BYJU'S in talks for potential US acquisition, Google My Business app making it easier for SMBs
Just last year, edtech company BYJU'S raised $540 million in a fund raising round to become the world’s highest-valued edtech company. And now BYJU'S is looking to use a part of the funding to finalise a US deal within the next six months. BYJU'S is said to be in talks with several US edtech firms for a potential U.S. acquisition, as it looks to launch into new markets and acquire products that have a global offering.
Making it easier for SMBs with Google My Business app
There’s no doubt that Google is pretty much our go-to directory for everything under the sun. With this in mind, Google launched the Google My Business app in 2014 that let SMBs and SMEs manage online listings and profiles on Google Search and Google Maps, and made businesses more discoverable to customers. But that’s not all. Just last year, the tech giant announced a massive update to the app. The goal? To help India’s small entrepreneurs to grow their business online.
Losses mount to 203 crores for MobiKwik
Even as revenue doubles for Gurugram-based financial services startup MobiKwik, losses soar by 52 percent. In fact, for the fiscal year 2018, the company reported a consolidated loss of Rs 202.98 crores while its total consolidated revenue stood at Rs 85.65 crores, as per documents filed with the Registrar of Companies. This is after the company beefed its operations to provide other financial services on its platform – including digital insurance and digital gold.
Artificial Intelligence – Coming soon to classrooms!
It’s just a matter of time before students are introduced to the world of artificial intelligence in their classrooms. The initiative, courtesy of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), will see AI being included as part of the curriculum, as an elective subject for Classes VIII, IX and X. The idea is to bring school education on par with ongoing advancements in technology and CBSE took the decision after a session with government’s policy think tank NITI Aayog.
What’s in store for Bharat or India 2.0 in 2019?
It might sound funny but the past year saw Bharat, or India 2.0, turn into a lucrative business proposition. The hypothesis is backed by the exponential growth in the number of users witnessed by content platforms (focused on Indian languages) such as ShareChat, DailyHunt, Vokal, Newsdog and Pratilipi. While 2018 may have seen a lineup at the start line, the year 2019 may be the one that actually sees action, and perhaps local language content even overtakes English as the preferred medium for Indian internet users.
Vernacular content platform Manch raises seed funding
The new year began on a great note for Bengaluru-based Manch. The content generation platform, which was founded by IIT-Bombay alumni Pritam Roy in April 2018, raised seed funding of $750,000 from Stellaris Venture Partners. With this, the platform that has 30,000 monthly active users, will be focusing on capturing the 'next 500 million' Tier II and Tier III market who are conversant with Indian languages.
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