[{"id":"75f6b2b6","elType":"container","settings":[],"elements":[{"id":"6f14af56","elType":"widget","settings":{"editor":"<p><strong>Why Are Startup Valuations So High? The Case of Zomato and Growth-Driven Valuations<\/strong><\/p>"},"elements":[],"widgetType":"text-editor"}],"isInner":false},{"id":"05b591a","elType":"container","settings":{"flex_direction":"row"},"elements":[{"id":"ac0fe5b","elType":"widget","settings":{"editor":"<p class=\"res_mb0\">Startup valuations often spark debates. \"Mind-numbing,\" \"unrealistic,\" and \"without any base\" are common reactions in social circles and among traditional business owners. But as a corporate finance professional, let me break it down\u2014and I\u2019ll use Zomato, one of India\u2019s most celebrated unicorns, to explain why these valuations make sense.<\/p>"},"elements":[],"widgetType":"text-editor"}],"isInner":false},{"id":"951370c","elType":"container","settings":{"flex_direction":"column"},"elements":[{"id":"185e414","elType":"widget","settings":{"title":"1. The Scale of Growth Opportunity","header_size":"h5"},"elements":[],"widgetType":"heading"}],"isInner":false},{"id":"39bac34","elType":"container","settings":{"flex_direction":"row"},"elements":[{"id":"96283bf","elType":"widget","settings":{"editor":"<p>Startups like Zomato operate in markets with huge untapped potential. When Zomato started as a food delivery platform, it wasn\u2019t just about delivering meals\u2014it was about reshaping an entire ecosystem. It leveraged the rapid rise of internet penetration, smartphone adoption, and changing consumer habits.<\/p>\n<p><b> Example:<\/b> Zomato went from being a simple restaurant directory in 2008 to one of the most recognized food delivery platforms globally by 2021. The growth potential in such markets justifies the premium valuation.<\/p>\n<p>Compare this to traditional brick-and-mortar businesses\u2014expanding a physical store network or logistics-heavy operation is capital-intensive and time-consuming. A single Zomato app update could scale to millions of users overnight.<\/p>"},"elements":[],"widgetType":"text-editor"}],"isInner":false}]