Temasek said to join Mohalla Tech funding round at $5-bn valuation

India’s Mohalla Tech Pvt., the company behind social media platform ShareChat and short-video app Moj, is looking to attract more funding at a valuation of $5 billion. The Bangalore-based startup is in early talks for the series H round with Singapore state investor Temasek Holdings Pte and Indian digital media group Times Internet Ltd., according to people who asked not to be identified because the information is confidential. According to the sources, the company might raise at least $200 million. Google, owned by Alphabet Inc., is also considering joining in…

Chalo acquires shared mobility startup Vogo in a share-swap deal

Chalo, a mobile app that allows users to track buses between cities and book bus tickets online, has announced the acquisition of Vogo, a two-wheeler shared mobility startup. According to a source familiar with the situation, the arrangement is a stock swap between the two companies and does not include any cash payments from Chalo to Vogo. Vogo will expand its bus technology services by providing first- and last-mile trips at major bus stations and other public locations, according to Chalo. In a statement, Chalo stated, “This would enable crores…

Artificial neurons go quantum with photonic circuits

At the heart of all artificial intelligence applications are mathematical models called neural networks. The biological structure of the human brain, which is made up of interconnected nodes, inspired these models. Neural networks can be mathematically trained by tuning their internal structure until they are capable of human-level tasks, such as recognising our faces, interpreting medical images for diagnosis, and even driving our cars, much like our brain learns by constantly rearranging the connections between neurons. Having integrated devices capable of swiftly and efficiently completing the computations necessary in neural networks has thus become a major academic and corporate research priority. The development of the memristor in 2008 was one of the key game changers in the area. The memory-resistor, or memristor, is a device that adjusts its resistance based on a memory of a previous current. Scientists noticed very away that the unique behaviour of memristors was remarkably comparable to that of neural synapses (among many other applications). As a result, the memristor has become a crucial component in neuromorphic designs. Prof. Philip…

SaaS startup Postman invests Rs 2 crore for API lab at BITS Pilani

Postman, a software as a service (SaaS) company, announced on Monday that it will invest Rs 2 crore to create an API Lab at the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani (BITS Pilani) to encourage API literacy among students and prospective developers. The API Lab at BITS Pilani, which is set to debut in December 2022, will foster interest in APIs and give a venue for students to develop new skills by brainstorming, developing, and experimenting with new ideas, according to the business. As part of Postman’s Student Programme,…

Integration Wizards acquisition to help expand into new markets, says SparkCognition

SparkCognition, a Silicon Valley unicorn, announced on Sunday that it had acquired Bengaluru-based visual AI firm Integration Wizards, allowing it to grow into new areas such as retail, mining, and construction. Integration Wizards will also help SparkCognition expand further into established areas such as energy, industry, and government, according to the company. Last Monday, AI firm SparkCognition announced the signing of a “definitive deal” to purchase Integration Wizards. SparkCognition’s basic AI capabilities, notably visual AI, will be enhanced by Integration Wizards. According to SparkCognition CTO Sridhar Sudarshan, this expands the…

GAISA 2022: An event supported by Meity to address the prominence of AI

The All India Council for robotics and automation, a non-profit organization working for the development and adoption of artificial intelligence on a global scale has announced the return of its prestigious event Global artificial intelligence summit and awards (GAISA). The summit supported by the ministry of electronics and information technology will take place 14th and 15th of September 2022 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The GAISA event is devoted to addressing the prominence of artificial intelligence and related technologies in different sectors such as Healthcare, agriculture, education, smart city, mobility,…

B2B fintech startup Rupifi raises $8M in a venture debt round from Alteria Capital

Rupifi, a Bengaluru-based fintech firm that offers SMEs on B2B marketplaces a flexible BNPL credit line, announced today that it has secured $8 million in a venture debt round led by Alteria Capital, Trifecta Capital, and Innoven Capital. Rupifi, founded in 2020 by Anubhav Jain, Ankit Singh, and Jawaid Iqbal, provides embedded financing solutions to B2B marketplaces through its finance platform. Small enterprises (SMEs) in industries such as food, pharmaceuticals, fashion, electronics, agriculture, and general items are now served by the startup. The platform provides B2B BNPL (buy now, pay…

Glance acquires Gambit to bring NFT-based live gaming on lock screens

Glance, a Singapore-based startup that utilises artificial intelligence to provide personalised content to smartphone lock screens, announced today that it has acquired Gambit Sports, an India-based gaming company, to bring NFT-based live gaming to lock screens throughout the world. Glance said five weeks ago that it was funding $200 million (about Rs 1,507 crore) to expand in Asia and launch in key global markets such as the United States, Brazil, Mexico, and Russia. Glance will achieve its goal of being the largest platform for NFT-based live gaming experiences for Gen-Z…

Medtech startup MedisimVR raises Rs 3.5 crore in a pre-Series A round led by Inflection Point Ventures

MedisimVR, a med-tech startup based in Cambridge and Chennai that specialises in healthcare simulation, announced today that it has raised Rs 3.5 crore (US$458K) in a pre-Series A funding round headed by Inflection Point Ventures, a Gurugram-based angel investment group. Chennai Angels and Jana Balasubramaniam also took part in the round (MedTech investor). The funds will be used to expand the company’s product offering and add more skill training content to its library, according to the announcement. MediSimVR was founded in 2017 with the goal of making comprehensive medical training…

SparkCognition acquires Bangalore-based AI startup Integration Wizards

SparkCognition, a provider of artificial intelligence (AI) software solutions, announced on Friday that it has reached a definitive deal to buy Integration Wizards, a visual AI player, for an unknown sum. It intends to expand its IP portfolio to incorporate computer vision capabilities as part of this acquisition in order to add value to its industry solutions. The technique, according to SparkCognition, makes use of new and diverse data sets such as CCTV feeds, drone footage, video from portable devices, and current camera infrastructures. Safety, security, visual inspection, productivity, and…