Zomato Founder Deepinder Goyal Launches Temple with $54 Million Funding Round
Deepinder Goyal, the founder of Zomato, announced on Friday that his new health technology venture, Temple, has successfully secured $54 million in its inaugural funding round. The investment comes from a circle of friends and family, along with early-stage Zomato investors, and has established a post-money valuation of approximately $190 million for the startup.
Funding Details and Investor Support
In a post on social media platform X, Goyal revealed the specifics of the funding, stating, "Temple has raised its first round. Friends and family. $54m. Post-money valuation of ~$190m." He emphasized the strong backing from close associates, noting that every investor in this round is either a founder friend or an early Zomato backer who expressed interest regardless of Temple's future market success.
Additionally, Goyal highlighted the commitment of Temple's employees, with more than 30 staff members participating in the funding round at par valuation, without any discounts. "Their own money. That's the kind of belief you can't buy," he added, underscoring the internal confidence in the venture.
Temple's Focus on Elite Athletes and Recruitment Strategy
Temple is dedicated to developing a wearable device aimed at elite performance athletes, a mission that has garnered significant attention. Earlier in the day, Goyal posted a recruitment advertisement seeking "athletes who are also engineers and scientists," which included specific body fat requirements: less than 16% for male candidates and less than 26% for female candidates. This unique criterion sparked amusement and discussion online, drawing widespread interest to the startup.
The company is actively hiring for various roles, including Analog Systems Engineers and Computational Neuroscientists. Goyal stressed that Temple is building "the ultimate wearable for elite performance athletes" and is looking for employees who are themselves committed to peak fitness. Applicants who do not meet the body fat standards can still apply if they commit to achieving the targets within three months, though they will be placed on probation until then.
Goyal's Transition and Future Plans
Meanwhile, Deepinder Goyal, who resigned last month as Managing Director and Group CEO of Eternal, the parent company of Zomato and Blinkit, to pursue higher-risk experimental ventures, continues with the firm in the role of Vice Chairman. This move allows him to focus on innovative projects like Temple while maintaining a connection to his previous enterprises.
The funding round and recruitment efforts mark a significant step for Temple as it aims to revolutionize the health tech space with its specialized wearable technology, targeting a niche market of elite athletes and fitness enthusiasts.
