US’ Stripes Group invests INR 550 crores in BookMyShow; existing investors participate

MUMBAI: Bigtree Entertainment Pvt Ltd, the Mumbai-headquartered company that owns and operates BookMyShow, has raised over INR 550 crores in its fourth and largest single financing round. The round was led by US based Stripes Group, and the company saw participation from all existing investors — Network 18, Accel Partners, and SAIF Partners to further strengthen BookMyShow’s position as the largest online entertainment ticketing platform in the country. This fresh infusion of funds comes at a time when BookMyShow has entered new international territories such as Indonesia and looks to transform into the preferred ‘Entertainment Destination’ within India.

Based in New York City, Stripes Group is a leading growth equity firm that invests in Internet, Digital Media, Software, and Branded Consumer Products businesses around the world. For over a decade, Stripes Group has been partnering with market-leading companies with proven business models that are generating exceptional growth.

Commenting on this development Ashish Hemrajani, CEO & Co-Founder, BookMyShow said, “We are excited to welcome Stripes Group on board as our newest partner, which comes with a wealth of experience in digital entertainment asset. With BookMyShow being their first investment in the Indian market, alongside the display of confidence by our existing investors Network 18, Accel Partners and SAIF Partners, this is an overall testament to how they believe in our roadmap for growth and innovation within the entertainment space.”

“These funds will be utilized towards rolling out exclusive entertainment experiences on BookMyShow, enhancing the overall offering for our users, while we hopefully build out a 360 degree gateway of entertainment in India,” added Hemrajani.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with three very special founders — Ashish, Rajesh and Parikshit — as well as a world class team and group of investors at BookMyShow. We look forward to sharing our operating and investing experience with online transactional and ticketing businesses, as well as digital media, to help the company continue to scale,” said Stripes Group Managing Partner Dan Marriott. “With a ubiquitous and trusted brand and history of capital efficient growth, BookMyShow is truly a standout story. Already the clear leader in movie and live event ticketing, BookMyShow is uniquely positioned to tap into India’s digital advertising and entertainment markets, which are among the fastest growing globally.”

“BookMyShow’s team has shown great drive and foresight to create something unique for customers, partners and shareholders. This additional funding will help them expand even further. We are proud to have been their partners,” said Adil Zainulbhai, Chairman, Network 18.

Prashanth Prakash, Partner, Accel Partners said, “It has been an extra-ordinary journey since we invested in BookMyShow, 4 years ago. Their innovative customer experiences across both events and movies, have been hugely appreciated. This new funding will help them in enhancing these experiences with original and contextual entertainment content."

Deepak Gaur, Managing Director, SAIF Partners said, “We are very excited to be partners on BookMyShow’s terrific journey to be India’s leading entertainment platform enabled by technology and strong focus on customer experience. The current round of investment will further allow the company to make key investments in newer domains and enhancing the depth and coverage of entertainment needs of Indian consumers.”

BMR Legal served as the legal advisor and Avendus Capital was the exclusive financial advisor to Bigtree Entertainment Pvt Ltd during this round.