Launched in 2010, FirstCry is one of India's leading e-commerce platforms. It caters exclusively to the needs of babies, kids and their moms. As compared to the standard set of ecommerce companies that sell almost everything, FirstCry's focused approach works out much better for parents. It has made it easier to find the right products at an affordable price point.
FirstCry offers products across various categories such as diapers, clothing, feeding and nursing products, baby gear, maternity needs, school supplies, bath and skin care, health and safety, books and CDs and toys.
In addition to its online platform, FirstCry also operates retail stores in various cities. This makes it all the more convenient for customers to buy the things they need. Sometimes, it becomes necessary to physically evaluate the product and ensure it meets the needs. Such things can be fulfilled by visiting a nearby FirstCry store.
History
The story of FirstCry is powered by both personal goals and sound business logic. The founders wanted to create something of their own, which eventually led to the launch of FirstCry. From a business perspective, the founders noticed that not many options were available online in case of baby and kids’ products. They also concluded that most of the baby and kids’ products market was operational offline.
As per estimates, the overall value of this market was around Rs 50k crore. This was quite like a goldmine and the founders just needed an effective tool to harness it. FirstCry was launched subsequently.
As of now, FirstCry offers more than 2 lakh unique products, spread across approximately 6,000 brands. It has more than 400 physical retail stores across the country. Around 20 million families regularly shop at FirstCry.
Funding
FirstCry has received investments worth $741.4 million via 10 rounds of funding. some key investors include PremjiInvest, SoftBank Vision Fund, Chrys Capital, TPG Capital Asia, Vertex Ventures, Valiant Capital Partners, Chiratae Ventures, IDG Capital and Elevation Capital.
Acquisitions
FirstCry has acquired two companies till date. First acquisition was that of Babyoye in 2016. Babyoye had a similar business profile, focused on products related to pregnancy, baby care and mother care. Second acquisition was that of Oi Playschool in 2019. Oi Playschool focused on improving general abilities of early learners.
Competitors
FirstCry competes with the likes of Hopscotch, Mamaearth, Primary Clothing, and Kids Circle.
About the Founders
FirstCry was founded by Supam Maheshwari, Amitava Saha, Prashant Jadhav and Sanket Hattimattur. Supam currently serves as the CEO of the company. Co-founder Amitava was earlier COO at FirstCry, but currently works as CEO at Xpressbees. Co-founder Prashant Jadhav works as the CTO at FirstCry. Co-founder Sanket Hattimattur works as Chief of Staff (COS) at FirstCry.
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