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Billion Hearts raises $4 Mn in new round

EntrackrEntrackr · 7m ago
Billion Hearts raises $4 Mn in new round
Medial

Mayank Bidawatka, co-founder of the vernacular microblogging platform Koo, has raised $4 million for his new consumer tech startup, Billion Hearts, in a funding round led by early-stage venture capital firm Blume Ventures. The round also saw participation from General Catalyst and Athera Venture Partners. The startup had closed a ~$250K pre-seed round from the founders of redBus, Ola, InMobi, and Myntra, among others in September this year. The proceeds will be used to build a global team and enhance its technology, emphasizing that the team will remain small since it is focused on creating a tech-driven product. It also plans to expand its team to 15 by early next year. The startup is currently accepting sign-ups. The first product is slated to launch its beta in early next year for a select few users. The app will be available on both Android and iPhone devices. Vernacular microblogging platform Koo shut down its operations in July this year amid no traction and follow-up investment. The company was also looking for a merger and acquisition deal but failed to find a buyer.

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Metadome.ai raises $6.5 Mn led by Siana Capital and Chiratae

EntrackrEntrackr · 11m ago
Metadome.ai raises $6.5 Mn led by Siana Capital and Chiratae
Medial

Extended reality (XR) startup Metadome.ai (formerly Adloid) has raised $6.5 million in Series A funding in an equity and debt round led by Siana Capita and existing investor Chiratae Ventures. New investors Alteria Capital, 3to-1 Capital, and Manish Choksi’s family office also joined the new round. The company plans to use the investment to expand its business to new regions and develop capabilities to provide advanced XR technologies merged with advancements in AI, Metadome.ai said in a press release. With this backing, Metadome.ai aims to strengthen its presence in the US, SE Asia, and the Middle East regions. In December 2021, the Gurugram-based startup raised $4 million in its pre-Series A round led by Chiratae. Founded in 2016 by Kanav Singla and Shorya Mahajan, Metadome specializes in sales enablement using virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) solutions in home decor, e-commerce, and mobility. It works with Hewlett Packard (HP), Tata Motors, Hero MotoCorp, Asian Paints, and others. Since its inception in 2018, Metadome.ai has been growing organically and its customer base has more than doubled since last year, said the firm in the release. Recently, Metadome partnered with Hippo Homes to introduce a virtual reality experience at its new store in Greater Noida where customers can explore home improvement solutions. According to Statista, the XR industry has been managing significant interest from investors globally. As per the report, the space attracted an investment of $1.9 billion, outlining the importance of 3D, AR, and VR in improving the customer buying and post-sales cycle. The company is also part of NVIDIA’s Inception and Google Startup programs. SmartVizX, Liminal, Embright Infotech, Scapic, and GMetri are some of the emerging companies from the extended reality space in India.

Zepto raises $340 Mn at $5 Bn valuation

EntrackrEntrackr · 10m ago
Zepto raises $340 Mn at $5 Bn valuation
Medial

Quick commerce company Zepto has raised $340 million in a follow-on financing round led by General Catalyst, with Dragon Fund and Epiq Capital joining as new investors. Existing investors, including StepStone, Lightspeed, DST, and Contrary, also increased their stakes. With this new funding, the company’s valuation has surged by nearly 40%, rising to $5 billion from $3.6 billion in June, when it raised $665 million in its Series F round. Zepto, has raised over $1 billion in 2024, $1.2 billion in the past 12 months, and more than $1.5 billion since its inception. “The rationale behind this follow-on financing was twofold,” said Aadit Palicha, co-founder and CEO of Zepto. “First, the opportunity to bring on a lead investor of Neeraj Arora’s caliber from General Catalyst was one we couldn’t pass up. Second, strengthening our balance sheet is a strategic move, especially as the company continues to deliver robust growth and operating leverage.” Zepto serves millions of customers by delivering over 10,000 products across various categories within 10 minutes through a network of delivery hubs nationwide. The Mumbai-based firm claims it has nearly achieved EBITDA positivity with 140% year-on-year growth and an annualized gross merchandise value of over $1 billion (Rs 8,300 crore). As of May 2024, it also reports that about 75% of its stores are fully EBITDA positive. In FY23, Zepto registered a 14-fold increase in revenue to Rs 2,024 crore, though its losses widened to Rs 1,272 crore. The quick commerce sector is becoming increasingly competitive with Flipkart’s recent entry and BigBasket’s full shift to rapid delivery. Additionally, e-commerce leader Amazon is expected to join the market early next year. Currently, Zomato-owned Blinkit has emerged as top player in the quick commerce followed by Swiggy Instamart, Zepto and Tata Digital-owned BigBasket.

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