Trends in the Business Models Date:   Thursday , May 07, 2015 Astrac Ventures was launched by Astrac Group with an aim to partner with entrepreneurs with disruptive business ideas, which have a global vision and are scalable. Funding Trends Currently in the Market: Firstly, we are not very much trend followers, in terms of funding the startups in already hot areas like e-Commerce or taxi start-ups. Rather we would like to focus on the trends in the business models. One clear trend we see is in the preference for asset light business models - e.g. digital commerce, market place models and more. There are some areas for example, - another hot space currently by the way - in a food tech start-p, to control the quality the start-up might invest in kitchen and here it might be a good idea to go slightly asset heavy as long as there is a capital efficient way to scale the business. Technology with Huge Traction: We are already seeing mobile as the medium of choice for users in India for accessing products and services - and this has overtaken the web in few categories already and the trend is going to continue. We definitely are huge believers in mobile first/mobile only businesses. Traits You Look For While Investing: We look for a great team and entrepreneur that are passionate and have the clarity of thought about the space that they are operating in. Beyond team, we look at market opportunity size, and the current players in that space/adjacent spaces. We look at our chemistry with the team, and our ability to add value to the team and the business. Advice to Start-ups/Entrepreneurs If you do the right things like picking the right problem, solving the pain efficiently and have great passion in what you are doing, success is bound to knock your doors. And since you are taking a huge risk and making high sacrifices any ways, better to aim as big as possible and solve a huge problem, because the payout will be larger. So aim as big as you can. Today is the best time so far in India to be doing a start-up. The ecosystem is vibrant, parents and society is more and more supportive, funding is available - make the best use of this opportunity! If you are still on the sidelines, give entrepreneurship a serious thought - atleast join a start-up.