MARCH 202319Capital & Alternative Funding: Access to capital is crucial for startups to grow and scale, and the availability of funding has increased in recent years, with the rise of retail investors, venture capital firms, and most significantly - fundraising platforms. The working-class too have now joined the bandwagon of investing in startups through micro-ticket size options.Upsurge of Remote Businesses: The pandemic mandated startup owners to shift their businesses to remote mode. This has turned out to be a blessing in disguise for young businesses. According to a survey by PWC, around 83 percent of all employers who shifted to remote business models reported higher profit margins.Subscription-based Business: The Indian subscription economy has witnessed a massive surge of 400 percent in the last eight years. More businesses are driving into subscription-based models because it guarantees heavy profit margins. Further, it is more convenient for entrepreneurs to predict the potential revenues of their businesses as they switch to subscription-based models.What are the criteria and what sector can participate in fundraising?Early-stage startups from all sectors are invited to raise funds on Pod World. There are a few mandatory criteria that the startup needs to meet in order to qualify for a fundraising campaign on the platform:i) The startup should be incorporated as a Private Limited entity in Indiaii) The startup should have its MVP (Minimum Viable Product) readyiii) The funding requirement should be less than 1 croreHow is POD disrupting the industry and other fundraising platforms available in the market?Platforms like POD are set to disrupt the industry by harnessing the potential and making the most of both ends of the ecosystem - entrepreneurs and retail investors. Here are a few factors that positively impact the market:Access to Funding: A few years prior, startups had to rely on personal savings, family and friends, or traditional funding sources such as venture capitalists or banks. However, startup funding platforms like POD, Tyke and Wellfound are changing the game by giving entrepreneurs access to a wider pool of investors and funding opportunities.Democratizing Fundraising: Startup funding platforms like POD are democratizing investment by allowing anyone to invest in startups, not just accredited investors. This means that startups can get funding from a larger and more diverse group of people, and investors can invest in startups with smaller amounts of capital and affordable ticket sizes.Efficiency: With startup funding platforms, founders can easily create a profile and pitch their ideas to potential investors, while investors can quickly browse through hundreds of startups and invest in the ones that interest them. Furthermore, startup funding platforms are making the funding process more efficient by reducing the time associated with fundraising. For instance, startups listed on POD can complete the entire process of raising funds in just three weeks. Tech-first Approach: Startup funding platforms are driving innovation in the way startups are getting funded. POD now is focused on building a full-stack platform for fundraising starting with a One-Pager tool where founders can easily create, design and share their one-page pitches with potential investors.Transparency: Startup funding platforms are making the funding process more transparent by providing investors with more information about the startups they are investing in. This includes financial data, business plans, and progress reports and live dashboards, which help investors make more informed investment decisions.What does the POD's business roadmap look like for the year 2023?In 2023, POD's goal is to enable 100+ early-stage startups to successfully raise funds through its platform. Additionally, POD aspires to pioneer a fundraising stack that is set to redefine startup investments in India. We are also in the process of releasing our first tool in the stack - a SaaS One-Pager that will empower startup founders to put their best foot forward and share everything that really counts through a one-page deck with potential investors. What are the major factors that set you apart from other players in this segment?`Transparency', `trust' and `technology' are at the heart of everything we do at POD. Adding to this is the fact that we offer quality, vetted deals to non-HNI investors. Recently, one of our Portfolio startups, Nanoclean, was featured on Shark Tank India - cementing the fact about the quality of our deals.Furthermore, we offer a hybrid deal structuring. This means that investors who are willing to put a minimum investment value - defined by the startup - could get EQUITY as an instrument of investment. Alternatively, investors who are not able to look at equity as a lucrative instrument would still come into the deal flow using CCD, which is another instrument but with a lower ticket size. Through this approach, we are able to cater to the varying requirements of
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