Urban Company’s InstaHelp gains traction; Fixing gut bacteria for better health

Hello,

Bitcoin’s fall continues.

The cryptocurrency, on Monday, dipped below $65,000 as investors grew wary of mounting tariff uncertainties and geopolitical concerns.

Gold, meanwhile, is still investor favourite. The yellow metal’s prices rose for a fourth straight session on Monday, as US President Donald Trump’s fresh global tariffs and a weak dollar lifted its safe-haven demand.

Moving on to the world of technology, China’s brain-computer interface or BCI industry is quietly moving from research to scale, TechCrunch reports. Startups are racing to commercialise invasive and non-invasive brain implants as the country strengthens its policy framework for these devices. 

Elsewhere, robots are getting more cute, almost pet-like, features as tech companies try to make consumer-facing bots more appealing to humans. In the past, these machines were typically confined to factories with more tech-adept users. Now, industry watchers believe a growing class of robots is being designed to interact with humans, NBC News reports.

ICYMI: AI cloud firm Neysa deal boosts capital inflow into Indian startup ecosystem

In today’s newsletter, we will talk about 

• Urban Company figuring out InstaHelp
• Fixing gut bacteria for better health

Here’s your trivia for today: Which Arab country’s flag has a green cedar in the centre?

Insight

Urban Company figuring out InstaHelp

Urban Company’s quick housekeeping bet, InstaHelp, crossed 50,000 daily bookings on Sunday, 22 February, less than a year after it was first piloted in Mumbai, the company said in a press release.

The vertical, which offers cleaning, dishwashing, laundry and meal preparation in 10–15 minutes, is now live across select micro-markets in five metros—Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi NCR, Hyderabad and Pune, and is witnessing strong demand. The company, however, is still figuring out its unit economics.

Key takeaways:

• In Q3 FY26, InstaHelp clocked 1.61 million orders and Rs 28 crore in net transaction value, but also reported an adjusted EBITDA loss of Rs 61 crore.
• From Urban Company’s perspective, InstaHelp is still very much in learning mode. The company is focused on expanding supply in dense micro-markets, improving partner utilisation, and pushing up average order values.
• The 50,000-daily-bookings milestone comes on the back of rapid quarter-on-quarter growth.

<Funding Alert>

Startup: MyDesignation

Amount: Rs 40 Cr

Round: Series A

Startup: Hycosys

Amount: $1M

Round: Seed

Startup

Fixing gut bacteria for better health

Founded in 2014 by Debojyoti Dhar and Kumar Sankaran, Leucine Rich Bio uses gut microbiome data to personalise nutrition and shift healthcare from treatment to prevention. 

By analysing the bacterial ecosystem inside the human gastrointestinal system, the startup designs diet plans and supplements tailored to an individual’s unique microbial makeup.

Key takeaways:

• Leucine Rich Bio's flagship offering, BugSpeaks, is a gut microbiome test that analyses bacterial diversity to assess digestive and metabolic health.
• The startup recently expanded its portfolio to include a skin microbiome test, with oral and vaginal tests expected to roll out soon.
• Leucine Rich Bio has kept the testing process simple. Customers order a test online and receive a stool collection kit at home for gut testing. By April 2026, skin, oral, and vaginal tests will also be available. 

News & updates

• Sale: State energy major Saudi Aramco has sold several cargoes of ultra light crude oil from its $100 billion Jafurah gas plant to US majors and an Indian refiner as it prepares to export its first cargo later this month, four trade sources said.
• Weight loss: Novo Nordisk's obesity drug CagriSema underperformed rival Eli Lilly's Zepbound in a head-to-head trial, the Danish drugmaker said, as it suffered a setback in its fight to regain leadership of the weight-loss market.

Which Arab country’s flag has a green cedar in the centre?

Answer: Lebanon

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