After ploughing about $2 billion into minority stakes in Indian e-Commerce businesses over the past few years, Japan’s SoftBank is upping the stakes, looking to play consolidator and take a more active role at a trio of leading start-ups. According to sources with direct knowledge of the ma…
Tag: SoftBank
WeWork India to raise $100 mn
WeWork India, a joint venture between US-based co-working space provider WeWork and Bengaluru-based property developer Embassy Group, is in talks with marquee global investors such as KKR, TPG, and Goldman Sachs to raise funds of over $100 million (Rs 640 crore). WeWork is the largest co-working …
SoftBank sets eyes on several Indian start ups; likely to fund Paytm, Big Basket
Mumbai: Japan’s SofBank Group Corp, one of the world’s largest investors in startups, is considering major investments in upcoming Indian entities such as Paytm and online grocer BigBasket. The possibility comes on the heels of talks with Flipkart for a merger with Snapdeal, wherein SoftBank is a…
SoftBank pumps in Rs 1,675 cr in Ola
Japanese investor SoftBank has pumped in about Rs 1,675 crore in fresh funding in Indian transportation startup Ola to give it more muscle to take American rival Uber head-on. SoftBank subsidiary SIMI Pacific Pte picked 12,97,945 shares valued at Rs 10 at a premium of Rs 12,895 in ANI Technologie…
Flipkart to invest in new businesses
Flipkart had recently raised $1.4 billion in its biggest fundraising round with investors including Tencent Holdings, Microsoft Corp and eBay Inc After latest fundraising round, the e-commerce firm will now be valued at $11.6 billion Homegrown e-commerce major Flipkart announced on April 12 that …
When ‘tourist’ investors pour money in start-ups
I’m taking you on a nostalgia trip. Remember the olden days (2016), when it seemed outlandish investments in technology startups were a thing of the faraway past (2015)? Snap out of it. Just look at the headlines of the past few weeks. China’s on-demand ride king Didi Chuxing is consi…
Japanese investors look to bet their money on Indian start-ups
A new wave of small Japanese investors is scouting in India for early-stage start-ups they can bet their money on, undeterred by a bearish spell that threatens to upset Tokyo-based Soft-Bank’s biggest wagers in the country. REAPRA Ventures and Asuka Corporation are the latest Japanese early-stage…
Why Uber’s investor Pishevar is bullish on Indian start-ups
Silicon Valley’s super angel investor in Uber who campaigned against Trump’s Presidency has expressed happiness about India seeing a return of its tech entrepreneurs from the US. Shervin Pishevar, the Tehran born executive chairman of Hyperloop One and co-founder of US based venture c…
Indian start-ups should focus on sustainability, stop chasing Unicorn tag
The next company that is being greenlighted to enter the prestigious Unicorn club of startups is Oyo Rooms, a SoftBank-backed budget hotel aggregator. Founded by 21-year-old Ritesh Agarwal in 2015, the company is reportedly in talks with the Japanese SoftBank to raise about US $300-500 million. I…
Oyo in talks with SoftBank for upto $500 mn raise, eyes unicorn club
Mumbai: Budget hotel aggregator Oyo Rooms is in talks with Japan’s SoftBank -an existing investor -for a $500million round of financing, which is expected to catapult it into the so-called unicorn club, comprising tech startups that are valued at $1 billion or more, according to three peopl…