Oddup Explained

Oddup
Type:Private
Founded:January 2015
Location:Hong Kong, United States
Area Served:Worldwide
Founder:James Giancotti
Key People:James Giancotti (Co-Founder and CEO)
Services:FinTech
Url:Official Website

Oddup is a data-driven research platform[1] [2] that provides analytical information on startups, their trends, and both current and expected future valuations. It is self-styled as The Startup Rating System and the company states its vision is to disrupt equity research[3] [4] [5] in private companies.

History

Oddup was founded by James Giancotti[6] and Jackie Lam and is headquartered in Hong Kong.[7] Oddup has offices in the United States, India, Singapore and Australia. The team is composed of former venture capitalists, quantitative analysts, traders, investment bankers and research analysts from top global institutions.

The rating platform, which was officially launched in March 2015, provides rating scores and analyst recommendations on startups and investors across Asia.[8] [9] Close to 99% of all of Oddup's "Buy" ratings on startups have been known to successfully secure funding from investors within three months.

Since its web launch in March 2015, the Oddup rating platform has attracted more than 50,000 users with a growth of 20% MoM.

Oddup score and ratings

The Oddup score is based on an algorithm that pulls together data from a number of components often used in the investment due diligence process: quality, growth, location, investor, market, regulations, valuations and investment returns. Users are able to compare the chosen companies against industry peers and conduct due diligence on market, competitive landscape and other factors. The content is further enriched by fundamental research on potential exits conducted by Oddup's team of analysts.

Oddup is based on the combination of analyst view points and the computed algorithm  - then producing the Oddup Score.

The startup rating scores are then offered as views: Buy, Hold, Sell  - as is often done in sell-side equity research  - with expectation metrics and future valuations.[10] [11] [12] [13]

Track record

Oddup analysts have in the past predicted WeLab to become the first unicorn (company with valuation of over US$1 billion) in Hong Kong,[14] and this was proven when the Chinese P2P lending platform's US$160 million Series B funding announcement took place on January 21, 2016.[15] Additionally, Oddup has set the record when Google acquired Pie[16]  - one of Oddup's Buy rated startups in Singapore[17]  - in February 2016.

On January 5, 2017, Malaysian-based mobile classifieds startup Duriana was acquired by Singapore's Carousell (company).[18] Duriana was a Buy rated startup on Oddup in July 2016.

Lalamove (previously known as EasyVan) raised US$30 million Series B funding on January 10, 2017.[19] The Hong Kong-based logistics startup was rated a Buy by Oddup in September 2016.

Funding

Oddup announced its successful US$1 million funding in seed round in 2015,[20] and is backed by Click Ventures, Cerebrum Ventures, Kima Ventures, as well as a group of successful angel investors. Oddup raised an additional US $6 million funding in Series A in 2017 led by Times Internet, White Capital and Moneta Ventures, with participation from 500 Startups.[21]

Notes and References

  1. News: How Oddup Might Save You From Investing In The Next Pets.com. Altrogge. S. Jan 18, 2016. SnapMunk.
  2. News: Want to know a start¬up's chances of success? Hong Kong's Oddup delves beneath marketing hype to provide investors with rating system. Woodhouse. A. Dec 2, 2015. South China Morning Post.
  3. News: What financial service marketing needs to do. Nov 6, 2015. Campaign Asia.
  4. News: 8 things financial-service marketers need to start innovating. Feb 25, 2016. Campaign Asia.
  5. News: Getting financials from start-ups 'like herding cats', so transparent businesses can stand out. Woodhouse. A. Sep 18, 2015. South China Morning Post.
  6. News: 30 Goldman Sachs alumni who went on to lead startups. Marino. J. Nov 24, 2015. Business Insider.
  7. News: 有研究指本港法規對Startup欠支援 發展尚在幼兒階段. Jan 8, 2016. HKEJ StartupBeat.
  8. News: Start Singapore: Report Card on S'pore Start-ups. Chng. G. Jan 28, 2016. The Straits Times.
  9. News: 4 ways to boost the growth of Singapore's tech ecosystem. Jan 19, 2016. e27.
  10. News: Laugh-Out-Loud Hong Kong Website 9Gag Adding Games to Guffaws. Chen. LY. July 27, 2015. Bloomberg.
  11. News: Uber's China Rival Didi Kuaidi Spends Big to Defend Home Turf. Chen. LY. Aug 20, 2015. Bloomberg.
  12. News: 'It's basically not been touched': foodpanda and Deliveroo join menagerie of online food delivery start-ups vying for Hong Kong's nearly virgin market. Woodhouse. A. Jan 15, 2016. South China Morning Post.
  13. News: 'Fintech is about to disrupt the banking world': No of start-ups in Hong Kong doubles in 2015 but city unlikely to become Silicon Valley of the East anytime soon. Woodhouse. A. Jan 6, 2016. South China Morning Post.
  14. News: These are Hong Kong's future unicorns. Oct 7, 2015. Tech in Asia.
  15. News: Online Lending Platform WeLab Gets $160M Series B To Expand In China. Shu. C. Jan 21, 2016.
  16. News: Google acquires Singapore-based workplace chat app Pie, its first in the region. Tegos. M. Feb 18, 2016. Tech In Asia.
  17. News: ANOTHER WIN FOR ODDUP: PIE, ONE OF OUR BUY RATED COMPANIES, WAS ACQUIRED BY GOOGLE!. Mar 7, 2016. Oddup Blog.
  18. News: Carousell Acquires Duriana to Cement Leadership in Malaysia, Consolidates Position as Largest Mobile Classifieds Marketplace in APAC. Jan 5, 2015. Yahoo Finance.
  19. News: Funding Snapshot: On-Demand Delivery Company Lalamove Closes $30 Million Series B. Jan 10, 2017. Wall Street Journal.
  20. News: Oddup scores $1M for its startup rating system, initially focused on Asia. Waal-Montgomery. M. Nov 29, 2015. VentureBeat.
  21. Web site: Balea . Jum . Tech in Asia - Connecting Asia's startup ecosystem . 2022-07-17 . www.techinasia.com . en-US.