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Verizon Chief Technology Officer Tony Melone has confirmed that the company’s technologists placed a live, IMS-based VoLTE (Voice over LTE) call over its commercial network on Wednesday morning. This takes VoLTE calling from a lab environment to a commercial network for the first time anywhere on the globe. This is really the last knock on Verizon about not being able to do simultaneous voice and data, what will happen when competitors can’t use that anymore?
The initial call was placed at 9:54 a.m. ET Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2011 by Balaji Raghavachari, manager of technology for Verizon Wireless, using a LG Revolution 4G smartphone. The call originated at Verizon headquarters in Basking Ridge, N.J. and was received by Sanyogita Shamsunder, director of technology for Verizon Wireless, who was also on a LG Revolution 4G smartphone in Basking Ridge. The initial call was 33 seconds in duration. During additional calls made that morning, the technologists were able to browse the Web and use other data services while participating in voice calls.
Subsequent test calls lasted more than 10 minutes. Technologists browsed the Web, participated in chats and downloaded applications from the Android Market while on a voice call. The LG Revolution smartphones were running on the Android 2.2 platform.
Verizon Wireless plans to enhance VoLTE with rich communications services and optimize performance on its commercial 4G LTE network during 2011. Commercial services are expected to be available in 2012. For more info on LTE, go to http://www.verizonwireless.com/LTE


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Mecum Auctions’ inaugural collector car sale in the Phoenix area generated more than $39 million in transactions, an 85 percent boost when compared with any previous first-time Mecum event.
That $39 million figure includes $5.5 million from a private sale off the block of a 2016 Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta, and the overall total may increase as Mecum’s Bid Goes On department continues to close several potential post-auction sales.
However, because it was a private sale, the LaFerrari Aperta is not included in the auction’s official top-10 sales listing.
The auction also drew some controversy over the authenticity of several NASCAR cars purported to have been raced by Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Jr.
After praising the State Farm Stadium venue and the auction’s promotional partnership with the City of Glendale, Arizona, Mecum chief executive Dave Magers said in the company’s news release that, “We have bold plans for future successes like this, and we can hardly wait for our 2020 return.”
Mecum announced the Glendale sale late last fall, planning a 2-day event featuring around 600 vehicles. However, so many people wanted to consign vehicles to the auction that it grew into a more than 1,300-vehicle, 4-day event, and likely will span at least 5 days in 2020.
“The City of Glendale and Mayor Jerry Weiers proved to be natural and valued partners in the promotion of this great event and that our visions for Mecum’s growth in Arizona are in total alignment,” Magers said.
In announcing the auction results, the auction company noted the diversity of the docket as displayed by the top-3 sales — a Detroit muscle car, a pre-war American classic and a late-model Ferrari exotic.
Top-10 sales, Mecum Phoenix 2019
- 1970 Dodge Hemi Challenger R/T convertible, $1,430,000
- 1932 Duesenberg Model J Rollston Torpedo Berline, $880,000
- 2011 Ferrari 599 GTO, $770,000
- 1970 Plymouth Superbird, $357,500
- 1969 Chevrolet Yenko Camaro, $231,000
- 1967 Ford Mustang fastback, $225,500
- 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429 fastback, $209,000
- 2009 Rolls-Royce Phantom drophead coupe, $195,250
- 1962 Chevrolet Corvette convertible, $187,000
- 1989 Ferrari Testarossa, $181,500
(Prices include buyer’s fee.)
Mecum’s next auction is scheduled for April 4-6 at Houston, followed May 14-19 by Dana Mecum’s 32nd Original Spring Classic at Indianapolis.

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My True Wealth Systems readers are up 35% in just four months on one trade... How are we up so much? We made a massively contrarian bet. In March, we placed a short-term bet on lower oil prices. We were so confident in the trade that we made it with "leverage" to increase our
At the beginning of the week, our Under the Radar Moversnewsletter suggested small cap development-stage biotech stock Heat Biologics Inc (NASDAQ: HTBX) as a long trade:
To really appreciate the potential upside of Heat Biologics, we have to take a step back and look at it from a distance. As you can see, while the July/August surge spent the next two months cooling off, the technical support....More>>>
Shares of clothing retailer Macy’s (NYSE: M) fell around 6% during the trading day today after reports surfaced that a potential acquisition bid from Canadian retail-chain conglomerate Hudson’s Bay Co. (TSX:HBC) looks unlikely to go through.
Hudson’s Bay, the parent company of popular higher-end clothing store brands like Lord &....More>>>
Before the market opened, shares of toy stock Hasbro, Inc (NASDAQ: HAS) were up in pre-market trading after the Company reported better-than-expected first quarterprofit helped by demand for digital gaming which more than doubled the profit from its entertainment and licensing business. Net revenues increased 2% to $849.7 million versus $831.2 million in 2016 while net earnings increased 41% to....More>>>
Our search for a dividend growth stock or two continues as we plumb the depths of the 52-week low list for an out of favor dividend growth stocks to invest in. A week or so ago we looked into Hormel Foods (NYSE:HRL) as a potential candidate and placed it on our list of possible investments. Our ongoing search has been made difficult by an almost decade long low-interest rate environment....More>>>
Our search for a dividend growth stock or two continues as we plumb the depths of the 52-week low list for an out of favor dividend growth stocks to invest in. A week or so ago we looked into Hormel Foods (NYSE:HRL) as a potential candidate and placed it on our list of possible investments.
From Uber to Dogwalker.com, there are tons of ways to make some money on the side while pursuing your dream job - or just digging out of debt. If you're hoping to pick up some extra cash with a side gig this year, here's what you need to keep in mind on
Wednesday, March 8, 2017. Romanian and U.S troops staged joint exercises with U.S. Black Hawk helicopters, part of the 10th Combat Aviation Brigade nine-month rotational deployment in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve, which aims to reassure NATO's European allies in light of Russia's invasi
Investors have plenty to be concerned about these days. Global stocks around the world have surged in 2017, sending frothy valuations even higher. The Federal Reserve is raising interest rates, and several central banks around the world have signaled expectations for tightening monetary poli


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As per reports, it seems that the first premium offering following the 51% acquisition of Peugeot scooters in 2014 by Mahindra will take more time to see the light of the day. The same has been confirmed by Pawan Goenka, managing director, Mahindra.
The Indian Automaker has been unable to figure out the correct price tag that would strike the right cords as far as the expectations of the price conscious Indian Buyer. Also, another reason could be that Mahindra is keeping its cards close to itself and waiting for the implementation of BS-6 in 2020. The after effect of the BS-6 norm will increase prices of two-wheelers in India. This will equip the company to better price it's premium offering after the emission norms are implemented. Mahindra has left no stone unturned to gain insight into the customer demands and requirement by conducting several customer clinics in the last few years. Despite all this, the only hindrance that appears as of now is the high price tag which may sway Indian buyers.
In India, the 125cc scooter segment is still in its infancy and carries huge growth potential.
Mahindra had plans to launch two to three premium products in the 125cc Scooter segment. Django and Speedfight were supposedly the two products in line to compete against the VESPA in the 125cc segment.


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…As Buhari directs FCT minister to checkmate Shiites menace
Federal Government has resolved to strengthen its policy around hides and skin, with a view to attracting more revenues and job opportunities.
The decision was a fall-out of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja on Wednesday.
Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu who threw more light on the policy, said the leather industry generated $921million for the government in 2013, a development that can be replicated if well harnessed.
He noted that Nigeria’s leather industry is rated second in Africa and eight position in export globally, adding that such potentials would create leverage for harnessing the livestock sector efficiently.
His words, “we resolved to harness the national leather and bye products policy that will enable government attract more investment into the sector.
“We would do this in a manner that will allow us make more gains instead of exporting raw leather or semi-finished products. We want to prepare our nation so that we can process our leather and use the leather in production of finished leather products.
“We have come to realize that it has application in almost every sector of our economic life, including footwear, apparels and automobile industry. There is hardly any machine that you will open without finding leather component. This is the only way we can create more jobs and a lot of wealth. We would be in a position to fight poverty.
“In any country, they always start with textiles and then leather. Here we have comparative advantage because our Labour cost is low. As far as light leather is concerned, we are number two in Africa and number 8 in terms of exporting leather in the world.
“If we harness the leather we have in Nigeria and that we processed our hides and skins, we will be creating a lot of jobs and wealth because of the small scale enterprises that will spring up. You will now be having new business springing up”.
Meanwhile, Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed said FEC deliberated on the civil disturbance by members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria IMN, otherwise referred to as Shittes.
He said the President directed the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Mohammed Bello to address the issue deploying security measures at his discretion.
“Yes the matter came up for discussion in FEC, the Hon. Minister of FCT was asked to take up the matter with his own security committee,” he stated.


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280,000 New Energy Vehicles were sold in China in April, up 50.1 percent from the same month last year but down 38.5 percent from March 2022, making April the weakest month of the year so far.
So far, February has been the weakest month, with 317,000 NEVs sold, while January and March would each see over 400,000 New Energy Vehicles sold. While February's numbers can be explained primarily by the holiday festivities surrounding Chinese New Year (and thus lack of sales days in the already shorter month), the situation is different in April, where the strict Corona lockdown in numerous cities such as Shanghai is likely to have been the biggest factor.
Of the 280,000 new NEV cars, 214,000 were BEVs and 66,000 were PHEVs, a 76.4 percent to 23.6 percent split, shifting the ratio slightly back in favor of plug-in hybrids compared to March (81 percent to 19 percent). In terms of wholesale sales, the NEV share was 29.6 percent in April, up from 11.2 percent a year earlier.
However, the weaker April cannot completely slow down the overall market trend, with 1.35 million new energy vehicles sold in China so far this year, up 128.4 percent from January to April 2021.
The aforementioned lockdown around Shanghai also had a massive impact on the manufacturer rankings in April. The usual pattern of BYD being ahead in New Energy Vehicles (i.e. BEV + PHEV), but Tesla being ahead in pure electric cars, doesn't apply in April. BYD is still by far the largest NEV manufacturer with 105,475 NEVs. However, BYD is also ahead in the pure BEV rankings with 57,403 BEVs - and 48,702 PHEVs were also sold.
This is of course due to Tesla, which as we all know had to keep its Gigafactory Shanghai closed for several weeks in April, after which it was only able to resume production with one shift instead of three. In April, the CPCA (China Passenger Car Association) shows just 1,512 BEVs for Tesla. These have all stayed in China, no vehicle has been exported.


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Multititle mailer Knight’s Direct has quietly been making some big changes during the past year. In late December, the tightly held holding company changed its name from Knight’s Ltd. Earlier last year it folded its flagship title, women’s apparel book Knight’s Ltd., and its footwear catalog, Shoe Studio. In addition, it has put one of its women’s clothing catalogs, Papillon, on hold. The St. Louis-based company continues to mail home furnishings catalog Home Decorators Collection, apparel and home products title Soft Surroundings, and women’s clothing book City Spirit.
Knight’s, which was founded in 1979, decided to modify its name from Knight’s Ltd. because “when people here answered the telephone, the name sounded limiting,” says Tom Wilcher, president of the $180 million mailer. As for the catalog closings, “The prospects for mailing Shoe Studio and Knight’s Ltd. weren’t good,” Wilcher explains. “The universe of available names simply wasn’t large enough to make sense to continue.”
The future of the 11-year-old Papillon remains uncertain. Wilcher doesn’t rule out the possibility of selling the title outright. “We had some inquiries,” he says. The last Papillon catalog mailed in late April.


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29 startups are participating in Tata IPL 2022, as sponsors and partners
Fintech remains the most represented sector, with 10 fintech startups including the likes of Paytm, Fino Payments Bank, and slice
With seven startups as partners, Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Mumbai Indians are the teams with the most number of startup sponsors and partners
Cricket is a religion in India and Indian Premier League (IPL) is the most-awaited event for the crores of fans in the country. The euphoria around IPL 2022, therefore, is natural and gets translated into TRPs, viewership numbers and yes, sponsorships.
Batting for the sponsorship game, this year’s IPL, which is starting today, has an impressive 29 startups as sponsors. The Tata IPL 2022 will be the 15th edition of the cricket tournament that first made its debut in 2008. It is the country’s biggest stage for drawing eyeballs to the best of the cricketing talent from India and abroad.
However, IPL has now taken to represent the best entrepreneurial minds in India, becoming an equally lucrative stage for startups. And this year, 29 startups are lining up alongside the 10 IPL teams.
The startups participating in this year’s IPL include the likes of sports promotions regulars such as Paytm and Unacademy and mega newcomers such as Swiggy, Fino, CRED, boAt, and Cars24.
According to BCCI secretary Jay Shah, the IPL 2021 had hit 380 Mn viewers till match 35 on September 24, 2021. By October 1, 2021, the consumption for IPL 2021 including Star Sports’ pre-match programming stood at 242 Bn minutes, per media reports.
Since IPL is the sporting event, we at Inc42 decided to take a peek into this marriage of cricket and the startup ecosystem.
Trends That Set The Stage
While Tata is the Title Sponsor of IPL 2022, the rest of the partners of the tournament are all startups, which is a testament to the growth India’s startup ecosystem has witnessed over the last few years.
Interestingly, Tata has been on a shopping spree of its own. It has been buying startups for the last year and a half and working towards its super app, Tata Neu, which is also set to launch during this IPL season.
For TataNeu, Tata Digital has acquired several companies, including Grameen eStore, Urja, AccessBell, 1mg, BigBasket, and CureFit. Recently, Croma has also joined the party, in a similar vein to Reliance’s emphasis on both physical and digital, while the ecommerce platform Tata Cliq is already a part of Tata Digital.
What’s more, all the 10 IPL teams this season have at least two startups partnering with them in some capacity.
Here is a look at a few trends that shone through during our research on the matter.
Out of the 29 startups that are participating in the IPL, 10 are unicorns, representing 35% of the participating startups. These unicorns have a total valuation of $43.6 Bn, with Dream11 and Meesho leading the pack with a valuation of $8 Bn each.
However, the growth stage startups also have a strong showing, with a total of 12 growth stage startups featuring at IPL 2022. These startups, including the likes of The Souled Store and Swiggy Instamart, have the largest representation at IPL 2022.
Surprisingly, Paytm and Fino Payments Bank represent the only two listed startups on the list, while late-stage startups are the third-largest contingent at IPL 2022.
In terms of late-stage startups, there are five of them, including the likes of EbixCash and boAt, both of which are looking for IPOs, incidentally.
This trend reflects the fact that funded startups have more cash to burn, and hence they are participating in greater numbers in the IPL. Whereas in the case of profitable startups, which have revenues to worry about, have generally abstained.
However, this year’s major outing is by no means a fluke – in 2021, Indian startups received a whopping $42 Bn in funding.
This shows that startups that either don’t need immediate funding and are profitable– or both, have limited participation in IPL 2022, while unicorns had the strongest display in the competition.
It looks like funded startups have more spending appetites than those that are already profitable. Might be, such startups focus more on churning revenue than sponsoring sporting events like IPL.
Fintech Leading the Charge
While we talk about the stage of startups that have been represented, it is also interesting to note the sectors that are represented as well.
To absolutely no one’s surprise, fintech leads. There are 10 fintech startups, ranging from the growth stage to listed startups that have sponsored the event.
Entertainment, ecommerce and consumer services are the only other segments that have more than one startup from—- with 5, 3, and 2, respectively.
Interestingly, multiple sectors that are little talked about made it to the IPL. Proptech (Strata), for instance, along with the likes of wealth management (Upstox) and energytech (Ather Energy).
However, surprisingly, only one edtech startup is participating in IPL 2022 (Unacademy), and the same was the case with D2C (Happilo). The density of startups in these segments is not mirrored as participation in IPL.
Mumbai Indians And Royal Challengers Bengaluru, The Startup Champions
No IPL team has less than two startups as their sponsors/partners, with CSK being the only team with less than three startup partners.
Three-time IPL finalists Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Mumbai Indians, the five-time IPL winners, have the most startups either sponsoring the team or participating as a partner. Both of these teams have onboarded seven startups each.
Interestingly, Gujarat Titans, one of the two new franchisees, has onboarded the second-most startups with six. It even features a startup – Ather Energy – as its Principal Sponsor that will appear on the front of its jersey.
KKR and RR showcase five startups each, SRH, PBKS, and LSG have onboarded four startups each, and LSG features three startups.
In all, the total corpus of partnerships has reached 47 total participations across 10 teams.
Leading Startups At IPL 2022
While RCB and MI are leading the IPL teams in terms of startups onboarded as partners and sponsors, Dream11 has become the most prolific startup in terms of the number of teams sponsored/partnered with.
The gaming unicorn has partnered with seven teams, the most among the 29 startups participating. Acko and The Souled Store followed closely, with six partnerships and sponsorship deals each. Meesho remains the startup with the third-most partnerships throughout IPL, with four partnerships.
IPO-bound boAt, which had teamed up with six IPL franchises last year, has come down to four this year, while ShareChat has come down from six to one in terms of partnerships. Incidentally, ShareChat is partnering with Sunrisers Hyderabad via its recently-acquired subsidiary MX TakaTak.
In terms of principal sponsorships, six IPL teams have onboarded startups as Principal Sponsors, and these sponsors feature on the front of the jerseys of these teams.
KKR has become the only IPL team to feature two startups – WinZO and Unacademy – as Principal Sponsors.
With that out of the way, let us meet the 29 startups (so far) that have announced their participation in the Tata IPL 2022.
The Startups Sponsoring The IPL
Founded in 2010 by Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Paytm returns to IPL 2022 as the Official Umpire Partner of the tournament.
Paytm had the largest Indian tech IPO in November 2021, when it was listed on the stock exchanges, with plans to raise $3 Bn and target a valuation of $25-30 Bn. However, since then, Paytm has seen its stock price plummet, and amid multiple controversies, the Noida-based startup’s stock is currently trading 75% down from its IPO price.
Recently, Paytm has faced allegations of sharing customer data with Chinese firms, which came up in an annual RBI audit. Apart from that, Sharma was allegedly arrested in Delhi for reckless driving. Paytm has since then denied the allegations, but that completed the controversy triumvirate, sending stock prices reeling.
According to reports, Paytm has invested INR 28 Cr to be the Umpire Sponsor of Tata IPL 2022; the exact figure remains unconfirmed.
Founded by Bhavit Sheth and Harsh Jain in 2008, Dream Sports over the years has ventured into providing multiple fan engagement avenues, including fantasy sports, content, commerce, experiences and events among others. Dream11 is one of the subsidiaries of the unicorn.
Its fantasy sports platform Dream11 claims to have 80+ Mn users. The startup has been eyeing an IPO worth $1.5 Bn, valuing it at $6 Bn, in the US.
Dream11 is an official sponsor of Tata IPL 2022. The gaming unicorn also partners with seven IPL teams, the most, this season. The unicorn is the principal sponsor of Punjab Kings, official partners with CSK, MI, SRH, RR, and GT, while being the Associate Sponsor of DC.
Dream11 did not share the exact financial details for the deals, which was the same for every startup that has participated in this year’s IPL.
Unacademy was founded in 2015 by Gaurav Munjal, Hemesh Singh, and Roman Saini. It initially started as a YouTube channel, and at present, the edtech giant boasts of 50K teachers and has more than 62 Mn students.
The startup offers education in 14 Indian languages to students present in 5,000 cities. It enjoys the support of marquee investors such as Elevation Capital, Blume Ventures, Sequoia Capital, Steadview Capital, Facebook, Tiger Global, among others. The edtech unicorn was valued at $3.4 Bn during its last round. According to Inc42 sources, the startup is looking to commence its physical presence starting with the Delhi NCR region.
At the IPL 2022, Unacademy joins as an official sponsor of the competition, while it also partners with Kolkata Knight Riders as a Principal Sponsor and features on the back of the team’s jersey.
Founded in 2018 by Shah, CRED offers premium credit card users rewards and benefits for paying credit card bills. Currently, the startup boasts over 7.5 Mn members, partnerships with 12+ credit card issuers (banks), and a recent $5 Mn investment in the debt recovery platform CredAvenue.
In April 2021, CRED raised $215 Mn funding in a Series D round, at a post-money valuation of $2.2 Bn, becoming a unicorn in about three years. In October of the same year, the fintech startup raised $251 Mn in its Series E round co-led by Tiger Global and Falcon Edge.
At IPL 2022, the fintech unicorn has joined as an official sponsor, for a reported INR 35 Cr. However, CRED did not confirm the figure.
Upstox’s parent company RKSV Securities was founded by Shrini Viswanath, Raghu Kumar and Ravi Kumar in 2008. It started as a proprietary trading firm but ventured into retail brokerage with the launch of Upstox in 2012. The startup offers online stock market investment services, advisory services, mutual fund investments and more.
With its recent funding round worth $25 Mn with Tiger Global at more than $3 Bn valuation, Upstox became the 40th Indian unicorn of 2021, in a year that saw a total of 42 new unicorns being made.
Upstox is an official sponsor of Tata IPL 2022, choosing not to disclose the financial details behind the partnership.
Launched in Gurugram and Bengaluru in 2020, Swiggy Instamart is now serving customers across 18 cities, and doing more than 1 Mn orders per week, it said. Swiggy, its parent company, announced its plans to invest $700 Mn in Instamart in December 2021.
Earlier the same year, Swiggy had closed a $1.25 Bn round of funding led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2 and Prosus, in a Series J round that also saw the participation of Qatar Investment Authority, Falcon Edge Capital, Amansa Capital, Goldman Sachs, Think Investments and Carmignac, and existing investors Accel Partners and Wellington Management.
Swiggy Instamart is an official partner of IPL 2022, representing the grocery delivery segment at this year’s cricket marathon.
Founded in 1999 by Ashish Hemrajani, Parikshit Dhar and Rajesh Balpande, BookMyShow’s online ticketing platform for events, movies, sports and plays, was launched in 2007. The company has raised close to $225 Mn in funding from investors such as Accel Partners, Elevation Capital, TPG Growth, Stripes Group, among others.
Coming in the latest to the party, BookMyShow recently announced that it will be the official ticketing partner for IPL 2022.
As part of the deal, BookMyShow will also manage venue services for all stadiums, including gate entry and spectator management services for the 70 league matches. The tickets will be available from INR 800 onwards.
Founded by Varun Dua and Ruchi Deepak in 2016, Mumbai-based Acko is an independent digital general insurance startup, which creates products and delivers opportunities in areas such as personalised insurance products based on user consumption behaviours.
Last year, Bloomberg had reported that Acko could raise $200 Mn in the new funding round at more than $1 Bn valuation, entering the unicorn club with the same. Acko is one of the leading startups at IPL 2022 in terms of partnerships with IPL teams.
It has partnered with six teams in total. It is an official partner of Mumbai Indians, an official sponsor of Sunrisers Hyderabad, Kolkata Knight Riders, and an Associate Sponsor of Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants.
The Souled Store
Founded in 2013 by Aditya Sharma, Rohin Samtaney, Vedang Patel, and Harsh Lal, The Souled Store is a D2C casual wear brand that started as a branded merchandise apparel brand. Recently, The Souled Store has made Sara Ali Khan its equity partner. Khan has infused an undisclosed amount into the D2C startup.
Talking with Inc42, The Souled Store said that it has joined up with Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, Lucknow Super Giants, Kolkata Knight Riders, Punjab Kings, and Rajasthan Royals as the teams’ official merchandising partner.
“With the IPL returning home to India, fans (potentially) being allowed to watch games LIVE, the addition of 2 new teams – this will be a big, big season for us,” The Souled Store told us. The startup further shared about the new merchandise that it is working on, for the latest edition of the Indian Premier League.
Founded by Vidit Aatrey and Sanjeev Barnwal in 2015, Meesho is an online reseller network for individuals and SMBs, who sell products within their network on social channels such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram.
It has about 13 Mn individual entrepreneurs, bringing the ecommerce benefits to 45 Mn customers pan India. Last year, Meesho raised $300 Mn in a round that took its valuation to over $1 Bn, making it India’s first social commerce unicorn.
In a recent announcement, Meesho said that it is participating as an official partner of Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Gujarat Titans, Mumbai Indians, and Rajasthan Royals.
Launched in 2016 by Aman Gupta and Sameer Mehta, boAt is an audio-tech startup that manufactures products earphones, headphones, speakers, soundbars, travel chargers, premium rugged cables, and more.
The startup has to date raised more than $116 Mn across six funding rounds and counts Qualcomm Ventures, Warburg Pincus, InnoVen Capital, Fireside Ventures, among others as its investors. The startup has filed its DRHP worth INR 2000 Cr and has become the first Indian D2C startup to head for IPO.
It has participated with four startups this IPL season, down from six the season before. These teams include PBKS, RCB, DC and GT.
Founded in 2017 by Anish Achuthan, Ajeesh Achuthan, Mabel Chacko and Deena Jacob, Open offers business banking, payments and expense management services to more than a million small and medium enterprises. The startup claims to have boarded more than 2 Mn SMEs and processes over $24 Bn annually. Open claims to add 100K new SMEs every month.
In October last year, Open raised $100 Mn in a Series C round. The funding was led by Temasek and also saw participation from Google and SBI Investment, along with existing investors Tiger Global and 3one4 Capital. At IPL 2022, Open is associating with two IPL teams – RCB and KKR as their official partner.
Founded in 2013 by Tarun Mehta and Swapnil Jain, Ather is engaged in designing, manufacturing and production of electric automobiles and charging infrastructure. Hero was one of the early investors in the startup. The auto giant first invested to the tune of $27 Mn in the Series B funding round in 2016, and then later, another $17 Mn in 2018.
Recently, Hero’s board of directors has approved INR 420 Cr investment in Ather Energy, taking the former’s stake in the latter to 34.8%. At IPL 2022, Ather Energy is the Principal Sponsor of Gujarat Titans and appears at the front of the jersey of the newest IPL franchisee.
Bombay Shaving Company
Founded in 2016, Bombay Shaving Company began its life as a D2C men’s shaving and grooming products startup that then expanded into diverse hair removal and hair care categories including a women’s hair removal range that the startup is betting on.
It has a portfolio of more than 100 SKUs and the list includes shaving regimens, trimmers, beard products, razors for women, wax strips, hair removal creams, and other personal care products and accessories. It has raised a total of INR 170 Cr in an ongoing Series C funding round.
Bombay Shaving Company is one of the official partners of Mumbai Indians for this season of IPL.
Founded in 2015 by Vikram Chopra, Gajendra Jangid, Ruchit Agarwal and Mehul Agrawal, Cars24 offers a platform for car owners to sell their used cars at the best price. Cars24 has also forayed into selling used two-wheelers. In this segment, the startup competes against CredR, OLX, Quikr, among others.
In 2020, the startup entered the unicorn club by raising $200 Mn in a Series E funding round led by DST Global. Further, it has plans to raise another $350 Mn and go for an IPO within the next 12-18 months.
At the IPL 2022, Cars24 will take the pitch as a Principal Sponsor of Sunrisers Hyderabad and it will feature on the front of the team’s jersey.
Founded by Avinash Kumar and Mayank Batheja in 2017, Credenc is a lending tech startup that gives out education loans to students. The startup claims that it has approved loans worth $15 Mn till now. It further claims that it receives more than 200 loan requests a day and undertakes a rigorous evaluation process.
Last year, it had raised $25 Mn in a funding round led by Capital India Finance. Before that, it had raised $2.5 Mn in seed funding in 2019. Credenc has partnered with Lucknow Super Giants as an official sponsor.
Founded by Naveen Surya in 2006, Ebixcash helps consumers and businesses in international remittance based on GTV and foreign exchange, digital payments, domestic money remittances, prepaid cards and various other factors.
The company utilises a phygital strategy and claims to combine over 650K physical agent distribution outlets throughout India and Southeast Asia into an omnichannel online digital platform. It has recently submitted its DRHP to SEBI, for an IPO worth INR 6,000 Cr.
Ebixcash will feature on the front of the jerseys of Punjab Kings as the team’s Title Sponsor.
Fino Payments Bank
Founded in 2007, Fino PayTech received the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) approval to set up a payments bank in September 2015. The payments bank began its operations in June 2017, and it competes with Paytm Payments Bank, Airtel Payments Bank, and Jio Payments Bank.
Fino Payments Bank turned profitable in FY21, reporting INR 20.4 Cr in profits and a total income of INR 791 Cr, up 14% year-on-year. The startup headed for an IPO in November 2021, making it the only other listed startup to feature at IPL 2022 that’s not called Paytm.
At the latest edition of IPL, the fintech startup has partnered with Rajasthan Royals as an official partner.
Going from one Rajasthan Royals partner to another, Happilo is a D2C healthy snacking brand. Founded in 2016 by Vikas Nahar, it offers a slew of products including dry fruits, trail mixes, nut protein bars and muesli. The startup claims to have grown its business 4X in the last 24 months.
Add to that, it is reportedly eyeing a revenue target of INR 2,000 Cr in the next four years. Recently, the startup has raised $25 Mn in funding from Motilal Oswal Private Equity (MOPE).
The startup, as mentioned, will take to the pitch on the front of the Rajasthan Royals jersey, as the team’s Title Sponsor.
Founded by Nischay AG and Misbah Ashraf, Jar operates an app that allows users to invest in gold and get started within seconds. The app works with Paytm to set up a recurring payment and is also the first to use UPI 2.0’s recurring payment support. Users can withdraw the physical gold or liquidate it.
The startup, last month, raised $32 Mn in a Series A round at a valuation of $200 Mn. The round was led by Tiger Global, with participation from Rocketship.vc, Third Prime, Stonks, Force Ventures and existing investors including Arkam Ventures and WEH.
Jar will feature as an official partner of Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Founded in March 2016, Finnov operates KreditBee for digital lending as well as KrazyBee, a non-banking financial company (NBFC). It specialises in personal loans and consumer durable loans up to INR 2 Lakh with tenures ranging from two months to 15 months. It claims to have a user base of over 20 Mn.
The most recent fundraise that KreditBee saw was the infusion of INR 600 Cr from PE fund India SME Investments through a mix of both equity and debt.
The startup will feature as an official partner of Royal Challengers Bengaluru at IPL 2022
Founded in 2018 by Sai Srinivas Kiran G and Shubh Malhotra, MPL offers various gaming options, including daily fantasy sports. MPL, at the latest edition of IPL, has partnered with RCB as an Associate Sponsor.
At present, MPL claims to have 85 Mn users in India, the US, and Indonesia. For years, the startup has partnered with several game developers and added more than 70 games to its platform.
The startup became a unicorn in 2021 after a Series E round by raising around $150 Mn from Legatum Capital, Accrete Capital and Gaingels LLC, at a pre-money valuation of $2.3 Bn.
Founded in 2019 by Yogendra Kashyap, RapiPay offers agent-based payment solutions for businesses. It also offers services such as mobile recharge, DTH recharge, money transfer, bill payments, cash withdrawal, AEPS, among other services.
The fintech startup is doing 1 Mn daily transactions and has served more than 100 Mn customers, witnessing robust growth of 25% month-on-month in basic banking services. RapiPay has recently raised $15 Mn in funding to launch NYE, a digital banking super app.
At the Tata IPL 2022, RapiPay will feature as an Associate Sponsor of the Delhi Capitals.
ShareChat was founded in 2015 by Ankush Sachdeva, Bhanu Singh, and Farid Ahsan. The social media platform positions itself as an Indic language social media platform. Moj and ShareChat together have a user base of 340 Mn.
Recently, it acquired the short video platform MX TakaTak in a merger with Moj in a deal worth $700 Mn.
Last IPL, ShareChat had partnered with six teams. However, this IPL will see ShareChat featuring as an official partner of Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Founded in 2016 by Rajan Bajaj, slice (earlier Slicepay) is a fintech startup offering credit solutions targeting young consumers between the age of 18 and 29. The startup issues credit cards and payments cards to this segment in partnership with Visa and SBM Bank, allowing this cohort to build a good credit score.
The startup provides a credit line starting from INR 10,000 going up to INR 10 Lakh. In 2021, slice entered the unicorn club in a Series B funding round that saw it raise $220 Mn.
At the IPL 2022, the fintech unicorn features as the title sponsors of Mumbai Indians, appearing on the front of their jerseys.
Founded in 2020 by former VC Ajay Lakhotia, StockGro has a gamified virtual interface that enables users to discover trading strategies, compete and interact with others.
The startup has managed to blend in gaming, social and trading elements for its platform. StockGro has onboarded several B-Schools across the country to hone these students’ trading and investment skills.
StockGro raised $32 Mn in a Series A round led by BITKRAFT Ventures, General Catalysts, and Itai Tsiddon. At IPL 2022, StockGro will feature as an official partner of Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Founded in 2019 by Sudarshan Lodha and Priyanka Rathore, Strata allows investors to own and sell units of pre-leased, grade-A commercial properties such as office spaces, warehouses, industrial assets, and so on.
Earlier this year, the proptech firm, the only one at IPL 2022, raised $6 Mn in a Series A round co-led by Kotak Investment Advisors Limited, Gruhas Proptech, and Sabre Investments.
For this IPL, Strata is sponsoring Mumbai Indians as an official partner.
Founded in 2018 by Arpi Mehta, Pravin Shetty, Manjul Jain and Anirudh Kale, Toothsi makes dental products that include invisible 3D printed teeth and offers at-home dental services with a team of dentists and tech experts on board.
According to the startup, it has conducted more than 65,000 ‘smile makeovers’ so far and has recorded a 5x year-on-year growth over the previous year in FY2021. In January this year, the healthtech startup raised $9 Mn in a debt funding round led by Stride Ventures.
Toothsi has partnered with Gujarat Titans as an Associate Partner for the latest IPL edition.
Founded by Paavan Nanda and Saumya Singh in early 2018, the startup partners with third-party developers to host games on their android app, where users can enjoy personalised multiplayer gameplay experiences. The platform is available in 12 languages with more than 50 Mn registered users.
WinZO’s most recent funding round happened in July 2021, when it raised $65 Mn in a Series C funding round, taking the total capital raised by the startup to $90 Mn.
WinZO has partnered with Kolkata Knight Riders as a Principal Sponsor and will feature on the front of the team’s jersey.
Tata IPL 2022 – A Pitch For Startups
The sheer number of startups that feature at this year’s IPL is a testament to the growth of India’s startup ecosystem, which saw a great boom over 2021.
With 12 new unicorns this year already, we are looking at another big year for the country’s startup ecosystem, and many of the companies that are teaming up with IPL franchisees are what we call ‘soonicorns’ – startups that are close to becoming unicorns.
Not only this IPL represents a paradigm shift in terms of traditional sponsorship deals with the teams and the competition itself, but also presents itself as a stage, or rather, as a pitch, for ambitious startups to come to play and attract customers and investors alike.
The exact figures were not revealed by any of the startups featured here, citing multiple reasons, but we expect a good deal of RoI over the coming years. Some of these names are returning to the field, having had success previously (such as Paytm) while others are retracting (such as ShareChat).
In the end, the IPL has become much more than just a cricketing affair – it carries high stakes for the country’s startup ecosystem, too.


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Suzanne Weldon, director of Edelman PR’s consumer division, is to
rejoin her old firm Fleishman-Hillard Saunders. Weldon moved to Edelman
last September, but will return to Fleishman-Hillard as a main board
director in July. She previously worked as an account director on the
agency’s Budweiser business. Managing director John Saunders said that
Weldon, who joined Fleishman-Hillard when it was set up in 1990, would
work on consumer accounts, including supermarket chain Musgraves.


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“There are a lot of people stuck in their houses right now. So, what are they going to do? They stream Netflix and get high. Or watch movies on Amazon and get high. Or play board games … and get high. There’s not much else to do.”
The beauty industry, never one to miss a trick, swiftly jumped on the weed wagon. Today, CBD is perhaps the buzziest and most bragged-about ingredient in high-end makeup, skincare and hair products. And the trendiest items in the fashion world? Cannabis-inspired jewelry.
The emerging cannabis industry is seeing more women taking leadership roles in what was once considered a male-dominated sector.
Change is opportunity. When technology or market forces cause a sector to rapidly evolve or emerge, this change often presents significant opportunities for savvy investors.
Two industries are in this type of flux today: Retailing and Legal Marijuana.


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A story in the local paper sent a chill down my spine. It was more terrifying than Senator James Inhofe, Chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee and a world class climate change denier, bringing a snowball into the Senate Chamber as a ‘real life example that the globe is not warming’.
As we digest that last bit of information, let’s take a moment and alleviate our fears from fabricators of fossil fuel foolery by partaking of a portion of our favorite treat; chocolate. Humans use it as a way to disconnect from the hectic world, if only for a moment, and descend into the sweet abyss of ‘chocolate love’.
In 2012 a plateau was reached when the world started eating more chocolate than it could produce.
In fact, in 2014 the world ate roughly 70,000 metric tons more cocoa than it produced prompting the world’s largest chocolate makers predict a CHOCOLATE SHORTAGE!!!!!
The Washington Post reported that Mars, Inc. and Swiss-based chocolate giant Barry Callebaut say chocolate demand is likely to outstrip production by one million metric tons by 2020.
OK, calm down, we still have a very large supply. Sorry I agitated the chocolate lovers out there. There’s no need to run out and stock up on Hershey Bars; but if you do, that will leave the more expensive and exquisite chocolates for us connoisseurs.
Why, in the name of tasty snacking is a chocolate shortage slowly becoming reality?
This is because;
1, of the popularity of dark chocolate, which contains a good deal more cocoa by volume than traditional chocolate bars and evidence of dark chocolate being ‘heart healthy’ because of a study that shows its flavonoids inhibit the clumping or aggregation of platelets, which is a major cause of blood clots leading to stroke and heart attacks.
2, The Chinese are catching on to the chocolate thing and there are billions of them. (ie; If they start dipping their ‘scorpion-on-a-stick’ treat in chocolate, it’ll happen sooner than later. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization says over 2 billion people worldwide already supplement their diet with insects.
3, It tastes so friggin’ good and we can’t help ourselves.
You should never really run out of chocolate
There are 2 types of chocolate; the regular kind and ‘emergency’ chocolate which is sometimes hidden deep within the fridge in a jar marked ‘gravy’. Emergency chocolate is like getting a wet kiss from your geriatric aunt after she hands you a money filled birthday envelope. It’ll serve its purpose but there’s a bad aftertaste.
‘Emergency’ chocolate is just what it implies. Let’s say it’s late, the car has no gas and you can’t walk to an ‘open all night’ store and stock up. ‘Emergency’ chocolate is the 2 year old chocolate Easter bunny with no ears. It’s the gold foil wrapped chocolate Hanukkah ‘gelt coins’ from 5748. It could even be the last crumb of the dried out end of a brownie. All it does is stave off the cravings for the good stuff.
Let’s pray that chocolate loving scientists can divert attention from climate change and focus on a succulently fruitful cacao tree that can grow anywhere on the planet. It’s that important!


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Amazon Cloud Technology has established a new quantum computing center at the California Institute of Technology, aiming to build larger and more accurate quantum computers
Although quantum computers can solve problems that conventional computers cannot, they are very sensitive to small changes in the environment and are more prone to errors.
Quantum computing promises to drive technological advances in medicine, manufacturing, material production, and more.
In order to accelerate the development of quantum computing technology and applications, Amazon Cloud Technology launched the Amazon Cloud Technology Quantum Computing Center in 2019. Amazon Cloud Technology has built a new quantum computing center at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), dedicated to building “fault-tolerant” quantum computers. Team members at the center will focus on developing more powerful quantum computing hardware and discovering new applications for quantum technology.
The Amazon Cloud Quantum Computing Center will address the following five challenges:
First: make more and better qubits
Traditional computers use bits (values usually represented in code as 1 or 0) as the most basic unit of information. A bit can be anything with two different states. For example, lights that are turned on or off, or doors that are opened or closed. But quantum computers use quantum bits, or “qubits,” (usually elementary particles like electrons or photons) to perform calculations. Unlike bits, qubits can be manipulated to exist in quantum states called superpositions, which can be 1 and 0 at the same time, and all possible states in between. Combined with some of the other equally puzzling behaviors of qubits in quantum states, quantum computers can perform certain calculations more efficiently than any current or future conventional computer. The Amazon Cloud Quantum Computing Center team will use superconducting materials to build qubits, such as aluminum patterned into Electronic circuits on silicon-based chips. Getting more people to understand the technology to make these will hopefully scale up more qubits in a reproducible way.
An Amazon Cloud Technologies quantum hardware engineer operates a dilution refrigeration machine. Dilution refrigerators could cool quantum processors to cooler temperatures than the outer space environment.
Second: reduce noise.
The ability of qubits to exist in quantum states gives quantum computers the potential to perform certain calculations more powerful than conventional computers. But keeping qubits that way is very challenging. Even the tiniest changes in the environment (called “noise” by quantum scientists), such as vibration or heat, can knock them out of superposition, causing them to lose information and become more error-prone. The key to building a successful quantum computer is to control these errors. Amazon Cloud Technology will reduce noise by improving materials, such as making superconductors one atomic layer at a time, to minimize defects.
Third: Develop larger quantum computers.
One of the most challenging aspects of building a quantum computer is how to scale it. To surpass what conventional computers can already achieve, they need to be much larger than current machines. Today’s quantum computers are “noisy” and prone to errors. The goal of quantum researchers is to scale from a handful of noisy qubits to machines with hundreds or even thousands of extremely low-noise qubits. The new Amazon Cloud Quantum Computing Center will work to continuously advance quantum research and development, including technologies needed to support larger quantum devices, such as cryogenic cooling systems that protect devices from thermal noise, and the construction of new forms of quantum Nanoscale fabrication tools needed for circuits.
Fourth: reduce the cost of error correction.
In addition to innovations in noise reduction, Amazon Cloud will also work on building error correction into quantum computing hardware, using redundant sets of physical qubits to form “logical” qubits that encode quantum information that can be used for detection and correct mistakes. Performing error correction in this way is often very expensive and resource-intensive because generating logical qubits requires a lot of physical hardware. Amazon Cloud Technologies is looking into implementing error correction in quantum hardware at a lower cost by designing more efficient methods.
Fifth: Speed up the clock
Building a usable quantum computer requires more than just increasing the number of qubits. Another important metric is the computer’s clock speed, or the time it takes to execute a “quantum gate operation” accurately. (Quantum gates are essentially the building blocks of quantum circuits—models on which quantum computers perform calculations.) This is where superconducting qubits offer an advantage because they make it easier to speed up quantum gates. Amazon Cloud is trying to build better qubits, and the ultimate measure of that success is how much it can speed up clock speeds while reducing quantum gate errors.
Amazon Cloud Technology Quantum Computing Center
Amazon Cloud Technology Quantum Computing Center at Caltech
The Amazon Cloud Technology Quantum Computing Center brings together quantum computing experts from Amazon, Caltech and other top academic research institutions. To support future quantum scientists, the center also provides scholarships and training opportunities for students and youth faculty.
The center’s ultimate goal is to build an entirely new type of computer: a fault-tolerant quantum machine.This kind of machine can surpass classical computing technology in computational precision, and at the same time, can solve complex problems at a scale large enough to have a huge impact on our lives and work.


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However, the decline in growth has been steeper last year after the imposition of minimum alternate tax (MAT) and dividend distribution tax (DDT) in the budget 2011-12 that has left the SEZ units with very little tax incentives vis-à-vis non-SEZ units.
As per data compiled by Export Promotion Council for SEZs, exports from SEZs went up by just 15.4 per cent in 2011-12 at Rs 3,64,478 core as against 43.1 per cent growth in 2010-11 (Rs 3,15,868 crore) and 121.4 per cent in 2009-10 (Rs 2,20,711 crore).
Export growth in 2009-10 had been exceptionally higher because of a very low base in 2008-09 after the financial meltdown in US virtually dried up demand for goods made in India. Even exports from SEZs have come down as a proportion of total merchandise exports from the country to 26.7 per cent in 2011-12 as compared to nearly 30 per cent in the preceding years.
“Government has been neglecting SEZs over last one-and-a-half years and this is being reflected in export numbers that are now in line with normal industry growth numbers. There are more benefits to units outside SEZs from where one can cater to both domestic as well as export markets unlike SEZ units that have to pay high duty if they are selling in domestic market,” Ajay Nijhawan, convenor of the SEZs panel with the export promotion council said.
Centre imposed MAT at 18.5 per cent on SEZ developers and units as a measure to ensure equal sharing of corporate tax liability in the budget 2011-12. Similarly, it had discontinued the exemption available from DDT in case of SEZ developers under the Income Tax Act as well as SEZ Act for dividends declared, distributed or paid on or after June 1, 2011. However, profits from SEZ units dedicated only to exports were exempted from deductions.
“With the imposition of new taxes, net income tax benefit is not much as compared to promotional benefits like focus market and focus product scheme available to units outside SEZs. Consequently, no new investment is happening and the units that have already got permission are reluctant to start operations because of lack of enough incentives,” Ajay Sahai, director general of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations said.
Rajesh K Sonthalia, managing director of the Sonthalia Group feels that apart from declining tax incentives, issues related to infrastructure development have also acted as a deterrent. “Long-term stability of the SEZ policy is in question. Besides, state-level infrastructure problem continues to exist.
Hence, unless the government takes some positive policy decisions for SEZs, it will be very difficult to arrive at the growth rates of pre-crisis levels,” he added.
Government has so far granted 589 approvals for setting up SEZs, out of which, seven are promoted by central government and 12 SEZs have been formulated by different states. However, up to March 31, 2012, only 389 SEZs have been notified while just 153 SEZs are in operation.


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FARM WEEKLY – by Annabelle Cleeland – “THE recent rainfall will lead to a change in the micron profile of the Australian wool clip next spring, while boosting production volume and lamb marking rates.
Independent Commodity Services, wool market analyst Andrew Woods, Wagga Wagga, NSW, forecasts the eastern states wool clip to be on average half a micron broader at the end of this financial year.”
QUEENSLAND COUNTRY LIFE – by Annabelle Cleeland – “Graziers remain on high alert for lamb and sheep losses with ongoing wet and cold conditions forecast.
Riverina farmers and NSW’s Western Division have been hardest hit with agents reporting widespread lamb losses in the past month.”
FARM WEEKLY – by Clare King – “MORE rams offered, more rams sold and a $4100 top price made the Belmont Park on-property ram sale a resounding success at Wagin last week.
The top price sire was both showy and sirey and so it was fitting that its stud qualities would be utilised in breeding replacement rams at its new home in Dudinin as well as putting in a final appearance in the show ring under the Belmont Park banner at the upcoming IGA Perth Royal Show.”
FARM WEEKLY – by Jodie Rintoul – “WHEATBELT wool producers got one up on their traditional wool growing cousins this week when a fleece from Pithara grabbed one of the first supreme ribbons on offer at this year’s IGA Perth Royal Show.
The fleece, which was awarded best of the show, was exhibited by Darrell, Glenys, Brad and Emma McIlroy, Glendawn Poll Merino stud.”
FARM WEEKLY – by Kane Chatfield – “HALF a century of loyalty is a rarity in business these days, let alone in wool and livestock.
But that’s exactly what Elders and the Panizza family were celebrating last week with the Panizza family’s 50th consecutive wool clip sold through Elders…”
NBR – by Edwin Mitson – “New Zealand Merino Co is to take full control of its brand of merino meat, which was previously owned 50-50 in a joint venture with Silver Fern Farms.
The partnership started five years ago, creating the Silere alpine origin merino brand through a business called Alpine Origin Merino.”
STOCK & LAND – by Murray Arnel – “The Wyche-Port Demons may have lost their North Central Footy League grand-final but those who choose to support the towns annual September store sheep sale will be surely on a winner…”
WESTERN ADVOCATE – by John Seaman – “Continuing wet weather has hampered market gardeners and the transport of livestock to saleyards and has disrupted shearing operations in many districts…. “
THE REPUBLIC OF EAST VANCOUVER – “Research Corridor has published a new research study titled “Wool Top Processing Market – Growth, Share, Opportunities, Competitive Analysis and Forecast, 2015 – 2022”. The Wool Top Processing market report studies current as well as future aspects of the Wool Top Processing Market based upon factors such as market dynamics, key ongoing trends and segmentation analysis. Apart from the above elements, the Wool Top Processing Market research report provides a 360-degree view of the Wool Top Processing industry with geographic segmentation, statistical forecast and the competitive landscape.”
STOCK & LAND – by AlishA Fogden – “THE 2017 Nuffield Australia national conference was held in Adelaide on Thursday and Friday last week, attended by more than 300 delegates from primary industries.”


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Microsoft Dynamics Partner Roundup: Food Distribution Solution Announced...New AX and CRM Wins…New Member Joins Advisory Council
JustFoodERP Launches ERP Package for Food Distributors
JustFoodERP has rolled out a new ERP package aimed at food distributors looking to modernize their systems.
Based on the Microsoft Dynamics platform, JustFoodERP's new package offers food distributors an integrated solution for sales, purchasing, planning, inventory management, food safety, warehouse management, shipping and logistics management, according to the company.
"Legacy technology solutions are simply not able to support the information requirements now required by the growing food distributor," said Marc DiGiorgio, Vice President of JustFoodERP, in a statement. "The demand for accurate real-time inventory and costing information is increasing in its importance to food distributors, especially as profit margins get squeezed. JustFoodERP and Microsoft recognize that it is doubly difficult to consider a capital expense like a new ERP investment during times like this, and for this reason, have created a new pricing model that reduces this investment by a sizeable amount."
Borroughs Corporation, LLC Goes Live on Microsoft Dynamics AX with First Tech Direct
First Tech Direct LLC, a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, announced a new implementation of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 at Borroughs Corp., a manufacturer of industrial storage equipment, office storage equipment, library shelving, and high-density mobile systems.
Borroughs implemented nearly all of the Dynamics AX modules including finance, production, projects, warehouse management, CRM, shop floor control and business intelligence. Borroughs was also the first Microsoft Dynamics AX customer to go live on Microsoft's Management Reporter for financial statements, according to the company.
"The Microsoft Dynamics AX solution provides us with improved visibility of our projects, manufacturing processes and supply chain management so that we can increase profitability and customer satisfaction," said Gregory Worsnop, Vice President of Finance and Administration, at Borroughs, in a statement.
Borroughs says it selected First Tech Direct because of its experience in the project-based, engineer-to-order, and configure-to-order manufacturing industry.
Alexian Brothers Selects Sonoma Partners to Meet Growing Sales and Business Development Demands
As Alexian Brothers sales and business development staff has grown, it needed to better manage its relationships.
The new system will consolidate and streamline Alexian Brother's sales and business development operations. Physician information, specializations, and availability will reside within one comprehensive contact database, so the organizations' sales representatives can share activities and opportunities across the organization, according to the company.
"Collaborating with Sonoma Partners to implement the Microsoft Dynamics CRM will provide a valuable tool for our entire sales force by integrating communication with external contacts and maximizing interaction among our staff."
Wintrust Financial Chooses EnAct from Fiserv for Enterprise Sales and Relationship Management
Using EnAct, the bankers at Wintrust Financial will have an enterprise-wide view of client relationships with access to sales productivity tools to execute local outreach programs, track relationship management and prospecting activities and monitor opportunity pipelines, according to company officials.
EnAct leverages Microsoft Dynamics CRM and serves the needs of the banks' retail, commercial and wealth lines of business. The solution will enable Wintrust Financial to deploy a single CRM solution enterprise-wide so it can better support collaboration across its organization, enable referrals between divisions and facilitate team-based management of high-value relationships that across a number of business lines, the company said.
"As part of our expansion program, we identified the need for an enterprise customer relationship management solution and we chose EnAct because it provides us with specialized banking functionality on a versatile technology platform," said Tom Ormseth, senior vice president, Wintrust Financial, in a statement.
Wintrust Financial began its initial rollout of EnAct to a group of more than 200 commercial bankers in December 2010 and it's continuing implementation to a total of 1,400 users across 15 community banks as well as its various wealth management and specialized financial services divisions, officials said.
enVista Named to Microsoft Dynamics Partner Advisory Council
enVista Corp., an ERP and SCM consulting services firm and Microsoft Dynamics partner, has been invited to join the Microsoft Dynamics Partner Advisory Council (PAC).
enVista's Enterprise Solutions Group will help provide strategic direction and expertise to help Microsoft continue to deliver greater supply chain value through its ERP technology solutions.
"The Microsoft Dynamics Partner Advisory Council (PAC) was formed to promote a collaborative effort between Microsoft and its leading Microsoft Dynamics partners," said Mandy Ledford, Director, U.S. Microsoft Dynamics Emerging Partner Team, in the statement. "As a relative newcomer to the Microsoft family, enVista already plays a key role in that effort. enVista is a proven partner that is positively affecting their channel and fostering client relationships in the marketplace."
Through collaborative efforts and meetings, PAC members and the Microsoft Dynamics leadership team work together to provide Microsoft Dynamics partners the tools and technologies they need to be successful, according to Microsoft.


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French town flooded with wine after protesters crack open vats
A protest group has cracked open vats of wine in a southern French town, sending thousands of litres into the streets, local media have reported.
Emergency services had to help bring the flood under control and prevent it spilling into underground car parks.
Those responsible said they belonged to the militant group the Regional Action Committee of Winemakers (Crav), France 3 reported.
Crav has been alarmed by cheap imports and has claimed previous attacks.
"Why this action? Because we are never listened to," a Crav representative told France 3.
The attack happed in Sete, a port town in Languedoc-Roussillon, one of France's biggest wine producing regions.
Basements and nearby homes were flooded, according to Midi Libre.
Earlier this year, Spain summoned France's ambassador after French farmers seized Spanish lorries and drained their cargo of wine, near Le Boulou in southern France.
A local union leader for winemakers, Frederic Rouanet, condemned the latest attacks but told Decanter magazine he too was concerned about the rise of cheap imports making it into French shops.


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It’s that time of year again, folks – Social Media Week Los Angeles time! This week many will gather to gain insight from the web’s best and brightest, those who are on the cusp of something great and using the power of social media to get them there. What’s Trending’s own Shira Lazar once again joined Tubefilter CEO Drew Baldwin, in curating a list of 25 people, organizations, and brands they think are influencing the future of social media.
This year’s honoree’s include comedian Amy Schumer, who has found an abundance of viral success through her “Inside Amy Schumer” sketches. Modern Family’s Sofía Vergara also secure her spot on the list, as she’s spent more time in the past year expanding her online presence through social media, as well as a curated blog. Representatives from amazing organizations like “Fuck Cancer” and “Thirst Project” are also celebrated for all the work they do, and their social presence influencing their followers to be proactive about their respective causes. To see the full list of honorees, click here.
The “Social 25” list honorees will be celebrated on opening night at Social Media Week LA at a VIP event in Santa Monica, sponsored this year by FameBit. Congratulations to all honorees, we’re excited to see you stand at the forefront of social media!


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Mankai duckweed, a high-protein strain of the aquatic plant made by Israeli startup Hinoman, has the potential for controlling glycemic effects after carbohydrate consumption and could become a superfood alternative plant-protein source, a team of researchers from Israel, the U.S. and Germany found. Their study was published in the journal Diabetes Care.
The researchers compared 20 participants' glucose sensor results after they drank Mankai shakes and then again following the consumption of yogurt shake equivalents. Those who consumed the duckweed shake had a better response to glucose measurements, and they also felt fuller, the researchers said.
"It is the aggregation of all of these properties which seem to make the easily integratable, tasteless, and odorless plant, a good candidate to become a superfood," the research team said, according to Food Navigator.
Duckweed, also known as water lentils or lemna, offers a long list of advantages compared to other plant-based protein sources. The aquatic plant grows quickly in open hydroponic systems and doubles its biomass within 24 to 36 hours. It only takes half an hour to process the ingredient from farm to table, according to the Parabel ingredients firm. It also boasts an amino acid profile comparable to whey and superior to soy.
Parabel plans to introduce a water lentil-based protein ingredient by the end of this year, which the Florida company said is an allergen-free and non-GMO substitute. Duckweed-sourced protein also could be used in place of soy or pea protein in plant-based products such as burgers, shakes, bars and other foods and beverages. Consumers wanting to avoid soy and food makers concerned about pea protein supply might be particularly interested in trying it.
California-based Plantible Foods is another company looking to scale-up production of duckweed for use in protein ingredients. Its co-founder, Maurits van de Ven, told Food Navigator last year that technological advancements had made it easier to produce high yields of duckweed as an agricultural product.
Besides being fast-growing and containing more than 45% protein, duckweed has a complete protein profile similar to eggs — with all nine essential amino acids and six conditional ones, Food Navigator said. Plantible's protein product functions much like an egg white, van de Ven told the publication. Duckweed also has fiber, minerals and vitamins A, B complex and B12, which aren't often seen in plants.
Now that this recent study has shown duckweed's potential for managing glucose levels, the ingredient may find a role in foods and beverages marketed to the growing number of consumers with diabetes or pre-diabetes. More than 7% of the U.S. population has diabetes, mainly Type 2, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports is up from 4.4% in 2000.
One problem duckweed — or whatever it ends up being called in the marketplace — will likely have is gaining name familiarity. The name duckweed, in its current form, creates confusion and does little to help this potential superfood stand out from others on the market.
If the ingredient does become more commonplace, things may change and people could start seeking it out as another plant-based protein option. Superfood status may follow, but duckweed protein manufacturers will have to wait a while longer to find out.


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Benjamin Moore just announced its Color of the Year 2020 today —First Light,2102-70, a soft, rosy hue blooming with potential. Based on Benjamin Moore,” It’s a cool, sophisticated pink that you can live with day in and day out”. I was expecting another shade of blue. Well, I love pink and glad to see pink color is going to be here to stay for the start of a new decade.
Well, you can see that this Benjamin Moore’s First Light is not that sweet and almost can pair with any color.
Benjamin Moor’s design team spent a year-long research journey to 30 cities across 12 countries, traveling nearly 100,000 miles. The team of seven Colour & Design experts attended more than 20 industry shows capturing more than 42,200 photos that illustrate points of inspiration from the arts, design, architecture, pop culture, fashion, home furnishings, and more. Their collective findings demonstrated an emergence of red hues, embodying the change, strength, confidence and vitality that permeates cultural movements around the world. Today Benjamin Moor announced their color of the year 2018—Caliente AF-290. This warm red with hint of orange, is strong, cheerful, radiant and full of energy.
The colour leader also unveiled Colour Trends 2018, a curated palette of 23 highly influential hues that enliven any room by adding depth and energy. The palette incorporates a full spectrum of reds, from hints of blush to deep oxbloods, while ensuring seamless pairings with a carefully selected range of whites, neutrals, and complementary bold hues. The Benjamin Moore Colour Trends 2018 palette includes:


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Downtown Market returns Saturday
Published 3:00 am Friday, June 2, 2017
The Downtown Market will be returning to the Square Saturday with the Pike County Farmer’s Market on hand to sale fresh produce and baked goods.
Leigh Anne Windham with the City of Troy said the City is excited to offer the market once again over the summer.
“The merchants are excited to have the market downtown again,” Windham said. “It will be a fun time for everybody.”
The plan is for the market to return on the first Saturday of each month throughout the season.
Windham noted that the summer market will feature will feature only the Pike County Farmer’s Market in comparison to the fall market which opened for the first time last year. The fall market features more vendors including artisan crafts and confections.


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LG halts production of ATSC 3.0-compatible TVs over patent concernsLG halts production of ATSC 3.0-compatible TVs over patent concerns
Citing a 'challenging and uncertain patent landscape,' LG has suspended the inclusion of ATSC 3.0 tech in its 2024 TV lineup. The decision stems from a lawsuit LG faced from an entity called Constellation Designs.
September 26, 2023
ATSC 3.0, the next-generation broadcast signaling standard, is facing a setback of sorts after a top TV manufacturer decided to suspend the inclusion of ATSC 3.0 capabilities in its 2024 lineup of televisions due to the "challenging and uncertain patent landscape" surrounding the standard.
LG Electronics dropped that bomb in a September 15 filing (PDF) with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in comments submitted about the current marketplace for Standard Essential Patents (SEPs) related to the ATSC 3.0 suite of standards.
LG's decision stems from a court battle the TV-maker faced and lost against a company that holds patents linked to the ATSC 3.0 standard but is not participating in any of the ATSC 3.0-related patent pools.
As the successor to the legacy ATSC 1.0 standard, ATSC 3.0, which carries the consumer branding of "NextGenTV," is an IP-based signaling platform capable of supporting enhancements and advancements such as 4K video, advanced advertising and immersive audio. US broadcasters are deploying ATSC 3.0 across dozens of markets.
LG, an early champion of ATSC 3.0, expressed to the FCC an overarching concern that there are some entities with patents and other intellectual property tied to the new standard that are not participating in ATSC processes for licensing and/or have not committed to license their intellectual property on so-called reasonable and non-discriminatory (RAND) terms.
"This challenging and uncertain patent landscape has forced LG to make the difficult decision to suspend the inclusion of ATSC 3.0-compatibility in its 2024 television lineup for the United States," John Taylor, LG's SVP of government affairs, explained in the filing. "This decision was not made lightly, because LG has been a vocal ATSC 3.0 advocate, a strong supporter of local broadcasters, and a leading developer of television products with the latest NEXTGEN TV technologies. Going forward, LG will, of course, continue to monitor the patent landscape and its effect on LG's own product roadmap and overall industry dynamics."
While the loss of support from LG is a blow to the ATSC 3.0 ecosystem, it's not a complete loss. Consumers, for example, can still buy pre-2024 LG TV models equipped with ATSC 3.0 tuners. Samsung, Sony and Hisense also make ATSC 3.0-compatible TVs.
But LG's decision is sure to raise eyebrows as broadcasters continue to roll out ATSC 3.0-based systems and as backers of the new standard try to drum up consumer interest.
LG's issue about ATSC 3.0 patents also surfaces amid warnings from US broadcasters that the transition to ATSC 3.0 is in peril without more action from the FCC. The FCC tried to answer that call with new rules designed to facilitate the transition.
Meanwhile, there are other initiatives afoot that, depending on one's point of view, are complementary or competitive to the aims of ATSC 3.0. A prominent one is 5G Broadcast, a technology that applies 5G standards to over-the-air TV signals. WWOO, a low-power TV station serving the Boston area, recently launched a field trial of 5G Broadcast delivering live TV and emergency alerts to Qualcomm-powered smartphone reference designs.
LG's decision is particularly concerning because the TV-maker has been a major backer of ATSC 3.0 from the get-go. In addition to co-developing the standard, it was one of the first companies to make ATSC 3.0-compatible sets in 2020. Its 2023 lineup of ATSC 3.0-compatible sets includes both 4K and 8K models. LG has been asked how many ATSC 3.0-capable TVs have been sold so far.
Patent battle fuels LG's decision
LG's decision to drop out of the ATSC 3.0 game stems to a court battle against a company holding patents tied to the new standard.
LG told the FCC that ATSC requires patent owners to disclose that they hold essential patents to standards in ATSC 3.0, and to commit to licensing such patents on RAND terms. Among examples, LG pointed to a pair of ATSC 3.0 patent pools managed by Avanci Broadcast and Via Licensing Alliance (VIA LA) that adhere to RAND terms.
But LG argued that others are not on board with such terms and have become a source of legal trouble. LG specifically pointed to one such entity, Constellation Designs LLC (CD), which sued LG for patent infringement and won a jury verdict in a Texas court.
LG noted that the jury ruled against LG on four CD patents and awarded an effective royalty rate of $6.75 for every LG-made TV labeled with the NextGenTV logo. By way of comparison, LG notes that the Avanci pool license is capped at $3.00 even as new licensors or patents are added, while the base fee for a VIA LA license is $2.75 per unit.
"Excessive per-unit royalty rates resulting from litigation, and the threat (known and unknown) presented by patent holders that have not made commitments to license under RAND conditions, have a chilling effect on the deployment of advanced technologies by LG," Taylor explained. "In addition, patent litigation costs are very high, even when litigation is settled or otherwise resolved prior to trial. Moreover, consumers are adversely impacted by the results of reduced investment and slower deployment of technologies. This is a most unwelcome circumstance."
On that basis, LG is urging the FCC to examine the impact of patents held by entities that have not committed to offer their intellectual property under RAND terms.
"In particular, the Commission should recognize that actions of certain patent holders present risks (including untenable costs) that impact the continued deployment of advanced technologies," Taylor wrote.
Update: ATSC President Madeleine Noland didn't comment on LG's case, but confirmed that ATSC participants are required to adhere to all organization policies, including those involving patents.
"The work of the Advanced Television Systems Committee is a collaborative effort, with hundreds of volunteers representing many varied interests working to develop standards for broadcasting. In the process of setting standards, participants are required to adhere to all ATSC policies – including its patent policy," Noland said in a statement. "Typically, technology owners work together to develop licensing programs that offer access to inventions and also encourage the broad deployment of equipment that operates within the standardized system. While we cannot comment on the specifics of the LG case, we trust that all parties involved are actively pursuing solutions to bring the benefits of next-generation broadcasting on future LG television models to U.S. viewers."
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The Hain Celestial Group announced its acquisition of the remaining 80 percent of Empire Kosher Poultry’s parent company, EK Holdings, for $57.6 million, not including debt.
Hain Celestial gained a 19 percent interest in Empire, when Hain Pure Protein Corporation purchased Empire brand Kosher Valley, which supplies certified kosher, antibiotic-free, vegetarian-fed, and humanely raised chicken and turkey products, in 2010. Empire, which also sells organic and gluten-free products, made about $100 million in net sales in 2014.
The deal will integrate Empire into Hain Celestial by fiscal year 2016. Hain Celestial founder, president and CEO Irwin D. Simon said in a statement that Empire will expand the company’s Farm to Table product lines, which are growing to meet the demand from Hain Celestial’s core consumers.
The company plans to expand in the deli and fresh prepared foods categories. Jeffrey N. Brown will remain as Empire as CEO, reporting to Simon.


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M-TEL READY WITH AN APRIL PROMOTION AND A NEW DIRECTOR
Michael Foley from Canada is the new executive director in the team of M-Tel, the Bulgarian mobile operator. Mr. Foley is not going to replace any of the current directors but will take charge of the marketing, sales and PR of the company. So far, we've been missing a person who takes care of the monitoring of the whole commercial activity, the press office of the operator commented. When Mr. Foley first appeared in front of the Bulgarian media, he said: This is a well managed company and I do not see any need of radical changes. However, one should not be happy with what he has already achieved. New ideas and standards will be needed and we have to react adequately.Before coming to Bulgaria, Michael Foley has occupied the same post in the Romanian Conex voice data Internet carrier. He studied Organisational Psychology at the McQuill University in Montreal. He is married and has two daughters.Asked about whether M-Tel will take part in a tender for a 3rd generation mobile communications licence, Michael Foley has no clear answer: Such a service is still too expensive for the consumers and we are going to analyse it. Moreover, I've been here for only three weeks now. But if it is good for us and for our customers, we'll do it.The presentation of the new director last week coincided with the start of M-Tel's new promotion. Throughout April, customers of the operator who have acquired a Prima pre-paid package or a SIM card with monthly subscription will also receive a copy of the last part of the popular series The Matrix: Revolutions. This will be the only legal way for everyone to buy the film on the Bulgarian market until May 2, 2004.


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Weaning itself, and millions of customers, from sugar.
The more scientists study sugar, the more they discover how harmful it can be. Nestlé has cut added sugars across most of its portfolio, and plans to cut 5% more by 2020. It has also poured R&D money into changing sugar’s structure. By essentially creating a hollowed-out crystal, Nestlé thinks it can reduce the amount it uses in certain products (including chocolate) by up to 40%.
Looking for leads, investment insights, or competitive intelligence?
News about Nestlé
Could Nestle be aiming for a takeover?
"The world gets progressively more awful."
They want to make their supply chains safer.


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India and Australia formally signed an interim free trade deal on 2 April. The deal is not only going to improve economic ties between the countries, but it will also generally strengthen bilateral ties.
India’s Minister of Commerce & Industry, Piyush Goyal, and his Australian counterpart Trade Minister Dan Tehan signed the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement in a virtual ceremony
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison also participated in the virtual ceremony. India and Australia have been negotiating for almost a decade.
Prime Minister Morrison, who is going to call for a general election soon, is likely to use this deal to woo voters.
Morrison, welcomed the signing of the deal, as it opens the doors of the second most populous and one of the biggest economies in the world.
“These are never all or nothing deals as far as we’re concerned, we see all of these as the next step and the next step and the next step,” the Aussie Prime Minister said.
The Australian government is looking to diversify its export markets and bring down its dependence on China, which is also its current biggest trading partner. In recent years, Australia and China have been engaged in diplomatic spats leading Beijing to impose sanctions against some Australian products.
Under this agreement, 96% of Indian goods will enter Australia duty-free. Whereas India reduced tariffs on 85% of Australian goods entering India.
India will scrap tariffs on the following Australian items: sheep meat, wool, copper, coal, alumina, fresh rock lobster, and some critical minerals and non-ferrous metals.
India and Australia will continue to work towards a full free trade agreement.
Post signing the deal, the Indian Minister of Commerce & Industry Goyal said India wanted to progress a full free trade agreement with Australia in an “accelerated manner”.
“Soon after this current agreement comes into force, we’ll get down to cracking the whip on the next stage to make this a comprehensive economic partnership,” Goyal said.
His Australian counterpart said he was confident negotiations would advance even if the Morrison government was replaced at the upcoming national election.
Australia goes to poll in May this year. So far opinion polls show Morrison as lagging.


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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
|Russ Rhea, TateAustin
TX Fireworks Industry Kicks Off Safety Campaign
Industry group urges consumers to be cautious of dry weather, visit safety Web site
June 10, 2003, - When consumers visit fireworks stands across Texas beginning June 24th, they will notice an important safety message. The Texas Pyrotechnics Association (TPA) is expanding its ongoing safety efforts to promote the safe and responsible use of fireworks for 4th of July celebrations.
The TPA provides safety guidelines to 5,000 fireworks vendors throughout the state for distribution to consumers. Additionally, the industry group has established a Web site where consumers can find numerous resources on using fireworks safely:
Due to dry weather in some parts of the state, the TPA urges people to be extra careful and to check with their county government if any restrictions on certain aerial fireworks have been issued. Consumers can also visit www.texasfireworkssafety.com for current information on fireworks restrictions and drought conditions.
Public service announcements are running on radio and television around Texas and billboards have been posted in many cities encouraging consumers to use fireworks safely. Many Texas newspapers will have inserts around July 4th featuring fireworks safety tips. "With the popularity of consumer fireworks rising dramatically, it is critical for the fireworks industry to ensure that these devices are manufactured, distributed and used in a safe manner," says Royce Trout, President of the Texas Pyrotechnics Association.
The TPA cooperates with many fire departments and organizations in Texas to encourage fireworks safety. "Most important, make sure that children are supervised by a responsible adult," says Trout. "Buy fireworks from a reputable dealer and follow the manufacturers' instructions. Many injuries are caused by improper use or alteration of legal fireworks. Injuries also occur from illegal fireworks."
The Consumer Product Safety Commission requires that legal fireworks show the name of the item, the name of the manufacturer or distributor and easy-to-read cautionary labeling and instructions for proper use. "Only use legal fireworks," Trout says. "Legal fireworks conform to the standards…. illegal ones do not.". The fireworks injury rate has decreased substantially from 17.7 injuries to 7.2 injuries per 100,000 pounds of fireworks consumed during the past 12 years. The fireworks industry attributes this to the safety precautions people adhere to when using fireworks.
- Buy fireworks only from licensed retail outlets
- Follow directions carefully - with close adult supervision
- Never experiment with homemade or altered fireworks
- Use fireworks outdoors, in a safe area away from dry grass and buildings
- Before you enjoy fireworks, get permission from the property owner
- Keep a bucket of water, wet towels and a garden hose nearby
- Light one firework at a time - then move back quickly
- Never shoot fireworks from metal or glass containers
- Never carry fireworks in your pocket
- Dispose of used fireworks in a bucket of water
About Texas Pyrotechnics Association (www.texasfireworkssafety.com)
The Texas Pyrotechnic Association promotes the safe and proper use of fireworks. Since most incidents occur as a result of misuse and abuse, TPA focuses on promoting the most effective way to reduce these incidents: concentrating on raising safety awareness. Every year, the TPA provides fireworks safety guidelines to more than 5,000 firework vendor stands throughout the state for distribution to consumers.
Spokespeople available for fireworks safety demonstrations.


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LONDON (MarketWatch) -- First Albany Companies, Inc. FACT, -1.82% reported fourth-quarter net income that fell to $2 million, or 15 cents per share, from $3 million, or 28 cents per share, in the year-earlier quarter. Results for the quarter were hit by $800,000 in one-time items, the company said. Earnings from continuing operations came in at 19 cents per share. Revenue for the period climbed 3 percent to $56.3 million from last year's $54.7 million.
First Albany Q4 earns fall, sales inch higher


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Japanese private equity firm Integral Corporation has sold most of its remaining position in Skymark Airlines, the budget air carrier it took public in December last year.
Philippines private equity firm Navegar has led a USD 34m Series C round for Singapore-based supply chain technology provider Inteluck with support from East Ventures.
Korea’s STIC Investments has agreed to sell biofuels producer Daekyung Oil & Transportation to a consortium backed by SK Group, Korea Development Bank (KDB), and Eugene Private Equity.
T2, a Japanese autonomous driving start-up that focuses on trucking, has raised JPY 3.5bn (USD 24.1m) in Series A funding from a combination of financial and strategic investors.
Dida, a PE-backed Chinese car-pooling and ride-hailing platform, has filed to list in Hong Kong – for the fourth time in three years. There are records of lapsed registrations from 2020, 2021, and earlier in 2023.
PowerX, a Japanese start-up developing a “battery tanker” for shipping stored renewable electricity across oceans, has raised a USD 32m Series B round featuring US-based Translink Capital.
A special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) led by two Chinese private equity investors has agreed to merge with local ride-hailing business Wanshun Technology Industrial Group in a deal that values the target at approximately USD 300m.
Malaysia-based early-stage investor Vynn Capital has reached a first close of unspecified size on its second fund, with strong support from corporates and family offices in Southeast Asia.
T3 Go, a Chinese ride-hailing platform looking to challenge incumbent market leader Didi Chuxing, has raised more than CNY 1bn (USD 140m) in an extended Series A round of funding.
France-based GP Eurazeo won support from several Asian institutional investors for its latest smart city fund, which has closed on EUR 400m (USD 445m). The vehicle is also expected to deploy significantly in the region.
HoloMatic, a Chinese autonomous driving start-up, has raised CNY300m (USD 42m) in Series C funding led by GAC Capital and state-owned Guangdong Technology Financial Group.
Next Capital claims to have relatively free rein in Australia’s underpenetrated lower middle market. Dedication to the opportunity set underpinned a painless fundraising process for its latest vehicle
Bertelsmann India Investments has led a USD 25m Series D round for LetsTransport, a platform that aims to integrate independent truckers into the mainstream economy.
China’s Tsinghua Holdings Capital (TH Capital) regards eVTOL as the best way to leverage electrification of the skies. Aerofugia became a preferred target by virtue of its Geely ties and commitment to tilt-rotor technology
Aerofugia, a subsidiary of Chinese automaker Geely that focuses on electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles, has raised a Series A round of CNY 100m (USD 13.8m) led by Tsinghua Holdings Capital.
Japanese electric vehicle (EV) start-up Terra Motors has raised JPY 40bn (USD 28m) in Series C funding featuring Silicon Valley-based Pegasus Tech Ventures.
United Aircraft, a Chinese start-up specialising in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), has raised CNY 1.2bn (USD 167m) in Series D funding from several local investors.
Yunmanman, a cold-chain logistics start-up incubated by trucking platform Manbang, has raised a Series B round of several hundred million renminbi led by GGV Capital and Soul Capital. Xiang He Capital also took part.
Uber has led a USD 20m round for India’s Everest Fleet, an existing VC-backed partner in the local taxi management service space that is transitioning into electric vehicles.
India bus-tracking app Chalo is helping fleet operators eliminate fraud and improve efficiency while giving passengers greater visibility on services. It is keen to scale – geographically and vertically
Avataar Venture Partners, an India-based investor in growth-stage B2B technology and software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies, has led a USD 45m funding round for bus tracking app Chalo.
CLSA Capital Partners (CLSA CP) has agreed to sell Japanese coin-operated parking lot business Ecolocity to Advantage Partners for an undisclosed sum.
India’s BluSmart, an integrated electric vehicle (EV) ride-hailing and charging business, has raised USD 42m in a funding round featuring BP Ventures.
Japanese e-scooter maker and urban shared micro-mobility developer Luup has raised a JPY 4.5bn round led by local VC firm Spiral Capital.