Top fintech trends of 2020; The founder who uses war tactics to stay ahead; A Swadeshi social network; and more.

This year, the Indian fintech startups roped in nearly $1.7 billion in funding in the first six months of 2020, doubling from last year’s $726.6 million, despite a global pandemic, a KPMG report showed. In fact, Indian startups saw VC financing at a time when global fintechs saw a stark slowdown, falling almost to 2017 levels. 

For edtech startup Unacademy — whose "audacious goal" is to build a Netflix for education — the year 2020 had some positive news. Not only did it enter the unicorn club in September, but touched $2 billion in valuation earlier this week. 

Everything is fair in love and war. And, the story of Jaspreet Singh, Founder and CEO of Druva, would give you some insights into the competitive world of the startup ecosystem. The Pune and California-based SaaS startup is among the few private companies to generate $100 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR).

Stay tuned as we bring you more top stories. 

A Swadeshi social network

Tooter, a Made in India social network that looks just like Twitter, has got people talking. It has been built by a Telangana-based firm.

Making small businesses financially inclusive

Chqbook’s all-in-one financial services platform provides bespoke solutions and makes daily ops easier for small business owners. 

Tracing WhiteHat Jr’s journey

WhiteHat Jr became popular after BYJU’S acquired it for $300 million. However, it has been plagued by worrying allegations.  

Charge your EVs at kiranas with Charzer

Started in 2020, Charzer is a smart, compact IoT-powered station, and a mobile app, that provides easy access to charging facilities.

'Groww' your mutual funds, stocks, gold

Groww is backed by marquee investors, including Y Combinator, Sequoia Capital, Curefit Co-founder Mukesh Bansal, and others.

The future of luxury auto sector

Mercedes-Benz India MD Martin Schwenk talks about how the luxury automotive market is coming back from the pandemic, and more.

Podcasts hosted by women you should listen to

Tune in to these podcasts hosted by women on various topics like body positivity, patriarchy, and everyday life experiences.

How Mad Over Donuts stays relevant

Started in 2008, Mad Over Donuts (MOD) has stayed relevant despite international competition and doughnuts not being popular. 

Quote of the day: 

“You have to be in the market every day, you need to fight every day, and you need to win every day. The vision and courage of leaders shows up in times of crisis.”

- Manoj Kohli, Country Head, Softbank India

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