Page 115 - Start Ups

Niche businesses take centre stage with $20 bn in unicorn funding this year

Startup sectors like specialty e-commerce, enterprise subscription software and standalone business models are attracting funds and higher valuations

How Grip Invest is making lease finance an attractive investment option

The platform aims to give retail investors an option other than FDs and stocks, and also wants make lease finance a popular choice for firms seeking asset-light business models

Virtual events platform Hubilo raises $125 mn for global expansion

The investment signals a change in ways people engage and share experiences at a time when uncertainty about Covid-19 has seen cancelled events and delayed a return to traditional office environment

Venture debt firm BlackSoil provides Rs 35 cr growth capital to 5 startups

Investor says unique business positioning of the five firms and ability to survive through adversities like Covid is what made them attractive propositions for BlackSoil

M2P Fintech raises $35 mn from Tiger Global to expand API platform globally

M2P's platform powers some of the leading banks, fintechs, and consumer internet companies across Asia becoming the leading fintech enabler in the region

ReshaMandi raises $30 million from Creation Investments, others

Founded in May 2020, ReshaMandi provides a full-stack digital ecosystem, starting from farm to fashion

F5 raises Rs 5 cr in pre-series A funding round led by Auxano Capital

F5 is building a hyper-local ecosystem around the daily workplace needs of the consumer

ForeignAdmits raises Rs 3.4 cr in seed round led by Unicorn India Ventures

ForeignAdmits makes use of data-backed counseling process and peer-to-peer mentorship by international graduates and alumni networks

Shift Freight plans to raise $20-30 mn by next fiscal; dilute 10-15% stake

The Noida-based startup currently has presence across 25 cities and carries out around 70 movements per day with majority of them being inter-city.

Instasafe eyes expansion in Middle East, Europe for cybersecurity solution

Cybersecurity solutions provider InstaSafe Technologies is looking to expand its presence in the Middle East and Europe, a top company official said.

New-age pharmacy start-ups tap 'kirana' networks, eye US market

New entrants in the largely unorganised Indian pharmaceuticals market are trying out innovative ways to tap a vast market that lies in hinterland

Robotics startup Ishitva raises $1mn in pre-series A funding led by IPV

Ishitva offers a range of solutions including SUKA (AI powered air sorting), YUTA (AI powered robotic sorting) and Netra AI vision system, which helps in identifying waste and smart bins

Cloud kitchen startup Rebel Foods is 31st Indian unicorn, raises $175 mn

The Mumbai-based firm, which operates over 4,000 internet restaurants and has built over 45 brands across 10 countries, is now eyeing an IPO

Boom time: 31 and counting, happy hour for India's unicorn club

The great unicorn rush, that started with Digit Insurance this year, has covered diverse sectors from fintech to e-shopping and even cloud kitchen

28 unicorns created in India this year: Nirmala Sitharaman

The Indian economy has witnessed the creation of 28 unicorns this year on the back of a series of reforms unleashed by the government, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said

Twin Health raises $140 mn in Series C round from Sequoia Capital, others

Funding will help the firm scale presence in India and US; firm uses IoT, AI and ML to solve chronic metabolic diseases, including type-2 diabetes

Crypto startup CoinSwitch Kuber is 30th Indian unicorn with $260 mn funding

It is also the second crypto unicorn in the country, with valuation crossing $1.9 bn after Series C round led by Andreessen Horowitz

Decoded: What are unicorns, decacorns and hectocorns?

We hear the term unicorn so very often for startups that are doing well. So what are unicorns in the startup universe? Can only startups become unicorns? Let's understand all these

Qapita raises $15 mn in Series A round led by East Ventures, Vulcan Capital

Qapita had raised $7.25 million in earlier rounds of funding

Ozonetel raises $5 mn in Series A funding round led by Skateboat Capital

Ozonetel introduced contact/call centre as a service (CCaaS) in the India market in 2010