1 Finance announces ESOP buyback program at a valuation of Rs 450 crore

Three years after its launch, 1 Finance, a personal finance advisory startup focused on India’s mass affluent, has announced an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) buyback at a valuation of Rs 450 crore.

The program marks an early liquidity event for employees, a rarity among startups at this stage. More than 33% of the workforce will benefit from the buyback, which has been structured to reward both early founding team members and later-stage key hires. The startup said the initiative aligns with its larger mission of building an employee-first culture while creating financial outcomes tied to performance and tenure. 

“Our vision has always been rooted in sustainable and inclusive financial well-being, not just for our clients, but for our colleagues too,” said Jeet Marwadi, Founder and Managing Director of 1 Finance.

“The ESOP Buyback Program is a testament of our team's belief in the vision, and a reaffirmation that wealth creation must begin from within the organisation.”

The Mumbai-based startup has expanded its regulatory footprint with a peer-to-peer non-banking financial company (P2P NBFC) license, a Category II alternative investment fund (AIF) license, and a Tax e-return intermediary (ERI) license. 

Co-founder and CEO Keval Bhanushali said these additions have helped create a broader, more robust ecosystem around its advisory-led model. “We are building 1 Finance as a category-defining institution in personal finance,” Bhanushali said.

“This buyback reflects the strength of our fundamentals, our philosophy, and most importantly, our belief in rewarding the people who are helping shape the future of personal finance in India.”

The startup, which aims to provide holistic and hyper-personalised financial planning, operates with a hybrid advisory model that combines in-house experts with digital tools. At a time when fully automated robo-advisory models are facing stagnation in mature markets like the United States, 1 Finance is betting on a more human-centric approach.

Backed by the financial services conglomerate Marwadi Chandarana Group, 1 Finance positions itself as an emerging challenger in a space long dominated by traditional wealth managers and transactional platforms. The buyback, the startup said, is a continuation of its broader goal of inclusive value creation.