Startup funding has not dried up, just turned discerning: Sanjeev Bikhchandani

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Sanjeev Bikhchandani, Co-Founder & Executive VC, Info Edge, says “ it is pretty clear that investors are giving a signal to startups to turn profitable. Now, many will do that and get there and some will not be able to and they will face a challenge.”


What is the start-up scene like now that funding seems to have dried up?
Funding never went away, it just became more discerning. So lots of money, but people are now funding very carefully. Valuations may be a bit muted. The velocity of funding may be slow. Maybe some of the bets people are taking may not be that speculative but funding is there.

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Funding is there, but which sectors are you bullish on?
We invest in tech and obviously I see a lot of tech companies. I think AI, and deep tech are emerging. Fintech remains interesting. Health tech, supply chain automation are the areas we are looking at.

What do you make of the fact that some of the unicorns are now turning profitable? If we look at some of the data, Zomato turned profitable for the first time since its listing in Q1, FY24, Nykaa again, and Meesho as well. Do you see this momentum continue for other start-ups, seeing that the global headwinds have not really waned?
It is pretty clear that investors are giving a signal to startups to turn profitable. Now, many will do that and get there and some will not be able to and they will face a challenge.

It is always better to cry without investing than cry after investing: Sunil Singhania

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