Last January, Carlyle paid Rs 2,700 crore to buy a controlling 66% stake in the three-decade-old homegrown brand that gave the buyout fund an entry into a rapidly growing market for wellness products but one that is facing disruption from younger, nimbler, direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands. Founders of VLCC – Vandana and husband Mukesh Luthra who owned 95% of the company prior to the Carlyle deal – retained a 30% stake with the management team holding 4%.
Startups witness a shift in investment trends. Domestic investors, family offices, and public market investors like ValueQuest and Singularity Ventures actively back ventures. Investment landscape changes as global funds retreat, and founders turn to investment banks for funding.
"Our revenue has grown 50 per cent CAGR (compounded annual growth rate) in the past two fiscal years. We have become cash flow positive from October-December quarter of 2023-24 in India business, which is 80-85 per cent of our total revenue," Livspace, co-founder Ramakant Sharma told PTI.
With a revamped team and renewed focus on its core business, Prodigy Education co-founder and co-CEO Rohan Mahimker says the EdTech firm is ready to grow again.