Karo Startup Logo
Dhan Becomes India’s New Unicorn After $120M Raise
News

Dhan Becomes India’s New Unicorn After $120M Raise

2 months ago
197 views

India’s fintech and investing landscape just got richer — Dhan , the stock trading & investment app under Raise Financial , has officially turned unicorn with the closure of a $120 million funding round led by Hornbill Capital .

This win not only cements Dhan’s rise, but signals a maturing phase for Indian neobrokers and investment tech platforms.

Key Funding & Valuation Highlights

The $120M round was anchored by Hornbill Capital .

Other prominent participants include MUFG (Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group), Beenext , and marquee public-market investors like Ramesh Damani , DSP Family Office , JM Financial Family Office , and Aashish Somaiyaa .

Post-round valuation: ~$1.2 billion (~₹10,000 crore).

What Dhan Does — Product, Positioning & Strategy

Dhan is a stock trading and investment platform meant especially for Gen Z and new investors .

Its strengths include:

  • User-friendly mobile app with easy navigation, educational features, and simple investing tools.
  • Integrated ecosystem : Dhan also runs ScanX (scanx.trade) — a market research & insights platform; Upsurge — a learning platform; and Filter Coffee — financial content & media.
  • Focus on low barrier to entry : small ticket investing, fractional shares, intuitive onboarding.
    Building trust, credibility & retention : community features, research content, and simplified investing narratives.

The Journey — Growth, Struggles & Turning Points

Early days : Dhan began as an ambitious fintech play trying to democratize access to markets.

It competed in a crowded, competitive space (Zerodha, Groww, etc.), needing clear differentiation.

Trust and regulation were key challenges — in finance, users are cautious, so compliance, data security, and transparency had to be solid.

Dhan pushed hard on tech, UI/UX, content & education — helping first-time investors feel confident.

The multiple product verticals (ScanX, Upsurge) helped diversify engagement and reduce dependency on just trading fees.

Over time, the brand built strong investor confidence — attracting not just VC money but heavyweight institutional, public-market, and family-office investors.

In FY24, Dhan was projected to generate ~₹900 crore in revenue, up from ₹380 crore a year earlier. They turned around from a loss situation in FY23 to registering profits of ₹155 crore in FY24.

What Makes Dhan Different

Youth-first design & narrative — speaks the language of Gen Z and millennial investors.

Ecosystem approach — not just trading, but research, learning & content blended.

High investor confidence — backing from Hornbill, MUFG, Beenext, and public-market stalwarts.

Scalable & modular product architecture — allows incremental feature expansion across finance domains.

What’s Next for Dhan

With this funding and unicorn valuation, Dhan plans to:

  • Expand product suite: deeper wealth & financial services (mutual funds, insurance, derivatives).
  • Grow user base and market share aggressively — in Tier 2 / Tier 3 cities.
  • Strengthen infrastructure, tech, compliance, and backend scale.
  • Possibly look at IPO down the line (4-5 years horizon).

Lessons & Reflections

The fintech space still has room for innovation — even in crowded verticals — if you nail UX + trust + ecosystem.

Investors now value sustainable growth, diversified product models, and defensible moats (not just user growth).

Backing from global institutions (MUFG) and public-market veterans shows belief that Indian fintechs can scale globally.

Dhan’s journey from startup to unicorn is a powerful signal: Indian fintech is leveling up. With $120 million in fresh capital and a valuation touching $1.2 billion, Dhan is now a name to watch — not just as a stock trading app, but as a broader finance ecosystem builder.

Quick Share