Latest news with #BlumeVentures
Business Standard
02-06-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
150+ Venture Capitalists and Investors participate in Masters' Union Demo Day 2025
PNN Gurugram (Haryana) [India], June 2: Over 150 venture capital firms and angel investors participated in Masters' Union Demo Day 2025, held this weekend at DLF Cyberpark in Gurugram, making it India's largest student startup showcase by investor turnout. Top firms in attendance included Blume Ventures, JSW Ventures, IvyCap Ventures, 3one4 Capital, Aavishkaar Capital, and Gaja Capital, reflecting the growing investor interest in student-led innovation and founder-first education models. * India's top early-stage VC firms including Blume Ventures, JSW Ventures, IvyCap Ventures, 3one4 Capital, Aavishkaar Capital, Gaja Capital participated in the event * Masters' Union has supported 80+ startups since inception through their Venture Initiation Programme (VIP) * In the past year alone, 10 startups incubated under VIP have raised over Rs. 22 crore in external funding, with a combined annual revenue of Rs. 35 crore in FY25 Fifteen ventures were selected to present at the event. These startups spanned sectors including AI, Web3, crypto analytics, FMCG, mobile gaming, and lab-grown diamonds. Most had already achieved early traction through customer pilots, revenues, or previous angel rounds, and were now seeking institutional capital. They were incubated under Masters' Union's Venture Initiation Programme (VIP) - a year-long, curriculum-integrated startup building track. VIP is designed to help students go from idea to institutionally fundable businesses by graduation, offering access to mentors, investors, product advisors, and operating founders. Since its inception, the programme has supported over 80 ventures, many of which have gone on to raise funding and build early traction before graduation. "With our Venture Initiation Programme (VIP), our goal is to build the most credible campus-to-capital pipeline in India", said Pratham Mittal, Founder, Masters' Union. "This year's participation by almost all of India's leading early stage VCs reflects how student-led businesses are being taken seriously by the market. VIP is now producing investable ventures, not just experiments." Masters' Union's VIP is steadily gaining visibility among early-stage investors evaluating founder-led ventures emerging from academic environments. In the past year alone, 10 startups incubated under VIP have raised over Rs. 22 crore in external funding, with a combined annual revenue of Rs. 35 crore in FY25, reflecting a capital efficiency of more than 2X. The current cohort is expected to follow a similar trajectory, given the quality of early traction already visible across several ventures. Notable startups to have emerged from VIP include PlaySuper, is a real-money fantasy gaming and social competition platform raised Rs. 13.61 crore from the likes of Nazara Technologies and Chimera VC; SeedsAI, an AI-powered tool that helps startups ideate, validate, and build MVPs faster using generative technology raised Rs. 1.7 crores and Blue Brew, an Indian fashion label focused on well-fitted, timeless denim made for Indian body types has raised Rs. 36 lakhs. All of which have secured institutional rounds post-graduation. Divya Gupta - Director of Investments, Aavishkaar Capital said, "I came in expecting student projects, but left blown away by real businesses, some already profitable, all built by students yet to graduate. The clarity, ambition and execution were exceptional. This is what hands-on business education should look like. Hats off to Masters' Union for enabling it" Shishir Maheshwari, Managing Director, Eversource Capital said, "A fantastic platform for early-stage startups to connect with serious capital. The quality of ventures and the level of investor engagement at Demo Day was on par with some of the best early-stage ecosystems we've seen." Parth Agarwal, founder and CEO of Cryptique said, "When we joined Masters' Union, we came with an idea and curiosity. What we didn't expect was the level of hands-on support - from refining the product, getting in front of customers, to access to investors we would have struggled to reach otherwise. The VIP programme helped us pressure-test the business in real conditions. The feedback, capital, and interest we received validated everything we have been building over the past year." Ishan Goyal, co-founder of JoyZee said, "Building JoyZee at Masters' Union has been nothing short of transformative. The access to mentors, early users, and constant feedback helped us sharpen our proposition quickly. Demo Day gave us the rare opportunity to pitch to India's top investors while still being students that kind of exposure is hard to find elsewhere." (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
Entrepreneur
15-05-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
WhiteHat Jr Founder Karan Bajaj Launches Healthtech Venture Complement 1 with USD 16 Mn Round
The seed round was led by Owl Ventures and Blume Ventures, marking a strong vote of confidence in Complement 1's mission to personalise cancer care through lifestyle medicine. You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. Karan Bajaj, co-founder of WhiteHat Jr, has launched his latest venture, Complement 1, a healthtech startup focused on integrating personalised lifestyle medicine into cancer care. Emerging from stealth, the startup has secured USD 16 million in seed funding led by Owl Ventures and Blume Ventures. Complement 1 has introduced what it calls the first tech-enabled, clinically validated lifestyle modification platform tailored for cancer patients and high-risk individuals. The platform delivers personalised, daily guidance through one-on-one support from "CoActive Coaches," focusing on evidence-based interventions such as nutrition, physical activity, and stress management. "Lifestyle change is one of the most powerful yet underused tools in cancer care," said Karan Bajaj, CEO and Co-founder of Complement 1. "Every oncologist will tell you patients need more support incorporating clinically recommended physical activity, nutrition, and mind-body practices. We've cracked the code on daily engagement with personalised, compassionate coaching—helping patients make meaningful, lasting improvements during and beyond treatment." The platform leverages data from multiple meta-analyses demonstrating the impact of behavioural interventions on cancer outcomes. According to Complement 1, its clinical trials reveal users experienced 37% fewer treatment side effects, 18% less pain, and 27% better sleep, with over 90% adherence rates. It also claims to reduce cancer-related healthcare costs by up to 30% for health plans, employers, and care providers. Research shared by the company highlights that nearly one in two Americans will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. Lifestyle modifications, it says, can cut cancer recurrence by 35% and mortality by 37%, while enhancing overall quality of life. The fresh funding will be channelled into further developing and scaling the platform, with the mission to fill a critical gap in conventional cancer treatment by offering holistic, lifestyle-based, evidence-backed support. Bajaj previously founded WhiteHat Jr in 2018, which was acquired by BYJU'S for USD 300 million in 2020. After leading BYJU'S international division post-acquisition, he stepped down in August 2021. Complement 1 marks his return to entrepreneurship, this time with a healthcare focus.
Time of India
05-05-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
Battery tech startup Volt14 raises $1.87 million from Blume Ventures, others
Battery technology developer Volt14 said on Monday it has raised $1.87 million in a funding round led by Blume Ventures . #Pahalgam Terrorist Attack Inside Operation Tupac: Pakistan's secret project to burn Kashmir Who is Asim Munir, the Zia-style general shaping Pakistan's faith-driven military revival 'Looking for partners, not preachers': India's strong message for EU amid LoC tensions The round also saw participation by Beyond Next Ventures, Spectrum Impact, Supermorpheus and existing investor Cocoon Capital. The company has raised $4.02 million so far. Volt14 said it will utilise the funds to scale up anode manufacturing and strengthen its team. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Tiger got separated from her zookeeper 5 Years Ago. See their reunion! Story To Hear Founded in 2019 by Animesh Kumar Jha, Volt14 develops battery technologies with higher energy density and improvements in cost. The battery tech startup has developed an in-house cylindrical EV-format battery cell with energy density using silicon anode . Silicon industry expert Puneet Gupta, who has over two decades of management experience, joined the company's board of directors in 2024. EV battery industry veteran Yifan Tang, who has been associated with Tesla , Lucid and Seres in the past, has also joined the company as an advisor. Live Events "Volt14's technology delivers a substantial boost to energy density, can leverage installed cell production capacity, and scales efficiently — positioning us strongly for the future," said Jha. Discover the stories of your interest Blockchain 5 Stories Cyber-safety 7 Stories Fintech 9 Stories E-comm 9 Stories ML 8 Stories Edtech 6 Stories The size of the global lithium-ion battery market is expected to surpass $300 billion by 2034 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 15%, says a report by industry research firm Global Markets Insights. According to the International Energy Agency, nearly one out of every five cars sold in 2023 was electric, and the global EV fleet is expected to grow 12-fold by 2035.
Hindustan Times
03-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
The three Indias: Making sense of the great economic divide
What does ultra-high net worth mean? How many are they and how do they live? What of India's poorest? Who are we, as a country, once the slim upper crust has been peeled away? Split three ways The Indus Valley Annual Report 2025, published by venture capital firm Blume Ventures, divides India into three categories: India 1, representing the wealthiest 10% of the population; India 2, representing the middle 23%; and the vast swathe of India 3. * ₹12.80 lakh Ranked on its own as a country, India 1 would have a population of 140 million spread across 30 million households, and would be the 10th-largest country in the world. Its per capita income would stand at $15,000 (about ₹12.80 lakh). This would place it at 63rd position on the list of countries by per capita income For perspective, Oman, which is at 54 on the real list, has a per capita income of $20,000. * ₹2.55 lakh India 2 or the 'aspirant class', consisting of about 23% of the population, would be made up of 70 million households and 300 million people, and would have a per capita income of $3,000 (about ₹2.55 lakh). * ₹85,000 India 3 would consist of 1 billion people across 205 million households, the entire 'bottom' 67% of the economy. Per capita income here stands at $1,000 (about ₹85,000). * ₹2.12 lakh How badly do averages skew perception? In 2023, India's average per capita income was placed at $2,500, or about ₹2.12 lakh. . Who are the wealthiest? * 3.7% of the world's HNI individuals are Indian citizens, according to the Knight Frank Wealth Report 2025, released in March. They define HNI as a net worth of $10 million or more. * 85,698 people Indians met this mark, according to the Knight Frank report. * 3rd India is third on the list of countries with the wealthiest billionaires. Indian billionaires collectively hold an estimated $950 billion in wealth, coming in immediately after the US ($5.7 trillion) and Mainland China ($1.34 trillion). * 191 is the number of billionaires in India, as of 2025, according to the Knight Frank report * 26 of these billionaires joined the ranks over the financial year 2023-24 alone. A big jump from seven new billionaires in 2019 . How do they spend? * Jewellery beats all other collectibles among India's super-rich, according to the Top of the Pyramid report released by Kotak Private Banking in association with the financial consultancy Ernst & Young, in March. * 94% of the 150 ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNIs) surveyed said they invest in jewellery. Art came in second, with interest from 73%. (For the purposes of this survey, UHNI was defined as people with a net worth of $30 million or more.) * About 7% of UHNI expenses were allocated for foreign travel. On the list of must-have were luxury stays in historic or brag-worthy properties such as castles, chateaux and underwater hotels. * 20% of UHNIs surveyed were either planning to or were in the process of moving to another country while retaining their Indian citizenship. About 65% of these were aiming for the US, with another 32% aiming for the UK. . Meanwhile… at the other end of the spectrum 37.9% of households in India own a refrigerator 23.7% own an air conditioner or cooler 18% own a washing machine According to the India National Family Health Survey 5 (2019-2021), the last year for which such data is available.
Saudi Gazette
26-02-2025
- Business
- Saudi Gazette
A billion Indians have no spending money, says report
MUMBAI — India is home to 1.4 billion people but around a billion lack money to spend on any discretionary goods or services, a new report estimates. The country's consuming class, effectively the potential market for start-ups or business owners, is only about as big as Mexico, 130-140 million people, according to the report from Blume Ventures, a venture capital firm. Another 300 million are "emerging" or "aspirant" consumers but they are reluctant spenders who have only just begun to open their purse strings, as click-of-a-button digital payments make it easy to transact. What is more, the consuming class in Asia's third largest economy is not "widening" as much as it is "deepening", according to the report. That basically means India's wealthy population is not really growing in numbers, even though those who are already rich are getting even wealthier. All of this is shaping the country's consumer market in distinct ways, particularly accelerating the trend of "premiumization" where brands drive growth by doubling down on expensive, upgraded products catering to the wealthy, rather than focusing on mass-market offerings. This is evident in zooming sales of ultra-luxury gated housing and premium phones, even as their lower-end variants struggle. Affordable homes now constitute just 18% of India's overall market compared with 40% five years ago. Branded goods are also capturing a bigger share of the market. And the "experience economy" is booming, with expensive tickets for concerts by international artists like Coldplay and Ed Sheeran selling like hot cakes. Companies that have adapted to these shifts have thrived, Sajith Pai, one of the report's authors, told the BBC. "Those who are too focused at the mass end or have a product mix that doesn't have exposure to the premium end have lost market share." The report's findings bolster the long-held view that India's post-pandemic recovery has been K-shaped — where the rich have got richer, while the poor have lost purchasing power. In fact, this has been a long-term structural trend that began even before the pandemic. India has been getting increasingly more unequal, with the top 10% of Indians now holding 57.7% of national income compared with 34% in 1990. The bottom half have seen their share of national income fall from 22.2% to 15%. The latest consumption slump, however, has deepened amid not just a destruction in purchasing power, but also a precipitous drop in financial savings and surging indebtedness among the masses. The country's central bank has also cracked down on easy unsecured lending that propped up demand after the Covid pandemic. Much of the consumption spending of the "emerging" or "aspirant" class of Indians was led by such borrowing and "turning off that tap will definitely have some impact on consumption", says Pai. In the short run, two things are expected to help boost spending — a pick-up in rural demand on the back of a record harvest and a $12 billion tax give-away in the recently concluded budget. It will not be "dramatic" but could boost India's GDP — largely driven by consumption — by over half a percent, says Pai. But major longer-term headwinds remain. India's middle class — which has been a major engine for consumer demand — is being squeezed out, with wages pretty much staying flat, according to data compiled by Marcellus Investment Managers. "The middle 50% of India's tax-paying population has seen its income stagnate in absolute terms over the past decade. This implies a halving of income in real terms [adjusted for inflation]," says the report, published in January. "This financial hammering has decimated the middle class's savings — the RBI [Reserve Bank of India] has repeatedly highlighted that net financial savings of Indian households are approaching a 50-year low. This pounding suggests that products and services associated with middle-class household spending are likely to face a rough time in the years ahead," it adds. The Marcellus report also points out that white-collar urban jobs are becoming harder to come by as artificial intelligence automates clerical, secretarial and other routine work. "The number of supervisors employed in manufacturing units [as a percentage of all employed] in India has gone down significantly," it adds. The government's recent economic survey has flagged these concerns as well. It says labor displacement as a result of these technological advancements is of particular concern for a mainly services-driven economy like India, where a significant share of the IT workforce is employed in low value-added services sectors that are most prone to disruption. "India is also a consumption-based economy, thus the fall in consumption that can result from the displacement of its workforce is bound to have macroeconomic implications. If the worst-case projections materialize, this could have the potential to set the country's economic growth trajectory off course," the survey says. — BBC
