From students to job-ready candidates; Education in the age of AI

Hello,

Prosus is back with second chances for the Indian startup ecosystem. 

Days after a potential plan to increase its investment in Urban Company, the Dutch investor is now in talks to buy a 5% stake in cab-hailing platform Rapido. 

This belies a shift in focus following significant losses in two of its largest investments—BYJU'S and PharmEasy. As for whether that’ll be a case of “once bitten, twice shy”, it’s yet to be seen.

Not everybody seems to share this kind of optimism, especially when it comes to Tesla right after its robotaxi event. 

While Elon Musk showed off prototypes of a snazzy two-door sedan “Cybercab” in a flashy event in Los Angeles, investors were decidedly unimpressed, some even calling the robotaxi “toothless”. 

Elsewhere, all eyes are on Noel Tata, who was appointed unanimously as the new chairman of Tata Trusts, succeeding Ratan Tata. 

The 67-year-old currently heads the group’s fast-fashion retailer Trent Ltd and aircon maker Voltas Ltd. With this catapult to the top of one of the biggest conglomerates in India comes the question everyone’s asking: will he be able to fill Ratan Tata’s shoes?

Lastly, meet the winners of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize: A Japanese group of atomic bomb survivors working to ban nuclear weapons amid the tensest international relations since the Cold War. 

After all, those who don’t learn from history, are bound to repeat it. 

In today’s newsletter, we will talk about 

• Boosting employability of graduates
• Education in the age of AI
• How caregivers can navigate mental health

Here’s your trivia for today: What is the name of the device used to facilitate dream sharing in the movie "Inception"?

Startup

Boosting employability of graduates

Founded in 2023, Corizo predominantly targets college students and young professionals with upskilling courses at “affordable” prices. The online learning platform provides students with practical knowledge through hands-on projects and connects them with industry experts.

All about jobs:

• Corizo offers courses in computer science, data science, electronics, mechanical engineering, digital marketing, management, human resources, business and finance, and medicine.
• The startup’s LMS system allows students to access course materials, track their progress, and engage with mentors and peers. Students receive assignments based on the topics covered, apart from weekly quizzes and competitions.
• Its courses come with aptitude tests in collaboration with TCY. These mock tests are tailored for placement exams and exams conducted by HCL, Infosys, Ericsson, Wipro, IBM, TCS, Accenture, L&T, Deloitte, and Capgemini.

Top Funding Deals of the Week

Startup: Haber Nets

Amount: $38M

Round: Series C

Startup: Millennium Babycares

Amount: Rs 122 Cr

Round: Private placement

Startup: UrjaMobility

Amount: Rs 100 Cr

Round: Pre-Series A

TechSparks

Education in the age of AI

Education as a product has the potential to build an active learning community, believes Raghav Gupta, Founder and CEO, Futurense, and Co-founder of 1% Club. 

“For the last six or seven years, when all the edtech companies came up, the focus on community was a bit diluted, but now we are going back to a community angle,” said Gupta at TechSparks Bengaluru 2024.

Learning outcomes:

• “Content is something that people are consuming, and when you consume something, a loyalty factor builds up. So, a community has a lot to do with content, and it is happening on all these social media channels,” Gupta said. 
• “The future with AI is going to be a qualitative labour advantage where the number of people in a team will not matter but what will matter is the quality of those people,” he said. 
• The biggest obstacle to quality education is the communication barrier. He explained that people struggle to articulate their thoughts effectively. Many of them cannot articulate in English and often feel less confident.

Mental health

How caregivers can navigate mental health

Caregivers face behavioural disturbances and even a patient's abusive or violent behaviour in certain cases. They tend to cut down their social activities and have their whole world centred around the ailing person. To make matters worse, the financial burden of supporting a family member with mental health challenges can also be overwhelming.

Experts believe that this can severely impact the physical and mental health of caregivers.

Key takeaways:

• Roshni Sondhi Abbi, Lead Clinical Psychologist at Fortis National Mental Health Programme, describes burnout in caregivers as a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion. Signs can include fatigue, sleep disturbances, anxiety, low moods, hopelessness, and social withdrawal.
• Mental health startup The Unopened founder Leanne Pais' sessions help caregivers become more aware of their belief systems, reconnect with themselves, and learn how to meet both their own needs and those of the person they’re caring for.
• Dr Neerja Agarwal, Psychologist and Co-founder of the mental health platform Emoneeds, believes it is essential to be mindful of one's own well-being before assuming the role of a caregiver.

News & updates

• Strong equity: BlackRock's assets under management hit a record high for the third straight quarter thanks to surging inflows amid a market rally, as the world's largest asset manager pushes to expand its footprint in private markets.
• Industry challenges: Volkswagen delivered fewer cars in the third quarter as the automaker navigates an increasingly challenging market hit by a price war in China and high domestic production costs.
• Defying expectations: JPMorgan Chase & Co. reported a surprise gain in net interest income for the third quarter and raised its forecast for the key revenue source, even amid expectations that US interest rates will continue to fall.

What is the name of the device used to facilitate dream sharing in the movie "Inception"?

Answer: A Portable Automated Somnacin IntraVenous Device (PASIV).

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