Community engagement platform Unstop raises $5mn in funding

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August 2, 2023

Unstop, a community engagement and hiring platform for students and graduates, on Tuesday said it had raised $5 million from Japan-based human resources firm Mynavi, online education provider Coursera and others.

The Delhi-based startup is Coursera’s first India-based investment. According to a statement, Unstop will use the funds to enhance its technology, marketing, product, and sales functions.

Mynavi led the funding round and is one of Japan’s most prominent human resources firms. Other investors in the round included Venture Catalysts and 9Unicorns.

Ankit Aggarwal founded Unstop, which enables users to learn, upskill, showcase their skills, gain curriculum vitae points, and get hired. According to the company, the talent community includes around 6 million students and early talent from over 20,000 colleges, with approximately 2 million monthly active users.

“This funding is a significant milestone for Unstop as our investors form a unique blend, coming together from various parts of the world and different domains (EdTech + HRTech) and supporting us in our journey with their vote of confidence on our robust proposition,” Aggarwal said.

There are 40 million students currently enrolled in Indian education at an undergraduate or postgraduate level. Over 5,000 companies are engaging with campuses across domains.

“Mynavi is dedicated to addressing challenges in India, investing in start-ups for HR and education. Supporting Unstop can make our vision a reality to work towards bridging skill gaps for freshers and professionals. We are excited to collaborate as a major HR provider in Japan and expand Unstop,” Hidekazu Ito, managing director at Mynavi Solution India, said.

Before founding UnStop in 2017, Aggarwal was director of operations at Crownit, a market research platform. “We are excited to partner with Unstop to advance our shared vision for skills-based hiring in India. Coursera is committed to empowering learners, and through this investment, we aim to expand opportunities for students, helping them unlock their true potential and access diverse career pathways,” Apurva Shah, VP of Corporate Strategy and Financial Planning at Coursera, said.

Fireflies.ai launches private storage for enterprises

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August 1, 2023

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Fireflies.ai, a leading generative AI startup known for its meeting assistant and AI notetaker, has launched Private Storage—a dedicated, isolated infrastructure for enterprises that handle sensitive data.

The new offering will enable customers to choose where their data is stored, giving them complete control to meet industry and regional regulations. Healthcare companies, for example, may prefer storage in the US to comply with HIPAA regulations, whereas multinational corporations may prefer storage in the EU to comply with GDPR. Customers can also use Private Storage to bring their storage buckets in AWS’s S3 or GCP’s Google Cloud Storage. This provides customers complete data control, including permission control, privacy, auditability, and data lifecycle management.

Fireflies Private Storage complements the company’s existing security practices, which include SOC 2 Type 2 certification, GDPR compliance, end-to-end encryption, access controls, and rigorous third-party security audits. In addition, the company has Business Associate Agreements (BAA) and zero-day retention policies with vendors such as OpenAI to ensure that specific third parties retain no customer data.

“Data privacy and security have always been central to our product philosophy at Fireflies.ai. We safeguard customers’ voice, video, and transcription data to ensure our AI works in lockstep with what global security and IT teams require. Private Storage now takes security, privacy, and compliance to the next level for our enterprise clients,” said Fireflies CEO Krish Ramineni.

Private Storage customers retain complete data ownership and can customize policies for access permissions, retention, and more. Fireflies-managed or customer-owned storage options are available for Enterprise plan customers.

“As leaders in the generative AI space, we’re committed to steering customers into the future with robust data security and privacy tools. This is not something that is easy to accomplish for AI companies working with large language models (LLMs), but at Fireflies, every engineering decision starts with security at the core,” explains Fireflies CTO Sam Udotong.

Private Storage is key to Fireflies’ growing customer portfolio in healthcare, finance, legal, and other regulated industries. Organizations can now request access to the enterprise offering with private storage as an add-on, beginning today.

The future of cooling – predictions and trends in solar air conditioning technology

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July 31, 2023

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Author – Mr. Ashutosh Verma, founder of Exalta India

The world is currently facing a critical challenge in climate change. We must prioritize eco-friendly and sustainable solutions in all aspects of our lives, including cooling technologies. Traditional air conditioning systems heavily rely on non-renewable energy sources, exacerbating environmental concerns. However, solar air conditioning presents a promising solution that can help mitigate the adverse effects of climate change.

Increased Efficiency and Affordability

With advancements in solar panel technology and cooling system design, solar air conditioners are becoming more efficient and cost-effective. Improved photovoltaic cells, energy storage systems, and innovative cooling techniques are driving down costs and enhancing overall performance. This increased efficiency is making solar air conditioning systems accessible to a wide range of consumers, leading to greater adoption and market growth.

Integration of Smart Technology

The future of solar air conditioning lies in the integration of smart technology. Internet of Things (IoT) devices, machine learning algorithms, and artificial intelligence can be utilized to optimize the performance of solar air conditioners. Intelligent algorithms can analyze and respond to real-time data, adjusting cooling levels based on occupancy, temperature changes, and weather conditions. This not only maximizes energy savings but also enhances user comfort and experience.

Advancements in Thermal Energy Storage

One of the key challenges of solar air conditioning systems has been the limited availability of solar energy during peak cooling demands. However, advancements in thermal energy storage solutions are addressing this issue. These systems can ensure continuous cooling even during non-solar hours by capturing and storing excess solar energy. Innovations such as phase change materials and advanced thermal storage methods are revolutionizing the solar air conditioning industry and paving the way for uninterrupted and sustainable cooling.

Integration with Existing HVAC Systems

To accelerate the adoption of solar air conditioning, it is imperative to integrate these systems with existing HVAC infrastructure. This integration allows for a seamless transition to solar cooling without significant retrofitting or replacements. Organizations and individuals can achieve substantial energy savings and reduce their reliance on non-renewable energy sources by leveraging the synergy between solar air conditioning technology and traditional HVAC systems.

Policy Support and Financial Incentives

As governments and organizations worldwide recognize the urgent need to transition to sustainable cooling solutions, policy support and financial incentives are expected to drive the growth of solar air conditioning technology. Tax credits, subsidies, and grants can encourage individuals and businesses to invest in solar cooling systems, making them more economically viable. Policies prioritizing energy-efficient and environmentally friendly solutions can also create a favorable market environment for solar air conditioning.

To sum up, the future of cooling is promising due to advancements in solar air conditioning technology, offering a ray of hope in combating climate change. We can create a greener, cooler future by embracing sustainable and energy-efficient cooling systems. Solar-powered solutions hold tremendous potential in reshaping the cooling industry, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and achieving a more sustainable planet.

Integrating smart technology and advancements in thermal energy storage will drive the growth of solar air conditioning. Emphasizing policy support and integration into various spaces will accelerate its adoption. Together, we can pave the way for a cooler and more sustainable world for future generations.

Language localization technology firm Process9 plans to expand its global reach

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July 31, 2023

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Process9, a language localization and translation industry pioneer, is strengthening its position as the market leader by successfully catering to all 22 major languages in India. As evidence of its remarkable growth, the company on-boarded dozens of new clients in the fiscal year 2022-2023 and an additional eight clients in the first quarter of the fiscal year 2023-2024.

Process9 is seeing significant traction from clients interested in languages such as Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada, as demand for localized content increases.

Vidushi Kapoor, Co-Founder of Process9, shared insights into the company’s vision for the future. “The government’s entry into the language technology space reinforces the tremendous opportunity in the localization industry. Process9 has diligently developed cutting-edge tools to overcome key challenges and drive language accessibility. Our mission is to empower both government entities and private enterprises to engage with every Indian in their preferred language effectively. Additionally, recognizing the global demand for multilingual solutions, we are delighted to expand our suite of services to countries and languages beyond India.”

The language technology landscape is undergoing a paradigm shift with the government’s increased focus on localization and translation solutions. Taking advantage of this momentum, Process9 targets an ambitious roadmap for the next 2-3 years. Process9 aims to be at the forefront of this transformative journey as the government expands its foray into language technology. The company plans to meet the growing demand for scalable and cost-effective localization solutions to enable seamless communication across all 22 official Indian languages.

Highlighting the company’s stellar performance this year, Vidushi further elaborated on Process9’s growth areas. “Process9 is witnessing remarkable growth in three key segments. Firstly, mid to large Indian and global corporations are increasingly investing in expanding their reach to every town and city of India to capture and win one of the world’s fastest-growing markets. Secondly, the public sector is proactively enhancing citizen services with local language support. Lastly, Indian MNCs are exploring new horizons by establishing a global presence, further driving the demand for multilingual solutions.”

Emphasizing the growing support for multilingualism in India, Vidushi acknowledged the remarkable efforts of apex organizations. “This year, we are delighted to witness a notable shift towards adopting technology solutions to implement multilingual capability by prominent institutions like the Supreme Court of India, the Parliament, and the Reserve Bank of India. These tech-forward approaches in addressing language barriers signify a transformative shift towards inclusivity and accessibility.”

Process9 is set to lead the next phase of the language localization revolution, both in India and globally, with its unwavering commitment to linguistic empowerment and innovative language solutions.

Vesta Elder Care launches Vesta Doctor App

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July 28, 2023

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Transforming Healthcare Management

Delhi, 27th July 2023: Vesta Elder Care, a trusted home elder care provider, takes a giant leap forward with launching their latest digital innovation, the ‘Vesta Doctor App’. This cutting-edge app is designed to cater to the unique healthcare needs of the elderly population and marks a significant milestone in revolutionizing geriatric care in the modern era.

Vesta Elder Care has always been committed to enhancing the lives of its clients, and the Vesta Doctor App is an extension of that commitment. By seamlessly integrating technology into clinic management, this all-inclusive software aims to optimize patient care, improve medical practice operations, and simplify the caregiving journey, all through one comprehensive digital platform.

“With our relentless efforts to revolutionize elder care in India, we have already brought significant change to the way seniors get expert care at home. Now, we are taking a crucial step towards empowering doctors with the launch of the Vesta Doctor App. By seamlessly integrating technology into healthcare management, we aim to enhance medical practice operations while continuing to prioritize personalized care for our elderly patients. This is a testament to our commitment to shaping a better future for geriatric healthcare, where both seniors and healthcare professionals thrive together,” said Mr. Rahul Misra, Founder, Vesta Elder Care.

Key features of the Vesta Doctor App:

● Patient Records Management: The app provides quick access to comprehensive medical histories, medication records, health vitals, and more, empowering doctors with real-time, accurate information.

● Appointment Scheduling & Reminders: Simplify the scheduling process for patients and doctors with automatic reminders to ensure no appointment is missed. The integrated queue management system offers real-time updates on the waiting room.

● Virtual Consultations: The app supports telemedicine for remote consultations, enabling patients to consult with doctors from the comfort of their homes.

● Prescription Management: Digitized prescriptions facilitate easy access and ensure correct medication usage.

● Secure Communication: A safe and secure channel for caregivers, family members, and doctors to communicate, providing timely updates on the patient’s health status.

● Billing: Simplify billing processes

● Analytics & Reports: Generate insightful analytics and comprehensive reports for better care delivery and decision-making.

More about Vesta Doctor’s App—It’s a cutting-edge and seamlessly integrated solution within Vesta Elder Care’s platform with automatic synchronization of features, records, and updates, which ensures smooth communication and collaboration among doctors, caregivers, and families. This holistic approach merges technology with personalized care, elevating the quality of life for patients. Healthcare professionals are embracing the future with the Vesta Doctor App. This app is all about shaping a brighter future for geriatric healthcare.

About- Vesta Elder Care, a home care service in Delhi launched in 2018 by a team of experienced healthcare specialists, offers a variety of holistic home healthcare options. Vesta Elder Care provides various services, including carers, nurses, dietician consultations, high-quality medical equipment, ICU sets, lab testing, doctor consultations, and physiotherapy.

Pansari Group exhibits healthy festive gifting at “Gifts World Expo 2023”

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July 28, 2023

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New Delhi, 28th July 2023: Pansari Group, the leading FMCG brand, showcases its range of healthy gift boxes at the 22nd edition of Gifts World Expo 2023. The exhibition is India’s biggest exhibition on Gifting and Promotional Solutions, India’s largest platform for gifting solutions, and started on 27th July 2023 and will end on 29th July 2023 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. Pansari Group is presenting their range of gift boxes at hall no. 3

Gifts World Expo, organized by MEX Exhibitions Pvt Ltd, is renowned as the country’s ultimate B2B gifting and promotional solutions event. As a leader in the gifting industry, Pansari Group is thrilled to showcase its range of healthy gifting ideas. With an extensive array of personalized gift boxes and innovative offerings, the group is all set to leave an indelible mark on this year’s expo.

In a departure from traditional gifting norms, Pansari Group’s exceptional gift products as they are consumable and also promote a healthy lifestyle. This unique approach resonates with the modern consumer who seeks meaningful and health-conscious gift options. Moreover, the group’s products offer incredible value for money, ensuring every gift is truly treasured by recipients.

With a stellar track record of 100% return access orders, Pansari Group stands behind the quality and reliability of its products, offering customers peace of mind. While the products boast a long shelf life, the group’s confidence in their excellence eliminates the need for warranties.

Present at the event, Mr. Shammi Agarwal, Director of Pansari Group, said, “At Pansari Group, we believe in redefining the art of gifting by offering innovative and healthy solutions that resonate with the modern lifestyle. Our commitment to provide healthy eating choices, backed by a stellar track record of customer satisfaction, is definitely going to leave a lasting mark on Gifts World Expo 2023. We are excited to showcase our personalized gift boxes and value-for-money offerings that promote not just joy of gifting but also well-being. Join us at the expo and witness the transformation of gifting into an extraordinary experience!”

Gifts World Expo 2023 promises to be a spectacular event, attracting top brands from the gifting industry and a massive influx of visitors seeking the latest trends in gifting solutions. Pansari Group invites all attendees to experience their state-of-the-art booth at the exhibition and witness the future of gifting.

Tech startup Wiom bags Rs 140-Cr to make unlimited internet affordable

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July 28, 2023

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Wiom, a homegrown tech startup focused on democratizing internet access in India, announced that it had raised Rs 140 crore in a Series A round.

RTP Global led the Series A round, while YourNest and Omidyar Network India, an investment firm focused on impact, also participated, along with Global Brain, Blume Founders Fund, Alteria Capital, Stride Ventures, Stride One and 9 Unicorns.

According to the company, it will now focus on expanding its footprint to cities across India while investing in high-quality talent and distributed delivery architecture.

“Using cutting edge technological disruptions, Wiom paves the way for a future where connectivity knows no boundaries, where dreams can be realized, and where every Indian can harness the transformative power of the internet,” said Satyam Darmora, founder of Wiom, said.

Home Wi-Fi penetration is currently 10%, compared to a global average of 80-85%. Wiom’s innovative model ensures that many users can get unlimited internet at low prices, which could go a long way towards meeting India’s growing internet demand, according to the startup.

The company expects to reach over 15 crore users in the next five years.

Wiom, founded by Satyam Darmora, Nishit Aggarwal, Ashutosh Mishra, and Maanas Dwivedi, is a platform-led distribution model that provides affordable unlimited internet to middle and lower-middle-income households.

Wiom’s model leverages the transformative power of the PM-WANI framework, which the Indian government launched to provide affordable internet access to 500 million Indians over the next five years.

Due to this framework, Wiom customers can get affordable and unlimited internet starting at a mere Rs 10.

Virtual restaurant operator Dil Foods secures $2mn in Pre-Series A funding

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July 27, 2023

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Dil Foods, a Bengaluru-based virtual restaurant operator, has successfully raised $2 million in Pre-Series A funding. The brand aims to collaborate with small to medium-sized independent food businesses and restaurants to create a profitable brand that disrupts the meal market by leveraging a unique asset-light model for food delivery to maximize efficiency and profitability.

The money was raised in a round led by V3 Ventures and Mount Judi Ventures. Furthermore, Revant Bhate (former Rebel and founder of Mosaic Wellness) and Arjun Vaidya (Founder of Dr. Vaidyas) are prominent investors whose invaluable expertise will help Dil Foods strengthen its position in the virtual restaurant operator business sector.

The company plans to provide customers with diverse authentic cuisines to diversify its brand portfolio. The recently raised funds will support geographical expansion into new cities and the growth of emerging partner restaurants. Strategic investments will be made in data analytics and supply chain optimization to drive efficiency and improve operations.

Arpita Aditi, CEO and Founder of Dil Foods, expressed her excitement about the funding round, stating, “This investment is a testament to the tremendous potential of Dil Foods and our commitment to strengthen the business of small independent restaurants and other F&B players, who often struggle to achieve sustainability and financial viability. Limited resources, financial constraints, and a shortage of specialized personnel hinders their ability to utilize the potential of new-age business models to enhance their revenues. We aim to address the challenges independent restaurants face by providing a platform that helps them realize their additional revenue potential and increase their asset and resource utilization significantly. We anticipate robust growth in the coming months. This growth will be driven by our innovative product offerings, strategic partnerships, and relentless focus on customer satisfaction.”

Rahul Maheshwari, partner at V3 Ventures, mentions, “Smaller restaurants have faced difficulties in leveraging the potential of the cloud to grow their business, despite the rapid expansion of the online food delivery market. We are excited to partner with Dil Foods team- who are dedicated to developing virtual brands and empowering small restaurants to tap into the online food delivery industry. By utilizing Dil Foods’ central kitchen, these restaurants can maintain the exceptional taste and quality of their food.”

Mohammed Ali Shariff, partner at Mount Judi Ventures, says, “In a short span of 1 year and with minimal investment, Dil Foods has seen explosive growth with 6 brands and 40+ partner kitchens in one city alone. With its hugely disruptive asset-light model, we believe that Dil Foods is poised to become a category defining player in the virtual cloud kitchen space. We are excited to partner with Arpita and support her vision of making the restaurant business viable and a win-win for all.”

Customer experience platform Kapture CX secures $4mn in funding

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July 27, 2023

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Customer experience platform Kapture CX said it had raised $4 million as a part of its latest round of funding led by venture capital firm Cactus Venture Partners (CVP).

According to the company, the funds will be used to expand its presence in international markets, optimize its product offerings, and strengthen its team. Kapture CX, founded in 2014, provides a customer support automation platform to enterprise customers, helping brands improve their customer experience.

The startup helps businesses streamline and automate their customer support over calls, email, chat, WhatsApp, and other social media channels through its solutions.

Its clientele includes ecommerce brands such as Nykaa, 1MG, Zepto, Meesho, and BigBasket, as well as larger corporates such as Tata and Wipro.

“The advent of general intelligence in generative AI models has shaken up the industry. The tailwinds we have been experiencing in the large enterprise segment made us look for the right amount of capital to accelerate our growth trajectory,” said Sheshgiri Kamath, cofounder, Kapture CX.

Kapture CX claims to have on-ground operations in five countries, including the US, the UAE, Indonesia, and the Philippines outside India.

The company has also developed vertical offerings for retail (offline and online), travel, banking, financial services, and consumer durables.

“Kapture CX has all the right ingredients to build a large sustainable SaaS business – a strong founding team, agility to understand and solve customer problems, a robust product suite, and an unwavering persistence to building a high-growth, profitable business,” said Amit Sharma, partner, Cactus Venture Partners.

Cactus Venture Partners raised Rs 350 crore in August last year as part of the first close of its maiden fund to back startups in the cleantech, healthtech, and SaaS sectors.

Kapture CX marks the sixth investment made by Cactus Venture Partners.

Fuel Aggregator, Nawgati, announces plans to expand in major Indian cities

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July 26, 2023

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Nawgati, a home-grown innovative Fuel Aggregator start-up, is excited to announce its expansion into major cities nationwide. Nawgati, built on state-of-the-art technology, is transforming the fueling experience for both fuel providers and end users. Following its successful appearance on Shark Tank Season 2, the company is now planning to bring intelligent congestion management and compliance monitoring systems to Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities such as Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Kolkata, Bhopal, Chennai, Pune, Lucknow, Patna, and Jaipur.

Nawgati was founded in 2019 by Aalaap Nair, Vaibhav Kaushik, and Aryan Sisodia to streamline fuel station operations, saving fuel providers and consumers valuable time and significantly reducing congestion.

Nawgati’s flagship product, Aaveg, provides congestion monitoring and routing systems, allowing fuel stations to optimize their assets, monitor real-time congestion, and direct customers to less crowded stations nearby.

“Our mission at Nawgati is to transform the way fuel stations operate in India,” said Co-founder Vaibhav Kaushik. “Despite the rising prices of fuel, our roads are packed with vehicles and demand for fuel is higher than ever with long queues outside fuel stations. And with Aaveg, we aim to revolutionize the current overwhelming fuel station experience – making it efficient, convenient, and hassle-free. So, we are thrilled to announce our expansion into major cities, allowing more fuel providers and consumers to benefit from our intelligent queue management system.”

Looking ahead, Nawgati plans to expand its platform to include a diverse range of fuel outlets, making it a fuel-agnostic platform. This includes CNG, petrol pumps, and electric vehicle charging stations. Nawgati aspires to take its innovative solutions to the global stage by onboarding 15,000 fuel outlets over the next two years.

The Nawgati team comprises talented individuals from BITS Pilani who were instrumental in the product development and ideation processes. Using their diverse backgrounds, the team has introduced industry-first features into their products, distinguishing them in the market.

The company’s product is live with Indraprastha Gas Ltd (IGL) and Indian Oil (IOC) in the Delhi-NCR region. Nawgati is in discussions with other key players in the industry, including Mahanagar Gas, Sabarmati Gas, Gujarat Gas, Adani Gas, Think Gas, Green Gas, Torrent Gas, Vadodara Gas, Rajasthan State Gas, AG&P and Maharashtra Natural Gas.

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