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Travel accessories platform Escape Plan raises $25 Mn to expand its offline retail footprint

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Abhinav Pathak, co-founder and CEO, Escape Plan

Travel gear startup Escape Plan has secured $25 million in Series A funding led by existing investor Jungle Ventures, with participation from Fireside Ventures and IndiGo Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of IndiGo Airlines, which has entered the company as a strategic investor.

The company plans to deploy the fresh capital primarily toward accelerating offline retail expansion, strengthening supply chain and pricing capabilities to reach lower price points, and expanding its footprint beyond the top 25–30 percent of India, co-founder and CEO Abhinav Pathak said. Additionally, Escape Plan will invest in technology to improve product availability and consistency across channels while also expanding into adjacent travel categories.

“Once we started hitting meaningful scale, the idea was to start building new territories, new categories, and new geographies,” Pathak said. “That was the intent of the fundraiser. We’re still a very lean team, so we also wanted to double down on building the organisation the right way.”

Notably, the Series A round comes less than a year after Escape Plan raised $5 million in seed funding, which Jungle Ventures led with participation from Fireside Ventures in July last year, just two months after the company began operations.

Importantly, both Jungle Ventures and Fireside Ventures doubled down on their investments in the Series A, while IndiGo Ventures joined as a new strategic investor, reinforcing confidence in the company’s long-term vision.

Meanwhile, Pathak highlighted the speed of the fundraising process. “From the first conversation to money in the bank, it took hardly two to two-and-a-half months,” he said.

Founded by Pathak & Abhinav Zutshi, Escape Plan positions itself not as a single-brand luggage company but as a platform-led travel products business. Accordingly, the company operates across online marketplaces, direct-to-consumer channels, and a rapidly growing offline retail network.

Currently, Escape Plan runs at an annualised revenue rate exceeding Rs 300 crore, driven largely by luggage sales across channels. At present, the company operates more than 25 offline stores, serves 6–7 lakh customers, and ships around two lakh pieces of luggage every month, according to Pathak.

While luggage remains the company’s largest revenue contributor, Escape Plan has started expanding into softer travel categories, including travel accessories such as neck pillows and passport covers. “Over the next six months, we’ll bring all possible travel categories under Escape Plan,” Pathak said. “Today, we are very luggage-first, but that will change.”

Significantly, Escape Plan plans to allocate a large portion of the Series A capital toward scaling its physical retail presence, with a long-term target of 200-plus stores.

At the same time, Pathak emphasized that the company aims to unlock markets where pricing constraints or limited physical presence previously restricted growth.

“Today, we are restricted to the top 25–30 percent of India by geography,” he said. “The goal is to start playing in 90 percent of India. That means pulling multiple levers—pricing, stores, e-commerce penetration, and marketing.”

Despite the company’s rapid momentum, Pathak acknowledged the structural challenges of the travel gear market, which typically grows at inflationary rates and remains dominated by long-standing incumbents.

“Once you hit Rs 300–500 crore in revenue, you become a meaningful part of the category,” he said. “From there, growth becomes harder, and mistakes become very expensive.”

Ultimately, Escape Plan is betting on category-led, platform-style ownership, rather than a single-brand D2C approach, to build long-term defensibility in the travel gear market.

“Everyone else is building brands. We’re building a platform,” Pathak said. “Like Decathlon for sports or Lenskart for eyewear, we want to solve for every travel need, across price points and geographies.”

Escape Plan’s $25 million Series A round marks a pivotal step in its ambition to become a platform-first travel ecosystem in India. By combining aggressive offline expansion, pricing-led market penetration, and category diversification, the company aims to scale beyond niche urban markets and establish itself as a pan-India travel essentials platform, while leveraging strategic partnerships to build long-term competitive advantage.

The Postcard Hotel expands Goa presence with 18-key Mandovi River property

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The Postcard Hotel has announced the opening of The Postcard on the Mandovi River in North Goa, introducing an intimate new retreat designed around the philosophy of slowing down and immersing in nature. Set along the serene banks of the Mandovi River, the property invites travellers to experience a quieter, more mindful way of holidaying in one of Goa’s most tranquil riverside settings.

From the outset, every stay unfolds at an unhurried pace. The retreat blends understated luxury, intuitive service, and moments of meaningful discovery, allowing guests to connect deeply with their surroundings. Moreover, panoramic river views and thoughtful architectural design strengthen the sense of calm, positioning the hotel as a peaceful escape within North Goa.

Kapil Chopra, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Postcard Hotel, shared that the new retreat encourages guests to rediscover the destination in a distinctive way. Located in an iconic part of North Goa, the property fosters a genuine connection with nature while remaining closely tied to the region’s history, culture, and unmistakable Goan character.

He further highlighted that every element of the stay reflects its setting—from uninterrupted views of the Mandovi River and minimalist design to the use of fresh local flavours and carefully curated experiences led by the hotel team. In addition, a private jetty enhances exclusivity by offering seamless river access, ensuring a stay defined by privacy, calm, and unhurried time.

Perched along the gentle curve of the Mandovi and framed by open skies and lush surroundings, the hotel delivers a truly immersive slow-holiday experience. With only 18 thoughtfully designed rooms, each featuring expansive windows and private balconies, guests enjoy uninterrupted river views throughout the day—from the soft glow of sunrise to the golden hues of dusk.

Meanwhile, the soothing presence of the river sets a natural rhythm for the stay, inviting guests to pause, reflect, and reconnect. Understated elegance, personalised service, and a strong sense of place come together to reflect The Postcard Hotel’s signature approach to experiential luxury.

Wellness forms an integral part of the experience and begins with the riverside environment itself. The hotel’s discreet spa offers a curated selection of rejuvenating treatments, including indulgent facials and body scrubs, allowing guests to relax and restore in a serene setting.

Dining at The Postcard on the Mandovi River celebrates Goa’s freshest ingredients and regional flavours. Thoughtfully crafted menus showcase the richness of Goan cuisine and beyond, served against calming garden views from the restaurant. Additionally, the rooftop bar elevates the experience further, offering handcrafted cocktails alongside sweeping views of the Mandovi River and cooling riverside breezes.

Beyond the property, journeys extend into the surrounding region through riverside walks and immersive guided experiences in Old Goa. Guests can explore historic churches, vibrant local markets, and everyday neighbourhoods that reflect the area’s authentic spirit. Experiences also include curated art saunters through Divar Island or Panjim, visits to the Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, and explorations of UNESCO-listed monuments, each designed to deepen cultural connection and discovery.

With this latest opening, The Postcard Hotel continues to strengthen its position as a leader in experiential luxury hospitality. Rooted in its surroundings and guided by a philosophy of mindful travel, The Postcard on the Mandovi River invites travellers to embrace a new, more meaningful way to experience Goa.

MyHome Group expands Pan-India, commits ₹4,100-Cr to Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai

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Mr. Abhishek Kapoor, CEO, MyHome Group

MyHome Group, one of South India’s most respected real estate developers, has reached a significant milestone by expanding beyond its Hyderabad stronghold. The Group has officially entered Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Chennai, committing approximately ₹4,100 crore across these major metropolitan markets within a notably short timeframe.

Through a mix of acquisitions and strategic partnerships, the projects secured across these cities collectively offer a development potential of around 46.6 million square feet. As a result, the expansion translates into an estimated Gross Development Value (GDV) of nearly ₹37,500 crore. This move clearly reflects MyHome Group’s intent to establish a pan-India footprint while continuing to focus on quality, scale, and sustainable long-term value creation.

Backed by a legacy of more than four decades, MyHome Group has built a strong leadership position across multiple sectors in Hyderabad, including real estate development, construction, cement, power, and education. To date, the Group has delivered over 80 million square feet of constructed area. In addition, more than 40 million square feet is currently under development, while over 50 million square feet remains in the planning pipeline, underscoring its robust execution capability and growth momentum.

Commenting on the expansion, Mr. Abhishek Kapoor, CEO, MyHome Group, said, “We have achieved this scale and diversification in a very short span of time under the able leadership of second-generation entrepreneurs Mr. Ramu Rao Jupally and Mr. Shyam Rao Jupally, guided by the visionary leadership of our Chairman, Mr. Rameswar Rao Jupally. This expansion is a natural progression of our long-term strategy to build high-quality, large-scale developments across India’s most important real estate markets.”

Importantly, the Group’s entry into Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Chennai marks the start of MyHome Group’s next phase of growth. Going forward, the company aims to replicate its Hyderabad success story across India’s leading urban centres, leveraging its proven development expertise and strong capital base.

With substantial capital committed, a large development pipeline, and decades of execution experience, MyHome Group is therefore positioning itself as a formidable pan-India real estate player. Moreover, as it scales operations beyond Hyderabad, the Group’s continued focus on quality-driven, large-scale developments could, in turn, enable it to create long-term value across India’s most competitive property markets.

Kitchenware startup Cumin Co. secures $5 Mn to build health-first cookware brand

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Udit Lekhi & Niharika Joshi, Co-Founders of Cumin Co.

Gurugram-based kitchenware startup Cumin Co. has raised $5 million in a pre-Series A funding round led by Fireside Ventures, marking a key milestone in its early growth journey.

In addition to Fireside Ventures, the round saw participation from Atrium Angels, Mokobara founders Sangeet Agrawal and Navin Parwal, and Tracxn founder Abhishek Goyal. Meanwhile, existing investors Huddle Ventures and Alteria Capital also doubled down on the company by joining the round.

According to the company, Cumin Co. will deploy the fresh capital to strengthen research and development around its proprietary enamel-coating technology, build in-house manufacturing capabilities, and invest in brand-led consumer education focused on health-first cookware. Furthermore, the startup plans to expand its team by hiring across multiple functions.

Founded in February 2025 by husband-and-wife duo Udit Lekhi and Niharika Joshi, Cumin Co. emerged from a deeply personal insight. The founders identified a gap in the cookware market after realising that tiny aluminium coating particles from traditional utensils were finding their way into their children’s meals, raising concerns about long-term health impacts.

Explaining the broader shift in consumer behaviour, Niharika Joshi said, “Health has become the new flex. Just as people moved from regular oils to olive oil and now to avocado oil, we’re seeing a similar shift in cookware, with growing awareness around what goes into non-stick pans and everyday kitchen tools.”

Currently, Cumin Co. sells its products through its own direct-to-consumer website, along with major marketplaces such as Amazon. In addition, the brand has expanded its reach via quick-commerce platforms including Blinkit, Zepto, and Instamart, enabling faster access for urban consumers.

With strong investor backing and a clear focus on health-centric innovation, Cumin Co. is positioning itself to tap into India’s growing demand for safer, premium cookware. As awareness around everyday health choices continues to rise, the startup’s emphasis on proprietary technology, in-house manufacturing, and consumer education could help it carve out a differentiated space in the competitive kitchenware market.

L’Oréal plans ₹3,500-Cr investment, 2,000 jobs with Hyderabad tech hub by 2030

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French beauty major L’Oréal will establish its first global technology hub in Hyderabad, significantly expanding its digital and artificial intelligence operations from India. Importantly, this move places India at the core of L’Oréal’s global technology strategy and further strengthens the country’s growing dominance in enterprise technology and AI innovation.

On Tuesday, L’Oréal officially announced the launch of its first global Tech Hub in Hyderabad, following discussions between Nicolas Hieronimus, CEO of L’Oréal, and senior officials of the Government of Telangana during the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2026 in Davos.

The Hyderabad facility will serve as L’Oréal’s first dedicated Beauty Tech hub worldwide. Specifically, it will support the development and global deployment of digital platforms and AI-driven solutions across the company’s international businesses. The hub will focus on data, artificial intelligence, generative AI, and agentic AI, reinforcing L’Oréal’s long-term digital transformation agenda.

At Davos, L’Oréal and the Government of Telangana formalised their partnership, outlining a planned investment of over ₹3,500 crore (€350 million) through 2030. As part of this roadmap, the company intends to create around 2,000 technology roles, including positions for AI specialists, engineers, and data professionals, aligned with its global technology and services strategy.

Notably, the collaboration marks a key milestone under the 2026 India–France Year of Innovation. According to the company, the Hyderabad hub will play a critical role in building technology solutions in India for deployment across global markets, while simultaneously contributing to the local technology ecosystem through employment generation and skill development.

The India Tech Hub will operate within L’Oréal’s global technology and AI network, alongside existing hubs in France, the United States, China, Singapore, Spain, Poland, Canada, Brazil, and Mexico. From Hyderabad, teams will support global operations by developing, scaling, and optimising digital tools and platforms across multiple functions.

Welcoming the announcement, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy said, “This partnership directly supports our ‘Telangana Rising: 2047 Vision’ by creating 2,000 high-value jobs and positioning our state as a global epicentre for AI and digital excellence.”

L’Oréal’s decision to locate its global tech hub in Hyderabad reflects strong confidence in Telangana’s innovation ecosystem. The collaboration underscores the state’s vision of enabling global enterprises to co-create next-generation technology with local talent, in line with the ‘Telangana Rising: 2047 Vision’.

Highlighting the company’s long-standing relationship with India, L’Oréal CEO Nicolas Hieronimus said, “For over 31 years, L’Oréal has been deeply committed to India. Building on this legacy, we are harnessing India’s world-class tech and AI engineering expertise to power our new global Tech Hub. We believe that the future of beauty lies at the intersection of science, technology and creativity, so Hyderabad will now sit at the heart of our AI and digital ambition. This first-of-its-kind Beauty Tech Hub reinforces our commitment to India’s growth and our leading role in the 2026 India-France Year of Innovation.”

Meanwhile, Sanjay Kumar, Special Chief Secretary, Government of Telangana, emphasised alignment with the state’s AI strategy. He said, “The establishment of L’Oréal’s Global Tech Hub aligns seamlessly with our newly formed Telangana AI Hub, which is designed to serve as a catalyst for applied AI, advanced data engineering, and next-generation digital capabilities.”

With the Hyderabad hub, L’Oréal is further strengthening India’s role in its global technology operations, reflecting a broader trend of multinational companies increasingly relying on Indian talent and digital infrastructure to drive large-scale transformation.

Globally, L’Oréal employs more than 90,000 people and maintains a balanced geographic footprint. In 2024, the group recorded sales of €43.48 billion, supported by 21 research centres across 13 countries, a Research and Innovation team of over 4,000 scientists, and 8,000 digital talents, as it continues its push to become a Beauty Tech powerhouse.

Backed by significant investment, large-scale hiring, and deep collaboration with the Telangana government, the initiative not only reinforces India’s growing role in global technology ecosystems but also positions Hyderabad as a key hub for the future of Beauty industries.

Voice-AI startup Ringg AI secures ₹48-Cr to scale multilingual voice automation for enterprises

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L-R: Kali C.V., Siddharth Shankar Tripathi & Utkarsh Shukla, co-founders, Ringg AI

Multilingual voice-AI startup Ringg AI has raised $5.5 million (₹48 crore) in a Series A funding round led by Arkam Ventures, strengthening its push to scale enterprise voice automation globally.

In addition to Arkam Ventures, the round saw participation from Groww’s Founder Fund, Kunal Shah, White Venture Capital, and existing investor Capital2B. With this fresh capital, Ringg AI plans to expand its engineering and go-to-market teams, accelerate new product development, and deepen its international footprint.

Commenting on the funding, Siddharth Shankar Tripathi, founder and CEO of Ringg AI, said, “With this investment, we’ll build deeper product capabilities, develop our own models, and enable on-premise deployments so large enterprises can adopt voice agents with maximum control and compliance. The long-term goal is to orchestrate 1 billion business conversations.”

Founded in October 2023, Ringg AI is developing a voice agent orchestration platform that allows enterprises to design, deploy, and manage AI-powered voice agents capable of holding natural, human-like conversations with customers. Since launch, the platform has scaled rapidly, currently handling around 1.5 million customer conversations every month.

Notably, the platform fully automates nearly 77 percent of these interactions end-to-end, eliminating the need for human intervention. Moreover, Ringg AI’s voice agents can seamlessly switch across 18 languages, including 10 Indian languages, along with English, Arabic, Spanish, French, German, and Bahasa, enabling businesses to serve diverse, multilingual audiences at scale.

Meanwhile, the company has built a growing enterprise customer base. Ringg AI currently works with over 20 enterprises across India, the US, and Saudi Arabia, serving industries such as BFSI, healthcare, logistics, and e-commerce. Its client roster includes well-known brands such as CRED, PharmEasy, Shiprocket, Flipkart, and Shell. At the same time, the startup is actively running pilot projects across the GCC region and North America.

According to Ringg, enterprises using its platform have reported lower operating costs and a reduced dependency on human call-centre agents, especially for high-volume, repetitive customer interactions. As a result, businesses are increasingly turning to AI-led voice automation to improve efficiency while maintaining service quality.

Looking ahead, Ringg AI plans to roll out several new offerings. These include call-deflection and voice follow-up agents, an AI-native CRM with a memory layer, and a marketplace of pre-built conversational workflows designed to speed up enterprise adoption.

Over the next year, the company aims to significantly scale the volume of voice interactions handled on its platform. In the longer term, Ringg AI is targeting hundreds of millions of automated conversations annually, aligning with its broader ambition to redefine enterprise voice workflows.

Sharing his perspective, Rahul Chandra, Managing Director at Arkam Ventures, said, “AI is supercharging the way enterprises deploy their voice stack across processes. Voice, with its natural ease of adoption, opens the enterprise to far greater levels of automation than what the pre-AI voice era allowed for. Ringg.ai has the distinction of being live across the most number of scaled-up enterprise use cases compared to peers. We believe Ringg.ai will redefine how enterprise workflows are conceived and built.”

With strong investor backing, rapid customer adoption, and a clear product roadmap, Ringg AI is positioning itself as a key player in enterprise voice automation. As businesses increasingly prioritise AI-driven customer engagement, Ringg’s multilingual, compliance-focused voice agents could play a pivotal role in shaping the future of enterprise communication at scale.

Enlight Metals Successfully Delivers 75,000 Tonnes of Metals; Targets 1.25 Lakh Tonnes in FY 2025–26

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Vedant Goel, CEO and Co-founder of Enlight Metals

New Delhi, 20th January, 2026: Enlight Metals, a fast-growing metals aggregation start-up, has successfully delivered 75,000 tonnes of metals by the end of Q3 of FY 2025–26, marking a significant milestone in its growth journey. This fully executed volume spans infrastructure, industrial, and enterprise customers across India. For Q4 of FY 2025–26, Enlight Metals is targeting a total metal supply of approximately 1.25 lakh tonnes. With around 75,000 tonnes already supplied by the end of Q3, the company plans to execute the remaining ~50,000 tonnes in Q4, backed by confirmed orders and sustained demand from large-scale infrastructure and industrial projects.

The company’s performance has been enabled by strengthening its supplier network, onboarding enterprise customers, and achieving operational stabilisation at scale. It has also built a consistent ability to deliver material within 24 hours, supported by a streamlined supply chain and high supplier responsiveness. Enlight Metals actively supplies metals to EPC contractors and enterprise buyers engaged in large public infrastructure initiatives, including metro rail corridors, airport construction and expansion projects, industrial parks, logistics hubs, and renewable energy installations.

Commenting on the milestone, Vedant Goel, CEO and Co-founder of Enlight Metals, said, “Crossing 75,000 tonnes of executed supply by the end of Q3 is a strong validation of our operating model and execution capabilities. This volume reflects real, on-the-ground deliveries across infrastructure, industrial, and enterprise customers. With confirmed demand and orders in place, we are confident of closing FY 2025–26 at approximately 1.25 lakh tonnes. The second half of the year typically sees higher bulk consumption from large infrastructure projects, and our supply planning is closely aligned with this trend.”

Looking ahead, Enlight Metals aims to scale annual volumes to 2–2.2 lakh tonnes in FY 2026–27. The company’s growth strategy will focus on deeper engagement with EPC contractors and OEMs, increased participation in national infrastructure programs, and expanded involvement in airports, metro rail projects, and renewable energy developments, along with measured geographic expansion.

As part of this plan, Enlight Metals will establish additional aggregation hubs and regional warehouses in FY 2026–27, aligned with demand concentration in key infrastructure and industrial clusters. These expansions will follow an asset-light, phased approach, aimed at reducing delivery timelines, improving service consistency, and supporting higher throughput as volumes scale.

With a strong execution track record and a growing enterprise footprint, Enlight Metals continues to position itself as a reliable metals supply partner for India’s rapidly expanding infrastructure and industrial ecosystem.

About Enlight Metals Pvt. Ltd.

Headquartered in Pune, Enlight Metals Pvt. Ltd. was founded in 2024 as a next-generation metal aggregator serving India’s core industrial sectors. The company simplifies metal sourcing for OEMs and infrastructure players by connecting them with verified suppliers and manufacturers, ensuring quality, competitive pricing, and transparency.

Enlight Metals currently serves over 500 OEMs across Maharashtra and beyond, supporting industries such as automobile manufacturing, railways, cable tray fabrication, solar and wind energy, heavy engineering, and construction.

Everstone Capital merges Wingify and AB Tasty to build $100 Mn digital experience platform

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Sparsh Gupta, Co-founder, Wingify

Private equity firm Everstone Capital is combining India’s Wingify with France-based AB Tasty to build a digital experience optimization company valued at over $100 million, with annual revenue surpassing $100 million, just a year after it acquired a controlling stake in Wingify for $200 million. Wingify helps businesses test and optimise different versions of their websites to improve sales performance and customer engagement.

Following the merger, the combined entity will serve more than 4,000 customers worldwide and generate over $100 million in annual revenue, with nearly 90% of revenue originating from the U.S. and Europe. In addition, teams will operate across North America, Latin America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region, the companies said on Tuesday. Wingify co-founder Sparsh Gupta will lead the merged organisation as CEO, while Everstone will continue as the largest institutional shareholder.

The transaction comes amid accelerating consolidation in digital experience and optimisation tools, including A/B testing and personalisation platforms. Increasingly, enterprises want to deploy AI across marketing, product, and growth functions without relying on multiple disconnected vendors. Against this backdrop, the merged company plans to invest more aggressively in AI-led capabilities over time while keeping the customer experience stable in the near term and gradually expanding platform depth, Gupta said in an interview.

As part of the deal, Everstone is injecting significant additional capital, and Gupta said the funding primarily aims to “clean up” AB Tasty’s cap table and enable both companies to integrate under a single platform.

Although the firms did not disclose financial terms, Gupta indicated that the transaction includes a cash component along with equity rollover for existing leadership, allowing them to retain ownership stakes in the new entity.

Gupta described the merger as a natural alignment between two long-standing competitors. “Both the businesses have been operating as friendly competition,” he said, adding that the consolidation reflects growing enterprise demand for holistic digital experience platforms.

The combined company will operate under a joint executive leadership structure. Alongside Gupta as CEO, Wingify co-founder Ankit Jain will serve as Chief Product and Technology Officer. Meanwhile, AB Tasty’s co-founders will assume senior roles, with Rémi Aubert becoming Chief Customer and Strategy Officer and Alix de Sagazan taking on the role of Chief Revenue Officer, the companies said.

Importantly, both Wingify and AB Tasty remain profitable, Gupta noted, and the merger prioritises platform expansion rather than cost reduction. “There are no layoffs that are planned as part of this merger,” he added, describing the strategy as “value creation at this point in time.” The combined organisation will employ nearly 800 people across 11 global offices, with around 350 employees located outside India. The merged entity will be headquartered in New Delhi, Gupta said.

Co-founded in 2010 by Paras Chopra and Sparsh Gupta, Wingify operated as a bootstrapped company for over a decade, with VWO emerging as its flagship product. VWO helps businesses improve online conversion rates through A/B testing and customer experience optimisation. Everstone acquired a majority stake in Wingify in January 2025, marking a significant exit for Chopra, as TechCrunch previously reported. That transaction laid the groundwork for Everstone’s platform-building strategy, culminating in the AB Tasty combination.

Today, Wingify serves more than 3,000 brands, including Forbes, Walt Disney, Amway, Hilton Vacations, TAP Portugal, and Cigna, across industries such as e-commerce, SaaS, travel, and media. Meanwhile, AB Tasty, founded in 2014 and headquartered in Paris, provides experimentation and personalisation software to over 1,000 brands, including L’Oréal and Samsonite.

Following the merger, the combined company will compete directly with platforms such as Optimizely and Adobe, while expanding Everstone and Wingify’s footprint in Europe and deepening the platform’s capabilities across testing, feature delivery, and AI-driven personalisation, subject to customary regulatory approvals and closing conditions.

More broadly, the transaction reflects a wider wave of consolidation in marketing and product software. Private equity firms and strategic buyers increasingly aim to assemble scaled, AI-ready enterprise platforms. A recent PitchBook report showed that enterprise SaaS M&A reached 270 deals worth $65 billion in Q3, with deal volumes rising 26.2% quarter-over-quarter and private equity accounting for 66.7% of transactions. Additionally, PwC previously identified consolidation as a key value-creation lever for private equity, while EY highlighted sustained PE-led momentum in tech M&A during 2024.

Gupta also confirmed that Everstone will retain majority control of the merged business and hold majority board rights following the transaction. The board will include five to six members, with representation from Everstone and Gupta, alongside three to four independent directors.

Everstone further stated that it will support the combined entity through strategic guidance and an advisory board of industry experts and operators. “Together, VWO and AB Tasty will have among the most comprehensive product offerings in the category,” said Sandeep Singh, Managing Director at Everstone Capital.

By bringing together Wingify and AB Tasty, Everstone Capital is creating a scaled, profitable, and AI-ready digital experience optimisation platform with a strong global footprint.

Gen Z travel startup WanderOn raises Rs 54-Cr to expand its destination portfolio

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Gen Z travel startup WanderOn has secured Rs 54 crore in a Series A funding round, co-led by DSG Consumer Partners and CAAF, marking a key milestone in the company’s growth journey.

The startup plans to deploy the fresh capital to build more immersive and accessible travel experiences, broaden its destination portfolio, and scale high-growth verticals such as adventure travel, sports-focused trips, and wellness tourism. In parallel, WanderOn will step up investments in technology, thereby enhancing the end-to-end traveller journey—from discovery and booking to post-trip engagement.

Founded in 2017 by Chirag Jain, Sandeep Kumar, Ravi Khokher, Madhusudan Jaju, and Govind Gaur, WanderOn operates as a travel-tech platform that delivers community-driven, curated group travel experiences. The company primarily serves millennials and Gen Z travellers, offering road trips, treks, and customized tours across India and international markets. Moreover, the brand differentiates itself through a strong focus on offbeat destinations, affordability, and hassle-free planning, while building travel-led communities for young adults at the core of its positioning.

Headquartered in Gurugram, WanderOn aims to reach travelers nationwide through a seamless, end-to-end digital experience. The company follows a direct-to-consumer (D2C) model and specializes in experiential group travel packages. Its growth strategy relies heavily on digital storytelling, influencer-driven campaigns, and organic social media engagement, which collectively help attract adventure-oriented travellers. Revenue streams include pre-booked travel packages, add-on experiences, and exclusive brand collaborations.

Meanwhile, WanderOn reports that it has served over one lakh travellers across more than 40 domestic and international destinations, with repeat customers contributing a significant share of bookings. Importantly, the company has scaled into a Rs 100 crore-plus business while remaining bootstrapped, and it has recorded nearly two-fold year-on-year growth in the post-COVID period.

With strong investor backing and a clear focus on experiential, community-led travel, WanderOn is well positioned to capitalize on India’s evolving travel preferences. As demand for curated, immersive, and digitally enabled travel experiences continues to rise, the company appears set to deepen its market presence while accelerating growth across new destinations and travel formats.

Clarks Collection expands its hospitality footprint with new hotel in Uttarkashi

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Clarks Collection, one of India’s fastest-growing mid-scale hospitality brands, has announced the opening of its latest property, Clarks Collection Uttarkashi. Strategically positioned with strong connectivity to neighboring states, the hotel aims to cater to the rising influx of religious and leisure travelers visiting the region.

Notably, the launch marks an important milestone in the brand’s continued expansion across Tier-II and Tier-III destinations. At the same time, it underscores Clarks Collection’s focus on emerging tourism markets with strong growth potential. With no established branded mid-scale or premium hotels currently operating in Uttarkashi, the brand stands to gain a first-mover advantage in the area’s evolving hospitality ecosystem.

The property offers 48 thoughtfully designed rooms across multiple categories, combining modern aesthetics with functional comfort. In addition, guests can access an all-day dining restaurant serving a range of multi-cuisine offerings, along with a banquet hall designed to host social functions and events. Together, these facilities deliver a complete hospitality experience under one roof.

Meanwhile, Uttarkashi, widely recognized as both a spiritual and adventure destination, serves as a key gateway to Gangotri and several prominent pilgrimage sites. Consequently, the launch aligns closely with Clarks Collection’s strategy to deepen its presence along important religious circuits while capitalizing on the growing demand for branded accommodation within India’s expanding mid-market segment.

Commenting on the launch, Prakash Bedi, Vice President, Clarks Collection, said, “Uttarkashi represents an emerging market that has remained underserved in terms of quality hospitality. With this opening, we aim to offer our signature Clarks experience—warm service, refined comfort, and exceptional value—to both domestic and regional travelers.”

He further added, “The property also strengthens our brand’s presence in Uttarakhand and complements our ongoing expansion across key Tier-II and Tier-III cities, where demand for branded hospitality is on the rise.”

The opening of Clarks Collection Uttarkashi reinforces the group’s commitment to expanding its footprint across India’s high-potential markets. By blending its legacy of trusted hospitality with a contemporary mid-scale positioning, the brand continues to align with the evolving expectations of today’s travelers while unlocking growth opportunities in underserved destinations.