Info Edge gains majority stake in Zomato with $10 mn investment

Info Edge, which runs the recruitment site Naukri.com has announced a further investment of Rs 55 Crore in the shares of restaurant guide service, Zomato.

Prior to this round Info Edge had invested Rs 31 crore in Zomato over three rounds. As per the BSE filing, the fresh investment has been made through ordinary shares of Zomato Media Pvt. Ltd.

Info Edge Founder & Executive Vice Chairman Sanjeev Bikhchandani said: “While Info Edge has transitioned to a majority shareholding this will not transform the operating relationship between the investors and the founders who will continue to enjoy the same independence as earlier. The management team of Zomato has built the company and they shall continue to grow it out. We respect good entrepreneurs and we are here to support and not to control.”

Zomato was launched four years ago and currently operates in 5 countries: India, United Kingdom, UAE, Sri Lanka, and Qatar with further international expansion on the cards. In India, the operations span 13 cities.

The website and mobile app provide in-depth information (menu, contact details, pictures, directions, ratings and reviews) for over 75,000 restaurants across 19 cities in 5 countries.       
 
The India operation broke even at the EBITDA level in December 2012.          

Zomato will now focus on using the investment to further beef up market share in its existing markets while continuing to scale sales operations in its dominant markets-India and UAE. Additional country launches are also in the pipeline –with the company planning an entry into the Philippines and South Africa in the next few months.

DeepinderGoyal, Founder & CEO of Zomato said, "We plan to use these additional funds for product development, scaling up our sales team in various locations, and further international expansion. India is already a profitable business for us, and our UAE business is very close to breaking even. Info Edge has been a great partner for us–we are excited about deepening this relationship with an aim to build a global internet business out of India."