Construction technology is a growing sector, which is why Brick & Mortar Ventures has raised a $97 million fund to invest in both hardware and software for construction-related industries. The San Francisco venture fund was founded by construction tech investment veteran Darren Bechtel and is backed by high-profile corporate funding sources. The fund targets emerging companies developing innovative software and…
And Singapore is expected to ban domestic elephant ivory trade in 2021. From Reuters: Singapore’s central bank is raising its guard against money launderers increasingly using onshore shell companies to mask their transactions, a senior official said. Valerie Tay, who heads the anti-money laundering department at the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said banks had closed accounts of several onshore…
Singapore ranked third in the Asia-Pacific in fostering growth for women entrepreneurs, though its progress between 2017 and 2019 was outpaced by several other cities around the world, according to a study by US tech giant Dell. Talent and technology were Singapore's biggest strengths, while access to capital and a supportive market were its greatest weaknesses, according to Dell's 2019…
Flipkart's digital payments app PhonePe Pvt Ltd (India) has received ₹698 crore from its parent entity in Singapore called PhonePe Pvt Ltd (Singapore), previously known as Flipkart Payments Pvt Ltd, Mint reported citing filings sourced by business research platform, Paper.vc. PhonePe Singapore infused the funds in the India entity by subscribing to 2,022,946 shares in the latter at ₹3,440 per…
Sequoia may lead $20 million funding round in baby-care brand Mamaearth Baby-care products brand Mamaearth is in talks to raise up to $20 million in a Series B round, and Sequoia Capital India may lead the round, Mint reported citing two people aware of the matter. Existing investors Stellaris Venture Partners and consumer-focused fund Fireside Ventures, are also expected to…
Almost half-a-dozen first-time venture capital investors have made their debut since the beginning of this year, indicating growing investor interest in India’s start-ups. Some such investors include Montane Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm that counts Ajay Piramal’s family office as its lead investor; 021 Capital, founded by Sailesh Tulshan, the personal investment adviser to the Flipkart’s Bansals; Fundamentum, a…
Online eyewear firm Lenskart today said it has earmarked about USD 2-3 million to invest in companies that are working on either products or technologies that can help provide affordable eyecare solutions. As part of this strategy, the Ratan Tata-backed firm has invested USD 500,000 (about Rs 3.3 crore) in US-based ThinOptics. "We will invest about USD 2-3 million... These…
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…
For startups, securing the first round of funding is a daunting process. Doing so requires founders to take what is often a very complex idea, product or solution, and boil it down to dollars and cents for investors who, for the most part, only care about how quickly they will make their money back. The process will test an entrepreneur's…
Six months after raising $250 million from SoftBank, online hospitality player Oyo Rooms is planning to raise fresh funding to the extent of $500-800 million. It is also speculated that its anchor investor, the SoftBank Group and couple of other investors could pitch in with the funds. More significantly, Oyo Rooms will join the select band of startups in India…