10 Latest Companies To Join Unicorn Startups Club (April 2021)
Have you ever wondered why some businesses are given this Unicorn? What are the requirements for obtaining this title? In the venture capital industry, a unicorn is a startup that has a valuation of $1 billion or more. Aileen Lee, the founder of Cowboy Ventures, coined the term when she referred to the 39 startups with a valuation of over $1 billion as unicorns. The startups with a valuation of more than $10 billion are referred to as Decacorns (a super unicorn). Dropbox, SpaceX, and WeWork are just a few of the Decacorn companies.
In the first four months of 2021, the Indian startup ecosystem has already added eight new companies to the coveted $1 billion valuation club.
According to research firms and industry experts, India will have a significant increase in the number of unicorns by 2021. Currently, India has close to 40 unicorns; according to a NASSCOM report, there will be 50 unicorns by the end of 2021, but at our current rate, we may soon surpass that number.
| Company | Sector |
| Digit Insurance | Insurtech |
| InnovAccer | Healthtech |
| Five Star Business Finance | NBFC |
| Meesho | social commerce |
| Infra.Market | B2B eCommerce |
| CRED | Fintech |
| Pharmeasy | Healthtech |
| Groww | Fintech |
| Gupshup | Messaging startup |
| Sharechat | Social Commerce |
Meesho and CRED became unicorns in three days, while PharmEasy and Groww made the news today.
Digit Insurance
After raising INR 135 Cr ($18 Mn) from existing investors at a valuation of $1.9 Bn, Bengaluru-based insurtech startup Digit Insurance became the first Indian startup to enter the unicorn club in 2021. Following a 31.9% increase in the last nine months, it has raised the funding as growth capital to meet the solvency margin requirement.
InnovAccer
Innovaccer, based in Noida and San Francisco, has become the first Indian unicorn after raising $105 million in a Series D round led by Tiger Global Management. After the current round, the health-tech startup is valued at $1.3 billion. By the end of 2021, Innovaccer expects to have achieved a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 100%, thanks to growth in the healthcare service providers, payers, and life sciences sectors.
Five Star Business Finance
Investors in non-bank moneylender Five Star Business Finance are in talks to buy the company for $1.2-1.3 billion (Rs 9,000 crore), valuing it at $1.2-1.3 billion (Rs 9,000 crore) and making it India's new unicorn. Matrix Partners, Norwest Venture Partners, and private value goliath TPG are among the financial backers of Five Star, which provides tied down advances to independent companies.
Meesho
SoftBank Group Corp.'s Vision Fund 2 led a $300 million round of funding for Bangalore-based social commerce startup Meesho Inc., valuing the company at $2.1 billion. Meesho, an online sales platform for micro, small, and medium businesses in India, plans to use the funds to expand its talent pool in all areas, including technology, product, and business.
Infra.Market
After raising $100 million (approximately 724 crores) in a Series C round led by existing investor Tiger Global, Infra.Market, a B2B startup catering to the construction and infrastructure sector, has joined the coveted unicorn club. Infra.Market assists small businesses, such as paint and cement manufacturers, in improving the quality of their products and complying with various regulations.
CRED
Cred, which was founded less than three years ago, is a company that works with financial institutions and consumer brands to reward customers for paying their credit card bills on time. Cred, a financial technology company, has completed a $2.2 billion fundraising round, making it yet another unicorn to emerge from India's burgeoning startup scene. Existing investors are DST Global, Tiger Global, and Greenoaks Capital.
Pharmeasy
API Holdings, the parent company of PharmEasy, has raised $350 million in new funding from Prosus Ventures and TPG Growth. Temasek, CDPQ, LGT Lightrock, Eight Roads, and Think Investments were among the existing investors who took part in the round. The round would also include secondary transactions, according to an ET report.
Groww
Groww, an investment app, has become the latest Indian fintech unicorn, having raised $83 million in a Series D round led by Tiger Global. Groww, which has been around for less than five years, claims to have more than 15 million registered users for its service, which allows Indians to invest in stocks, mutual funds, ETFs, IPOs, and gold for free through its website, Android, and iOS apps.
Sharechat and Gupshup
Sharechat
The newest members of the unicorn club are Sharechat and Moj. The company behind these apps, Mohalla Tech, has raised $502 million in its most recent funding round, which was led by venture capital firms Lightspeed Ventures and Tiger Global.
Gupshup
Gupshup, a conversational messaging startup, became the tenth unicorn this year after raising $100 million in funding from Tiger Global Management, boosting its valuation ten-fold to $1.4 billion, according to the company.