[Funding alert] Anchanto raises $12.1M in Series C round

Anchanto, a Singapore and India-based B2B software-as-a-service (SaaS) startup specialising in ecommerce technology, has raised $12.1 million (Singapore $16.6 million) in its ongoing Series C round.

The investors in this funding round included Asendia, a joint venture of the French National Post La Poste and State-run Swiss Post, and MDI Ventures, the corporate venture arm of Indonesian telco firm Telkom Indonesia, according to a statement.

Anchanto will use the funds to strengthen its research and development portfolio to launch two new products, build data platform, and expand to three more markets. The startup will also invest in hiring skilled talents to enhance and accelerate the launch of its new products into markets, especially with the demand for SaaS solutions on the rise.

ALSO READ

SaaS founders should think about GTM from day one, says Nikhil Kapur of STRIVE Ventures

Founded by Vaibhav Dabhade in 2011 in Singapore, Anchanto has also got its presence in India, with an office in Pune.

Commenting on the funding, Vaibhav said, “Achieving profitability in these times is an excellent performance; I feel this is a more significant achievement than raising $12 million in the middle of the COVID-19 crisis. We are a capital-efficient company. One hundred percent of our revenue comes from a SaaS subscription with a high gross margin; we do not buy inventory or run services shops or warehouses."

This round also marks the start of Anchanto’s partnership with Asendia AG, a European cross-border ecommerce shipping and mail services giant, as a new shareholder.

Asendia is the fourth customer to turn into a shareholder after MDI (Telkom Indonesia), Transcosmos Japan, and Luxasia. MDI Ventures is a corporate venture capital initiative by Telkom Indonesia – which increased its stake further by adding to its existing investment.

“We have high hopes for further co-operation with Anchanto, and we expect that we are going to create additional growth and synergies for the company, thanks to our logistics and technology capabilities,” said Marc Pontet, CEO of Asendia.

As of last year, Anchanto’s platforms has processed a combined Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) of nearly $2.71 billion.