Google is secretly building a social-gaming startup, part of its effort to create fledgling companies within the internet-search giant. The founder and co-owner of the new firm, called Arcade, is Michael Sayman, according to people familiar with the matter. Sayman is the 21-year-old wunderkind who started as a Facebook Inc. intern at age 17 and left that company for Alphabet…
This week on Startup Street a venture that’s credited with making India’s first robotic companion; a report shows private equity investors prefer India more than any other country in South Asia; and how one the finest incubators is finally making its way to the east. Here’s what went on. The AI Companion “Miko can tell if you're happy, Miko…
Digital media startup POPxo has raised Rs 37 crore in a round led by South Korean company Doosan Corporation’s investment arm, Neoplux, and Chinese mobile company Oppo, which has made its first investment in the Indian market. Existing investors, including Japanese firm GREE Ventures, IDG Ventures India, Kalaari Capital and Philippines-based Summit Media, also participated in the round. The funds…
Several years ago, we rented an office in a co-working space. Most networking and training activities happened on-site or in partner community spaces, crowded with self-proclaimed entrepreneurs. Working regularly from coffee shops for nearly a decade now also gave me an opportunity to meet solopreneurs and fresh business owners who dreamed big. Seeing startups fail weekly, here’s my condensed list…
Capital Float, India's largest digital lender on Tuesday announced raising funds worth USD 22 million in equity funding from Amazon. With the total equity funding of nearly USD 110 million, Capital Float has also raised debt amounting to USD130 million till-date from leading banks and NBFCs. Capital Float has enabled large numbers of SMEs with customized credit solutions and is…
Culture Trip, a regionally focused travel and cultural content portal, has raised a chunky $80 million in a series B round of funding led by PPF Group, with participation from a number of individual angel investors. Founded in 2011, London-based Culture Trip’s goal is to “inspire people to explore the world’s culture and creativity.” To do this, the company offers…
Move over Bengaluru and Pune. Udaipur in Rajasthan is aiming to set up the biggest startup hub in the country with a capacity to accommodate 700 newcomers. The state plans to create a strong startup ecosystem, taking a leap to match the top tech cities in the country. The incubation centre, coming up in Udaipur, will give start-ups and entrepreneurs…
What is the one thing that has changed the entire narrative of human lives in the 21st century? If you’re thinking technology then you’ve guessed it right. From education and entertainment to healthcare, there is hardly any sector that technology has not influenced or even transformed in a positive way. Technical advancements are revolutionizing the healthcare industry all around the…
Drift today announced it has raised an additional $60 million to grow its conversational sales and marketing platform. To date, the maker of sales assistant Driftbot has raised a total of $107 million. The company will use this new funding to invest in its customer chat and automation platform, expand outside the United States, and explore the acquisition of other…
Funding Societies, a peer-to-peer lending platform in Southeast Asia, said today that it has raised a $25 million Series B led by Softbank Ventures Korea, the Japanese tech conglomerate’s early-stage venture capital unit. The round included returning investors Sequoia India, which led the Singapore-based startup’s Series A two years ago, Golden Gate Ventures and Alpha JWC Ventures, as well as…