Startup news and updates: Daily roundup (April 4, 2024)

Funding news

Sports tech firm Hudle raises Rs 7 Cr to expand in preventative healthcare market

Delhi NCR-based sports tech platform Hudle raised Rs 7 crore in a pre-Series A funding round led by Inflection Point Ventures and Sky Impact Capital, along with Survam Partners and Anay Ventures.

The firm will use the capital to expand its footprint in the preventative healthcare segment, enhance product features, and amplify marketing efforts in the sports community, it said in a statement.

Founded in 2018 by Suhail Narain, Arjun Singh Verma, and Sonam Taneja, Hudle assists sports and fitness enthusiasts in discovering venues in their hyperlocal markets, booking sports activities, and connecting with like-minded individuals to form communities.

“Our business has grown more than 6x over the last two years. With time, the confidence in our mission to enable Indians of all ages to play is only growing stronger. It is heartening to be supported by partners like IPV and Sky Impact Capital in this journey,” said Narain, Founder and CEO of Hudle.

Healthtech startup Curelo bags Rs 10 Cr from cricketer Shreyas Iyer, IIMA Ventures

Diagnostic services provider Curelo has raised Rs 10 crore from IIMA Ventures, Tarun Katial (Founder of Zee 5), and family offices in the US. Cricketer Shreyas Iyer also invested in the round.

It will spend the capital to expand Curelo's footprint, standardise unorganised labs, and achieve exponential growth in acquiring 300% more patients in the coming year, it said on Thursday.

Founded in 2022 by Arpit Jayswal, Curelo is an aggregator platform that connects patients with diagnostic labs, offering at-home blood sample collection and timely reports. 

"We are delighted to welcome Shreyas Iyer as an investor in Curelo. His belief in our platform adds immense value as we continue to redefine the diagnostic market. This collaboration positions us as a trusted brand with accelerated growth and reinforces our commitment to serving the evolving needs of our users," said Jayswal, Founder and CEO of Curelo.

CloudWorx Technologies secures $600,000 seed funding from Venture Catalysts, 1Crowd

Bengaluru-based software firm Cloudworx Technologies bagged $600,000 in seed funding from Venture Catalysts and crowdfunding platform 1Crowd. SucSEED, LetsVenture, Provista, and Agility Ventures also participated in the round.

According to a statement, the funding will enable CloudWorx to accelerate growth and expand international reach in the global digital twins market.

Founded in 2019 by Yuvraj Tomar and Kaushik Bharadwaj, Cloudworx Studio is a no-code, web-based integrated development software, which helps users create, manage, and maintain digital twins and other 3D enterprise applications directly from their web browsers. The startup focuses on creating comprehensive digital replicas of ports, terminals, smart cities, R&D labs, industrial IoT, and facility management, among others.

“We’re exhilarated by the growth and adoption of digital twins. As AI and digital twins become pivotal in creating meaningful business solutions across various domains, this funding marks a significant milestone. We’re committed to leading this transformative wave, ensuring that by 2030, any work that can be digitised into 3D, will be,” said Yuvraj Tomar, CEO of CloudWorx.

Healthcare startup Zeno Health acquires Kolkata-based Tablt Pharmacy

Mumbai-based ZenoHealth has acquired Kolkata-based TABLT Pharmacy for an undisclosed amount, aiming to strengthen its reach in West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, and Jharkhand.

Tablt is a Bharat-focused online pharmacy startup which has been operating in Tier II to Tier VI geographies in Eastern India.

“Zeno Health is on a mission to democratize healthcare across India and recently raised $25 million in a Series C fund round. As we aim to reach and serve more than 1 crore consumers every month, we are also aspiring to reduce their healthcare expenditures by 50%. Thus, our merger with Tablt and their excellent team will expedite our journey to rural and semi-urban areas, addressing the immense need for generic medicines,” Girish Agarwal, Co-founder of Zeno Health, said.

Anish Agarwal, CEO and Co-founder of Tablt Pharmacy, added, “This marks a pivotal moment in the healthcare industry. By combining Tablt's innovative distribution capabilities with Zeno Health's commitment to affordability, we are poised to transform how individuals access and afford essential medications.”

Other news

Swiggy’s Great Indian Restaurant Festival sees 3.5M users this year

Swiggy Dineout’s Great Indian Restaurant Festival sees 3.5 million visitors in the 8th edition this year, it said in a statement.

The festival featured more than 8,000 eateries across 37 cities with discounts of up to 50% and an additional 15% savings when using the HDFC Bank Credit Cards. The festival witnessed more than 22 lakh deals being availed and over 576 table reservations per hour, according to the company.

“With over 3.5 million diners participating, this year's Swiggy Dineout GIRF has been a great success, establishing itself as an eagerly anticipated event for food enthusiasts nationwide. We're thrilled to see more people from Tier II cities joining in, showing a growing trend of exploring new cuisines and dining experiences. The festival has introduced a wide range of new restaurants, offering diners exciting culinary adventures while enjoying savings worth a whopping Rs 100 crores,” Swapnil Bajpai, Head at Swiggy Dineout, said.

Kochi Metro Rail becomes second metro service to join ONDC

Kochi Metro Rail has joined the Open Network For Digital Commerce (ONDC) to enable users to purchase metro tickets from a host of booking platforms like Yatri, Paytm, redBus and PhonePe.

Kochi Metro Rail is now the second metro service to join the network after Chennai Metro Rail was integrated through the commuting app Rapido in February.

Starting April 4, commuters can conveniently purchase single journey and return journey tickets for the Kochi Metro through four buyer apps on the ONDC Network such as Yatri, Paytm, Rapido, and redBus. Additionally, customers can also book tickets on the PhonePe app. In future, customers will be able to book tickets from Google Maps, Uber, and EaseMyTrip among others, the firms said.

“We are thrilled to join the Open Network to enhance the commuting experience of metro travellers. This integration aligns perfectly with our mission to provide seamless, sustainable transportation solutions to the people of Kochi. Now our ticketing services will be available through a diverse range of buyer apps on the ONDC Network, a significant step towards upgrading accessibility and convenience for our valued commuters,” Loknath Behera, Managing Director at Kochi Metro Rail Limited, said.

Swiggy appoints Titan CEO Suparna Mitra as independent director ahead of IPO

On-demand convenience platform Swiggy has appointed Suparna Mitra, CEO of Titan Company Limited’s Watches and Wearables division, as an independent director to its Board.

Mitra has over 30 years of experience in the lifestyle and retail divisions and joins a host of independent directors at Swiggy including Anand Kripalu (MD and Global CEO at EPL Limited and Chairperson of the Swiggy board), Shailesh Haribhakti (Chairman of Shailesh Haribhakti and Associates), and Sahil Barua (Managing Director and CEO at Delhivery).

“Having seen Swiggy revolutionise on-demand convenience through innovation and customer-centricity, I’m excited by this opportunity. I look forward to collaborating with the Board members and management team of Swiggy; aimed at value-creation and values-based governance,” Mitra said.

Pocket FM appoints Vineet Singh as VP of Branding and Communications

Audio series platform Pocket FM has appointed Vineet Singh as the Vice President of Branding and Communications. In the new role, Singh will spearhead brand marketing and communications and will work closely with Co-founder Rohan Nayak.

Singh previously worked with edtech startup BYJU’S as the head of brand, marketing and creative strategy.

“Pocket FM’s commitment to innovation and delivering top-quality audio series is inspiring. This marks an exciting moment for us as audio series emerge as a disruptive force in the entertainment landscape. I am eager to contribute to their culture of creativity and be part of this exciting journey,” Vineet Singh said.

PayU partners with loyalty engagement company Loylty Rewardz for points redemption

Payments company PayU has tied up with loyalty and engagement company Loylty Rewardz to enable users to earn and redeem points seamlessly on the online transactions processed by PayU.

Rewardz Hub is integrated into the PayU online checkout page, so customers can access and use their reward points and use PayU’s wide range of payment options to cover any balance amount. This offers enhanced convenience, greater affordability, and superior shopping experiences on nearly 35,000 brand websites like Westside, Samsung, Eazydiner, Boat, Havells, Forest Essentials, Cottonworld, Levi’s, Esbeda among others.

“Our integration with Loylty Rewardz is set to transform the customer experience for the 2 million+ redemption transactions processed monthly across its extensive network. This will enhance retention rates significantly for partner brands and banks. By combining our wide distribution reach of e-commerce brands and robust payments stack (over 150 payment methods) with Loylty Rewardz’s industry-leading loyalty points infrastructure, we are creating the country’s largest, most seamless, and most rewarding transaction environment for engaged users,” Nikhil Mehta, Senior Vice President (Partnerships and Payments Strategy), at PayU said.

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