Valuation: Lessons from ALSiSAR IMPACT Founder Anuj Sharma

ATLAS | ISME – School of Management & Entrepreneurship’s latest masterclass featured Anuj Sharma, the founder of ALSiSAR IMPACT, who delivered an informative session on startup valuation. Here are some of the key takeaways from his session.

The Beauty of Startups Is Relative

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and what constitutes a good startup investment for one investor may not be the same for another. Therefore, it is crucial for startup owners to be proud of what they are building and create something unique and powerful that resonates with their target audience.

Startup owners should be proud and happy about what they are doing and build something unique and powerful

Valuing Yourself as a Startup Owner

When it comes to startup valuation, the one thing you need is yourself. However, how do you value yourself when you are just starting? Anuj suggests building a personal brand and credibility that demonstrates your knowledge and expertise in your industry.

Valuing Early-Stage Startups Is About Intuition

Early-stage startup valuation is often more intuitive than analytical because investors are betting on the idea, people and subject matter. Therefore, it is important for investors to have a strong understanding of the market and the team behind the startup to make informed decisions.

Early stage valuation of a startup is about intuition because you are betting on the idea, people and subject

Co-Creating Opportunities with Startups

As an investor, it is essential to think about the opportunities you can co-create with startup owners. By leveraging your expertise and resources, you can help startups accelerate their growth and increase their chances of success.

As an investor, think of the opportunities you can co-create with startup owners

Taking Informed Risks

While taking risks is a necessary part of investing in startups, it is equally important to take informed risks. This means doing your due diligence and research to understand the potential risks and rewards of investing in a particular startup.

Take risks, but take informed risks

Brainstorming Session

Anuj also showed a video on a startup venture from Nepal that trains girls in self-defense. He then asked the students if they were investors, how much they would value the startup and why. The session proved to be a great brainstorming opportunity where students presented multiple perspectives and views.

Startup valuation requires a combination of intuition, market knowledge, and informed risk-taking. As an investor, it is important to co-create opportunities with startup owners and build a personal brand that demonstrates your expertise in your industry. Finally, startup owners should be proud of their work and create something unique and powerful that resonates with their target audience.

Profile: Anuj Sharma

Anuj Sharma, the Founder of ALSiSAR IMPACT, is a remarkable individual working at the intersection of impact investing, social entrepreneurship, advocacy and economic resilience of local communities. With over a decade of experience in catalysing impact investing in South Asian frontier markets, he is an expert in the field. Anuj is a prolific public speaker and has shared valuable insights on impact investing, social enterprises and investment readiness in emerging economies, including conflict zones. He has significant on-ground experience working with entities in 15 countries, including India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, and Mongolia. Anuj’s passion is to foster social entrepreneurship across geographies and facilitate future leaders and entrepreneurs, particularly from underprivileged and underserved geographies, with a focus on social equality, gender lens and access to education.