Blacksoil, Vokal, Trell raise funding and MakeMyTrip turns investor for Bitla Software

Mumbai-based specialised debt financing non-banking finance firm BlackSoil Capital raised $17 million (Rs 115 crore) from existing investors, including All Cargo Logistics Chairman Shashi Kiran Reddy. The company will use the funding to expand its business. BlackSoil Capital has raised equity funding of $25 million to date, and the current funding round is its third within a span of two years. The NBFC is backed by the family offices of Allcargo Logistics, Navneet Education, and Mahavir Agency.

Fintech lender Aye Finance has raised $10 million in debt funding from global impact investment managers Triple Jump BV and MicroVest Funds by issuing Non-Convertible Debentures. Just last month, Aye Finance had announced raising Rs 147 crore ($21.5 million) as a part of a Series C equity investment from CapitalG (formerly Google Capital), with participation from existing investors SAIF Partners and LGT. The company plans to use the funds to bolster its lending portfolio and offer affordable business loans to a larger number of micro enterprises in India.

Bengaluru-based Indian language knowledge sharing platform Vokal, founded by Aprameya Radhakrishna and Mayank Bidawatka, has raised $5 million Series A funding led by Shunwei Capital, existing investors - Blume Ventures, Accel India and 500 startups. Vokal is a peer-to-peer knowledge-sharing platform for India’s non-English Internet users.

Experience discovery platform Trell has raised $1.25 million in seed funding from multiple investors. The Bengaluru-based platform, which generates content through short videos and images, will reportedly use the funds to scale and strengthen its product, technology, and data science capabilities. The seed round of $1.25 million was co-led by BEENEXT and WEH Ventures. Sprout Venture Partners, Rajan Anandan, MD of Google India, Anupam Mittal, Founder of Shaadi.com, and other HNIs also participated in the round through LetsVenture platform.

MakeMyTrip, India’s biggest online travel company, invested an undisclosed amount in Bengaluru-based Bitla Software that provides bus travel management software and technology solutions. Bitla’s clients include online ticketing portals, hoteliers, holiday tour operators and cargo and logistics companies. Deep Kalra, Chairman and group CEO, MakeMyTrip, said that MakeMyTrip's investment in Bitla Software is aimed at providing an extensive suite of technology products and solutions for the bus and hotel supplier ecosystem.

Online health and wellness portal AyurUniverse has raised $1 million from Air Deccan investor Ladhani family. Founded by Vijay Kumar Karai in 2016, AyurUniverse provides customised Ayurveda and yoga packages towards ailment management, wellness, and training. AyurUniverse’s platform allows customers to search, choose and book a wellness package of their choice without any intermediaries. 

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