, an investment education and trading simulation platform, has successfully completed its second Employee Stock Option Plan (ESOP) buyout, allowing employees to monetise their vested shares.
In the secondary transaction, over $2 million was distributed, with 100% of vested shares being bought from eligible employees who chose to participate.
“There are always investors interested in secondary transactions,” Ajay Lakhotia, CEO and Co-founder of StockGro, told YourStory. “Rather than raising fresh capital, we lined up some company equity for investors to buy directly from employees. This ensures our team can realize the value of their contributions while keeping our business lean,” he added.
Notably, less than 60% of eligible employees opted to tender their shares, with the remaining choosing to retain their ESOPs.
“This demonstrates the strong belief our employees have in StockGro’s future,” Lakhotia added. “We are creating opportunities for life-changing wealth, but the decision to hold their shares shows confidence in the long-term value we are building.”
Founded in 2020, StockGro’s primary business revolves around investment education and simulated trading experiences, targeting users who want to learn the nuances of equity markets, futures, and options. The company’s subscription-based model is its largest revenue driver, offering courses in technical analysis, with prices ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 72,000.
“Users pay for features like learning technical analysis, which has become one of our most popular offerings,” Lakhotia noted. “For just Rs 1,000 a month, users gain easy access to essential trading skills.”
StockGro has also benefitted from recent regulatory changes, such as the Securities Exchange Board of India’s focus on curbing options trading volumes. “This shift has driven more users to focus on equity investments, boosting our activity by 20-30% in the last quarter,” Lakhotia said.
Beyond individual users, StockGro has expanded its educational reach through strategic partnerships with organisations like the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and Zomato. Recently, the company conducted workshops for Zomato’s delivery workforce to introduce them to financial literacy and investing opportunities.
With 70 employees and a mix of Tier I and Tier II/III customers, StockGro remains focused on building its business sustainably. The company last raised funds earlier this year, securing investments from major backers like Hindustan Media and Trifecta Capital.
“While we’re not in the market for fresh fundraising, secondary transactions like this ESOP buyout help us align investor interest with employee wealth creation,” said Lakhotia.
