Compiled by Yojanaa Nagda
The first quarter of 2022 has started off with a bang, a 2.7 times higher fund raise, 1.9 times higher deal count, and 14 start-ups becoming the Unicorns of India.
14 start-ups that became Unicorns of India in Q1:2022.
In the first quarter of 2022, 361 deals valued at $1.51 billion were closed, compared to 189 deals worth $529.3 million in the same period of the previous year. The deal value and deal count increased by 185.45 percent and 91.01 percent, respectively.
| Sector | No. Of Deals | Deal Value |
| Fintech and Financial services | 81 | $1.75 billion |
| Edtech and Education services | 34 | $1.14 billion |
| Logistics and Supply Chain sector | 14 | $ 745.9 million |
| Blockchain | 4 | $451 million |
| Artificial Intelligence | 4 | $405 million |
Sector-wise breakdown of fundraising during Q1: 2022.
Deals in the growth stage also grew the highest among all the stages in the latest quarter, with funding value growing 404.9 percent from $605.5 million in Q1: 2021 to $3.05 billion. The number of growth-stage deals, at 71 in Q1: 2022, were 173.08 percent higher than 26 in Q1: 2021.
The top five sectors in Q1: 2022 include fintech and financial services where 81 deals, worth $1.75 billion in the first quarter of 2022, where 80 percent higher in deal count and 202.76 percent higher in terms of the funding value of $578.3 million, across 45 deals, in Q1: 2021.
At $1.14 billion across 34 deals, edtech and education services recorded an annual growth of 101.36 percent compared to $567.1 million, across 30 deals, in Q1: 2021.
The logistics and supply chain sector saw $ 745.9 million being raised across 14 deals, saw the value growth of 1,385.86 percent compared to $50.2 million, across 4 deals in Q1: 2021.
With 4 deals worth $451 million, the blockchain is the sector which deserves to be looked at closely, accompanied by artificial intelligence ($405 million: 4 deals), and hyperlocal ($340 million: 2 deals), which together hold-up in the top 10 funded sectors of Q1: 2022.
Stage-wise breakdown of fundraising during Q1: 2022
Comparison Of Q1:2022 & Q1:2021
Debt financing saw a decline of 24.48 percent in the value of funding at $233.91 million in Q1: 2022, compared to $309.73 million last year. The number of debt financing deals also declined by 11.76 percent to 15 in Q1: 2022, compared to 17 in the same period last year.
In terms of top investors in Q1: 2022, Sequoia Capital India has already made over 22 investments, followed by fintech unicorn CRED ‘s founder – Kunal Shah, with 20 deals, and Tiger Global with 19 deals.
Sequoia Capital India has already made over 22 investments in the first quarter of 2022, followed by Kunal Shah, the founder of fintech start-up CRED, with 20 deals, and Tiger Global with 19 deals.
