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𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝟐𝟑𝐫𝐝 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 1. PW (PhysicsWallah) 𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐬 $𝟐𝟏𝟎 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐭 $𝟐.𝟖 𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧   PW (PhysicsWallah) raised $210 million in Series B funding, led by 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥, with Lightspeed, GSV Ventures, and WestBridge Capital. The profitable edtech company, founded by Alakh Pandey, saw its valuation rise to $2.8 billion, a 2.5X jump from $1.1 billion. This marks a renewed investor confidence in edtech, following a steep decline in funding from $4.1 billion in 2021 to $321 million in 2023. 2. Adani Total Gas 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 $𝟑𝟕𝟓 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐠𝐚𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐢𝐳   Adani Total Gas shares surged over 6% on September 23 after securing $375 million in financing from global lenders, the largest funding initiative in the city gas distribution sector. The funding, led by BNP Paribas, DBS Bank, and others, will accelerate the company's infrastructure development program. The $315 million initial commitment includes an accordion feature for additional funds based on business needs, enabling rapid CGD network expansion. 3. Lightium 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 $𝟕 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬   Photonics startup Lightium raised $7 million in seed funding, co-led by Vsquared Ventures and Lakestar, to commercialize its lithium niobate-based photonic chips. Using thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN), Lightium aims to overcome semiconductor transceiver limitations by increasing bandwidth and reducing energy consumption. Founded by 𝐃𝐫. 𝐀𝐦𝐢𝐫 𝐆𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐦𝐢, the company plans to scale production and expand its applications in satellite communication, quantum computing, and LIDAR, with foundry services launching in 2025. 4. Aye Finance Pvt. Ltd 𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐬 ₹𝟐𝟓𝟎 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐆 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 Aye Finance Pvt. Ltd, an MSME lender, raised ₹250 crore in a Series G round led by 𝐀𝐁𝐂 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭, following a ₹310 crore Series F round led by British International Investment. The funding will help scale operations and enhance financial inclusion for underserved micro-enterprises. Founder Sanjay Sharma emphasized Aye's mission to support micro-entrepreneurs with access to formal credit, a key driver of MSME growth. 𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 Corporate Valuations 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 #newhighlight #newsupdates #Startups #Investment #Growth #Fintech #Funding #StartupFunding #Investmen #funds #EquityFunding #Valuation #StartupNews #StartupInvestment #VentureFunding #ValuationServices #acquisition #BusinessValuation

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Edtech Unicorn PW (PhysicsWallah) Raises $210 Million in Series B Funding Edtech platform PW (PhysicsWallah) (PW) has successfully closed its Series B funding round, securing $210 million through a mix of primary and secondary transactions. This round was led by Hornbill Capital, with contributions from Lightspeed Venture Partners, GSV Ventures, and WestBridge Capital. Following this investment, PW's post-money valuation has soared to $2.8 billion, representing a remarkable 2.5X increase from its previous valuation of $1.1 billion. Founded in 2016 by Alakh Pandey (PhysicsWallah), PhysicsWallah is dedicated to providing affordable and quality education for students preparing for competitive exams. The platform is recognized for its innovative blend of online and offline learning, and it is focused on enhancing accessibility through a network of localized education centers across India. With this new funding, PW aims to further expand its reach and impact in the edtech sector, continuing its mission to democratize education. #edtech #unicorn #funding #investment #alakhpandey #physicswallah #seriesB #education #onlinelearning #affordableeducation #competitiveexams #startups #edtechnews #learning #innovation #technology #accessibility #india #startupfunding #growth #venturecapital #educationforall #edtechstartup #localization #onlineeducation #fintech #scalability #learningplatform #futureofeducation #studentcentred #educationtechnology #digitallearning #impactinvesting

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While the edtech space has been going through a long spell of the so-called ‘funding winter’, PhysicsWallah (PW) appears close to raising a new large round. Fresh funding will be led by new investors whereas existing investors including Westbridge and GSV Ventures will also participate, three sources aware of the discussion  “PhysicsWallah is set to raise $150 million from new and existing backers,” said one of the sources requesting anonymity. “The terms of the deal have been sealed and the transaction is likely to be public soon.” This will be the second financing round for the Alakh Pandey-led firm in the past two years. PhysicWallah raised $100 million in a Series A round led by Westbridge and GSV Ventures in June 2022.  “PhysicsWallah will be valued at around $2.8 billion in the new round,” said another source who also wished not to be named. This will be over a 2.5X jump in the company’s valuation as PhysicsWallah was valued at $1.1 billion in its Series A funding. Queries sent to PhysicsWallah and Westbridge didn’t elicit any immediate response. We will carry their comments in case they respond. According to the startup data intelligence platform TheKredible, WestBridge held a 2.4% stake in PhysicWallah while GSV owned 1.44% as of the Series A round. Its co-founders Alakh Pandey and Prayeek Maheshwari cumulatively command 86.54% of the company. PhysicsWallah started with online coaching for IIT/JEE but has now become a full-fledged education firm, offering offline coaching, schools, colleges, and upskilling programmes. According to sources, about 30% of its revenue comes from JEE and NEET coaching whereas offline coaching (via Vidyapeeth and Pathshala) contributes 35% of the collection.  While the company is yet to disclose FY24 numbers, PhysicsWallah’s revenue surged 3.3X to Rs 779 crore in FY23. At the same time, the firm’s profit declined more than 90% to Rs 8.87 crore in FY23. #physicswallah #alakhpanday #pratekmaheswari#indiadailynews #indiadaily #newsdaily #startup #startupro #dailyupdates #newsupdate #newsfeed #news #dailynewspaper #dailynews #startupindia #NewsUpdate #startupnewsindia 

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SuperKalam (YC W23), an AI-led personal mentor for students preparing for competitive exams, has secured $2 million in its seed round led by Y Combinator and FundersClub. The round also saw participation from notable investors, which includes the YC Partner Puneet Kumar, GoodWater Capital, Nurture Ventures, SuperCapital, Pareto Ventures, among others. 🌟 Key Highlights: As per the startup, the funding will be used to further enhance SuperKalam’s AI-led educational platform, expand its reach, enhance user experience, and ramp up continuous innovation in personalized learning services. With the help of AI-driven analytics, the platform adapts to each student’s unique needs, offering tailored learning paths, instant doubt resolution, and progress tracking. About SuperKalam (YC W23): Founded by Vimal Singh Rathore and Aseem Gupta in July 2023, SuperKalam offers personalized guidance and support for sone of the competitive exams. Visit the link to read the detailed news piece: https://lnkd.in/gK6xNSur   #startup #funding #news #startupfunding #latestnews #news #SuperKalam #AI #edtech #education

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‘I aim to further develop my understanding of startup valuation, fundraising strategies’ Subhankar Chakraborty of Apeejay explains how internships provide with invaluable insights into the industry Read Here: https://lnkd.in/ggwytMy7 Dr Rajesh Bagga Dr. Rajan Chaudhary Apeejay Institute of Management & Engineering Technical Campus (AIMETC), Jalandhar, Punjab #StartupValuation #FundraisingStrategies #Internships #IndustryInsights #BusinessDevelopment #StartupLife #Entrepreneurship #ProfessionalGrowth #CareerDevelopment #BusinessStrategy

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Enterprise tech startup Clueso (YC W23) has raised $1.4 Mn (about Rs 11.6 Cr) in its seed funding round, led by f7 Ventures. The round also saw participation from existing backer Y Combinator. Clueso leverages generative AI (GenAI) to help companies create instructional videos and documentation for employee training and customers. Clueso claims that its AI auto-removes fumbling and rewrites the transcript to cover the same content 60% of the time and replaces the audio track with a “professional, natural-sounding AI voiceover”. Besides, it also creates a written article for every video with screenshots and GIFs. Clueso was also selected in the winter cohort of Y Combinator’s early-stage startup accelerator program in April 2023. With its participation in the three-month-long initiative, the startup netted an investment of $500K. The fundraise comes at a time when the Indian GenAI market is heating up in terms of investments. Founders: Akash Anand, Prajwal Prakash, and Neel Balar Follow Rise & Shine for daily startup updates. Stay informed, stay ahead ➡️ www.riseshine.in #enterprisetech #genai #seedfunding #ycombinator #startup #iitm Indian Institute of Technology, Madras

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Hello Aspiring Entrepreneurs! We had started a "Startup Soul [ For the Startup - By the Startup]", a community-driven initiative dedicated to fostering innovation and growth. Our Mission: Create Bihar's largest startup ecosystem community, empowering startups by startups. Join Us! If you're an early-stage startup or want to start a startup, we invite you to join our community. Benefits: • Connect with a large network of newly established startups • Collaborate and support each other • Access resources and expertise for app development and website-related work Join Our Teams Group: Link 🔗 🖇️[https://lnkd.in/gf9k4KQq] Together, let's build a thriving startup ecosystem in Bihar! Startup Bihar | Startup India | Department of Industries, Government of Bihar | MSME Business Forum India | Bihar Industrial Area Development Authority (BIADA), Govt of Bihar | BIADA Bihar | Invest Bihar | Zero Lab Bihar | Incubation Centre IIT Patna (IC IITP) | Junk Bazar Pvt Ltd | CIMP Business Incubation and Innovation Foundation | TiE Patna | TYE Global (TIE Young Entrepreneurs) | Ashutosh Bharti #StartupSoul #BiharStartups #StartupEcosystem #Entrepreneurship #InnovationHub #StartupCommunity #CollaborationOverCompetition #SupportStartups #BiharEntrepreneurs #StartupIndia #GrowWithUs #JoinTheMovement #StartupNetwork #EmpoweringStartups #CommunityFirst #StartupSuccess

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Startup Central | ThinKuvate: Bolstering tech-enabled startups Addison Appu, Partner at ThinKuvate, sheds light on the latest ₹100 cr fund, 'glocal' approach, key sectors in focus and more Avanne Dubash Addison Appu

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Venk Krishnan speaking at Nice Samanvay held by NICEorg - Network of Indian Cultural Enterprises : “There are many incubators and accelerators in India. It’s a good thing. But there needs to be value-add. I seldom see accelerators getting into the nuts and bolts, getting customers for startups etc We will be doing a disservice to startups if there is no value-add. At NuVentures we look at what is the value add we can do beyond funding.” #startups #accelerators #funding

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Only 24% of rural Indian households have internet access, compared to 66% in cities. Bridging this divide is crucial. From vernacular content to digital skilling, startups are leading the charge in driving rural inclusion. Here's our take: https://lnkd.in/ghWrBDum

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UpGrad Secures $60M from Temasek at $2.25B Valuation💼 In a major development for the edtech space, upGrad has raised $60 million from Temasek, holding strong at a $2.25 billion valuation. This funding reinforces UpGrad's position as a leader in higher education and career development, setting the stage for further innovation and expansion. As one of India’s largest edtech companies, UpGrad continues to empower millions of learners globally, driving impact across industries. This milestone signals confidence in UpGrad's growth trajectory and commitment to transforming education. Get funded for your startup @ www.seedicon.com #Edtech #UpGrad #Temasek #StartupFunding #Innovation #HigherEducation #DigitalLearning #Growth #EdTechNews #Investment #CareerDevelopment #Entrepreneurship #IndiaStartups #GlobalLearning #Technology #FutureOfEducation

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Key Insights from Meet X Jaipur ➡️ Underserved Markets: Tier 2 founders have a deep understanding of India’s middle-income 'Bharat' market, spotting niche opportunities missed by Tier 1 startups ➡️ Cost Efficiency: Operating from Tier 2 cities means lower costs for rent, salaries, and overhead, boosting startup efficiency ➡️ Local Insight: Tier 2 founders understand regional consumer behaviour and preferences, enabling them to create products tailored to local needs ➡️ Bootstrapping Skills: Limited funding access forces Tier 2 founders to master bootstrapping, ensuring financial discipline and sustainable growth Kulmani Rana Anchal Suryavanshi Preksha Razdan Ridhi Khurana Vatsal Sarawgi Rohit Rawat Hardik Vaibhav

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Dive into the world of Venture Studios: Discover how these innovative hubs are reshaping the startup ecosystem and why we should foster contribution in leading the charge in India. What’s Inside: - The unique approach of venture studios - How RisingIndia ThinkTank is setting new benchmarks - Success stories from global venture studios - The future of venture studios in driving innovation Don't miss out on this insightful read! 📖 🔗 Read the Full Article Here https://lnkd.in/gmzWTjQ4 💬 Join the conversation and let us know your thoughts on the venture studio model! RisingIndia उभरता भारत Startup India

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We're proud to onboard Entrepreneurship Cell, NIT Raipur as our outreach partner for Bharat Pitchathon 3.0, C.G! Bharat Pitchathon 2.0 was a journey with over 200 startup pitches, 600 investor-startup connections, a 6-month growth program, and the invaluable support of 220+ partners including incubator & investment partners. About Bharat Pitchathon 3.0: Bharat Pitchathon is India's premier series of pitch events, taking place across 20+ states. With over 200 startup pitches, 600 investor-startup connects, a 6-month accelerator program and the invaluable support of 220+ partners including 40+ investment partners, Bharat Pitchathon 2.0 was a journey like no other! What's in store for you at Bharat Pitchathon 3.0? 🔹 Pitch to Prominence: Present your ideas to top investors for potential partnerships and funding. 🔹 Expert Connection: Gain insights and guidance from industry experts. 🔹 Resource Riches: Gain access to a treasure trove of mentorship, networking, and growth opportunities. 🔹 High-Impact Visibility: Elevate your startup's reach and visibility. 🔹 Thrilling growth program: Selected startups receive comprehensive support including mentorship, GTM support with opportunities to pitch to prominent investors on a national scale But that's not all! 🔹 Road To Bangalore Slush’D - 2024: Selected startups from state editions will be able to pitch at Bangalore Slush’D - 2024. Register now: https://lnkd.in/gFhNupCv Don't miss this opportunity to showcase your ideas and connect with industry leaders. #startup #Bharatpitchathon #headstart #business #entrepreneur #funding #raipur #cg #businessidea #india #investors #pitchers #startupprogram #accelerator #incubation #slushd 

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🔥Jyotika Gupta and🔥 Raj Shekhar Singh 🚀🌟Early-stage VC Z21 Ventures planning $40 million second fund🚀🌟 🌟🌟Z21 Ventures, an early-stage investment firm focusing on the India-US corridor, has fully deployed its first $5-million fund and is gearing up to launch a $40 million second fund. The firm, founded in 2022 by Abhinav Shashank and Raj Shekhar Singh, targets enterprise software and hardware startups with investments ranging from $100,000 to $150,000, backed by a community of Indian-origin technology executives like Google, Amazon, and Meta.🌟🌟 🚀Fueling Innovation: Z21 Ventures' $40 million second fund underscores their commitment to fueling innovation, providing essential capital to early-stage startups with groundbreaking ideas. 🚀Empowering Visionaries: By planning this significant fund, Z21 Ventures empowers visionary entrepreneurs to bring their creative solutions to market, driving progress and transformation. 🚀Building the Future: This new fund highlights Z21 Ventures' role in building the future, supporting startups that have the potential to reshape industries and improve lives. 🚀Championing Startups: The fund demonstrates Z21 Ventures' dedication to championing startups, providing them with the resources and support needed to succeed in competitive markets. 🚀Driving Economic Growth: By investing in early-stage companies, Z21 Ventures contributes to economic growth, fostering job creation and technological advancements. 🚀Seizing Opportunities: This initiative encourages entrepreneurs to seize opportunities and pursue their innovative projects, knowing that there is strong financial backing available. 🚀Supporting Diversity: Z21 Ventures' funding plans can support a diverse range of startups, promoting inclusivity and varied perspectives within the entrepreneurial ecosystem. 🚀Catalyzing Change: With the $40 million fund, Z21 Ventures acts as a catalyst for change, accelerating the development of new technologies and business models. 🚀Inspiring Confidence: The planned fund inspires confidence in early-stage startups, demonstrating that there are substantial resources available for promising ventures. 🚀Commitment to Growth: Z21 Ventures' continued investment efforts reflect a deep commitment to fostering growth and success in the startup community. ✅️Share Your Startup Story 🚀📲 https://lnkd.in/ggir3Qap ✅️visite our website🌐 https://lnkd.in/dad4nH #FuelingInnovation #EmpowerVisionaries #ChampioningStartups #BuildingTheFuture #EconomicGrowth #SeizeOpportunities #SupportDiversity #CatalyzeChange #InspireConfidence #CommitmentToGrowth #scoopearth

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