Startups on Shark Tank India see over Rs 1 billion in investment deals

Most startups that appeared on the show during season 1 secured deals 6X greater in value from outside investors within a span of 1.5 years.

Indian business reality show Shark Tank India, which first aired in 2021 on Sony Television, has witnessed more than Rs 100 crore of investment in  deals, including seasons 1 and 2. At least 27 startups that have appeared on the show have successfully secured funds from external investors with a current valuation of 2.5X that of Shark Tank season 1 valuation.

The study revealed that most startups featured on Shark Tank India secured deals with external investors at 6X greater value and within a span of 1.5 years.

The show features entrepreneurs presenting their business ideas to a panel of investors, known as "The Sharks," who decide whether to invest in their companies or not.

"Most startups that appeared on the show secured deals six times greater in value from outside investors within a span of 1.5 years. Their current valuation is also 2.5X greater than what they were valued on Shark Tank season 1”  said Kanishka Mohan, partner at Redseer.

Following up on companies that either secured a deal or were rejected on Shark Tank season 1, Redseer found that 27 startups successfully secured funds from external investors regardless of whether they scored a deal, dropped out, or got rejected on the show. In all, most startups that appeared on the show fared well afterward, securing better deals and increasing valuations.

Ninety per cent of the pitched ideas on the show were centered on consumer-facing concepts, while the rest were B2B. 

Out of the 19 deals, 10 came from the healthcare and manufacturing sectors.

The investments in both seasons totaled Rs 1.06 billion. Food and Beverages sector received the biggest share of the pie in both seasons.

Most pitchers hailed from metro cities and have studied in the top IITs and Premier B schools. The majority of the businesses were headquartered in metros, with the rest situated in Tier 1 and Tier 2, or smaller cities. Most pitched startups have been in business for more than 2 years.

The majority of the B2B deals were made by Shark Tank judges Namita Thapar, Emcure Pharmaceuticals, Executive Director, India Business and Peyush Bansal, co-founder of Lenskart.