Indian Startup Stories
Top Unicorn Startups in India
- InMobi
- Flipkart
- BharatPe
- Dream11
- PhonePe
- BYJU’S
- OLA
- OYO Rooms
- Swiggy
- Zomato
- Freshworks
- Moglix
- upGrad
- MakeMyTrip
- Nykaa
- PolicyBazaar
- CoinDCX
- Pine Labs
- Highradius
- Zetwerk
- BlackBuck
- Droom
- OfBusiness
- ShareChat
- Verse Innovation
- PharmEasy
- MyGlamm
- CRED
- Meesho
- Urban Company
- Infra.Market
- Digit Insurance
- Innovaccer
- Five-Star Business Finance
- Groww
- Gupshup
- Eruditus
- Chargebee
- Zeta
- BrowserStack
- Paytm
- Paytm Mall
- Zerodha
- ReNew Power
- BigBasket
- Udaan
- Ola Electric
- Mohalla Tech (Moj)
- FirstCry
- Lenskart
- Blinkit (ex-Grofers)
- Glance, Inmobi
- Dailyhunt
- Zenoti
- Cars24
- RazorPay
- Unacademy
- Postman
- CitiusTech
- Icertis
- Druva
- Rivigo
- Matic Network / Polygon
- MindTickle
- Delhivery
- Billdesk
- Mu Sigma
- MPL
- Apna
- Vedantu
- Licious
- CoinSwitch Kuber
- Rebel Foods
- CarDekho
- MobiKwik
- Acko
- CureFit
- Mensa
- NoBroker
- Spinny
- Upstox
- Slice
- Pristyn Care
- GlobalBees
- Mamaearth
- Fractal Analytics
- LEAD School
- Darwinbox
- DealShare
- ElasticRun
- Livspace
- Xpressbees
- Uniphore
- Hasura
- CredAvenue
- Amagi
- CommerceIQ
- Oxyzo
- Games 24×7
- Open
- PhysicsWallah
- Purplle
- LeadSquared
- OneCard
- 5ire
- Shiprocket
- Tata 1mg
- Molbio Diagnostics
InMobi
| Startup Name | InMobi |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Bangalore, Karnataka, India |
| Industry | Advertising, Digital Media |
| Founders | Abhay Singhal, Amit Gupta, Mohit Saxena, Naveen Tewari, Piyush Shah |
| Founded | 2007 |
| Investors | Lightbox Ventures, Softbank Group, Kleiner Perkins |
| Products and Services | InMobi Pulse, Mobile Marketing |
| Valuation | $12 billion (April 2021) |
InMobi, founded in 2007, is a Bengaluru mobile ad platform optimizing ad ranks on phones. India’s first unicorn, it sparked the unicorn league, with its subsidiary Glance also becoming a unicorn in 2020.
Flipkart
| Startup Name | Flipkart |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Bengaluru, Karnataka, India |
| Industry | Ecommerce, Marketplace |
| Founders | Binny Bansal, Sachin Bansal |
| Founded | 2007 |
| Investors | Walmart, Tencent, Softbank and more |
| Products and Services | Ecommerce marketplace that offers over 150 million products |
| Valuation | $37.6 billion (July 2021) |
Flipkart, India’s top eCommerce marketplace, needs no introduction. Its Big Billion Days are eagerly awaited by millions. It was the second Indian unicorn, after inMobi, achieving that valuation during 2011-2012. With 350 million users, 150+ million products, and 80+ categories, Flipkart is a household name. Walmart acquired it in 2018 for $16 bn, boosting its growth. Founded by Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal, it is now valued at over $37.6 billion, the highest in India as of 2022.
BharatPe
| Startup Name | Bharatpe |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | New Delhi, India |
| Industry | Payments platform, Fintech, Financial Services |
| Founders | Ashneer Grover, Bhavik Koladiya, Shashvat Nakrani |
| Founded | 2018 |
| Investors | Steadfast Capital, Coatue, Dragoneer, Sequoia |
| Products and Services | Payments App |
| Valuation | $2.85 billion (February 2022) |
BharatPe, a New Delhi-based digital payments app and merchant aggregator, tripled its valuation to $2.85 billion and became a unicorn on August 4, 2021. However, its co-founder Ashneer Grover has been embroiled in controversy for alleged abusive behavior towards a Kotak employee and blunt remarks. He is also being investigated for financial fraud with his wife and five others, leading to a mandatory leave of absence. Sources suggest he may not return and could be fired. BharatPe is a private limited company, not a government entity.
Dream11
| Startup Name | Dream11 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Industry | Fantasy Sports, IT |
| Founders | Bhavit Sheth, Harsh Jain |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Investors | Steadview Capital, Tencent, Tiger Global Management, Falcon Edge |
| Products and Services | Dream11 sports platform |
| Valuation | $8 billion (November 2021) |
Dream11 is a fantasy sports platform based in India that offers various sports, including but not limited to cricket, football, hockey, volleyball, handball, futsal, and rugby, for Indian sports enthusiasts to enjoy. As a locally grown sports platform, Dream11 aims to help Indian sports fans showcase and expand their sports knowledge.
In April 2019, Dream11 joined the unicorn league of Indian startups after raising $60 million in funding from Steadview Capital and other investors. The company’s latest valuation stands at $8 billion, following an $840 million investment in November 2021.
PhonePe
| Startup Name | PhonePe |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Andheri, Maharashtra, India |
| Industry | Fintech, Mobile Payments |
| Founders | Burzin Engineer, Rahul Chari, Sameer Nigam |
| Founded | 2015 |
| Investors | Flipkart, Walmart |
| Products and Services | Phonepe payments app |
| Valuation | $5.5 billion (December 2020) |
PhonePe, headquartered in Andheri, Maharashtra, India, is a digital payment and merchant aggregator platform that has significantly contributed to the seamless, fast, and easy digital payments for Indian customers and merchants. Since its establishment in 2015, the company has secured the largest market share among UPI apps, demonstrating immense growth potential and attaining unicorn status before 2020. In April 2016, Flipkart acquired the company, leading to substantial growth. Moreover, PhonePe’s business model and revenue generation strategy are quite intriguing.
BYJU'S
| Startup Name | BYJUS |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Bangalore, Karnataka, India |
| Industry | Edtech, Distance education, M-learning |
| Founder | Byju Raveendran & Divya Gokulnath |
| Founded | 2011 |
| Investors | Aarin Capital, BOND |
| Products and Services | BYJU’S – The Learning App |
| Valuation | $16.5 Billion (July 2021) |
Byju’s, an edtech platform based in Bangalore, is an online tutoring and coaching firm that operates on a freemium model. Founded by Byju Raveendran in 2011, the platform has garnered a user base of over 15 million students worldwide, with more than 900,000 subscribers paying for its services. The current valuation of Byju’s stands at a remarkable 16.5 billion USD. If you want to know more about the business and revenue model of Byju’s, there are plenty of details to explore.
OLA
| Startup Name | Ola |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Bangalore, India |
| Industry | Transportation |
| Founder | Bhavish Aggarwal & Ankit Bhati |
| Founded | 3 December 2010 |
| Investors | SoftBank Group, Tiger Global, Tencent, Matrix Partners, and DST Global |
| Products and Services | Mobile app, website, Vehicle for hire, Goods and food delivery, Mobile payment and digital wallet |
| Valuation | $6.5 billion (FY20) |
Launched on December 3rd, 2010, Ola is a ride-sharing company based in India. Currently, Ola has a network of over 1.5 million drivers across 250 cities as of 2019. The company has even expanded its reach into overseas markets, including Australia and New Zealand, in September 2018. Additionally, Ola has introduced auto-rickshaws to its operations in the UK.
OYO Rooms
| Startup Name | OYO Rooms |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Gurgaon, Haryana, India |
| Industry | Hospitality |
| Founder | Ritesh Agarwal |
| Founded | 2013 |
| Investors | SoftBank Group, Didi Chuxing, Greenoaks Capital, Sequoia India, Lightspeed India, Hero Enterprise, Airbnb, and China Lodging Group. |
| Products and Services | OYO Rooms, OYO Hotels & Homes |
| Valuation | $9 billion (July 2021) |
OYO, founded in 2013 by Ritesh Agarwal, a 21-year-old at the time, is one of the leading travel startups in India. The company, India’s largest hospitality startup, primarily focuses on budget hotels. OYO collaborates with existing hotels, providing travelers with vacant rooms at a more affordable rate. The cost of an OYO room starts at a nominal price of Rs 999. Additionally, the company has invested in its properties besides bulk renting hotels.
Swiggy
| Startup Name | Swiggy |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Bangalore, India |
| Industry | Retail |
| Founder | Nandan Reddy, Sriharsha Majety, and Rahul Jaimini |
| Founded | 2014 |
| Investors | Norwest Venture Partners, Naspers, Accel, SAIF Partners, Meituan-Dianping |
| Products and Services | Food delivery |
| Valuation | $5.5 billion (July 2021) |
Swiggy, established in 2014 by Nandan Reddy, Sriharsha Majety, and Rahul Jaimini, is a highly valuable online food ordering and delivery platform. In early 2019, the company expanded its services to general product deliveries under the name Swiggy Stores. Currently, Swiggy boasts over 5 million mobile application installations.
Zomato
| Startup Name | Zomato |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Gurgaon, Haryana, India |
| Industry | Online food ordering and Retail |
| Founder | Deepinder Goyal, Pankaj Chaddah |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Investors | Info Edge, Sequoia Capital, Vy Capital, Ant Financial, Baillie Gifford |
| Products and Services | Restaurant Search & Discovery, Online Ordering, Table Reservations & Management, POS Systems, Subscription Services |
| Valuation | $8 billion (July 2021) |
Zomato, an Indian startup that aggregates restaurants and offers food delivery services, was founded in 2008 by Deepinder Goyal and Pankaj Chaddah. The platform provides detailed information, menus, and user reviews of restaurants. Additionally, Zomato offers food delivery options in select cities through its partnered restaurants. Despite the pandemic’s severe impact on individuals and businesses, Zomato, a food delivery unicorn, persevered and thrived.
Freshworks
| Startup Name | Freshworks |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | San Mateo, California, United States |
| Industry | IT, CRM, Saas |
| Founders | Girish Mathrubootham, Shan Krishnasamy, Vijay Shankar |
| Founded | 2010 |
| Investors | Accel, Steadview Capital, Sequoia Capital, Tiger Global Management |
| Products and Services | CRM software, Software suite |
| Valuation | $3.5 billion (August 2021) |
Freshworks offers innovative customer engagement software designed for businesses of various sizes and industries. The company was founded in Chennai in 2010 and is now headquartered in San Mateo, USA. Its products provide a 360-degree view of customers, and the SaaS products are designed for instant and easy use, providing quick returns on investments.
In July 2018, Freshworks achieved the prestigious unicorn status, becoming the first SaaS startup in India to join the coveted unicorn club. With Freshworks’ customer engagement solutions, increasing customer engagement and retention rates for SaaS companies is now easier than ever before.
Moglix
| Startup Name | Moglix |
|---|---|
| Headquarter | India |
| Industry | Internet |
| Founder | Rahul Garg |
| Founded | 2015 |
| Investors | Tiger Global Management, Composite Capital Management, Sequoia Capital India and Harvard Management Company |
| Products and Services | B2B Trade Platform, e-commerce, Mobile, Supply Chain Network |
| Valuation | $2.6 Billion (January 2022) |
Moglix is an Asia-based B2B E-commerce company founded by Rahul Garg in 2017. With headquarters in Singapore and head offices in India, the company aims to revolutionize the manufacturing supply chain in the country through digitization and transform the unorganized B2B commerce sector through technology.
Moglix serves the manufacturing sector, institutional clients (B2B), and private clients (B2C) with a focus on the automotive sector, metals and mining, and FMCDs. The platform provides industrial products and services, including safety equipment, electrical and lighting products, cleaning and laundry products, office supplies, and industrial tools, among others. With an inventory of 150,000 industry essentials across 30 categories and 25,000 SME clients, Moglix has established itself as a trusted eCommerce site for industries worldwide, delivering world-class services.
upGrad
| Startup Name | upGrad |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Industry | Edtech, E-learning |
| Founder | Mayank Kumar, Phalgun Kompalli, Ravijot Chugh, Ronnie Screwvala |
| Founded | 2015 |
| Investors | IIFL, Temasek Holdings |
| Products and Services | Learning courses and materials |
| Valuation | $1.2 bn (August 2021) |
upGrad is an online coaching program that offers a diverse range of industry-ready courses, including Bachelor’s degrees, MBA, Data Science, Machine Learning, and more, for students seeking higher education. The company partners with some of the top universities in the world to provide its services. Recently, upGrad achieved unicorn status on August 6, 2021, with a $185 million fundraising effort.
MakeMyTrip
| Startup Name | MakeMyTrip |
|---|---|
| Industry | Online travel |
| Founder | Deep Kalra |
| Founded | 2000 |
| Investors | Prosus & Nasper, Sierra Ventures, Helion Venture Partners, Helion Venture Partners, Tiger Fund |
| Products and Services | Booking tickets for shows, movies, flights, hotels, holidays, buses, trains, etc. |
Founded by Deep Kalra in 2000, MakeMyTrip is a top online travel company in India headquartered in Gurgaon. The company provides services such as booking holiday packages, hotel reservations, and transportation tickets, including flights, buses, trains, and cars. MakeMyTrip operates in 14+ cities worldwide with over 30 franchise stores, including 28 cities in India alone. The MakeMyTrip route planner feature allows users to access basic information on over one million routes across India.
Nykaa
| Startup Name | Nykaa |
|---|---|
| Industry | E-commerce |
| Founder | Falguni Nayar |
| Founded | 2012 |
| Investors | Steadview Capital, Fidelity, TPG Growth, Hero Corporate Service Private Limited |
| Products and Services | Cosmetics, skin & wellness products, etc. |
| Valuation | $2.3 billion (June 2021) |
Nykaa, founded in 2012 by Falguni Nayar, is a leading eCommerce platform specializing in cosmetics. With its headquarters in Mumbai, Maharashtra, Nykaa has become well-known for its website and app, which offers a wide variety of skin, wellness, and cosmetic products. The company has expanded its reach by opening over 26 offline stores throughout India and achieved Unicorn startup status in 2020. As of 2020, Nykaa offers a vast inventory of 200,000 products from 2000 national and international brands. Notably, Nykaa has also collaborated with Bollywood actresses such as Alia Bhatt and Katrina Kaif as brand ambassadors.
Policybazaar
| Startup Name | Policy Bazaar |
|---|---|
| Industry | Insurance Company |
| Founder | Yashish Dahiya, Alok Bansal and Avaneesh Nirjar |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Investors | Intel Capital, Wellington Management Group, Inventus Capital Partners, Softbank Group True North and IDG Venture Partners |
| Products and Services | Life, Health, Motor, travel insurance, etc |
| Valuation | $2.4 billion (July 2021) |
Policybazaar, founded in 2008 by Yashish Dahiya, Alok Bansal, and Avaneesh Nirjar, is a highly trusted and popular insurance company in India. It started as an insurance comparison website and expanded its services to include various types of insurance plans such as Life insurance, Health, Motor, and Travel. As the largest insurance company in the country, Policybazaar.com has gained popularity in UAE as well. The company offers both a website and an app, enabling its users to compare financial services from the top insurance providers. Discover how Policy Bazaar achieved impressive growth through its effective marketing strategies.
CoinDCX
| Startup Name | CoinDCX |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Industry | Cryptocurrency, Blockchain, Fintech |
| Founder | Neeraj Khandelwal, Sumit Gupta |
| Founded | 2018 |
| Investors | B Capital Group, Polychain |
| Products and Services | Cryptocurrency buying, selling and exchange services |
| Valuation | $2+ billion (April 2022) |
CoinDCX, headquartered in Mumbai, is an aggregator of Indian cryptocurrency exchanges that provides specialized crypto-enabled financial services. The company’s goal is to develop financial services that can cross borders and facilitate a more straightforward and uninterrupted flow of capital with robust security measures. In its Series C funding, CoinDCX raised $90 million and became a unicorn, making it India’s first cryptocurrency unicorn.
Pine Labs
| Startup Name | Pine Labs |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India |
| Industry | Fintech, Financial Services, Payments |
| Founders | Rajul Garg, Tarun Upaday |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Investors | Mastercard, Lone Pine Capital, Flipkart, Temasek, Sequoia |
| Products and Services | POS devices and software solutions |
| Valuation | $5+ billion (Marh 2022) |
Pine Labs is an Indian merchant platform that offers financing and last-mile retail transaction technology to enable merchants and institutions to receive secure and easy payments through POS apps and devices. In January 2020, Pine Labs partnered with Mastercard, a New York-based financial services giant, and became a unicorn soon after. It was the first company to achieve unicorn status in 2020.
Highradius
| Startup Name | Highradius |
|---|---|
| Industry | Fintech, AI, Saas, Software |
| Founder | Sashi Narahari |
| Founded | 2006 |
| Investors | Tiger Global, D1 Capital Partners, ICONIQ and more |
| Products and Services | AI-based order-to-cash and treasury management software |
| Valuation | $3.1+ billion (March 2021) |
Highradius, headquartered in Houston, Texas, is a fintech enterprise software as a service (SaaS) platform that utilizes artificial intelligence and data to manage order to cash (O2C), treasury, and record to report (R2R) processes. It claims to be the world’s leading data-driven AI software platform for “lower DSO, optimize working capital, fast-track financial close, and improve productivity.” In a Series B funding round led by ICONIQ Capital, Highradius raised $125 million at the beginning of 2020, making it India’s first unicorn company in that year. Susquehanna Growth Equity and Citi Ventures, as well as existing investors, participated in the funding round.
Zetwerk
| Startup Name | Zetwerk |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Bengaluru, Karnataka, India |
| Industry | B2B, Marketplace, Consumer goods |
| Founders | Amrit Acharya, Rahul Sharma, Srinath Ramakkrushnan, Vishal Chaudhary |
| Founded | 2018 |
| Investors | IIFL, Accel, Sequoia Capital |
| Products and Services | Manufacturing and supply chain systems |
| Valuation | $1.33+ bn (December 2021) |
Zetwerk is a Bengaluru-based B2B marketplace that specializes in manufacturing items. The platform connects large manufacturing companies with vendors and suppliers to provide various components for industrial tools and machinery. In August 2021, Zetwerk achieved unicorn status, becoming India’s youngest billion-dollar company.
BlackBuck
| Startup Name | BlackBuck |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Bangalore, India |
| Industry | Logistics, Transportation |
| Founders | Chanakya Hridaya, Rajesh Yabaji, Ramasubramaniam B |
| Founded | 2015 |
| Investors | Trifecta Capital Advisors, Sequoia, Accel, InnoVen Capital |
| Products and Services | Trucks, logistics and transportation services for shippers and fleet operators |
| Valuation | $1.02 billion (August 2021) |
BlackBuck is a truck aggregator that addresses transportation and logistics challenges faced by numerous Indians. It is one of the largest truck aggregators in India, and has the largest trucking network in the country with freight and fleet management technology platforms. In July 2021, BlackBuck entered the unicorn club after securing $67 million in its Series E funding round, valuing the company at $1.02 billion. With over 1.2 million trucks in its fleet, BlackBuck operates in more than 2,000 locations, serving over 15,000 satisfied clients.
Droom
| Startup Name | Droom |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Haryana, India |
| Industry | Automotives, B2B, Marketplace |
| Founder | Sandeep Aggarwal |
| Founded | 2014 |
| Investors | Lightbox, Toyota Tsusho, SevenTrain Ventures, Integrated Capital |
| Products and Services | Marketplace for used cars, bikes, scooters and other merchandise |
| Valuation | $1.2 billion(August 2021) |
Droom is a leading online marketplace that specializes in used cars, bikes, scooters, and various other automotive products and merchandise. Utilizing advanced data science technology, Droom enables customers to buy and sell automobiles and related products with ease.
With a massive inventory of 600K automobiles, Droom commands a dominant 80% market share in online automobile transactions. As India’s largest online automobile platform, Droom is also recognized as one of the country’s biggest E-commerce companies.
OfBusiness
| Startup Name | OfBusiness |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Haryana, India |
| Industry | Building Materials, FinTech |
| Founders | Asish Mohapatra, Bhuvan Gupta, Chandranshu Sinha, Nitin Jain, Ruchi Kalra, Srinath Ramakkrushnan, Vasant Sridhar |
| Founded | 2015 |
| Investors | Falcon Edge Capital, Softbank, Matrix Partners |
| Products and Services | Raw materials for SMEs |
| Valuation | $5+ billion (December 2021) |
OfBusiness, also known as OFB Tech, is a platform that procures raw materials and offers credit to SMEs, with a primary focus on the manufacturing and construction industries. Using advanced technology, OfBusiness seamlessly integrates with the purchasing habits of SMEs to provide superior products at competitive prices and within the required timelines.
ShareChat
| Startup Name | ShareChat |
|---|---|
| Headquarter | Bangalore, India |
| Industry | Internet, Mobile Apps, Social Media, Social Network |
| Founder | Ankush Sachdeva, Bhanu Pratap Singh, and Faris Ahsan |
| Founded | 2015 |
| Investors | Lightspeed Venture Partners, Tiger Global Management, Twitter Ventures, SAIF Partners, Shunwei Capital, and Xiaomi |
| Products and Services | Social Networking and Regional Contents |
| Valuation | $3.7 Billion (December 2021) |
ShareChat is a social networking service for video sharing developed by Mohalla Tech Private Limited in 2015. The company was founded by Ankush Sachdeva, Bhanu Pratap Singh, and Farid Ahsan and is headquartered in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
ShareChat App is a content consumption and sharing platform exclusively in Indian vernacular languages, catering to over 1.17 billion wifi users in India. The app allows users to share different types of media, messaging, tagging, and user-generated content creation on its platform. ShareChat has over 50 million creator communities and 400+ employees. The company raised $500 million from investors, increasing its valuation to $3 billion.
Verse Innovation
| Startup Name | VerSe Innovation |
|---|---|
| Industry | Content, Technology, Social Media, Internet |
| Founders | Umang Bedi, Virendra Gupta |
| Founded | 2007 |
| Investors | Google, Sequoia Capital, Microsoft, ByteDance, B Capital and more |
| Products and Services | Powers Josh, Dailyhunt with technological support and expertise |
| Valuation | $5 billion (April 2021) |
VerSe Innovation, based in Bengaluru, is the parent company of Dailyhunt, the top vernacular news aggregator. The company is a local language technology platform that powers two of India’s leading applications, Josh and Dailyhunt, with an impressive user base of over 300 million.
In December 2020, VerSe Innovation raised nearly $100 million from a group of investors, including Google, Microsoft, Falcon Edge’s Alpha Wave Incubation, Sequoia Capital India, and Sofina Group, among others, making it a member of India’s coveted unicorn club. In 2020, VerSe became the 10th Indian startup to reach unicorn status.
PharmEasy
| Startup Name | PharmEasy |
|---|---|
| Industry | Healthcare and Online Pharmacy |
| Founder | Mikhil Innani, Dharmil Sheth and Dhaval Shah |
| Founded | 2015 |
| Investors | B Capital, Prosus, Temasek, Think Investments, Tiger Global, A Velumani, etc. |
| Products and Services | Online pharmacy services, medicines, healthcare products, diagnostic test, etc. |
| Valuation | $5.6 billion (JuOctoberne 2021) |
PharmEasy, a Mumbai-based online healthcare delivery platform, was established in 2015 by Mikhil Innani, Dharmil Sheth, and Dhaval Shah. The company has become India’s foremost online healthcare aggregator, with headquarters in Mumbai, Maharashtra. PharmEasy facilitates the sale of medicines online and helps patients find the nearest local pharmacy and diagnostic center based on their medical requirements. The platform offers medicine delivery services in more than 1,000 cities and across 22,000 pin codes. PharmEasy has delivered over 1.5 crore orders and offers over one lakh medicines on its website.
MyGlamm
| Startup Name | MyGlamm |
|---|---|
| Industry | Cosmetics, Beauty, Marketplace |
| Founder | Darpan Sanghvi, Priyanka Gill |
| Founded | 2015 |
| Investors | Prosus, Warburg, Trifecta, Amazon and more |
| Products and Services | Beauty and cosmetics products marketplace |
| Valuation | $1.2+ billion (November 2021) |
MyGlamm is a Mumbai-based D2C beauty and cosmetics startup that offers an e-commerce marketplace with a diverse range of products for stylists, beauticians, and other users. By combining technology with content and social media, MyGlamm aims to help customers easily shop for their preferred products while also gaining personalized tutorials and expert content.
In November 2021, MyGlamm achieved unicorn status after raising $150 million in funding from Prosus Ventures and other investors. The company became the 34th Indian startup to attain unicorn status in 2021 and the 76th Indian company overall to enter the exclusive club of unicorn companies in India.
CRED
| Startup Name | CRED |
|---|---|
| Industry | Financial Technology |
| Founder | Kunal Shah |
| Founded | 2018 |
| Investors | Falcon Edge Capital, Coatue Mnagement LLP, Insight Partners, Tiger Global, RTP Global, DST Global, Greenoaks Capital, etc. |
| Products and Services | Rentpay, CRED Stash, Store, Credit Card Payments and Cred Pay |
| Valuation | $2.2 billion (April 2021) |
CRED, a fintech startup founded by Kunal Shah in 2018, is based in Bengaluru, Karnataka. The company’s app allows users to pay credit card bills and earn rewards. Additionally, CRED offers access to credit and a premium catalog of products from top brands. The platform has over 5.9 million users and has processed about 20% of all credit card bill payments in India. CRED’s services include CRED RentPay, CRED Cash, CRED Pay, CRED Store, and CRED Travel Store. The company’s business model is dependent on the app, its customers, and its partnerships with other businesses.
Meesho
| Startup Name | Meesho |
|---|---|
| Industry | E-commerce |
| Founder | Vidit Aatrey and Sanjeev Barnwal |
| Founded | 2015 |
| Investors | Softbank, Facebook, Prosus Ventures, Shunwei Capital, venture highway and Knollwood Investment |
| Products and Services | Clothes, cosmetics, household items, etc |
| Valuation | $4.9 billion (September 2021) |
Meesho, a Bengaluru-based social e-commerce company founded in 2015 by Vidit Aatrey and Sanjeev Barnwal, offers a platform for small and medium businesses and individuals to launch their online stores via social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The company also provides an online reselling website and app, enabling people to sell their products without any upfront investments. With 2.6 million resellers across the country, Meesho became a unicorn on April 6, 2021, after raising $300 million in a funding round led by Japan’s SoftBank Group. To learn more about Meesho’s business and revenue model, click here.
Urban Company
| Startup Name | Urban Company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Home Services |
| Founder | Abhiraj Bhal, Varun Khaitan and Raghav Chandra |
| Founded | 2014 |
| Investors | Prosus Ventures, Dragoneer, Wellington Management, Vy Capital, Tiger Global, and Steadview |
| Products and Services | professionals for cleaning, beauticians, masseurs, carpenters, etc |
| Valuation | $2.8 billion (June 2021) |
Urban Company is an all-in-one platform that connects users with professionals for a range of home services, making it the largest company in Asia to do so. With headquarters located in Gurgaon, the platform offers services such as home cleaning, beauty treatments, massages, and carpentry. Founded in 2014 by Abhiraj Bhal, Varun Khaitan, and Raghav Chandra, Urban Company has served over 5 million customers in India, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sydney, and Singapore. It has also become the UAE’s largest home services company. Learn about Urban Company’s business model and marketing strategies here.
Infra.Market
| Startup Name | Infra.Market |
|---|---|
| Industry | Building material |
| Founder | Souvik Sengupta |
| Founded | 2016 |
| Investors | Nexus Venture Partners, Foundamental, Tiger Global, Accel Partner |
| Products and Services | Construction Materials, Infrastructure, and Heavy Equipment Rental |
| Valuation | $2.5 billion (August 2021) |
Infra.Market is a leading online procurement marketplace that leverages technology to provide an exceptional procurement experience for the real estate and construction materials industry. The company, founded in 2016 by Souvik Sengupta, is headquartered in Thane, Maharashtra. Infra.Market specializes in manufacturing construction materials, infrastructure, and heavy equipment rental for all sectors of the construction ecosystem, catering to both institutional customers and the construction materials sector to build their projects. In February 2021, Infra.Market became a unicorn company after raising $100 million in funding.
