Latest news with #PeyushBansal
Time of India
11-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
AI vision: Founder Peyush Bansal bets on ‘small, beautiful' deals to bolster Lenskart's tech capabilities
Academy Empower your mind, elevate your skills Eyewear retail chain Lenskart is continuing to invest in and acquire artificial intelligence (AI) companies to strengthen its technological capabilities, founder Peyush Bansal said on Friday.'We are definitely investing and acquiring a lot of AI companies right now. I always thought acquisition was a good way to speed up technology. It's not the first time. I like small, beautiful deals, which are building tech, and that has always enhanced the tech capabilities,' Bansal said at Shiprocket's Shivir, AI Commerce Edition: Made for this month, Lenskart invested in Ajna Lens, a Mumbai-based deeptech company building AI-powered XR company is reported to be planning to acquire location AI startup GeoIQ. Earlier in 2023, Lenskart had acquired Tango Eye, an AI-based computer vision startup.'We think technology first for problem solving, and AI makes it a lot more exciting for us, because for us, that journey is that the base is built, and we feed each other now. We have the super power to do things which we could not have imagined earlier,' he according to Bansal, while the company adopted AI quite early on, it is much simpler for newer firms to build with AI from the ground up than it is for large companies, which have to transform their existing plans to file papers for its draft initial public offering (IPO) this year, targeting a potential $10 billion valuation for a $1 billion public issue, ET had reported July 10, ET reported that the Gurugram-based company is likely to issue additional shares to Bansal through a structured payout arrangement, which could increase his stake in the company by 1.5-2%.The SoftBank-backed company closed a $200 million secondary round in June last year at a $5 billion valuation, with investments from Singapore sovereign fund Temasek and US financial services giant Fidelity. A month later, founders Bansal, Neha Bansal, Amit Choudhary, and Sumeet Kapahi invested almost $20 million in the company produces 25 million frames and 30-40 million lenses annually. It operates more than 2,500 stores in India and Southeast Asia and has a strong online presence.
Time of India
10-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
After Rs 293 crore investment, Shark Tank India 5 promo teases new investors. Are older sharks being replaced?
New Promo Teases Entry of Fresh Faces Satirical June Promo Will OG Sharks Return or Be Replaced? Shark Tank India, the business reality show with an impressive Rs 293 crore invested across four seasons, has become a launchpad for Indian entrepreneurs. Now, the much-anticipated fifth season of the show has officially been announced, with a fresh promo stirring intrigue—not only about the show's return but also about the possibility of new investors stepping into the tank. The teaser emphasizes 'More fire. More founders. More deals,' leading many to wonder if the original Sharks are being an impressive Rs 293 crore invested across four seasons, Shark Tank India, the business reality show, is back to fuel more entrepreneurial dreams. The much-anticipated fifth season has officially been announced, and a fresh promo has stirred intrigue—not only about the show's return but also about the possibility of new investors stepping into the tank. The teaser emphasizes 'More fire. More founders. More deals,' leading many to wonder if the original Sharks are being latest teaser, unveiled by Sony LIV, marks the official start of Season 5's promotional campaign. Captioned 'Turning 5 never looked this fierce! More fire. More founders. More deals,' the clip blends real footage of past pitches with a dramatized sequence where people stuck in uninspiring jobs dream of doing more. The highlight of the promo is a segment featuring Peyush Bansal, who encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to identify major problems, build strong solutions, and step onto the Shark Tank India notably, the promo emphasizes 'more founders' joining the show. This phrase has sparked speculation that the original Sharks may not all return, and new investors could take their the latest announcement, a June teaser had already stirred public interest. That promo, infused with satire, mocked billionaire N.R. Narayana Murthy's contentious advocacy for a 70-hour work week. It featured fictional CEOs lamenting over the 'crisis' of employees leaving to start their own businesses—one even complains about losing someone to carry his golf bag.A sarcastic narrator warns viewers not to quit their jobs or register for Shark Tank, cheekily encouraging them to do exactly that. The satirical tone struck a chord online, leading to viral Sony has not officially confirmed any departures, fans are questioning whether long-time Sharks like Aman Gupta, Namita Thapar, Anupam Mittal, Peyush Bansal, and Vineeta Singh will return. Over the seasons, guest Sharks such as Ashneer Grover, Amit Jain, Ghazal Alagh, Deepinder Goyal, Radhika Gupta, Kunal Bahl, Viraj Bahl, and Ritesh Agarwal have made appearances, creating a flexible judging the new promo stressing "more founders," Season 5 may follow a similar model—retaining a core group while introducing fresh business leaders. However, no names of new entrants have been officially its debut on December 20, 2021, Shark Tank India has served as a major platform for budding start-ups across the country. The show has completed four seasons, with Season 4 airing from January to March 2025. According to details from the latest teaser, investors on the show have collectively invested over Rs 293 crore into start-ups from Season 1 through Season 4.
Economic Times
10-07-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
Traffic on IPO exit route; Founders dig in pre-listing
Happy Thursday! Public debuts were the popular exits for private equity and venture capital last year. This and more in today's ETtech Morning Dispatch. Also in the letter: ■ New Apple COO's challenges ■ $10,000-a-day fine for Raveendran■ New actor on microdrama stage IPOs lead India's startup exit wave, but M&As may catch up: Report India's startup exits had a blockbuster 2024, with initial public offerings (IPOs) taking centre stage. Public listings accounted for 68% of all private equity and venture capital exits, according to a DC advisory report, shared exclusively with ET. Driving the news: Public market exits hit $15.5 billion last year, driven by high-profile IPOs from Swiggy, Ola Electric, and FirstCry. That's up from $13.3 billion in 2023, beating the $12.4 billion frenzy of 2021. What fuelled it: Strong corporate earnings, eager domestic investors, and a crop of VC-backed firms finally ready to list. But the game is already changing. In just the first five months of 2025, strategic M&A exits hit $2.5 billion, already ahead of last year's full tally. Deals like Hindustan Unilever buying Minimalist, InsuranceDekho's merger with Renewbuy, and Delhivery acquiring Ecom Express (after shelving its IPO) point to a growing momentum on the private side. Tell me more: IPO valuations have come off the boil. Public investors are getting increasingly choosier, and fundamentals matter more than ever. That's opening space for a more balanced mix of exits through M&As and secondaries over the next 6-12 months. Zoom in: After a record IPO run, India's exit story is entering a new chapter. Bankers say the split between public and private routes will likely even out as startups and their backers look for smarter, faster ways to cash out. Also Read: Startups aim to raise over Rs 18,000 crore via IPOs in major D-Street push Founders double down with pre-IPO stake boosts Peyush Bansal, CEO, Lenskart Lenskart is the latest to clear the runway for its founder ahead of a blockbuster listing. CEO Peyush Bansal will likely receive additional shares through a structured payout, boosting his stake by 1.5–2%, people in the know told us. Driving the news: Bansal and cofounder-wife Neha currently hold around 12–13% between them. The fresh allotment will give them a stronger foothold as Lenskart prepares for a $1 billion IPO, aiming for a $10 billion valuation, as ET reported. Why it matters: In venture-backed companies, repeated funding rounds often leave founders heavily diluted. To keep them aligned with public shareholders and motivated for the long haul, boards have started handing out pre-IPO top-ups. It's now effectively a playbook move. Zomato (now Eternal), Swiggy, Delhivery, PB Fintech, and Freshworks have all done it. Swiggy's founder received options worth $200 million ahead of its 2024 IPO. Zomato's Deepinder Goyal landed fresh stock that could double his stake. Lenskart's numbers: The eyewear giant narrowed its FY24 loss to Rs 10 crore. Revenue jumped 43% to Rs 5,248 crore, while Ebitda more than doubled to Rs 856 crore. Bottom line: Founder stake boosts are no longer a nice-to-have; they're fast becoming standard practice. With the IPO queue growing, they give entrepreneurs more skin in the game and a stronger incentive to deliver once public. Also Read: Fidelity marks up IPO-bound Lenskart's valuation to $6.1 billion Sponsor ETtech Top 5 & Morning Dispatch! Why it matters: ETtech Top 5 and Morning Dispatch are must-reads for India's tech and business leaders, including startup founders, investors, policy makers, industry insiders and employees. The opportunity: Reach a highly engaged audience of decision-makers. Boost your brand's visibility among the tech-savvy community. Custom sponsorship options to align with your brand's goals. What's next: Interested? Reach out to us at spotlightpartner@ to explore sponsorship opportunities. Tariff test for Apple's new 'strategist' COO, Sabih Khan Sabih Khan, Apple's new chief operating officer and the latest Indian-origin executive to join Silicon Valley's top tier, steps into the hot seat at a tricky time. The Moradabad-born Apple veteran inherits a high-stakes brief — and a looming Trump-shaped headache. Tariffs, ahoy! Donald Trump has threatened a 25% tariff on US-bound devices made overseas. That's bad news for Apple, which is expanding manufacturing in India while heavily relying on China. Also Read: Sabih Khan, Apple's new COO, latest in series of Indian-origin executives at Big Tech Top of the to-do list: As a priority item, navigating the US-China tightrope and protecting Apple's global manufacturing playbook. That balancing act could define his legacy. Anurag Agarwal of TechAisle tries to put things in perspective. 'Taking the operational reins of Apple right now is akin to being asked to redesign a spaceship's engine while it navigates an asteroid field." Track record: Khan, 58, has already earned plaudits from CEO Tim Cook for driving advanced manufacturing and boosting Apple's US production. It's a return to familiar ground: Cook himself rose through the COO's role before taking over from Steve Jobs in 2011. Now, it's Khan's turn to steady the ship. Keeping Count The leading GPU maker outdid its Big Tech peers to reach the $4-trillion milestone first, exceeding the GDPs of France, Britain or India, buoyed by rising AI demand. Microsoft ranks second with $3.7 trillion market value, followed by Apple at $3.12 trillion. Other Top Stories By Our Reporters Fresh legal troubles for Byju's: A Delaware judge has held Byju Raveendran in civil contempt for repeatedly ignoring orders in the bankruptcy case of Byju's US arm, slapping a daily fin e of $10,000 until he complies. Chai Bisket's microdrama pitch: Digital content company Chai Bisket has raised $5 million in seed funding from Info Edge Ventures and General Catalyst to launch its microdrama app Chai Shots. Global Picks We Are Reading ■ Why Big Tech is threatened by a global push for data sovereignty (Rest of World) ■ Andreessen Horowitz leaves Delaware for Nevada, tells startups to follow (Bloomberg) ■ The Bezos-funded climate satellite is lost in space (The Verge) Updated On Jul 10, 2025, 08:18 AM IST
Time of India
10-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Lenskart's Bansal set to join list of founders with pre-IPO stake boosts
Academy Empower your mind, elevate your skills ETtech Omnichannel eyewear retailer Lenskart is likely to issue additional shares to its founder and CEO Peyush Bansal through a structured payout arrangement, which could increase his stake in the public markets-bound company by 1.5-2%, said people briefed on the and his wife Neha Bansal, also a cofounder, currently hold a combined stake of about 12-13% in the move reflects a broader trend among consumer tech and internet companies, such as Zomato (now Eternal), Swiggy PB Fintech and Freshworks, which have awarded stock to founders ahead of their initial public offerings (IPOs) through various mechanisms.'The transaction is yet to be finalised but Bansal is likely to be allotted shares at a fair market value as determined by the bankers and the auditors. This will result in his stake going up by roughly 1.5–2%,' said one of the persons, who did not wish to be June 2024, the Bansals along with founders Amit Choudhary and Sumeet Kapahi had invested around $20 million in the executives said that for companies raising significant capital, founder stakes often get diluted, and that pre-IPO stock grants serve as a way to compensate and retain them.'It's quite common for founders to increase their stake ahead of an IPO... They see the upside and approach the board, citing their low shareholding. When a founder's stake drops significantly, boards often accommodate by allocating shares through expanded Esop (equity stock ownership plan) pools or other mechanisms,' said Anshuman Das, CEO of executive staffing firm is facilitated through increasing the Esop pool, buying out an existing investor or preferential allotments, Das said, adding, 'In large consumer tech or internet firms, heavy fundraising often leads to substantial dilution of founder equity.'Such a practice is common among new-age, venture-backed companies where founders often see greater dilution, unlike in traditional businesses where promoters retain a larger are milestone events for investors and boards tend to be more open to rewarding founders for steering the company to that point, as they should also benefit from the value created. In larger companies, where promoters hold a bigger stake, that upside comes through post-IPO share gains, said another industry sent to Lenskart did not elicit a response till press and grocery delivery company Swiggy had granted employee stock options worth around $271 million to its top management in its latest stock-based compensation plan implemented in April last year. Around $200 million worth of options from this were granted to founder and group CEO Sriharsha Majety. Swiggy listed on the bourses in November to this, in 2021, Zomato's board granted founder and CEO Deepinder Goyal 368 million stock options with a six-year exercise window that could effectively double his stake in the company from nearly 4% at tech startups, such as Freshworks, Delhivery and PB Fintech, that went public after Zomato also granted stock-based awards to their founders and top management prior to their IPOs, particularly in cases where founder stakes were under 10%. These executives include Freshworks founder and then CEO Girish Mathrubootham, Delhivery founder and CEO Sahil Barua and PB Fintech founders Yashish Dahiya and Alok cofounders Sahil Barua and Kapil Bharati along with other senior executives at the time were allotted shares worth Rs 25 crore each. Similarly, prior to the company's 2021 IPO, Policybazaar parent PB Fintech had granted 10.2 million shares to founders Dahiya and Bansal as part of its 2021 Esop scheme that was announced ahead of its public plans to file its draft IPO papers this year , targeting a potential $10 billion valuation for a $1 billion public issue, ET had reported of the persons said that the company has been meeting public market investors and that the IPO size and valuation will be finalised depending on broader market last round of funding in June 2024 valued the company at $5 billion. US-based Fidelity marked up the valuation of the omnichannel eyewear retailer by more than a fifth to $6.1 billion at the end of April 2023-24, the Gurgaon-based company's net loss shrank to Rs 10 crore from Rs 64 crore in the previous financial year, which the company attributed to technology-driven operational efficiencies. Operating revenue increased 43% to Rs 5,428 crore, while earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation more than doubled to Rs 856 crore.
Pink Villa
09-07-2025
- Business
- Pink Villa
Shark Tank India returns with Season 5: Will Aman Gupta, Namita Thapar, and others be replaced as sharks?
Shark Tank India has become one of the most loved shows in the post-pandemic era. The show, which provides entrepreneurs with a platform, is returning with its fifth season. The first promo for Shark Tank India 5 has been officially released, along with an announcement regarding the commencement of registration. While announcing the new Season, Sony LIV India posted the teaser and captioned it with, "Turning 5 never looked this fierce! More fire. More founders. More deals. Shark Tank India is back — Season 5 registrations are now open." The teaser takes a creative approach, introducing a group of individuals struggling in their lives and stuck in their regular corporate jobs. Furthermore, it includes some crucial snippets from the earlier business pitches and deals, and concludes with Peyush Bansal 's appeal to budding entrepreneurs. Peyush can be heard saying, "Agar aapko entrepreneur banana Hai, koi badi problem dhundo aur uska zabardast solution banao. Aur phir aa jao Shark Tank India ke munch par.' Will new founders replace OG Shark Tank India judges? As the caption says, more business founders are expected to join the panel. Is it indicating the replacement of Aman Gupta, Namita Thapar, and other constant founders on the panel? Well, there's no official confirmation on the same. However, there are high chances that the big names associated with the show from its first season will return. Furthermore, it is quite possible that they will be joined by a group of new founders. However, the names are yet to be revealed. What must be noted is that registrations for the 5th season are now open. It will be interesting to see who joins the business panel this season. Anupam Mittal, Namita Thapar, Vineeta Singh, Peyush Bansal, and Aman Gupta have been constant from the beginning. Moreover, Ashneer Grover, Amit Jain, Ghazal Alagh, Radhika Gupta, Deepinder Goyal, Kunal Bahl, Viraj Bahl, and Ritesh Agarwal have also appeared as judges on the show. For the unversed, the first episode of Shark Tank India was aired on December 20, 2021. The show has become a launching pad for all the innovative ideas and fresh start-ups. Shark Tank India acted as one of the major Indian shows to revolutionize business among youngsters. According to the latest release promo, all the founders on the panel have collectively invested a total sum of Rs 293 crore in new start-ups that pitched their ideas from Season 1 to Season 4. Stay tuned to Pinkvilla for more updates.
