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16-10-2017 to 21-10-2017

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Inspirational Stories 2017,Startup News highlights of the week,startup stories,The News This Week,Apple New Payments Service,Microlending Startup KrazyBee Raises Funds From Xiaomi,Wireless Connector Technology,Flipkart Plans Invest In BookMyShow,WhatsApp New Feature To Share Live Locations,Gorakhpur Gets First Co working Space,Animoji Feature in Apple

Diwali is a festival of bright lights, sweets and family. If you missed out on the major news celebrating the win of good over evil, here’s our weekly wrap up.

APPLE EYES LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS TO LAUNCH PAYMENTS SERVICE
The technology giant is all set to enter the online payments field in India to boost their presence in the country. Senior Vice President of Apple, Eddy Cue said India has some great payments mechanisms today which can be leveraged by the company to launch their payments arm. Apple Pay will integrate multiple payment options to make the entire online payments process easy and safe. Along with the payments platform, two new Mac Labs will also be launched in Chennai and Mumbai to help identify and unearth talented musicians in the country.

MICROLENDING STARTUP KRAZYBEE RAISES FUNDS FROM XIAOMI, SHUNWEI CAPITAL
Bengaluru based microlending firm KrazyBee has raised $ 8 million in a Series A funding round, led by Xiaomi Technologies and Shunwei Capital with participation from E city Ventures and RK Group. Through this equity and debt financing round, the company plans to strengthen their risk model and core algorithm to cater to new market segments and focus on product diversification. A portion of the funding will also be spent on geographical expansion of their existing segments. The company plans to expand to six other cities apart from their current operations in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Vellore, Pune and Mysore. KrazyBee was founded in 2015 by E. Madhusudan and Wan Hong and is operated by Finovation Tech Solutions Pvt., Ltd.

ESSENTIAL SUED FOR ALLEGEDLY STEALING WIRELESS CONNECTOR TECHNOLOGY
Considered to be the father of Android, Andy Rubin recently launched his own smartphone company Essential Products. The Essential smartphone is their flagship product which comes equipped with modular connector pins on the back of the phone. These pins allow the company to build accessories and smart home devices, such as the 360 degree cameras that can be connected to the device. However, the company is being sued by the wireless technology company Keyssa Inc., over allegedly stealing their connector technology and trade secrets and for breaching their nondisclosure agreement. One of the most defining factors of the smartphone rests on this lawsuit from Keyssa.

FLIPKART PLANS ON INVESTING IN BOOKMYSHOW
India’s ecommerce giant Flipkart is in talks to invest in the Mumbai based online ticket booking company BookMyShow. The move comes after the market saw a recent rise of the Alibaba backed startup, Paytm. A partnership with Flipkart will allow the company to offer a wider range of services to its customers. Post this potential investment, BookMyShow may be valued between $ 500 million to $ 700 million. At present, BookMyShow accounts for a majority of India’s $ 2.5 billion online ticketing market. Insider, MeraEvents, BookMyEvent, TicketGenie and Kyazoonga are some of the other major eticketing platforms.

WHATSAPP INTRODUCES NEW FEATURE TO SHARE LIVE LOCATIONS
Global messaging service Whatsapp has introduced a new feature that lets all users track the locations of their friends and family and keep a tab on them until they reach their destination. Whatsapp, which is owned by Facebook, will make this latest feature available on both Android and iOS devices very soon. The Live Locations feature allows users to share their live locations for a certain period of time and is equipped with end to end encryption. Shared locations can be seen in Satellite and Terrain view and the feature also shows live traffic data as an overlay.

‘FLIPKART FIRST’ RELAUNCHED TO BATTLE AMAZON PRIME
Homegrown ecommerce giant Flipkart relaunched their loyalty programme ‘Flipkart First’ to provide consumers with more value added services. The loyalty programme was launched in an attempt to compete with Amazon Prime by providing consumers with free fast delivery, discounted same day delivery and priority customer services. Although the programme failed to gather public attention when it was first launched in 2014, the company wants to ensure they do not miss out in an area where there is potential to grow a huge base of loyal customers. Amazon Prime, which was launched last year, currently accounts for the largest chunk of spending on ecommerce sites.

GORAKHPUR GETS ITS FIRST COWORKING SPACE
Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh got its first ever coworking space Startup Cafe, where people can think, ideate and create. Located in one of the prime areas of Gorakhpur, Startup Cafe provides more than just the basic amenities including 24 hours electricity, unlimited high speed internet, meeting room with video conferencing facility, fully airconditioned office rooms and a cafeteria. At present, the Cafe is self funded and can accommodate 7 people. Started by Arunn Gupta and Vibhore Jaiswal, the ultimate goal of Startup Cafe is to build a space that helps bring people from different communities together.

APPLE SUED BY JAPANESE SOFTWARE COMPANY OVER ANIMOJI TRADEMARK
The smartphone touted to change the mobile industry, iPhoneX is facing a trademark infringement lawsuit. Technology giant Apple was sued by a Japan based software company emonster k.k., over the trademark for the term “Animoji.” According to the lawsuit, Emonster’s CEO Enrique Bonansea registered a trademark for his texting app Animoji in 2014, whereas Apple announced their animated emoji in September 2017. Emonster also alleged, Apple made the conscious decision to try to pilfer the name for itself and pretended to the world that ‘Animoji’ was original to Apple. The iPhone X uses an A11 Bionic camera to analyze over 50 facial muscle movements to animate them to a dozen different “Animojis.” The phone is scheduled to be released in November this year.

That’s all for this week! Subscribe to our portal to never miss updates from the startup world! If your startup has an exciting announcement coming up, you can even write to us at info@startupstories.in. Catch up with the highlights of the week with our The News This Week section.

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Polygon Enters New Era: Leadership Shift and Major Upgrades Under Sandeep Nailwal

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Sandeep Nailwal, co-founder of Polygon, has been appointed as the first CEO of the Polygon Foundation, marking a shift from decentralized governance to focused leadership. This change aims to provide clear direction and accelerate Polygon’s growth in the competitive blockchain space.

Under Nailwal’s leadership, Polygon will discontinue its zkEVM network in 2026 to concentrate on the Polygon PoS chain and AggLayer, a new cross-chain liquidity protocol. Significant upgrades to the Polygon PoS chain are planned, starting with the Bhilai upgrade in July 2025, to enhance transaction capacity and support large-scale financial applications.

Polygon enters this new phase with a strong financial position, enabling long-term development without fundraising pressures. While Nailwal leads the Foundation, Marc Boiron continues as CEO of Polygon Labs. This leadership restructuring aims to drive innovation and reinforce Polygon’s position in Ethereum scaling and the Web3 ecosystem.

 

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Wow! Momo Raises ₹85 Crore from Stride Ventures to Accelerate Nationwide Expansion

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Wow! Momo, the Kolkata-based quick-service restaurant (QSR) chain, has secured ₹85 crore (approximately $9.9 million) in debt funding from Stride Ventures, aiming to accelerate its omnichannel expansion and strengthen its presence across India. The company, which operates over 700 outlets in more than 70 cities, plans to utilize the funds to open additional dine-in restaurants, expand its packaged food (FMCG) vertical, and enhance its delivery and supply chain operations. This strategic move will also help refinance existing loans and fuel Wow! Momo’s push into new markets and product categories.

Founded in 2008, Wow! Momo has rapidly diversified its offerings, launching brands such as Wow! China, Wow! Chicken, and Wow! Kulfi, and recently entering the frozen foods segment with quick commerce and retail distribution. The company is targeting a footprint of over 1,500 stores across more than 100 cities within the next three years and aims to grow its FMCG business to ₹100 crore while ramping up its HORECA (Hotel, Restaurant, and Catering) segment. The leadership team views this debt infusion as pivotal for scaling new formats, driving innovation, and building brands that resonate with Indian consumers.

Stride Ventures, known for backing high-growth startups, emphasized Wow! Momo’s strong brand recall, robust business model, and relentless innovation as key reasons for their investment. With this funding, Wow! Momo is well-positioned to further solidify its status as a category-defining player in India’s QSR and FMCG sectors, while preparing for larger equity rounds and a potential IPO in the coming years.

 

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How Brands Around India Adapted RCB’s IPL 2025 Win: A Masterclass in Real-Time Marketing

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The Indian Premier League (IPL) is not just a cricket tournament—it’s a cultural phenomenon that captures the imagination of millions. The 2025 season was especially significant as Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) ended their 18-year wait for an IPL trophy, sparking nationwide celebrations and a flurry of creative marketing from brands eager to ride the wave of emotion.

Seizing the Moment with Creative Campaigns

Brands across sectors quickly recognized the marketing goldmine that was RCB’s historic victory. Social media platforms became the battleground for witty, nostalgic, and heartfelt content. Voltas Beko, for example, cleverly played on the long wait with a pun: “This moment’s been cooking for 18 years,” featuring a microwave set to 18:00

. Fevicol used humor, captioning a visual of the trophy snuggled in bed with the iconic fan chant: “Ee sala cup chipak gaya ;)”. MG Motor referenced Bangalore’s infamous traffic, declaring, “The only time Bangalore enjoys slow traffic,” as a car displayed “Trophy On Board”.

From Jerseys to Delivery Trucks

Official kit partner Puma India launched a special jersey commemorating the win, emblazoned with RCB’s tagline, “Played Bold”. Quick commerce brands like BlinkIt and Swiggy joined in, with BlinkIt showing the cup being delivered to Bengaluru via a delivery partner and Swiggy featuring a GPS tracker with a delivery executive en route to deliver the trophy. Zomato kept it simple yet impactful with a post reading “EE Sala Cup Namdu,” echoing the fans’ rallying cry.

Emotional Storytelling and Viral Reach

Brands leveraged the emotional high of RCB’s win to connect with audiences. Lego India posted an animated Virat Kohli with the cup, highlighting loyalty and perseverance: “Some waited for years, some questioned loyalty, but greatness? That’s built brick by brick. Champions at last!” Google India, Coca Cola, boAt, and others added to the chorus, each with their own creative spin.

Conclusion

RCB’s IPL 2025 win became more than a sports story—it was a moment of national pride and a catalyst for innovative, real-time marketing. Brands that adapted quickly, using humor, nostalgia, and emotional storytelling, not only amplified their reach but also deepened their connection with fans across India. This approach highlights the power of tapping into trending moments to create memorable, shareable content.

 

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