Info Edge shares rise nearly 4% as startup portfolio value reaches Rs 41,300 crore

Info Edge shares rise nearly 4% as startup portfolio value reaches Rs 41,300 crore

Shares of Info Edge, the parent company of Naukri.com, climbed nearly 4% in intraday trade on Tuesday after the company showcased the scale and performance of its startup investment portfolio in its latest shareholder communication.

The stock was trading at Rs 1,011.40, up 2.73%, after touching an intraday high of 3.96%.

In its letter to shareholders, the company said its cumulative investments across 135 startups stand at nearly Rs 4,900 crore. These investments are currently valued at about Rs 41,300 crore, translating into an 8.4x return multiple and a gross internal rate of return (IRR) of roughly 33%.

Info Edge said around Rs 3,600 crore of the total investment has come directly from the company and its group entities, while approximately Rs 1,300 crore has been contributed by external limited partners through alternative investment funds managed by the group. The combined gross IRR of these funds stands at around 22%.

The company reiterated that its long-term investment strategy is centred around artificial intelligence, deeptech and consumer technology.

"We believe future value creation will be driven by three themes predominantly - Artificial Intelligence, Deeptech and Consumer Technology," founder and Vice Chairman Sanjeev Bikhchandani said in the letter.

Since 2020, Info Edge has deployed Rs 1,003 crore across 54 AI and deeptech ventures. The portfolio, spread across 28 AI startups and 30 deeptech companies, currently carries a fair value of Rs 1,827 crore.

The company said advances in AI are expected to reshape both emerging and established internet businesses and that India is increasingly positioned to build globally competitive technology companies.

Among the newer ventures in its portfolio are Temple and LAT Aerospace, startups linked to Eternal founder Deepinder Goyal.

Info Edge also highlighted that some of its portfolio companies have secured support under government-backed technology initiatives. Voice AI startup Gnani.ai was selected under the IndiaAI Mission and received GPU compute credits, while ePlane and Manastu Space received support under the government's Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) programme.

Consumer technology continues to account for the largest share of portfolio value. The company has invested Rs 2,755 crore across 45 consumer technology and consumer AI startups, with the portfolio now valued at Rs 37,214 crore.

Key holdings in this segment include Eternal, PB Fintech, ixigo, BlueStone, Wakefit and Adda247. According to the company, the consumer technology portfolio has generated a 13.5x multiple on invested capital and a gross IRR of about 34%, making it the best-performing segment within its investment portfolio.

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