Startup news and updates: daily roundup (November 14, 2022)

Accel rolls out 'Decoding Marketplaces' as more startups open up digital fronts

Accel, the California-headquartered investment firm, launched 'Decoding Marketplaces' to back founders operating marketplaces. The initiative will assist entrepreneurs in onboarding suppliers and retention, identifying test beds, dealing with large competitors, and hiring risk teams, among other things.

The investment giant is also inviting founders, who have raised under $2 million, to present their ideas to Accel's committee, acquire feedback, one on one mentorship and access to coworking spaces.

Darwinbox opens new office in Hyderabad

Darwinbox, an HR-tech firm, opened a new office in Hyderabad that will act as the global headquarters. The space, which spans over 75,000 sq.ft, can hold at least 1,000 employees and help the company's expansion strategy. The headquarters will also act as a central point for teams operating across India, Singapore, Indonesia, The Philippines and Thailand, among other countries.

Darwinbox, which was started in 2015 in Hyderabad, currently has 700 clients and 2 million users from conglomerates, consumer brands, and stock exchange including JSW, Makemytrip, Mahindra, National Stock Exchange, Makemytrip, Swiggy, Nivea, Starbucks, and Dominos.

Waycool invests in supply management player AllFresh

Agritech player Waycool Foods has invested in AllFresh Supply Management Pvt. Ltd. to boost supply chain management. Based in Delhi, AllFresh supplies apples and citrus-based food, with technology in place to keep the perishables' shelf-life intact.

WayCool aims to leverage Allfresh’s network of farmers in Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh, among other locations, and over 1,25,000 retail customers. WayCool was founded in 2015 by Ashok Leyland's former vice president Karthik Jayaraman, and Sanjay Dasari, a Harvard Business School graduate.

Foodtech player Ghost Kitchens India acquires another brand

Ghost Kitchens India acquired Where's The Food (WTF) in an equity-swap deal. The foodtech player also on-boarded WTF's founder Harshendar Reddy as chief technology officer (CTO). Harshendar will develop Ghost Kitchens' business-to-business (B2B) app, which will automate inventory management, finance, operations, and tracing sales growth, among other things.

Started in 2019, Ghost Kitchens acquires food brands and grows them. The firm claims to have over 30 brands in its portfolio including Goila Butter Chicken, owned by chef Sharansh Goila, pizza brand Starboy, Momo Guy, and Khichdi Paradise.

(This copy will be updated throughout the day with the latest updates)