A naukri.com initiative
Inc42
1M
135
Image Credit: Inc42
Ratan Tata’s Portfolio: 18 Startups That Highlight His Investment Acumen
- Ratan Tata was celebrated as a visionary investor, with over 40 startups in his portfolio. From backing Ola and Ola Electric to investing in Paytm, Tracxn, FirstCry, Tata influenced the course of startups across different sectors. Calling himself an accidental investor, he was intuitive and more passionate than a numbers person. Here's a list of notable brands of the Indian startup ecosystem backed by Ratan Tata
- The list below is in alphabetical order and not ranked. Tata's big bet in the EV sector was on Ampere. In fact, it was one of the first automobile startups to secure investment from him. Besides in new-age ventures, Tata also served as an advisor and mentor for numerous other startups such as Kalaari Capital.
- Tata's personal investment in BlueStone marked his backing of the omnichannel jewellery brand in 2014, at a time when ecommerce was just taking hold. FirstCry was one of the first vertical marketplaces that he invested in, buying a 0.02% stake for 66 lakh in the company in 2016.
- Founder Pranay Agrawal posing with Ratan Tata
- CarDekho, GOQii, Innoviti, and Moglix were some other startups in Tata's portfolio. Curefit, which entered the unicorn club in 2021, raised $3 Mn from RNT Capital and $75 Mn from Tata Digital. Cashback platform CashKaro is another fintech firm he backed.
- Ola and Ola Electric were also key startups in which Tata invested. In 2015, he picked up a minority stake in the company. Pune-based Tracxn went public in 2022, and Tata led a funding round for the platform six years prior. Tata invested in Urban Company (formerly Urban Clap) after just one year of operations.
- Tata invested in Upstox in 2016, netting 10.2X returns on his investment. Founder Bhavish Aggarwal of Ola Electric claimed the inspiration for his company's formation came after Tata showed him his personal electric vehicle project built on the Tata Nano platform.
- The Indian startup ecosystem has lost an important figure with the death of Ratan Tata. Tata invested in startups across many sectors, including fintech, mobility, and consumer services. He was more intuitive than a numbers person and backed companies and founders with passion and innovation.
- Atlan, BlueStone, CarDekho, CashKaro, Curefit, FirstCry, GOQii, Innoviti, Moglix, Ola, Ola Electric, Paytm, Snapdeal, Tracxn, Upstox, Urban Company, and Urban Ladder are the noted brands in Tata's investment portfolio.
- Tata was an accidental investor, but some of his portfolio firms have become unicorns and managed to enter the public markets. Besides investing in startups, Tata also served as a mentor and advisor to different companies and funds, such as Kalaari Capital.
- Tata's investment acumen can be highlighted from the fact that he scored several big exits across his portfolio companies. Moreover, his guidance and support helped numerous Indian startups to not just turn successful, but also attained unicorn status.
Read Full Article
8 Likes
For uninterrupted reading, download the app