According to a RedSeer research, the time it took to earn $100 million in revenue in 2000 has been cut in half to five years.

India boasts 170 soonicorns, including Ather Energy, SUGAR Cosmetics, Dunzo, and other brands, and roughly 100 unicorn startups, like Swiggy, Ola, Nykaa, and others. According to a recent analysis by Redseer Strategy Consultants, the time it took to reach the $100 million milestone has substantially lowered to just five years as a result of the start-up ecosystem developing over the past ten years. According to the research, the time it took to reach $100 million in revenue in 2000 has been cut in half to five years.

With $2,250–2,750 million in revenue in FY22, eB2B overtook foodtech as the largest industry, followed by gaming ($900–950 million) and gaming ($500–550 million). More than 100 businesses with annual revenues of more than $100 million have emerged from the start-up ecosystem overall.

Venture financing has been crucial in helping firms rise to the 100 million revenue milestone, according to Rohan Agarwal, a partner at RedSeer. In addition to providing finance, investors greatly enhance the value of the companies they back. Additionally, VCs’ experience of governance, financial responsibility, and networks are priceless for start-ups, he added. The start-up ecosystem, which is currently valued at $804 billion, has received around $143 billion in investments from venture capitalists (VCs) over the last 15 years (CY08 to CY22). At present valuations, it equates to a roughly 4.5x return on investment for venture capitalists.

However, not every start-up succeeds and grows. About 12,000 start-ups in India have revenues ranging from nascent ($1 billion) to mature. 95% of these fall into the emerging category, 3–4% are in the growth stage, and fewer than 0.5% are huge corporations. The majority of startups encounter scaling issues as they pursue expansion. Others require assistance with product-market fit and unsustainable expansion, while many are part of niche businesses that limit their overall addressable market, according to Agarwal. “Start-ups operate in a fiercely competitive climate in the so-called red ocean markets, which are those with well-defined market spaces and industry boundaries. To survive, they require a special competitive advantage.

According to the survey, organizational, governmental, and operational obstacles and low profitability are the main problems that cause companies to fail. Not everything is lost, though. As internet use matures, scaling accelerates due to factors such as the rapidly expanding internet user base, finance availability, and businesses that are developing and creating opportunity for enablers and more seasoned operators.