Paramark Ventures

FirstClub Doubles Valuation to $255M After $55M Series B

FirstClub, a Bengaluru-based quick-commerce grocery startup founded in 2024, raised $55 million in a Series B co-led by Peak XV Partners and Sofina, valuing the company at $255 million. Existing backers Accel, RTP Global and Paramark Ventures participated, bringing FirstClub’s total funding to $86 million. The startup operates a curated grocery platform (~4,000 SKUs), conducts quality checks and lab-tests on certain staples, and has crossed 1 million orders and 170,000 households since launch. FirstClub reports annualized gross market value of about $50 million, average order frequency of over four per month, average order value ~₹1,200 (~$13), and about 220 direct employees. The company plans geographic expansion beyond Bengaluru (21 stores) and deeper presence in Hyderabad (3 locations), and to broaden product categories.

Indie Agencies Outperform with Precision CTV Planning

State of Streaming reports that smaller, digitally-native independent agencies are gaining ground on legacy holding companies in Connected TV (CTV) by combining highly precise media planning with bold creative work and modern technology. In an interview, Andrew Rosenman, Founder and President of Arise Communications Inc., attributes indies’ advantage to a planning DNA formed in the digital era—enabling tactics like ZIP-code-level targeting instead of broad DMAs—and to cultural differences that attract talent. Rosenman also highlights client-side risk aversion as a recurring barrier to creative work, cites Crispin Porter + Bogusky’s Mini U.S. launch as an example of indie-driven success, and emphasizes disciplined planning plus long-term brand building as the route to sustained performance.

Brands Should Prioritize Human Emotion Over Efficiency

Ipsos' Emmanuel Probst argues that brands must emphasize human connection, emotional resonance and creativity rather than chasing operational efficiency and purely AI-driven optimization. In an interview, Probst warns that algorithmic solutions can scale execution but often fail to deliver serendipity and emotion, citing declining engagement on dating apps and growing participation in community activities. He contends long-term brand success comes from helping consumers answer identity questions — how a brand makes them feel — and that automation risks producing scaled, homogeneous creative output. The piece signals rising demand for strategic brand guidance and differentiated, provocative creative work as automation commoditizes execution.