Business Standard

Unicorn Companies

Focus on 'unicornism' in India overhyped, says Wipro's Rishad Premji

Wipro Executive chairman Rishad Premji on Thursday said that the whole focus on "unicornism" in the country is "overhyped" and being celebrated too much. "You want to focus on building businesses that sustain and then ultimately value will come. You cannot start your journey saying I want to (have) a value of X, Y and Z. That is very turning off. And so, I think it is the first red sign that pops up," he said when asked about the growing trend of startups looking to achieve Unicorn status within a few months of coming into being. Stating that people talk about valuation as opposed to building valuable businesses, he said, "We have overhyped in our country this whole focus on unicornism and we celebrate that too much. There are thousands of other companies that don't make it, but serve a need and are successful, but they don't make unicorn valuation and it doesn't make them non-successful companies, he said. A CII report, in collaboration with McKinsey & Co earlier this year said ..

Focus on 'unicornism' in India overhyped, says Wipro's Rishad Premji
Updated On : 14 Nov 2024 | 9:48 PM IST

Indian-born founders lead the charge in US unicorns, reveals study

India heads the list of non-US-born unicorn founders, with 90 from the country, followed by Israel with 52, Canada with 42, the UK with 31, and China with 27 founders

Indian-born founders lead the charge in US unicorns, reveals study
Updated On : 11 Nov 2024 | 12:08 AM IST

LEAD Group to seek PE funding after hitting profitability milestone

Edtech unicorn hopes to turn the corner by FY25-end, says CEO

LEAD Group to seek PE funding  after hitting profitability milestone
Updated On : 31 Oct 2024 | 8:29 PM IST

Prefer Indicorns over Unicorns for a Indian approach to biz: Kunal Bahl

The term unicorn has emerged from the US, suited more to the American context, and India needs to celebrate 'Indicorns' with its own benchmarks of success and business goals tailored to the Indian context, Snapdeal co-founder Kunal Bahl said on Tuesday. Drawing attention to the rampant usage of the term 'unicorn' in the Indian venture capital industry, he said the world and India have been celebrating unicorns for many years now, but it's important to ask why this concept exists in the first place. The term "unicorn" was created by a venture capitalist in the US to describe companies valued at over USD 1 billion -- "a mythical figure", the entrepreneur-turned-investor said. "India's income levels have gone up. We are seeing companies become profitable in 2-3 years from the starting point. Then why is there an obsession with a currency that is not ours? An amount which is irrelevant in our context, like why Rs 8,300 crore (USD 1 billion)?" he said. Rather, it is better to build ...

Prefer Indicorns over Unicorns for a Indian approach to biz: Kunal Bahl
Updated On : 22 Oct 2024 | 10:59 PM IST

Taming the unicorns: Attention to institution building is critical

As India's unicorns race to become decacorns, they must absorb the less glamorous sobriety of institution-building too

Taming the unicorns: Attention to institution building is critical
Updated On : 15 Oct 2024 | 10:29 PM IST

India's brain gain: 40 Indian univ alumni join US unicorn founders club

Other Indian universities on the list include IIT Madras, IIT Kharagpur, the Birla Institute of Technology and Science (Pilani), Banaras Hindu University (BHU), and the University of Madras

India's brain gain: 40 Indian univ alumni join US unicorn founders club
Updated On : 02 Oct 2024 | 10:47 PM IST

LinkedIn's top Indian startups 2024: Zepto leads as India's newest unicorn

According to a report by Global Data, Indian startups raised around $7.5 billion in venture capital funding from January to August 2024 alone

LinkedIn's top Indian startups 2024: Zepto leads as India's newest unicorn
Updated On : 27 Sep 2024 | 4:39 PM IST

Rapido becomes unicorn with $200 million funding, enters 4-wheeler market

The fresh capital will be directed towards expanding their newly launched four-wheeler taxi service, which will compete directly with Ola and Uber

Rapido becomes unicorn with $200 million funding, enters 4-wheeler market
Updated On : 05 Sep 2024 | 10:52 AM IST

Ather's $450 mn IPO: The next big spark in India's electric revolution

The move to go for an IPO is well timed as it comes on the heels of a successful debut in the stock market by its start up rival Ola Electric just few days ago when it raised Rs 5500 crore

Ather's $450 mn IPO: The next big spark in India's electric revolution
Updated On : 13 Aug 2024 | 11:04 PM IST

EyeROV raises Rs 10 cr in pre-Series A round led by Unicorn India Ventures

In the financial year 2024, EyeROV secured multiple contracts domestically and internationally, expanding its reach through partnerships in India and the GCC region

EyeROV raises Rs 10 cr in pre-Series A round led by Unicorn India Ventures
Updated On : 13 Aug 2024 | 5:56 PM IST

Ride-hailing service Rapido crosses $1 billion gross merchandise value mark

Rapido, which originally started as a bike-taxi service, has grown to include cabs and auto-rickshaws in its offerings. It has also expanded its footprint to 100 new cities across India

Ride-hailing service Rapido crosses $1 billion gross merchandise value mark
Updated On : 09 Aug 2024 | 9:23 AM IST

FinTech sector leads with 30 startups in Future Unicorns worth $11.4 bn

The 30 startups featured in the ASK Private Wealth Hurun India Future Unicorn Index have collectively raised an investment of $5.7 billion

FinTech sector leads with 30 startups in Future Unicorns worth $11.4 bn
Updated On : 21 Jun 2024 | 7:04 AM IST
Updated On : 20 Jun 2024 | 11:45 PM IST

Infra.Market raises $50 million from existing investor MARS Unicorn Fund

Infra.Market intends to use the proceeds of the latest raise to cater to newer global markets and increase its presence across product verticals

Infra.Market raises $50 million from existing investor MARS Unicorn Fund
Updated On : 28 May 2024 | 7:54 PM IST

Median salary of Indian unicorn founders rises to Rs 1.5 cr overall in FY23

Female founders had a median salary of Rs 1 cr, while their male counterparts earned a median of Rs 1.8 cr: Study

Median salary of Indian unicorn founders rises to Rs 1.5 cr overall in FY23
Updated On : 25 May 2024 | 1:08 PM IST

9Unicorns rebrands as 100Unicorns; launches its second fund of $200 million

The second accelerator fund called 100Unicorns Fund II with a target size of $200 million includes a green-shoe option of $100 million

9Unicorns rebrands as 100Unicorns; launches its second fund of $200 million
Updated On : 14 May 2024 | 9:10 PM IST

Games24x7 elevates Tridib Mukherjee to Chief Data Science and AI officer

Mukherjee will continue to drive Games24x7's data-centric approach, leveraging his extensive expertise in data science and artificial intelligence to drive innovation and enhance user experience

Games24x7 elevates Tridib Mukherjee to Chief Data Science and AI officer
Updated On : 03 May 2024 | 5:12 PM IST

China emerges as a hub for 369 unicorns; AI and semiconductor sectors lead

Chinese unicorns command an impressive average valuation of US$3.8 billion, with AI unicorns leading the pack at an average valuation of US$6.76 billion

China emerges as a hub for 369 unicorns; AI and semiconductor sectors lead
Updated On : 30 Apr 2024 | 10:18 AM IST

Indian startup funding declines 3.1% to $2.3 billion in Q1 CY2024

The country saw the creation of two unicorns - companies valued at over $1 billion - during the quarter, namely Ola Krutrim and fintech Software as a Service (SaaS) firm Perfios

Indian startup funding declines 3.1% to $2.3 billion in Q1 CY2024
Updated On : 26 Apr 2024 | 12:04 AM IST

ByteDance, OpenAI, Canva, and more: 2024's top 10 global unicorns

The top 10 unicorns are mainly found in China and the US, with both countries having four each. The list is rounded off with one unicorn each from Australia and Malta

ByteDance, OpenAI, Canva, and more: 2024's top 10 global unicorns
Updated On : 10 Apr 2024 | 3:21 PM IST