Startups weather a stormy 2019 to raise $11.1 billion (and other top stories of the day)

When the going gets tough, the tough get going. If there is something common between the Sensex and the Indian startup ecosystem, it has to be the bullishness on the investment front despite facing several macro challenges. 

2019 was punctuated by two successive quarters of declining GDP growth, equalling the longest slowdown in the past 23 years.

But, startups in India withstood the storm.

According to YourStory Research, the research arm of YourStory Media, startup funding trends in 2019 showed healthy investor interest in Indian startups. Homegrown Indian startups raised $11.1 billion in 2019, a fall of just 2.4 percent when compared to the corresponding period in 2018 (data used is as of December 27, 2019). The total funding raised by the Indian startup ecosystem in the 2018 calendar year was $11.38 billion.

Our research also reveals the diversity of sectors that raised maximum funds, the sunrise sectors, new startup hubs, and challenges plaguing the ecosystem. It also throws light on startups that have attained ‘unicorn’ status and those waiting in the wings as ‘soonicorns’.

Read our detailed funding report of the Indian startup ecosystem, here.

B2B foodtech player Elior India dishes out 200k meals a day

Elior India, belonging to the global B2B food catering company Elior Group, is focussed on making corporate meals healthy and sustainable. The platform is a first-of-its-kind digital initiative by Elior. 

Land rights on pastures empower deprived communities in Maharashtra

Giving land rights to the landless and nomadic people in Maharashtra on degraded pastures have provided marginalised communities with a reasonable livelihood

Here’s where Jeff Bezos inherited his entrepreneurial spirit

Amazon Founder and CEO Jeff Bezos often speaks about the influence his grandfather has had on him. He credits him for instilling certain values in him that he still uses in his work life every day.

This small-time trader built a Rs 50 Cr turnover bath fittings company

Vinay Jain dreamed of making it big in the capital city, but he remained a middleman in the Delhi market for bath fittings. His big break came when a supplier asked Vinay to buy a struggling manufacturing business.

Meet Sudipta Banerjee, the techie who went on to build Wynk Music

Our techie for this Tuesday is Sudipta Banerjee, the CTO of Wynk Music and Airtel Xstream. He shares how his tech journey started at NIT Warangal, continued at HCL, Verizon India, and Yahoo where he acquired crucial learnings and tools, and took him to Airtel where he built Wynk Music.

This young ‘Roadies’ is creating job opportunities for India’s LGBTQ+ community

Ankita Mehra heads ‘Q-rious’, an event platform for corporates seeking to broaden their diversity and inclusion mandate, and understanding the perspectives of the LGBTQ+ community.

Zomato acquires India operations of Uber Eats

Zomato has bought Uber's food delivery business in India in an all-stock transaction. The deal gives Uber a 9.9 percent stake in Zomato, and the Gurugram-based food delivery major gets the upper hand in India's foodtech dominance battle.

Now get the Daily Capsule in your inbox. Subscribe to our newsletter today!