Deepika Jain

Global

Gautham S.

<p>Welcome back to Headstart Live 3.0, a series of webinars meant to help you grow in the startup world. Join us this Thursday as we speak with Amey Mashelkar, the Head of JioGenNext. He works hands-on with innovative early-stage startups to engage Reliance Jio as a partner/strategic investor.</p>

<p>Register now as we speak to Amey about decoding Corporate Acceleration for Startups, the Jio way this Thursday!</p>

 

Overview:

The initiative saw its genesis at the start of the pandemic. Covid-19 has had a dreadful impact on several businesses and forced otherwise generous investors to tighten their purse strings. Head Start being a leading start-up ecosystem enabler in India decided to leverage its experience, knowledge and vast network of start-up ecosystem participants to balance the impact of reduced funding with possible courtships between start-ups and potential acquirers/strategic partners leading to strategic transactions. 
The initiative has evolved through learnings that the scope of strategic partnerships extends beyond traditional transactions such as mergers, acquisitions or acquihires and their many variants. Strategic partnerships can also be forged between start-ups with strong potential to scale-up with strong product/service offerings and more mature start-ups or corporates with an appetite to help in scaling up such start-ups.

How Can We Help? 
We constantly keep a pulse on what our partners are looking for in a strategic partnership. So we are able to provide start-ups looking for such arrangements with the right direction and connect.
  
We engage in discussions with start-ups and understand their business, products and ambitions and try to recommend the right type of strategic partnership. 
 
We help start-ups with preparing the pitch decks and presentations for potential transactions. 
 
We also provide education and knowledge sessions to start-ups on the various implications and processes involved in a specific form of transaction. Understanding various transaction structures and how best to reach win-win arrangements are key to strong partnerships. 
 
We have a strong network of professional advisors, consultants and counsels who can help the start-up with documentation and commercial discussions with the potential suitor. 
 
That's just some of the aspects we can help with, we can do a lot more by leveraging our existing initiatives if we feel the need and if it is required to do so. 
What does this Jazz Mean? 
What do we mean when use words like, synergies, collaboration, suitor, partnership and strategic arrangements etc: 
We would like to see and encourage fund based and non-fund based engagements between start-ups which leads to a mutually beneficial relationship. Some examples: 

Fund Based: 
Mergers, Acquisitions, Asset Purchase, IP Assignment, Business Transfer, Acquihires, Joint Ventures, Technical Services Arrangements, Commercial transactions involving a combination of product purchase and investment - and such similar transactions. 
Non-Fund Based: 
Technical collaboration (project based), Joint development of IP, Collaboration for achieving scalability through free piggybacking arrangements, Equipment sharing, Facility sharing, Resource based collaboration - and such similar transactions.

What We Are Not!
The core of this initiative is to help the ecosystem. We are not professional fund managers or investment bankers or deal makers (though this may be the day job for some of the volunteers). We act as a bridge between a strong scalable start-up and potential partners who may be willing to collaborate under various structures. 
We do not run mandates, we do not do this to make a living, we do this to help the ecosystem discover potential and synergies in an effective manner.  
What Makes Us Unique 
No initiative, especially within Headstart, is independent of its volunteers. Our volunteers are what makes us unique. We have a very dedicated set of individuals with relevant market experience in handling the transactions as descriptionribed above. These individuals are professionals with expertise to provide guidance to start-ups on various stages of their collaboration journey. 
We are also unique because we are just a catalyst and neutral on the transaction. We actually do this from the goodness of our hearts so we will go that extra mile in trying to get the best deal for both parties. We do not have margins to worry about or costs to deal with all we worry about is trying to synergise and collaborate in whatever form possible.

Look Out For:
We constantly keep conducting discussions involving experts or for that matter our start-up buddies who have practical experience dealing with a strategic transaction. Look out for the invites - we need you to participate, learn and spread the word!  


Decoding Corporate Acceleration for Startups, the Jio way!

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