Indian spiritual-tech startup AstroTalk has crossed the $1 billion valuation mark through an employee stock ownership plan buyback, marking a new route to unicorn status without external funding amidst rapid revenue growth and expanding ecommerce operations.
AstroTalk has crossed the $1 billion valuation mark after an employee stock ownership plan buyback, according to reports, giving the spiritual-tech startup entry into India’s unicorn club without raising fresh external capital. More than 100 employees are understood to be participating, allowing them to sell part of their holdings and capture some of the value created as the company has grown. The transaction is said to be funded from business profits, underlining a different route to unicorn status than the usual venture round.
Founded in 2017 by Puneet Gupta and Anmol Jain, AstroTalk began as an online astrology consultation service before widening into spiritual commerce. Its AstroTalk Store now sells gemstones, rudrakshas, bracelets and other devotional products, and the marketplace arm is becoming a larger part of the business as the platform broadens beyond consultations.
The company’s latest reported financials point to a sharp rise in scale. According to The Economic Times, revenue from operations climbed 81% to ₹1,176 crore in FY25, while profit before tax increased 125% to ₹285 crore, even as spending rose on team expansion and technology investment. Moneycontrol reported that total income reached ₹1,214 crore in the same period, up from ₹656 crore a year earlier, with stronger repeat usage and higher conversion rates helping to drive activity. Both reports said tier-I cities accounted for most of the platform’s traffic.
AstroTalk Store also appears to be gaining traction. The company said the unit generated more than ₹140 crore in revenue in 2025 and processed over 1.6 million orders, suggesting that ecommerce is becoming a meaningful growth engine alongside consultations. The new valuation is a steep jump from the roughly $300 million level reported in 2024, and it comes as Indian startups increasingly use ESOP buybacks to help employees realise gains. Mint reported that 16 startups carried out mainboard IPOs in 2025, helping unlock $1 billion in employee stock value, compared with $807 million across 10 companies in 2024 and just $39 million in 2023.
Disclaimer: This article is intended to inform and educate, not to recommend or endorse any financial product, investment or strategy. Please consider your own financial circumstances and seek professional advice where appropriate before making financial decisions.
