Meet YourStory’s third Maverick; Bounce raises $72 million in Series C

We continue our video series Mavericks to give you insider access into the lives of some of the country’s most successful entrepreneurs. This time, we deep-dive into a discussion with the co-founder of one of India's largest on-demand service providers - Abhiraj Singh Bhal, the Co-founder and CEO of Urban Clap. In 2014, when on-demand services were a huge fragmented market with great possibilities, Abhiraj and his co-founders, Varun Khaitan and Raghav Chandra realised they had chanced upon the opportunity to revolutionise the flagging sector, with the right technology.

Five years down the line, the three are well on their way to creating a household brand, which is growing 3x every year and reaches 6.5 lakh homes every month through 20,000 service partners.

Bounce raises $72 M in Series C funding round

The Bengaluru-based dockless ride-hailing startup has raised $72 million in Series C funding led by B-Capital and Falcon Edge, the investment firm founded by Facebook's co-founder Eduardo Saverin. Accel Growth Fund, Maverick, and Qualcomm. Existing investor Sequoia Capital, IDG, Omidyar, and Accel Partners too invested in this round. The team aims to touch one million rides a day. 

Acid attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal inspired millions, including Deepika Padukone

The story of this acid attack survivor has made millions sit up and take notice of the crimes of violence against women in India. In an interaction with SocialStory, Laxmi Agarwal speaks of her journey, which will soon be portrayed in a Bollywood film starring Deepika Padukone.

Brick by brick, this SaaS startup brings transparency to the construction industry

Founders Sashi Kiran, Aditya Shankar, and Gautam Mayur have ensured that over 60 builders use tech and data to manage their building sites better. In this video interview with YourStory Business Editor Vishal Krishna, they tell us what the Bengaluru-based startup does.

After two unsuccessful attempts, ZEE has finally cracked the OTT puzzle

ZEE was not only India’s first-ever satellite TV channel, but also the first broadcaster to venture into ‘online streaming’ in the entertainment industry. In February 2012, the company launched DittoTV and in February 2016, OZEE. In February 2018, ZEE consolidated its DittoTV and OZEE platforms to roll out an all-new OTT service - ZEE5. What changed and how?

Part of our job is to be provocative to grab people’s attention: Ingrid Newkirk, PETA

Ingrid Newkirk, the Founder and President of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), celebrated her 70th birthday on June 11. Dubbed by Fortune magazine as the "Mother Teresa of rabbits", she has shaped the world in many ways. In an exclusive interaction with HerStory, the controversial Ingrid gives us the skinny of what PETA is up to, especially in India.

TikTok launches 'Device Management' feature in India

Popular video platform TikTok announced the launch of ‘Device Management’, a safety feature, to ensure users have complete control of their account. The feature allows users to end sessions or remove their accounts from other devices from within the TikTok app to better manage the safety of their account. This feature will help avoid the misuse of user accounts and is a part of TikTok’s ongoing safety initiative.

UNDP India’s Project Disha is now going beyond skilling women

UNDP India’s Project Disha was started in 2015 with a focus on skilling and making women employable. After having skilled and helped employ over eight lakh women, Project Disha is extending its reach to include men as well. It is already in talks with large corporates to onboard more partners. 

Lendingkart raises Rs 80Cr debt funding led by Alteria Capital

Lendingkart, which offers small-ticket loans to borrowers with limited credit history, has raised Rs 80 crore debt capital led by venture debt firm Alteria Capital. The platform aims to contribute towards building entrepreneurship at grassroot level and fuel a strong Indian economy.

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