Episode 7: Startups and Investments

Funds are chasing ideas today but the question is whether the ideas are sustainable. There is no dearth for ideas. Globally, India has the third largest startup ecosystem after the US and China. The country also has the third-highest number of unicorns; 44 were founded in 2021 and 19 in 2022. The combined Valuation of Indian Startups is $450B+ which is still significantly lower than the US which is the No.1 with both the number of startups as well as unicorns.

The Future is Digital and the big looming question is how many of those Unicorns are architected for a Digital Future? The answer may be not many and there lies the conundrum around Capital Adequacy and the emerging debt burden of nations and societies. Even with the good intentions to create digital systems, is the available Capital (Value, Intellectual and Human) able to justify the required financial capital?

This episode explores some of these questions in the emerging challenges of a recessionary economy the world is facing in addition to the existential threats. Ninad Karpe is an industry veteran and has made a tremendous impact through a Unique Funding Process with iSAFE notes.