Startup news and updates: Daily roundup (January 7, 2025)
YourStory presents the daily news roundup from the Indian startup ecosystem and beyond. Here's the roundup for Tuesday, January 7, 2025.
Funding news
KIBI Sports raises $100,000 from angel investors
KIBI Sports raised $100,000 in its latest funding round from angel investors, including Saurabh Aggarwal, Arpit Bhardwaj, Vartika Joshi, Suryansh Jain, Pranjal Bansal, Amit Kumar Sahu, Pratibha Rani, and Sushila.
The company operates through three main revenue streams: a digital marketplace for sports equipment and merchandise, a platform linking athletes and institutions with sponsors, and a system for event registration and booking.
With a focus on Tier II and III cities, KIBI aims to support the sports ecosystem and boost visibility for underrepresented sports.
Bodmas Technologies bags maiden funding from Auxano Capital
Retail analytics firm Bodmas Technologies raised its maiden funding round from Auxano Capital to support its brand ClicFlyer to advance its technology infrastructure and expand its network of retail stores and partner brands.
"By providing actionable insights, we aim to help retailers and CPG brands better align their promotions with consumer needs, ensuring a more efficient and impactful approach to marketing," said Rahul Sood, Co-founder and Managing Director of ClicFlyer.
The company offers a platform that helps brands and retailers analyse and optimise promotions while providing consumers with a centralised hub to access deals and discounts.
Other news
Tata Digital forays into retail investment space
Tata Digital has marked its expansion into the retail investments space with the launch of the Fixed Deposits marketplace on its ecommerce superapp, Tata Neu.
The platform will allow customers to invest in fixed deposits with leading financial institutions at interest rates of up to 9.1%, without a savings bank account.
Customers are likely to benefit as more banks join the Fixed Deposit marketplace on Tata Neu. Additionally, Tata Neu plans to introduce recurring deposits to support regular and systematic investments.
Zeko AI to expand into Middle East and South Asia
AI-driven recruitment solution provider Zeko AI will expand its operations to international markets, targeting the Middle East and South Asia.
The company plans to establish a new office in Dubai, UAE, and significantly grow its team, anticipating a 100% year-on-year revenue increase over the next three years. In just 10 months, it has onboarded over 1,000 clients and conducted more than 15,000 AI interviews.
The expansion focuses on the UAE, followed by Saudi Arabia, other Middle Eastern nations, and Southeast Asia.
BiUP Technologies appoints Gunjan Nagpal as director of growth and innovation
AI-powered customer engagement firm BiUP Technologies has appointed Gunjan Nagpal as the Director of Growth and Innovation for North America and Europe.
Under his new role, Nagpal will spearhead BiUP’s expansion into key markets like automotive, fashion, home and lifestyle by driving strategic partnerships, developing market-specific strategies, and promoting BiUP’s AI-driven innovations.
HGS appoints Anshuman Singh as CEO for UK operations
Digital media services provider HGS appointed Anshuman Singh as the new Chief Executive Officer for its UK operations.
Singh, who will be based out of London, will drive growth and innovation in the UK and Europe. Before joining HGS, Singh held leadership roles at LTI Mindtree in London.
Flipkart’s service arm expands Google Pixel service network with new Mumbai centre
Flipkart’s service arm, F1 Info Solutions and Services, has launched its third dedicated service centre for Google Pixel devices in Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex. The new centre offers same-day repairs for most technical issues.
The company had earlier opened such dedicated service centres in Bengaluru and Delhi.
With its collaboration with Google, F1 Services provides after-sales support for Pixel devices, including mobiles, watches, buds, Fitbit, and Nest products. These centres offer walk-in support and same-day delivery for repairs regardless of purchase location.
It currently operates six same-day repair centres in Lucknow, Gurugram, Cochin, Chennai, Pune, and Kolkata, and offers post-purchase services across 350+ multi-brand service centres in India.
Ecom Express launches ‘E-Pathshaala’ for upskilling
Ecommerce logistics provider Ecom Express has launched ‘E-Pathshaala,’ a learning management system (LMS) designed to upskill its workforce to attract fresh talent in the supply chain and logistics sector.
E-Pathshaala will cater to delivery personnel with regional language motion graphic video courses, offering interactive and practical training for last-mile delivery. It will also support delivery centre managers in improving team leadership with key features, including inclusive language options, certification for completed courses, and progress tracking.
Tata Elxsi partners with National Aerospace Laboratories for advanced air mobility
Tata Elxsi and CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories (CSIR-NAL) have signed an MoU to establish a partnership for advanced air mobility. The collaboration would focus on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), Urban Air Mobility (UAM), and electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.
The partnership will speed up product development by offering access to advanced testing infrastructure and expertise. Tata Elxsi and CSIR-NAL will collaborate on technologies like aerodynamic design, autonomous systems, and secure communications for manned and unmanned air mobility systems.
Fundalogical Ventures launches FV Trailblazers programme
Fundalogical Ventures, a fund specialising in sustainable supply chain and logistics, launched the inaugural edition of FV Trailblazers, which aims to support companies with access to up to $5 million in growth capital, mentorship from industry leaders, and strategic guidance.
It will target companies in critical sectors such as supply chain optimisation, logistics, automation, and green logistics, among others. Applications for the programme will close on January 18, 2025, with shortlisted companies notified within two weeks of the deadline, it said in a statement.
The fund is backed by industry veterans like Krishna Kotak (JM Baxi Group), Tushar Jani (Blue Dart Express), Suryakant Parekh (Parekh Group), Khalid Vohra (Sai Shipping), and Mehernosh Currawalla (Fak Cargo).
BluSmart expands to Mumbai
EV ride-hailing startup BluSmart has expanded its services to Mumbai, adding to its presence in Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR, and Dubai.
Beginning with rentals and airport rides, the service will cover key areas from Goregaon to Bandra, including the commercial hub of Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), with plans for gradual citywide expansion.
Founded in 2019, BluSmart is an electric, full-stack ride-hailing platform, with its own EV charging infrastructure network.
Myntra partners with GetVantage for the D2C Rising Star initiative
Fashion marketplace Myntra has partnered with growth capital financer GetVantage, enabling the latter's portfolio brands with exclusive access to the D2C Rising Star initiative.
In this collaboration, select GetVantage portfolio companies—Tjori, Valkyre, Ornaz, Nua Woman, Jade Forest, and Elaver Sports—will join Myntra's invite-only D2C Rising Star initiative and benefit from its platform scale, trend-based insights, and dedicated account management.
Myntra aims to onboard 500 D2C brands in fashion, beauty, and grooming through its D2C Rising Star initiative by year-end. Previous participating brands have experienced an average growth of 2X in demand.
New Relic appoints Ved Antani as SVP of Engineering
AI platform New Relic has appointed Ved Antani as Senior Vice President of Engineering and Managing Director of the Hyderabad Innovation Center, under the company’s plans for expansion in the region.
Antani has over 15 years of experience in scalable platform and product development across ecommerce, gaming, and enterprise tech. He will now focus on attracting top engineering talent and supporting broader business growth in the new role.
Before joining New Relic, Antani served as Chief Product and Technology Officer at BetterPlace and Managing Director of Twilio India. He has also held senior growth and engineering leadership roles at SendGrid, JioCinema, Myntra, and Electronic Arts.
(This article will be updated with the latest news throughout the day.)
Edited by Suman Singh
