Startup news and updates: Daily roundup (December 26, 2024)
YourStory presents the daily news roundup from the Indian startup ecosystem and beyond. Here's the roundup for Thursday, December 26, 2024.
Funding news
Leanworx raises Rs 8.3 Cr in seed round
Leanworx raised Rs 8.3 crore in its seed funding round led by YourNest Venture Capital. The round saw Rs 6.5 crore capital from YourNest and Rs 1.5 crore from an angel investment group, the company said.
The company plans to deploy the funds for scaling marketing and lead generation efforts in India and Southeast Asia and in advancing product development, including hardware and software certification.
This funding comes as part of the YourNest-SanchiConnect Velocity Program 2024, an accelerator initiative designed to support high-growth startups like Leanworx by providing strategic funding, mentorship, and market access, it added.
Other news
EatSure launches multi-restaurant group ordering
EatSure, the flagship D2C platform of Rebel Foods, has launched its multi-restaurant group ordering feature.
EatSure's "Food court on an App" now allows users to create shared carts, and order from multiple restaurants in a single transaction.
"While group ordering features existed before, no one solved the challenge of letting users order from multiple restaurants in one order, making EatSure’s solution truly revolutionary," the company said.
The feature is live across more than 75 cities across India including Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad and other prominent urban cities, it added.
"The new group ordering feature aligns with the same, wherein we let a group of friends/family members to build a joint cart by adding products from their choice of restaurants, such that everything gets delivered to them in One Order. It’s more than just ordering food; it’s about connecting people through a shared culinary journey," said Sagar Kochhar, Co-founder and CEO, EatSure, Rebel Foods.
Zypp Electric enters into a partnership with e-Sprinto
EV-based last-mile delivery service Zypp Electric has entered into a strategic partnership with e-Sprinto, an electric two-wheeler company.
This partnership comes with an aim to deploy 30,000 e-Sprinto high-speed electric vehicles into Zypp Electric’s fleet over the next three years, the company said.
The collaboration is also set to focus on providing top-tier after-sales service and support to the pilots, ensuring the fleet's reliability and longevity, it added.
"This collaboration allows us to enhance our fleet with 30,000 advanced e-scooters, directly addressing the urgent need for sustainable logistics solutions in India's booming ecommerce market. Together, we are not only empowering delivery partners to improve their livelihoods but also leading the charge towards a greener future for urban mobility with good quality EVs suitable for delivery purposes and growth," said Rashi Agarwal, Co-founder and CBO Zypp Electric.
Evocus appoints Pramod Joshi as head of retail sales and export
Evocus onboarded Pramod Joshi as Head of Retail Sales and Export. Prior to this, Joshi held a leadership role at AB InBev, where he spearheaded strategic sales initiatives and route to market.
"His remarkable experience and track record in the FMCG sector make him the perfect fit to lead our sales retail and export functions. Pramod’s deep expertise in sales strategy, market expansion, and digital transformation will be invaluable as we continue to scale Evocus globally and further establish our leadership in the wellness and beverage industry," said Akash Vaghera, Founder and Director, Evocus.
"Evocus has a unique positioning in the wellness and beverage space, and I look forward to leading the sales efforts to expand its reach both within India and internationally," said Joshi.
Having begun his career with Cadbury, over the years, he has held various leadership roles at Narang Group, Soulfull, and Twinings, driving market expansion and building strong partnerships with key retail accounts, the company said.
foundit makes 3 leadership appointments
Jobs and talent platform and Quess company foundit has appointed Pranay Kale as Chief Revenue and Growth Officer, Anupama Bhimrajka as Vice President of Marketing, and Tanesh Arora as Vice President of Candidate Services.
In his new role, Kale is set to lead sales across the APAC and Middle East regions, focusing on growth and operational excellence, the company said. Prior to this, he was the Vice President of key accounts at LeadSquared.
Bhimrajka is set to lead the marketing function at foundit as the Vice President - Marketing, driving growth across the APAC and Middle East regions. She was the Head of Consumer Marketing at Lenovo India Prior to joining foundit.
In his new role Arora will oversee Candidate Services, enhancing user experience and operational excellence, the company said. It added that prior to this appointment, he scaled foundit’s consumer business as General Manager and later drove growth at ISDC Global.
"Their combined experience and expertise will be instrumental in driving our next phase of growth and innovation. Their guidance will be invaluable to the team as we continue to connect top talent with leading organisations," said V Suresh, Chief Executive Officer at foundit.
DigiHaat launches Pre-Beta app on Google Play and Apple App Store
DigiHaat, an initiative of Nirmit Bharat—a fully owned subsidiary of the Open Network for Digital Commerce, has launched its Pre-Beta app on Google Play and the App Store with limited users.
The company said that with access to over 2.5 crore SKUs across eight categories—grocery, food delivery, fashion, electronics and appliances, home décor, beauty, and health and wellness—the app delivers a diverse range of products to suit every need.
DigiHaat, through its The Amazing India initiative, is promoting India’s artisanal heritage by offering a curated range of handcrafted products. The platform highlights the craftsmanship of Indian artisans while showcasing the cultural diversity of the nation.
Available across India, the app connects users with 7.7 lakh sellers and service providers, providing access to a wide array of products and services.
It also incorporated insights from its national hackathon to provide user-friendly features that address trust and usability concerns, the company said.
Groyyo elevates Nitin Jain as co-founder
B2B manufacturing technology company Groyyo elevated its Managing Director (Exports) Nitin Jain to co-founder.
Prior to joining Groyyo, Jain led sales and marketing at Wearwell Industries. The company said that he played a pivotal role in shaping Groyyo's shift toward exports, spearheading the expansion of its international business into key markets, including the UK, EU, Australia, and South Korea.
"We are thrilled to welcome Nitin as a co-founder and integral part of Groyyo. Our exports business could not have gotten to the scale and quality it has without his painstaking effort and drive ," said Subin Mitra, Co-founder and CEO, Groyyo.
"We will further accelerate our exports business enabling more and more SMEs to take their business global and work with some of the most marquee clients globally. Our focus will be to leverage Groyyo's design, manufacturing and supply chain capabilities to not only go deeper within our existing clients but also form additional strategic partnerships in newer markets," said Jain.
Unicommerce subsidiary Shipway partners with India Post
Shipway, the logistics aggregation arm of Unicommerce, partnered with India Post to enhance the last-mile delivery services for ecommerce brands and retail companies, ensuring seamless deliveries to remote locations, the company said.
The partnership aims to leverage India Post's 1,59,000 post offices to offer last-mile delivery, enabling online sellers and D2C brands to reach remote, underserved regions.
"With our entry into the courier aggregation market, we are focused on extending our services to the remote parts of the country. With India Post, we shall enable sellers to penetrate beyond large cities and metropolitans, serving demand from across the hinterland of India," said Kapil Makhija, MD and CEO, Unicommerce.
(This article will be updated with the latest news throughout the day.)
Edited by Kanishk Singh
