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Sam Altman's tech villain arc is underway

Business InsiderBusiness Insider · 1y ago
Sam Altman's tech villain arc is underway
Medial

Sam Altman, CEO and co-founder of OpenAI, has recently faced criticism and negative headlines, leading to a shift in public perception. After the success of ChatGPT, Altman gained fame and was named Time Magazine's 2023 CEO of the year. However, murmurs within the tech industry cast doubt on his investments and worldview. OpenAI's release of GPT-4o, an AI model that faced backlash for being sexualized and reminiscent of the movie "Her," further damaged Altman's reputation. Additionally, the departure of key team members and reports of discontent among former employees raised concerns about safety standards and trust in Altman's leadership. Altman's reputation as a tech do-gooder is slowly unraveling, but a potential rebranding opportunity could still arise.

The Google antitrust case must not end with a slap on the wrist

Economic TimesEconomic Times · 1y ago
The Google antitrust case must not end with a slap on the wrist
Medial

A federal judge has ruled that Google holds a monopoly on online search, and that it has illegally defended this monopoly for several years. The judge's decision raises the question of what the remedy should be. The remedy needs to break down the barriers that protect Google's monopoly, rather than just deliver a slap on the wrist. The government's case focused on the payments Google makes to be the default search engine on Apple and other devices, which the judge determined weakened Google's competitors. However, simply ending these agreements won't be enough to promote competition. The remedy should ensure fair competition in the search market and in emerging markets for AI-driven tech services. Examples from the past, like the remedies imposed on AT&T in the mid-20th century, can provide guidance for effective remedies. For instance, forcing Google to divest from its web browser, Chrome, and the Android operating system could improve prospects for competitors. Another possibility is granting free and open access to Google's AI technologies and data, similar to the 1956 AT&T decree. These remedies would level the playing field and promote innovation in the industry. It's important to remember that companies produce their best products and services when faced with strong competition. Therefore, it's time to give others a chance in the online search market.

Wingify reports Rs 61 Cr PAT on Rs 289 Cr revenue in FY24

EntrackrEntrackr · 9m ago
Wingify reports Rs 61 Cr PAT on Rs 289 Cr revenue in FY24
Medial

Bootstrapped SaaS firm Wingify has continued its growth journey as its operating scale spiked 30.8% in the fiscal year ending March 2024. Moreover, the firm’s profit also grew 30% YoY in the last fiscal year. Wingify’s revenue from operations increased to Rs 288.61 crore in FY24 from Rs 220.60 crore in FY23, its consolidated financial statement sourced from the Registrar of Companies (RoC) shows. The company offers SaaS solutions to online enterprises, supporting them in optimizing their conversion rates through their proprietary tool known as the Visual Website Optimizer (VWO). Income from the sale of VWO products was the sole source of its operating collection which grew 30.8% to Rs 288.61 crore in the last fiscal year. Wingify also made Rs 9.98 crore from interest income and other non-operating sources stood at Rs. 2.91 crore. With these incomes, the Pune-based company posted a total revenue of Rs 301.5 crore. The burn on employee benefits accounted for 61.8% of its total cost which grew 16.4% to Rs 136.83 crore during the last fiscal year. Notably, legal expenses shot up 497% to Rs. 38.10 crore. This indicates that the 15-year-old company is either fighting some expensive legal suites or long term investment in legal infrastructure. Advertising costs remained stable at Rs. 14.36 crore whereas other expenses such as information technology (IT), rental et al stood at Rs 32.04 crore. In the end, Wingify’s total expenses rose by 33.5% to Rs 221.33 crore in FY24 as compared to Rs 165.81 crore in FY23. With over 30% spike in its scale, Wingify also managed similar growth in profit after tax (PAT) in the last fiscal year. Its PAT increased 30% YoY to Rs 61.04 crore in FY24 from Rs 46.97 crore in the previous fiscal year. Its ROCE and EBITDA Margin stood at 18.85% and 27% respectively, on a unit basis the company spent Re 0.77 to earn a Rupee of operating revenue in FY24. Wingify reported cash and cash equivalents of Rs. 7.42 crore while bank balance (excluding cash equivalents) stood at Rs. 7.99 crore. Its trade receivables grew Rs 74.09 crore in the fiscal year ending March 2024. Wingify’s founder, Paras Chopra, saw a significant reduction in his annual remuneration last fiscal year which dropped to Rs 1.38 crore in FY24 from Rs 17.95 crore in FY23. However, another co-founder and the firm’s chief executive officer, Sparsh Gupta, withdrew an annual salary of Rs 19.5 crore in FY24. His salary and other remunerations soared almost 3.35X year-on-year. As per TheKredible, Chopra holds a majority stake in the company while Gupta has nearly 5% stake. Wingify’s flagship products compete with a clutch of global players like Optimizely and Google Optimize. The return to 30% growth is notable after a somewhat sedate FY23 when it recorded 16% growth, but the bottomline for Wingify remains the firm’s ability to stay ahead. With pricing options ranging from just over Rs 50K per month to over Rs 150K per month, the firm targets the largest part of the addressable market for its products, as it is. And where the orgs do not use it, their suppliers and service providers probably do. Bootstrapped and zero debt and, Wingify is the alternate vision for Indian software that many propose, of smaller firms that serve the world with smart products and services, rather than the giant behemoths that are seemingly struggling to manage their size, growth or new opportunities.

KreditBee plans ‘Ghar Wapsi’ from Singapore to India

EntrackrEntrackr · 1y ago
KreditBee plans ‘Ghar Wapsi’ from Singapore to India
Medial

Fintech company KreditBee is shifting its domicile to India from Singapore, sources aware of the development told Entrackr. With this move, the firm will join a bunch of fintech companies which are in the process of shifting their base to India from Singapore or the US (mostly Delaware). “Fintech companies including KreditBee want to be headquartered in India because the local ecosystem including public markets have matured in the past few years,” said one of the sources requesting anonymity. “Moreover, regulators tend to like fintech firms to be based out of the country as diligence and monitoring becomes easy.” KreditBee is registered as Finnove Private Limited in Singapore which has an over 70% holding in the Indian entity of the lending firm. According to sources, KreditBee has been working on a relocation plan for the past few months. “It’s seeking regulators’ inputs and figuring out tax liabilities,” said another source who also wished not to be named. Sources further added that another benefit such companies moving back to India hope to reap is from the rising valuations being offered by domestic public markets to technology firms. KreditBee has declined to comment on the story. Besides KreditBee, Pine Labs, Groww, Razorpay, Meesho and Zepto have been working on reverse flips. Walmart-owned PhonePe was the first to move its domicile to India and its investors paid a hefty Rs 8,000 crore in taxes to the government for this move. The quantum of the tax depends on the company’s valuation and third-party audits. KreditBee was valued at around $700 million during its latest tranche in March. It’s one of the few fintech companies that may turn unicorn in the next funding round. It has raised more than $400 million to date. Sources emphasized that a reverse flip will also smoothen KreditBee’s road to IPO. While the company isn’t in a rush, its founder and CEO Madhusudan Ekambaram anticipates a public listing by 2027. Six-year-old KreditBee facilitates loans up to Rs 4 lakh for a tenure of 2 to 15 months with an interest rate of up to 2.49%. As per the startup data intelligence platform TheKredible, Premji Invest is the largest external stakeholder with 23.44% followed by Newquest Asia and Alpine Capital. KreditBee posted Rs 64.33 crore profit whereas its revenue from operations grew to Rs 788.66 crore in FY23. Even in the first half of FY24, the company claimed a profit after tax of Rs 95 crore and expected to close the last fiscal with Rs 250-260 crore profit. The company majorly competes with MoneyTap, Fibe (formerly EarlySalary), LazyPay, and Sachin Bansal’s Navi, among others. A return to India, while driven by policy and market compulsions, will not be as simple as it sounds, thanks to the heavy bill it comes with for back taxes effectively. That might necessitate funding support for KreditBee, dispute being profitable, creating its own issues of valuations and change in stake. Going for a debt raise might also be a touch and go affair, considering the relatively higher interest rates now. Thus, figuring out the financials of the move will probably occupy a lot of mindspace for the firm now that it has decided to move. Investors will do well to hope and support any process that ensures a quicker resolution, to ensure the firm stays focused on its core business as well.

Atomic Asher takes on new-age security challenges such as QR code threats

EntrackrEntrackr · 1y ago
Atomic Asher takes on new-age security challenges such as QR code threats
Medial

Mumbai-based Atomic Asher is one of the few cybersecurity startups leveraging the latest technologies such as AI to protect common people from new-age digital threats. Founded in 2021 by Anirudh Asher, the startup offers apps like ‘QR Safety by Atomic Asher,’ which helps detect malicious QR codes and URLs. It also features a web application called’ WhatsApp Number Cleaner’, which helps users to clean up unwanted contacts for direct chatting without saving their numbers. Another offering is the ‘Anti-counterfeiting App’, which aims to assist users in distinguishing between fake and original products. We spoke to the founder and CEO Asher to learn more about the startup, how it works, and the roadmap ahead. Here are the edited excerpts: How did you come up with the idea? How do the QR safety and anti-counterfeiting platforms work? The idea was born out of identifying a critical gap in digital security with the increasing use of QR codes, increased counterfeiting of branded goods such as pharmaceuticals leading to the conceptualization of a solution to protect users and entire populations from potential threats. As far as our safety platforms go, users simply scan a QR code through the app, which then checks the code against a database of known threats and analyzes the linked URL for suspicious behavior, ensuring safe interaction. For the anti-countefeiting aspect, we have developed our own technology that takes QR technology to the next level. Please help understand how you generate revenues? Revenue is generated through a blend of premium app subscriptions, partnerships with cybersecurity firms, and tailor-made enterprise solutions, focusing on long-term value. Overall, we charge brands to help keep their customerbase safe from scams and counterfeits. What are the key challenges in the industry that have not been addressed yet? And how do you plan to address this? A major unaddressed challenge is the sophistication of digital threats. Our approach combines continuous research with technological innovation to stay ahead of threats. We also feel like there are not enough organisations focussed on building technology for the betterment of mankind and often seem to be chasing profits and get rich quick rather than doing the right thing. What are your short-term and long-term goals in terms of product and business expansion and diversification? Short-term goals include expanding our user base and refining our technology stack, while long-term objectives focus on geographical expansion and diversifying our product line to cover a broader range of security solutions. We aim to become the leading name in protecting the Indian diaspora from threats to their health, identity and digital security.

Exclusive: PayU defers IPO plan to next fiscal year

EntrackrEntrackr · 10m ago
Exclusive: PayU defers IPO plan to next fiscal year
Medial

Digital payments platform PayU has postponed its public listing plan in this fiscal year, two sources aware of the development told Entrackr. The Prosus-owned company was earlier contemplating its initial public offering in the ongoing calendar year or H2 2024. “PayU has extended its IPO plan in the current fiscal year, although the company has finalized Goldman Sach as one of its lead bankers,” said one of the sources requesting anonymity. “The firm has chalked out plan to go public sometime after first quarter of FY26.” PayU has been planning a public listing for the past couple of years but it deferred the plan as the Reserve Bank of India returned its payment aggregator license due to its complex corporate structure. However, the firm regained the payment aggregator license in April this year and started onboarding new merchants which was banned between January 2023 and April 2024. In India, PayU has a base of over 500,000 merchants across three business sectors: payments, credit, and PayTech. It also claims to generate over $60 billion in annualized transaction volume (TPV). As per sources, the company has been busy in readying itself for the public listing. “PayU may file DRHP in early 2025,” said another source who also wished not to be named. Queries sent to PayU didn’t elicit any response. We will update the story in case they do. Unlike FY23, PayU’s revenue grew only 11% to $444 million in the fiscal year ending March 2024 and also slipped into losses. The slow revenue growth and negative margin were the result of RBI’s restriction. PayU has been eyeing profitability and this is why it also laid off around 100 employees from its credit team, as per The Head And Tale report. Several senior employees also left the company in the past two years.

Exclusive: Mobility unicorn Rapido set to raise $60 Mn from Prosus

EntrackrEntrackr · 10m ago
Exclusive: Mobility unicorn Rapido set to raise $60 Mn from Prosus
Medial

Mobility firm Rapido is set to raise $50-60 million in a mix of primary and secondary capital from Prosus, according to three sources familiar with the deal. This tranche is part of its ongoing $200 million round. “Prosus will acquire a $60 million stake in Rapido. The terms of the deal have been finalized, and it will also enable partial exits for early backers,” said one of the sources, requesting anonymity. Rapido has already secured $120 million in its Series E funding round from WestBridge Capital, through investment vehicles including SETU AIF and Konark. Entrackr had exclusively decoded this tranche in August. “With Prosus’s $60 million, Rapido will conclude its Series E round,” said another source, who also wished to remain anonymous. Sources indicate that the company’s valuation will remain unchanged. According to estimates from startup data intelligence platform TheKredible, Rapido was valued at around $1.02 billion in the initial tranche of the Series E round, funded entirely by WestBridge. Queries sent to Rapido and Prosus didn’t elicit any immediate response. We will update the story in case they do. It’s worth noting that Prosus is the largest stakeholder in food delivery and quick commerce major Swiggy. Swiggy acquired over a 12% stake in Rapido after leading its $180 million funding round in November 2022. Prosus’s interest in Rapido comes at a time when Rapido has surpassed Ola and Uber to become the largest player in the overall ride-hailing space (covering bikes, autos, and cabs), according to Rapido’s internal documents reviewed by Entrackr. Rapido has yet to disclose its FY24 numbers, but the firm’s operating revenue tripled to Rs 443 crore in FY23. This steep growth in scale also led to a 54% increase in losses, reaching Rs 675 crore in FY23.

Exclusive: Seekho app set to raise $8-10 Mn from Lightspeed and Elevation

EntrackrEntrackr · 11m ago
Exclusive: Seekho app set to raise $8-10 Mn from Lightspeed and Elevation
Medial

Learning-focused OTT platform Seekho is in the advanced stages of raising up to $10 million in a new funding round, according to sources familiar with the matter. This marks a consecutive round of funding for the Bengaluru-based company within a span of less than 18 months. “Seekho is looking to raise $8-10 million in Series A round, with Lightspeed and Elevation leading the investment,” said a source on condition of anonymity. It raised $3 million from Elevation and other investors in March of last year. Launched in 2020 by Rohit Choudhary, Keertay Agarwal, and Yash Banwani, Seekho helps people gain new skills and knowledge. It offers a variety of courses to prepare learners for jobs in different fields including parenting, share market, Instagram, and education, among others. Designed for tier II and beyond, its educational content includes concise 2-5 minute videos. These videos are structured in episodic series, providing valuable insights without overwhelming the audience. Seekho offers monthly and weekly subscription plans. “The terms of the deal have been finalized, and if nothing goes wrong at the last moment, the transaction will be executed soon,” said another source who wished to remain anonymous. “Seekho will be valued at around $45 million as two investors are looking to acquire 20% of the company.” Elevation Capital’s confidence in the three-year-old startup Seekho is evident from its decision to co-lead the new round. According to the VC firm, around 30% of Seekho users have opted for annual plans, suggesting that the platform’s popularity is not just a fleeting trend. Queries sent to Seekho, Elevation and Lightspeed did not elicit an immediate response. We’ll update the post in case they do. As per startup data intelligence platform TheKredible, Elevation Capital acquired nearly 24% stake in the company after Series A round. All three co-founders have 16.65% stake each.

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