Tag: How to Get Funding For Startup

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Business motivation Startup

Startups in India To Get Major Boost As HDFC Bank’s SmartUp Grants Aims To Empower Social Sector Startups; Here’s How To Apply

Business Ideas

Mumbai, February 10: With an aim to help and empowering social sector startups in India, HDFC Bank has launched an initiative and has invited applications for the same. We are aware that India is home to one of the largest startup ecosystems in the world.The HDFC Bank has invited applications from startups across all sectors and solo entrepreneurs for its SmartUp grants.

The SmartUp grants by HDFC Bank under #Parivartan –the bank’s umbrella CSR brand. It is aimed at finding and deploying long-term, sustainable solutions at scale, to address social issues and contribute to the economic and social development of the country, the bank said in a statement.

This year, the HDFC bank informed that it will focus on start-ups creating social impact at scale in sectors such as Education – technology (ed-tech) and skill development, among others. Reports inform that the startups will be evaluated basis their market reach, penetration and scalability of the product, degree of social impact in beneficiaries’ lives and economic viability of product at scale.

The HDFC Bank has partnered with nine start-up incubators registered with Govt of India’s MeitY platform to screen, mentor, and monitor start-ups.  The nine incubators are from premier institutes and include IIT – Delhi, IIT – BHU, AIC BIMTECH Noida, IIM Kashipur, GUSEC Gujarat, C-CAMP Bangalore, Banasthali University – Jaipur, Villgro Incubation – Chennai, and T-HUB Hyderabad.

Here’s how startups can apply for the HDFC Bank’s SmartUp grants:

  1. The startups in India can apply for the HDFC Bank’s SmartUp grants on February 16.
  2. After the application process, the bank and incubators will jointly reach out and engage with them through the SmartUp portal hosted on Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology’s website.
  3. The incubator partners will then screen and shortlist applications and the SmartUp team will select finalists.
  4. Thereafter, finalists will pitch their startups to a jury comprising the senior management of the bank.
  5. It must be noted that the startups will be evaluated basis their market reach, penetration and scalability of the product, degree of social impact in beneficiaries’ lives and economic viability of product at scale.

Smita Bhagat, Country Head – Government, E-commerce and Start-ups, HDFC Bank, said: “Enterprises working in the social sector are doing commendable work in changing the lives of millions of Indians. SmartUp grants is one way of offering our support and encouragement in this journey. We want to be a pillar of support for social entrepreneurs who want to bring a positive change to the society.”

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Startup

What is a Startup? How Do Investors Add Value To Startups? All You Need To Know

Startups | Representational Image (Photo Credits: Pexels)

India is now becoming the world’s fastest growing startup ecosystem. In order to understand a startup ecosystem, one needs to know what a startup means! A startup is a young company that is usually founded by one or more entrepreneurs to develop a new and unique product. These entrepreneurs launch a service and bring it to market for people to use and benefit out of it. Startup, as the name suggests, begins with initial funding from the founders, their friends, families, relatives, among others.

Startups are becoming very popular in India. A start-up is basically a company or project begun by an entrepreneur to seek, develop, and validate a scalable business model. Startups face high uncertainty but some of them do go on to be successful and influential and become unicorns. The startup process can take a really long period of time and can go up to years to be successful. Hence, sustaining effort is required.

Over the long term, sustaining effort is especially challenging because of the high failure rates and uncertain outcomes. One needs to understand the basic concept that an entrepreneur is an individual while startup is an entrepreneurial team, and needs to work accordingly to achieve the desired goals.

How do Investors add value to Startups?

According to Startup India Portal, which is India’s largest online entrepreneurship, the investors, particularly venture capitalists (VCs) add value to startups in a number of ways. The Startup India Portal platform allows startups to network, access free tools & resources and participate in programs & challenges.

  1. Stakeholder Management: Investors play a key role in building up the startup. They help by managing the company board and leadership to facilitate smooth operations of the newly started firm. In addition, their functional experience and domain knowledge of working and investing with startups imparts vision and direction to the company.
  2. Raising Funds: Investors are best guides for the startup to raise subsequent rounds of funding on the basis of stage, maturity, sector focus etc. and aid in networking and connection for the founders to pitch their business to other investors.
  3. Recruiting Right set of people: Sourcing high-quality and best-fit human capital is critical for startups, especially when it comes to recruiting senior executives to manage and drive business goals. The venture capitalists, with their extensive network can help bridge the talent gap by recruiting the right set of people at the right time.
  4. Proper Marketing of the Product: VCs assist with marketing strategy for your product/service.
  5. Merger and acquisition opportunities: The venture capitalists should be alert about the merger and acquisition opportunities in the local entrepreneurial ecosystem to enable greater value addition to the business through inorganic growth.
  6. Organizational Restructuring: As a young startup matures into an full-fledged established company, the venture capitalists help with the right organizational structuring and introduce processes to increase capital efficiency, lower costs and scale efficiently.

In India, the Government, under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, has started and promoted Startup India initiative to recognize and promote startups. This initiate is aimed to develop Indian economy and attract talented entrepreneurs.

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Private Equity Funding

How to Get Funding For Startup?

?Introduction

  • Are you unable to get funding for your startup?
  • How to get funding for startup through PE/ VC/ Angel Investor? 

Being an entrepreneur the most essential things is getting funding for your startup. 

So, let’s understand how to get funding for a startup with four significant stages as given below-

Stage #1: Start-up Stage of Business

In this stage, you arrange money from family, friends, and fools (FFF).

Friends
– They are always ready to help you and mostly become the first investor in your start-up business.

Family
– Next is your family members, who can be a valuable support to get funding for your start-up business.

Fools
– (who comes easily in your words without analyzing the future scope of your business) – If you have convincing skills you can also collect funds from such people who can easily believe in your business model.  

Stage #2: Early Stage of Business

In this stage of business, Angel Investors supports you. Angel investors refer to those investors, who invest less and gain less but they work like a necessary supplement to your business and help to move your business to the next level.  

Stage #3: Growth Stage of Business
 

Venture capital (VC) is the major source to get funding for your startup. ’VC brings seed capital to your business.’  VC invests in your idea.  

Important Facts about how to get funding your startup from VC –

  • VC investor usually invests only in Software, Technology or Biotech Business. 
  • VC starts with low investment in the business. 
  • VC focuses on Topline in P&L account, sales or big market share. 
  • VC determines the valuation of a company. He roughly calculates the potential of a company to jump from Rs. 1 crore valuation to Rs. 100 crore. And his money will become Rs. 30 crore from Rs. 30 lac.  
  • VC is a fast mover and works on valuation so he invests in the business.
  • From the very start, VC works at high risk. 
  • VC exits through another investor. 
  • VC invests in many companies and knows very well that out of 100 companies at least 10 companies will give him desirable profit so he focuses on those 10 companies, which are growing rapidly.

Stage #4: Maturity Stage of Business
 

  • Private Equity helps you get funding for a startup when your business expands on a vast level. So ’Private Equity brings a growth capital in your business.’ 
  • PE will invest in your business when he will found Profit / Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)/ Stability in your business. 
  • PE investors focus on every stable business. 
  • PE can go inside portfolio i.e. Manufacturing, Retail, IT and FMCG business because he is in the search of stability in the business.
  • PE starts with high investment. 
  • PE expects to profit from the business and focuses on the bottom line of the P&L account. 
  • PE is stable and wants both profit and expansion in parallel. 
  • PE works at low risk. 
  • PE exit through IPO.

Loan (Debt Financing) and PE (Private Equity) invests in business in the same stage, when operations, sales, and profitability of the company are stable. At this stage, you can take a loan and private equity both for the expansion of the business.
If profitability and cash flow are very good in your company, then don’t invite Private Equity. Better you take a loan on the nominal interest rate. And if you feel risk in your business also unable to pay EMI, then invite Private Equity.
This essential information about how to get funding for your startup will give immense growth in your business, and no one can stop you from reaching the top position in your industry.