Tiger Global-backed Wow! Momo kick-starts Series D fundraise

The company had raised in its last round of funding in September 2021 and claimed it achieved post money valuation of ₹1,225 crore.
The company had raised in its last round of funding in September 2021 and claimed it achieved post money valuation of ₹1,225 crore.
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NEW DELHI: Quick-service restaurant (QSR) chain Wow! Momo has raised over $15 million ( ₹119 crore) from mid-market private equity firm OAKS Asset Management as part of the first tranche of its Series D round of funding.
The current deal has been struck at a post money valuation of ₹2,125 crore ($266 million).
The Kolkata-based firm will raise another ₹100 crore in the next three to four months in the second tranche of the round with an unnamed venture capital fund, as per a press statement.
A source said the company could end up being valued at $280 million to $300 million after the conclusion of the second tranche.
The fresh infusion will enable the Tiger Global-backed firm to primarily build strong back-end capabilities to enter into tier 1 and tier 2 markets of the country. As of now, the company has over 480 stores across three brands- Wow! Momo, Wow! China and Wow! Chicken in 21 cities and aims to enter new 100 cities.
“We expect Wow! Momo to not only gain domestic market share in India but also to be the first global sized QSR company from India," said Vishal Ootam, founder & CEO at OAKS Asset Management.
OAKS, which is in the process of raising ₹1,000 crore for its consumer sector centric fund, has invested in food catering company Foodlink, InCred, CredAble and ethnic wear maker Shree in the past. It also counts Hero Electric among its portfolio firm.
Wow! Momo, launched in 2008, has plans to launch 250 additional stores this fiscal. It has also lined up a few acquisitions.
The company had raised $15 million in its last round of funding in September 2021 and claimed it achieved post money valuation of ₹1,225 crore. The firm had launched its ready-to-eat momos under its FMCG category last year. These momos are available on Bigbasket and are available across other e-commerce channels and modern trade platforms.
In early 2019, Wow! Momo had raised ₹120 crore from US-based marquee hedge fund Tiger Global Management. In 2017, it secured ₹40 crore from Lighthouse Funds, and in 2015 got money from Indian Angel Network.
The brand is likely to end the current financial year with a topline of over ₹450 crore as opposed to ₹220 crore recorded in the last fiscal year, the statement added.