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B2B

Aksum, a B2B SCaaS platform raises 1 Million USD in its Pre-Series A Round led by Inflection Point Ventures

Aksum, a B2B SCaaS platform has raised 1 Million USD in a mix of equity & debt in its Pre-Series A round led by Inflection Point Ventures. The funds will be used to enhance and reinforce the technology framework of the company and also expand its reach to new geographic locations

Vikram Ramasubramanian, Partner, Inflection Point Ventures, says, “To streamline the supply chain operation, usually SME’s and corporates require adequate amounts of capital & human resources which can be time consuming and costly. Aksum with its digitised platform will not only enhance the entire supply chain process but also provide a complete transparency in the end to end supply chain. Thus enabling manufacturing and infrastructure sectors to focus on their business and grow with ease. IPV is confident that their expertise coupled with Aksum’s unique business model will further help them to grow strategically in the coming months.

He further added “The company is on track to achieve a Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) of over INR 250 Crore in the financial year 2023-24.”

Sumit Bhatia, Co-Founder, Aksum, says, “We would like to thank IPV for believing in our vision to build India’s 1st ScaaS B2B platform. The fund raised will help us in expanding our product category portfolio & bring transparency & efficiencies in the supply chain function.”

Ankit Jain, Co-Founder, Aksum, says, “This fund raise will help us grow the business 2X and provide access to cost efficient Working Capital solutions through Indian & Foreign Financial Institutions. Our aim is to remain profitable and grow steadily.”

Both the Co-Founders, Sumit Bhatia & Ankit Jain, complement each other in their roles. Ankit, an IIT Kharagpur graduate, brings in 17 years of Financial and Corporate experience and Sumit a Post Graduate in Management brings 23 years of experience across entrepreneurship as well as B2B distribution operations.

About Aksum

Aksum Trademart is India’s 1st ScaaS business-to-business (B2B) platform that provides Supply Chain as a Service (SCaaS) solutions to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and large corporates. The platform offers a range of services that help businesses streamline their supply chain operations. These services include procurement automation, which enables companies to automate their purchasing process, thereby saving time and reducing errors. Additionally, the platform provides supply chain optimization services, which help businesses to optimize their inventory levels, reduce lead times, and improve overall efficiency. Finally, Aksum also offers logistics management services, which enable businesses to manage their transportation and logistics operations more effectively, reducing costs and improving delivery times. By leveraging these services, businesses can improve their supply chain performance, reduce costs, and increase profitability.

About Inflection Point Ventures & Physis Capital

Inflection Point Ventures (IPV) is an angel investing platform with over 7400 CXOs, HNIs, and Professionals to together invest in start-up’s. The firm supports new-age entrepreneurs by providing them with monetary & experiential capital and connecting them with a diverse group of investors. IPV has announced the launch of a $50 million CAT 2 AIF Physis Capital to invest in pre-Series A to Series B growth-stage start-ups.

by Team SNFYI

Helping to connect construction businesses with suppliers of building materials, a pioneering B2B construction tech startup BRKZ that specializes in materials procurement for construction projects is today announced a $8 million investment to empower contractors to reach their full potential. It is worth noting that the total value of the various infrastructure, transport, and building projects across the MENA region is approximately $2.5T. The funding round was co-led by 9900 and BECO Capital, with participation from Aramco’s Wa’ed Ventures, Knollwood Investment Advisory, RZM Investment, and MISY Ventures. With this series A funding round, BRKZ has now raised $13.55m in total. BRKZ’s seed round ($5.55m) was led by Better Tomorrow Ventures, with participation from Class 5 Global, Knollwood Investment Advisory, Plus VC, and several other strategic Saudi angel investors. BRKZ was launched in 2022 and founded by Ibrahim Manna, a three-time logistics founder and former Careem executive, to address critical challenges in the construction industry such as fragmented supply chains, operational inefficiencies, and lack of access to finances. The company aims to leverage technology to ensure equitable access to the best market prices for all contractors and is on a mission to build a tech-enabled ecosystem to revolutionize the MENA construction industry. For buyers of building materials, BRKZ offers access to the best prices across a wide pool of suppliers and materials along with multiple delivery and payment options. And importantly, a quick and easy Request for Quotes via WhatsApp or website. Suppliers engage with BRKZ to benefit from access to a wide customer base. The simplified portal for suppliers enables them to customize prices by size, location, and delivery options. To date, BRKZ has facilitated over $170m quotations across nearly 1,200 products from more than 350 suppliers. Speaking of the development, Ibrahim Manna, Founder of BRKZ, in a statement said, “The investment underscores BRKZ’s commitment to digitizing buying and selling building materials, promoting transparency, and fostering efficient contractor financing. It comes at a pivotal moment for BRKZ, enabling us to grow further within the $100billion construction market here in KSA. We’re set to drive significant change, through tech, across every single touchpoint relevant to how building materials are sourced and supplied in a sector crucial to our economic landscape.” With this new funding, BRKZ is set to deepen its proprietary capabilities, getting closer to being a one-stop-shop for the construction industry, and expand its footprint across Saudi Arabia and beyond. Thus, contributing to the growth and efficiency of the construction sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the MENA region. “The MENA construction market is full of substantial opportunities both for investors and contractors. BRKZ is well placed and capitalized to be the catalyst to boost development. The investment aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, attracting foreign investors and founders to a flourishing construction sector. BRKZ’s strategic initiatives are aligned perfectly with our investment philosophy at BECO Capital. We’re excited to be part of their journey.” said Dany Farha from BECO Capital “At 9900, we focus on ‘big problems’, identifying extraordinary founders …

by Team SNFYI

·        Thriwe supports leading businesses and banks globally to enhance customer loyalty with bespoke rewards and benefits. ·        Thriwe has garnered an impressive membership base of over 2000 members in the past two months. 26 October 2023, Dubai, UAE: Thriwe, a leading tech-driven benefits as a platform company, announced the successful establishment of its fully operational presence in Saudi Arabia. Established in 2011, the company offers support to businesses and banks to acquire, engage, retain, and delight their customers through curated rewards, benefits, and loyalty. Leveraging decade-long success in the UAE, Thriwe has established valuable partnerships with renowned financial institutions such as FAB, Mashreq, RakBank, and ENBD. As part of its strategic global expansion, recently the company has made notable acquisitions and received investments. One such investment was secured with Saudi Arabia’s Masarrah (Almutlaq Family Office), making it a significant step in strengthening the company’s presence in the region. Within two months of this investment, the company has garnered a remarkable membership base of over 2000 members in sectors such as Banking, Insurance, and consumer durables. Commenting about their strategic partnership, Tariq Almutlaq, Managing Director of Masarrah said, “Our strategic partnership with Thriwe, emphasizes our commitment to harnessing our resources, vast network, and industry expertise. We have unwavering confidence in Thriwe’s potential to revolutionize the loyalty and rewards landscape in Saudi Arabia, unlocking fresh opportunities that deliver substantial value to our partners and their respective clientele. Their trustworthiness, dependability, and strategic solutions make them a powerful partner for enhancing customer engagement and loyalty.” “In today’s fiercely competitive business landscape, organizations in Saudi Arabia are constantly seeking innovative ways to reach new customers and retain the existing ones. With a successful journey spanning across India, the UAE, Singapore, London, and Florida, we are now in Saudi Arabia to achieve another milestone. Our vision is to empower businesses in Saudi Arabia by offering a user-friendly and customizable platform that fosters strong customer relationships, drives loyalty, and enhances retention,” said Dhruv Verma, Founder, and CEO of Thriwe. Thriwe offers a comprehensive benefits package, which includes a technology platform, benefit curation and onboarding, and a superior customer experience. The company is recognized as a trusted leader amongst B2B players for cutting-edge data compliance and management solutions, making them the go-to choice for businesses. He added, “Customer data has become an asset for businesses. Ensuring its security and responsible management is not just a regulatory requirement but also a key factor in retaining and attracting new customers. Our commitment to modern data compliance and management has helped us build strong, long-term partnerships with leading businesses across sectors.” With a partner network in over 130 countries, Thriwe has a track record of working with prominent financial institutions such as Amex, Mastercard, Visa, HSBC, Standard Chartered, HDFC, Axis Bank, Mashreq Bank, Union Pay, and others. Additionally, as part of its Middle East expansion plan, the company is setting its sights on generating around USD 100 million in revenue from the Saudi Market over the next 36 months. About Thriwe: Thriwe, established in 2011 by Dhruv Verma, a XLRI alumni, is headquartered in India …

by Team SNFYI

Pentathlon Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm with a focus on B2B Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) startups, has unveiled its second fund, Fund II, with a target corpus of INR 450 crore. The fund aims to invest in 25 B2B SaaS startups spanning various sectors, including enterprise digital transformation, fintech, ecommerce enablement, vertical SaaS, applied artificial intelligence (AI), sustainable technology, and healthtech. Prior Success with Fund I Established in 2020, Pentathlon Ventures has already demonstrated its commitment to nurturing startups. Through its first fund, launched in 2021 with a corpus of INR 76 crore, the firm supported 23 startups, including notable names like Deeptek, Rezolve, Spyne, Dista, TurboHire, and ShopSe. Investment Thesis and Market Outlook Pentathlon Ventures’ investment thesis for Fund II centers on the robust growth potential of India-based B2B startups. The firm anticipates that revenues from these startups will witness a remarkable 25-fold increase in the next eight years. These startups boast a 50% faster time-to-revenue, enhanced revenue predictability, and robust gross margins ranging from 70% to 80%. Such promising attributes offer substantial opportunities for building sustainable businesses. Commenting on the investment thesis, Sandeep Chawda, Managing Partner at Pentathlon Ventures, stated, “Early-stage B2B SaaS companies built in India continue to be our primary investment thesis.” Capital Sources and Global Focus For Fund II, Pentathlon Ventures is sourcing capital from a blend of domestic and global limited partners. The firm recognizes that Indian B2B startups are poised to achieve global leadership status in the coming decade, with favorable tailwinds stemming from increased global attention on India’s burgeoning tech ecosystem. Gireendra Kasmalkar, Managing Partner at Pentathlon Ventures, noted, “We are truly on the cusp of a huge virtuous cycle.” Investment Landscape in India Pentathlon Ventures’ fund launch occurs in the context of Indian startups facing challenges in securing funding over the past 18 months. Surprisingly, this funding shortfall has occurred despite ample funds being available to investors. According to an Inc42 survey of over 70 active VC firms in India, Indian VCs have only deployed 26% of the capital allocated for FY24, retaining the majority. Despite this, investors in India have been actively launching or announcing new funds since the beginning of 2023. These include MIXI’s $50 million CVC fund, CapFort Ventures’ INR 400 crore fund, and Good Capital’s $50 million fund, among others.