Engagements  ·  6 min read  ·  Updated May 2026

Active Research Engagements

Next Horizon Capital has delivered buy-side research, growth strategy, market entry analysis, and operational diligence for institutions across India and globally. This page documents the scope and nature of that work.

Last updated:  ·  6 min read

Introduction

Next Horizon Capital is the only global independent student-led buy-side advisory and research organization headquartered in India.

Since founding, NHC has completed engagements for more than 20 organizations spanning institutional asset managers, high-growth consumer and fintech companies, and early-stage startups. All work is delivered on a pro bono basis. IP transfers fully to the client with no data, equity, or downstream asks.

This page provides an overview of the types of mandates NHC takes on and selected past engagements. For detailed information on a specific mandate type, visit the mandates page or reach us directly at office@nexthorizoncapital.in.

Engagements span buy-side research, growth strategy, market entry, and operational diligence — across sectors from fintech and quick-commerce to healthcare and EM macro.

Mandate Types

NHC accepts mandates across six core research disciplines. Each mandate is scoped in a one-week brief process before the research sprint begins, ensuring that the analytical frame and output format are aligned with what the client actually needs.

Mandate Type What It Covers Best For
Sector & Thesis Research Sector taxonomy, catalyst mapping, thematic deep-dives tied to macro shifts VC, PE, Asset Managers
Market Sizing & Growth Validation Bottom-up and top-down TAM/SAM, adoption curve benchmarking, scenario analysis VC, Angel Networks, PE
Macro & Asset Allocation Regime, rates, and currency frameworks; EM and single-country deep-dives Family Offices, Asset Managers
Deal Diligence & Valuation Business model analysis, comparable company modeling, early-stage founder diligence Angel, VC, Family Offices, PE
Portfolio Value Creation EBITDA levers, 100-day frameworks, KPI systems, working capital optimization PE, Family Offices
LP, Fundraising & Exit LP allocation trends, buyer landscape mapping, exit-readiness positioning PE, VC

Selected Past Engagements

Kotak Alternate Asset Managers

NHC delivered a buy-side thematic research report for Kotak AAM on India as an emerging market read through the lens of global conflict. The mandate involved mapping geopolitical conflict transmission across global capital markets, analyzing macro implications for India (fiscal, monetary, trade, and currency), identifying sector-level opportunities across Indian public markets, and delivering equity recommendations grounded in the macro thesis with valuation context. The engagement lead at Kotak AAM noted that the depth of analysis on India's EM positioning, macro research, and equity strategy exceeded expectations across all dimensions.

Tata 1mg

NHC produced a competitive landscape and white-space mapping for Tata 1mg across the Indian healthtech sector, delivered as a growth playbook. The work covered category-level competitive dynamics, addressable white space in adjacent segments, and strategic positioning recommendations for the client's growth roadmap.

Swiggy

NHC conducted a unit economics and cohort diligence engagement for Swiggy across delivery and quick-commerce verticals, delivered as an investment memo format. The work covered contribution margin analysis, cohort retention benchmarking, and competitive positioning within the Indian food-delivery and instant-commerce landscape.

Additional engagements have been completed for Rapido, HealthKart, Cars24, MuscleBlaze, Shadowfax, and a range of early-stage startups across fintech, logistics, and consumer sectors. For a full overview of sectors covered, visit the mandates page.

Follow Next Horizon Capital for research notes on private markets and buy-side strategy.

Subscribe on LinkedIn →

Frequently Asked Questions

NHC has delivered mandates for Kotak Alternate Asset Managers (India EM thematic research with global conflict overlay), Tata 1mg (healthtech competitive landscape and white-space mapping), Swiggy (unit economics and cohort diligence across delivery and quick-commerce), and more than 15 other organizations across fintech, consumer, logistics, and growth-stage sectors. Engagements span buy-side research, growth strategy, market entry, and operational diligence.
NHC mandates originate through referrals from existing clients and advisors, inbound inquiries from organizations that have encountered NHC's research or reputation, and direct outreach from NHC to institutions where there is a clear mandate fit. The pro bono model eliminates commercial friction and allows institutions to initiate a conversation without a budget commitment. Next Horizon Capital is the only global independent student-led buy-side advisory and research organization headquartered in India.
NHC has delivered work across fintech, consumer internet, quick-commerce, healthtech, logistics, and macro/EM research. The research bench has sector depth in financial services, technology, healthcare, consumer goods, and industrials. NHC also conducts cross-asset macro and emerging markets research, including regime and rate frameworks and India EM positioning analysis.
Yes. NHC operates on a pro bono partnership model. IP transfers fully to the client. NHC retains no data, equity, revenue sharing, or any downstream rights from the engagement. The pro bono model is intentional — it allows NHC to be highly selective about the mandates it accepts and allows institutional clients to initiate engagements without a budget approval process.
NHC deliverables depend on the mandate type: buy-side thematic reports (sector thesis, macro overlay, stock-level views), investment memos (company diligence with valuation and risk analysis), growth playbooks (competitive landscape and market entry frameworks), market sizing analyses (bottom-up TAM/SAM with scenario layers), and operational benchmarking studies (EBITDA levers, KPI frameworks, and 100-day plans).
Institutions engage NHC through a four-step process: a 30-minute scoping call to align on the investment question and context; a one-week mandate brief where NHC frames the research question and expected output; a 3–4 week research sprint under practitioner supervision; and a delivery and debrief session. To initiate a conversation, visit nexthorizoncapital.in or reach NHC at office@nexthorizoncapital.in.

EXPLORE MORE PILLARS

LANDSCAPE

Student-Led Finance Orgs in India

 CAREERS

Buy-Side Recruiting for Indian Undergrads

 HOW IT WORKS

How Student Buy-Side Advisory Works

Last updated: . Next Horizon Capital reviews and updates pillar pages regularly.