Tuesday, March 19

Author: Lavina Tolani

A computer engineer turned blogger, she has always been a writer at heart. It was the perfect combination of utilising her research and analytical skills and her enthusiasm for writing that sparked her interest in writing about the Indian startup ecosystem – the latest tech and gadgets and the startups that create them. She is always on the lookout for industry-specific stories in niche areas of interest such as e-commerce, fintech, green tech and more.
Isreal seeks help from India and others to build cyber sheild
MIDDLE EAST, News

Isreal seeks help from India and others to build cyber sheild

Middle East country Israel is partnering with several countries including India to develop state-level cyber shields via its nodal agency Israel National Cyber Directorate (INCD). According to Yigal Unna, director general, INCD, Isreal garners 20% of the total global private investments in cybersecurity and is now looking to strengthen its partnership with global nations to make its cyber world safer and more robust. Speaking in the context of increasing cyber threats, Unna said that they are becoming “bigger in quality and volume”. Unna further said that country's securing cyberspace of the country is one of the main objectives of the directorate, which today is a consolidated body after the merger of the National Cyber Authority and the National Cyber Bureau. Isreal strongly ...
OYO to Invest US$20 Million to Fuel its Malaysian Expansion
BUSINESS

OYO to Invest US$20 Million to Fuel its Malaysian Expansion

India’s largest budget hotel network and hospitality chain, OYO Hotels is gearing up to expand its operations in Malaysia and has committed an initial capital of US$20 million for the expansion. The company has plans to expand its Malaysian team from 50 to 500 employees where the leadership and employees will comprise of Malaysian locals. Commenting on the recent development, Abhinav Sinha, chief operating officer, OYO Hotels said, OYO plans to create more than 5,000 new jobs in Malaysia over the next few years, and achieve “twenty-fold increase” by onboarding 1,000 hotels over the next 12 months. We are looking to expand into Sarawak, adding on to the list of 50 hotels it has across major cities in Malaysia, including Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Langkawi, Johor and Melaka. According to Sin...
Reliance Industries to Acquire Telecom Solutions firm Radisys Corporation
ACQUISITION

Reliance Industries to Acquire Telecom Solutions firm Radisys Corporation

Reliance Industries is gearing to acquire Nasdaq listed telecom solutions provider Radisys Corporation for a whopping $75 million i.e approx (Rs. 510 crores), a move that would push it into an Internet of Things and 5G through Reliance Jio Infocomm. According to the sources, RIL will pay $1.72 per share in cash for the buyout which will bolster Mukesh Ambani owned company's positioning as a telecom company. In its official company statement, Reliance Jio director Akash Ambani said, "This acquisition further accelerates (Reliance) Jio’s global innovation and technology leadership in the areas of 5G, IOT and open source architecture adoption."   Speaking on the development, Akash Ambani further said, "Radisys top-class management and engineering team offer Reliance rapid innovat...
Infibeam to raise 2000 Cr to set up its payments bank
BUSINESS

Infibeam to raise 2000 Cr to set up its payments bank

Ahmedabad based E-commerce Major Infibeam is now ready to expand its business in IT segment as it looking forward to setting up its payment bank along with raising $292 Mn (INR 2000 Cr). In a recent company's general meeting held on June 28, 2018 shareholders have approved a change in the company name from “Infibeam Incorporation Limited” to "Infibeam Avenues Limited", according to a regulatory filing. The company has sought shareholders approval to apply for authorisation from Reserve Bank of India for its payment bank. It is also approached the apex body to seek approval to explore the business opportunity in the manufacturing of IT hardware. Post-RBI Approval, Infibeam wants to leverage its financial technology and expand business in the domain to issue all kind of prepaid paym...
Google launches Indie Accelerator Programme for Asian Startups
Tech

Google launches Indie Accelerator Programme for Asian Startups

Google has announced a new four-month training programme for gaming startups and developers in Asia as a special edition of Google Launchpad Accelerator. Dubbed as "Indie Games Accelerator Programme", Google is targetting gaming start-ups based in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand or Vietnam who will have an opportunity to work with mentors from Google and the gaming industry.   Anuj Gulati, Developer Marketing Manager, Google Play, stated in a blog post, We're always looking for new ways to support developers. So, as a special edition of the Launchpad Accelerator, we're announcing a new four-month Indie Gaming Accelerator to train promising developers from these countries in Asia. How will startups benefit from the program? Under the p...
Egypt to Combat “False News” By Monitoring Social Media Users
MIDDLE EAST

Egypt to Combat “False News” By Monitoring Social Media Users

Freedom of Expression may shrink further in Egypt has lawmakers have agreed to the reading of a bill that would monitor popular social media users in the name of combating "false news". It is interesting to note that Facebook and Twitter have been the centre of debate in Egypt since November 2013 ban on all but police-approved gatherings. According to the Association of Freedom of Thought and Expression (AFTE), more than 500 websites have so far been blocked in Egypt. On June 10, parliament has given a nod for the reading of the bill that was pending ratification by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. The bill will place internet users with at least 5,000 followers under the supervision of Egypt's Supreme Council for Media Regulation. This will enable council the right to suspend or b...
Ecommerce Logistic firm Delhivery seeks $350 Mn IPO in coming months
Market

Ecommerce Logistic firm Delhivery seeks $350 Mn IPO in coming months

E-commerce logistics company Delhivery is gearing up for capital market debut with a $350-million (2,500 crores) initial public offer in coming months, a move that will mark first e-logistics listing in the country. Delhivery has hired leading firms Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Citigroup and Kotak to look after its IPO process. The IPO will witness a mix of primary and secondary sale as the Gurgaon based company is seeking a valuation of $2-2.8 billion as informed by the sources. It is interesting to note that company earlier raised $100 million from Carlyle and Tiger Global and another %30 million from Chinese giant Fosun Group in 2017. Back in 2015, it raised about $85 mn from Nexus Venture Partners, Multiples Alternate Asset Management, Tiger Global and Times Internet. Delhi...
Reliance Jio OS Provider Raises Investment From Google
News

Reliance Jio OS Provider Raises Investment From Google

Google is increasingly pushing itself as a startup investor as it has invested $22 million into KaiOS, the company that has built an eponymous operating system for feature phones that packs a range of native apps and other smartphone-like services. Under the new partnership, Google services like Assistant, Maps, YouTube, and Google Search will be available to KaiOS users, as informed by the Hong Kong company in a post. KaiOS CEO Sebastien Codeville in a statement, This funding will help us fast-track development and global deployment of KaiOS-enabled smart feature phones, allowing us to connect the vast population that still cannot access the internet, especially in emerging markets. It is interesting to note that KaiOS has played a significant role in pushing feature phone demand ...
Jaguar Reveals its First Electric Car I-Pace
News

Jaguar Reveals its First Electric Car I-Pace

While the automotive industry is gearing up for next Electric Vehicle boom in the world, luxury vehicle brand of Indian Tata Motors, Jaguar has finally unveiled its first production electric vehicle-the I-Pace. It is interesting to note that Jaguar had first showcased the iPace concept in 2016 and now in 2018, the production-spec version of the all-electric SUV has is nearing its global debut in a couple of days at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show. Jaguar had been extensively testing the car and in fact, the design, according to Ian Callum, Jaguar Director of Design, 'is developed by using physics'. As per auto experts, the new electric vehicle will amp up competition for rival Tesla Model X. The company has confirmed that it has successfully tested the SUV across Europe in temperatures ra...
Healthy Snack Bar Company raises Rs. 3.43 Cr Funding from Sprout Venture
FUNDING

Healthy Snack Bar Company raises Rs. 3.43 Cr Funding from Sprout Venture

Eat Anytime parent's company Wholesome Habits Pvt. Ltd. which sells healthy snack bars has raised $500,000 (Rs. 3.43 crore) seed funding from an early stage investment firm Sprout Venture Partners along with a clutch of high net worth individuals. Rishit Sanghvi, founder of Wholesome Habits said on the recent development, "The funding would be primarily used for marketing, branding, increasing the distribution network and launching new products within healthy snack category." Started in 2016, the Mumbai based company was founded by Rishit Sanghvi and Rohit Garodia. In addition, the company also in-house chefs, technologist, and dieticians for product curation. With over more than 500 stores in Pune, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad, the company also sells through an onl...
5 Best Tech Gifts Under $500
Tech

5 Best Tech Gifts Under $500

Bringing Joy and Happiness in the life of our loved ones is one of the most overwhelming feelings one can encounter in life. Given the fast-paced technology-driven times we are living in, what could be better than gifting some fabulous gadgets to your pals, friends or family. The surprising part, these gadgets need not be exorbitantly priced! Believe it or not, If you are looking for some of the handiest tech options that come reasonably priced, we have got it sorted for you with our list of top gadgets under $500  for your tech-savvy family, friends, and companions.     xFyro waterproof earbuds:  Price: $125 to $349     When it comes to earbuds, xfyro cannot afford to have your complaints! The award-winning engineers at xFyro audio created the most advanced pair of *waterproof earbuds* o...
Wow Express raises $4.5 Mn from Tamarind Family Trust
FUNDING

Wow Express raises $4.5 Mn from Tamarind Family Trust

Wow Express, a Mumbai based E-commerce platform has raised $4.5 Mn in a Series A round of funding from existing investor Tamarind Family Private Trust of the Mansukhani family, the owner of the consumer durable brand Onida. The latest Series A round also included previously issued compulsorily convertible debentures, which converted along with this round. The company is looking forward to using the freshly raised capital in expanding its geographical presence, strengthening its technology platform and senior management team. Sandeep Padoshi, co-founder of WOW Express said, “We want to expand our e-commerce footprint, from the current 42 cities to over 100 cities in the next 12 months. We are also in talks to bring on board professional executives for our chief operating officer and chi...