Licious, a fresh meat and seafood e-tailer, announced it has raised $192 million in a Series F funding round led by Temasek and Multiples Private Equity.
Brunei Investment Agency also participated in the round along with existing investors 3one4 Capital, Bertelsmann India Investments, Vertex Growth Fund and Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia and India.
The Bengaluru-based startup said it will deploy the funds towards more investments in tech-led supply chain transformation, quality improvement and customer experience elevation and also for expanding its presence in more Indian cities, powering the international expansion plan, augmenting capabilities in existing markets, strengthening its omnichannel presence and fresh product launches.
Avendus was the exclusive financial adviser to Licious for the transaction.
“This is just the beginning in our pursuit of building an exemplary and iconic tech-led D2C (direct-to-consumer) brand. There is a massive opportunity to be unlocked in this large $40 billion sector, which has hitherto been devoid of safety, innovation, quality and sustainability standards. With rapidly increasing protein consumption being driven by a vast majority of Indian consumers, it was a matter of time before the larger global investor community took part in this ambitious and transformative journey,” said Vivek Gupta and Abhay Hanjura, co-founders, Licious.
Temasek and Multiples’ confidence in Licious is a watershed moment in the context of the category coming of age and occupying the front row in consumer businesses in the nation, the co-founders said.
“Abhay and Vivek have revolutionized the purchase of poultry, seafood and meat in the country, delighting customers with their promise of quality, freshness and timely delivery. Their obsession with customers and quality gives them an eternal edge to create Licious as a category leader and as one of India’s most admired consumer brands. We are proud to be a partner in this journey,” said Sridhar Sankararaman, MD, Multiples.
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