Latest news with #Web3-focused
Economic Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Economic Times
Darwinbox eyes OTPP purse; Middle East calling for Indian startups
Happy Thursday! Darwinbox is looking to tap Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan for fresh capital. This and more in today's ETtech Morning Dispatch. Also in the letter: ■ Amber's Mysuru plant ■ Infosys' AI centre■ Kaynes Sanand OSAT Canada's OTPP in talks to invest in Darwinbox; valuation may hit $1 billion: Sources (L-R) Jayant Paleti, Chaitanya Peddi and Rohit Chennamaneni, cofounders, Darwinbox Canadian pension giant Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (OTPP) is on the verge of snapping up a stake in the human resources SaaS unicorn Darwinbox. Deal details: The $50-million transaction is mainly a secondary sale. The company is likely to be valued at over $1 billion on a blended basis, taking in account the pricing from both primary and secondary share transactions. Peak XV Partners, an early backer, will trim its stake, pocketing a tenfold return on its initial bet. Funding history: Darwinbox was last valued at $1 billion in 2022, following a $72 million funding round led by Netflix-backer TCV. In March this year, it raised $140 million, almost entirely via secondary sales. That round brought private equity majors KKR and Partners Group onto its cap table, while Lightspeed and a few early investors partially cashed out. Zoom out: Darwinbox is one of OTPP's big HR-SaaS investments in the Asia-Pacific region. In July 2024, it co-led, alongside KKR, a $140-million funding round in Japan's in Darwinbox has surged since the March round, a person familiar with the matter told us. The company is now closing in on $100 million in annualised recurring revenue, a key milestone. SuperGaming raises $15 million in fresh funding at five times higher valuation Roby John, cofounder, SuperGaming Pune-based gaming company SuperGaming has bagged $15 million in a funding round led by existing investors Skycatcher and Steadview Capital, catapulting its valuation to $100 million. Deal details: The round combines fresh capital with bridge investments made since its last raise of $5.5 million in October 2021. The company was then valued at around $21 million, founder Roby John told us. Global gaming and Web3-focused funds, including a16z's Speedrun, Bandai Namco's 021 Fund, and Polygon Ventures, also participated. Fashion brand Outzidr nets $3.1 million in fresh round (L-R) Justin Mario, Nirmal Jain, Manikant Mani, cofounders, Outzidr Gen Z women-focused fashion brand Outzidr has secured $3.1 million in funding led by early-stage venture capital firm RTP Global. Existing investor Stellaris Venture Partners also participated in the latest round. The funds will be used for expansion, opening offline stores, and initiating quick deliveries. Also Read: Spacetech startup Xovian raises $2.5 million to build radio frequency satellites Middle East new stomping ground for Indian venture funds, startups Venture capital firms and startups from the country are setting their sights on the Middle East, as the region looks to shed its old image as a land of oil rigs and pipelines. Tell me more: Stellaris Venture Partners and Blume Ventures have tapped Middle Eastern money for fresh funds. Other VC firms, including Ideaspring Capital and Java Capital, are scouting for deals. Early-stage venture fund 100Unicorns picked Abu Dhabi for its first global foray in December 2024, while cricketer Shikhar Dhawan's VC arm, Yashaa Global Capital, already made the emirate its base. Shoring up: Indian startups are also building a presence. Beauty retailer Nykaa runs UAE subsidiaries, and fintech player InCred snapped up Dubai-based Arrow Capital. Number-wise: Indian startups raised about $200 million from Middle Eastern investors in 2024, according to Venture Intelligence. They now make up nearly 30% of Dubai's tech startup community, ET reported earlier. But why? The pull is clear. Dubai International Finance Centre provides credibility and access to regional capital. Golden visas and a low-tax regime sweeten the deal. Add to that substantial investments in AI infrastructure, and the Gulf is becoming a natural hub for Indian startups specialising in deeptech, financial services, AI, and even cryptocurrency. In other words, the desert, it seems, is no longer barren for India's venture playbook. Sponsor ETtech Top 5 & Morning Dispatch! Why it matters: ETtech Top 5 and Morning Dispatch are must-reads for India's tech and business leaders, including startup founders, investors, policy makers, industry insiders and employees. The opportunity: Reach a highly engaged audience of decision-makers. Boost your brand's visibility among the tech-savvy community. Custom sponsorship options to align with your brand's goals. What's next: Interested? Reach out to us at spotlightpartner@ to explore sponsorship opportunities. Amber Enterprises earmarks Rs 900 crore chest for Mysuru plant Electronics maker Amber Enterprises is planning to set up a new copper laminate plant in Mysuru. Driving the news: Amber intends to invest Rs 800–900 crore in the new plant. The company has applied under MeitY's electronic component manufacturing scheme, with the deadline extended until September. The company is evaluating the viability of the plant. Tell me more: This initiative aims to boost domestic production of electronic components and sub-assemblies, thereby positioning India as a key player in the global electronics value is already building a Rs 3,200-crore electronics manufacturing plant near the upcoming international airport at Jewar, Uttar Pradesh. Keeping Count Other Top Stories By Our Reporters Infosys opens AI, cybersecurity and spacetech centre in Hubballi: Part of 'Infosys Living Labs', the newly opened centre is a network of over a dozen established centres worldwide designed to help clients accelerate innovation and leverage emerging technologies. Kaynes' Sanand semicon unit to be operational by December: The Rs 3,307-crore outsourced semiconductor assembly and testing (OSAT) plant will deliver the first sample by September 15 and start operations by December, said chief executive Raghu Panicker. The clean room has been established, and equipment and raw materials are arriving, he added. Global Picks We Are Reading ■ Hackers hijacked Google's Gemini AI with a poisoned calendar invite to take over a smart home (Wired) ■ AI could turn your town nuclear (The Verge) ■ Google's AI coding agent Jules is now out of beta (Techcrunch) Updated On Aug 07, 2025, 07:55 AM IST
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Darwinbox eyes OTPP purse; Middle East calling for Indian startups
Darwinbox eyes OTPP purse; Middle East calling for Indian startups Also in the letter: Canada's OTPP in talks to invest in Darwinbox; valuation may hit $1 billion: Sources Deal details: The $50-million transaction is mainly a secondary sale. The company is likely to be valued at over $1 billion on a blended basis, taking in account the pricing from both primary and secondary share transactions. Peak XV Partners, an early backer, will trim its stake, pocketing a tenfold return on its initial bet. Funding history: Darwinbox was last valued at $1 billion in 2022, following a $72 million funding round led by Netflix-backer TCV. In March this year, it raised $140 million, almost entirely via secondary sales. That round brought private equity majors KKR and Partners Group onto its cap table, while Lightspeed and a few early investors partially cashed out. Zoom out: SuperGaming raises $15 million in fresh funding at five times higher valuation Deal details: The round combines fresh capital with bridge investments made since its last raise of $5.5 million in October 2021. The company was then valued at around $21 million, founder Roby John told us. Global gaming and Web3-focused funds, including a16z's Speedrun, Bandai Namco's 021 Fund, and Polygon Ventures, also participated. Fashion brand Outzidr nets $3.1 million in fresh round Also Read: Middle East new stomping ground for Indian venture funds, startups Tell me more: Stellaris Venture Partners and Blume Ventures have tapped Middle Eastern money for fresh funds. Other VC firms, including Ideaspring Capital and Java Capital, are scouting for deals. Early-stage venture fund 100Unicorns picked Abu Dhabi for its first global foray in December 2024, while cricketer Shikhar Dhawan's VC arm, Yashaa Global Capital, already made the emirate its base. Shoring up: Number-wise: But why? Sponsor ETtech Top 5 & Morning Dispatch! Why it matters: The opportunity: Reach a highly engaged audience of decision-makers. Boost your brand's visibility among the tech-savvy community. Custom sponsorship options to align with your brand's goals. What's next: Amber Enterprises earmarks Rs 900 crore chest for Mysuru plant Driving the news: Amber intends to invest Rs 800–900 crore in the new plant. The company has applied under MeitY's electronic component manufacturing scheme, with the deadline extended until September. The company is evaluating the viability of the plant. Tell me more: Keeping Count Other Top Stories Infosys opens AI, cybersecurity and spacetech centre in Hubballi: Kaynes' Sanand semicon unit to be operational by December: Global Picks We Are Reading Happy Thursday! Darwinbox is looking to tap Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan for fresh capital. This and more in today's ETtech Morning Dispatch.■ Amber's Mysuru plant■ Infosys' AI centre■ Kaynes Sanand OSAT(L-R) Rohit Chennamaneni, Chaitanya Peddi, Jayant Paleti and Vineet Singh, cofounders, DarwinboxCanadian pension giant Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (OTPP) is on the verge of snapping up a stake in the human resources SaaS unicorn is one of OTPP's high-conviction HR-SaaS plays in the Asia-Pacific. In July 2024, it co-led, alongside KKR, a $140-million funding round in Japan's in Darwinbox has surged since the March round, a person familiar with the matter told us. The company is now closing in on $100 million in annualised recurring revenue, a key John, cofounder, SuperGamingPune-based gaming company SuperGaming has bagged $15 million in a funding round led by existing investors Skycatcher and Steadview Capital, catapulting its valuation to $100 million.(L-R) Justin Mario, Nirmal Jain, Manikant Mani, cofounders, OutzidrGen Z women-focused fashion brand Outzidr has secured $3.1 million in funding led by early-stage venture capital firm RTP Global. Existing investor Stellaris Venture Partners also participated in the latest funds will be used for expansion, opening offline stores, and initiating quick capital firms and startups from the country are setting their sights on the Middle East , as the region looks to shed its old image as a land of oil rigs and startups are also building a presence. Beauty retailer Nykaa runs UAE subsidiaries, and fintech player InCred snapped up Dubai-based Arrow startups raised about $200 million from Middle Eastern investors in 2024, according to Venture now make up nearly 30% of Dubai's tech startup community , ET reported pull is clear. Dubai International Finance Centre provides credibility and access to regional capital. Golden visas and a low-tax regime sweeten the deal. Add to that substantial investments in AI infrastructure, and the Gulf is becoming a natural hub for Indian startups specialising in deeptech, financial services, AI, and even other words, the desert, it seems, is no longer barren for India's venture Top 5 and Morning Dispatch are must-reads for India's tech and business leaders, including startup founders, investors, policy makers, industry insiders and Reach out to us at spotlightpartner@ to explore sponsorship maker Amber Enterprises is planning to set up a new copper laminate plant in initiative aims to boost domestic production of electronic components and sub-assemblies, thereby positioning India as a key player in the global electronics value is already building a Rs 3,200-crore electronics manufacturing plant near the upcoming international airport at Jewar, Uttar of 'Infosys Living Labs', the newly opened centre is a network of over a dozen established centres worldwide designed to help clients accelerate innovation and leverage emerging Rs 3,307-crore outsourced semiconductor assembly and testing (OSAT) plant will deliver the first sample by September 15 and start operations by December , said chief executive Raghu Panicker. The clean room has been established, and equipment and raw materials are arriving, he added.■ Hackers hijacked Google's Gemini AI with a poisoned calendar invite to take over a smart home ( Wired ■ AI could turn your town nuclear ( The Verge ■ Google's AI coding agent Jules is now out of beta ( Techcrunch
Mid East Info
03-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Mid East Info
Viu collaborates with Azuki to expand Web3-focused initiatives - Middle East Business News and Information
United Arab Emirates, 3 April 2025 – Viu, PCCW's leading pan-regional OTT video streaming service, today announced its collaboration with Azuki, a global innovator in anime-driven decentralised IP and fan engagement,expanding its Web3-focused initiatives. Streaming on Viu: Azuki's three-part series, Enter the Garden The initiative kicks off this April with Viu streaming Enter the Garden on its platform. Created by Azuki in collaboration with renowned creative producer Goro Taniguchi ( Code Geass , One Piece Film: Red ), the acclaimed anthology showcases powerful storytelling and stunning visuals for Web3 and anime fans. Lofai Lo, COO, Viu, said, 'We are thrilled to embark on this journey with Azuki, whose strong digital presence opens doors for Viu to interact with a new generation of highly participatory viewers. By connecting our entertainment services with the dynamic Web3 ecosystem, we are catering to the evolving preference of today's audiences.' Alex 'Zagabond' Xu, CEO, Azuki, added, 'Collaborating with Viu amplifies Azuki's presence, introducing Enter the Garden to Viu's vast global audience across 16 markets.' The second episode is also now available on Viu, Enter the Garden: Fractured Reflections , showcases the artistry of an esteemed creative team, including Director Yukio Takatsu ( NARUTO Shippuden , BAKEMONOGATARI ) , Kazuto Nakazawa ( Samurai Champloo and Kill Bill (Animation Part) ) and Series Composer Taku Kishimoto ( HAIKYU!! (2014~2020/Series Composition, Screenplay) and BLUELOCK ). Viu expands creative engagement on TN7 As part of its broader content strategy to embrace innovative storytelling and engage new audiences, Viu will feature three of Azuki's community NFTs in a spin-off digital comic. It will soon be available on TN7, a new content universe anchored by Viu's first digital comic series where fans can contribute their own creations, fostering new forms of viewer participation. Exclusive giveaway for community followers To celebrate the collaboration, Viu is hosting a giveaway. Fans can simply follow Azuki, Viu Singapore and TN7 on their X accounts, retweet the giveaway post and tag friends in the retweet for a chance to win highly sought-after Azuki merchandise, including a Twin Tigers Jacket (shown above), and a unique TN7 Digital Pack.
