Future of Hygieia Health Private Limited

Abstract

The case revolves around the dilemma faced by the existing co-founders of Hygieia Health Private Limited (hereafter, Hygieia) in managing a potential startup with an amazing product but declining investor confidence due to the sudden exit of one of the co-founders. Hygieia, a tech services company that started in September 2016, represented the medical healthcare sector that served the niche customer segment—pregnant women. The startup was considered to be one of the promising businesses by early-stage tech funders. However, one of the co-founders suddenly announced that he would leave the company without parting with his stake in it. This created a major problem for the other founder members in moving ahead. The case examines the factors contributing to the crises and dilemmas faced by Hygieia’s co-founders, which led them to devise a strategic plan to overcome these challenges. It emphasizes the difficulties encountered by a growing startup and highlights the importance of having a strong team to sustain and expand the business. Additionally, the case explores relevant valuation concepts in a startup context. It provides insights into the significance of human capital in a tech startup using the people, opportunity, context and deal (POCD) framework, explores various financing options available for startups and outlines key valuation methods.