Celebs building brands; Zoho invests Rs 70 Cr in ONDC
In 2022, actor Kriti Sanon became an entrepreneur with her fitness startup, The Tribe. In 2023, she ventured into the skincare industry with D2C brand Hyphen, in partnership with PEP Technologies.
Hello,
Ride-hailing major Uber is expected to set up its first data centre in India in partnership with the Adani Group, the company’s CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said on Wednesday.
The facility will likely be operational later this year.
Data centres have emerged as key investment destinations for global technology companies given the consumption of data in the country. Recently, Google formally had an opening ceremony of its data centre and AI hub in Visakhapatnam with a planned investment of $15 billion over the next five years.
Still on the topic of data centres, San Francisco startup SPAN plans to bring data centres closer to homes, with subsidised electricity and internet access along with backup batteries to homeowners, Ars Technica reports. While the company’s solution will not be a replacement for data centres built by hyperscalers like Google, it can reportedly be used to support cloud gaming and content streaming.
In other news, Exaforce, an AI startup with focus on agentic security operations, has raised $125 million in a Series B round of funding. The company plans to use the funding to advance its core platform, including multi-model AI and real-time knowledge graph, and expand the capabilities security teams need to investigate, detect, and respond faster.
In today’s newsletter, we will talk about
- Celebs building brands
- Zoho invests Rs 70 Cr in ONDC
Here’s your trivia for today: What city’s name means ‘steamy bay’ or ‘smoky bay’ thanks to geothermal activity?
Entrepreneurship
Celebs building brands
Actors and celebrities are increasingly moving beyond endorsements to become entrepreneurs. Drawing on their own experiences and passions, and the market gaps they identify, they are building brands and ventures in beauty, wellness, health, artificial intelligence, and beyond.
Key takeaways:
- In 2022, actor Kriti Sanon became an entrepreneur with her fitness startup, The Tribe. In 2023, she ventured into the skincare industry with D2C brand Hyphen, in partnership with PEP Technologies.
- Actor Bhumi Pednekar’s Maya is an AI-led media startup she co-founded with Mihir Lath last year. The startup is focused on creating content across advertising, music videos, and films.
- Last year, actor Rashmika Mandanna launched Dear Diary, a fragrance brand that reflects memories, emotions, and personal storytelling.
<Funding alert>
Startup: Exaforce
Amount: $125 M
Round: Series B
Startup: Nivasa Finance
Amount: Rs 25 Cr
Round: Seed
Startup: EleFant
Amount: $1M
Round: Pre Series
Enterprise
Zoho invests Rs 70 Cr in ONDC
Zoho Corporation, the Chennai-headquartered global software as a service (SaaS) company, has invested Rs 70 crore in Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) with the goal of supporting the development of sovereign technology in India.
In a statement, Zoho said the investment strengthens its commitment to making technology more accessible and inclusive for businesses of all types and sizes.
Key takeaways:
- ONDC is building open digital rails to democratise commerce in India by enabling interoperability, inclusivity, and efficiency across sectors.
- Through its open-network approach, ONDC is addressing structural challenges in digital commerce, including fragmented systems, high entry barriers, and trust deficits, while empowering businesses of all sizes to participate and grow.
- Through its finance suite of applications such as Vikra (seller app on the ONDC Network), Zoho ERP, Zoho Books, Zoho Inventory and Zoho Commerce, the company said it has been promoting digitisation among MSMEs.
News & updates
- Layoffs: Microsoft-owned social network LinkedIn is preparing to announce layoffs on Wednesday, Reuters reported citing sources. LinkedIn’s headcount is more than 17,500 full-time employees globally.
- Data privacy: Meta Platforms is launching a new ‘Incognito Chat’ feature for its artificial intelligence assistant on WhatsApp messaging service, as the company looks to address data privacy concerns.
What city’s name means ‘steamy bay’ or ‘smoky bay’ thanks to geothermal activity?
Answer: Reykjavik
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