 Daily Top 5 |
Zepto defers its IPO; Urban Company slips into the red
Want this newsletter delivered to your inbox?
I agree to receive newsletters and marketing communications via e-mail
Thank you for subscribing to Daily Top 5
We'll soon meet in your inbox.
Zepto has decided to pause its IPO amid pricing concerns. This and more in today's ETtech Top 5.
Also in the letter:
■ Mayank Khanduja eyes Bessemer move
■ IT secy on content takedowns
■ Apple, Amazon earnings
Zepto cofounder and CEO Aadit Palicha told employees on Friday that the quick commerce company will refile for an initial public offering (IPO) over the coming two quarters, sources told us.
What's happening? During a 30-minute townhall, Palicha told employees that instead of tapping the bourses, Zepto will raise fresh private capital from existing domestic investors.
The company decided to defer its listing after an underwhelming response from large domestic mutual funds over its valuation. ET reported on July 29 that the company is planning to defer its public listing after negotiations with public market investors over valuation hit a roadblock.
Verbatim: "Palicha also told employees that it will tighten its focus on reducing cash burn while continuing to drive growth before the company refiles its prospectus," one of the sources cited above said.
Valuation math: Sources said discussions from large investors for Zepto's anchor book were around $2.5-3 billion.
This was less than the $3.5-4 billion value being discussed in July. It is less than half of the $7 billion at which Zepto had raised its last funding round in October 2025.
(L-R) Shibam Das and Manoj Meena, founders, Atomberg
Consumer appliances maker Atomberg Technologies has become a public company ahead of its planned Rs 1,500-2,000 crore initial public offering (IPO), according to regulatory filings. ET reported on July 29 that Atomberg is expected to file its draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) in the coming weeks.
Abhiraj Singh Bhal, CEO, Urban Company
Urban Company reported a first-quarter loss after posting a profit a year ago.
Financials:
InstaHelp drags: Urban Company said its financials were mainly impacted by its instant maid service, InstaHelp, where losses mounted as order volumes grew. It added that the average order value fell to Rs 138 from Rs 150 because of intense competition, and that it is prioritising market leadership despite margin pressure.
Also Read: Urban Company CHRO Neha Mathur resigns
(L-R) Praharsh Chandra, Abhishek Bansal, Gaurav Jaithliya, Vaibhav Khandelwal, founders, Shadowfax
Shadowfax has posted strong first-quarter earnings, with profits rising eightfold.
The numbers:
Tell me more: Shadowfax claims it now holds a 28-30% share of the third-party logistics (3PL) market. It currently serves 16,372 pincodes and is adding 200-250 every month.
Former Elevation Capital partner Mayank Khanduja is in advanced talks to join Bessemer Venture Partners India, people familiar with the matter told us.
Driving the news: “The discussions are at an advanced stage, and Mayank is expected to join Bessemer (as a partner) over the next three to four weeks,” one of the sources said.
Khanduja joined Elevation Capital in 2011 and became a partner in October 2024. During his nearly 15-year stint, he backed startups including ShareChat, NoBroker, and Atlys, among others.
Leadership churn: Khanduja's move adds to the growing churn in India's venture capital sector.
The government is acting within the legal framework while issuing content takedown orders to social media platforms, electronics and information technology secretary S Krishnan told us in an interview. He added that the Centre is considering ways to empower individuals to tackle harms on social media
What's happening? Krishnan was answering questions about the recent takedown notices issued to platforms such as Meta and X.
“Article 19 of the Constitution guarantees freedom of speech and expression, but that is subject to reasonable restrictions contained in Article 19 (2). This gives the state reasonable grounds under which the right to freedom of speech can be restricted,” he said.
He explained that the government's action is based on sections 69A and 79 of the Information Technology Act, which cover defamatory content, community guidelines for social media platforms, and rules governing AI-generated content.
Also Read: Parliamentary panel calls Google, Meta, X, Snapchat for discussion on digital platforms regulation
In other news: The Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police registered two FIRs against Meta India head Arun Srinivas, along with operators of certain Facebook and Instagram accounts, over alleged objectionable posts targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Also Read: Govt issues takedown notices for objectionable and anti-PM posts
Tim Cook, CEO, Apple
Apple reported a record June quarter, helped by strong growth in emerging markets including India, while cautioning about higher component costs and supply constraints.
By the numbers:
CEOSpeak: "We also achieved June quarter revenue records in both developed and emerging markets and saw double-digit growth in most emerging markets," Apple CEO Tim Cook said in the last earnings call as the company's top executive.
Andy Jassy, CEO, Amazon
Amazon raised its technology spending plans, largely on artificial intelligence (AI), after reporting strong second-quarter earnings.
The numbers:
Also Read: Amazon Now in nine countries, has recorded 80% growth in units sold QoQ: Andy Jassy
Also in the letter:
■ Mayank Khanduja eyes Bessemer move
■ IT secy on content takedowns
■ Apple, Amazon earnings
Zepto to refile IPO papers in two quarters: CEO Aadit Palicha tells employees
Zepto cofounder and CEO Aadit Palicha told employees on Friday that the quick commerce company will refile for an initial public offering (IPO) over the coming two quarters, sources told us.
What's happening? During a 30-minute townhall, Palicha told employees that instead of tapping the bourses, Zepto will raise fresh private capital from existing domestic investors.
The company decided to defer its listing after an underwhelming response from large domestic mutual funds over its valuation. ET reported on July 29 that the company is planning to defer its public listing after negotiations with public market investors over valuation hit a roadblock.
Verbatim: "Palicha also told employees that it will tighten its focus on reducing cash burn while continuing to drive growth before the company refiles its prospectus," one of the sources cited above said.
Valuation math: Sources said discussions from large investors for Zepto's anchor book were around $2.5-3 billion.
This was less than the $3.5-4 billion value being discussed in July. It is less than half of the $7 billion at which Zepto had raised its last funding round in October 2025.
Atomberg converts into public company, adds independent directors ahead of IPO
Consumer appliances maker Atomberg Technologies has become a public company ahead of its planned Rs 1,500-2,000 crore initial public offering (IPO), according to regulatory filings. ET reported on July 29 that Atomberg is expected to file its draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) in the coming weeks.
Urban Company posts Rs 92 crore loss in Q1 vs profit a year ago
Urban Company reported a first-quarter loss after posting a profit a year ago.
Financials:
- Net result: Swung to a net loss of Rs 92 crore, from a net profit of nearly Rs 7 crore a year ago.
- Operating revenue: Up 44% year-on-year (YoY) to Rs 528 crore from Rs 367 crore.
- Total income: Up 42% to Rs 566 crore.
- Total expenses: Up 66.5% YoY to Rs 640 crore.
InstaHelp drags: Urban Company said its financials were mainly impacted by its instant maid service, InstaHelp, where losses mounted as order volumes grew. It added that the average order value fell to Rs 138 from Rs 150 because of intense competition, and that it is prioritising market leadership despite margin pressure.
Also Read: Urban Company CHRO Neha Mathur resigns
Shadowfax reports 8x jump in Q1 net profit, revenue up 65%
Shadowfax has posted strong first-quarter earnings, with profits rising eightfold.
The numbers:
- Net profit: At Rs 65 crore from Rs 8 crore a year ago.
- Operating revenue: Up 65% YoY to Rs 1,358 crore from Rs 823.5 crore.
- Orders delivered: Up 83% YoY to 24.7 crore, and 9% higher than the previous quarter.
Tell me more: Shadowfax claims it now holds a 28-30% share of the third-party logistics (3PL) market. It currently serves 16,372 pincodes and is adding 200-250 every month.
Ex-Elevation Capital partner Mayank Khanduja in talks to join Silicon Valley fund Bessemer
Former Elevation Capital partner Mayank Khanduja is in advanced talks to join Bessemer Venture Partners India, people familiar with the matter told us.
Driving the news: “The discussions are at an advanced stage, and Mayank is expected to join Bessemer (as a partner) over the next three to four weeks,” one of the sources said.
Khanduja joined Elevation Capital in 2011 and became a partner in October 2024. During his nearly 15-year stint, he backed startups including ShareChat, NoBroker, and Atlys, among others.
Leadership churn: Khanduja's move adds to the growing churn in India's venture capital sector.
- Z47 (formerly Matrix Partners India): Managing director Tarun Davda is set to leave later this year, as ET reported in June.
- India Quotient: Partner Gagan Goyal stepped down in June, just months after the firm closed its fifth and largest fund. ET first reported the development.
- Peak XV Partners: Ashish Agrawal, Ishaan Mittal, and Tejeshwi Sharma left in February to launch Mettle Capital. Last year, Shailesh Lakhani, Abheek Anand, and Harshjit Sethi also exited the firm.
IT secretary S Krishnan says protest content takedowns lawful
The government is acting within the legal framework while issuing content takedown orders to social media platforms, electronics and information technology secretary S Krishnan told us in an interview. He added that the Centre is considering ways to empower individuals to tackle harms on social media
What's happening? Krishnan was answering questions about the recent takedown notices issued to platforms such as Meta and X.
“Article 19 of the Constitution guarantees freedom of speech and expression, but that is subject to reasonable restrictions contained in Article 19 (2). This gives the state reasonable grounds under which the right to freedom of speech can be restricted,” he said.
He explained that the government's action is based on sections 69A and 79 of the Information Technology Act, which cover defamatory content, community guidelines for social media platforms, and rules governing AI-generated content.
Also Read: Parliamentary panel calls Google, Meta, X, Snapchat for discussion on digital platforms regulation
In other news: The Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police registered two FIRs against Meta India head Arun Srinivas, along with operators of certain Facebook and Instagram accounts, over alleged objectionable posts targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Also Read: Govt issues takedown notices for objectionable and anti-PM posts
Apple posts record June quarter revenue of $109.4 billion
Apple reported a record June quarter, helped by strong growth in emerging markets including India, while cautioning about higher component costs and supply constraints.
By the numbers:
- Revenue: Up 16% YoY to $109.4 billion.
- Regional growth: The Americas remained Apple's largest revenue market. Greater China (22.42%), Europe (22.4%), Rest of Asia Pacific (15.6%).
CEOSpeak: "We also achieved June quarter revenue records in both developed and emerging markets and saw double-digit growth in most emerging markets," Apple CEO Tim Cook said in the last earnings call as the company's top executive.
Amazon to boost spending on AI and other technology by $20 billion after strong Q2 results
Amazon raised its technology spending plans, largely on artificial intelligence (AI), after reporting strong second-quarter earnings.
The numbers:
- Net income: Up to $62.65 billion from $18.16 billion.
- Net sales: Up to $200.6 billion from $167.7 billion.
- Amazon Web Services (AWS) sales: Up 37% compared with 28% in the previous quarter.
Also Read: Amazon Now in nine countries, has recorded 80% growth in units sold QoQ: Andy Jassy
Want this newsletter delivered to your inbox?
I agree to receive newsletters and marketing communications via e-mail