• 1 Finance announces ESOP buyback at Rs 450 crore valuation, benefiting over 33% of employees.
• Expanded regulatory licenses include P2P NBFC, Category II AIF, and Tax ERI, strengthening its advisory-led model.
• Hybrid approach combines expert human advisors with digital tools, focusing on personalized financial planning.

Three years after its inception, 1 Finance, a personal finance advisory startup catering to India’s mass affluent segment, has announced an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) buyback at a valuation of Rs 450 crore.

This early liquidity event, rare for startups at this stage, will benefit more than 33% of the company’s employees, including early founding members and key hires from later stages. The program underscores the startup’s commitment to an employee-first culture that ties financial rewards closely to performance and tenure.

“Our vision has always been to foster sustainable and inclusive financial well-being—not only for our clients but also for our team,” said Jeet Marwadi, Founder and Managing Director of 1 Finance. “The ESOP Buyback Program reflects our belief that wealth creation must start from within the organization.”

Based in Mumbai, 1 Finance recently expanded its regulatory scope, securing licenses as a peer-to-peer non-banking financial company (P2P NBFC), a Category II alternative investment fund (AIF), and a Tax e-return intermediary (ERI).

Co-founder and CEO Keval Bhanushali explained that these new licenses enhance their advisory-led model, supporting their ambition to become a category-defining institution in personal finance. “This buyback is a strong affirmation of our fundamentals and our dedication to rewarding those shaping the future of personal finance in India.”

Operating with a hybrid advisory approach blending expert human advisors with digital tools 1 Finance is betting on personalized financial planning as robo-advisory platforms face stagnation in mature markets like the US.

Backed by the Marwadi Chandarana Group, 1 Finance is positioning itself as a challenger to traditional wealth managers and transactional platforms, continuing its mission of inclusive value creation through initiatives like this ESOP buyback.