Startup news and updates: Daily roundup (June 10, 2024)

Funding

Tulua Foods and Pikndel receive funding at D2C Insider Mumbai Summit

Tulua Foods and Pikndel received funding at the D2C Insider Mumbai Summit which brought together a diverse group of D2C founders at various stages of their entrepreneurial journey, along with key investors and senior leaders.

Richy Dave, the founder of Tulua Foods Pvt Ltd, was the first prize winner, bagging total funding of 50 lakh, including 25 lakh from D2C insiders and 25 lakh from credit enablers.

Siddharth Batra, the founder of Pikndel, was the first runner-up securing an investment of 25 lakh.

Brands like The Sass Bar, Secret Alchemist, Wanderlooms and Grow Billion Trees participated and showcased their pitches.

Other News

Former upGrad executives launch The Leadership Project

Former upGrad executives Ketaki Kadekar and Moytreyee Konwar have launched The Leadership Project (TLP), which aims to deliver leadership content that is globally relevant while being deeply rooted in India’s diverse cultural contexts.

Kadekar and Konwar, both Managing Partners at TLP, bring a combined experience of more than 40 years. 

The venture’s goal is to redefine leadership as an accessible skill for all, dispelling the myth of exclusivity, and to equip leaders to support their organisations through daily highs and lows consistently.

TLP claims to offer innovative, practical leadership solutions from India for global markets, tailored to today's leaders. Its learning experiences include offline and online workshops, on-the-job exercises, and coaching, all built around fostering self-awareness, developing leadership skills, and providing toolkits for personal mastery, team leadership, and business building.

Ecofy joins forces with Luminous Power Technologies

Ecofy, an NBFC backed by Eversource Capital, has partnered with Luminous Power Technologies to leverage the latter’s extensive experience and innovative solutions.

This collaboration aims to revolutionise the financing landscape for renewable energy projects, particularly in the solar power space. It is focused on simplifying financing for sustainable energy projects.

Ecofy has a growing share in the financing industry, which allows Luminous Power to extend its innovative solar solutions for powering homes and businesses. Ecofy also hosts local events to activate and educate dealers on the benefits and opportunities in the rooftop solar segment.

Sophos appoints Joe Levy as CEO, Jim Dildine as CFO

Sophos, a security software and hardware company, has appointed Joe Levy as chief executive officer (CEO) of the company. Levy has been acting CEO since February 15.

Levy is a nearly 30-year veteran of innovating and leading cybersecurity product development, services and companies. As CEO, Levy plans to expand Sophos’ customer base in the midmarket, which includes nearly 600,000 customers worldwide and generates more than $1.2 billion in annual revenue. 

Levy has named Jim Dildine as the new chief financial officer (CFO) and a member of his senior management team. 

Levy’s leadership strategy includes adding Dildine as CFO to help Sophos reach its business goals and propel the company on its future growth trajectory. He brings exceptional operational expertise to Sophos, as well as a strong background in channel partner-based cybersecurity business.

Dildine joins Sophos most recently from cybersecurity software and services company, Imperva, where he was CFO for over four years.

Footprints expands its reach to Tier II cities

Footprints, a preschool and daycare brand has expanded its presence to Tier II cities by opening its newest franchises in Raipur (Chhattisgarh) and Srinagar (Jammu & Kashmir). 

Additionally, new centres in Bhopal and Karnal are also in the pipeline, as part of the next phase of growth.

The centres in Raipur and Srinagar take its total number of centres closer to the ambitious goal of 350 by 2025.

“These cities are witnessing rapid urbanisation and a shift towards modern educational needs, and we are excited to bring our trusted services to support the growth and development of children here,” said Raj Singhal, Co-founder and CEO of Footprints.

Gensol Engineering appoints Kuljit S Popli as Independent Director, Ali Imran Naqvi as Executive Director

Gensol Engineering Limited, a player in the renewable energy sector has appointed Kuljit Singh Popli as an Independent Director (Non-Executive) and Ali Imran Naqvi as  Director (Executive) to the company’s board of directors.

Popli has more than 40 years of rich professional experience in India. He is a Founder Director of Clime Finance Pvt. Ltd. Prior to that he served as an advisor with the International Solar Alliance for two years and was Chairman & Managing Director of Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited.

Naqvi has more than 14 years of professional experience and has been a valuable team member of Gensol Engineering Ltd. right from its inception. In his erstwhile role, he was the CEO of Gensol Solar EPC (India). In his new role, he will oversee the growth of Gensol Engineering Limited and its subsidiaries. 

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