= First quarter 2018 =
India’s Startup News
Below is an uncategorised round-up of India’s startup news as reported in the English-language media across January, February and March 2018.
We also deliver a monthly startup news update on India.
Accompanying this, we also deliver a daily startup news report
via social media, posting India’s startup news on Twitter,
on LinkedIn and via StartupAsiaNews on Facebook.
The collected quarterly items – spanning all countries in South and Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand – can also be ordered as a 90+ page publication in full-colour hardopy.
- A look at GingerCup, advertising platform for disposable cups
- A look at India’s agtech sector and startups
- A look at Flux Auto, set to launch self-driving kits for trucks
- Niti Aayog government policy think tank working on POC for blockchain in education, health and agriculture
- Andhra Pradesh state signs MOU around fintech-focused blockchain tech and to establish blockchain university
- A look at Rupee Coin, a decentralised, open-source blockchain cryptocurrency Litecoin offshoot
- 5 surprises about how India shops, online and offline
- XpressBees logistics startup to gain from $100M from China’s Alibaba
- Rubix108 Technologies raises $1M for education platform growth
- UpGrad online adult education and up-skilling startup aiming for $40M fund-raise
- Kinsane kids games and video content startup secures $2.5M
- Altigreen Propulsion Labs launches hybrid fuel solution, reducing fuel consumption by 25%
- 6Degree fashion startup lands $400k from IAN and The Angel Network
- Moneytor automated debt collection and recovery for lenders startup backed by 500 Durians
- Nearby Tech bring cardless ATM services to Yes Bank and 40K touch points
- A look at 7 Indian startups, spanning AI, social media, fintech and more
- iKaaz payments startup acquired by Grab ride-hailing giant
- “EarlySalary online lending startup secures $15.8M “
- Milkbasket grocery delivery platform backed to $3M by Unilever Ventures
- A look at 3 green energy startups
- Qualcomm Ventures India to invest in up to 6 startups each year
- A look at Boheco, hemp-focused startup which recently secured near $1M
- NiYO Solutions fintech raises $13.2M for digitised payroll and employee benefits management
- Trak N Tell IoT vehicle telematics startup aims to expand into personal safety, healthcare
- An overview of the IoT space, along with 9 of India’s IoT startups
- Citta AI-driven remote patient monitoring firm plans for health solution growth
- ShareChat social network secures $18.2M
- An overview of startup policy changes and development
- The 10 startups selected for the NASSCOM-Facebook social impact program
- Wadhwani Foundation launches accelerator for growth-stage startups
- A look at StartupArena, B2B products/services marketplace for SMEs and startups
- AngelList to launch its deal syndicates platform for investing in India
- Indian billionaires consider domestic-only startup fund to take on foreign investors
- Sequoia planning $1BN VC fund for its 6th outing; likely to focus more on SE Asia in future
- pi Ventures tech-focused VC marks 2nd close of $25M maiden fund
- Scapic VR/AR platform secures $500K for drag-and-drop platform
- Simulanis VR/AR startup raises $500K for skills solutions
- Pandorum raises $3.6M for liver-tissue 3D printing
- A look at how artificial intelligence can lead to change in rural India
- eKincare healthcare tech startup secures $1.5M for AI-backed platform
- Qure startup develops AI tech for X-rays, MRIs and CT scans, and identify diseases
- South Asia: 40 entrepreneurs from across Nepal, India, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to visit Nexus Startup Hub in India
- Cogoport logistics startup in talks to raise up to $8M
- Paytm Payments Bank expects to hit profitability inside 3 years
- A look at the impact of WhatsApp’s entry into the digital payments space
- Rajasthan Government unveils framework for $77M Startup Fund
- A look at how blockchain will affect the financial services industry
- “The government does not consider cryptocurrencies legal tender or coin and will take all measures to eliminate use of these cryptoassets…”
- Drivezy car rental startup raises $5M via ICO
- Gamepind mobile gaming platform set for launch under Paytm and Alibaba JV
- WeSecureApp startup secures spot in US-based 2018 Global Class of Startups Program
- Adobe to set up artificial intelligence centre in Hyderabad
- Capillary Technologies e-commerce marketing and customer engagement management startup secures $20M
- Facebook Marketplace now live in selected cities in India
- THB clinical research and data analytics startup secures $2.1M for personalised patient care
- An intro to Dailyhunt’s pivot from classified ads to news aggregation
- Throttle social marketplace aims to be Facebook, Flipkart, LinkedIn and more for motorcyclists
- Pratilipi, India’s biggest self-publishing platform, secures $4.3M for 8-language platform
- An intro to Wishup’s task management solution for professionals An intro to Wishup’s task management solution for professionals
- Unacademy education content platform in talks to raise up to $35M
- Shirsa Labs edtech startup secures $500K for kid-focused games, worksheets, videos and DIY modules
- Toppr edtech startup secures $100K from HK VC firm for engineering, medical and secondary test prep platform
- SmartE startup aims to transform the last-mile commute using shareable electric vehicles
- Happay enterprise expense management platform raises $250K
- HealthifyMe app raises $12M, enabling users to track calories, set fitness goals and measure progress
- An intro to Curofy, medtech startup which has facilitated over 250K case discussions for 220K registered users
- inFact mobile app that aggregates news and ‘infotainment’ gains backing
- NewsDog news and entertainment aggregator in talks with China’s Tencent to raise up to $40M
- An intro to 1M1B, aiming to support 1M entrepreneurs in lifting 1BN people out of poverty
- PublicVibe wins Nasscom-Facebook competition with sharing platform for neighbourhood news, experiences and opinions
- Zoomcar car rental startup backed to $40M by auto manufacturer
- A look at US-India startup TravelUR, aiming to make travel memorable via a platform for services and social engagement
- WE Hub startup incubator for women to launch in Telangana, alongside VC fund
- Innovating for the Next Half Billion (pdf)
- Entrepreneurship a top priority with the Startup Odisha Initiative and Start-up Odisha Policy’s mission to support 1000 startups
- Nexus Startup Hub launched by US Embassy to aid India’s entrepreneurs and startups
- Aviva Life Insurance launches Kid-o-Scope to help parents identify & nurture a child’s talents
- Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham university incubator to invest $200K across 3 startups
- A look at PolyCycl plastic-to-fuel conversion startup
- DronaHQ secures $500K for enterprise mobile app building platform
- PetSutra pet care mobile app startup raises $150K
- India’s Telangana government signs partnership with Taiwan’s Taoyuan city for economic exchange around technology
- Startups Club fund backs 3 ventures; plans 15 deals in 2018
- Accelerator for media/entertainment startups floated, aiming at AR/VR, AI, visual effects, real-time rendering and big data
- Jugnoo hyperlocal services startup partners with Korean 3D printing firm
- Apps Discover advertising tech startup partnered by Baidu for China exposure
- An overview of Fasal, AI-powered IoT platform for precision agriculture
- Predible startup backed for AI-powered apps that interpret medical scans for radiologists diagnosing cancer
- TrustCheckr fraud analytics solution provider secures $100K
- Samsung partners Reliance Jio to develop nationwide narrowband cellular IoT network
- CoinGeto secures $1.8M to build India’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, trading over 30 currencies
- An intro to Cashaa blockchain startup – instant international P2P transfer between fiat and cryptocurrency
- Nuo Bank blockchain startup secures $250K for decentralised cryptocurrency banking platform growth
- An overview of Betterhalf, AI-powered startup to help professionals find a match
- India and Nepal prep for International Entrepreneurship Conclave 2018 in Kathmandu
- Monetary Authority of Singapore and State government of Maharashtra sign MOU around fintech cooperation
- Worqa SaaS startup aims to simplify workflow management for SMBs
- TrakInvest blockchain-based trading platform raises $30M via ICO
- An intro to Staqu Technologies’ security-focused AI-driven ‘smart glasses’
- Facebook and NASSCOM launch ‘Design4India Studio’ to mentor design, innovation, and entrepreneurship
- Wellthy diabetes management app lands $2.1M
- Olly Credit raises funding for micro-credit services
- Facebook-owned WhatsApp’s trial of QR code payment option may spell doom for e-wallets like Paytm
- Another look at Google Tez proprietary mobile payment platform
- Brigade REAP accelerator graduates 3rd cohort of 5startups bringing tech to real estate
- A brief intro to the 5 graduating startups from Brigade Group’s 3rd real estate tech accelerator
- Pine Labs digital payments platform secures $82M backing for cloud-based POS
- World Satoshi Summit blockchain conference set for 12-13 May in New Delhi
- 15000 IoT-controlled street lights set for installation in Jamshedpur
- An intro to UClean, making money by washing laundry
- National Institution for Transforming India Aayog to release national AI policy
- CoWrks coworking space provider floats accelerator program
- Stumagz campus communication startup secures funding
- Buddy4Study edtech startup secures $3M for scholarship portal
- Universal Sportsbiz fashion startup secures $4.6M venture debt
- Maliyya P2P lending fintech secures $1.3M for data, AI and blockchain-driven financing
- Kissht fintech startup set to lend directly to customers via in-house non-banking finance
- An intro to Hoi Foods, high quality food for guests in budget hotels
- An intro to Bigbasket grocery startup, delivering 18000 different products and valued near $1BN
- Smaaash gaming and sports entertainment startup secures $6M
- Smart India Hackathon 2018 set for March 30-31 across 27 locations
- Reliance Jio merges with Saavn, creating $1BN digital music platform
- Gaana music streaming app backed to $115M by China’s Tencent
- OYO budget hotel aggregator sets $250M for India and overseas startup acquisitions
- NestAway home rental startup secures $51M
- A look at Techstars’ four main initiatives for India
- How tech entrepreneurship will create a $10 trillion Indian economy
- Tripeur corporate travel management portal raises $600K
- Ola ride-hailing firm in talks with Singapore’s Temasek to raise near $1BN
- Prime Venture early-stage VC closes 3rd fund at $60M
- China’s Xiaomi set to invest near $1BN in 100 Indian startups to boost devices ecosystem
- Fingerlix ready-to-cook food startup backed to $1.3M
- Global startup incubator network Techstars to launch country accelerator in April
- “Venture Gurukool mentoring platform for early and growth stage ventures to launch $20M VC fund”
- Andhra Pradesh state to make play for title of India’s blockchain hub
- An intro to Picostone home-automation startup, aiming to end the use of switchboards and remotes
- Uber founder launches innovation fund for India and China startups
- China: Alibaba’s UC Browser overtakes Google’s Chrome in some emerging markets
- China: NewsDog mobile news aggregator set to to expand app platform across India
- Indonesia’s Pundi X blockchain startup considering crypto PoS network in India
- Japan: Dream Incubator set to launch $44M fund focused on India’s tech scene
