A naukri.com initiative
Startup News
ISN
1w
393
Image Credit: ISN
Mukesh Ambani's Jio Finance Limited forays into digital loan against securities
- Jio Finance Limited, the non-banking financial company arm of Jio Financial Services Limited, has introduced a fully digital Loan Against Securities product.
- The new service allows customers to borrow money by leveraging their investments in shares and mutual funds, with simple loan approval process of just 10 minutes.
- Customers can avail loans up to Rs 1 crore, with interest rates starting at 9.99% and tailored to individual risk profiles.
- Jio Finance Limited aims to transform the way people use and interact with financial services in India through its digital-first approach and a broader financial ecosystem.
Read Full Article
23 Likes
Gritdaily
1w
8
Image Credit: Gritdaily
Startups in Survival Mode: Pilot’s 2025 Report Shows Founders Taking Major Pay Cuts
- Pilot's 2025 Founder Salary Report reveals a 43% drop in entrepreneur compensation, with the median founder salary now at $75,000.
- Founders are adjusting to the funding landscape by cutting their own pay based on what the startup can afford.
- The shift towards austerity is evident in a significant increase in bootstrapping and lower founder salaries, with a median of $60,000 for self-funded founders.
- Founder salaries tend to plateau after reaching 11-25 employees, indicating a crucial threshold for sustainable wages.
- Regional variations persist, with founders in San Francisco earning $103,000 compared to $65,000 in 'Other US' regions.
- B2B founders have higher compensation ($120,000 median) than B2C founders ($82,000), reflecting differing revenue streams.
- Despite declining compensation in most sectors, AI founders report higher salaries ($90,000 median) due to specialized talent demands.
- Younger founders earn more on average ($80,000 median) than middle-aged counterparts ($65,000 median), showcasing a generational shift in priorities.
- The report emphasizes the importance of balancing personal economics with company growth for sustainable entrepreneurship.
- Startup founders are faced with the challenge of finding a balance between personal financial health and company strength in the current economic climate.
Read Full Article
Like
Inc42
1w
339
Image Credit: Inc42
AI Bots Handling 70% Of Travel Requests Now: TBO Tek’s Garima Pant
- TBO Tek, a travel tech company, has automated 70% of special requests from travel agents using AI voice bots.
- The company's customer experience VP, Garima Pant, stated that AI has reduced response time for special requests and expanded the system's capabilities.
- During a panel discussion, experts shared their views on building or outsourcing AI solutions, with simpler use cases recommended for outsourcing.
- The adoption of GenAI, a conversational AI solution, is on the rise, and India's GenAI market is forecasted to reach over $17 billion by 2030.
Read Full Article
19 Likes
Medium
1w
101
Image Credit: Medium
Savvy’s Thought of the Day™: On the Late Innings of Startup Success
- Risk protection premiums rise with the opportunity size.
- Late-stage startup success requires disciplined leadership.
- Transitioning into a public concern changes the risk management of a company.
- Preparation for a successful exit involves tightened governance structures, regulatory compliance, and legal risk management.
Read Full Article
6 Likes
Inc42
1w
372
Image Credit: Inc42
Family Office Tracker: Here’s The List Of 200+ Investors Betting Big On Startups
- Indian family offices are stepping up as key investors in the country's startup ecosystem as foreign direct investment is declining.
- These family offices provide patient capital crucial for sustaining startups in sectors like deeptech and cleantech.
- The trend of family offices broadening investments to startups is driven by millennials seeking alternative avenues.
- Indian family offices offer not just funding but also strategic guidance due to their deep understanding of the market.
- PremjiInvest and other prominent family offices have backed successful startups like Mintifi, Lenskart, and Swiggy.
- Family offices invest in a wide range of sectors from technology to healthcare and focus on both early and late-stage investments.
- Catamaran Ventures, Aarin Capital, and Pawan Munjal Family Trust are among family offices actively investing in startups.
- The investment landscape is marked by diverse portfolios that display the increasing interest of family offices in supporting new-age tech ventures.
- While family offices are not ranked, the list aims to track their dynamic participation in the startup ecosystem and will be periodically updated.
- Investment firms like Spectrum Impact and Sarcha Advisors focus on impact investing and financial advisory services, respectively.
Read Full Article
22 Likes
Hackernoon
1w
309
Image Credit: Hackernoon
Founder Compensation Plummets 43% as Capital Efficiency Becomes Queen and King
- Founder compensation has decreased by 43% as per Pilot's 2025 Founder Salary Report, reflecting a shift towards capital efficiency in startups.
- Median founder salary dropped from $132,000 in 2024 to $75,000 in 2025, with more founders taking home less than $100,000.
- Only 5.4% of founders reported taking no salary, down from 9% last year, indicating some form of compensation despite salary reductions.
- The decline in founder salaries is linked to challenges in VC funding, leading to a rise in bootstrapping as a funding alternative.
- AI founders, despite experiencing salary reductions, saw a higher median compensation of $90,000, reflecting market demand for AI startups.
- Founders primarily consider what the startup can afford when determining compensation; benchmarking salaries against market rates led to 79% higher earnings on average.
- Factors influencing founder compensation include funding levels, company size, phase, and geography, with varying impacts on salaries.
- The key is to strike a balance between personal sustainability and financial prudence to ensure both founder well-being and company survival.
- Navigating the capital-efficient landscape requires strategic decisions to maintain motivation while preserving runway for company stability.
- This shift in founder compensation signals a broader trend towards financial discipline and sustainability in the startup ecosystem.
Read Full Article
18 Likes
Inc42
1w
329
Image Credit: Inc42
BharatPe Gets RBI Approval For Payment Aggregator Business
- BharatPe's subsidiary has received RBI approval to operate as an online payment aggregator.
- BharatPe is now the only fintech company in India with an NBFC license and a PA license, along with a stake in Unity Small Finance Bank.
- This move strengthens BharatPe's position as a full-service fintech company offering digital payments, lending, and investment services.
- The approval reflects BharatPe's commitment to compliance, strong governance, and long-term value.
Read Full Article
19 Likes
Medium
1w
262
Image Credit: Medium
Why VCs love late stage projects – and Why MENA plays by a different rulebook?
- VCs are increasingly focusing on late-stage investments due to global market conditions and risk management.
- Late-stage VC is about de-risked growth, targeting companies with proven product-market fit, revenue, lower risk, and potential liquidity through IPO or acquisition.
- In MENA (Middle East and North Africa), the investing culture blends venture, private equity, and family capital, with a focus on wealth preservation and strategic interests.
- MENA investors value relationships and trust, with capital often flowing towards established businesses and pre-IPO investments in growth-stage companies.
Read Full Article
15 Likes
Inc42
1w
118
Image Credit: Inc42
NODWIN Gaming Bolsters Presence In US Esport Market With New Entity
- NODWIN Gaming has incorporated Nodwin Gaming USA Inc in Delaware to strengthen its presence in the US esport market.
- The new entity is a wholly-owned subsidiary of NODWIN Gaming International Pte Ltd, owned by NODWIN Gaming.
- NODWIN Singapore, which holds a stake in Freaks 4U, already operates in the US market.
- NODWIN Gaming, a youth-centric esport and gaming entertainment platform, was acquired by Nazara Technologies in 2018.
Read Full Article
7 Likes
Inc42
1w
368
Image Credit: Inc42
Indian Deeptech Sector Needs More Risk Capital To Leapfrog: Reliance Jio’s Chief AI Scientist
- Gaurav Aggarwal, the Chief AI Scientist at Reliance Jio, has highlighted the need for more risk capital in India's deeptech sector.
- India lags behind the US and China in AI development due to a lack of adequate policies and access to capital for deeptech.
- Aggarwal discussed the development of a Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) to facilitate data collaboration for AI startups in India.
- Stakeholders suggest that the government could become the largest consumer of Indian AI products, but startups face regulatory hurdles that hinder innovation.
Read Full Article
16 Likes
ISN
1w
118
Image Credit: ISN
Shark Tank India-featured snacking brand Eat Better Co raise Rs 17 crore in funding
- Direct-to-consumer snacking brand Eat Better Co has raised Rs 17 crore in a funding round
- The funding round was co-led by Prath Ventures and Spring Marketing Capital
- Eat Better Co plans to expand its product portfolio and scale operations on quick commerce platforms
- The startup gained visibility after appearing on Shark Tank India and has shown significant revenue growth
Read Full Article
7 Likes
Eu-Startups
1w
406
Sekoia.io secures €26 million to democratise threat detection with AI and cyber intelligence
- Rennes-based cybersecurity startup Sekoia.io raised €26 million in Series B funding, bringing the total fundraising to €60 million.
- The funding round was led by Revaia, with participation from UNEXO, Bright Pixel Capital, Omnes Capital, and Bpifrance.
- Sekoia.io aims to protect organizations from cyber threats by providing high-performance detection technology and automated response.
- The company plans to invest in technological development, expand international activities, and recruit service partners to boost their managed security offerings.
Read Full Article
24 Likes
Inc42
1w
43
Image Credit: Inc42
Ather Energy Likely To Reduce IPO Size Amid Market Uncertainty
- EV maker Ather Energy is considering reducing its IPO size by at least $50 Mn from the earlier target of $400 Mn amid market uncertainty.
- The shareholders are considering offering a lower number of shares in the offer-for-sale component of the IPO.
- Hero MotoCorp, Ather's largest stakeholder, does not plan to reduce its stake in the EV unicorn.
- The ongoing negative investor sentiment and market turmoil have led Ather Energy to reconsider the quantum of share sale and seek a lower valuation for the IPO.
Read Full Article
2 Likes
Startus
1w
271
Image Credit: Startus
Turn Your Flood Resilience Innovation into Real Impact: Join RISE’s $1M Challenge!
- The RISE Riverine Community Resilience Challenge II, supported by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), is seeking startups with innovative solutions to improve flood resilience in Western Virginia.
- Selected startups will have the opportunity to pilot their solutions in flood-affected communities and receive funding, media coverage, access to exclusive datasets, and mentorship from resilience experts and emergency management leaders.
- The challenge is looking for solutions in areas such as flood event early warning, landscape and building adaptation, community insurance programs, riverine community resilience product integration, and business recovery after a flooding event.
- Important dates for the challenge: Applications open on March 28, 2025, the application deadline is May 5, 2025, and the winner will be selected in June 2025.
Read Full Article
16 Likes
ISN
1w
225
Image Credit: ISN
BharatPe’s Resilient Payments gets RBI approval for payment aggregator license
- Resilient Payments Private Ltd., a subsidiary of BharatPe Group, has received RBI approval to operate as an online payment aggregator under the new brand BharatPe X.
- With this license, BharatPe becomes the only fintech in India to hold an NBFC permit, a significant stake in Unity Small Finance Bank, and the right to act as a payment aggregator.
- BharatPe X will target smaller cities, aiming to deepen its reach in tier-2 and tier-3 towns and provide merchants with more ways to accept and manage online payments.
- BharatPe's platform currently serves over 1.3 crore merchants in more than 450 cities, processing about 450 million UPI transactions monthly and handling Rs 29,000 crore in annual point-of-sale transactions.
Read Full Article
13 Likes
For uninterrupted reading, download the app