MobiKwik rally extends to 2nd day📈
Ixigo takes on MMT, Velocity earmarks Rs 200 Cr for F&B, UPI One World to go live soon, Funding Deals and more.
Good morning and welcome to Thursday’s edition of Rise & Shine!
"Don’t let perfection become procrastination. Do the best you can right now."
— Gretchen Rubin
Today, Gretchen Rubin’s words remind us that striving for perfection can often hold us back. The key to progress is to take action, even if it’s not flawless.
Perfection is elusive, but consistent action moves us forward.
Tech Updates
MobiKwik shares skyrocket 14%, rally extends to second day
Shares of One MobiKwik Systems skyrocketed 14% in early trading today to a high of Rs 605 on the BSE, having surged 37% in two days after posting strong listing gains on Wednesday. Meanwhile, from its upper price band of Rs 279, the stock has already posted returns of 117%.
Ixigo takes on MMT with trip guarantee feature for train travelers
Full-stack online travel aggregator (OTA) Ixigo has launched a travel guarantee feature for train travelers, positioning itself as a direct competitor to its arch-rival, MakeMyTrip. The Gurugram-based company claims that its new feature provides a 3X refund (1X ticket refund and 2X wallet refund) if a traveler’s waitlisted PNR fails to confirm.
Velocity earmarks Rs 200 Cr for restaurant and cloud kitchen brands
Cash-flow-based financing platform Velocity has earmarked Rs 200 crore in 2025 to support and accelerate growth in the restaurant and cloud kitchen ecosystem across India. The fund is designed to address the unique challenges faced by F&B brands and help them grow. It eliminates the hassles often encountered by F&B brands struggling to secure financing from traditional sources like banks and NBFCs.
Not just for merchant pay, UPI One World to soon go personal
UPI One World was launched with much fanfare during the G20 summit last year and in June 2024 it was extended to travellers coming in from almost every country. Industry sources say that UPI One World, which is only available for transactions at merchant locations now, could be opened up for peer-to-peer (P2P) payments sometime early next year. This move is being seriously considered by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
Funding Deals
Risk intelligence platform Bureau has raised $30 million in Series B funding, led by Sorenson Capital. The round also witnessed participation from PayPal Ventures, along with existing investors including Commerce Ventures, GMO Venture Partners, Village Global, Quona Capital, and XYZ Ventures.
Bizom, a retail intelligence platform that optimizes distribution processes for retail brands, has raised $12 million in its Series B round led by Pavestone, which contributed $7.5 million, alongside participation from IndiaMART, an existing investor, and other family offices.
Supply chain fintech startup QuiD Cash has raised $4.5 million (around Rs 38.23 crore) in its pre-Series A round from a host of angel investors, including Piyush Jain and existing backer MINTCAP.
Rooftop solar startup Zunroof has raised Rs 20 crore (approximately $2.3 million) from ANBG Enterprise LLP (Godrej Family Office) and with a small contribution from Ravindernath Chadha.
Photonic quantum technology startup Quanfluence has raised $2 million in a seed funding round led by pi Ventures, along with participation from Golden Sparrow, Reena Dayal, and others.
Fintech platform Curie Money has secured $1.2 million in a seed funding round led by India Quotient, with participation from institutional investors and angel investors.
📄 Short Story: The First Draft Success
Lila, a budding author, spent months rewriting the first chapter of her novel, trying to make it perfect. Frustrated by her lack of progress, she decided to shift her mindset and just write the entire draft, no matter how imperfect.
By the end of the process, she not only finished her novel but also discovered the clarity to refine her work further. Lila learned that taking action was far more valuable than waiting for perfection.
Tweet of the day🐥
Today, focus on what you can do with the time and resources you have right now. Don’t let the pursuit of perfection delay your progress.
Rise & Shine reminds you that small, imperfect steps still move you closer to your goals.
Have a proactive and progress-filled Thursday!
Thanks for reading till the end!