A daily newsletter summarizing interesting Indian startups and recent activity both in India & globally.
INTERESTING STARTUPS
O-Locker (2017, Mumbai), platform for digital record and insurance of personal jewellery.Global comparables are Juno (2016, Amersham) and Back Me Up (2016, Eastleigh).
INDIA INTERESTING NEWS
Mswipe (2009, Mumbai), mobile-based POS solution provider, raises $10M in Series D round of funding from B Capital Group and DSG Consumer Partners. Link
Happay (2012, Bangalore), cloud based business expense management solution provider, raises $10M in Series B round of funding led by Sequoia Capital, Axiom Capital and AME Cloud Ventures. Link
AlmaMapper (2011, Ahmedabad), platform to connect students, teachers and alumni across campuses, acquires iTeknika, recruitment and assessment solutions provider, for an undisclosed amount. Link
Paytm (2010, Delhi), mobile wallet and payments bank, acquires and merges Little (2015, Bangalore), hyperlocal deals app and Nearbuy (2011, Delhi), online deals and coupons from nearby merchants. Link
Lenskart (2010, Delhi), online and offline eyewear brand, invests $1M in 6over6 (2013, Tel Aviv), developer of mobile apps for optometry. Link
Droom (2014, Delhi), online marketplace to buy and sell automobiles, extends fair price assessment tool service for used mobiles. Link
Tata Motors (1945, Mumbai), manufacturer of cars and commercial automotive vehicles, rolls out first batch of electric-Tigor for EESL. Link
Cyient (1991, Hyderabad), engineering, networks and operations solutions provider, announces an exclusive hackathon for UAVs called Hackadrone 2018. Link
Naresh Malhotra, former CEO of the Cafe Coffee Day, launches early stage fund, at $7.5M. Link
GLOBAL ROUNDUP
Moda Operandi (2010, NYC), online luxury fashion retail store, raises $165M in funding from Adrian Cheng and Apax Digital, with participation from Advance Publications Inc, New Enterprise Associates, Future Fund, LVMH and Fidelity. Link
Indigo Ag (2013, Cambridge), provider of selective plant microbes through seed coatings for resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses, raises $47M in Series D round of funding from Investment Corporation of Dubai. Link
Fetch Robotics (2014, San Jose), developer of robots for logistics and light industrial markets, raises $25M in Series B funding led by Sway Ventures, with participation from O’Reilly AlphaTech Ventures, Shasta Ventures, and SoftBank’s SB Group US. Link
Apax Partners, London-based venture capital firm, closes tech-focused growth fund, at $1B. Link
Anzu Partners, Washington-based venture capital firm, closes first venture capital fund, at $128.4M. Link