Startup news and updates: Daily roundup (October 11, 2023)

Funding news

Diagnostics Platform Curelo raises funding from IIMA’s CIIE.CO

Curelo, a platform that enables patients to book at-home blood sample collection and receive blood reports, has raised $100,000 from IIMA’s CIIE.CO. The platform is powered by a fleet of phlebotomists that can collect samples within 60 minutes of booking and deliver them to the selected lab.

Patients can also discover a lab on the platform based on test availability, pricing, and turnaround time.

In the last 10 months of operations, Curelo has partnered with 1,350 labs, processed over 125,000 orders, and is currently generating a monthly run rate of Rs 55 lakh at a month-on-month growth of 30%.

Curelo also aims to expand its footprint in radiology and blood bank aggregators in the near future.

Nawgati raises undisclosed amount in seed funding led by All In Capital

Nawgati, a home-grown innovative fuel aggregator startup, has successfully secured an undisclosed amount in seed funding led by All in Capital, a pre-seed venture capital fund. The investment marks a significant milestone in Nawgati’s journey as it will be pivotal in its mission to simplify and digitise the fueling experience for fuel pump operators, companies, and end-users.

While the terms of the transaction were not disclosed, the Noida-headquartered startup will utilise the raised capital to accelerate its expansion efforts. Nawgati’s primary focus will be onboarding 2,000 fuel stations onto their retail ops platform, Aaveg.

With this undertaking, Nawgati will further its reach in Tier I and II cities including, but not limited to, Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Bhopal, Chennai, Pune, Lucknow, Patna, and Jaipur over the next six months. In addition, Nawgati envisions expanding its platform to include a wide range of fuel outlets, making it a fuel-agnostic platform.

This includes not only CNG or petrol pumps but also electric vehicle charging stations. With plans to onboard 15,000 fuel outlets over the next two years, Nawgati aspires to take its innovative solutions to the global stage.

Other news

byteXL appoints senior education experts to its leadership team

Edtech platform byteXL has appointed senior education experts to its leadership team. The company has roped in Vaibhav Shukla and Nishant Reddy.

Shukla will be byteXL’s Head of Learning and Student Success, and will focus on elevating the edtech platform by spearheading curriculum and content development.

As a content strategy expert skilled in design, development, delivery, and management, and with more than two decades of experience in education, Shukla brings a wealth of knowledge and skills to the company. An alumnus of IIM Ahmedabad and IIT Bombay, he previously served as Director of Content Development at LEAD Academy.

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Contentstack co-founder launches incubator to fuel local innovation

Virar-Hub Incubator, a new initiative in Virar, Maharashtra, has been launched to nurture and bolster the entrepreneurial spirit in the area. The incubator aims to extend the necessary support to early-stage startups by offering expert mentorship, resources and infrastructure, and strategic partnerships, ensuring their evolution into successful companies.

Promoted by Nishant Patel, the serial tech entrepreneur and co-founder of Contentstack, a composable digital experience platform, Virar-Hub intends to provide a first-of-its-kind platform for building a culture of entrepreneurship in the Vasai-Virar area.

"Having begun my company's journey in Virar, I have witnessed firsthand the untapped potential of this area. I'm thrilled to inaugurate the Virar-Hub Incubator, aspiring to cultivate the upcoming generation of startups in Virar. To further this mission, we have also launched Raw Engineering Academy, which imparts training about technology and entrepreneurship, and equips college students with relevant skills," said Patel.

Joining hands with Nishant in this venture are Rajdip Gupta, Founder and CEO of Route Mobile Ltd, and Kshitij Thakur, a member of the Legislative Assem2bly representing the Nalasopara constituency in the Maharashtra State Assembly.

Panasonic Ignition launches corporate innovation programme with 100X.VC

Panasonic Life Solutions India (PLSIND), a diversified technology company, and Panasonic Corporation (PC), have introduced the “Panasonic Ignition”, a corporate innovation accelerator programme in collaboration with a leading seed stage venture capital (VC)—100X.VC. Panasonic aims to mentor, guide, and fund early- to mid-stage startups that are creating innovative solutions in the field of energy management for commercial and residential segments, in its first cohort of startups.

The accelerator programme has been designed by Panasonic India Innovation Centre (IIC) to create a platform in collaboration with 100X.VC, where selected young founders of emerging startups, will receive investment, access to various masterclasses, expert mentorship, and support around product strategy and growth that will assist them towards building innovative technologies and products while solving real-life challenges related to energy management in spatial infrastructures.

India-based global fintech startup Syntellect selected for Google for Startups Accelerator

Syntellect, an India-based global affordable housing fintech startup has announced its selection for the prestigious Google for Startups Accelerator: Women Founders Programme. The company's flagship product, 'RightProfile,' utilises data science, AI, ML, statistics, specialised programming, and advanced analytics to deliver actionable insights and decision intelligence to lenders worldwide.

The Google for Startups Accelerator programme is designed to nurture and support women entrepreneurs in India harnessing technology to address complex societal challenges.

Among the 300 applications, Google India chose 20 women entrepreneurs including Sumedha Salunkhe Naik, CEO and founder of Syntellect.

Uber awards scholarships to drivers’ children for 10th year in India

Uber India has rolled out the Uber Scholar initiative to support children of the driver community on the occasion of its 10th anniversary in India. This initiative is open to the community of drivers associated with various companies across Delhi NCR and Bangalore.

As part of this initiative, Uber is supporting 1000 children from primary to post-graduation in their education pursuits by providing them with support including tuition fees and online devices and tools essential for their success.

As it marks its 10 years in India, Uber also recognised and celebrated the unwavering dedication of its top 100 driver partners in an appreciation event hosted across 10 cities. Uber honoured the children of its top-rated drivers with e-learning devices to support their academic pursuits in an ever-growing digital world. This initiative underscores Uber’s steadfast commitment to the driver community that powers the platform.

(This article will be updated with the latest news throughout the day.)