Indian startups racked up $10 billion in Q1 2022 led by late-stage funding deals

Even as the global startup ecosystem begins to talk about a slowdown in dealmaking due to macroeconomic challenges, Indian companies raised more than $10 billion in the first quarter of 2022, up from $5.7 billion in the same time of 2021, according to Venture Intelligence statistics. Because official deal announcements often take a few months after closing, the record-breaking first quarter funding data does not account for the present downturn. A rise in US interest rates, rising geopolitical tensions as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, record-high fuel prices,…

Spacetech startup Pixxel launches ‘Shakuntala’ satellite with Elon Musk’s SpaceX

Pixxel, a spacetech startup, has successfully launched its first full-fledged commercial satellite, dubbed ‘Shakuntala,’ using SpaceX’s Falcon-9 rocket, which is run by Elon Musk. ‘Shakuntala,’ Pixxel’s first fully-fledged satellite, hosts one of the highest resolution hyperspectral commercial cameras ever flown to orbit, putting the company one step closer to developing a 24×7 health monitor for the globe, according to the company. This launch, which took place on Friday on SpaceX’s Transporter-4 mission from Cape Canaveral, Florida, gets the business closer to completing its ambitious aim of assembling one of the…

Hackers duped Apple, Meta and other tech firms with forged data requests for user information

Apple and Meta were deceived into revealing the data of some of its users with hackers according to esports. The companies supplied the information in response to fictitious emergency data demands from hackers posing as law enforcement officers. It has recently been discovered that fake emergency demands for data extraction from businesses have been going on for quite some time. According to Bloomberg, Apple and Meta, Facebook’s parent corporation, provided hackers with information such as a user’s address, phone number, and IP address. As a result of the faked requests,…

Tech-enabled GarageWorks raises $1M in a pre-Series A round

GarageWorks, a Pune-based technology-enabled B2C startup that provides two-wheeler servicing to customers through a convenient at-home process, announced that it has raised $1 million (Rs 7.5 crore) in a pre-Series A funding round led by Hiten Shah, Gowri Narayanan, Ram Trichur, Fred Towfigh, Abhijeet Kumar, and Munendra Singh (ex-founders of BB Daily). Following an initial angel round, this is the company’s second round of funding. Dr. Aniruddha Malpani, Pawan Sharma (ex-CEO of KPIT Technologies), Gautham Radhakrishnan, and Gaurav Malhotra were among the existing investors who took part in this round….

Vedantu on track to be ‘IPO-ready’ in 18-24 months

Vedantu, an edtech startup, announced on Thursday that it is on pace to be “IPO-ready” in 18-24 months and is optimistic about India’s market prospects, which give plenty of room for expansion. The scorching pace of growth in online learning has slowed a little as COVID-19 cases fade and offline learning modalities emerge, but the business is still producing impressive growth numbers, according to the report. According to the business, 90-95 percent of the industry is still untapped, giving edtech companies plenty of room to grow. Vedantu stated that it…

Stanza Living acquires Singularity Automation to strengthen its tech ecosystem

Stanza Living, a coliving operator, has acquired Singularity Automation, an enterprise Internet of Things (IoT) platform, in an all-cash purchase to strengthen its technological ecosystem. The sale value was not disclosed by Gurugram-based Stanza Living, which provides managed lodgings to students and working people. Stanza Living stated in a statement that the acquisition will improve its in-house technology ecosystem, which acts as the company’s backbone. It will also help the company focus more intensely on building highly customised IoT-based solutions for the managed accommodation sector. Singularity Automation, backed by IvyCap…

OneCode has raised $13 million in fresh funding led by General Catalyst

OneCode, a platform that connects financial businesses with on-the-ground resellers, has raised $13 million (about Rs 100 crore) in a new round of funding headed by General Catalyst, according to a prepared statement released on Thursday. Existing investors in the round included Sequoia Capital India’s Surge, Nexus Venture Partners, and Waterbridge Ventures. Angel investors included Vidit Aatrey and Sanjeev Barnwal, cofounders of Meesho; Madhusudanan R, inventor of M2P; Vikas Choudhary, president of Reliance Jio, DSP Family Office, and Reddy Futures Fund, among others. The funds will be used to hire…

IIT Kanpur professor invents technology for bone regeneration

A professor at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur has developed a technique for regenerating bones by mixing two chemicals into a paste and injecting it into the affected area. The bioactive chemicals will be carried by the ceramic-based mixture, which will aid in bone regrowth. Ashok Kumar, a professor in the department of biosciences and bioengineering, who made the technology, said, “This will make an artificial bone like a natural one. From India’s point of view, it can be called a revolution in medical science.” An agreement to…

Femtech D2C startup Healthfab raises $286K in funding led by Beyondseed, others

Healthfab, a Bengaluru-based femtech direct-to-consumer (D2C) firm, announced today that it has raised Rs 2.17 crore in a seed fundraising round headed by Singapore-based Beyondseed, with angel investors Goh Ee Fann and Abhijit Datta participating. Healthfab was formed in 2019 by Kiriti Acharjee, Saurav Chakraborty, and Satyajit Chakraborty with the goal of providing cheap solutions for a healthy and sustainable human life. The company’s primary product, ‘GoPadFree,’ was created to provide comfort to women while also promoting a more plastic-free society. In a statement, the company stated that these panties…

Chennai-based Wiz Freight raises $36M in funding led by Tiger Global, others

Wiz Freight, a Chennai-based tech-enabled freight management platform for exporters and importers, announced today that it has raised Rs 275 crore ($36 million) in a new financing round led by Tiger Global, a US-based venture capital firm. Other investors who took part in the round included Axilor Foundamental, Arali Ventures, Stride Ventures, and Alteria Capital. Wiz Freight is a tech platform that allows exporters and importers in emerging markets to book and manage cross-border shipments. It was founded in August 2020 by serial entrepreneurs Ramkumar Govindarajan and Ramkumar Ramachandran. Shippers…