A Believer In India StoryAmit Lakhotia, founder and CEO, Park+ continues to identify startups where he can add value as a mentor or investor

Amit Lakhotia, founder and CEO, Park+ believes that the Indian startup ecosystem is still nascent and has immense latent potential. His prediction for the coming months is that the companies that are frugal, agile and are building robust businesses anchored by realistic valuations will be able to raise money, with relative ease. And, digital-first companies will continue to attract investors in the short and long term. "The pre-seed stage funding rounds might be a bit tougher for startups as investors might not be ready to put in money without a robust business model in place. Additionally, businesses that need large capital infusion to expand rapidly might end up hitting a rough patch," he says.

He wouldn't want to call this time period a crisis and believes that it's more a recalibration within the business ecosystem. The investor will continue to identify startups where he can add value as a mentor or investor. But, B2B internet companies and IoT-based business models will continue to attract his attention. "Timing the investment game is impossible, therefore it's imperative that investors keep evaluating businesses and keep investing in entrepreneurs. As an investor, I am still meeting young minds to have discussions," says Lakhotia.

Businesses that are frugal and are backed by a sound business model will remain on investor radars. Talking about the switch to unit economics and profitability, he says, "Unit economics got dominated by lofty valuations due to easy liquidity and a bounce back from the covid lockdown period. The euphoria led to positive conversations around startups and their businesses, leading to unrealistic expectations and valuations. Having said that, a reality check was much needed in the Indian context."

FACTSHEET

• No. of startups invested in: NA
• No. of exists: NA
• Focus sectors: IoT, B2B tech
• Fund Size: NA
• Ticket Size: NA