Startup news and updates: daily roundup (November 25, 2024)

Funding news

Beyond Appliances raises $2M in seed funding 

Beyond Appliances, a smart kitchen appliance brand, raised $2 million in a seed funding round led by Fireside Venture Investment Fund III. 

The round also saw participation from Dharana Capital and notable angel investors, including Shezan Bhojani (Founder, Design Cafe), Saurabh Jain and Ramakant Sharma (Co-founders, Livspace), and Chandru Kalro (former CEO, TTK Prestige). 

The firm, founded in 2024 by Eshwar K Vikas and Rakesh Patil, will use the capital to accelerate its technology development and manufacturing capabilities. Beyond Appliances' products are available on major ecommerce platforms, including Amazon and Flipkart, and select retail stores across Bengaluru. 

The company in a statement said it holds multiple patents and plans to expand its product portfolio with eight innovations within existing categories before venturing into new segments.

Homegrown food brand Indic Wisdom raises $2M in pre-Series A round

Indic Wisdom, a Mumbai-based manufacturer of high-quality wood-pressed oils, raised $2 million in a pre-Series A round led by Rockstud Capital and other investors.

Founded by Prajakta Khare and Kaustubh Khare, Indic Wisdom offers a comprehensive product range, including cooking oil, multipurpose oil, and speciality oils.

Other news

Digital real estate platform AltDRX appoints new CMO, CPO 

AltDRX, a digital real estate investment platform, appointed Manisheel Gautam as the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) and Head of Customer-Facing and Shikhar Daydar as the Chief Product Officer (CPO).

Gautam, an IIT Bombay and IIM Ahmedabad alumnus, previously worked at Ola and contributed to the company's growth from 2014 to 2021 in marketing, category management, and international expansion. He later co-founded Investorey, a platform for alternative investments, raising $1 million in seed funding.

Daydar, also an IIT Bombay graduate, brings expertise in product development and data analytics. He also worked at Ola from 2015 to 2019, focusing on revenue management and product development, and was part of the team that launched Ola Micro.

At Mobile Premier League, he developed skill-based matching systems and optimised fantasy sports events, enhancing revenues and contest sizes.

Collective Artists Network's Galleri5 unveils AI-powered suite 

New media conglomerate Collective Artists Network introduced the Galleri5 AI-powered suite for brand marketing. 

The platform combines advanced technology with cultural intelligence to streamline content creation, identify emerging trends, and provide real-time insights, helping brands connect with audiences more effectively, the company said in a statement.

Its core feature is its ability to generate hyper-realistic catalogue visuals from basic product images, eliminating the need for traditional photoshoots. Galleri5 also includes a social intelligence module for analysing audience sentiment and campaign performance. The trend discovery tool identifies emerging topics across social media, helping brands stay ahead. 

The company has partnered with top social platforms, including over 50 leading brands.

(This article will be updated with the latest news throughout the day.)