Streamlining ESOPs in India; Atomgrid bets on speciality chemicals
Vestd wants to simplify ESOP process. The London-headquartered company helps businesses issue and manage employee equity digitally, covering everything from ESOP grants and vesting schedules to cap table management and shareholder reporting through a single platform.
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OYO’s parent company Prism has filed updated draft papers with markets regulator Sebi to raise Rs 6,650 crore through an initial public offering (IPO), comprising entirely a fresh issue of shares.
The hospitality company has not included any offer-for-sale (OFS) component in the proposed public issue, meaning existing shareholders, including SoftBank’s SVF India Holdings, founder Ritesh Agarwal, RA Hospitality Holdings, Microsoft, Airbnb, Khazanah, Lightspeed, Greenoaks Capital and Peak XV, will not dilute their holdings through the IPO.
Meanwhile, Social Worth Technologies Ltd, the parent company of digital lending platform Fibe, has filed draft papers with Sebi to raise funds through an IPO. The proposed IPO comprises a fresh issue of equity shares worth up to Rs 750 crore and an OFS of over 4 crore equity shares by existing shareholders, PTI reported citing draft red herring prospectus filed on Monday.
It is a busy time for India’s markets. Jio Platforms, the digital arm of billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries, and the National Stock Exchange (NSE) have filed draft papers for their IPOs just days apart last month, according to BBC. Both the offerings have piqued investor interest, and industry watchers expect their foray will boost foreign capital into Indian companies.
Elsewhere, India’s push for electric vehicles has gained momentum over the past few years but infrastructure remains lacking. Around 45% of homes in the country need electrical upgrades for safe EV charging, a report said on Tuesday.
The report The Net-Zero Transition Starts at Home: Enabling EV-Ready Residences in India is based on a data set of more than 80,000 residential EV charger installations spanning Tier I, Tier II, and Tier III cities, covering independent homes, apartment complexes, informal settlements and shared rental housing.
In today’s newsletter, we will talk about
- Streamlining ESOPs in India
- Atomgrid bets on speciality chemicals
Here’s your trivia for today: Which famous mountain peak is not part of a mountain range?
In focus
Streamlining ESOPs in India
Founded by Ifty Nasir in London in 2014.
Equity is one of the most powerful tools available to companies. It helps founders attract talent, reward contributors, and align everyone around a shared vision of success. Yet the process of translating equity into actual ownership is often far more complicated.
Vestd wants to simplify this process. The London-headquartered company helps businesses issue and manage employee equity digitally, covering everything from ESOP grants and vesting schedules to cap table management and shareholder reporting through a single platform.
Key takeaways:
- Founded in 2014 by Ifty Nasir, Vestd describes itself as the UK’s first FCA-regulated digital share platform.
- It entered India in 2025 through the acquisition of Trica Equity, the equity management platform founded by Shanti Mohan and Sanjay Jha under the LetsVenture umbrella in 2019.
- Beyond ESOPs, Vestd manages cap tables, the constantly evolving record of who owns what in a company.
<Funding Alert>
Startup: The Indus Valley
Amount: $17M
Round: Series B
Startup: Kapture CX
Amount: $10M
Round: Pre Series B
In focus
Atomgrid bets on speciality chemicals
Bengaluru-based Atomgrid is an R&D-focused chemical manufacturing platform dedicated to specialty chemicals, which are built for specific applications. An agrochemical, for instance, is designed to tackle a particular pest on a particular crop. Unlike commodity chemicals, they are tightly tied to end use.
Precision:
- The company runs a 10,000-sq-ft R&D centre in Bengaluru where 20 scientists work on active ingredients and formulations.
- On the manufacturing side, Atomgrid partners with about 30 chosen manufacturers and is setting up a team in China to strengthen supply chains and ensure steady inputs.
- Looking ahead, the company plans to first unlock agrochemicals fully, then move into adjacent categories, and eventually into areas like pharma.
News & updates
- Prison sentence: An Indonesian corruption court on Tuesday sentenced former Education Minister Nadiem Makarim, a co-founder of ride-hailing and payments giant Gojek, to 10 years in prison for corruption.
- Merger plans: Paramount Skydance’s planned takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery might face legal hurdles in the UK after the British government indicated on Tuesday that it may challenge the deal. The development comes amid concerns over the takeover’s impact on media diversity.
Which famous mountain peak is not part of a mountain range?
Answer: Mt Kilimanjaro
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