Ankur Rakhi Sinha

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

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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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118%🚀,  40%🚀,  55% 🚀   These are the listing premium for IPOs of startups Unicommerce & FirstCry.com (BrainBees Solutions Ltd.) which got listed today! Congratulations to their founders, team, investors and all stakeholders for this stellar debut on the public markets! Kapil Makhija, Kunal Bahl, Rohit Bansal, Supam Maheshwari, SoftBank Investment Advisers, Elevation Capital, Vertex Ventures SE Asia & India, Premji Invest, Chiratae Ventures, Pratithi Investments, Mahindra Partners, Kris Gopalakrishnan, Tiger Global Management, Nexus Venture Partners Last week, we saw Ola Electric go IPO within 3 years of starting up and it is up 55% already in 3 sessions! Bhavish Aggarwal Z47 (fka Matrix Partners India) This will pave way for many more startups to take this route in the coming years and we will have a vibrant Startup IPO market in India soon. The hunger among the retail investors for quality startup IPO seems to be increasing day by day which is a sign for maturing startup ecosystem in India. We are just getting started 🚀 🚀 🚀 TDV Partners #IPO #Unicommerce #Firstcry #OlaElectric #startups

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🌟 INOCYX: Your go-to for crypto innovation! 🚀 We're an India-based startup fueled by youthful energy and a knack for making waves in the crypto world. With all the necessary government approvals and taxes neatly filed (who knew we could be this organized?), we offer diverse options like P2P trading, SWAP features, and more – because why settle for less when you can have it all? Our future projects? Oh, they're not just projects; they're brilliant, they're coming soon, and they're set to redefine the game! Need to chat? Reach out anytime; we're practically always online (thanks, marketing team!). Supporting us means championing innovation and growth in the crypto space. We're shaping the future of industry with innovation and integrity.Let's connect and explore the future of finance together! 🌐💬 #INOCYX #CryptoInnovation #FutureFinance

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Hey everyone, I know it’s been a while since my last post about looking for a few Indian Web3 startups that want to raise funds. These things take time, so feel free to reach out if you want to know whether investors are interested in your proposals. DM me, and I’ll give you feedback if it’s a “no” for now. In this post, I want to dive into why many Indian Web3 startups struggle. These insights come from the decks and proposals you sent me. My goal isn’t to discourage anyone but be real about what’s lacking. 1. Fake it till you make it syndrome - Many founders think that partnerships or media buzz will automatically lead to success. Sure, it grabs attention on social media for a bit, but that doesn’t mean you have a solid product or business plan. When talking about partnerships, skip the fluff about how amazing your partner is. Instead, tell us how you’re leveraging those connections or what business you’ve generated from them. Saying “I’m talking to so & so investor” is not a winning strategy; it just makes new investors sit around waiting for your “so & so investor” to commit. 2. Wrong set of Advisors/Partnerships - The Web3 space is full of people eager to advise for a slice of your tokens. Sounds harmless, right? Nope. Investors want Advisors/Mentors who can add real value—like market expertise, helping with compliance, or genuinely bringing investment. Your advisor shouldn’t just be another generalist; you’ve already got that covered as the future CEO. You need real expertise to strengthen your team, not more fluff. Be very clear on "how" or "in what ways" your Advisor/Mentor/Partner are helping you. 3. No GTM and/or execution strategy - Rome wasn’t built in a day. But it didn’t happen without solid strategy and execution. Many of you seem to have no execution strategy at all. You’re waiting for the market to “discover” your amazing product and hoping for a miracle. Get comfortable questioning your ideas; ask yourself, what if this doesn’t work? What if your plan has flaws? Are you okay with pivoting? I’m not saying you need all the answers in your pitch deck, but your Go To Market or execution strategy shouldn’t feel like a copy of someone else’s work. Some of you have your MVP ready but haven’t tested it among yourselves! A few of you have ten products, but no clear direction or standout product, which leads to confusion. Most of your ideas lack a moat—explain why you’re the right fit for this idea and why it’s hard to copy. These are some thoughts I gathered while reviewing your decks, and they’re just general feedback. To be clear: I made mistakes in my own company. But since I had the chance to share insights with my network, I’m doing what I can because I believe entrepreneurship is a gift, and we need strong inspiration for Web3 to thrive. PS: If I haven’t contacted you yet, feel free to DM me. And if it’s a “no” right now, let’s stay in touch. Trust me, people want to see you succeed.

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Sow Seeds of Financial Abundance At ODIGITAL Startup Drivers, we know that investing in early-stage, high-growth, technology-driven startups is a proven way of sowing seeds of future financial abundance and wealth. This is an asset class that delivers great returns on investment (ROI) for stakeholders and has consistently outperformed hyperinflation and local currency weaknesses in global markets. We have partnered with Tekedia Capital to give you the opportunity to co-invest a minimum of $250 in their early-stage, technology startup investment deals. We have an ongoing investment round that will close on November 10, with a rigorously selected group of 15 of the world's best investment deals. And you have the opportunity to get your equity in any of these ventures and position yourself for future profitable exits. These ventures operate in varied sectors and markets such as B2B Commerce for African fashion, B2B Export for Africa, AI operating systems for chemical manufacturing, construction, property management, hardware design, insurance infrastructure with carriers license, supply chain management, medical billing as well as AI Infrastructure for non Nvidia Chips and Quantum Chip design, Diversified global investing for Indians, global payments for travellers in China and South East Asia and Stablecoin based remittance. If you want to join us to sow seeds that will deliver a future of financial abundance and wealth for you and your generations, then hurry and connect with us via any of the options below to get started. * Send me a direct message * Email - [email protected] * Click - https://lnkd.in/dHd8K9ZN - to join our WhatsApp group. Share and repost for the benefit of your network. And follow me for more posts like this.

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It was nice meeting with Divyansh Garg young web3 founder of TriwebAPI one of FSV Capital portfolio startup. New generation founder like Divyansh Garg is settling example how you should take entrepreneurship during college and instead of looking for job , he started entrepreneurship journey after graduating from Graphic Era Deemed to be University Graphic Era Hill University TriwebAPI is a development abstraction layer for blockchains which allows any developer to build on the blockchain network without any learning curve or delay. TriWeb is currently working with layer 1 and web2 companies to adopt blockchain at scale. Using TriWeb abstraction layer you can build your blockchain project with less efforts and without having blockchain knowledge. I encourage other students , developers who want to start their startup and become job giver instead of looking for a job. Founders Tushar Agrawal Harsh Vardhan Singh Rawat other co-founders of TriwebAPI #web3 #blockchain #startup #founders #motivation #india FSV Capital Prasanna Lohar Saurabh Jain

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According to Inc42’s ‘Indian Tech Startup Funding Report Q1 2024’ – Delhi NCR startup funding saw the biggest slump among other top hubs with a 63% YoY decline in Q1 2024 💸 Here are some other key highlights from the report: 🔸 The overall funding in India’s startup ecosystem declined 33% YoY in Q1 2024 to $2 Bn – registering a 7-year low. 🔸The Indian startup ecosystem only registered 3 mega deals, a 58% decline from 7 deals harnessed in the same quarter a year ago. 🔸 Fintech and ecommerce startups continued to woo investors in Q1 2024. While fintech startups secured $460 Mn in 31 deals, ecommerce founders lapped up $336 Mn in 50 deals. 🔸 Enterprise tech startups took the third spot on the podium by raising $305 Mn across 28 deals during the quarter versus $194 Mn raised in 41 deals a year ago. 🔸 The Indian startup ecosystem saw only 15 acquisition deals, registering a 57% YoY decline versus 35 M&A deals in Q1 2023.

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Deep-engaged, startup specific mentoring is what startups get in the Caret Accelerator. Of course, apart from capital. So, if you are a startup disrupting mobility, distribution (supply chain) or employment/employability, apply soon. Applications close next week. (Shortlisting process has commenced. Over 400 applications in already.)

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"possible nahi hai to mat karna, aur possible hai to tung mat karna" Over the past many years, we've seen founders face numerous struggles that should not have been in the first place - from the liquidation process to ODI transactions to KYC/FIRC of foreign inbound wires to demat documentation for foreign investors and much more. All of these were simple processes that instead led to long and painful journeys consuming 100s of hours - and several times holding up critical round closures and what not. After seeing these closely for a few years, we got involved and looked at the problems closely, identified relevant providers, and asked them to provide clarity on what is possible and what is not possible and how to avoid bureaucracy and get stuff one - we did it all constructively but since we had a large volume of cases across each category, we were in a position to show examples of what was going wrong and how resolutions can be achieved smoothly. Thanks to so many of our partners many of the above processes are now 10x smoother than before -- but we haven't been able to solve for everything yet and the work will continue. Our mantra with working with providers was simple -- we wanted clarity on how anything is to be done and if we did that it was upon them to get it done. If they themselves don't have clarity, then they should let us know ahead of time instead of misguiding us forever. Simply captured in this -- "possible nahi hai to mat kar, aur possible hai to tung mat kar". Grateful to all our PoC across providers who follow this to the t :)

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Simple Takeaways from Meeting with VC Anup Jain At Startup Mahakumbh, recently talked with Anup Jain, a well-known VC. We discussed how VCs decide to invest, especially in places like Bihar VCs help startups grow by giving money and advice. In Bihar, they want to make a difference and help the economy grow. Looking for teams that can solve big problems and are excited about their work. VCs who understand Bihar are important for the state’s startup growth. Bihar is becoming a great place for startups, and at AbhiCares, I’m excited to be part of this change. #BiharStartup #StartupBihar #AbhiCares #StartupMahakumbh

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#ONDC is the Indian E-Commerce alliance promoting decentralization and inclusivity, aiming to empower small businesses and reduce transaction fees. In contrast, traditional e-commerce giants like #Amazon and #Flipkart operate on a centralized model, with higher fees and a global reach. Although traditional e-commerce offers convenience and trust, ONDC focuses on innovation, local reach, and varied consumer choices. To me, #ONDC is the "I.N.D.I.A" alliance of opposing Indian #ECommerce players. The smarter ones here will get what I mean! #eCommerce #OnlineShopping #DigitalCommerce #eCommerceBusiness #eCommerceTips #ShopOnline #OnlineStore #Business #Marketing #DigitalMarketing #BusinessTips #OnlineBusiness #MarketingStrategy #SupplyChain #Logistics #Warehousing #Fulfillment #Shipping

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🚀 From Zepto to Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters – Indian Startups Raised $490.32 Mn This Week🚀 This week 31 Indian startups raised $490.32 Mn, which includes 7 growth stage and 19 early-stage deals while 5 early-stage startups kept the transaction details undisclosed. Regarding the city-wise number of funding deals, Bengaluru-based startups led with 8 deals followed by Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai, Dehradun, Jodhpur, and Lucknow. During the week, Seed funding deals are on top with 11 deals followed by 6 Series A, 4 pre-Series A, 3 Series C, 2 Series B, 2 pre-Seed, and 1 Series F deal. On a weekly basis, startup funding tripled and went up 239.42% to $490.32 million as compared to around $144.46 million raised during the previous week. So, I put together a comprehensive guide that covers: - 📌 Key Startup Funding Highlights of The Week 📌 Growth/late-stage deals 📌 Early-stage deals 📌 City and Segment-Wise Deals 📌 Other Major Developments of This Week ➕ Follow Shilpi Kumari for more such insightful content. #startups #fundraising #fundingsuccess #investmentstrategy #founders #entrepreneurs #startupecosystem #fundingnews

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{New pod 🎤} "𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐈 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩𝐬?" Was super-fun to jam with Thiyagarajan Maruthavanan (Rajan) - Managing Partner at Upekkha. We discussed how Indian startups should look at AI, including real addressable opportunities, how to differentiate and compete against global competitors, what pre-AI SaaS startups should do to stay relevant, the India domestic AI opportunity, and finally, operating learnings for US go-to-market. Some thought-provoking insights and learnings for Indian AI and SaaS startups in here. Let us know what you think! YouTube - https://lnkd.in/g8d7rSe5 Spotify - https://lnkd.in/gpzkM8Jw Apple Podcasts - https://lnkd.in/gEf_zvKM An Operator's Blog - https://lnkd.in/gRzK2nTb

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

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With operators breaking into Venture Capital domain. What is happening in the Indian Venture Capital ecosystem? Suhail Sameer - Ex CEO of BharatPe launches OTP Ventures with INR 400 Cr Dhruv Dhanraj Bahl - Ex COO of BharatPe launches his debut fund of INR 120 Cr - Eternal Capital (India) Pratekk Agarwaal - Ex CBO of BharatPe launched his fund GrowthCap Ventures focused on supporting early stage startups Sunil Kamath - Ex CBO of Koo have started his active investor journey with We Founder Circle. The operators' entry into the Indian venture capital domain marks a new era of innovation and collaboration. They bridge the gap between operational expertise and financial capital, catalyzing startup ecosystem growth and fostering the emergence of the next generation of unicorns. As they chart new frontiers and redefine venture investing norms, it's evident that the future of Indian entrepreneurship shines brighter than ever. #India #VentureCapital #Entrepreneurs

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GM GM my #LinkedIn Fam!! I'm thrilled to announce that I've joined Push Protocol | Previously EPNS India as an #Ambassador! I'm incredibly excited to be a part of Push Protocol | Previously EPNS's mission to build a #decentralized notification infrastructure for #Web3. Web3 has the potential to revolutionize the way we interact with the internet, and Push Protocol is playing a vital role in making that happen. In my role as #PushAmbassadorIndia, I look forward to: 👉 Contributing to the growth of the Web3 ecosystem in India. 👨‍🏫 Educating and empowering the Indian community about the potential of Web3. 🤝 Collaborating with Push Protocol to build a more robust and accessible notification system for dApps. I'm confident that together, we can make a significant impact on the future of Web3. #Web3 #PushProtocolIndia #Ambassador #Decentralization #Blockchain #PushAmbassadorIndia

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Bullish on Indian founders building large global businesses. Building for India is super tough- unpredictable regulations (look at fintech, gaming recently), super value conscious buyers, unreliable vendors/partners, and etc etc.. This environment makes Indian founders thick-skinned and hungry. When they step into easier markets abroad, they don’t take things for granted. Indian roots with global dreams is a good combo #GlobalIndianAlpha #founders #india #startups

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🚀 The Golden Question: Common, Yet Underrated For New Startups & Entrepreneurs 👇 Yesterday evening, I had a 1-on-1 meeting with Aakash Anand Sir, Founder of BellaVita and Unikon.ai. A big thanks to the Unikon AI Team Aniket Mukherjee for making this possible—it's a great platform for mentorship across all career domains. During the conversation, Aakash sir did something that opened my eyes—he first took the time to understand what I was selling and the entire business model of Binary Threads. I showed him some t-shirt designs, expecting approval, but instead, Aakash sir asked me a simple yet powerful question: "Why will you or any customer buy from your brand? What’s the differentiating factor that your t-shirt has apart from existing brands?" I began explaining the factors I planned to include later, but he stopped me and asked, "Right now, what is your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)?" Sadly, I had no immediate answer. This was the moment I realized the critical mistake I was making. I couldn’t explain how I would sell profitably—I hadn’t thought deeply about Unit Economics, Delivery Costs, Return Policies, or how to compete at my desired price point. I asked Aakash sir if I should leave this product behind, but his advice was clear: ➡ "First, find the USP. Why would any customer choose your brand? Find the answer to this question." ✅ Key Takeaways from My Conversation with Aakash Sir & My Biggest Mistakes in Building a T-Shirt Brand ☑ Lack of USP: I didn’t have a compelling reason for customers to buy my t-shirts instead of those from established brands on platforms like Amazon or Myntra. This realization was critical. ☑ Importance of Differentiation: Without a clear differentiating factor, I was just another player in a crowded market. A unique value proposition is not just a nice-to-have; it’s essential for survival. ☑ Mindset Shift: My entire approach and mindset have changed after this conversation. I now understand that jumping into launch mode without clear differentiation is a recipe for failure. 💯 Aakash sir’s advice was a Mindset-changing moment for me. Moving Forward: My Promise to Myself and All Who Are Reading This ‼ 🎯I’m committed to learning from my mistakes and striving to build a leading global t-shirt company from India. Here’s how: 1️⃣ Fit & Size Comfort: Unique cuts and sizes for every body type. 2️⃣ Trendy Design & Premium Quality: Designs that resonate with the latest fashion trends. 3️⃣ Eco-Friendly Fabrics: Sustainable materials like Banana & Hemp fabrics. 4️⃣ AR Virtual Try-On Tool: It will allow customers virtually try on t-shirts, reducing return rates & shopping experience. The Challenge: I need funds to implement these USPs. I’m seeking advice or support from D2C entrepreneurs, and Angel investors. Your insights would be invaluable! I’m eager to hear from you in the comments below. #Entrepreneurship #D2C #TshirtBrand #Mentorship #UnikonAI #AakashAnand #BinaryThreads #Sustainability #Innovation

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