In a move to bolster the startup ecosystem in Tamil Nadu, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Minister T.M. Anbarasan unveiled Smart Cards for startups on Wednesday. This initiative, spearheaded by the Tamil Nadu Startup and Innovation Mission (StartupTN), aims to provide crucial support to budding entrepreneurs.

Attentive, an AI based SaaS startup, has bagged $7 million in its Series A funding round led by Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia and India, with participation from existing investors Peak XV Partners and InfoEdge Ventures. Tenacity Ventures will also come onboard the cap table through a secondary investment, the firm said.

SaaS startup Attentive, an artificial intelligence (AI)-based commercial landscape and construction software provider, has raised $7 million in a funding round led by Singapore-based venture capital firm Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia and India.

At a time when the future of Paytm s payments business is being questioned due to a regulatory crisis, sources say that the fintech major is putting the finishing touches to a deal to acquire Bitsila, an interoperable ecommerce startup. Bengaluru based Bitsila is currently the third largest seller side platform by transactions on the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), sources said.

As leaders worldwide discuss the importance of measuring ROI on data, compute, and talent, alongside balancing innovation with environmental and ethical considerations, NTLF 2024 will delve into how AI is revolutionizing industries, emphasizing the need for businesses to adapt to significant changes and adopt AI across various sectors swiftly.

Tamil Nadu s startup ecosystem has grown exponentially since the DMK came to power, MSME minister T M Anbarasan said on Wednesday in the last two years, the number of registered startups in TN has increased from around 2,300 to more than 7,600, and more than 50% of these are women led, he said at an event to launch a slew of initiatives by StartupTN

Varanium Capital is a global asset management firm which has USD 1.4 billion in AUM. It has a FinTech focused fund and has so far invested in 14 startups, including the likes of Easebuzz, Bharat Housing Network, GetVantage, Riskcovry, and Finvu.

In 2023, the capital scarcity posed significant challenges for the Indian startup scene as well, impeding the money raised by cutting edge tech companies and delaying the opening of new businesses. Startup funding reached a seven year low in 2023 and fell back to levels seen in 2017.

The Innovation Fund announced in the interim budget could be a potential gamechanger for the innovation ecosystem in India. Such enablers are critical, as only 4.3% of private sector firms in India spend on research and development (R&D), which is low compared to the world average of 14% (World Bank data).

The Make in India initiative in space technology is a strategic approach to boost domestic manufacturing, innovation, and self-reliance in the space sector. The self-reliance in space technology caters to both the upstream and downstream sector.

In a testament to the burgeoning potential of India s travel industry, Kolkata based startup Ease My Vacations has secured a significant boost with a USD 3 million seed funding round. Founded in 2021 by Ved Anand and Cofounder Kaushal Kashyap, the company has rapidly gained traction in the competitive travel market with its innovative approach and customer centric services.

According to an official release, the Karnataka tech startup ecosystem holds the first position in India in terms of overall funding to date and in 2023. The state is believed to have a startup ecosystem, with more than 18,000 startups, and is also home to 39% of the unicorn companies in the country.

The Karnataka government on February 8 conducted a consultation meeting to discuss its proposal for a Knowledge, Healthcare, Innovation, and Research (KHIR) city. Karnataka s major industry and infrastructure development minister MB Patil reviewed a presentation prepared by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) on the design of the proposed KHIRCity.

The startup funding for the latest week ended January 26, 2024, soared by 25 per cent on a week-on-week basis, marking the third consecutive week with funding exceeding USD 100 million. While this surge reflects an 8.97 per cent increase compared to the average of the last 5 weeks.

Microsoft Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella said that the Indian developers are making a major impact in accelerating Artificial Intelligence (AI) innovation globally. He said that the next generation of AI is changing how and what developers build everywhere, including in India.

Neodocs, a health technology startup that makes smartphone-based test kits, has raised Rs 16.6 crore ($2 million) in a seed funding round led by Omidyar Network India. Neodocs said it will use the funding to enter international markets after two years of operating in stealth mode.

From helping her single parent mother running a food truck India on Wheels in Pittsburgh to launching a tech startup after completing her education from the Oxford University, Indian American Bhavini Patel is now running for US House of Representatives.

AI Carpal Tunnel syndrome (CTS) is one such technology that is developed by the Neurology Department which is poised to revolutionize nerve ultrasound diagnostics. This technology redefines, diagnoses, and screens efficiently. It can identify the median nerve in ultrasound videos and detect CTS with the highest accuracy (95%) marking a significant leap in healthcare innovation.

Effective human resources management is the orchestra conductor of a company s success, harmonizing employee potential with organizational goals. It’s not just about payroll, paperwork, and policies; it’s about fostering a culture of engagement, growth, and wellbeing and building a mentally strong and thriving workforce.

Pandorum Technologies, a Bengaluru based biotech startup to raise USD 8 million (Rs 64.8 crore) in a fresh funding round. The funding will be sourced from renowned investor Ashish Kacholia, Everest Finance and Investment Company (the finance arm of Everest Foods), and other investors, according to media reports.

Attentive, three more startups raise early funding from Khosla Ventures, Vertex, others Mahek Mody, cofounder and CEO, upliance.ai Artificial intelligence (AI)based softwareasaservice (SaaS) startup Attentive, AI based home appliance maker Upliance.ai, hotel chain Grand Continent and healthtech startup Ivory secured early-stage funding, the companies said on Thursday.