Bhanzu’s fight against ‘maths phobia’
In 2020, Neelakantha Bhanu, the “World's Fastest Human Calculator”, decided to launch maths learning platform Bhanzu to tackle ‘maths phobia’.
Hello Reader,
We are in the 5G era now!
Merely two months after India’s 5G auction, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the country's 5G services on Saturday at the sixth edition of the Indian Mobile Congress.
Reliance Industries, which was the largest bidder at the spectrum auction, will extend “higher quality and more affordable” 5G services to even the remotest corners of India by next December, promised Chairman Mukesh Ambani.
For now, 5G services are available in 13 cities: Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Jamnagar, and Lucknow.
Meanwhile, the Elon Musk vs Twitter saga is in the news again (honestly, feels like forever) as a new court filing containing texts to and from the world’s richest person revealed private conversations that preceded his $44-billion bid to buy Twitter.
The text threads, more than anything else, offer a rare glimpse into how billionaires really think. On the other hand, Musk passive-aggressively asking CEO Parag Agarwal, “What did you get done this week?” is quickly becoming a meme.
With Elon Musk involved, who is really surprised?
Lastly, if you have ever wondered how big infinity is, here’s something like an explanation. Word of caution: It has a lot of maths…
In today’s newsletter, we will talk about
- How Bhanzu tackles ‘maths phobia’
- Sampling RCB Cafe’s Sunday brunch
- Report card: Funding in September
Here’s your trivia for today: Who was the first woman judge in India’s Supreme Court?
Edtech
How Bhanzu tackles ‘maths phobia’
In November 2020, Neelakantha Bhanu, who is said to be the “World's Fastest Human Calculator”, decided to launch maths learning platform to tackle ‘maths phobia’.
Last week, Bhanzu raised $15 million in a Series A funding round led by Eight Roads Ventures and B Capital.
A calculated bet:
- The original problem statement for the Hyderabad-based startup was that children should get more excited about maths as a subject, instead of shying away from it, let alone being scared of it.
- Bhanzu has developed experiential maths teaching based on stories and conceptual understanding that work for all students.
- Its courses are priced between Rs 14,999 and Rs 64,999. The startup says it caters to over 30,000 students and parents.
Food
Sampling RCB Cafe’s Sunday brunch
With red and gold interiors, the RCB Cafe provides a European alfresco-style dining experience
The perfect Sunday brunch can really set the tone for your upcoming week.
And in the heart of Bengaluru, a new player is bringing global specials onto the same table. RCB Cafe Breakfast Club, which was launched in July, has a European alfresco-style dining experience.
Global delicacies:
- RCB Cafe Breakfast Club features a new chef every Sunday, providing them with a platform to showcase their magic.
- The most-loved breakfast enjoyed by regulars of the cafe is the Royal Challengers Breakfast.
- A must-try is the Shrimp & Dill Hoppers, which is a staple of Sri Lankan cuisine.
Funding
Report card: Funding in September
Following a gloomy July and stretched August, Indian startups raised little over $905 million across 137 funding deals in September, 16.5% lower than August.
Annually, this is a little over 69% lower than the $3.01 billion raised last September across 161 deals. In total, this year has seen $19.07 billion raised so far.
Wintry days:
- The monthly dip in September has been seen across all stages except the growth stage, which saw 15% increase at $580.7 million compared to $505.2 million in August.
- Only Series B and C saw a monthly increase of 150.7% and 52.0%, at $262.4 million and $79.1 million, compared to $104.7 million and $52.0 million in August.
- In terms of the top sectors, fintech and financial services accounted for 16.2% of the September total with 22 deals raising $146.3 million, followed by healthtech and healthcare services.
News & updates
- Battle of the OS: Competition between Android and iOS in the auto industry has gained new momentum, with Google racking up auto-maker partnerships for the automobile-based version of its Android operating system, and Apple teasing plans to expand its software capabilities in the car.
- Spirited game: Becoming popular during the pandemic, looks like premixed canned cocktails are here to stay. Several beer companies, such as Heineken and Molson Coors, are entering the canned cocktail market, hoping to offer consumers more variety as hard seltzer fades.
- Market mayhem: Whether super-safe US Treasuries or the riskiest emerging equities, global stocks and bonds have lost a record $36 trillion in value over the past nine months in a wild selloff that engulfed assets right across the risk spectrum.
Who was the first woman judge in India’s Supreme Court?
Answer: Justice Fathima Beevi, in 1989. She was also the first woman judge of a Supreme Court in any country in Asia.
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