STARTUP
Live tutoring startup Filo raises $23 million Series A funding led by Anthos Capital
Filo helps students connect to tutors for one-on-one live video sessions to clear concepts, solve problems, and prepare for examinations.
STARTUP
Audio-streaming startup Pocket FM bags $65 million Series C funding
Pocket FM plans to expand to new languages, scale its community of audio content creators and help them monetise on the platform.
TRENDS
Netflix to buy mobile game developer Next Games to strengthen its games business
Next Games had released 'Stranger Things: Puzzle Tales', a role-playing game based on the streaming giant's hit 80s horror drama series in October last year.
TECHNOLOGY
Google & MeitY Startup Hub unveils the first Appscale Academy cohort of 100 Indian startups
Indian apps and games saw a 200% increase in monthly active users on Google Play in 2021 compared to 2019, according to Google's Purnima Kochikar
BUSINESS
Instagram to shut down its YouTube competitor app IGTV
Meta-owned Instagram said it is exploring more ways creators can earn money from creating reels.
BUSINESS
How major tech companies are reacting to the Russia-Ukraine conflict
Tech giants such as Meta, Google, and Twitter are facing increased pressure from both combatants to use their ubiquitous reach amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis.
STARTUP
Mobile Premier League buys Germany's GameDuell for foray into Europe, mobile free-to-play gaming
Founded in 2003, GameDuell offers more than 40 casual online skill games including community card and board games in seven languages
BUSINESS
Twitter ropes in Samiran Gupta to lead public policy efforts in India, South Asia
The Indian government has clashed with the social media firm on various issues including content moderation and free speech.
BUSINESS
Meta plans universal speech translator and digital assistant for its metaverse future
Zuckerberg expects their research will pave the way to build AI assistants that can move between virtual and physical worlds
BUSINESS
Facebook to pilot sharing of ad revenues with Reels creators
Meta is also making its short video offering Reels available across more parts of its Facebook app apart from extending it to more than 150 countries.
BUSINESS
LinkedIn brings its Creator Accelerator programme to India
India is the second-largest market for LinkedIn after the United States with more than 85 million members in the country
STARTUP
Device management platform Servify buys 247around
247around specialises in at-home service of home appliances, consumer electronics and white goods.
BUSINESS
SoftBank-backed creator company Jellysmack enters India, plans to sign up 100 creators this year
Jellysmack works with over 500 influencer creators, including PewDiePie, MrBeast and Nas Daily
BUSINESS
Google plans to bring Privacy Sandbox to Android as it looks to limit cross-app tracking in apps
Google to support existing ads platform features for at least two years and provide 'substantial notice ahead of any future changes'.
BUSINESS
Twitter boosts its tips feature in India with Paytm integration
People will be able to link their Paytm account to their Twitter handle, enabling users to directly send them money through the tipping feature on the company's iOS and Android apps
BUSINESS
WazirX cofounder, SuperGaming launch Web3 games asset marketplace Tegro
Tegro is building game asset marketplaces for players, traders and institutional investors, enabling them to trade, hold and play with these assets
BUSINESS
After Free Fire ban, Garena says working to address the situation
Free Fire was the highest revenue generating app across Google Play and Apple's App Store in India in 2021
BUSINESS
Garena's Free Fire & 53 other China-linked apps banned in India
"On receipt of the interim order passed under Section 69A of the IT Act, following established process, we have notified the affected developers and have temporarily blocked access to the apps that remained available on the Play Store in India," the company said in a statement.
BUSINESS
Karnataka HC strikes down majority of the state's online gambling law as unconstitutional
The petitions challenged the constitutional validity of amendments made to the Karnataka Police (Amendment) Act that had banned all forms of online gaming where transfer of money is involved.
BUSINESS
YouTube's 2022 roadmap: NFT integration, immersive gaming videos and monetizing short videos
YouTube plans to introduce new features and capabilities for creators such as new video effects and editing tools along with the ability to reply to individual comments by creating a short video.
BUSINESS
Disney+ Hotstar's paid subscriber base rises to 45.9 million
Disney+ Hotstar is currently available in India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand
BUSINESS
Airmeet bags $35 million funding from Prosus Ventures, Sistema Asia, others
Airmeet's products support a range of multi-format events such as webinars, hybrid conferences, trade shows and workshops.
BUSINESS
SuperGaming ropes in WazirX cofounder Siddharth Menon as advisor for its crypto gaming initiatives
Blockchain-based and non-fungible token (NFT)-based gaming firms are gaining steam in India and are expected to be one of the key trends in the sector in 2022.
BUSINESS
Ola Electric has clocked less than 1,800 EV registrations since December 15: Govt data
Ola Electric recently raised over $200 million at a valuation of $5 billion from Tekne Private Ventures, Alpine Opportunity Fund, Edelweiss, and others.
