Page 9 - Unicorn Companies
Ronnie Screwvala-led upGrad taps Bharat to help learners get govt jobs
upGrad is planning to expand its operations in rural India with various programmes including upskilling the talent present there for job opportunities in the private sector
 "Ronnie Screwvala-led upGrad taps Bharat to help learners get govt jobs")
OneCard is India's 104th unicorn, raises $100 mn in Series D led by Temasek
The latest round by OneCard, owned by Pune-based FPL Technologies, also saw investment from existing investors such as QED, Sequoia Capital, and Hummigbird Ventures
 "OneCard is India's 104th unicorn, raises $100 mn in Series D led by Temasek")
Zetwerk buys Pinaka Aerospace to expand defence manufacturing business
Zetwerk has made two other acquisitions and the total value of all three deals is approximately Rs 100 crore
 "Zetwerk buys Pinaka Aerospace to expand defence manufacturing business")
50K startup workers stare at job loss as India preps for 200 new unicorns
As startups in India keep firing their staff to navigate through the 'funding winter' and more than 60,000 can lose their jobs in 2022 alone, the country is preparing to welcome 200 unicorns
 "50K startup workers stare at job loss as India preps for 200 new unicorns")
India will have 122 new unicorns in 4 years: Hurun Research report
In just one year, the number of such startups has increased by 65%
 "India will have 122 new unicorns in 4 years: Hurun Research report")
India leading the way of innovation, says PM Narendra Modi in Germany
During the speech, Modi also shared his government's achievements and said India will not be left behind in the fourth Industrial Revolution
 "India leading the way of innovation, says PM Narendra Modi in Germany")
India's new unicorn LeadSquared raises $153 mn from WestBridge Capital
LeadSquared previously raised $32 million led by Gaja Capital in 2020, and $3 million during its Series A led by Stakeboat Capital in 2019
 "India's new unicorn LeadSquared raises $153 mn from WestBridge Capital")
BlackBuck bounces back from Covid, reimagines its trucking business model
The Tiger Global and Sequoia-backed unicorn plans to deepen its reach from 100,000 villages currently to over 300,000 villages, and scale its existing businesses 3x by 2023
 "BlackBuck bounces back from Covid, reimagines its trucking business model")
Unicorns to take on lease 8.1 mn sq ft office space in 2022-24: Report
Startups with a valuation of $1 billion or more, also called unicorns, are likely to take on lease 8.1 million square feet of office space during 2022-24 period across six major cities, a report said
 "Unicorns to take on lease 8.1 mn sq ft office space in 2022-24: Report")
Beauty start-up Purplle raises $33 mn in funding, gets unicorn status
It is the second Indian startup this week to be valued at more than $1 billion, after edtech firm Physics Wallah.
 "Beauty start-up Purplle raises $33 mn in funding, gets unicorn status")
Goldman-backed beauty startup Purplle becomes India's newest unicorn
Online cosmetics retailer Purplle raised capital at a $1.1 billion valuation, becoming the second billion-dollar company to be created in India this week despite souring investor sentiment on startups
Top headlines: Physics Wallah becomes unicorn; I-T portal develops snag
The Income Tax Department's new-look tax return filing portal, developed by Infosys, again developed snags on Tuesday - a day that marked the first anniversary of its unveiling.
 "Top headlines: Physics Wallah becomes unicorn; I-T portal develops snag")
Search for climate-tech unicorns
Start-ups in the climate space are also the focus of philanthropists and impact investors, among others
 "Search for climate-tech unicorns")
Unicorn Gupshup acquires OneDirect to strengthen conversational platform
Gupshup became a unicorn last year after it raised $100 million in funding at a valuation of $1.4 billion.
 "Unicorn Gupshup acquires OneDirect to strengthen conversational platform")
Fintech unicorn Slice raises $50 mn funding led by Tiger Global, others
With its core credit product set to become profitable in the months ahead, Slice will use the new capital to shore up its balance sheet and support expansion of its new UPI product
 "Fintech unicorn Slice raises $50 mn funding led by Tiger Global, others")
Indian startups continued to create value, wealth during pandemic: PM Modi
Noting that the number of unicorns in India has reached the 100-mark, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that even during the Covid pandemic, India's startups continued to create wealth and value
You can't raise cash to blow it up: Ronnie Screwvala on layoffs at unicorns
In a Q&A, the upGrad chief said it is a 'lame excuse' for founders for tech unicorns to blame the situation on factors like the war in Europe and funding crunch
 "You can't raise cash to blow it up: Ronnie Screwvala on layoffs at unicorns")
Are Indian startups staring at a tough future after a blockbuster year?
The valuation of Meesho, the Indian e-commerce rival of retail giant Amazon, more than doubled last year to $5 billion
 "Are Indian startups staring at a tough future after a blockbuster year?")
All the world's a stage for unicorns
In 2021, when the buzz is around start-ups going for IPOs and celebration of Indian entrepreneurship, it's also time to acknowledge the role of global players in the journey to stardom
Byju's raises $200 mn in fresh funding; valuation surges to $12 bn
BlackRock, T Rowe Price participate in the round; the edtech major's valuation has risen by over $1 bn since last round of fundraising
 "Byju's raises $200 mn in fresh funding; valuation surges to $12 bn")