Deepika Padukone invests in Epigamia; Hotstar creates a global record

Were you among those that stayed glued to the TV or phone watching Lasith Malinga take Shardul Thakur’s wicket? The nail-biting IPL final, in CSK Skipper MS Dhoni’s words, saw the cup being passed between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings, before the former finally clinched it. And while Mumbai Indians might have won the IPL 2019, there was another clear winner – Hotstar. The OTT service recorded 18.6 million concurrent viewers on its platform during the match on Sunday, a new global record in live streaming.

Deepika Padukone shows her liking for Greek yoghurt

Drums Food International, the parent company of flavoured and Greek yoghurt brand, Epigamia announced actor Deepika Padukone has invested an undisclosed amount in the company, and will act as a partner and strategic advisor to the FMCG brand. The actor will also endorse the brand as its brand ambassador. 

30 early-stage startups get funding from Rajasthan

Over 30 early-stage startups incubated under the Rajasthan government’s iStart Rajasthan programme have received funding. The amounts range from Rs 1.2 lakh to Rs 20 lakh, and include sustenance allowance, seed funding, marketing assistance, as well as a Techno Fund. Participating startups pitched before a panel of experts for the funding. Startups that received funding include HR tech startup Hyrefox, HippoCabs, AgroWave, Ecowrap, mPass, and EatXD, among others.

A vending machine for phone? Sure, says Xiaomi

No longer do you need to look for a mobile phone store to make a purchase. For, smartphone maker Xiaomi is making it easier than ever to buy a phone. It has set up vending machines - Mi Express - where you can simply make a payment and pick up your phone. Customers can also purchase mobile phones, but also phone accessories from the Mi Express vending machines, the company said. The kiosks are designed to accept all forms of payments across credit cards, debit cards, cash and UPI.

Falcon Edge, Tiger Global invest in Locus

AI-backed supply chain optimisation company Locus has secured $22 million in a Series B round of funding led by Falcon Edge Capital and Tiger Global Management, with participation from existing investors Exfinity Venture Partners and Blume Ventures. This takes the total amount of funding raised by the startup to over $28 million, and values the company at nearly $100 million. The funds will be used for the expansion of the company.

GifKaro raises $250,000 from angel investors

New Delhi-based GIF content startup GIFkaro announced it had raised $250,000 from angel investors Pranay Gupta (ex-Snapchat and current Google employee), and gynaecologist and infertility specialist Dr Ekika Singh, among others. GIFkaro plans to use the funds to expand its product portfolio.

When it comes to alternative accommodation, Booking.com is eyeing India

When it comes to alternative accommodations, Booking.com says India is its fastest growing market. The Amsterdam-based company has more than 880,000 listings in India, of which 147,000 are in ‘alternative accommodation’, which include homestays, apartments, villas, bed-and-breakfast, cabins, boats, and treehouses. Booking.com claims it has seen 38 percent annual growth in its global operations in FY2019, and about 20 percent of its revenue comes from alternative accommodations.

Saving the planet, one tree at a time

Gopal Mullaivanam defines what the power of one can do. The 52-year-old, has, for the last 39 years, been distributing free saplings in Chennai. Gopal’s vision is to plant trees and help reverse some of the effects of global warming, and with this mission, he started the ‘Tree Bank’ in Chennai in 2008. Known as the ‘Tree Man of India’, Gopal says, “There are blood banks, eye banks, and other banks for the needy. So why not a 'Tree bank' that can protect the environment?”

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