Startup news and updates: daily roundup (October 14, 2022)
YourStory presents the daily news roundup from the Indian startup ecosystem and beyond. Here's the roundup for Friday, October 14, 2022.
Glance's India userbase hits all-time high
Lock screen platform 's active userbase in India grew to an all-time high of 189 million in the quarter ended September, largely driven by partnerships with smartphone manufacturers and new content formats aimed at driving user engagement.
The platform's userbase grew 25% last quarter from the same period last year, adding 38.5 million users. Glance's partnership with , the third-largest smartphone brand in India, helped drive growth in the last three months.
The Google-backed technology company launched a new feature called Hyperlive last quarter, a live format that enables users to enjoy two-way interaction with celebrities or creators. Counterpoint expects the feature to boost active engagement in the coming quarters.
Simpl records highest growth in six months from rentals
Payments checkout platform recorded growth of 127% from the rentals segment between April and September this year. Transactions from ecommerce platforms recorded the second-highest growth of 111%.
This comes as the platform witnessed an uptick in the demand for consumer products in the past few months.
Other segments including travel and entertainment also recorded growth values of over 50%. The company expects consumer demand in these categories to continue to be strong for the rest of the year.
Airbnb launches safety feature for solo travellers
Rental app announced the launch of its new product feature to ensure safety of solo travellers.
When a solo traveller books a private or a share room, Airbnb will allow the user to share their reservation itinerary including details of listing address, reservation code, and check-in and out dates with trusted friends and family.
Travellers can also make use of expert advice and travel suggestions on the portal as part of the in-app experience. Airbnb has also made the feature available in Hindi language.
Cloud kitchen startup Terra Food Co raises $1M
Multi-brand cloud kitchen startup Terra Food Co has raised $1 million in its seed round led by the Faad Network, LV, IJP (Japanese Angel Network), Chennai Angels, Agility Ventures, and other angel investors.
Terra Food Co will use the capital to fund its business expansions, increase portfolios of brands, build innovative food technologies, product developments, and team expansion. It aims to offer a premium experience for audiences in metro and Tier II towns.
Launched in 2017, Terra Food started seven brands in Ahmedabad, including Terra Gourmet, Pick Up Meals, Papadum, Aho Punjab, Sushito, HIIT Meals, Zeus Burger, Jaani Maani Biryani, and Noodle Van. The company is expanding to Delhi-NCR and Jaipur, with plans to increase to 25 cuisines, including Assamese, Goan, Rajasthani, Gujarati, Mexican, Korean, and Lebanese.
Live sports gaming platform PlayCKC raises $200K
Founded in 2020, live sports gaming platform PlayCKC has raised $200,000 led by Freeflow Ventures. The company is one of the four initial startups chosen for the first sports tech cohort of India Accelerator and JSW Sports.
PlayCKC runs an app, listed on both the Play Store and App Store, which aims to provide fans with a real-world-like experience in predicting sports. At present, it only offers support for cricket with its two options of Predict and Select. In November this year, it plans to launch football support at the beginning of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Under its Predict option, it offers users basic multiple-choice questions during the matches and they are free to play. Under Select, the sports tech startup's real money gaming feature, is a simplified fantasy sports offering, allowing users to pick up to six players
(This story will be updated with the latest news throughout the day.)
Edited by Megha Reddy
