Moneycontrol PRO
you are here: HomeAuthor

Sriram Mani

Senior Correspondent

Moneycontrol.com

Software firm CommerceIQ raises $115 million led by SoftBank, turns unicorn

BUSINESS

Software firm CommerceIQ raises $115 million led by SoftBank, turns unicorn

The deal makes it a so-called ‘unicorn’, the 13th originating from India so far, continuing the unicorn boom amid talks of a slowdown for technology funding.

Review: Tata’s super app is a fascinating, promising work-in-progress

BUSINESS

Review: Tata’s super app is a fascinating, promising work-in-progress

Tata Neu -- the conglomerate's much-anticipated super app -- is here, but in limited supply. Our reporter gets early access and reviews it

Pure aggression: Inside Gaurav Munjal and Unacademy’s quest for growth

BUSINESS

Pure aggression: Inside Gaurav Munjal and Unacademy’s quest for growth

Gaurav Munjal, the maverick founder of Unacademy, is building a company using unconventional methods. Moneycontrol profiles one of India's most important and divisive entrepreneurs with tons of never-before-reported details

BharatPe mess leads to questions over board’s role

BUSINESS

BharatPe mess leads to questions over board’s role

Could BharatPe's board have detected fraud earlier? Did it let clear governance issues persist too long? Moneycontrol explores

Eruditus raises $350 million debt from CPPIB

BUSINESS

Eruditus raises $350 million debt from CPPIB

Eruditus, which ties up with top universities such as Columbia, INSEAD and others to provide executive education and MBAs, plans to make acquisitions worth a billion dollars in the next year or so

Accel raises $650 million seventh India fund, broadens to Southeast Asia

BUSINESS

Accel raises $650 million seventh India fund, broadens to Southeast Asia

Accel will also invest in Southeast Asia from this fund, in a first, at a time when a funding downturn is on the minds of most venture capitalists.

Exclusive | Shark Tank judge’s Sugar Cosmetics eyes $500 million valuation

BUSINESS

Exclusive | Shark Tank judge’s Sugar Cosmetics eyes $500 million valuation

Sugar Cosmetics' deal will also mark LVMH-backed L Catterton's first India deal, after it hired an executive from Sequoia India to lead investments.

It might be healthier if founders had less power: Author Sebastian Mallaby

BUSINESS

It might be healthier if founders had less power: Author Sebastian Mallaby

Why are venture capitalists indispensable in the global economy and how are they so successful? How do they manage governance at companies? And how is China's technology growth similar to the US? Author Sebastian Mallaby explores these and more in a new book and interview.

IvyCap Ventures raises Rs 1,600 crore for record third fund

BUSINESS

IvyCap Ventures raises Rs 1,600 crore for record third fund

The new fund is more than thrice IvyCap's previous fund and is fully raised from domestic investors- a new trend.

Software firm Hasura turns unicorn, raises $100 million led by Greenoaks Capital

BUSINESS

Software firm Hasura turns unicorn, raises $100 million led by Greenoaks Capital

The deal marks India's tenth unicorn of 2022, already more than the seven of 2019, a record- breaking year then for startup funding.

Every SaaS company will become a fintech: Chargebee co-founder and CEO Krish Subramanian

BUSINESS

Every SaaS company will become a fintech: Chargebee co-founder and CEO Krish Subramanian

The Chargebee CEO says that while the war for talent is very real, it is also bringing many more people into the industry, particularly from IT services to software products.

Exclusive: Insight Partners in talks to back CredAvenue at $1.3 billion valuation with unicorn tag

BUSINESS

Exclusive: Insight Partners in talks to back CredAvenue at $1.3 billion valuation with unicorn tag

As investors wonder whether private technology valuations will be hit by a funding downturn, some aggressive deals continue to happen

How Mamaearth CEO Varun Alagh fell in love with books

BUSINESS

How Mamaearth CEO Varun Alagh fell in love with books

Alagh prefers non-fiction books because he thinks it makes him a better person and teaches him more about building a company. Ben Horowitz's The Hard Thing About Hard Things taught him a key hiring lesson

Book review | The Power Law: What do rich VCs really do and why are they so great?

TRENDS

Book review | The Power Law: What do rich VCs really do and why are they so great?

It shouldn't surprise you that venture capitalists do more than tweet about Web 3 solving all your life's problems. A new book masterfully traces why VCs are important, what makes giants like Sequoia and Accel successful, and shows how innovation investing really works behind the scenes

Tata's digital ambitions to get supercharged by N Chandrasekaran’s extension as chairman

BUSINESS

Tata's digital ambitions to get supercharged by N Chandrasekaran’s extension as chairman

Tata Digital is eyeing a valuation of $20 billion and has begun early talks with investors, with an aim to double its Gross Merchandise Value from $3 billion in March 2022 to $7 billion next year.

Hundreds of BharatPe resumes flood the market as worried employees look to exit

BUSINESS

Hundreds of BharatPe resumes flood the market as worried employees look to exit

Employees across functions including business, operations, and products have been applying to other companies as many are in disbelief over the murky details spilling out of the company and about its co-founder Ashneer Grover in the last few weeks.

Exclusive: CRED in talks to raise funding, eyes $6.5 bn valuation

BUSINESS

Exclusive: CRED in talks to raise funding, eyes $6.5 bn valuation

In the last one and a half years, CRED has built a loan book of over Rs 2000 crore, likely with low defaults since it caters to highly credit-worthy customers.

Exclusive: Sequoia India eyes record $2.8 billion fund, MD steps down

BUSINESS

Exclusive: Sequoia India eyes record $2.8 billion fund, MD steps down

Sequoia's new fund comes amid falling tech stocks and governance issues at one of its hottest companies, similar to how its last fund came amid the pandemic's first wave.

ElasticRun becomes seventh unicorn this year after raising $300 mn from SoftBank, Goldman Sachs

BUSINESS

ElasticRun becomes seventh unicorn this year after raising $300 mn from SoftBank, Goldman Sachs

ElasticRun, founded by Sandeep Deshmukh, Shitiz Bansal and Saurabh Nigam in 2016, helps kirana or neighbourhood stores source goods and working capital from large FMCG brands

Exclusive: Ashneer Grover demands Rs 4,000 crore to leave BharatPe

BUSINESS

Exclusive: Ashneer Grover demands Rs 4,000 crore to leave BharatPe

Alvarez & Marsal and PwC are conducting a governance audit of BharatPe, examining allegations of fraudulent and related party transactions

Exclusive: Board is arm-twisting me to exit BharatPe, says Ashneer Grover

BUSINESS

Exclusive: Board is arm-twisting me to exit BharatPe, says Ashneer Grover

Ashneer Grover has alleged that the board feels he will go from being the biggest strength to their biggest liability because he is headstrong.

Exclusive: Suhail Sameer manipulated me into going on leave, says BharatPe founder Ashneer Grover

BUSINESS

Exclusive: Suhail Sameer manipulated me into going on leave, says BharatPe founder Ashneer Grover

BharatPe founder Ashneer Grover has added a new layer of controversy, calling CEO Suhail Sameer the board's puppet, as communication lines among founder, CEO, board members and employees seem to have broken down.

Exclusive: Advertising regulator questions 10 minute delivery upstart Zepto over ‘potential violations’

BUSINESS

Exclusive: Advertising regulator questions 10 minute delivery upstart Zepto over ‘potential violations’

Zepto, founded by two 19-year-old Stanford dropouts, could find itself in regulatory crosshairs over driver safety while trying to deliver groceries in record time

Budget 2022 | What does it mean for startups, digital ecosystem

BUSINESS

Budget 2022 | What does it mean for startups, digital ecosystem

Budget 2022 | Many hits, some surprises, and one significant miss for startups and VCs. Moneycontrol decodes