Airtel’s giving Wynk Music the final wink👋🏻
Zomato to allow reselling of tickets, Browserstack acquires Bird Eats Bug, VerSe acquires Valueleaf, Funding Deals and more.
Good morning and welcome to Wednesday’s edition of Rise & Shine!
“End is not the end if fact E.N.D. Means ‘Efforts Never Dies.’”
— Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
Today’s thought-provoking quote offers an inspiring reinterpretation of the word "end," encouraging us to see it as a beginning rather than a conclusion.
The "end" is not a signal to stop, but rather a prompt to persevere and continue our endeavors in new and innovative ways.
Tech Updates
Airtel to shut down music streaming app Wynk Music
Bharti Airtel is pulling the plug on its music streaming app, Wynk Music. The group will absorb all employees working with the streaming service. The report of Wynk shutting down comes on a day when Airtel announced a partnership with Apple to provide access to Apple Music with special offers to its customers who use iPhone.
Zomato to allow reselling of event tickets bought from its app
Food delivery major Zomato on Tuesday announced the launch of a secondary market for event ticketing on its platform. Called ‘Book Now, Sell Anytime’, the feature allows users who have purchased event tickets from Zomato to sell their tickets on the app. It will go live on September 30, with bookings opening up for Zomato’s Feeding India Concert, which is being headlined by pop singer Dua Lipa.
SaaS unicorn Browserstack acquires Berlin-based startup Bird Eats Bug
Accel-backed mobile and web software testing platform Browserstack has acquired Berlin-based bug reporting startup Bird Eats Bug in a $20-million deal. Valued at $4 billion when it last raised capital in 2021, Browserstack is among the most valued Indian software products startups.
DailyHunt parent VerSe acquires digital marketing solutions firm Valueleaf
VerSe Innovation, the parent firm of online news aggregator DailyHunt and short-video platform Josh, said on Tuesday that it acquired digital marketing solutions firm Valueleaf Group.
Funding Deals
Data analytics firm Finarkein Analytics has raised $4.75 million in a funding round led by Nexus Venture Partners. Existing investors IIFL’s Fintech Fund and Eximius Ventures also participated in the round, along with angel investors like Nitin Gupta of Uni and Chirag Jain of Ashika Group.
Edtech platform Kreedo has raised $4 million in Series A funding round co-led by Singapore-based Heritas Capital and existing investor UBS Optimus Foundation. The round also saw participation from other existing investors such as Gray Matters Capital, 1Crowd, The Chennai Angels, The Joka Angel Network, and others.
Plutos ONE, a technical service provider (TSP) for the Bharat Bill Payments System (BBPS), has secured $2 million in a seed round led by StartupXseed. The round also witnessed participation from Genesia Ventures, Auxano Capital, Raghuvanshi Investments and other investors.
Quick service restaurant (QSR) chain 99 Pancakes has secured Rs 20 crore ($2.4 million) in a Series A funding round from a family office.
Deeptech startup DeepMatrix has raised $1.6 million in a pre-Series A funding round co-led by YourNest and Arali Ventures along with participation from lead angels and Tracxn founder Abhishek Goyal.
The family office of Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan has picked up a minority stake in public markets-bound Swiggy. Motilal Oswal Financial Services chairman Raamdeo Agrawal has also acquired a stake in Swiggy.
💡 Short Story: The Unstoppable Innovator
Maya, a dedicated scientist, faced the end of her project after years of research when the funding was unexpectedly cut. Initially disheartened, she remembered Dr. Kalam’s words and saw this "end" as an opportunity to evolve her work.
She reached out to other researchers and shared her findings, sparking interest in new collaborations and ideas that extended her research in directions she had not previously considered.
These new partnerships didn't just revive her project; they expanded it, leading to breakthroughs in areas Maya had never planned to explore.
The supposed "end" of her initial efforts became the foundation for a vibrant, interdisciplinary venture that would not have been possible had she accepted defeat.
Tweet of the day🐥
Today, if you face what seems like an ending, remember Dr. Kalam’s redefinition of E.N.D. Use it as a moment to recharge your efforts and push forward with renewed vigor.
Rise & Shine is here to inspire you to see every ending as a new beginning, filled with potential and opportunities.
Have a persistent and hopeful Wednesday!
Thanks for reading till the end!