News for 'Venture Intelligence'

Despite regulatory uncertainties, investors betting big on Web3 startups

Despite regulatory uncertainties, investors betting big on Web3 startups

Rediff.com21 Nov 2022

If you are a budding developer and interested in Web3, chances are that you will be headed to one of India's largest-ever meetings of Web3 developers, being held by Polygon, a Web3 platform. The company's ongoing "Web3: Made in India Tour" is expected to see close to 4,000 developers coming together at the inaugural Polygon Connect event in Bengaluru on December 1. The event highlights the growing dominance of Web3 developers from India, as well as the sector's rising interest to investors, who continue to invest in startups despite a funds crunch.

Skylark Drones raises $3 mn to fuel international expansion

Skylark Drones raises $3 mn to fuel international expansion

Rediff.com6 Jul 2021

Skylark Drones, a leading drone platform company that counts Tata Steel, Ultratech Cement, Softbank Energy among its customers has secured $3 million in a pre-series A funding round. It would use the funding to strengthen its product offerings and fuel international expansion.

Byju's raises $200 mn in fresh funding; valuation surges to $12 bn

Byju's raises $200 mn in fresh funding; valuation surges to $12 bn

Rediff.com23 Nov 2020

While BlackRock is an existing investor in Byju's, T Rowe joined as a new investor.

'Peace has not been 'miraculously restored' in Kashmir'

'Peace has not been 'miraculously restored' in Kashmir'

Rediff.com3 Aug 2022

'A threatened people should not be forcibly held in a place where their lives may be at risk.'

Ratan Tata, Narayana Murthy, Nilekani bet big on start-ups

Ratan Tata, Narayana Murthy, Nilekani bet big on start-ups

Rediff.com6 Apr 2016

The family office category was up 38 per cent, led by names such as Ratan Tata, Ronnie Screwvala and various Infosys co-founders.

Amazon seeks to acquire complete control of Prione

Amazon seeks to acquire complete control of Prione

Rediff.com22 Dec 2021

E-commerce major Amazon on Wednesday said it will acquire Prione Business Services - its joint venture firm with Catamaran, subject to requisite regulatory approvals. Prione Business Services was formed in 2014 and was coming up for renewal on May 19, 2022. In August this year, Amazon and NR Narayana Murthy's Catamaran announced that they will not continue their JV beyond May 2022. The two parties had not disclosed the reason behind the decision.

'Centre can't abdicate its responsibility'

'Centre can't abdicate its responsibility'

Rediff.com24 Apr 2023

'The Centre and state need to take a unified approach and take concerted action before this matter assumes menacing proportions because unemployment, the drug trade and the levels of frustration among the youth make them vulnerable to any maverick who promises something better.'

Byju's is raising $300 mn, valuation may touch $18 bn

Byju's is raising $300 mn, valuation may touch $18 bn

Rediff.com5 Oct 2021

Byju's is raising about Rs 2,200 crore ($300 million) as part of a larger round of new investment as the world's most valuable edtech company focuses on expanding its business in global markets and explores to do more acquisitions. According to industry sources, the new funding may value Bengaluru-based Byju's at $18 billion, up from a valuation of $16.5 billion in June this year. In June, Byju's became India's most valuable unicorn with a valuation of $16.5 billion, surpassing fintech company Paytm's $16 billion valuation.

South-based firms saw fund infusion of $6.5 billion since 2014

South-based firms saw fund infusion of $6.5 billion since 2014

Rediff.com30 Aug 2018

A steady demand environment, prudent debt management and faster absorption of office space gave them an edge over others.

India is on the cusp of major AI innovation: Nilekani

India is on the cusp of major AI innovation: Nilekani

Rediff.com28 May 2021

Aadhaar architect Nandan Nilekani on Friday India is well-placed on the government and businesses fronts to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) in unique ways to solve challenges and tap into opportunities. Nilekani noted that over the last few years, the government has focussed on how to make transactions more efficient and effective, which has driven digitisation across the board. He added that as a byproduct of this, huge data now across systems has been generated and that the time is right to apply AI across the board to India's most challenging issues across areas like healthcare and education.

7 Indian-Americans in Forbes' list of richest people in US

7 Indian-Americans in Forbes' list of richest people in US

Rediff.com8 Sep 2020

The seven Indian-Americans are cybersecurity firm ZScaler CEO Jay Chaudhry, founder and chairman of Symphony Technology Group Romesh Wadhwani, cofounder and CEO of online home goods retailer Wayfair Niraj Shah, Silicon Valley venture capital firm Khosla Ventures founder Vinod Khosla, managing partner of Sherpalo Ventures Kavitark Ram Shriram, Airline veteran Rakesh Gangwal and Workday CEO and co-founder Aneel Bhusri.

Murthy-Amazon tax dispute draws in son-in-law Sunak

Murthy-Amazon tax dispute draws in son-in-law Sunak

Rediff.com14 Jun 2021

"Reaching an international agreement on how large digital companies are taxed has been a priority for the chancellor since he took office," said a spokesperson for his UK treasury office. "The chancellor's consistent position has been that it matters where tax is paid, and any agreement must ensure digital businesses pay tax in the UK that reflects their economic activities. That is what our taxpayers would expect and is the right thing," the spokesperson said.

The myth and magic of unicorns

The myth and magic of unicorns

Rediff.com22 Apr 2021

Becoming a unicorn is surely a marker for a company in its growth story, but it's not a major achievement nor is it a turning point of any significant worth.

How Shark Tank India 1 Winners Fared

How Shark Tank India 1 Winners Fared

Rediff.com14 Jan 2023

Of the 23 companies, eight have raised funds after Shark Tank India.

PE inflows into proptech firms rise to $741 mn in 2021

PE inflows into proptech firms rise to $741 mn in 2021

Rediff.com14 Jul 2022

Private equity investments in proptech firms rose 35 per cent to $741 million last year as investors sought to tap huge opportunities amid rising use of technology in the realty sector, Housing.com said. Proptech firms that are providing solution in sales and marketing, and construction management got 69 per cent of the total funds. Inflow of funds into proptech firms stood at $551 million in 2020. Between 2009 and 2021, the proptech players in India received a total of $3.2 billion Private Equity(PE) investments.

PE investments in India up 74%; highest in 6 years

PE investments in India up 74%; highest in 6 years

Rediff.com25 Feb 2014

The investments exceeded the $2 billion mark for the first time in 6 years.

'Terrorism in Kashmir will remain a chronic problem'

'Terrorism in Kashmir will remain a chronic problem'

Rediff.com17 Aug 2022

'There is a sustainable level of residual terrorism that will be difficult to handle as long as Pakistani support and safe havens are available.'

Adani inks JV with EdgeConnex for data centre business

Adani inks JV with EdgeConnex for data centre business

Rediff.com24 Feb 2021

Adani Enterprises, the flagship company of the Adani group, on Monday said it had entered into a 50:50 joint venture (JV) with EdgeConnex, a leading global data centre operator, to develop and operate data centres across India. The idea behind the JV, AdaniConneX, was to leverage the two partners' complementary expertise and capabilities, it said. In addition to full-scale data centres, AdaniConneX will also develop a portfolio of Edge data centres strategically located across the country to address the need for more proximate capacity.

PE investments up 27% to $3 bn in Jul-Sep quarter

PE investments up 27% to $3 bn in Jul-Sep quarter

Rediff.com20 Nov 2014

A quarterly study of PE investment activity based on data provided by Venture Intelligence, such funds in the third quarter of this year totalled $3.01 billion through 103 deals, according to the PwC MoneyTree India report.

Worst over, funding crunch eases for start-ups

Worst over, funding crunch eases for start-ups

Rediff.com22 Jun 2017

There were fewer Series-B deals this year versus last, but more money was raised

Former ISRO chief pitches for ramping up space assets amid China standoff

Former ISRO chief pitches for ramping up space assets amid China standoff

Rediff.com11 Sep 2020

He said in almost all areas of security-related activities, the space -- earth observation, communication and electronic intelligence, among other things -- plays a very major role.

FMCG firms see value in fast-growing, high-margin spices biz

FMCG firms see value in fast-growing, high-margin spices biz

Rediff.com24 Aug 2020

The fast-growing, high-margin branded spices business is turning out to be an interesting growth opportunity, which to an extent was reflected in the Sunrise-ITC deal, with multiple parties from PE to strategic players joining the fray.

Any military drone from Pak will be shot down: Lt Gen Kler

Any military drone from Pak will be shot down: Lt Gen Kler

Rediff.com25 Sep 2019

Lt Gen Kler said the systems and radars of the Indian armed forces are in place.

Chinese investors are suddenly in love with Indian startups

Chinese investors are suddenly in love with Indian startups

Rediff.com2 Jan 2020

Not just from the likes of Alibaba and Didi Chuxing, Indian startups saw a surge in Chinese funding from financial investors in 2019. This is a seven-fold jump from $459 million in 2016.

Why Raghuram Rajan Raced At RBI

Why Raghuram Rajan Raced At RBI

Rediff.com13 Jan 2023

The speed at which he led the central bank in different areas -- ranging from internal reorganisation to inflation fighting, stabilising the currency, taking on rogue corporations, cleaning up bank balance sheets, and opening the sector -- makes one believe that Rajan knew he had only three years to do his job. A fascinating excerpt from Tamal Bandyopadhyay's MUST-READ Roller Coaster: An Affair with Banking.

PS-1: Mani Ratnam's Magic Works Again, Yet...

PS-1: Mani Ratnam's Magic Works Again, Yet...

Rediff.com3 Oct 2022

Ponniyin Selvan has everything going for it, yet, there is something missing for a wholesome film experience, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.

People told to stay in as JK anti-terror ops continue

People told to stay in as JK anti-terror ops continue

Rediff.com19 Oct 2021

As the counter-insurgency operation in the forest belt of Jammu and Kashmir's twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri entered the ninth day on Tuesday, public announcements were made in Mendhar asking local residents to stay indoors for their safety, officials said.

Nandan Nilekani invests in RailYatri

Nandan Nilekani invests in RailYatri

Rediff.com27 Apr 2016

The app uses a traveller's mobile GPS to predict a train's delay.

Edtech sector in crisis as Covid curbs ease; hybrid model offers hope

Edtech sector in crisis as Covid curbs ease; hybrid model offers hope

Rediff.com10 Jun 2022

The reopening of schools and colleges has sparked a crisis in the edtech sector with falling valuations, slowing funding rounds and faltering investor sentiment. In a totally altered, post-pandemic landscape where students are back at school and colleges, companies are scrambling to revert to bricks-and-mortar tuition centres and adopting a hybrid model of offline and online education. Demand for online tuition has fallen, affecting the revenue of edtech companies in recent months. After two years of booming revenues, some experts say the sector is looking at a possible meltdown.

Corporate, PE investments in EV start-ups grow 170%

Corporate, PE investments in EV start-ups grow 170%

Rediff.com4 Dec 2019

The $306-million investment in Ola Electric Mobility by SoftBank Corp, Arun Sarin Family, Ratan Tata and Matrix has been the biggest funding in this space in value terms this year.

'We are the eyes and brain of the missile'

'We are the eyes and brain of the missile'

Rediff.com15 Feb 2021

'Our sensors allow the missile to locate and identify the target even if it's on the move.'

Cleric funded by ISI held for religious conversion: UP police

Cleric funded by ISI held for religious conversion: UP police

Rediff.com22 Sep 2021

Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui was arrested by the ATS, which is probing the racket, at around 9 pm on Tuesday from Meerut, Additional Director General (ADG), Law and Order, Prashant Kumar said.

Hindujas's 1.2 Billion Project Makes Waves

Hindujas's 1.2 Billion Project Makes Waves

Rediff.com22 Jan 2022

'Our family philosophy is to build a bridge between India and Britain.'

LOVE GURU: 'I look typically Indian so boys don't like me'

LOVE GURU: 'I look typically Indian so boys don't like me'

Rediff.com7 Oct 2022

'Sooner or later the right kind of guy will come along, who likes you for who you are, not based on the clothes you wear,' says Love Guru.

Rise of Cars24, India's latest unicorn

Rise of Cars24, India's latest unicorn

Rediff.com6 Dec 2020

Co-founders of India's latest unicorn expected Covid-19 to be a speed breaker; instead it accelerated sales. Cars24 now enjoys more than 90 per cent market share among all other similar online transaction platforms. Dhruv Munjal traces the birth of this used-cars platform.

Start-ups, IPL auctions & the Veblen Effect

Start-ups, IPL auctions & the Veblen Effect

Rediff.com11 Mar 2022

India added three unicorns per month in 2021 to nearly double the overall number to about 85 at last count. And there are many gazelles and cheetahs in the pipeline. All gunning to be unicorns (and then decacorns) soon thereafter, notes Sandeep Goyal.

A peculiar problem plagues India's AI roadmap

A peculiar problem plagues India's AI roadmap

Rediff.com5 Jun 2019

National artificial intelligence unit stuck for lack of anchor department

'I wish my mother was there to support me'

'I wish my mother was there to support me'

Rediff.com9 May 2021

Readers share their mom's special qualities.

How to write a CV that will get you a JOB

How to write a CV that will get you a JOB

Rediff.com1 Jun 2021

You can pitch yourself as the perfect candidate by highlighting your skills, the relationship between your experience and the job, and your willingness to learn.

Old India is still sceptical about investing in start-ups

Old India is still sceptical about investing in start-ups

Rediff.com16 Aug 2019

Though startups find 17 mentions in the Budget speech of the finance minister, and have been promised tax exemptions, the reality is that only 2 per cent of the 4,648 applications received from startups for income tax exemption had been approved as of February 2019, according to an answer to a Parliament question. As India's startup space bubbles with activity - new, young players are tapping into opportunities opening up - there are local anti-portfolio stories circulating about investors missing opportunities in 'unicorns', or companies that have reached valuation of $ 1 billion, says Vandana Gombar.