The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) will host the inaugural Startup India Innovation Week from January 10 to 16. Anurag Jain, DPIIT Secretary, told the media via virtual press conference that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to interact with startups and address Startup India Innovation Week on January 15 at 10.30 a.m. via video conferencing. This virtual week-long innovation celebration aims to commemorate the 75th year of India’s independence, dubbed ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav,’ and is intended to highlight the breadth and depth of entrepreneurship…

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Monday that startups can play a critical role in socialising and democratising the availability of healthcare around the world at a time when the world is grappling with the coronavirus pandemic,. Entrepreneurs should also focus on strengthening the Make in India programme, innovating in India, and mentoring young startups, according to him. “As the world is facing successive waves of this pandemic, our entrepreneurs must start thinking of making our startups more resilient… I think our startups can play a very important…

Pine Labs Pvt, an Asian digital payments provider backed by Sequoia India and Mastercard Inc., is moving forward with preparations for a US listing and hopes to raise $500 million, as per sources familiar with the matter. According to the people, the company has filed confidentially with the US Securities and Exchange Commission for an initial public offering in New York as early as the first half of this year. The listing could result in a valuation of $5.5 billion to $7 billion for Pine Labs, they said, declining to…

Indian microblogging platform Koo plans to introduce ‘WhatsApp Group like experiences’ on the platform for users with common interests this year, in addition to introducing live videos and other new product features According to CEO Aprameya Radhakrishna. The social media company is also looking for people from various backgrounds, such as former bureaucrats, journalists, and other personalities, to form an advisory board to “handle” a few situations involving hate speech or free speech that may arise each year, he said. “2021 was a very exciting year for us right from…

Groww’s founder, Lalit Keshre, announced that Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has joined the company as an investor and advisor. “Groww gets one of the best CEOs in the world as an investor and advisor. Glad to see @satyanadella joining us in our mission to make financial services accessible in India,” Keshre tweeted. Groww joined the coveted unicorn club in April of last year after raising $83 million led by Tiger Global. Within six months, the investment platform raised another $251 million in a new round of funding, bringing its valuation…

Andreessen Horowitz raised $9 billion to invest in a diverse range of startups, completing one of the largest venture capital fundraising campaigns. According to the firm’s announcement on Friday, the money is being invested in three new funds. More than half is invested in a growth fund aimed at more mature startups. The remainder is split between a general venture fund and a biotech and health fund. The fundraising effort outperforms one completed by Sequoia Capital in 2020, which raised approximately $7 billion. Andreessen Horowitz’s total assets under management now…

Shiprocket, an ecommerce shipping company, announced on Friday that it has “committed” to acquiring a 75 percent stake in Wigzo Tech, a customer data platform (CDP). Shiprocket said in a release that the proposed strategic acquisition will allow it to expand its product stack for online retailers onboarding its platform, among other things. Wigzo Tech specialises in meeting the ever-changing needs of ecommerce and direct-to-consumer brands. Shiprocket raised $185 million in a Series E round last month, with the proceeds going toward acquisitions and business expansion, among other things. According…