In its initial round of seed funding, Flipkart raised $3.6 billion from investors including Tiger Global and Accel Partners. The company is also raising money from existing investors. The goal of the fund is to cultivate a network of world-class entrepreneurs and ideas in India. The investment will be used to develop new products and services that will help consumers. Currently, Flipkart is valued at $37 billion. To raise another $500 million, the company is planning to go public in the US.
In its first funding round, Flipkart raised $6.4 million from a group of angel investors, including Walmart Inc. and VC firm Accel India. The venture fund is expected to raise about $60 million in total, and it will invest between $2 and $3 million in each company. The investment will go towards expanding Flipkart’s offerings and investing in the company’s programs. In addition to the Angel round, the company has partnered with other companies to raise more capital.
While Flipkart’s initial seed funding is relatively small, the company has received a significant amount of investment. The Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) invested $800 million in the company. SoftBank Vision Fund 2 invested $60 million in the company, and Walmart bought 20% of the company. The fund was started as a book-selling platform, but it quickly expanded into other areas such as mobile phones and clothing. With the proliferation of smartphones in India, Flipkart has managed to gain momentum. It also has benefitted from cheap mobile data and India’s growing internet population.
The latest Round of Funding by Flipkart is valued at $40 billion, and the investment will go towards expanding the Flipkart ecosystem. The investment will target e-commerce, payments, and complementary spaces. The fund is estimated to invest between $2 and 3 million in each startup, but the exact amount will be disclosed once the fund is public. The round is not yet public, but it is an indication of how much the company has invested in itself.
Flipkart started with $6,000 in seed funding and grew to a US$3.6 billion valuation after raising US$1.5 billion. The company now has more than $1.4 billion in post-money funding and continues to be in talks with private equity funds for a $150 million round. With the latest funding, the company is positioning itself to compete with Amazon in the Indian market. Its new e-commerce rules are expected to hit Flipkart hard.
In Conclusion
The fund will target e-commerce startups, payments, and FinTech startups, among other areas. Its fund may invest in as many as five to six startups, depending on their size and stage of development. In July, Flipkart raised US$3.6 billion in seed funding. While that amount may not sound like much, it demonstrates that the company is confident in the Indian start-up ecosystem and the idea that its growth can last forever.
