S01E25 Crown Castê: Karan Bose

Welcome to Crown Castê, your financial literacy podcast for small businesses. We publish inspiring, insightful conversations with investors and stewards of capital, about why they decided to make placements into a specific portfolio company of theirs. In today's episode, we are joined by Karan Bose.

Karan is a partner at Pepper Fund, a cross-border search fund that aims to use its supply chain and eCommerce expertise to acquire small and medium size companies operating in the fashion & lifestyle or B2B Services categories.He is also managing director at Hula Global, an apparel supply chain company that operates a network of apparel manufacturing factories in India, Bangladesh and China. In this episode, we discuss: 1. Journey into the Apparel and Supply Chain Industry: How did Karan venture into the apparel and supply chain business and which are some of the brands he has worked with? What sparked his interest in investing in other brands and how did he arrive at the concept of a search fund model? How does Karan see the search fund model being different from the traditional venture capital allocation? 2. Navigating Supply Chain Financing and Credit Facilities: What is the key piece of information that small brands often overlook in their financing operations? How does vendor financing work and how can it be advantageous for smaller brands? Can you share some success stories or strategies in terms of vendor financing and credit facilities? 3. The Art and Challenges of Pursuing Profitable Deals: What strategies does Karan and his team employ to pursue profitable deals and investments? What challenges does he face in finding businesses that fit their specific investment criteria and mandate? How does the concept of a business's EBITDA come into play when searching for potential investments? 4. Post-acquisition Operations and Geographical Considerations: How does Karan assure brands of the smooth transition after the acquisition? What measures are put in place for geographical relocations and setting up the necessary organizational changes? How has Karan's approach evolved from when he first started this year and what is his future vision for this investment strategy? Contact Info Karan’s Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karanbose