The FLA programme aims to foster innovation and growth within the Indian startup ecosystem by providing selected startups with investments, mentorship
As part of the programme, these startups will receive equity investments of up to $500,000, along with mentorship designed by a global consulting firm
Flipkart also claimed that the FLA programme, since its inception in 2022, has supported over 20 startups across sectors such as deeptech, fintech, health tech, GenAI and sustainability
Flipkart Ventures, the investment arm of Flipkart, has selected five startups for the third cohort of its accelerator programme Flipkart Leap Ahead (FLA).
The FLA programme aims to foster innovation and growth within the Indian startup ecosystem by providing selected startups with investments, mentorship and access to resources that can help them scale up their businesses, the company said in a statement.
As part of the programme, these startups will receive equity investments of up to $500,000, along with mentorship designed by a global consulting firm.
Flipkart also claimed that the FLA programme, since its inception in 2022, has supported over 20 startups across sectors such as deeptech, fintech, health tech, GenAI and sustainability.
On the development, Flipkart Ventures’s vice president said, “Through Flipkart Leap Ahead, we continue to act as a driving force in India’s startup ecosystem, fostering a culture of innovation and providing early-stage companies with the capital, mentorship, and strategic network they need to succeed.”
This also comes on the back of Flipkart Venturess recently inking an MoU with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) to support, empower and invest in tech startups across India.
Launched in 2019, Flipkart Ventures is the venture arm of Flipkart that invests in early stage startups. It boasts a total fund of around $100 Mn and helps support the ecosystem to build innovative solutions for the next wave of internet users. It counts Ninjacart, Shadowfax, Blackbuck, FinBox, GOAT Brand Labs and Hyperface among its portfolio companies.
In 2023, the FLA programme supported another five startups Algomage, Castler, FlexifyMe, NimbleBox.ai and ReCircle.
Prior to that, in 2022, Flipkart Ventures backed six early-stage startups via its accelerator programme. These startups were Dopplr, Livwell, LogisticsNow, NeuroPixel.AI, Rightbot Technologies and Sellerapp.
Now, lets take a look at the startups that made it into the third cohort of the Flipkart Leap Ahead programme:
Xportel
Founded in 2024 by Darpan Lamba, Xportel is a cross-border e-commerce logistics enabler which claims to facilitate swift international deliveries to over 150 countries. The company provides shipment offerings like seamless shipping, real time tracking, free insurance, dood to-door express as well as return and fulfilment.
Factors.ai
Founded in 2020 by Aravind Murthy, Praveen Das and Srikrishna Swaminathan, Factors.ai is a US-based B2B marketing analytics platform that helps businesses improve ROI, reduce CAC, and accelerate revenue. The startup claims to capture cross-channel intent signals, empower repeatable GTM playbooks, and activate LinkedIn campaigns that work.
In 2023, it secured 3.6 Mn in a pre-Series A funding round led by Stellaris Venture Partners.
Expertia.ai
Founded in 2020 by Akshay Gugnani, Kanishk Shukla, Expertia.ai is an AI-powered HR tech platform that streamlines the recruitment process for business.
It has raised a total funding of $1.18 Mn across four rounds as of February 2024.
Bharat Krushi Seva
Founded in 2021 by Sharayu Lande and Hemant Dhole Patil, Bharat Krushi Seva is an agritech startup building a value chain for fruits, from advisory services to output linkages.
It claims to have helped farmers to save 25% of their overall spending by purchasing and applying the appropriate agricultural inputs (like seeds, fertilizers, pesticides) at the right time while also enabling a 33% increase in crop yield. It claims on its website that by implementing the strategies mentioned above, farmers can achieve a 22% increase in their overall income.
Visa2Fly
Founded by Dhruv Kumar, and Vijayendra Bawa in 2019, Visa2Fly operates in the travel tech sector streamlining visa applications with end-to-end support, including documentation, processing, and travel assistance.
It claims to provide this offering to more than 60 countries. According to the company’s site, it offers insurance plans starting at INR 149.