



Bertelsmann Next enters India with acquisition of Let's Transport
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Bertelsmann Next, the mid-market and acquisition investment vehicle of Germany-based media, services and education conglomerate Bertelsmann announced its entry into India with the acquisition of logistics marketplace Let's Transport. “In the US and Europe, where the startup ecosystem is mature, founders prefer to work with conglomerates, where they get substantial benefits.
That maturity has now come to India," Pankaj Makkar, managing director of Bertelsmann India Investments (BII) told Mint. Makkar will be leading Bertelsmann Next India (BNI). The Bertelsmann Next platform typically invests in companies across the mobile technology, HR tech and pharma tech.
With BNI, the conglomerate will be more focused on mid-market opportunities, however, the thesis in the country would be different from its investments in Europe and the US. The corporate investment vehicle's entry into India comes at a time where more and more investors are pouring money into mid-market companies. These investments, which have largely been sector agnostic are primarily being led by these companies' earning potential, strong revenues, increasing market share and potential to disrupt the larger players in the market.
“Think of us as quasi-strategic, quasi-financial investors," said Makkar. “Anything 100% financial comes from our venture capital units, while strategics come from a different business arm. Whatever is in the middle, comes out of Bertelsmann Next." Through the BNI platform, Bertelsmann tends to think more long-term with a sole focus on acquisition.
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