SoftBank Vision Fund has been eyeing new bets in the Indian market. The SoftBank tech investment unit is reportedly in advanced talks to close investment deals with two Indian companies – eyewear retailer Lenskart and vernacular news and content platform Dailyhunt. SVF is expected to invest $400 Mn round of funding in Lenskart and $150 Mn in Dailyhunt as a part of a bigger round, according to a report in Economic Times. The Lenskart deal will reportedly include approximately $100 Mn from a secondary share sale by existing investors in Lenskart. With SVF’s investment, in addition to other investors, Lenskart will increase in value to $1.5 Bn. Lenskart plans to use this new funding for global expansion. SoftBank is expected to fund news startup Dailyhunt, along with another private equity major, Carlyle. Carlyle will reportedly invest $100 Mn. The investment will also reportedly include partial stakes by existing investors and raise the company’s value up to $800-$900 Mn.
