Ashneer Grover is an Indian entrepreneur and the founder of BharatPe, a fintech startup based in Delhi, India. BharatPe is a payment and lending platform for small and medium-sized businesses that helps them accept payments digitally and access credit.
Early Life and Education
Ashneer Grover was born and raised in Chandigarh, a city in northern India. He completed his schooling in Chandigarh and went on to pursue a degree in commerce from Panjab University.
After completing his undergraduate studies, Ashneer moved to Mumbai to pursue a career in finance. He joined the investment banking division of HSBC, where he worked for several years.
Career
In 2010, Ashneer Grover joined the Indian e-commerce company Flipkart as the head of the treasury and risk management division. During his time at Flipkart, Ashneer gained valuable experience in the payments industry and saw firsthand the potential of digital payments in India.
In 2015, Ashneer left Flipkart and joined the mobile payments company FreeCharge as the CFO. FreeCharge was one of the first mobile payments companies in India, and it quickly became a major player in the industry.
Ashneer’s experience at FreeCharge convinced him that there was a huge opportunity in the digital payments industry in India. He realized that most Indians still relied on cash for their day-to-day transactions and that there was a need for a simple and reliable digital payments solution.
In 2018, Ashneer co-founded BharatPe along with Shashvat Nakrani. BharatPe was founded with the goal of making digital payments and credit accessible to small and medium-sized businesses in India. The company’s initial focus was on helping small businesses accept payments through QR codes, which made it easy for them to accept payments from customers without having to invest in expensive point-of-sale machines.
Over time, BharatPe has expanded its offerings to include lending products for small businesses. The company’s lending platform offers short-term loans to small businesses that can be used to purchase inventory, expand their business, or cover other expenses.
Achievements
Ashneer Grover’s entrepreneurial journey with BharatPe has been full of achievements and accolades. Some of his notable achievements include:
- In 2019, BharatPe became one of the fastest Indian startups to achieve the “unicorn” status, i.e., a privately-held startup company valued at over $1 billion.
- In 2020, BharatPe raised $75 million in a funding round led by Ribbit Capital and Coatue Management. This brought the company’s valuation to $1.5 billion.
- In 2021, BharatPe acquired PAYBACK India, a loyalty rewards platform with over 100 million members. This acquisition helped BharatPe expand its offerings to include loyalty rewards for small businesses.
Philosophy
Ashneer Grover’s philosophy is centered around using technology to solve real-world problems. He is a strong believer in the power of digital payments and lending to help small businesses in India grow and thrive.
Ashneer has often spoken about the need to simplify the digital payments experience for small businesses. He believes that by making it easy for small businesses to accept payments digitally, BharatPe can help them save time and money, and grow their business faster.
In addition to simplifying payments, Ashneer is also committed to making credit more accessible to small businesses. He believes that small businesses are the backbone of the Indian economy, and that by providing them with access to credit, BharatPe can help them unlock their full potential.
