BETTER VENTURES
Subscription-based toy library EleFant raises Rs 6 crore in seed funding from Venture Catalysts, Malpani Ventures
The platform offers toys and books sourced from over 70 top brands for children aged 0-12 through its Discover-Play-Return model, versus the conventional buy-play-clutter approach. The company has a presence in 16 cities.
Peak XV has Rs 16,000 crore for investment; AI to be in focus: Rajan Anandan
Peak XV Partners, managing director Rajan Anandan said the company isn't facing any shortage of capital, they just want more people starting up in AI. "We have over 25 AI investments that we’ve made over the last 1-1.5 years,” he said. Peak XV Partners recently led a $10.5 million funding round in AI health startup Cloudphysician.
From spirits to simplification: Diageo India to slim down Mallya-era overseas subsidiaries for a better high
Diageo first bought a stake in USL in 2012, taking its holding to a majority by the following year. Mallya stepped down from USL in 2016 and left India that year amid loan repayment troubles at Kingfisher Airlines. At the time, USL had nearly two dozen subsidiaries, joint ventures and associate companies, half of them in the UK, where Mallya has currently exiled himself.
Better to own a set of stocks from the digital ecosystem rather than betting on one stock? 15 stocks with upside potential of upto 48%
Few day’s back there was an issue with the telecom provider and the services stopped for some time. Now which would be the companies which got impacted the most, the telecom service provider, the answer is no. As a customer one would not get any reduction in the monthly billing because services were down for some time. The companies which may have got impacted would be a platform company on which one orders food, such as a swiggy or zomato. The reason, in the peak time of demand, a customer is not able to order food online due to internet service being down, that demand will not come back when the internet is back. But the other platform company which sells insurance was also not impacted. The reason is, if one was planning to buy an insurance policy and there is no internet, the demand will get postponed not get extinguished. The digital ecosystem is making things simple but it is yet complicated when it comes to investing.
IVCA’s VC Council for 2024–26 to focus on boosting micro-VCs
The IVCA VC Council, led by industry experts, aims to elevate the Indian start-up ecosystem by fostering innovation, supporting micro-VCs.
Cool beans! Cafes are having a field day this summer
National chains such as Third Wave Coffee, Chaayos, AbCoffee, and Boba Bhai have seen a notable increase in foot traffic at their cafes, particularly in northern India, despite the region grappling with record summer temperatures. These cafes are also experiencing increased demand for summer-specific items through delivery services. Also, their appeal as hubs for remote work and meetings is further boosting footfalls.
- Go To Page 1
Credit card bill payment hurdles; startup funding logs slight uptick
Happy Friday! The central bank has mandated credit card bill payments through Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS), but only eight of 34 banks are live on the network, causing concern among payment companies. This and more in today’s ETtech Morning Dispatch.
Silicon Valley VC fund General Catalyst acquires Venture Highway; will deploy $1 billion in India
Venture capital fund General Catalyst is acquiring India-focussed early-stage investor Venture Highway to strengthen its India presence. As part of this move, Venture Highway—which has backed unicorns like Meesho and Moglix—will cease to exist and will transition into General Catalyst India. This comes in the backdrop of a larger reset in the global venture capital industry after the exuberance of the pandemic years.
Go Zero secures $1.5 mn follow-on pre-Series A funding, grows 4x in one year
Founded by Kiran Shah, Go Zero has a diversified product portfolio featuring low-calorie, high-protein and vegan ice creams.
8X Ventures closes India-focused deeptech fund at Rs 200 crore
8X Ventures announced the first close of its second India-focused deeptech fund at Rs 200 crore, with a green shoe option of Rs 100 crore, aiming to back 18-20 early-stage Indian deeptech startups over three years.
Lotus Herbals sets up $50mn fund to invest in startups
Lotus Innovation Fund is the second such fund to be set up in India. In 2022, Estee Lauder-backed New Incubation Ventures had launched a strategic early-stage investment fund with omni-channel beauty retailer Nykaa.
PE-VC sector's Laapataa Ladies
Take the PE-VC landscape. Venture capital is still a man's game, and underrepresentation of women at the helm translates into a missed opportunity for the entire sector. Several groundbreaking ventures go untapped because the room lacks the perspective that resonates with a significant portion of the market. There is gross underrepresentation of women, both as entrepreneurs and investors.
PV Sindhu invests in biofortified staples brand Better Nutrition
PV Sindhu, Indian badminton player, has injected an undisclosed amount in Better Nutrition, a biofortified staples brand from Greenday that offers agri-input services such as biofortified seeds, fertilisers and agronomic practices.
Very strong relations with India; co-producing armored vehicles: US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin at Shangri La Dialogue
At the Shangri La Dialogue in Singapore, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin praised the strong US-India relationship. He talked about advancements in co-producing armoured vehicles and fighter jet engines. He emphasised the shared values between the two nations and predicted continued progress and momentum in the partnership. The strong ties are important for the two countries amid trouble in the Indo-Pacific region.
Agritech startup Fyllo raises $4 million in funding led by IndiaQuotient, SIDBI Ventures
Over 8,000 farmers are availing of Fyllo’s AI-based prediction models that suggest efficient agricultural practices, on more than 50,000 acres and have consistently received 25% more yield, 80% export-quality produce, and 30% more income, the company said.
$250K funding for ONDC hackathon topper firms
The Build for Bharat initiative was started in New Delhi in December last year in collaboration with the government’s Startup India platform, Google Cloud India, Antler in India, Protean and Paytm. It was organised in more than 50 cities with experts, leaders, venture capitalists and incubators onboard.
Govt asks Israel’s Tower to rework chip fab proposal
The government requested Tower Semiconductor to revise its proposal for a chip fab unit. The government seeks the Israeli company to collaborate with a technology partner boasting superior chip-making capabilities and the ability to manufacture using more advanced processes.
Angel tax destroyed startup ecosystem, GST killed gaming industry, says Priyank Kharge
His comments come as political parties are in the middle of the Lok Sabha election, with two more phases scheduled over the next ten days.
Offline stores are trending as new set of D2C firms emerge
Investors and startup founders are noticing a trend: D2C businesses across various sectors, like fashion, electronics, and food and beverage, are opening physical stores (going offline) even after their initial funding round.
KKR invests in Healthcare Revenue Solutions provider Infinx
KKR acquires a significant minority stake in Infinx Services, a leading healthcare revenue cycle solutions provider. With Norwest Venture Partners also participating, the investment aims to accelerate Infinx's growth in the US healthcare market, leveraging KKR's expertise. Infinx's innovative platform serves over 400 healthcare providers, tapping into a $4.3 trillion market.
PVR Inox looks to grow pre-ticketing F&B biz post its JV with Devyani
PVR Inox has partnered with Devyani International to expand into the food and beverage sector. Devyani will hold a 51% stake, while PVR will have 49%. This joint venture aims to boost pre-ticketing F&B revenue through branded food courts adjacent to cinemas. In FY24, PVR Inox's F&B sales rose 21% to Rs 1958 crore. The company plans to open 5-6 food courts initially. PVR Inox is also shifting to a capital-light model, reducing capex and adding new screens through a franchise model.
ETtech In-depth: Quick commerce is diversifying fast. It won’t be easy
As 10-minute delivery expands to include higher-value products, companies will soon realise that with big orders come big hurdles, say executives. Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart and Zepto have started selling products such as air coolers, fans and luggage, in addition to expanding into fashion, and listing high value items on their platforms.
Air India, Lufthansa deepen ties in 'rare' code-sharing pact
Lufthansa and Air India have deepened partnership with code-share expansions on India-Australia route. Experts note that it's unusual for Lufthansa to code-share with Air India on international routes.
Tensions rise in Silicon Valley over sales of startup stocks
Tensions over the shadowy and often enigmatic market of private company stocks have reached a boiling point, just as the buying and selling of such shares has grown bigger than ever. At its center is an age-old debate: Should everyone have access to the riches and risks of investing in Silicon Valley startups?
Capria Ventures announces final close of India Opportunity Fund at Rs 153 crore
Capria Ventures concluded the Rs 153 crore fundraising for the India Opportunity Fund. The fund, which had invested in Awign in February last year, will return more than 20% of the invested capital to its limited partners or sponsors in funds.
Dehaat joins B2B agrifood companies in launching consumer brand
This development comes when venture capital-backed agriculture technology startups are struggling to scale margins on mainstay business and have pared workforces to cut costs.
Unicorns to add $1 trn to economy by 2030, generate 50 mn jobs: CII study
A report anticipates new unicorns contributing USD 1 trillion to India's economy by 2030, generating 50 million jobs. The startup ecosystem, led by over 100 unicorns, is expected to drive significant growth across various sectors, impacting GDP and employment positively.
Startup story set for better script in new year after unicorns, funds fall in 2023
Startups with sustainable business models as well as the well-capitalised ones are expected to weather the current turmoil. And the horizon in 2024 is expected to be "exciting" as well as "challenging".
India needs a better class of early-stage investors: Rishabh Singh of Aeravti Ventures
Co-founder Singh describes Aeravti as a sector-specific investment fund focused on Bharat, typically investing $500k to $2 million in early-stage companies, often as the first institutional investor.
Load More
