Square Yards has raised $35 million (≈ ₹312 crore) in a new funding round led by South Korea’s Smile Gate Group, along with participation from existing investors
- The round reportedly sets the company’s valuation at around $900 million (close to $935 M depending on market rates), putting it on the cusp of “unicorn” status
- Square Yards is also reportedly in advanced talks for an additional raise of $100 million (debt + equity). A successful round could elevate its valuation above the $1 billion mark.
Why This Funding & Valuation Count
📈 Validation of Business Model & Growth
The fresh capital and near-unicorn valuation signal investor confidence in Square Yards’ integrated real-estate + mortgage + listing platform model — despite a challenging macro environment. Their reported FY25 revenue was ₹1,410 crore, with a gross profit of ₹316 crore and EBITDA of ₹46 crore.s
🏠 Boost for Real-Estate Tech in India
The funding comes at a time when Indian real-estate and housing demand remain strong. A well-capitalized PropTech firm can expand services, improve technology, and scale across cities — potentially disrupting traditional real-estate brokerage models.
🚀 Momentum Toward IPO & Market Expansion
Square Yards has reportedly flagged IPO ambitions (possibly in 2026). The fresh raise — and ambition to raise more — suggests heavy preparation for public markets or large-scale expansion.
What Square Yards Could Do With the Funds
- Expand geographic footprint across India and possibly overseas markets.
- Strengthen its mortgage & home-finance offerings — make home buying/renting more accessible via tech-driven financing.
- Invest in technology: AI/ML-driven property matching, analytics, user-experience improvements.
- Scale operations — hire more staff for sales, tech, customer support, and expand listings/ inventory.
- Prepare for regulatory/compliance, perhaps to smooth out an IPO process.
What It Means for Stakeholders
- For home-buyers/ renters: More tech-enabled property discovery, streamlined processes, possibly better pricing and transparency.
- For real-estate industry: Increased competition for traditional brokers — PropTech firms like Square Yards may force change.
- For investors & startups: A positive signal that PropTech — long seen as risky — is attracting large capital and can scale in India.
- For employees & ecosystem: More jobs, better tech adoption in real estate, housing-finance innovations, and improved property-market transparency.
What to Watch Next
- Whether Square Yards raises the additional $100 million — and at what valuation.
- Their planned roadmap: geographical expansion, mortgage/finance offering ramp-up, and whether they hit targets for growth and profitability.
- If they start prepping for an IPO — and how capital markets respond.
