7 rising startups in India – Mar 23

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An online grocery startup proves naysayers wrong, while a test prep startup sets out to disrupt the massive coaching industry in India. Fashion ecommerce, healthcare, and on-demand two-wheeler servicing get backing – and so do two robotics startups, showing that investors are spreading their net wide.

BigBasket

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Many argue that it’s hard to make money selling vegetables and groceries online in India. But BigBasket is determined to prove the naysayers wrong. It announced a whopping round of funding worth US$150 million led by UAE-based Abraaj Group. Other investors include International Finance Corporation and Sands Capital, and existing investors such as Bessemer Venture Partners, Helion Advisors, Zodius Capital and Ascent Capital.

BigBasket, founded by Hari Menon and VS Sudhakar in 2011, currently operates in India’s eight metro cities and 10 smaller cities. It had raised US$50 million last year in a funding round led by Bessemer Venture Partners. The latest round will fuel expansion into newer cities.

See: Here’s why BigBasket is killing it in India while the others struggle

HashLearn

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Edtech startup HashLearn runs an Android app that connects college entrance aspirants with those who have passed the tests and are now students of India’s premier engineering colleges – the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and BITS. They become personal coaches or tutors for the aspirants. Today, the startup announced funding by Binny Bansal, CEO and co-founder of Flipkart; Bhavish Aggarwal, CEO and co-founder of Olacabs; Rajan Anandan, Google MD for Southeast Asia and India; and other leading angels.

Multitudes of students compete for a seat at IITs and BITS and only a miniscule percent of those who appear for the tests qualify. So a huge coaching industry is thriving on this desperation to get into the premier colleges. Yesterday, the best funded test prep startup in India, Byju’s, announced a US$75 million funding round – the largest edtech round yet in the country. Today, it’s the turn of newbie HashLearn to announce funding from an impressive lineup of investors.

See: Why Flipkart, Ola, Google India bosses are backing this mobile tutoring app

StalkBuyLove

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