Gurgaon-based HR-Tech Startup Benepik Raises Seed Funding

Gurgaon based HR Technology start-up Benepik that provides mobile based solution for Employee Communication, Engagement, Rewards and Recognition, has raised an undisclosed amount in seed funding.

Benepik has raised the seed funding from a group of investors including Vishal Bali. Vishal is a serial investor and has invested in several startups including Bangalore based Health Tech start-up Feet Apart, in 2016 [Read Here]. Delhi-based HR Leader Yogesh Misra and a Delhi based HNI also participated in the round.

Benepik was founded in 2015 as an Employee Benefits platform. Saurabh Jain, Founder & CEO is an alumnus of Delhi School of Economics and has worked in consulting and technology practices at Capgemini, Deloitte and UNDP across India & Europe. In the last two years, Benepik has evolved into an integrated platform for Employee Communication, Engagement, Rewards and Recognition for the mid and large size organizations. It has over 15 clients across Financial Services, Consumer Appliances, Automotive and Manufacturing among others.

Benepik claims to have the most integrated solution in the Employee Engagement space. The platform is particularly useful for communication and engagement of non-desk workers (such as sales, service, operations and front end employees). It offers many other functionalities such as peer to peer recognition, pulse surveys, health & wellness, gamification among others. As part of its Employee Benefits portfolio, it has partnered with 1200+ merchants to offer preferred pricing to its corporate customers.

Saurabh Jain, Founder & CEO of Benepik said, the funds will be used to strengthen the platform further, adding more functionalities around employee engagement and learning & development. It will also focus on developing capabilities in HR Analytics besides focusing on geographical expansion.

According to PeopleMatters.in, the HR technology marketplace is a $400 billion market globally. While it is a budding market in India, reports suggest that India is expected to grow at the rate of about 25% in the next 5 years, and that by 2021, Indian firms can save at least $600 million annually with HR tech.

Between 2012 and 2016, leading venture capitalists have invested over INR 1000 crore in the promising HR startup segment.

Last November, HR tech startup Shortlist raised seed funding of $1 million from US-based venture capital firm University Ventures, ImpactAssets, Bodley Group, Kenya-based seed fund Zephyr Acorn, Samir Shah of Sattva Capital and several other investors from both India and the US. Prior to this -- in April 2017, HR-based bot & AI technology startup Engazify raised undisclosed amount from Silicon Valley based HNI angel investor, Vaibhav Domkundwar.

Moreover, there have been three acquisitions in this space in 2016 -- Quikr acquired Bangalore-based job board Hiree, Indore’s Wag Mobile, a mobile first learning and training platform was acquired by Edcast, and Chennai-based KPIsoft, which provides a performance management solution was acquired by Kresna Investments.

Prior to this, an another HR tech startup EdGE Networks was in the news when it made into The Deloitte Technology Fast 50 India 2016 Winner List.

Agriculture Startup Carmel Organics Raises Funding from Ankur Capital

Madhya Pradesh based agriculture startup Carmel Organics, a supplier of world class medicinal herbs, has raised an undisclosed amount from Ankur Capital, an India focused VC fund with a significant Agritech portfolio. The funds shall be utilized by the company to scale-up its business, with special focus of targeted global markets.

Carmel, a Forbes 30 under 30 awardee in 2018, was founded in 2012 by Shailendra Dhakad and Rajesh Sagitla with the aim of helping small farmers in India increase their incomes by organic herbs and spices production. Based in Madhya Pradesh, Carmel has developed a world class integrated supply chain to deliver traceable, organic, functional herbs to the world.

The company works directly with more than 1,500 farmers, educating and training them on practices that will yield produce that meet the quality requirements for certified organic produce across major global markets. In turn, farmers realize significant income gains from this association.

It may be recalled that in last September Caramel was among six startups shortlisted by Jaipur's Startup Oasis for receiving Rs.1.7 crore funds.

“We were attracted by Carmel Organics' positioning as a quality supplier of medicinal herbs and its traction in markets like Europe and Australia.” - said Krishnan Neelakantan, Senior Investment Director at Ankur Capital. Speaking of Carmel founders, Shailendra Dhakad and Rajesh Sagitla, Krishnan said, “In the founders, we saw a great combination of strong on-ground connect with farmers as well as drive to build a global scale company”

“We have been associated with Ankur Capital for several years as the partners have served as valuable advisors while Carmel has grown to its current scale. Their support and strong understanding of agricultural value chains made them our first choice when we developed our growth plans.” says Shailendra.

Ankur Capital is an early stage venture capital fund that invests in opportunities created by rising aspirations and digital access for the next billion Indians. Ankur Capital invests in technologies and product innovations in agriculture, healthcare, education and other areas with potential to create large scale impact.

Earlier this year, Ankur Capital had invested in agritech startup, Agricx Lab which has developed an AI-overlayed imaging technology for agri-produce quality assessment.

With this investment, Ankur Capital’s AgriTech portfolio increases to eight. From agri-SaaS (Cropin Technologies), online agri-input distribution (BigHaat); sustainable bio-inputs (Suma Agro), cleantech cold chain (TESSOL) and super foods (Health Sutra), Ankur Capital’s portfolio companies are at the frontier of the new face of agriculture.

To recall, last September government had announced its plan to work with agritech startups in the country that can help them in efficiently implementing some of its flagship programmes like soil health card, irrigation and crop insurance, among various others. Prior to this, the govt. had also launched AGRI-UDAAN programme to boost food and agriculture startups in the country.

In January, Cambridge and Pune-based agri-tech startup KisanHub had raised $2.43 million in pre-Series A funding led by UK-based B2B tech venture capital firms Notion Capital and IQ Capital.

In November 2017, Bengaluru based agri-tech startup KrishiHub raised undisclosed seed funding from IIT-Kanpur INVENT accelerator and Villgro Innovation Fund.

In the same month, an another agri-tech startup Farmlink had raised seed funding from Pioneering Ventures, a Swiss-based incubator and investment firm, and Syngenta, a Swiss agribusiness firm. The startup is based out of Mumbai. Additionally, in the same month, Jindal Stainless launched accelerator program for agri-tech startups India, in association with Japan’s ANEW Holdings

In last August, Gurgaon-based agritech startup Crofarm had raised Rs 5 crore in a pre-Series A round from Rajan Anandan, Google India MD, and Jitendra Gupta, and PayU India MD, among others.

Top Image (L-R) - Shailendra & Rajesh

Agriculture Startup Carmel Organics Raises Funding from Ankur Capital

Madhya Pradesh based agriculture startup Carmel Organics, a supplier of world class medicinal herbs, has raised an undisclosed amount from Ankur Capital, an India focused VC fund with a significant Agritech portfolio. The funds shall be utilized by the company to scale-up its business, with special focus of targeted global markets.

Carmel, a Forbes 30 under 30 awardee in 2018, was founded in 2012 by Shailendra Dhakad and Rajesh Sagitla with the aim of helping small farmers in India increase their incomes by organic herbs and spices production. Based in Madhya Pradesh, Carmel has developed a world class integrated supply chain to deliver traceable, organic, functional herbs to the world.

The company works directly with more than 1,500 farmers, educating and training them on practices that will yield produce that meet the quality requirements for certified organic produce across major global markets. In turn, farmers realize significant income gains from this association.

It may be recalled that in last September Caramel was among six startups shortlisted by Jaipur's Startup Oasis for receiving Rs.1.7 crore funds.

“We were attracted by Carmel Organics' positioning as a quality supplier of medicinal herbs and its traction in markets like Europe and Australia.” - said Krishnan Neelakantan, Senior Investment Director at Ankur Capital. Speaking of Carmel founders, Shailendra Dhakad and Rajesh Sagitla, Krishnan said, “In the founders, we saw a great combination of strong on-ground connect with farmers as well as drive to build a global scale company”

“We have been associated with Ankur Capital for several years as the partners have served as valuable advisors while Carmel has grown to its current scale. Their support and strong understanding of agricultural value chains made them our first choice when we developed our growth plans.” says Shailendra.

Ankur Capital is an early stage venture capital fund that invests in opportunities created by rising aspirations and digital access for the next billion Indians. Ankur Capital invests in technologies and product innovations in agriculture, healthcare, education and other areas with potential to create large scale impact.

Earlier this year, Ankur Capital had invested in agritech startup, Agricx Lab which has developed an AI-overlayed imaging technology for agri-produce quality assessment.

With this investment, Ankur Capital’s AgriTech portfolio increases to eight. From agri-SaaS (Cropin Technologies), online agri-input distribution (BigHaat); sustainable bio-inputs (Suma Agro), cleantech cold chain (TESSOL) and super foods (Health Sutra), Ankur Capital’s portfolio companies are at the frontier of the new face of agriculture.

To recall, last September government had announced its plan to work with agritech startups in the country that can help them in efficiently implementing some of its flagship programmes like soil health card, irrigation and crop insurance, among various others. Prior to this, the govt. had also launched AGRI-UDAAN programme to boost food and agriculture startups in the country.

In January, Cambridge and Pune-based agri-tech startup KisanHub had raised $2.43 million in pre-Series A funding led by UK-based B2B tech venture capital firms Notion Capital and IQ Capital.

In November 2017, Bengaluru based agri-tech startup KrishiHub raised undisclosed seed funding from IIT-Kanpur INVENT accelerator and Villgro Innovation Fund.

In the same month, an another agri-tech startup Farmlink had raised seed funding from Pioneering Ventures, a Swiss-based incubator and investment firm, and Syngenta, a Swiss agribusiness firm. The startup is based out of Mumbai. Additionally, in the same month, Jindal Stainless launched accelerator program for agri-tech startups India, in association with Japan’s ANEW Holdings

In last August, Gurgaon-based agritech startup Crofarm had raised Rs 5 crore in a pre-Series A round from Rajan Anandan, Google India MD, and Jitendra Gupta, and PayU India MD, among others.

Top Image (L-R) - Shailendra & Rajesh

FinTech Startup SmartCoin Raises $2 Mn in Pre Series-A Funding Led By Shanghai-based VC

Bangalore-based fintech startup, SmartCoin, has raised $2 million in pre-Series A funding from a top Shanghai headquartered VC fund and Accion Venture Lab. Unicorn India Ventures, which is an existing investor in the company, also participated in the round, along with ISME ACE, a leading fintech accelerator, announced the startup in a press release sent to IndianWeb2.

SmartCoin lends small-to-mid-sized ticket loans to mobile users after building a SmartCoin credit score, which is backed by data science and machine learning. The company raised seed funding from Unicorn India Ventures last year.

Rohit Garg, Co-founder and CEO, SmartCoin, says, “We have seen a sharp uptick in growth over the past year and have successfully disbursed over 50,000 micro loans. More importantly, we have been able to open credit access for people who were not able to tap the formal channels and were otherwise dependent on personal networks and loan sharks. With this round, we expect to grow the momentum and further scale 10X over the next 6–12 months. Having specialists as investors, who are passionate about micro-lending, on board will only help us cover more ground not only in India but globally too."

Accion Venture Lab is the world’s leading seed-stage investor in fintech for the underserved. Accion Venture Lab invests capital in, and provides support to, innovative fintech startups that increase access to, improve the quality of, or reduce the cost of financial services for the underserved at scale.

“SmartCoin illustrates how innovative lenders are leveraging data, mobile access, and India’s digital infrastructure to extend loan access for the financially underserved,” says Michael Schlein, President and CEO of Accion. Paarul Dudeja, Director of Investments for India, Accion Venture Lab adds, “SmartCoin exemplifies what we at Accion Venture Lab look for in a partner, with its strong entrepreneurial team that is driven by the mission of providing increased access to credit through nano lending to the underserved by using an all-digital platform to expand its reach.”

SmartCoin was started by IIT/IIM alumnus Rohit Garg, Amit Chandel, Vinay Kumar Singh, and Jayant Upadhyay in 2016, who comes with around a decade of work experience across finance and technology domains.

“We invested in SmartCoin last year as we saw an immense potential in the business. Over the course of the year, we have realized the ability of the team to scale its operations rapidly given the right ammunition. Thus, being able to raise top dollar from two of the world’s largest markets is a testament to our belief in the team,” says Archana Priyadarshini, Partner, Unicorn India Ventures. “We expect the Company to continue its growth trajectory and at Unicorn India, we believe in backing potential winners. Thus, we decided to participate in this round,” she adds.

The Company is already working with several partners for disbursing loans and has achieved strong organic growth. SmartCoin plans to further invest in technology and grow its team as it continues with its expansion plans, with an aim to cover a much larger customer base.

FinTech Startup Fundings in Last Few Months -

Just yesterday, Cash Suvidha, a Delhi-based fintech startup, raised $1 million pre-Series A funding from Initia Holdings Ltd.

Last month, a Mumbai based fintech startup Fincash.com raised $150,000 in funding from angel investors including like Mohammed Khan (Founder of Rediffusion), Sameer Narayan (ex- Fund Manager BNP Paribas), among others. Prior to that, a Bengaluru-based fintech startup NiYO Solutions raised $13.2 million in its Series A funding from investors including Social Capital, JS Capital LLC (the family office of Jonathan Soros), and Horizons Ventures and existing investor Prime Venture Partners.

Last November, an Artificial intelligence-powered fintech startup Active.Ai raised $8.25 million in Series A funding led by Vertex Ventures, Creditease Holdings and Dream Incubator.

Other fintech start-ups that have raised funds recently include ZipLoan, Cash Suvidha, Kissht, Shubh Loans, Stashfin, LoanMeet and others.

To recall, according to a NASSCOM report published in November 2017 Fintech and healthcare are most funded segments of startups in India, in past one year. The total number of startups in the fintech space has gone up to 360 from 275 in 2016, thus registering 31% growth in the number of startups.

Top Image - e27.co

FinTech Startup SmartCoin Raises $2 Mn in Pre Series-A Funding Led By Shanghai-based VC

Bangalore-based fintech startup, SmartCoin, has raised $2 million in pre-Series A funding from a top Shanghai headquartered VC fund and Accion Venture Lab. Unicorn India Ventures, which is an existing investor in the company, also participated in the round, along with ISME ACE, a leading fintech accelerator, announced the startup in a press release sent to IndianWeb2.

SmartCoin lends small-to-mid-sized ticket loans to mobile users after building a SmartCoin credit score, which is backed by data science and machine learning. The company raised seed funding from Unicorn India Ventures last year.

Rohit Garg, Co-founder and CEO, SmartCoin, says, “We have seen a sharp uptick in growth over the past year and have successfully disbursed over 50,000 micro loans. More importantly, we have been able to open credit access for people who were not able to tap the formal channels and were otherwise dependent on personal networks and loan sharks. With this round, we expect to grow the momentum and further scale 10X over the next 6–12 months. Having specialists as investors, who are passionate about micro-lending, on board will only help us cover more ground not only in India but globally too."

Accion Venture Lab is the world’s leading seed-stage investor in fintech for the underserved. Accion Venture Lab invests capital in, and provides support to, innovative fintech startups that increase access to, improve the quality of, or reduce the cost of financial services for the underserved at scale.

“SmartCoin illustrates how innovative lenders are leveraging data, mobile access, and India’s digital infrastructure to extend loan access for the financially underserved,” says Michael Schlein, President and CEO of Accion. Paarul Dudeja, Director of Investments for India, Accion Venture Lab adds, “SmartCoin exemplifies what we at Accion Venture Lab look for in a partner, with its strong entrepreneurial team that is driven by the mission of providing increased access to credit through nano lending to the underserved by using an all-digital platform to expand its reach.”

SmartCoin was started by IIT/IIM alumnus Rohit Garg, Amit Chandel, Vinay Kumar Singh, and Jayant Upadhyay in 2016, who comes with around a decade of work experience across finance and technology domains.

“We invested in SmartCoin last year as we saw an immense potential in the business. Over the course of the year, we have realized the ability of the team to scale its operations rapidly given the right ammunition. Thus, being able to raise top dollar from two of the world’s largest markets is a testament to our belief in the team,” says Archana Priyadarshini, Partner, Unicorn India Ventures. “We expect the Company to continue its growth trajectory and at Unicorn India, we believe in backing potential winners. Thus, we decided to participate in this round,” she adds.

The Company is already working with several partners for disbursing loans and has achieved strong organic growth. SmartCoin plans to further invest in technology and grow its team as it continues with its expansion plans, with an aim to cover a much larger customer base.

FinTech Startup Fundings in Last Few Months -

Just yesterday, Cash Suvidha, a Delhi-based fintech startup, raised $1 million pre-Series A funding from Initia Holdings Ltd.

Last month, a Mumbai based fintech startup Fincash.com raised $150,000 in funding from angel investors including like Mohammed Khan (Founder of Rediffusion), Sameer Narayan (ex- Fund Manager BNP Paribas), among others. Prior to that, a Bengaluru-based fintech startup NiYO Solutions raised $13.2 million in its Series A funding from investors including Social Capital, JS Capital LLC (the family office of Jonathan Soros), and Horizons Ventures and existing investor Prime Venture Partners.

Last November, an Artificial intelligence-powered fintech startup Active.Ai raised $8.25 million in Series A funding led by Vertex Ventures, Creditease Holdings and Dream Incubator.

Other fintech start-ups that have raised funds recently include ZipLoan, Cash Suvidha, Kissht, Shubh Loans, Stashfin, LoanMeet and others.

To recall, according to a NASSCOM report published in November 2017 Fintech and healthcare are most funded segments of startups in India, in past one year. The total number of startups in the fintech space has gone up to 360 from 275 in 2016, thus registering 31% growth in the number of startups.

Top Image - e27.co

India Rejects Google's 'Street View' Proposal

Indian government has refused Google's proposal to roll-out its "Street View" service in India, Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Gangaram Ahir said on Tuesday.

Google Street View is an application through which one can explore public areas, cities, tourist spots, hills and rivers using 360-degree panoramic and street-level imagery.

Union minister of state for home Hansraj said Google had submitted a proposal on the Google Street View for the government's permission in July 2015 but the government has not agreed to the proposal. Hansraj was replying to a written question asked by Balasubramaniam Senguttuvan, a member from Vellore in Tamil Nadu.

While Google's steet view service has been extensively used in the US, Canada and many European countries, its application in India was initially permitted for a few locations.

Notably, Google launched its Street View service in Bengaluru in 2011 to collect street-level imagery but was soon asked by local authorities to stop the service citing security reasons.

A Quint report states that while the government said no to Google’s proposal for Street View, possible for security and privacy reasons, there is one similar app in India called Wonobo.com. In 2013, Mumbai based Genesys has launched Wonobo, a 360 degree street view website, in partnership with India’s Tourism Ministry.

In 2008, a startup from Pune - Driveme.in did tried its hands to develop a similar street-view app, which used to let its users view the streets with driving like experiences and let them share, find and explore their favorite places online. However the startup had to shut down eventually.

In the same year, one more Indian startup Mapunity, a GIS/ MIS and mobile based technology company provided a ‘real time’ traffic details in form of maps but this too had to eventually change its model to something else but not street-view.

In 2015, Google joined hands with the Archaeological Survey of India to bring 31 historical monuments and sites online and offer panoramic views. It then launched street view for the Taj Mahal, Red Fort, Qutub Minar, Varanasi river bank, Nalanda University, Mysore Palace, Thanjavur temple and Chinnaswamy stadium.

Launched in 2007, Google Street View is currently present in more than 82 countries across the globe, which have benefited from it in terms of tourism and other aspects.

The above news was first reported in Economic Times.

India Rejects Google's 'Street View' Proposal

Indian government has refused Google's proposal to roll-out its "Street View" service in India, Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Gangaram Ahir said on Tuesday.

Google Street View is an application through which one can explore public areas, cities, tourist spots, hills and rivers using 360-degree panoramic and street-level imagery.

Union minister of state for home Hansraj said Google had submitted a proposal on the Google Street View for the government's permission in July 2015 but the government has not agreed to the proposal. Hansraj was replying to a written question asked by Balasubramaniam Senguttuvan, a member from Vellore in Tamil Nadu.

While Google's steet view service has been extensively used in the US, Canada and many European countries, its application in India was initially permitted for a few locations.

Notably, Google launched its Street View service in Bengaluru in 2011 to collect street-level imagery but was soon asked by local authorities to stop the service citing security reasons.

A Quint report states that while the government said no to Google’s proposal for Street View, possible for security and privacy reasons, there is one similar app in India called Wonobo.com. In 2013, Mumbai based Genesys has launched Wonobo, a 360 degree street view website, in partnership with India’s Tourism Ministry.

In 2008, a startup from Pune - Driveme.in did tried its hands to develop a similar street-view app, which used to let its users view the streets with driving like experiences and let them share, find and explore their favorite places online. However the startup had to shut down eventually.

In the same year, one more Indian startup Mapunity, a GIS/ MIS and mobile based technology company provided a ‘real time’ traffic details in form of maps but this too had to eventually change its model to something else but not street-view.

In 2015, Google joined hands with the Archaeological Survey of India to bring 31 historical monuments and sites online and offer panoramic views. It then launched street view for the Taj Mahal, Red Fort, Qutub Minar, Varanasi river bank, Nalanda University, Mysore Palace, Thanjavur temple and Chinnaswamy stadium.

Launched in 2007, Google Street View is currently present in more than 82 countries across the globe, which have benefited from it in terms of tourism and other aspects.

The above news was first reported in Economic Times.

Anand Mahindra Invites Startups To Build 'Desi' Facebook Version With Blockchain Tech

Amid Facebook-Cambridge Analytica controversy, Mahindra Group chairman Anand Mahindra said that it could be the right time to find an Indian alternative of Facebook which unlike social media giant will be regulated by laws.

Billionaire businessman Mahindra took to twitter and said, "Beginning to wonder if it's time to consider having our own social networking company that is very widely owned&professionally managed&willingly regulated.Any relevant Indian start-ups out there?If any young teams have such plans I'd like to see if I can assist with seed capital (sic)"

Under the tweet, he attached the cover of the latest The Economist magazine issue on the Facebook privacy-breach controversy.

Beginning to wonder if it’s time to consider having our own social networking company that is very widely owned&professionally managed&willingly regulated.Any relevant Indian start-ups out there?If any young teams have such plans I’d like to see if I can assist with seed capital pic.twitter.com/nBSkQk0hCp

— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) March 26, 2018

Among those who liked his idea was India's IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who had last week issued a warning to Facebook. Mahindra's idea of a home-grown social networking startup has thus garnered support from IT Minister too, and it will be interesting to see the next course of action from both.

Wonderful idea my good friend @anandmahindra. Fervently hope to see you taking the lead. https://t.co/6pXps0o9AE

— Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) March 27, 2018

Later in his another tweet, Mahindra even announced that he is ready to “assist with seed capital” for any “relevant Indian startup”. He then asked people interested in his idea to copy their tweets to Jaspreet Bindra (@j_bindra) who will work with Mahindra on this exploration of desi version of Facebook. "If nothing else, it should be fun...", said Mahindra in second tweet in the context.

There is no information on what type of social network Mahindra would like to invest but he has shown some interest on a blockchain-enabled platform. Notably, Mahindra is also said to invest $1 million in connected car IoT-device startup Carsense for 23% stake.

In January, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg announced that he hopes for Facebook's future in marriage with blockchain-technology which could help to legitimize/globalize Facebook's credibility and decentralize the internet.

According to Forbes, for Facebook blockchain offers a unique solution to many of the industry’s deep-seated problems. By bringing together social networks and blockchain technology, it creates the possibility for a more interactive, trusted and rewarding experience on social media.

Notably, there's already a social media platforms using blockchain technology called ONZ and steemit.com, although these are not decentralized. ONZ allows people to make money doing what they do for free on Facebook, for instance - posting and liking. In addition, there is Yours (formerly Datt), based on the Bitcoin blockchain.

Just a day back, ONO launched in China, dubbed as the first blockchain-based social network in China. Ono is founded female founder, who is one of the earliest blockchain entrepreneurs in China.

Other blockchain-based social network platform include Akasha, Synereo and Obsidian. Obsidian is a blockchain-based platform for messaging, data sharing, which also supports cryptocurrency as a means of sending money.

Anand Mahindra Invites Startups To Build 'Desi' Facebook Version With Blockchain Tech

Amid Facebook-Cambridge Analytica controversy, Mahindra Group chairman Anand Mahindra said that it could be the right time to find an Indian alternative of Facebook which unlike social media giant will be regulated by laws.

Billionaire businessman Mahindra took to twitter and said, "Beginning to wonder if it's time to consider having our own social networking company that is very widely owned&professionally managed&willingly regulated.Any relevant Indian start-ups out there?If any young teams have such plans I'd like to see if I can assist with seed capital (sic)"

Under the tweet, he attached the cover of the latest The Economist magazine issue on the Facebook privacy-breach controversy.

Beginning to wonder if it’s time to consider having our own social networking company that is very widely owned&professionally managed&willingly regulated.Any relevant Indian start-ups out there?If any young teams have such plans I’d like to see if I can assist with seed capital pic.twitter.com/nBSkQk0hCp

— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) March 26, 2018

Among those who liked his idea was India's IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who had last week issued a warning to Facebook. Mahindra's idea of a home-grown social networking startup has thus garnered support from IT Minister too, and it will be interesting to see the next course of action from both.

Wonderful idea my good friend @anandmahindra. Fervently hope to see you taking the lead. https://t.co/6pXps0o9AE

— Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) March 27, 2018

Later in his another tweet, Mahindra even announced that he is ready to “assist with seed capital” for any “relevant Indian startup”. He then asked people interested in his idea to copy their tweets to Jaspreet Bindra (@j_bindra) who will work with Mahindra on this exploration of desi version of Facebook. "If nothing else, it should be fun...", said Mahindra in second tweet in the context.

There is no information on what type of social network Mahindra would like to invest but he has shown some interest on a blockchain-enabled platform. Notably, Mahindra is also said to invest $1 million in connected car IoT-device startup Carsense for 23% stake.

In January, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg announced that he hopes for Facebook's future in marriage with blockchain-technology which could help to legitimize/globalize Facebook's credibility and decentralize the internet.

According to Forbes, for Facebook blockchain offers a unique solution to many of the industry’s deep-seated problems. By bringing together social networks and blockchain technology, it creates the possibility for a more interactive, trusted and rewarding experience on social media.

Notably, there's already a social media platforms using blockchain technology called ONZ and steemit.com, although these are not decentralized. ONZ allows people to make money doing what they do for free on Facebook, for instance - posting and liking. In addition, there is Yours (formerly Datt), based on the Bitcoin blockchain.

Just a day back, ONO launched in China, dubbed as the first blockchain-based social network in China. Ono is founded female founder, who is one of the earliest blockchain entrepreneurs in China.

Other blockchain-based social network platform include Akasha, Synereo and Obsidian. Obsidian is a blockchain-based platform for messaging, data sharing, which also supports cryptocurrency as a means of sending money.

Delhi-based Vehicle Tracking Startup Roadcast Raises $250,000 from HNIs

Delhi-based Roadcast, an online vehicle tracking platform, has raised $250,000 in an angel round of funding from high-net worth individuals (HNIs) from the United Arab Emirates, reported Business Standard. The startup however did not disclose the investors' names.

Roadcast, which is a GPS based real-time tracking platform with numerous tools such as fleet management and asset monitoring, will use the funds to expand its operations across major cities in India, while focusing on states like Punjab, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. It will also use the money to expand its R&D programme, hiring technology talent and building infrastructure for its operations.

Founded in 2015 by Rahul Mehra, Vishal Jain and Anshul Jain, Roadcast provides end-to-end supply chain management solutions to its customers to help them monitor and manage vehicles and field staff in real-time, which in turn helps its customers optimise resources and cut down costs.

The startup also plans to venture out to the middle-east soon and provides services to companies such as Toyota, Hyundai and 3S healthcare.

For unawares, the startup has recently teamed up with the Delhi Police to manage their entire police fleet movement and equip the force’s vehicles with the latest communication and tracking devices.

According to a Gartner report, the supply chain management (SCM) market exceeded $13 billion in total software revenue in 2017, up 11 percent from 2016. It is on pace to exceed $19 billion by 2021, as software as a service (SaaS) enables new revenue opportunities.

Few days back, in a big relief to logistics companies in India, government has significantly addressed concerns of e-commerce logistics, courier, cargo companies and startups, especially regarding generation of e-way bills.

Last month, FourKites, a predictive supply chain platform based out of Chicago with office in Chennai raised $35 million in Series B funding round led by August Capital. Delhi-based logistics management startup FarEye also raised Rs 61.53 crore ($9.56 million) from Singapore-based 23i Pvt. Ltd.

According to audit firm KPMG, the size of India’s e-commerce focussed logistics sector is estimated to expand to about $2.2 billion by 2020, from about $460 million in 2016. The growth of India’s ecommerce sector, projected to reach $80 billion by 2020, hinges on e-commerce focussed logistics, a critical factor in driving differentiation and customer satisfaction.

Delhi-based Vehicle Tracking Startup Roadcast Raises $250,000 from HNIs

Delhi-based Roadcast, an online vehicle tracking platform, has raised $250,000 in an angel round of funding from high-net worth individuals (HNIs) from the United Arab Emirates, reported Business Standard. The startup however did not disclose the investors' names.

Roadcast, which is a GPS based real-time tracking platform with numerous tools such as fleet management and asset monitoring, will use the funds to expand its operations across major cities in India, while focusing on states like Punjab, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. It will also use the money to expand its R&D programme, hiring technology talent and building infrastructure for its operations.

Founded in 2015 by Rahul Mehra, Vishal Jain and Anshul Jain, Roadcast provides end-to-end supply chain management solutions to its customers to help them monitor and manage vehicles and field staff in real-time, which in turn helps its customers optimise resources and cut down costs.

The startup also plans to venture out to the middle-east soon and provides services to companies such as Toyota, Hyundai and 3S healthcare.

For unawares, the startup has recently teamed up with the Delhi Police to manage their entire police fleet movement and equip the force’s vehicles with the latest communication and tracking devices.

According to a Gartner report, the supply chain management (SCM) market exceeded $13 billion in total software revenue in 2017, up 11 percent from 2016. It is on pace to exceed $19 billion by 2021, as software as a service (SaaS) enables new revenue opportunities.

Few days back, in a big relief to logistics companies in India, government has significantly addressed concerns of e-commerce logistics, courier, cargo companies and startups, especially regarding generation of e-way bills.

Last month, FourKites, a predictive supply chain platform based out of Chicago with office in Chennai raised $35 million in Series B funding round led by August Capital. Delhi-based logistics management startup FarEye also raised Rs 61.53 crore ($9.56 million) from Singapore-based 23i Pvt. Ltd.

According to audit firm KPMG, the size of India’s e-commerce focussed logistics sector is estimated to expand to about $2.2 billion by 2020, from about $460 million in 2016. The growth of India’s ecommerce sector, projected to reach $80 billion by 2020, hinges on e-commerce focussed logistics, a critical factor in driving differentiation and customer satisfaction.

Fintech Startup Cash Suvidha Raises Fresh $1 Mn in Pre-Series A Funding

Delhi-based FinTech startup Cash Suvidha, trade name of Usha Financial Services Pvt. Ltd., which extends business loans to SMEs, MSMEs, women entrepreneurs & personal loans to individuals, has raised $1 million pre-Series A funding from Initia Holdings Ltd., Vipin Agarwal, Partner in India Industrial Growth Fund and others, announced the startup in a press release.

The newly secured capital will be used to increase the loan books of the company and to further strengthen its technological infrastructure. Founded in 2016 by Mr. Rajesh Gupta, Mr. Anoop Garg and Ms. Geeta Goswami, the company provides a variety of loans and funds will be primarily used to facilitate further lending to SMEs and to cater to the loan needs of Individuals, particularly in Delhi NCR, Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Rajasthan.

The startup had earlier raised an institutional debt of $2.7 million from various financial institutions, in december 2017.

Cash Suvidha has been closely monitoring the business environment and helping potential MSMEs to propel by providing effective financial solutions in no time. The influx of funds will enable Cash Suvidha to replenish its loan books and will allow it to cater to a wider range of SMEs across the country. With its vision to provide easy access to credit and working capital to SMEs, 80% of its loans are targeted towards SME sector in India.

Commenting on the development, Mr. Rajesh Gupta, Founder of Cash Suvidha, said, “This capital infusion would help us in widening our horizon and in extending our best alternative lending services across geographies. We have recently started our operations in Kota and Jaipur. Our next destination is Ajmer and other parts of Rajasthan. After covering Rajasthan we will move towards Gujarat and other, parts of India.”

Cash Suvidha receives around 15,000 loan applications per month and disburses loans within two working days. Since its inception the company has raised a total debt of $5.2 million and has successfully disbursed a total amount of 152 Cr. With a successful business model and management, the company has been profitable since the beginning of its operations.

Just yesterday, Gurgaon-based fintech startup Creditas Solutions raised undisclosed amount in pre-series A funding round led by 1Crowd.

FinTech Startup Fundings in Last Few Months -

Last month, a Mumbai based fintech startup Fincash.com raised $150,000 in funding from angel investors including like Mohammed Khan (Founder of Rediffusion), Sameer Narayan (ex- Fund Manager BNP Paribas), among others. Prior to that, a Bengaluru-based fintech startup NiYO Solutions raised $13.2 million in its Series A funding from investors including Social Capital, JS Capital LLC (the family office of Jonathan Soros), and Horizons Ventures and existing investor Prime Venture Partners.

Last November, an Artificial intelligence-powered fintech startup Active.Ai raised $8.25 million in Series A funding led by Vertex Ventures, Creditease Holdings and Dream Incubator.

Other fintech start-ups that have raised funds recently include ZipLoan, Cash Suvidha, Kissht, Shubh Loans, Stashfin, LoanMeet and others.

To recall, according to a NASSCOM report published in November 2017 Fintech and healthcare are most funded segments of startups in India, in past one year. The total number of startups in the fintech space has gone up to 360 from 275 in 2016, thus registering 31% growth in the number of startups.

Fintech Startup Cash Suvidha Raises Fresh $1 Mn in Pre-Series A Funding

Delhi-based FinTech startup Cash Suvidha, trade name of Usha Financial Services Pvt. Ltd., which extends business loans to SMEs, MSMEs, women entrepreneurs & personal loans to individuals, has raised $1 million pre-Series A funding from Initia Holdings Ltd., Vipin Agarwal, Partner in India Industrial Growth Fund and others, announced the startup in a press release.

The newly secured capital will be used to increase the loan books of the company and to further strengthen its technological infrastructure. Founded in 2016 by Mr. Rajesh Gupta, Mr. Anoop Garg and Ms. Geeta Goswami, the company provides a variety of loans and funds will be primarily used to facilitate further lending to SMEs and to cater to the loan needs of Individuals, particularly in Delhi NCR, Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Rajasthan.

The startup had earlier raised an institutional debt of $2.7 million from various financial institutions, in december 2017.

Cash Suvidha has been closely monitoring the business environment and helping potential MSMEs to propel by providing effective financial solutions in no time. The influx of funds will enable Cash Suvidha to replenish its loan books and will allow it to cater to a wider range of SMEs across the country. With its vision to provide easy access to credit and working capital to SMEs, 80% of its loans are targeted towards SME sector in India.

Commenting on the development, Mr. Rajesh Gupta, Founder of Cash Suvidha, said, “This capital infusion would help us in widening our horizon and in extending our best alternative lending services across geographies. We have recently started our operations in Kota and Jaipur. Our next destination is Ajmer and other parts of Rajasthan. After covering Rajasthan we will move towards Gujarat and other, parts of India.”

Cash Suvidha receives around 15,000 loan applications per month and disburses loans within two working days. Since its inception the company has raised a total debt of $5.2 million and has successfully disbursed a total amount of 152 Cr. With a successful business model and management, the company has been profitable since the beginning of its operations.

Just yesterday, Gurgaon-based fintech startup Creditas Solutions raised undisclosed amount in pre-series A funding round led by 1Crowd.

FinTech Startup Fundings in Last Few Months -

Last month, a Mumbai based fintech startup Fincash.com raised $150,000 in funding from angel investors including like Mohammed Khan (Founder of Rediffusion), Sameer Narayan (ex- Fund Manager BNP Paribas), among others. Prior to that, a Bengaluru-based fintech startup NiYO Solutions raised $13.2 million in its Series A funding from investors including Social Capital, JS Capital LLC (the family office of Jonathan Soros), and Horizons Ventures and existing investor Prime Venture Partners.

Last November, an Artificial intelligence-powered fintech startup Active.Ai raised $8.25 million in Series A funding led by Vertex Ventures, Creditease Holdings and Dream Incubator.

Other fintech start-ups that have raised funds recently include ZipLoan, Cash Suvidha, Kissht, Shubh Loans, Stashfin, LoanMeet and others.

To recall, according to a NASSCOM report published in November 2017 Fintech and healthcare are most funded segments of startups in India, in past one year. The total number of startups in the fintech space has gone up to 360 from 275 in 2016, thus registering 31% growth in the number of startups.

Xiaomi To Invest ₹7,000 Crore in 100 Indian Startups in 5 Years

Chinese smartphone major Xiaomi today said it will invest Rs 6,000-7,000 crore in around 100 startups in India over the next five years to strengthen its hardware and software ecosystem. The smartphone maker is looking to invest more on the mobile software tech side, that also help its hardware ecosystem.

"Till 2017 the net investment of the company was Rs 3,000 crore. In the next five years we will invest Rs 6,000 crore to Rs 7,000 crore in around 100 startups in India," Manu Kumar Jain, the Managing Director and vice-president of Xiaomi India, said in a media statement. Assuring that that company’s position of strength in smartphones will continue in future as well, he said that Xiaomi had invested in 10 startups until 2017 and the new investment will be to further strengthen the ecosystem.

Xiaomi had recently (January) invested in $18.2 Million in ShareChat, a Bengaluru-based social networking app. Xiaomi made its first investment in India when, in 2016, it lead the $25 million funding round into Hungama Digital Media Entertainment, a Mumbai heaquartered aggregator and publisher of entertainment content on the internet.

Xiaomi has recently launched its first flagship experience store in Chennai offering products sold in China but not available in India. The products include an electric cycle, a self-balancing scooter, an electric folding bike, smart shoes, smart cooker, laptop, water purifier.

As per a 2017 report by International Data Corporation (IDC), Xiaomi held the maximum market share in the top 50 Indian cities in the Q3 2017 period, beating Samsung. The combined market share of Xiaomi in online and offline is 27% as per IDC

India is the first market outside of China, where Xiaomi has introduced its televisions. In India, Xiaomi currently sells smartphones, air purifiers and mobile accessories like power banks.

Manu Kumar Jain further said that India is a very important market for us and within a very short time, we have been able to capture significant market share in the smartphone market. TV is a big category after smartphones for Xiaomi and in China, we are the fastest growing TV brand, he said.

The above development was first reported in Financial Express.

Xiaomi To Invest ₹7,000 Crore in 100 Indian Startups in 5 Years

Chinese smartphone major Xiaomi today said it will invest Rs 6,000-7,000 crore in around 100 startups in India over the next five years to strengthen its hardware and software ecosystem. The smartphone maker is looking to invest more on the mobile software tech side, that also help its hardware ecosystem.

"Till 2017 the net investment of the company was Rs 3,000 crore. In the next five years we will invest Rs 6,000 crore to Rs 7,000 crore in around 100 startups in India," Manu Kumar Jain, the Managing Director and vice-president of Xiaomi India, said in a media statement. Assuring that that company’s position of strength in smartphones will continue in future as well, he said that Xiaomi had invested in 10 startups until 2017 and the new investment will be to further strengthen the ecosystem.

Xiaomi had recently (January) invested in $18.2 Million in ShareChat, a Bengaluru-based social networking app. Xiaomi made its first investment in India when, in 2016, it lead the $25 million funding round into Hungama Digital Media Entertainment, a Mumbai heaquartered aggregator and publisher of entertainment content on the internet.

Xiaomi has recently launched its first flagship experience store in Chennai offering products sold in China but not available in India. The products include an electric cycle, a self-balancing scooter, an electric folding bike, smart shoes, smart cooker, laptop, water purifier.

As per a 2017 report by International Data Corporation (IDC), Xiaomi held the maximum market share in the top 50 Indian cities in the Q3 2017 period, beating Samsung. The combined market share of Xiaomi in online and offline is 27% as per IDC

India is the first market outside of China, where Xiaomi has introduced its televisions. In India, Xiaomi currently sells smartphones, air purifiers and mobile accessories like power banks.

Manu Kumar Jain further said that India is a very important market for us and within a very short time, we have been able to capture significant market share in the smartphone market. TV is a big category after smartphones for Xiaomi and in China, we are the fastest growing TV brand, he said.

The above development was first reported in Financial Express.

6 Must-Follow Digital Marketing Practices Every Agency Should Follow in 2018

Marketing is a sure-shot way to ensure that your target audience learns about your product in an impactful and retainable manner. The most important thing in this regard is to be interesting and relevant, and have a voice unique enough that can stand out amongst all the noise on the internet today. There are numerous online digital marketing certifications that can help you understand the difference between marketing subtly and letting your voice heard, and spamming your customers with promotional mails.

Now, let’s look at the collection of the top 6 best digital marketing practices guaranteed to take you to the top of search engines - and your consumers’ news feed - in 2018!

1. Mobile is the new Laptop!

Mobile penetration is at an all time high - and as more and more companies find saturation in laptops, first-time owners of smartphones are a prime market to explore. As wearables and smart-TVs become more mainstream, they also become an important platform to leverage.



Gartner, Inc., a leading information technology research and advisory company, says that by 2020, spending on mobile marketing will surpass that on traditional TV advertising. With such large audiences segmented into infinite data sets, it’s becoming impossible for humans to manage ad distribution.

2. Focus on the immediate

The tendency of creating content that can potentially last long periods of time is now on the decline. The rising trend is the contrary one, where the nature of the content is simple as well as brief, and is communicated in real time. Platforms like Periscope and Snapchat both avow a “less is more” ideal, where the communications to the end user are paradoxically more lasting because they are so condensed.

In a world in which time is of the essence, these smatterings of delectable content in Snapchat and Periscope provide unique glimpses into what all consumers are looking for.

3. Automate your marketing

A research by Nucleus Research has proven that Marketing automation drives a 14.5% increase in sales productivity and a 12.2% reduction in marketing overhead, bringing it to the forefront of best digital marketing practices.

With the focus shifting solely to the creation of good quality written content, automation becomes more and more relevant and essential. As the most time is going to spent in content creation and the subsequent competing for views, automation will function as the go-to resource for marketing.

There isn’t a dearth of choices regarding automation marketing platforms, and these platforms will make things simpler for you. These platforms can bring helpful email scheduling and can also track your customers through the sales funnel and keep a check on social performance as well.

According to a study by Regalix, “The most commonly used marketing automation features are email marketing (89%), lead nurturing (84%), integrations with other software (CRM, mobile, social media, etc.) for centralizing customer intelligence (80%) and cross-channel campaign management (82%).”

4. Leverage new technologies such as location-based marketing growth

The most effective manner of targeting audience is to create an interactive experience for them. In this way, the content can be delivered directly at or near the point of contact.

This can occur near a retail location or a designated physical location in which there can be a congregation of consumers, such as a trade show. Bluetooth technology can facilitate the delivery of push notifications to nearby devices, and this can help reel in potential target consumers.

The applications of location-based marketing growth through Bluetooth go beyond mere location- or retail-based marketing. An example of this is SK Telecom and Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, in which Bluetooth Smart Beacons are used to provide 24/7 patient information and navigation to 6,000 patients on a daily basis.

Analysts predict that beacons, doubling up as hubs, will be used all over transit stations and airports to allow the easy delivery of various notifications, whether they be on delays, departures, or passenger assignments. Bluetooth beacons are also being engaged at large venues as well as small ones, such as smart homes.

This can provide reliable insight for marketers so that they can promote engagement with their customers at all levels, including B2B and B2C events as well.

New beacon technology from companies like Bluetooth Low Energy is gaining widespread support from manufacturers. It is turning out to be a reliable and cost-effective solution for location-based marketing for the long run.

5. Influencer marketing

Given the rise of ad blockers, the new reliable way of reaching consumers is through influencers. The consumers of today would rather make their purchasing decisions based on suggestions from either friends or family, or from online influencers they admire and trust.

Another reason for the rising popularity of influencer marketing is because of how well it performs. Studies conducted in this regard report that businesses earn approximately $6.50 for every $1 they spend on influencer marketing and that 81% of all marketers who have tried influencer marketing have also deemed it to be effective.

6. Don’t sell a mattress -- sell a good night’s sleep!

In spite of all the prevailing technology, there is a concerted effort to make marketing more human. Companies everywhere are taking up different stands, whether it be for equal opportunity, or against racism or sexism. Different companies are making use of “live” video to share their ideas and spread their views.

Another trend that is making its mark is the conceptualization and application of storytelling in different contexts through the employment of various methods. For instance, it is being used more and more in online presentations as well as blog posts. It is also being written into emails so that there can be a distinguishable “human” element from what is largely a bland sea of information and data.

In Conclusion...

Before going forward with the best strategies, you need to review your existing goals and decide on the way you can reach them. How can Digital Marketing help your organization? Answering this question will help you a lot in picking the right practices, and thereby formulating the right strategy.

6 Must-Follow Digital Marketing Practices Every Agency Should Follow in 2018

Marketing is a sure-shot way to ensure that your target audience learns about your product in an impactful and retainable manner. The most important thing in this regard is to be interesting and relevant, and have a voice unique enough that can stand out amongst all the noise on the internet today. There are numerous online digital marketing certifications that can help you understand the difference between marketing subtly and letting your voice heard, and spamming your customers with promotional mails.

Now, let’s look at the collection of the top 6 best digital marketing practices guaranteed to take you to the top of search engines - and your consumers’ news feed - in 2018!

1. Mobile is the new Laptop!

Mobile penetration is at an all time high - and as more and more companies find saturation in laptops, first-time owners of smartphones are a prime market to explore. As wearables and smart-TVs become more mainstream, they also become an important platform to leverage.



Gartner, Inc., a leading information technology research and advisory company, says that by 2020, spending on mobile marketing will surpass that on traditional TV advertising. With such large audiences segmented into infinite data sets, it’s becoming impossible for humans to manage ad distribution.

2. Focus on the immediate

The tendency of creating content that can potentially last long periods of time is now on the decline. The rising trend is the contrary one, where the nature of the content is simple as well as brief, and is communicated in real time. Platforms like Periscope and Snapchat both avow a “less is more” ideal, where the communications to the end user are paradoxically more lasting because they are so condensed.

In a world in which time is of the essence, these smatterings of delectable content in Snapchat and Periscope provide unique glimpses into what all consumers are looking for.

3. Automate your marketing

A research by Nucleus Research has proven that Marketing automation drives a 14.5% increase in sales productivity and a 12.2% reduction in marketing overhead, bringing it to the forefront of best digital marketing practices.

With the focus shifting solely to the creation of good quality written content, automation becomes more and more relevant and essential. As the most time is going to spent in content creation and the subsequent competing for views, automation will function as the go-to resource for marketing.

There isn’t a dearth of choices regarding automation marketing platforms, and these platforms will make things simpler for you. These platforms can bring helpful email scheduling and can also track your customers through the sales funnel and keep a check on social performance as well.

According to a study by Regalix, “The most commonly used marketing automation features are email marketing (89%), lead nurturing (84%), integrations with other software (CRM, mobile, social media, etc.) for centralizing customer intelligence (80%) and cross-channel campaign management (82%).”

4. Leverage new technologies such as location-based marketing growth

The most effective manner of targeting audience is to create an interactive experience for them. In this way, the content can be delivered directly at or near the point of contact.

This can occur near a retail location or a designated physical location in which there can be a congregation of consumers, such as a trade show. Bluetooth technology can facilitate the delivery of push notifications to nearby devices, and this can help reel in potential target consumers.

The applications of location-based marketing growth through Bluetooth go beyond mere location- or retail-based marketing. An example of this is SK Telecom and Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, in which Bluetooth Smart Beacons are used to provide 24/7 patient information and navigation to 6,000 patients on a daily basis.

Analysts predict that beacons, doubling up as hubs, will be used all over transit stations and airports to allow the easy delivery of various notifications, whether they be on delays, departures, or passenger assignments. Bluetooth beacons are also being engaged at large venues as well as small ones, such as smart homes.

This can provide reliable insight for marketers so that they can promote engagement with their customers at all levels, including B2B and B2C events as well.

New beacon technology from companies like Bluetooth Low Energy is gaining widespread support from manufacturers. It is turning out to be a reliable and cost-effective solution for location-based marketing for the long run.

5. Influencer marketing

Given the rise of ad blockers, the new reliable way of reaching consumers is through influencers. The consumers of today would rather make their purchasing decisions based on suggestions from either friends or family, or from online influencers they admire and trust.

Another reason for the rising popularity of influencer marketing is because of how well it performs. Studies conducted in this regard report that businesses earn approximately $6.50 for every $1 they spend on influencer marketing and that 81% of all marketers who have tried influencer marketing have also deemed it to be effective.

6. Don’t sell a mattress -- sell a good night’s sleep!

In spite of all the prevailing technology, there is a concerted effort to make marketing more human. Companies everywhere are taking up different stands, whether it be for equal opportunity, or against racism or sexism. Different companies are making use of “live” video to share their ideas and spread their views.

Another trend that is making its mark is the conceptualization and application of storytelling in different contexts through the employment of various methods. For instance, it is being used more and more in online presentations as well as blog posts. It is also being written into emails so that there can be a distinguishable “human” element from what is largely a bland sea of information and data.

In Conclusion...

Before going forward with the best strategies, you need to review your existing goals and decide on the way you can reach them. How can Digital Marketing help your organization? Answering this question will help you a lot in picking the right practices, and thereby formulating the right strategy.

Google Wants To Be in Your Bathroom

The title of this story might sound you creepy as this could be another attempt to breach your privacy not even leaving your bathroom, however this attempt of Google to reach your bathroom might actually save your life.

A patent from Google highlights its ambition to put sensors in your bathroom that might reveal cardiovascular health issues, improve heart health, and alert medical professionals. The patent details how Google could use “optical sensors” placed in patients’ devices or belongings to capture data on individual’s cardiovascular function – all with the aim of motivating behavioral changes and reducing instances of heart disease.

The sensors might even be positioned (the patent’s illustrations below) in a “sensing milieu" in a patient’s bathroom.



The patent describes sensors in a bath mat, for example, being able to measure heart rate through the body’s electrical patterns.

The patent also shows a camera in the bathroom mirror, which would be able to detect things like skin color variations. The patents also show toilet seats and bath mats with embedded sensors which can measure heart rate and body electrical patterns. It also describes a non-invasive camera in the bathroom mirror that can detect skin colour variation. All this will lead to a "Smart bathroom" which would be able to provide health updates which can be analyzed by health professionals.

The company even wants to put sensors in the toilet, which would be able to sense blood pressure, and sensors in the bathtub, creating an “ultrasonic” bathtub that could perform an echo test. All of this data could be collected and eventually sent to health professionals, if that’s what the user wants.



Google’s new possible invention for at-home health tracking would:

• Monitor certain aspects of a patient’s physical appearance; and


• Track changes in appearance that relate to cardiovascular health problems.

In addition, it would integrate with other Google hardware and software -- such as Android phones and Google Glass -- to capture, process, and analyze as much user cardio-data as possible.

The data would be monitored for trends and shared with patients or their medical professionals.

It is to be noted however that just because there’s a patent doesn’t mean there will be a product. Patent activity of tech companies are actually kind of sneak peak of tech giants' investment strategies particularly in R&D. Notably, Amazon has patented heart-rate detection by smartphone and Apple has patented smartphone-based health tracking. Now Google is moving deeper into medical data as well. Google is also working on other health-related projects, such as Google Lens, which could help users monitor their blood sugar levels.

In 2015, Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, and Eric Schmidt, the executive chairman of Google, had invested in a startups called Nebia that makes shower heads which can reduce the amount of water used by up to 70%.

In 2016, Google had filed a patent for the Tearable screen technology, which facilitates tearing of a display screen, cut off and used independently.

Years back, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, a private foundation founded by Bill Gates and his wife in year 2000 has funded a project four-years back which is called – “Nano Membrane Toilet” or Water-less Toilet which will be able to treat human waste on-site without external energy or water.

Google Wants To Be in Your Bathroom

The title of this story might sound you creepy as this could be another attempt to breach your privacy not even leaving your bathroom, however this attempt of Google to reach your bathroom might actually save your life.

A patent from Google highlights its ambition to put sensors in your bathroom that might reveal cardiovascular health issues, improve heart health, and alert medical professionals. The patent details how Google could use “optical sensors” placed in patients’ devices or belongings to capture data on individual’s cardiovascular function – all with the aim of motivating behavioral changes and reducing instances of heart disease.

The sensors might even be positioned (the patent’s illustrations below) in a “sensing milieu" in a patient’s bathroom.



The patent describes sensors in a bath mat, for example, being able to measure heart rate through the body’s electrical patterns.

The patent also shows a camera in the bathroom mirror, which would be able to detect things like skin color variations. The patents also show toilet seats and bath mats with embedded sensors which can measure heart rate and body electrical patterns. It also describes a non-invasive camera in the bathroom mirror that can detect skin colour variation. All this will lead to a "Smart bathroom" which would be able to provide health updates which can be analyzed by health professionals.

The company even wants to put sensors in the toilet, which would be able to sense blood pressure, and sensors in the bathtub, creating an “ultrasonic” bathtub that could perform an echo test. All of this data could be collected and eventually sent to health professionals, if that’s what the user wants.



Google’s new possible invention for at-home health tracking would:

• Monitor certain aspects of a patient’s physical appearance; and


• Track changes in appearance that relate to cardiovascular health problems.

In addition, it would integrate with other Google hardware and software -- such as Android phones and Google Glass -- to capture, process, and analyze as much user cardio-data as possible.

The data would be monitored for trends and shared with patients or their medical professionals.

It is to be noted however that just because there’s a patent doesn’t mean there will be a product. Patent activity of tech companies are actually kind of sneak peak of tech giants' investment strategies particularly in R&D. Notably, Amazon has patented heart-rate detection by smartphone and Apple has patented smartphone-based health tracking. Now Google is moving deeper into medical data as well. Google is also working on other health-related projects, such as Google Lens, which could help users monitor their blood sugar levels.

In 2015, Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, and Eric Schmidt, the executive chairman of Google, had invested in a startups called Nebia that makes shower heads which can reduce the amount of water used by up to 70%.

In 2016, Google had filed a patent for the Tearable screen technology, which facilitates tearing of a display screen, cut off and used independently.

Years back, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, a private foundation founded by Bill Gates and his wife in year 2000 has funded a project four-years back which is called – “Nano Membrane Toilet” or Water-less Toilet which will be able to treat human waste on-site without external energy or water.

Machine Learning-based Fintech Startup Creditas Secures Pre-Series A Funding Led By 1Crowd

Few days after leading investment round of Karma Healthcare, equity crowd-funding platform 1Crowd has again lead the fresh funding round of Gurgaon-based fintech startup Creditas Solutions. Creditas raised pre-series A funding however the amount raised was undisclosed.

Among other participants in this round of funding were Infina Finance, an investment company jointly owned by Kotak Mahindra Bank and Uday Kotak family, noted angel investors Dr. Aniruddha Malpani (leading IVF specialist), Daud Ali (entrepreneur and business leader) and S Sriniwasan (Managing Director – Kotak Investment Advisors).

The funds raised will be used by the startup to expand its team, data science capabilities and to make investments in technology, particularly to focus on providing banks a single platform to manage the entire delinquency cycle.

Founded in 2015 by Anshuman Panwar and Madan Srinivasan, Creditas is an innovative fintech venture that uses Machine learning and technology to help financial Institutions find better ways to reach and interact with their customers. It helps banks and non-banking financial institutions (NBFCs) optimise customer acquisition, cross-sell, delinquency detection, financial literacy and debt recovery, validates and enhances creditor data to create accurate customer profiles. Creditas also provides free credit reports to consumers through its platform www.clearmydues.com.

"This new round of funding not only gives us the capital to scale exponentially but also validates the faith the Banking sector is reposing in our Solutions," said Creditas co-founder Anshuman Panwar.

Creditas has recently on-boarded Yes Bank group's President Neeraj Dhawan as an advior to the startup.

The above news was first reported in ANI News.

FinTech Startups' Funding in Last Few Months -

Last month, a Mumbai based fintech startup Fincash.com raised $150,000 in funding from angel investors including like Mohammed Khan (Founder of Rediffusion), Sameer Narayan (ex- Fund Manager BNP Paribas), among others. Prior to that, a Bengaluru-based fintech startup NiYO Solutions raised $13.2 million in its Series A funding from investors including Social Capital, JS Capital LLC (the family office of Jonathan Soros), and Horizons Ventures and existing investor Prime Venture Partners.

Last November, an Artificial intelligence-powered fintech startup Active.Ai raised $8.25 million in Series A funding led by Vertex Ventures, Creditease Holdings and Dream Incubator.

Other fintech start-ups that have raised funds recently include ZipLoan, Cash Suvidha, Kissht, Shubh Loans, Stashfin, LoanMeet and others.

To recall, according to a NASSCOM report published in November 2017 Fintech and healthcare are most funded segments of startups in India, in past one year. The total number of startups in the fintech space has gone up to 360 from 275 in 2016, thus registering 31% growth in the number of startups.

1Crowd and Recent Investments -

Launched in 2015, 1Crowd has recently announced its first close of debut venture capital fund at INR 23 crore (USD 3.5 million) followed by $500,000 investment in Rajastan-based Karma Healthcare. Last November, it invested in a fintech startup Nuvepro. In April 2017, 1Crowd invested in deep technology startup Nanosniff Technologies, prior to which it had invested in Zipgrid, a tech-enabled community services platform.

Additionally, Bangalore-based community building platform Fourth Ambit, which recently tied-up with AICTE, also raised $600,000 from 1Crowd in May 2017. Prior to this, Genext Students — India’s first hybrid ed-tech tutoring platform — raised equity financing of $ 200,000 from 1Crowd, in August 2016.

Machine Learning-based Fintech Startup Creditas Secures Pre-Series A Funding Led By 1Crowd

Few days after leading investment round of Karma Healthcare, equity crowd-funding platform 1Crowd has again lead the fresh funding round of Gurgaon-based fintech startup Creditas Solutions. Creditas raised pre-series A funding however the amount raised was undisclosed.

Among other participants in this round of funding were Infina Finance, an investment company jointly owned by Kotak Mahindra Bank and Uday Kotak family, noted angel investors Dr. Aniruddha Malpani (leading IVF specialist), Daud Ali (entrepreneur and business leader) and S Sriniwasan (Managing Director – Kotak Investment Advisors).

The funds raised will be used by the startup to expand its team, data science capabilities and to make investments in technology, particularly to focus on providing banks a single platform to manage the entire delinquency cycle.

Founded in 2015 by Anshuman Panwar and Madan Srinivasan, Creditas is an innovative fintech venture that uses Machine learning and technology to help financial Institutions find better ways to reach and interact with their customers. It helps banks and non-banking financial institutions (NBFCs) optimise customer acquisition, cross-sell, delinquency detection, financial literacy and debt recovery, validates and enhances creditor data to create accurate customer profiles. Creditas also provides free credit reports to consumers through its platform www.clearmydues.com.

"This new round of funding not only gives us the capital to scale exponentially but also validates the faith the Banking sector is reposing in our Solutions," said Creditas co-founder Anshuman Panwar.

Creditas has recently on-boarded Yes Bank group's President Neeraj Dhawan as an advior to the startup.

The above news was first reported in ANI News.

FinTech Startups' Funding in Last Few Months -

Last month, a Mumbai based fintech startup Fincash.com raised $150,000 in funding from angel investors including like Mohammed Khan (Founder of Rediffusion), Sameer Narayan (ex- Fund Manager BNP Paribas), among others. Prior to that, a Bengaluru-based fintech startup NiYO Solutions raised $13.2 million in its Series A funding from investors including Social Capital, JS Capital LLC (the family office of Jonathan Soros), and Horizons Ventures and existing investor Prime Venture Partners.

Last November, an Artificial intelligence-powered fintech startup Active.Ai raised $8.25 million in Series A funding led by Vertex Ventures, Creditease Holdings and Dream Incubator.

Other fintech start-ups that have raised funds recently include ZipLoan, Cash Suvidha, Kissht, Shubh Loans, Stashfin, LoanMeet and others.

To recall, according to a NASSCOM report published in November 2017 Fintech and healthcare are most funded segments of startups in India, in past one year. The total number of startups in the fintech space has gone up to 360 from 275 in 2016, thus registering 31% growth in the number of startups.

1Crowd and Recent Investments -

Launched in 2015, 1Crowd has recently announced its first close of debut venture capital fund at INR 23 crore (USD 3.5 million) followed by $500,000 investment in Rajastan-based Karma Healthcare. Last November, it invested in a fintech startup Nuvepro. In April 2017, 1Crowd invested in deep technology startup Nanosniff Technologies, prior to which it had invested in Zipgrid, a tech-enabled community services platform.

Additionally, Bangalore-based community building platform Fourth Ambit, which recently tied-up with AICTE, also raised $600,000 from 1Crowd in May 2017. Prior to this, Genext Students — India’s first hybrid ed-tech tutoring platform — raised equity financing of $ 200,000 from 1Crowd, in August 2016.