problems - some in different while some in similar ways. In such a scenario, the team that gets early access to larger capital has a natural advantage to strengthen and build a real moat. A founder from our portfolio company nicely put it- he can't afford to be the only rationale player in an irrational market.

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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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📢 Hi folks, a #career update that I would like to share;    After a satisfying stint in the #VC ecosystem where I had the privilege of leading #Sourcing at a #Familyoffice and #Investments at a #MicroVC Fund, I have decided to shift focus from building portfolios to helping investors build stellar teams that go on to build differentiated #portfolios.    I have joined one of the leading #searchexecutive firms Indusion Consulting in the role of #Principal, Capital Markets team. Focus being #PrivateEquity and #VentureCapital firms as well as helping IBs hire the smartest folks out there. We at Indusion cater to both - buy and sell side. I will be working closely with Smita Singh, Vijay Vaishnav and Ajit Sahu to further expand the reach of Indusion Consulting in the areas of interest. Also looking to draw some inspiration from my colleague Mrinalini Chetty who too became a chance recruiter almost half a decade back.    🔊 Let’s now talk business – If you share my belief that #humancapital and #culture are the keys to differentiation and are looking to build a team that reflects these values, I’d be delighted to assist 📧 [email protected] is where you can reach out to me. For #investment professionals eager to find their next great opportunity, my DMs are always open. #Venturecapital #hiring #executivesearch #opportunities #privateequity #teambuilding #investmentbanking #charteredaccountants #hr #fundraise

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At Pod Invest, we aim to enable 20 startups to get funded in the upcoming quarter with an average cheque size of $100,000, primarily targeting pre-seed and seed stages in India. The sectors we see getting attention: 1. Gen AI 2. Medtech 3. Healthtech 4. Consumer Tech 5. Niche D2C 6. Spacetech 7. Fintech 8. Deeptech 9. Clean Energy 10. EV Do reach out to me with your pitch decks If you know someone looking to raise funds, do tag them in the comments. Vittal Ramakrishna Neelendra Nath Naman Pandey Samson Mathew Likhita Chepa

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Today marks an incredible milestone for us at Inflexor Ventures as we proudly announce the 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 ₹350 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐎𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝. This isn't just a number—it's a symbol of our steadfast commitment to empowering founders who are ready to amplify their proven potential and take their vision to new heights. In my journey from being an entrepreneur to a VC, I've witnessed firsthand the critical juncture where vision meets opportunity. The Opportunities Fund is designed to be that bridge—supporting visionary founders who have already proven their potential and are ready to scale further and faster. To all the founders who trust us with their stories and growth, thank you for your resilience and ambition. You inspire us daily to be more than just investors; you motivate us to be partners who champion your vision and share in the challenges and triumphs of building something extraordinary. Our heartfelt gratitude goes out to HDFC AMC Select AIF FoF I scheme and our other valued limited partners for their trust and belief in our mission. Your support fuels our drive to not just invest in ventures but to become true partners in the journey, championing innovation and resilience every step of the way. I also want to acknowledge my colleagues, whose dedication and expertise drive us forward, and the wider ecosystem that plays an essential role in making ventures thrive. This milestone wouldn’t be possible without each of you contributing to this vibrant network of progress. To the entrepreneurs who dare to dream, build, and inspire: your determination is why we do what we do. We are honored to walk alongside you in navigating the exhilarating journey of scale and impact. Here's to nurturing more stories of growth and innovation as we embark on this exciting chapter together. Venkat Vallabhaneni, Jatin Desai, Pratip Mazumdar, Murali Krishna Gunturu, Harsha Mundhada, Parmi Doshi, Aishwarya Kulkarni, Pratik Ahuja, Kirti Chaturvedi, Akhil Nehru, Minal Sequeira, CA Vijay Sundar A N https://lnkd.in/gJUHBZk6 #VentureCapital #Entrepreneurship #OpportunitiesFund #Innovation #Gratitude

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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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First the headline - Fisdom turned profitable during the recent JFM quarter of FY24. For each of the last 3 months, we are EBITDA positive and generating cash! This was an incredible achievement given the circumstances - regulatory changes, capital constraints, team constraints and general stress attached to startups. Nature of our business is that our costs are upfront and revenues come with a lag  (they trail). Thanks to the amazing work done by our teams across our private wealth, stock broking and tax businesses, we managed to grow our revenues significantly. We also made some tough decisions - focusing on fewer business objectives, building fewer products with focused teams etc. Anand Dalmia and I sincerely thank all our customers, employees (present and past), investors and partners who have been supporting us through this journey. As we look ahead into FY25, we will aim to be profitable for the full financial year and start paying taxes to the Government of India at the earliest! Another important milestone of the last quarter was that we concluded an ESOP buyback for some of our senior employees. Equity in startups does create wealth for employees! Advice to fellow founders - the feeling of being profitable >>> raising funds. As the stock markets today showed, the India story is still playing out. Financialization of wealth is a multi-decade opportunity and we at Fisdom are as excited as the day 1 of our journey! Vijay Agicha Anirban Mukherjee Sudhir Sehgal Himanshu Kapoor ganesh rengaswamy Kiranbir Nag Ash Lilani Varun Malhotra

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Last 2 days to apply to Antler India Residency #5 for Individual Founders - Applications are due Aug 2nd 2024 (Friday) Over the past few months, we have had over ~10,000 individuals and early teams apply to the Residency. Of these, a few exceptional founders have been selected to join the Residency. We’re super stoked to help them get initiated on their building journey - the cohort starts on Aug 20th (Tuesday). We are finalising the last ~30 folks for this cohort over the coming days.If you’re an individual/solo founder considering applying to the Residency, here’s a glimpse of the exceptional cohort of founders you could potentially build alongside - > Domain experts from a variety of sectors, including Legal Tech, FinTech, Edutainment, B2B SaaS, Consumer Tech, Health Tech etc.; there’s also a good mix of founders building in innovative spaces, including SpaceTech, Robotics, BioTech, Pet Care, Compliance Tech, and more > Many have held leadership positions (across Tech/Business roles) at the best unicorns and soonicorns of India; we also have a good number of technology builders from some of the top tech companies including Google, Meta, Amazon, and Oracle > The cohort also includes repeat founders and serial entrepreneurs with a track record of raising institutional capital from marquee investors in their previous ventures

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Even until today, I still get asked this question. Here’s my take: How To Break Into VC? Based on your dream career path ✨ First thing first, you need to pick your domain and build your profile RELEVANT TO IT: 💰Investment —> the most straight forward career trajectory in a VC structure and the most competitive to land. Meaning so many aspiring investor professional looking in, yet the vacant jobs don’t come by often. Acceptance rate at these positions are typically 1:60. So you need to bring Competitive Edges from: 1) Starting an early career at strategic consulting firms, in the PE/ VC practice or at Big4 in the M&A practice. VCs value analytical skills and financial acumen they provide or 2) Securing an internship at a VC/ PE firm during your undergrad might help for an entry level position ✨ Value Creation —> the team that works on portfolio management. Highlight is to build a strong Specialist profile, e.g., People Advisory, ESG Impact, Partnership. You are expected to bring value to portfolio since day 1. Portfolio companies come to this team for day-to-day business challenges. ⚖️ Legal —> legal review is an important aspect during due diligence to determine if VC’s funding is justified under corporate terms. You need to specialize in corporate transactions law practice in your earlier career and equip knowledge with relevant topics e.g., technological investment, IPs, others The other essential tip is to build a strong network in the VC world. VC is ultimately a relationship business. Any effort done building your network, from investors to founders to industry experts, can unlock doors to a future career in VC. The more relationships you form, the higher your probability of breaking in. #CareerTips #ProfessionalGrowth #VentureCapital #VC #PrivateEquity #PE #Investment #ValueCreation #CapitalAdvisory #ACVentures

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I'm proud to announce that we at Mount Judi Ventures have co-led the investment round in Wify Technologies, alongside Capria Ventures, Blume Ventures and Singularity AMC. The company, led by Vikram S. and Deepanshu Goel, addresses the pain points of both the demand and supply side in the home improvement space by providing a full-stack B2B2C solution. On the demand side, it ensures that brands like IKEA can solely focus on selling and marketing their products to their customers, while the post-purchase activities like installation, warranty, etc. for the customers are taken care of by Wify. However, it is easier said than done since the majority of the supply side, comprising of the blue-collar workforce, are traditional tradesmen who are not well equipped to handle modern home solution products. In a country like India, customers are yet to embrace DIY home solutions in their fullest form and are heavily reliant on traditional tradesmen. Wify tackles this issue by taking care of training and upskilling the blue-collar workforce, which not only helps brands such as IKEA to deliver hassle-free and satisfactory services to their customers but also helps improve the career prospects of the blue-collar workforce. In short, a win-win situation for all the stakeholders involved. Wishing the WIFY team all the best in their endeavour. #wify #funding #startup #innovation

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Just wrapped up a podcast with Arun Antony of YE Stack - YE Stack has a very interesting hypothesis During the conversation with Arun we talked about: 1. How YE Stack attracts young founders 2. What makes YE Stack different than other venture studios 3. Venture Studios vs VC Funds 3. Where the next wave of young founders will come from And other topics Stay tuned for the release of the audio podcast episode!

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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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Interesting article by ET Prime on Softbank’s evolving investment strategy based on The Arc scoop on the Ultrahuman deal Thanks for citing us, Manu P Toms 🙏 More on what’s working for Ultrahuman and the round here - https://lnkd.in/gcQimTAS

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Wolf Den Investors Summit is the place to be for startup founders! Meet potential investors and explore opportunities. Make sure you are at the Mukesh Patel Auditorium in Mumbai on the 22nd of June 2024 for a gathering of the smartest investment minds in the country! This is the perfect opportunity for you to dance your way back home! Book your tickets now at https://lnkd.in/e_QGS4fu Devang Raja #WolfDen #InvestorsSummit #StartupFounders #InvestmentOpportunities #BusinessEvent #Finance #Entrepreneurship #Startups #VentureCapital #BusinessGrowth #VentureWolf

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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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