Jan-Jun’21 report card: $10.15B raised, 543 deals, 1,020 investors

India may be faced with an uncertain economic environment after being ravaged by a deadly second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, but that hasn’t deterred global and domestic investors from ramping up the pace and quantum of their investments into the Indian startup ecosystem. 

In H1 2021, Indian startup funding touched $10.15 billion, already exceeding the $9.94 billion raised in the whole of last year. This was raised across 543 deals from around 1,020 active investors in the ecosystem. 

Going forward, Indian startup funding is expected to touch record levels this year, with startups likely to raise anywhere between $12 billion and $17 billion funding by the end of 2021, according to YourStory Research.

In the first six months of 2021, 15 startups attained the coveted unicorn status as well while Nazara launched its IPO. 

Download YourStory Research's in-depth report on funding trends in the Indian startup ecosystem in H1 2021 here.

Read all about how the Indian startup ecosystem is battling the second wave of COVID-19 here.

Here are some useful tools to help you find the nearest vaccine centres in real-time.

You can also share a tribute to COVID-19 warriors, saviours, and survivors here.

The Interview

Exploring the similarities between sports and business is Startup Spin — a YourStory show that will unravel the personalities of some of the biggest names in business in a never-before-seen format. 

In the curtain-raiser episode, we get up close and personal with Ashish Hemrajani, Founder and CEO, BookMyShow, where he shares the importance of value over valuations, attitude over skill sets, how to bring the best out of your team, and other power-packed insights.

Editor’s Pick: The journey of Great Learning

Mohan Lakhamraju, former India MD of Tiger Global, launched Great Learning in 2013 to solve the problem of learning outcomes — first offline, and then online. 

Seven years later, it has delivered 60 million hours of learning to 1.5 million students and crossed $100 million ARR. Read more.

Startup Spotlight

A one-stop solution for all ecommerce operations

According to IBEF, India ecommerce will reach $99 billion by 2024, growing at a 27 percent CAGR over 2019-2024. However, with increasing demand and competition, many ecommerce companies are struggling to meet the shortest possible delivery timelines. 

This is where Gurugram-based third-party logistics (3PL) startup Eshopbox — founded in 2016 by cousins Ankush Karwa and Mayur Karwa — comes in. Read more.

News & Updates

• Zomato co-founder and CEO Deepinder Goyal has joined Gurugram-based fintech app Magicpin as an independent director, the startup said Monday.

• Fintech startup Razorpay said it has acquired TERA Finlabs, a Bengaluru-based startup that provides technology, risk, and capital solutions to enable embedded financing solutions for businesses.

• NYSE-listed Blackstone has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire a controlling stake in Bengaluru-based edtech startup Simplilearn. According to sources, the deal size is pegged at $250 million.

• Droom founder Sandeep Aggarwal and his family office have invested over Rs 25 crore in 18 startups, and they are looking at backing about 10 to 12 companies a year to support the burgeoning startup ecosystem in the country.

• Redcliffe Life Diagnostics — a unit of Redcliffe Lifetech US and India — said it launched four new labs in Patna, Indore, Raipur, and Noida to meet the increasing demand for diagnostic solutions from home amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Before you go, stay inspired with… 

“In India, you face a ton of competition anyway – even to get where you are – you've likely faced more challenges than most people. So, the ability to pick up and keep going is really, really important." 

— Anu Hariharan, Partner, YC Continuity Fund

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