Startup news and updates: Daily roundup (February 7, 2025)

From Udemy seeing an uptick in Indian leaders opting for GenAI upskilling to Paytm’s expanding its ESOP pool, YourStory brings you today’s headlines that highlight significant developments across industries.

Featured stories:

Udemy sees surge in learners as Indians opt for GenAI upskilling: CEO Greg Brown

In an interview with YourStory, Udemy’s CEO Greg Brown says the company is traction in upskilling in India for GenAI, soft skills, and leadership.

Brown explains the reason behind the uptick in interest is the need to stay competitive in the job market. This is especially the case in India where more than 65% of the population is under the age of 35, and the need to stay ahead of the herd necessitates upskilling.

It is also leveraging AI to personalise learning and expand regional offerings.

From a viral Instagram page to a streetwear brand, meet Shark Tank-backed Burger Bae

Amidst India’s crowded market for streetwear, Ludhiana-based Burger Bae, a direct-to-consumer (D2C) streetwear brand, is carving its name in the segment with its trendy designs encompassing bold graphics and unique patterns.

The brand has recently secured Rs 2 crore in funding from three Shark Tank India "sharks"—Kunal Bahl, Anupam Mittal, and Aman Gupta.

On Instagram, the brand has garnered a follower community of 260.7K streetwear enthusiasts.

However, Burger Bae was not meant to be a fashion brand; it started as a social media agency,

Career catfishing: Why Gen Z employees are accepting job offers and disappearing

How many times have Millennials and Gen X faced endless rounds of interviews to secure a dream job, only to be ghosted by an employer at the last minute? It feels like déja vu all over again.

While previous generations might have taken these setbacks in stride, the Gen Z is in no mood to take things lying down. Frustrated by the hiring process, they are making their defiance known through ‘career catfishing’—the act of absconding without notice or simply not showing up on the joining date.

About a third (34%) of Gen Zers are opting for this trend, according to a survey of 1,000 UK employees by career resources site, CV Genius.

Latest news:

Paytm grants 1.36 lakh equity shares under ESOP plan

One97 Communications Ltd, the parent company of fintech firm Paytm, has expanded its employee stock option scheme (ESOP), allotting 1,36,528 equity shares to eligible employees.

This move follows an ESOP expansion in January, when 2,03,137 stock options were added to the pool at a face value of Rs 1 per share and an exercise price of Rs 9 per stock option.

Funding news:

TrueFoundry raises $19M in Series A round led by Intel Capital

AI deployment and scaling platform TrueFoundry has raised $19 million in Series A funding led by Intel Capital, with participation from existing investors Eniac Ventures and Peak XV’s Surge 

New investor Jump Capital also joined the round, alongside angel investors including Gokul Rajaram, Mohit Aron, Cyan Banister, and executives from Fortune 1000 companies.

The company will utilise the fresh capital to build a universal platform to build and deploy AI applications without infrastructure hassles, along with team expansion and go-to-market efforts to drive customer acquisition. 

Hiring platform Vahan.ai secures investment from Persol Group

AI-powered hiring platform Vahan.ai on Friday secured an undisclosed investment from Asia-Pacific region based HR services provider Persol Group.

The company will use the newly-raised funds to scale its operations, focus on employment needs in emerging sectors like manufacturing and retail, and spruce up its AI technology.

The investment comes months after Vahan raised $10 million in a Series B round led by Khosla Ventures and participation from Y Combinator, American VC firm Gaingels, and Paytm's Vijay Shekhar Sharma.

Cognida.ai bags $15 M in Series A round led by Nexus Venture Partners

Enterprise AI startup Cognida.ai has raised $15 million in a Series A funding round led by Nexus Venture Partners.

The funding will support the startup’s AI implementation solutions, which have been deployed at over 30 organisations.

Astra Security bags funding led by Emergent Ventures

Security platform Astra Security on Friday raised an undisclosed amount in a growth capital round led by Emergent Ventures.

The round also saw participation from the Neon Fund, Better Capital, Blume Ventures, and PointOne Capital.

Astra Security will use the newly raised funds to accelerate development and build capabilities to uncover vulnerabilities in cloud environments.

The company also plans to double down its focus on using AI to give developers and security engineers the ability to build security detections. Astra Security has been building its platform since 2018 while remaining cash-positive.

LegUp raises Rs 2 crore in pre-seed funding from Bluebridge Capital

Caregiving tech startup LegUp on Friday bagged Rs 2 crore in a pre-Seed funding round from venture capital firm Bluebridge Capital.

This is the startup’s first fundraise since its inception in 2024 and the newly raised funds is expected to help the company enhance its technology and operational capabilities.

Additionally, a portion of these funds will also go towards the development and launch of two of its upcoming mobile apps—a customer-facing app that will facilitate end-users to directly book caregivers and a dedicated app for caregivers to find jobs.

Also Read

Cognida.ai bags $15 M in Series A round led by Nexus Venture Partners

Other news:

Motherson and Sanko Japan partner to provide sustainable packaging solutions

Engineering firm Motherson on Friday entered into a strategic partnership with Sanko Japan to develop reusable and sustainable packaging solutions.

The joint venture will combine Sanko’s engineering expertise with Motherson’s presence across India and Europe to provide sustainable solutions for both automotive and non-automotive industries.

“We are excited to announce that this partnership with Sanko is a strategic, synergistic diversification for our Group. We believe that reimagining packaging as an engineered solution versus a simple commodity can bring immense logistics, cost, and value efficiencies to supply chains. More importantly, we see this collaboration as another way to support our customers in achieving their sustainability goals,” said Vivek Chaand Sehgal, Chairman, Motherson.

Nawgati awarded MeitY Scale-Up grant by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology

Fuel aggregator startup Nawgati on Friday was awarded the MeitY Scale-Up grant under the MeitY Startup Hub by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

The company aims to utilise the newly received grant to strengthen its presence in the fuel infrastructure space.

Nawgati’s system leverages advanced hardware and software integrations to optimise fuel station management, minimise wait and service times as well as enhance compliance tracking.

FlixBus partners with ETO Motors to launch e-bus operations between Hyderabad and Vijaywada

Mobility service provider ETO Motors on Friday partnered with travel-tech company FlixBus to launch the first intercity electric bus route between Hyderabad and Vijaywada.

The EV pilot will launch four electric busses on this route to assess feasibility and expand via a hub-and-spoke model. A two week test run will precede operations, which will start in late February.

The test run will be followed by a 12 week evaluation of metrics like battery performance and passenger booking patterns.

Tinder and Centre for Social Research launch dating safety guide in Indian languages

Online dating platform Tinder on Friday collaborated with the non-profit organisation, Centre for Social Research (CSR), to launch dating safety guide in four Indian languages ahead of Safer Internet Day.

The guide, which will be available in Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, and Bengali, is expected to bring awareness about safety and security to regional language speakers.

Through February 2025, people using Tinder in India will see in-app cards highlighting the dating safety guide available for download across the regional languages.

These cards will show helpful tips from localised dating safety guides and will direct users to the online resource destination with more information about how to stay safe while meeting new people online and in real life.

Quest Retail announces leadership changes to spearhead expansion

Beauty-focused specialty retailer Quest Retail on Friday said it has elevated Shriti Malhotra to Executive Chairman, and appointed Rahul Shanker as Group CEO.

Quest Retail operates brands like The Body Shop, Kiehl’s, Kylie Cosmetics, and Anastasia Beverly Hills, among other brands in India.

“A company’s true strength lies in the passion of its people, and it has been my privilege to lead Quest Retail to where it stands today. Rahul’s depth of experience in consumer businesses and his transformational leadership make him the ideal person to drive the company’s next chapter. His appointment is crucial for enhancing our omnichannel capabilities and continuing to solidify our position in the market,” said Malhotra.

Karnataka Government signs MoU with University of Liverpool

The Karnataka government on Friday signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Liverpool to foster collaborative research and educational cooperation.

Under the MoU, a joint working group will be established to drive the partnership forward. The partnership is expected to pave way for research and development initiatives, student and faculty exchange programs, and strengthen industry-academic linkages.