BUSINESS
Last week in startup funding: Saas continues to be hot, with fintech and consumer companies getting more VC money
With the year closing, many startups are preparing for a big leap in 2021, hoping to make up for lost growth this year. Big bang Series B rounds were reported in the days between Dec 11 and 17,2020
BUSINESS
As small businesses digitise, startups in this space see new business opportunities
OkCredit, Khatabook and Vyapar are seeing traction return on their platforms as the economy recovers from the disruption caused by Covid and the lockdown
STARTUP
Will 2021 be the year of super apps?
This year saw many startups broaden their service bouquet and large players march into the superapp battlezone. While on one side there is Paytm and PhonePe, on the other there are players such as Amazon and WhatsApp. And to make matters more interesting, Reliance and Tata have thrown their hats into the ring. So, 2021 could mark the beginning of a fight for the largest share of the pie.
BUSINESS
Banking tech startups find new business opportunities as banks digitise systems rapidly
Technology companies are reaping benefits as banks look for quick deployment of technology solutions to take their physical processes digital, accelerated by social distancing mandated by COVID-19.
BUSINESS
How COVID-19 disrupted the disruptors of corporate India
The coronavirus outbreak is a black swan event for Indian startups. Some have seen their original businesses disrupted, while others have moved swiftly to change their business models. Here is a look at how several sectors have fared and what lies ahead for them in 2021.
BUSINESS
Broking startups race ahead as stock trading stands at the cusp of a digital disruption
Players such as Upstox, Groww, Paytm Money and 5Paisa are expanding their customer base rapidly, with Zerodha leading the pack. Traditional brokers need to up their digital game to attract millennial customers, but the question is how many will become active traders in the future?
BUSINESS
Smartphone insurance could become a $500 million market in India by 2025: Report
With market penetration of only 11 percent, the opportunity is huge, says the report by RedSeer. However, it adds, there is a need for regulation to rein in unlicensed players
BUSINESS
Razorpay leads startup show as deal-making gathers steam
Indian startups had a great last week as several early and growth-stage deals were announced.
BUSINESS
Exclusive: Mask, sanitisers, touchless attendance, Cure.Fit is all set to restart
While online offering accounts for 90% of its business now, the physical segment cannot be written off. The future is going to be a mix of digital and physical. Now, with centres slowly opening and even with 40 percent occupancy, Cure.Fit is confident a turnaround is set to happen.
BUSINESS
This clean-energy startup, which is helping the Indian Army battle Covid-19, is looking for Series B funding
Bengaluru-based Log9 Materials, known for its clean-energy solutions, is also building corona ovens to sanitise groceries, equipment, gloves and other items. Its graphene-based absorption pads were deployed to tackle the Mauritius oil spill recently. The company is now looking to raise Series B funding
BUSINESS
Fintech lenders look at strengthening collections as stress builds up in the system
An Alvarez and Marsal report seen by Moneycontrol talks about collection efficiency being lower among MSMEs and personal loans, with salaried consumers paying back on time more than self-employed consumers.
BUSINESS
EarlySalary launches digital card with RuPay; eyes 5X growth in one year
At a time when the fintech lending sector is facing stress due to the COVID-19 pandemic, EarlySalary is in the growth phase and planning to expand its loan book during the festive season
BUSINESS
FLDG, once popular among fintech lenders, could haunt them as defaults loom
Fintech lenders offered the ‘First Loan Default Guarantee’ cover of around 5% to banks and NBFCs to encourage them to take loans on their books. With more than 10% of borrowers not repaying their loans after the moratorium ended, the fintech lenders fear they will have massive commitments towards banks
BUSINESS
Tread gets $1.1 million maiden funding round from prominent startup founders
Fitness startup starts business in July 2020, picks up a million dollars from a clutch of prominent angel investors from across the startup spectrum. This shows the startup world's belief in the online fitness game and its potential to scale up rapidly
BUSINESS
Zomato claims business back to pre-COVID levels, while Swiggy records total order values at 85%
Zomato founder Deepinder Goyal’s tweet sparks debate. Industry insiders point out that food-delivery platforms are talking about gross merchandise value, which has shot up as per-order value is much higher now, compared to pre-COVID days.
BUSINESS
One-fourth the size of many competitors a year back, Razorpay is now a $1-billion startup
The company announces unicorn status on October 12. GIC, Sequoia India among investors. A 300 percent growth over the last six months, even during COVID times, one of its extraordinary achievements. Rivals say startups are eager to work with Razorpay.
BUSINESS
Exclusive: Kunal Shah’s Cred in talks to raise funds; aiming a valuation of nearly $800 million
Cred was last valued at $450 million in August 2019 when it raised $120 million in Series A round.
BUSINESS
Paytm sets up Rs 10-crore fund to support Indian app developers publishing mini apps on its platform
Company founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma, along with a few large stakeholders of the startup world, wants to unshackle ‘digital India’ from the likes of Google. Our regulators should either get acquainted with technology businesses or hire lateral talent, says Gondia of Goqii.
BUSINESS
Unocoin bags $5 million from global investors at a valuation of $20 million
The cryptoexchanges are seeing massive jump in business and trading volume post the Supreme Court lifted the ban brought in by the Reserve Bank on banks doing business with these entities.
BUSINESS
Saankhya Labs: A deep-tech startup that's slowly going places
From tracking trains to enabling defence communications, this little-known startup is poised to make the most of the 5G telecom revolution
BUSINESS
Industry wants a peaceful resolution to Google Play Store billing issue, looking for website payments to continue
Most players want government to frame industry-friendly policies and release stronger anti-trust rules rather than get into the business of making and running an Indian app store
BUSINESS
Startup Sages | Meet Professor Zerodha
Karthik Rangappa is educating stock market enthusiasts with a platform named Zerodha Varsity, which has become a port of call for anyone trying to understand stock markets. The offering has played a vital role in the success of online brokerage Zerodha.
BUSINESS
Infibeam enters into an agreement with Reliance Jio for its enterprise solutions
Through this deal, Reliance Jio will use Infibeam’s solutions to power its own ecommerce and digital payments services
BUSINESS
Appstore blues for Google?
Google has mandated all in-app purchases to be routed through Google Billing, startups say this is monopolistic behaviour from Google and the need has come to have our own Indian app store, but some say Google is justified in its demands, what does all this mean?
