Roshan Kumar

Two years ago, we met Ritesh Srivastava, who had a vision of establishing a Debt Relief and Debt Consolidation platform for India. Essentially, he aimed to create a platform that would assist people in overcoming financial delinquency and escaping the debt traps they often find themselves in. Why was this so exciting to us at Multiply Ventures? With India witnessing increased and easier access to credit through various channels such as credit cards, BNPL, and personal loans, it became evident that many individuals would struggle to repay these debts, leading to delinquency. For those who haven't experienced this firsthand, it's a challenging and unpleasant journey, marked by persistent reminders, calls, and even threats. This is where Ritesh and his team introduced FREED, a platform designed to work closely with individuals in financial distress, helping them create payment plans, negotiate with creditors, and ultimately resolve their financial burdens. Over the past two years, FREED has made a significant impact, working with thousands of individuals and settling or in the process of settling loans totaling over 500 crore rupees. This initiative is not only a promising business venture but also one that has a profoundly positive impact on people's lives. And this is just the beginning; the team has plans to introduce several products to help people manage their credit more effectively. We are excited to announce our increased investment in FREED in partnership with Sorin Investments and Piper Serica. Bhushan Patil Sanjay Ramakrishnan Naveena Pallavi Sanjay Nayar https://lnkd.in/gahzm45x

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SCOOP: Urban Company has turned profitable at PBT level (profit before tax) on a consolidated basis in the last month. The development will potentially smoothen its public listing plan which is likely to happen in 2025. My story:

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Swiggy IPO 😀 😍 The capital markets regulator SEBI has given the big food and grocery delivery company Swiggy the go-ahead to begin its eagerly awaited $1.25 billion initial public offering. 👏 👉 Once Sebi approves both revised draft prospectuses, Swiggy will submit them under the confidential filing process. The first will address criticism from the regulator, while the second will be open for public comments for 21 days. 👉 The company won't be able to start roadshows for the IPO until after the final prospectus has been filed, according to sources. Celebrity Investments 😎 High-net-worth individuals are increasingly investing in tech firms, as seen by Rahul Dravid and Karan Johar's purchase of Swiggy's pre-IPO shares. 😊 Ahead of Swiggy's initial public offering (IPO), a number of celebrities are investing in the meal delivery business through the unlisted market. 🤗 Pre-IPO Swiggy shares were heavily traded in the unlisted market in a recent round, with 200,000 shares already owned by well-known individuals. 😉 During its pre-IPO rounds in the secondary market, Swiggy received investments from Madhuri Dixit Nene, Amitabh Bachchan, and Ritesh Malik, the founder of Innov8. 😇 Global venture capital behemoths like SoftBank Vision Fund, Accel, and Prosus have made investments in the IPO, and the business has also raised money through secondary markets. 🙂 Raamdeo Agrawal, the chairman of Motilal Oswal Financial Services, has also invested in Swiggy. 😊 Swiggy Success 🙌 👏 👍 Founded in 2014, Swiggy was valued at about $13 billion in April. In India, Swiggy has completely changed the food delivery scene, and following their development may be quite profitable. 👍 The company's continuous innovation—which ranges from grocery services to food delivery—has been crucial to preserving its competitive edge in the market. 👍 As of March 31, 2023, the company has over 4,700 workers and $1.09 billion in yearly revenue. 👍 With an offer for sale (OFS) component of up to Rs 6664 crore ($800 million), the IPO is anticipated to raise Rs 3750 crore ($450 million) in new capital. 👉 Swiggy’s upcoming IPO is anticipated to be highly lucrative for early investors .Please Share Your views 

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India’s Changing Consumer Spending: A New Opportunity for D2C brands?💡 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐰 50% 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐬. 📉 This shift represents a new era of consumer priorities, with more disposable income being funneled into lifestyle, healthcare, and aspirational products. This trend marks a significant opportunity to innovate and meet the evolving needs of Indian consumers. With more purchasing power available for non-essential categories, brands need to strategically adapt their product portfolios to tap into this demand for enhanced experiences in wellness, technology, and personal care. 🚀 Key Insights: ▶ 𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐊𝐞𝐲: With more money to spend outside of food, customers are exploring new product categories. ▶ 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚-𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: Understanding where this increased spending is headed can help in crafting precise marketing strategies. ▶𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐮𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐍𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: With more disposable income, Indian consumers are willing to explore premium, personalized products, especially in beauty, wellness, and luxury categories. The ongoing consumer shift calls for more than just innovation; it requires a deep understanding of where today’s buyers are directing their money. Are we ready to create products that reflect these new priorities? 💡 #ConsumerProducts #Innovation #India #ProductDevelopment #ConsumerTrends #BusinessStrategy #WellnessProducts #LifestyleProducts

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From Seed to Series B in less than 3 years Foxtale, an Indian D2C skincare brand, recently announced its $15M (Rs 125 Cr) Series B funding round. It raised $18M (Rs 150 Cr) in this round, but $3M out of this $18M were secondaries where existing shareholders sold their equity to new investors. The firm raised Rs 125 Cr ($12M) in fresh capital at a Rs 790 Cr ($96M) post-money valuation. This translates into a 12.5% dilution which is low for Series B rounds. The founders didn't have to dilute 20–25% equity because they got a high valuation. While the round size of Rs 125 Cr is average (neither large nor small) for a Series B startup in #India, the company's growth is spectacular. It was founded just 3 years ago in 2021. It raised its Seed of Rs 5.5 Cr in December 2021 and Rs 35 Cr Series A in June 2022. Skincare is a crowded category in India. Foxtale sells sunscreens and moisturisers where the competition from Indian and foreign brands is intense. So, how did Foxtale raise so much #money so quickly? The answer lies in Growth. VCs love fast-growing companies. Within 3 years, Foxtale's gross revenue run rate (Current Month's Revenue x 12) touched Rs 250 Cr. This gives us a valuation multiple of 2.7x which falls in the current market range of D2C valuations In India. Post-Money Valuation = Rs 790 Cr Fresh Capital Raised = Rs 125 Cr Pre-Money Valuation = 790 –125 = Rs 665 Cr Gross Revenue Run Rate = Rs 250 Cr Current Monthly Revenue = 250 / 12 = Rs 20Cr Valuation Multiple = 665 / 250 = 2.7 Its FY24 revenue was Rs 172Cr, more than 12 times its FY23 revenue. While the company burnt a lot of capital to achieve this, a Rs 172Cr revenue in its third financial year and Rs 20 Cr monthly revenue within 3 years is excellent #growth. The management also claims it's closer to EBITDA profitability, but I don't usually read too much into such claims because all #founders claim it. Nevertheless, the investors must be fine with the current burn to invest more money at an attractive valuation. Foxtale's high retention rate (More than 50% of orders are from existing customers) and a high share of website sales (More than 50%) convinced the investors that it's a good company to back. Most D2C brands rely on marketplaces for a majority of their sales. I agree with their hypothesis because skincare and body care are a crowded category in India. Dozens of #startups and FMCG companies sell hundreds of products. It's challenging for a new D2C brand to grow quickly even through cash burn. IMO, Foxtale has found its PMF for its existing products (Sunscreem and Moisturiser) in its current market. Its growth will depend upon how well it takes its existing products to newer markets and sells new products (Body care). It seems like an interesting company to follow. P.S. We are doing our next Founder Fundraising Workshop on the 22nd & 23rd of June. It's an 8-hour programme for first-time founders who want to raise #venturecapital.

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Hypothesis: A brand that wants to be successful in quick commerce, like Blinkit Zepto, has to be in a category that shows high loyalty. Otherwise, it has to be very reasonably priced compared to the giant players on the platform. Example: In a highly fragmented category like perfumes, a consumer will easily switch to a competitor brand. Also, giants like Wild Stone, Engage, etc., are heavily competitive in terms of price. However, in a category like skincare, where, for example, I use a brand like Cetaphil, as I am already very much loyal to the brand, I would not mind buying it from a QCom as I get the benefit of quick delivery. Brands in loyal categories like sanitary pads (e.g., Plush ) and undergarments (e.g., XYXX Apparels) will easily compete with bigger brands and see more traction on QComs, provided they have a good product and affinity. What do you think? #blinkit #zepto #instamart #quickcommerce

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Mamaearth's Stumble... from a Digital Darling to Challenging Times. I have been really impressed by Mamaearth's journey from a digital-only D2C brand to broadening into retail. Their growth story has been inspiring. But recently, there has been a slight fall... Mamaearth has reported a loss of ₹19 crores after a ₹40 crore profit just a quarter ago. It made me wonder—how did a brand that seemed unstoppable suddenly face hurdles? Here’s what I found: 1. Offline Expansion Struggles: In their push into retail, Mamaearth leaned heavily on superstockists, which led to inventory issues and, eventually, significant write-offs of expired products. 2. Overextension in Product Launches: They launched 122 new products in 2022, way above the industry norm. While ambition is great, such rapid expansion thinned their resources and complicated demand forecasting. 3. Marketing Overreach: Allocating 35-42% of their revenue to marketing (which is above the norm) worked online but did not hit the mark with offline buyers. The takeaway? Growth is essential, but not at the expense of solid fundamentals. Expanding too quickly without sorting out backend issues can lead to trouble. I have seen many startups rush to scale and overlook the need for systems. Mamaearth’s situation is one of those stories that even promising brands need to manage their growth carefully. Looking ahead, Mamaearth should: → Rework on their inventory management. → Narrow down their product range to focus on what sells best. → Change their marketing strategies to resonate with in-store shoppers. The journey from here is tough, but I'm cheering for them. Mamaearth's journey reminds us that all businesses have their ups and downs—it is how we handle the challenges and learn from them that truly matters. Thoughts? #Mamaearth #D2CBrands #RetailExpansion #StartupLessons #BusinessChallenges 

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It is not often that you come across a founder who seeks to redefine design and functionality for the Gen Z consumer. It’s even harder to find someone who can sell that concept well. Siddharth Gadodia, Founder & CEO of Palette Brands fits the bill. When Siddharth told me how affluent Indians spend a fortune building the most modern kitchens for their homes but continue to use last-century utensils, it rang a bell. Consider this: Aspiring households spend a fortune - between Rs. 5-50 lakhs - to build modern kitchens with the latest gadgets, but won't loosen the purse strings when it comes to buying utensils worth a few thousands. Surprising as it may sound, Palette’s research shows the same households may pay a maximum 40% more for premium cookware, not the 2x or 3x that some niche brands are charging now. But that is still a huge opportunity. Siddharth and his Palette Brands see themselves sitting in the midst of a gigantic shift in consumer preferences in which Indians are obsessing about healthy eating and high-end living. Ember’s target audience is the top 100 million Indian households which, Siddharth hopes, will be tempted by a combination of attractive, safe utensils which are yet affordable. Indian kitchens typically have three kinds of utensils - cast iron, stainless steel or non-stick (most popular) with an aluminium and Teflon coating. Questions have been raised about the safety of some of these traditional coating materials. Palette Brands wants to position its sleek Ember range of utensils as safe and modern - using non-toxic coating materials and having the latest form factor. It is hoping that the standout, internationally-designed range will win Indian hearts. Palette Brands and Ember certainly have a large playground to work in. Ember will hit the wider market later this week. Its prospects certainly look exciting. https://embercookware.com #cookware #kitchenware #heathyliving #productdesign #innovation #entrepreneurship Himanshi Tandon Siddharth Gadodia Palette Brands (formerly White.Inc) Sreekant Khandekar Jugjiv Singh Tarshish K. Sonali Tyagi Marsha Menezes

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Observations from recent events reveal the following trends: -Long queues of Indians buying iPhones -Diljit and Karan Aujla adding new shows due to sold-out tickets -Coldplay selling out three shows in minutes with over 1 crore attempting to book tickets on BookMyShow -Dua Lipa’s concert also sold out Key takeaways: -The younger generation is willing to spend on experiences and consumption. -Zomato’s acquisition of Paytm’s ticketing business will likely generate significant revenue. -As per capita income increases and more people join the middle and upper-middle class, spending on non-essential items and experiences will rise.

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Competition is encroaching in. How are you fortifying your position? Brands need to continue working on strengthening their foothold. The days of relying solely on in-house efforts are not enough. Brands must innovate or face obscurity in today's competitive landscape. Partnering with Single.id opens doors to a world of promotional opportunities, allowing brands to reach new audiences and thrive in the competitive landscape. With Single.id, brands gain access to a dynamic array of marketing avenues, spanning TV, Digital, Social, and more, all reaching over 230 million users through our strategic partnerships with banks and media platforms. Embrace new strategies and unleash the full potential of your brand through partnership with Single.id. #singleid #brands #competition #partnership #marketing #reach #marketers #retail

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The diversity that defines us reflects in all walks of life, including how we search for home to buy, rent, a PG et all. From Mumbai's preference to stay higher up to Delhi's demand for 3+ parking spaces... from Kolkata's need for a South-East facing home to Ahmedabad's desire to stay close to commercial hubs ...we are full of diverse needs & wants. And that's the beauty of us, the India that we are proudly building. As a booming Real Estate market enters another year on a strong note, here's wishing everyone a happy property hunting. PS - Do watch the video, it's super fun. Magicbricks

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Ad budget: 2.5CR  Revenue: ~12CR ROAS: 4.57X NICHE: Apparel TIME DURATION: 8.5 Months We scaled this brand in both India & the US markets. 𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒: 1/. We saw success across diverse markets, from Indian metros to US fashion hubs. 2/. Our highest performing campaign achieved a 5.08X ROAS. 3/. We observed a wide range of cost per purchase, from ₹1,092 to ₹5,588 (Higher CPA is in US market, also the high AOV there) 4/. Our lowest performing campaign delivered a 2.78X ROAS (Test campaign with new concept of reels) 5/. The account's ability to handle multiple ad sets allowed us to cater to various audience segments effectively. 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐆𝐘: 1/. We created separate ad sets that resonated with Indian and US consumers. 2/. For our top-performing campaign, we allocated a significant higher budget using cost cap bid strategy. 3/. We continuously optimized our global strategy, regularly shifting budgets from campaigns with 3.04X ROAS to those achieving 5.08X ROAS. 4/. Our best-performing campaign drove 5,081 purchases. 5/. We maintained a balanced portfolio of high-ROAS and high-volume campaigns to maximize overall revenue. 𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐆𝐘: 1/. We developed a wide variety of creatives to prevent ad fatigue. 2/. Our creative team worked closely with data analysts to refine ad content based on performance metrics from both Indian and US audiences. 3/. We focused on creating ads with universal appeal while incorporating local flavors to resonate with specific market segments. 4/. For top-of-funnel audiences, we used mostly reels showcasing best-performing products with clear, market-specific messaging. 5/. In middle-of-funnel strategies, we found success with catalog ads using custom frames, which drove significant engagement. 𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆: 1/. We used performance data from both markets to inform our scaling decisions, allowing us to apply learnings across borders. 2/. Our scaling strategy involved gradual budget increases, 20% everyday on best performing adsets. 3/. We applied insights from high-performing campaigns (5.08X ROAS) to optimize lower-performing ones, regardless of the market. 4/. We scaled aggressively when we saw potential using cost caps. 5/. Throughout the scaling process, we maintained a close eye on ROAS and other key metrics to ensure profitability as we expanded. . . . . . . P.S. Q4 is around the corner. If your campaigns aren’t scaling up…you need growth experts. Let’s chat! . . . . . #performancemarketing #ecommerceagency #metaads

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We asked our PM Fellows to create a Tear down of a product of choice. Akash Sharma created this tear down of Kuku FM. Nice attempt Akash. Want to do something similar? Join our upcoming batch on ProductHood School #productmanagement #teardowns

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Trend-setter campaign for Swiggy Vijay Kumar's partnership with Swiggy was a Big Hit. Campaign Performance Report: 40 Million Views 2.3 Million Likes 6000+ Comments 500,000+ Shares How did this campaign perform so well? Because of the Audience preferences and data understanding. Vijay's audience is always interested in seeing unpredictable scripts and ideas out of the box. Relevancy and Audience understanding can help your campaign go viral and attain amazing results. This is New-Age Influencer Marketing. Where you understand data and audience preferences. Are you looking for a New-Age Influencer Campaign for your company? DM me or email at [email protected] #InfluencerMarketing #ContentMarketing #Influencers #TrendSetters

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OYO Unlisted Shares: A Growth Story 🚀📈 OYO, one of India’s largest hospitality chains, has seen impressive growth over the past few years. Despite being unlisted, its valuation has soared, reflecting the company's strong market position and expansion efforts globally. 🔹 Valuation Surge: As of 2024, OYO's estimated valuation stands at approximately $9 billion, a significant jump from its previous valuations of around $5 billion in 2021. 🔹 Expansion: OYO continues to expand its footprint in key international markets, adding thousands of rooms to its portfolio each year. In 2023 alone, it onboarded 20,000+ new properties. 🔹 Financial Resilience: OYO recently reported a revenue of ₹4,000+ crore for FY2023, with a clear trajectory toward profitability. For investors, OYO’s unlisted shares represent a growing opportunity, backed by strong fundamentals and market demand. 🌍💡 Latest Updates: https://lnkd.in/g-qVRR4X #OYO #InvestmentOpportunities #UnlistedShares #Growth #Hospitality #Finance

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📈 Elevation Capital's report unveils some staggering statistics: 💰 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞: The combined revenue of new-age brands tracked by Elevation Capital has already surpassed $5B/₹40,000 crore. 🚀 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡: It is anticipated that 100+ new-age brands will each generate ₹500 Cr+ in annual revenue in the coming years. 💻 𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠: The report projects that online consumer spending in India will reach $300 billion by 2030. 📈 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬: Sectors such as 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞, 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬, 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐬 are expected to see significant growth 🔍 Yesterday had the fortune of listening to Gurudev Prasad's insights which validated the same and highlighted ways to cope up with these trends: 🛍️ Consumers' lives are increasingly dominated by Indian brands particularly startups right from waking up to sleeping back from ordering food to cabs, from booking flights to hotels, everything is being done via their smartphones. This calls for understanding the consumer motivations better.    📈 High demands and rising expectations are shaping consumer behavior as they don't want to settle for anything but the best    🤝 Sharing becoming the new currency in brand-consumer relationships as everything is being shared on social media ⏰ Convenience is going to be the key as customers see value only through rising convenience   👥 Brands need to humanize more with founders' stories on the front as a way to connect with the consumers 🛠️ Sahil Gupta's Amazon-inspired methodology weaved it together through the 5 key questions which paves the way to build a sustainable brand:   1. 🎯 Who is the customer? 2. 💡 What is the pain point/problem? 3. 🛠️ What is the solution? 4. 🌟 How will the end-to-end CX look like? 5. 📊 What is the metric to measure the same?  Interested in knowing more about the brands of India? Starting an upcoming Brand Series for the same #BrandInsights #ConsumerBehavior #InnovationGoals #BrandswithNeha #IndianStartups 🌟

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