Vikash Sharma

Highperformr.ai, a marketing SaaS startup floated by former Freshworks executives Ramesh Ravishankar and Srivatsan Venkatesan, has raised $3.5 Mn (INR 29.2 Cr) in a seed funding round 👇 The startup’s first product, Highperformr for Teams, leverages generative AI and LLMs to help B2B businesses maximise their return on investment (ROI) on social media campaigns. The fresh capital will be deployed to further the startup's research and development activity, build the platform's native AI capabilities, and expand its distribution network. To read more in detail, click here: https://lnkd.in/gV8tqWyU #startups #fundraising #growth #saas

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AppsForBharat Secures $18 Mn to Scale Sri Mandir Spiritual App, Plans for Offline Expansion Series B Funding: AppsForBharat raised $18 Mn led by Fundamentum, with participation from key investors like Elevation Capital and Mirae Asset Global Investments. Expansion Plans: Funds will be used to scale the Sri Mandir app, onboard more temples, and enhance the devotional tech stack. Growth and Revenue: The Sri Mandir app reached 30 Mn installs, with revenue jumping 92X to INR 3.5 Cr in FY23. Future Goals: Plans include a tenfold user increase, more regional languages, expanded temple listings, and spiritual tourism services. Offline Expansion: The company is piloting offline channels to enhance user experience, set to launch in the next six months. Read More: https://lnkd.in/dX5kat9c

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ShareBazar.tech is trying to bring a revolution in the capital market with their robust app. Here's a quick demo

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A cautionary tale for e-grocery startups in India! ... Remember PepperTap? The online grocery delivery app that promised to save us from those fear of queues and limited parking? They were like a knight in shining armor...until they weren't. ️ So, what went wrong? Here's the lowdown: - Discounting themselves to death: PepperTap tried to win us over with deals we couldn't refuse. But these discounts ate into their profits, making it hard to stay afloat. - LESSON: Discounts are great for customers, but there needs to be a sustainable business model behind them. - Scaling too fast, failing too hard: They expanded like crazy before they were ready. This led to tech glitches and a messy user experience. Think of Items disappearing from your cart like magic (the bad kind). - LESSON: Slow and steady wins the race, especially when it comes to building a solid tech infrastructure. - Misunderstanding the Indian market ‍‍‍: PepperTap forgot that for many Indians, grocery shopping is a social activity. We bump into neighbors, pick up fresh produce, and enjoy the whole experience. Turns out, not everyone wanted groceries delivered to their doorstep. - LESSON: Understanding your target market is crucial. Don't underestimate the power of tradition (and fresh air)! - High costs, low returns: Outsourcing inventory management and logistics added up quickly. Delivery fees, especially in smaller cities, were just too high for budget-conscious customers. - LESSON: There's no shortcut to efficiency. Building a strong internal system or finding the right partners is key. PepperTap's story is a valuable lesson for anyone venturing into the e-grocery space in India. Here's to learning from the past and building a grocery shopping experience that Indians truly love! #egrocery #startupindia #PepperTap #failureresilience #learningfrommistakes

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Razorpay's Harshil Mathur on what shapes culture: Your first few hires become your feedback loops. What you do and don’t do with that feedback defines your culture. More on scaling Razorpay soon in a chat with Peak XV MD Ishaan Mittal! #peakxvinsights #insidesurge

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Zintlr, a B2B SaaS platform specializing in sales intelligence and prospecting, has raised Rs 7.5 crore in a seed funding round led by Om Jain and other investors, including JIIF and Vimal Shah. The startup plans to use the raised capital to scale its team, drive market expansion, and innovate to build new product verticals in intelligence. Read the full story here: 👇 https://lnkd.in/d6VVdgez #b2b #saas #funding #investors #startup #technology #ai #indianstartupnews

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Enterprise SaaS startup Everstage has raised $30 Mn (around INR 252 Cr) in a Series B funding round led by Eight Roads Ventures. The round also saw participation from existing investors — Elevation Capital and 3one4 Capital. The Chennai-based startup plans to use the fresh funds for product innovation and improving its in-house services for enhanced customer experience, said Siva Rajamani, cofounder and CEO of Everstage. Additionally, Everstage has also announced an INR 5 Cr employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) buyback programme to reward its early employees. While Everstage has 200 staffers on its payroll, it’s unclear how many of them would benefit from the ESOP buyback scheme. Founded in 2020 by Rajamani, a former Freshworks executive, and Vivek Suriyamoorthy, Everstage offers a platform that enables enterprises, and their sales teams, to keep track of how much they’re earning in commission. To read the in-depth article, click here: https://4-2.co/3NtqnMR #news #saas #funding

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Funding updates ! 1. Vietnamese D2C brand Coolmate bags $6M in Series B funding led by Vertex Ventures 2. Meesho FY24 revenue jumps 33% to Rs 7,615 crore, Esop adjusted loss at Rs 53 crore 3. New rules on data protection likely to be notified soon 4. Apple To Start Manufacturing iPhone In India Soon: Report 5. Marico Limited’s D2C Portfolio Clocks INR 525 Cr ARR In Q2 FY25 6. Niyo Solutions Inc. trims losses; revenue drops 28.6% in FY24 7. Battery Smart reports 195% rise in FY24 revenue from operations 8. Swiggy IPO: Accel, Elevation Capital see over 3300% gain, Prosus likely to get Rs 4,254 Cr

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AI-powered blue-collar recruitment platform Vahan.ai has raised $10 Mn (INR 83.7 Cr) in a Series B funding round led by existing backer Khosla Ventures.  The round also saw participation from Y Combinator, Gaingels and Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma among others 👇 The latest round takes the startup’s cumulative funding to $18 Mn till date, including $8 Mn and an undisclosed amount raised in 2021 and 2019, respectively. Vahan seeks to use the fresh money to develop its AI recruitment technology, which will support eight major Indian languages, including Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Marathi, Bangla and Gujarati. Currently, Vahan’s AI recruiter conducts interviews in English and Hindi. However, within the next year, the platform will expand into other languages To read the in-depth article, click here: https://lnkd.in/gSrziXGT #news #AI #startup #funding

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From building apps to building a company, Ankush Dharkar’s story is a blueprint for success in the tech industry. In this ScalerPod episode, he talks in-depth about his experience in Tech Entrepreneurship and working across industries like Fintech, System Design, E-Commerce, etc. #SCALER #ScalerPod #CareersinTech

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Starting an independent venture begins with setting up a funnel. You can't sell stuff if the customer doesn't have any way to pay you. Finally set up Razorpay, tested it with a 20rs. (UPI). Got 19.53rs. that's somewhere around 2.43% transaction cost alone. Would love to know if this is the standard and if there are other payment integration platforms in India that offer competitive solutions. #payments #indianindiemaker #indiehacking #saas

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Hire-O-scope, a podcast by Uplers hosted by Jaymin Bhuptani, featuring SaaS leaders as guests discussing the core problems of hiring. “In my journey of building companies, Uplers started as a mission to solve the problem of hiring for SaaS Product companies” says Jaymin Bhuptani. We are starting this Hire-O-Scope season with our first guest, Sean Falconer from Skyflow, “People coming from FAANG might not know how to hire for a startup”. Stay tuned for the full episode on 25th Sept😊 #HireOScope #UplersPodcast #SaaSHiring #HiringChallenges #SaaSLeaders #FAANGHiring #StartupHiring #SaaSProduct #HiringForStartups #PodcastSeason #NewEpisode #StayTuned #HiringInsights

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Sudhir Nain shares one simple but powerful piece of design advice for founders and product teams. ⬇️ It’s easy to get lost in adding more to the pile, but sometimes the biggest breakthroughs come from fixing what’s already there. Watch this video for a fresh perspective on optimizing your product.

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Another big ed-tech ‘Unacademy’ is up for sale, merger or bailout. Company fired 250 of their employees yesterday and is struggling with finances. It has approached the likes of Allen, PhysicsWallah, K12 Techno and others. It was also in talks with K12 Techno about the merger but looks like those talks are not advancing. Company has raised $877 million till date and company is searching for a respectable way out. Unacademy's situation highlights the potential turbulence within the EdTech sector. While the industry has seen immense growth, companies are now facing increased competition and the need for profitability. What are your views?

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Conveyr : Digital Ecosystem in India shakes hands with AI . Conveyr stands out not just as a social media platform but as a comprehensive digital ecosystem that leverages AI to enhance user experience across its various modules. In addition to its core social networking features like Chime, Blog, and Chat, Conveyr uses AI to personalize and optimize its extended services: AI-Driven Recommendations: In Conveyr Music and ReelBOX, AI algorithms analyze user preferences to suggest personalized music playlists, movies, TV shows, and original content, ensuring users discover entertainment that resonates with their tastes. AI in Healthcare: In the Health module, AI assists users in tracking their health and wellness by analyzing data from wearables or manually inputted metrics. It provides personalized health tips, tracks fitness goals, and offers AI-based virtual health consultations and reminders for medications or health checkups. AI-Powered E-Commerce: The E-commerce section benefits from AI algorithms that recommend products based on users' past browsing and purchase behavior. It also streamlines the shopping process with intelligent search and personalized offers. Smart News: The News module uses AI to curate and display relevant news stories tailored to individual user interests, ensuring they stay informed about topics that matter most to them. AI-Enhanced Gaming: In the Games section, AI adapts to user skill levels, offering personalized game recommendations and dynamically adjusting challenges to keep players engaged. AI in Security and Privacy: AI enhances Chat by providing real-time threat detection, secure encryption, and smart spam filtering, ensuring that communication remains private and secure. Intelligent Cloud Services: Drive12 uses AI to organize and categorize files automatically, making it easier for users to manage their digital assets. AI-driven search ensures users can quickly find their documents, photos, and media. Conveyr’s use of AI not only personalizes each user's experience but also brings efficiency, security, and smarter decision-making across entertainment, healthcare, shopping, and communication, creating a future-ready platform.

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Mass products or limited-quality product?🤔 That’s the question Saumya Kabra founder of Confetti Gifts , posed to Mohit Yadav (founder Minimalist ) during our Elevate Cohort 1. Want to learn from the best D2C founders? Fill out the form in comments to join us for Cohort 2. Take your business to the next level! 💼✨ #letsElevate #D2CInsider

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