Apna: A Billion-Dollar Startup Unicorn Within Two Years

[{"selector":"#anim-f12e1715-7df7-40a7-8cd8-55e25ffd4fc1","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-39d649d2-76d3-49bb-8cbd-9eaca8fa3b93","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 100.05121%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-847f233c-c014-45e6-9f1c-0face6cb2ac1","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-91442440-69f2-43f0-8895-a5a63f57e1b6","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 391.49525%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

[{"selector":"#anim-1a791751-9e83-4282-9039-960001465799","keyframes":{"opacity":[1,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4969a7d1-91e3-43dc-952d-9e810ce6eea1","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(3)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Apna (named after the rap song Apna Time Aayega from India’s Oscars submission Gully Boy) is a billion-dollar startup based in Bengaluru, launched in 2019 by former Apple executive Nirmit Parikh.

Several VCs have supported this business, from Insight Partners and Owl Ventures to Sequoia Capital India and Lightspeed India partners.

[{"selector":"#anim-77f80f00-461b-462f-9876-c633ebba9ce5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e203a7b1-e249-4953-8a78-46edd3ff338b","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Apna became a startup unicorn on September 15 after raising $100 million in Series C investment led by Tiger Global for a total valuation of $1.1 billion.

[{"selector":"#anim-2a43d8fe-153f-4e36-89c4-e6315bed4814","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d3fca088-715e-4f44-a66b-04e45541276c","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] It is also one of the quickest times an Indian firm has become a unicorn. It is currently focusing on three areas.

[{"selector":"#anim-8ad9f12b-3f11-4222-a7b3-66e8e1e54a60","keyframes":{"opacity":[1,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-89b2caa4-427e-4a06-879e-832f768028a0","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(3)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] There is a job marketplace, a professional social networking platform, and an upskilling business, all of which Parikh says will be stand-alone multibillion-dollar businesses.

[{"selector":"#anim-3e3a4b2a-e72f-4dce-bf62-f1dcb46afd04","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fe25decd-75d9-49db-832f-1ee6650081ea","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] This startup unicorn has created a platform that provides communities for trained workers such as carpenters, painters, sales agents, among others – giving them a sense of belonging.

[{"selector":"#anim-f797732f-1fa2-45e3-8668-dd01a39be2c7","keyframes":{"opacity":[1,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-50d828da-9f59-431c-bd82-e24b6926ecf0","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(3)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] The billion-dollar startup, Apna, is on a social mission dedicated to discovering and creating possibilities that will improve people’s lives worldwide.