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Business News This Week: 1st January 2018 to 6th January 2018

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Business News This Week,Startup Stories,Inspirational Stories 2018,Stock Sell in Uber,Food Ordering and Delivery Platform Swiggy,Swiggy Business News 2018,Flipkart Invest In Logistics Arm eKart,Salil Parekh New Infosys CEO,Alibaba and XpressBees Business,Startup Funding News 2018,Startup Stories Tips 2018,Biggest Startup Moments of 2017,How To Get Promoted Faster,How To Get Funding For Startups,How To Build Enterprise From Scratch

New year, new aims and new resolutions! The new year started with a bang marking the beginning of a new era for startups, innovations and inventions! If you were too caught up with New Year celebrations, catch up with the news of this week with our weekly wrap up.

ECOMMERCE SITES TO DISPLAY THE MRP AND EXPIRY DATE
This new year, all ecommerce sites will now have to display the Maximum Retail Price (MRP) and the expiry date of all the human consumable products on all their sites. This move comes after multiple customers complained about such ecommerce sites hiking the prices of their products in order to provide bigger discounts. The etailers had until January 1, 2018, to comply with the government’s order to display all the important details about the products up for sale. However, according to a survey by LocalCircles, only 42% of 10,000 respondents had seen products listed above MRP and then discounted off the inflated price.

ALIBABA TO INVEST IN LOGISTICS STARTUP XPRESSBEES
The China based ecommerce firm Alibaba has been keenly looking to invest in multiple Indian startups to build its ‘iron triangle.’ For this purpose, the company will be investing close to $ 100 million in the Pune based logistics firm XpressBees and will be closing the deal in the next two to three weeks. Till date, Alibaba and its financial arm Ant Financials have invested in online payment and digital wallet Paytm and online grocery delivery service, BigBasket.

SALIL PAREKH BECOMES THE NEW INFOSYS CEO
After months of searching and numerous disagreements with the founder of India’s largest IT firm Infosys, the company finally found a Chief Executive Officer. After the resignation of Vishal Sikka in August, Salil Parekh will be taking on the reigns of the Bengaluru based information technology (IT) major, Infosys, as the new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. According to sources, the new CEO will earn an annual salary of Rs. 16.25 crores, including Rs. 9.75 crores variable pay.

FLIPKART TO INVEST IN LOGISTICS ARM EKART
India’s largest ecommerce company Flipkart, in an attempt to strengthen their logistics arm, infused another $ 257.3 million in eKart. According to filings with the Registrar of Companies, Flipkart raised this sum in multiple tranches between October and November last year. In 2018, according to Kalyan Krishnamurthy, the company would now be focusing on increasing its monthly active users and increasing its revenue.

SWIGGY TO RAISE $ 200 MILLION FROM NASPERS AND TENCENT
 One of India’s fastest growing food ordering and delivery service startup Swiggy will be raising close to $ 200 million from Chinese investment conglomerate Tencent and existing investor Naspers. After ending independent discussions with Japan based venture firm SoftBank, the company is looking to raise funds at a pre money valuation of $ 600- $ 650 million. According to sources, Tencent, which will join the Swiggy bandwagon as a new investor also proposed to increase their investment in the startup to around $ 100 million.

UBER CO FOUNDER TRAVIS KALANICK TO SELL 29% OF STOCK
After facing scandal upon scandal and fighting multiple lawsuits, the global taxi hailing startup Uber is finally on track to raise much needed capital from SoftBank and other investors. For this purpose, the co founder of Uber and former CEO Travis Kalanick will be selling 29% of his stock in Uber for about $ 1.4 billion. As a part of the latest investment round, SoftBank and a consortium of investors have agreed to buy stock from existing investors and employees, valuing the company at $ 48 billion. Post this transaction, SoftBank will take a 17% stake in the ride hailing services company.

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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Polygon StartupStories

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 StartupStories

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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