Arjun Batra
Verified Expert in Management Consulting
Management Consulting Expert
New York, NY, United States
Toptal member since February 16, 2020
Arjun has executed nearly 30 debt, equity, M&A, and capital raising transactions worth over $2 billion, across the developed and emerging markets. He has worked at leading investment firms (Houlihan Lokey, BlackRock), and at several startups, both as a co-founder and in other leadership roles. Arjun enjoys freelancing as it allows him to use his diverse transactional and operational experience to help companies achieve their growth potential.
Career Highlights
Education Highlights
Case Studies
Innovative Financing Structure for $50+ Million in Deals
$200+ Million Fund Acquisition
Expertise
- Capital Raising
- CEO
- Financial Modeling
- Fintech
- Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A)
- Private Credit
- Startup Growth Strategy Development
- Valuation
Work Experience
Financial Consultant
Independent Consulting
- Advised startups and mid-size companies in the financial services, fintech, and technology industries on initiatives that included planning, forecasting and budgeting, investment strategy, fundraising, sales growth, and profitability enhancements.
- Served as interim CFO for a fintech startup during its seed round with responsibilities including fundraising, FP&A, and implementing financial processes, helping the company to secure $400,000 from angel investors.
- Acted as the part-time CFO for a U.S.-based fintech lender during its debt raise, with responsibilities including fundraising, pitch deck preparation, and FP&A. Helped secure term sheets for debt financing.
Co-CEO
AppHub
- Launched and grew AppHub from zero to $30+ million in revenue and 200+ people in less than two years. It was driven by M&A and new product growth.
- Raised $200+ million of equity and debt capital from private equity and other institutional investors.
- Oversaw finance, customer success, operations, HR, marketing, and strategy.
- Closed nine acquisitions of eCommerce SaaS and other software companies.
Advisor
FarmTogether
- Advised about a tech-enabled farmland investment platform, playing a key role in capital markets strategy and development.
- Developed the company's capital markets roadmap, investor pitch deck, and other marketing materials.
- Spearheaded the launch of a $50-to-$100-million open-end fund vehicle that will make farmland investments in the US. Oversaw investor outreach, facilitating due diligence and other aspects of the process.
Entrepreneur in Residence
Applico
- Recruited into the Entrepreneur-in-Residence program for the world's first platform innovation company.
- Advised C-suite executives of Fortune 100 firms and multibillion-dollar companies on building and scaling platform businesses.
- Led feasibility studies, market research, financial modeling, and client presentations to make recommendations to key stakeholders.
Director of Capital Markets
Fvndit
- Led the capital raising efforts for a Vietnam-focused P2P lending platform as it looks to raise its first institutional credit facility and growth equity capital.
- Updated the financial model and business plan to incorporate new funding initiatives and growth plans. Led and facilitated investor outreach, due diligence, structuring, and negotiations.
- Sourced term sheets for $5-$10 million of debt financing from credit funds. Set up a structure that can scale to $50-$100 million in the next two years. Actively engaged in due diligence with investors.
- Made regular recommendations on business strategy, growth initiatives, and profitability. Conducted an extensive profitability-and-unit-economic analysis to determine core customer segments to target.
VP of Finance and Operations
Envizzo
- Led finance and operations for a B2B marketplace that connects real estate operators to turnkey furnishing solutions. The company was acquired by Aaron's Company (NYSE: AAN) in 2020.
- Oversaw a company's financial and operating activities, including monthly reporting, working capital management, procurement, and logistics.
- Revamped the financial model for internal decision-making and external fundraising efforts.
- Oversaw the collection effort for nearly $1 million of accounts receivable and restructured vendor payables, enhancing the company's cash position by nearly $500,000.
- Led the company's COVID-19 response effort, including streamlining expenses and operational inefficiencies and securing a critical PPP loan to extend the runway.
- Served as part of the senior management team and regularly weighed in on company strategy and other critical decisions.
Co-founder | Chief Investment Officer
Lendable
- Launched and scaled a fintech credit platform focused on alternative lending opportunities in emerging markets (primarily Africa and South East Asia), opening up a new asset class for investors.
- Led the investment team (eight FTEs), overseeing all aspects of investment strategy, origination, credit, and risk management.
- Structured and raised over $40 million in asset-backed lending programs from credit funds, family offices, and impact investors. Structured a closed-end fund vehicle with a target size of $100 million.
- Deployed over $40 million to non-bank lending platforms in emerging markets, primarily via debt instruments such as senior secured credit facilities, term loans, and whole loan purchase agreements.
- Managed the portfolio post-investment to deliver 14% IRR during my tenure.
- Helped, alongside CEO, raise over $7 million in seed and Series A financings from notable VC funds.
- Led strategy and finance projects, including the development of financial projections, analysis of unit economics and overall profitability, etc., recommending changes to the Board regularly.
Vice President
BlackRock
- Led numerous M&A and other investment transactions. Oversaw all aspects of deal execution, including financial analysis, due diligence, structuring, negotiations, and documentation.
- Oversaw the firm's inorganic fintech strategy, sourcing and executing transactions with fintech companies across marketplace lending, robo-advisory, payments, and electronic trading.
- Promoted to vice president on the fast track (<5% of employees at the firm).
- Made recommendations to C-level executives on various corporate finance and strategic initiatives, including stock buybacks, capital structure, business expansion, and new product/market entry.
Financial Analyst
Houlihan Lokey
- Advised middle-market and Fortune 500 companies on M&A, private placements, and debt restructuring transactions.
- Created valuation models, information memoranda, and legal documentation and oversaw the entire transaction execution process, including investor outreach, due diligence, and final negotiations.
- Served as the lead analyst on a $65 million merger of two medical device companies, a $210 million debt restructuring of a cutting-edge laser business, and a private placement transaction for a publicly listed BDC.
- Created valuation opinions for a variety of situations, including M&A deals, collateral value assessments, and business reorganizations.
Education
Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering
University of Pennsylvania - Philadelphia, PA, USA
Bachelor's Degree in Finance
University of Pennsylvania - Philadelphia, PA, USA
Skills
Finance
Market Research, Fundraising, Portfolio Analysis, Startup Funding, Due Diligence, Debt Structuring, Fund Structure, Credit/Debt, M&A (Sell-side), M&A Modeling, M&A (Buy-side), Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Credit Investing, Private Credit, CFO, Valuation, Capital Raising, Financial Modeling, Private Equity, Credit Risk, Equity Raises, Fund Formation, Private Equity Secondaries, Capital Formation Strategy, Revenue & Expense Projections, Forecasting, Financial Advisory, Debt Restructuring, Project Finance, Equity Financing, Growth Equity, Valuation Modeling, Corporate Finance, Investment Decision-making, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Investment Monitoring, Asset-based Lending, Cash Flow Modeling, Consumer Lending, Lending, Capital Structuring, Credit Analysis, Profitability Analysis, Asset Valuation, Investment Thesis
Output Software
Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint
Data & Analysis Software
FactSet, Capital IQ, Bloomberg, Thomson Reuters
Industry Expertise
Consumer Finance, Asset Management, Capital Markets, Venture Capital, Technology, Real Estate, Financial Services, Debt Capital Markets
Geographic Expertise
United States, Africa, Europe, Asia, Canada
Other
Startups, Partnerships, Negotiation, Business Strategy, Financing, Portfolio Management, Business Models, Impact Investing, Investments, Debt Financing, Investment Banking, Peer-to-peer Lending, Loans, Due Diligence Consultant, Fintech, Alternative Investments, Business Planning, Emerging Markets, Startup Growth Strategy Development, Fundraising Strategy, Entity Selection & Formation, Pitch Deck Consultant, Investment Capital Raising, Deal Structuring, COO, Chief Operations Officer (COO), Corporate Development, Financial Analysis, Deal Execution, Investor Relations, Business Services, Joint Ventures, High Net Worth Individuals (HNWI), Family Office, Limited Partnerships, CEO, eCommerce, Search Fund Expert, Risk Management, B2B, Asset Liability Management (ALM), Private Placements, Strategic Partnerships, Business Development, Investment Strategy, Structured Finance, Small & Medium-sized Enterprises (SME), P2P, Consulting, Pitch Decks, C-suite, Management Consulting, Growth Strategy, Equity, Operations Analytics, Strategy, Structuring, Early-stage Funding, Asset Structuring, Operations
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