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Kenko Health shuts down; investors drag insurtech startup to NCLT

Economic TimesEconomic Times · 1y ago
Kenko Health shuts down; investors drag insurtech startup to NCLT
Medial

Insuretech startup Kenko Health has closed down due to a lack of funds. The company, backed by investors including Sequoia Capital India and Orios Venture Partners, was taken to the National Company Law Tribunal by a debt fund. Kenko had not paid its employees for several months and had previously laid off 20% of its workforce. The startup had applied for a health insurance license but needed fresh funds. However, a proposed investment plan was opposed by some existing investors, resulting in a stalemate. Kenko's founders held a 36% stake in the company, with Peak XV, Beenext, and Orios having smaller stakes. The startup had raised $13.7 million in funding and recorded a net loss of $8.5 million in fiscal 2023.

Neobank Muvin shuts down operations

EntrackrEntrackr · 1y ago
Neobank Muvin shuts down operations
Medial

Youth-focused neobanking startup Muvin has shut down its operations, according to sources aware of the development and the company’s communication with its users. The shutdown is a result of the RBI direction which forbade UPI in a co-branding arrangement. “muvin card program has been closed. Any available balance is being migrated to issuer Livquik app. The migration is expected to be finished by 1st Feb and we would notify nextsteps to access your balance. Thank you for the support and we regret that muvin is unable to support your journey towards financial literacy,” said a notification sent by Muvin to its users. The Muvin app was also not available on Google Play Store. In June 2023, RBI directed PPI issuers to stop UPI in a co-branding arrangement. The directive forced DreamX (Dream11), Fampay, Akudo, Muvin and CheqUPI to discontinue UPI services as they did not hold PPI license. Entrackr had exclusively reported about this in June 2023. Recently, Akudo also shut down its wallet operations. Besides Muvin, LivQuik was also a PPI issuer for Akudo. Fampay, the largest player in this space, also pivoted to a full-fledged neobank from a teen only due to RBI directive. The firm also found it tough to raise follow-on money and saw top level exits and fired nearly 80 employees in 2023. Entrackr has reached out to Muvin and Livquick for more details. Co-founded by Vineet Gupta and Mukund Rao, Muvin used to cater to both teens and young adults through its prepaid card and mobile app. Before winding up operations, Muvin raised $3 million in a pre-Series A round led by WaterBridge Ventures in January 2022 and a seed round of over $1 million in April 2021.

Exclusive: Flipkart shuts down ANS Commerce

EntrackrEntrackr · 9m ago
Exclusive: Flipkart shuts down ANS Commerce
Medial

url: https://entrackr.com/exclusive/exclusive-flipkart-shuts-down-ans-commerce-8765612 Content: Flipkart has decided to shut down ANS Commerce, its full-stack e-commerce enabler, three years after acquiring the Gurugram-based company, sources familiar with the matter told Entrackr. "Flipkart has decided to shut down ANS Commerce and has also laid off several employees associated with it," said a source familiar with the matter, requesting anonymity. Confirming the development to Entrackr, a Flipkart spokesperson said, “'After careful consideration, ANS Commerce, a full-stack e-commerce enabler that was acquired by Flipkart in 2022, has decided to close its operations. As we wind down operations, we stay committed to ensuring a smooth transition for all stakeholders, including employees and customers.” “To minimize the impact on employees during this transition, we plan to offer internal opportunities at Flipkart, outplacement services, and severance packages,’ the spokesperson added. Founded by Amit Monga, Vibhor Sahare, Sushant Puri, and Nakul Singh, ANS Commerce is a full-stack e-commerce enabler offering services such as store tech, performance marketing, marketplace management, e-commerce warehousing, and fulfillment. It collaborates with over 100 brands, including Jack & Jones, Vero Moda, HUL, Piramal, Lakme, Nivea, Oziva, CEAT, and Bikanervala. The firm raised $2.2 million in its pre-Series A round, led by Gokul Rajaram and Venture Catalysts in October 2021. According to sources, ANS Commerce was acquired in a deal worth Rs 250-300 crore ($35-40 million) three years ago. During FY24, ANS Commerce recorded a 39.4% increase in operating revenue to Rs 54 crore, compared to Rs 39 crore in FY23. However, the company's net loss widened by 27.1% to Rs 73.8 crore in FY24 from Rs 57.8 crore in the previous year.

US lawmaker seeks answers on FDA inspection of Musk's Neuralink

Economic TimesEconomic Times · 1y ago
US lawmaker seeks answers on FDA inspection of Musk's Neuralink
Medial

Democratic U.S. Representative Earl Blumenauer has raised concerns about the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) decision to allow Elon Musk's Neuralink to test its brain implant device in humans without prior inspection. The FDA had found issues with record keeping and quality controls for animal experiments conducted by Neuralink. Blumenauer highlighted reports of animal testing violations, rushed schedules, and concerns over data quality. He called on the FDA to justify its decision and address the alleged lapses. The FDA stated that it would respond directly to Blumenauer and that inspections are routinely conducted after approval for human trials. Neuralink has not yet responded to the issue.

Exclusive: BharatAgri shuts down operations amid funding crunch

EntrackrEntrackr · 26d ago
Exclusive: BharatAgri shuts down operations amid funding crunch
Medial

**Exclusive: BharatAgri shuts down operations amid funding crunch** Agritech startup BharatAgri has shut down operations after failing to secure new funding and sustain its business amid mounting losses, Entrackr has learned from multiple sources. “Most of the team was let go, and operations have been winding down over the past few weeks,” said one of the sources requesting anonymity. “The company had been struggling to raise new capital for several months, and the management had no option but to gradually scale down operations.” Founded in 2017 by Siddharth Dialani and Sai Gole, BharatAgri offered AI-led farm advisory and agri-input e-commerce services to small and mid-sized farmers across India. Despite early traction and over a million registered users, the company struggled to achieve operating profitability. According to the company’s FY24 filings with the Registrar of Companies, BharatAgri’s operating revenue stood at Rs 5.37 crore, a marginal decline from Rs 5.65 crore in FY23. Losses, however, widened to Rs 22.04 crore in FY24 from Rs 17.89 crore a year earlier. Its total expenses rose to nearly Rs 27 crore, largely steered by employee costs and marketing spends. BharatAgri had raised around $6.5 million in September 2021 and another $6 million in extended Series A funding in October 2023 from Arkam Ventures, with participation from existing investors India Quotient and Omnivore. However, the company was unable to close its next round amid a slowdown in agri-focused investments. According to sources, the firm couldn’t grow much despite early traction. “BharatAgri’s growth slowed down over the past year. High customer acquisition costs and low repeat orders made it difficult to keep the business running,” said the second source, who also requested anonymity. The development comes at a time when India’s agritech sector is going through one of its toughest fundraising phases in recent years. As per data compiled by Entrackr, agritech funding, which peaked in 2022, has seen a sharp decline since then. Indian agritech startups raised $802 million in 2022, but funding plunged 78% to $178 million in 2023 and fell further to $96 million in the first half of 2025. BharatAgri will join the likes of Fraazo, Otipy, Deep Rooted, and ReshaMandi that shut operations even after securing substantial funding. The shutdown reflects the broader pressure on agritech startups that have struggled to demonstrate consistent margins despite growing farmer adoption. Investors have increasingly shifted focus toward downstream agri-supply chains and B2B input distribution models.

Bhavish Aggarwal-backed O'Be Cocktails shuts operations

EntrackrEntrackr · 8m ago
Bhavish Aggarwal-backed O'Be Cocktails shuts operations
Medial

Bengaluru-based O'Be Cocktails used to claim that its cocktails were perfected through over a hundred iterations to deliver a consistent blend for consumers. Alcoholic beverages startup O'Be Cocktails has shut down its operations after operating for more than five years. “It was one of the most difficult decisions for myself to shut down the brand; however, in the long run, we couldn’t justify the direction. After extensive retrospection and analysis, it all came down to one key realization: Alcobev is not a consumer-backed but a commoditized industry, which does not align with our vision of creating a premium and convenient cocktail experience for our consumers,” said Nitesh Prakash, founder and chief executive of O'Be Cocktails in a Linkedin post. “Over the past year, we have made every possible effort to find a suitable buyer for O’ Be ensuring the flow of cocktails doesn't stop, but we believe we have now exhausted all remaining possibilities for a sale,” added Prakash. O'Be raised Rs 3.5 crore in an angel round led by First Cheque, Letsventure, Ola’s Bhavish Aggarwal, Tracxn founder Abhishek Goyal, and Sprout Investments in August 2021. The Bengaluru-based startup also raised an undisclosed pre-Series A round led by Inflection Point Ventures in November 2023. O'Be Cocktails used to offer a variety of drinks available in Goa and Bengaluru. The brand used to claim that its cocktails were perfected through over a hundred iterations to deliver a consistent blend for consumers. O'Be Cocktails was operational in Bhutan and nine states of India. The company also said that it was supported by a network of 22 private distributors and 2 government contracts, making its products accessible in over 1,700 premium wine outlets.

Bhavish Aggarwal-backed O'Be Cocktails shuts operations

EntrackrEntrackr · 8m ago
Bhavish Aggarwal-backed O'Be Cocktails shuts operations
Medial

Bhavish Aggarwal-backed O'Be Cocktails shuts operations Bengaluru-based O'Be Cocktails used to claim that its cocktails were perfected through over a hundred iterations to deliver a consistent blend for consumers. Alcoholic beverages startup O'Be Cocktails has shut down its operations after operating for more than five years. “It was one of the most difficult decisions for myself to shut down the brand; however, in the long run, we couldn’t justify the direction. After extensive retrospection and analysis, it all came down to one key realization: Alcobev is not a consumer-backed but a commoditized industry, which does not align with our vision of creating a premium and convenient cocktail experience for our consumers,” said Nitesh Prakash, founder and chief executive of O'Be Cocktails in a Linkedin post. “Over the past year, we have made every possible effort to find a suitable buyer for O’ Be ensuring the flow of cocktails doesn't stop, but we believe we have now exhausted all remaining possibilities for a sale,” added Prakash. O'Be raised Rs 3.5 crore in an angel round led by First Cheque, Letsventure, Ola’s Bhavish Aggarwal, Tracxn founder Abhishek Goyal, and Sprout Investments in August 2021. The Bengaluru-based startup also raised an undisclosed pre-Series A round led by Inflection Point Ventures in November 2023. O'Be Cocktails used to offer a variety of drinks available in Goa and Bengaluru. The brand used to claim that its cocktails were perfected through over a hundred iterations to deliver a consistent blend for consumers. O'Be Cocktails was operational in Bhutan and nine states of India. The company also said that it was supported by a network of 22 private distributors and 2 government contracts, making its products accessible in over 1,700 premium wine outlets.

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