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IIT Delhi and Systra Group Sign MoU to Collaborate on Research Advancing Sustainable Development Goals

The Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi), a premier institution of national importance, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Systra Group, a leading global engineering and consulting firm specializing in public transport and mobility solutions. This collaboration aims to advance various research initiatives that support and promote sustainable development goals.

Through this MoU, researchers from IIT Delhi and Systra Group will explore the technological potential in areas such as Intelligent SCADA for rail traction power optimization, electric vehicle (EV) first/last mile connectivity, and seismic analysis and design of underground structures.

The research initiatives under this MoU will be led by IIT Delhi faculty members Prof. Arpan Chattopadhyay from the Electrical Engineering Department, Prof. Krishna Sirohi from the Bharti School of Telecommunication Technology and Management, and Prof. GV Ramana from the Civil Engineering Department.

This partnership between IIT Delhi and Systra demonstrates a strong commitment to technological advancement, industrial growth, and sustainability.

Speaking at the MoU signing, Prof. Preeti Ranjan Panda, Dean of Corporate Relations at IIT Delhi, remarked, “We are excited to enter into this partnership with Systra, a collaboration that underscores IIT Delhi’s commitment to cutting-edge research and technological innovation. Together, we aim to make significant contributions to the future of technology in India.”

Mr. Hari Somalraju, CEO of Systra Group in India, stated, “This collaboration with IIT Delhi, as part of our CSR initiative, brings together academic excellence and industrial innovation. The vibrant exchange of ideas, knowledge, and talent will be pivotal to the success of groundbreaking projects and contribute to the industry’s growth.”

Dr. Nishith Gupta, CTO of Systra Group in India, added, “This partnership will explore further avenues of collaboration that will drive innovation and the development of new technologies.

B2B financial management startup Valyx raises $800,000 in a pre-seed round

Valyx, an AI-driven B2B platform for automating revenue and receivables, has secured $800,000 in a pre-seed funding round. The round was co-led by Huddle Ventures and Waveform Ventures, with participation from prominent investors, including Bharat Founders Fund and Propell Fund (the in-house VC fund of LetsVenture, led by Shanti Mohan).

The startup intends to use the funds to attract top talent for its sales team and expand its engineering team to advance its product roadmap. Founded in late 2023, Valyx focuses on automating billing and receivables processes, helping businesses speed up payments, streamline financial closures, and improve cash flow.

Valyx offers a comprehensive suite of features such as rate card management, usage-based billing, collections, cash application, reconciliation, dispute management, and collaborative receivables tracking. By automating these essential yet repetitive tasks, the platform allows finance and sales teams to concentrate on strengthening relationships with customers.

Since its inception, Valyx claims to have processed over Rs 200 crore in accounts receivable.

Based in Bengaluru, Valyx was founded by Avishek Ray and Anirudh Bhargava, who bring extensive experience in revenue automation, receivables management, and business payments. Their background working with leading companies like Stripe, Amazon, SAP, Morgan Stanley, and Deloitte gave them deep insights into the complex challenges finance and sales teams face. This experience inspired them to launch Valyx to address critical financial operations issues.

“At Valyx, we are tackling a significant pain point in financial operations. Many businesses, regardless of their size or complexity, struggle with repetitive and time-consuming tasks involved in managing their revenue and receivables,” said Avishek Ray.

“Our vision is to free finance and sales teams from these daily burdens. We eliminate the need for manual Excel tracking of contracts and usage calculations, repetitive follow-ups, tedious bank statement downloads, and the hassle of sifting through multiple tools, emails, and spreadsheets to identify customers who need attention. Leveraging AI, customizable workflows, and integrations with ERP, payments, and internal systems, Valyx automates the billing and receivables process. Our platform enables businesses to get paid up to 30% faster and close their books more efficiently,” Ray added.

Ishaan Khosla, Partner at Huddle Ventures, commented, “Addressing receivables management unlocks a wide range of opportunities within the cash flow management space for Valyx. Mid-market and enterprise clients are keen to optimize their manual collections workflows with Valyx, and we are excited to be a part of their growth journey from here on.”

 

Rapido becomes India’s latest unicorn with $1.1 billion valuation

Mobility startup Rapido has secured $200 million in a funding round led by its long-time investor, WestBridge Capital, propelling the company’s valuation to $1.1 billion and granting it unicorn status.

Rapido’s CEO, Aravind Sanka, stated that the new funds will be used to expand their recently launched four-wheeler taxi service, which is set to compete directly with giants like Ola and Uber. The funding round also saw participation from existing investor Nexus Venture Partners, backed by Swiggy, as well as new investors Think Investments and Invus Opportunities, based in New York.

Rapido is also exploring the fast-growing quick commerce sector by leveraging its extensive two-wheeler fleet for hyperlocal deliveries. According to a report quoting Sanka, “The latest fundraise has come on the back of strong growth that we’ve clocked over the last two years. In this period, we’ve grown our top line over 12 times… A few years back, we were just a two-wheeler player, but now we’re a significant three-wheeler operator. We are also making huge inroads in the four-wheeler ride-sharing market.”

Sanka further mentioned that Rapido manages 2.3 to 2.5 million daily orders across its platforms, with about 7% originating from its business-to-business (B2B) segment. In the B2B space, Rapido collaborates with Swiggy to fulfill food delivery orders during periods of lower demand for bike taxis. Additionally, Rapido has joined the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) as a logistics partner.

Much like ONDC, Rapido offers auto-rickshaw and four-wheeler cab services through a subscription model, where driver partners pay a fixed daily or weekly fee instead of a commission per ride.

 

CoinSwitch introduces exclusive crypto investment solution for HNIs and Institutional Investors

Indian crypto exchange CoinSwitch has introduced a new suite of specialized investment services for High-Net-Worth Individuals (HNIs) and institutional investors.

This new offering requires a minimum investment of ₹10 lakhs (approximately 623 USD) and provides a range of premium services, including tailored investment strategies, dedicated account management, professional tax filing assistance, institutional-grade security, and exclusive market access. The service is also available to family offices.

The service features customized investment strategies that align with each client’s financial goals, risk tolerance, and market outlook. Clients will receive personalized advice from CoinSwitch’s team of experts and continuous support from a dedicated account manager. Fees will be customized based on the specific needs of each client.

CoinSwitch’s founder, Ashish Singhal, expressed excitement about this development in a recent post on X, saying, “This is a big step forward in catering to the unique needs of sophisticated investors who demand personalized and secure crypto solutions.” Balaji Srihari, Business Head of CoinSwitch, shared with local media outlet The Hindu Business Line that they expect the rising institutional interest in the global crypto market, following the recent approval of Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs in the U.S., to impact the Indian market as well. Srihari emphasized that the service is designed to provide exclusive access to premium crypto investment opportunities, customized advisory services, and comprehensive risk management solutions.

“We’re already seeing initial interest in the platform, which has driven the launch of this service. Once users submit their queries, our team will engage with them to evaluate their financial goals, risk tolerance, and market outlook,” Srihari reportedly stated.

This new offering builds on CoinSwitch’s previous innovations, such as the 2022 launch of CoinSwitch Pro, a multi-exchange trading platform that allows users to trade crypto assets in Indian rupees across multiple exchanges with a single login.

 

OpenAI hits more than 1 million paid business users

OpenAI is solidifying its dominance in the AI sector, now boasting over 1 million paid users for its corporate ChatGPT offerings. This milestone reflects a strong demand from businesses, underscoring its significant lead amid fierce competition. The San Francisco-based company revealed that these users span its ChatGPT Team and Enterprise services, tailored for corporate use, as well as its ChatGPT Edu service, launched in May for universities. This figure marks a substantial increase from the 600,000 corporate users reported in April, prior to the Edu service rollout.
The latest data highlights OpenAI’s commanding position in the market. In January 2024, ChatGPT accounted for a staggering 69.9% of the market share of subscription sales for AI tools, far outpacing competitors. No other paid AI tool had more than 5.2% of the market share, demonstrating OpenAI’s strong foothold in both consumer and corporate segments.
This surge in user numbers underscores OpenAI’s strategic approach to capturing the corporate market. ChatGPT Enterprise, introduced a year ago, offers enhanced features and privacy protections—key elements in driving revenue and managing the high costs of AI development. In January, OpenAI expanded its offerings with ChatGPT Team, targeting smaller companies and startups. This two-pronged strategy highlights the company’s adaptability in meeting the diverse needs of organizations, from large enterprises to small firms. Despite the rapid growth in paid corporate users, the company has not disclosed the precise number of new businesses signing up or the average number of users per corporate customer, suggesting varying scales of adoption. For instance, a university might purchase significantly more user accounts than a smaller startup, reflecting diverse utilization patterns among customers.
Geographically, nearly half of OpenAI’s corporate users are based in the United States, with Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom being the top markets outside the U.S. for its business-focused offerings. Internal discussions within the company have reportedly considered subscription prices as high as $2,000 per month, underscoring the value businesses place on advanced AI tools. Currently, ChatGPT Plus costs $20 a month, and the free tier continues to attract hundreds of millions of users each month, demonstrating a broad spectrum of engagement from casual to enterprise-level use.
OpenAI’s continued success in the corporate market not only reinforces its leadership position but also highlights the escalating demand for AI solutions that offer robust functionality, data privacy, and scalability. As the AI landscape becomes increasingly crowded, OpenAI’s ability to evolve and cater to various business needs will be crucial in maintaining its growth trajectory and expanding its market share.

 

 

Skillsoft appoints Ronald W. Hovsepian as new CEO

Skillsoft has named Ronald W. Hovsepian as its new CEO and Executive Chair, effective September 4, 2024, as per an SEC filing. Hovsepian, who has been serving as interim Principal Executive Officer since April, will now formally assume the leadership role.

His compensation package includes an annual base salary of $772,500, a bonus potential matching his salary, a $1.5 million sign-on bonus, and legal fee reimbursements.

Additionally, he will receive 500,000 restricted stock units (RSUs) that vest over four years, along with performance-based incentives tied to stock price milestones by 2028. The incentive package could yield up to $18 million if stock price targets, ranging from $30 to $100, are achieved.

In the event of termination without cause or resignation for good reason, Hovsepian will receive severance equal to twice his salary and bonus, among other benefits. His agreement also includes a tax protection clause in case of a company control change before 2026.

 

Kazakh Universities Introduce Personalized Learning Paths via Coursera to Enhance Teacher Training

Kazakh universities will now offer personalized Learning Paths for undergraduate and graduate students via the Coursera platform, as announced by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education on Sept. 4. This initiative aims to enhance teacher training by providing tailored courses and projects that develop essential competencies outlined in the professional standards for educators.

Students can create customized curricula that include courses from renowned global university professors. These curricula will cover organizing the educational process, evaluating student performance, utilizing modern educational technologies and artificial intelligence, and acquiring skills to teach complex subjects, manage time, and foster student self-regulation.

The Learning Paths are designed to boost research abilities and pedagogical expertise, allowing future educators to refine educational processes. Additionally, courses on soft skills and psychological first aid, including emotional intelligence, leadership, teamwork, and stress resilience, will be available.

Universities can select from Coursera’s pre-designed paths or create their own. Upon completion, students will receive a Digital Badge featuring the university’s logo, certifying their professional skills and qualifications.

 

Hitachi Vantara Leads in Energy Efficiency for Block Storage Arrays

Hitachi Vantara has emerged as a leader in energy efficiency for block storage arrays, surpassing competitors such as Dell, HPE, IBM, and Pure Storage in data access per watt. The company’s VSP One Block array has achieved the highest rating for input/output operations per second (IOPS) per watt, according to the US Energy Star agency. The array scored an impressive 537.8 in the Energy Star NVSS Disk Online 4 category, which evaluates solid state drive arrays.

Notably, Hitachi Vantara’s VSP arrays occupy the top three positions in this category. The Energy Star’s “Trans Optimal Point Hot Band Workload Test” (TOPHBWT) assesses the efficiency of storage devices in terms of IOPS per watt during a high-demand “hot band” workload. This workload focuses on frequently accessed data subsets. The TOPHBWT is used to predict the optimal performance point for deployed storage devices in terms of IOPS per watt.

Octavian Tanase, Chief Product Officer at Hitachi Vantara, highlighted the significance of this achievement, stating, “Our Virtual Storage Platform One Block storage appliance exemplifies our vision for the future, delivering powerful, reliable, and eco-friendly solutions that drive value for our customers and help significantly reduce carbon emissions.”

 

Tracxn Report Reveals Indian EdTech Sector’s Funding Rebounds in 2024 but Still Trails 2021 Peaks

Tracxn has released its latest analysis, the “Tracxn Feed Geo Report: EdTech India 2024,” offering an in-depth look at the Indian EdTech landscape. The report provides an overview of funding trends, major players, and emerging trends in the sector.

In the first half of 2024, the Indian EdTech industry raised $215 million, a modest increase from $321 million in 2023 but still significantly below the $4.1 billion peak in 2021. The sector has seen a steep decline in funding, with 2023’s figures representing an 87% drop from the $2.4 billion raised in 2022.

Despite the presence of over 11,000 active companies, the sector faces challenges from macroeconomic conditions and a shift back to traditional in-person learning as schools reopen. However, there remains a strong demand for online courses and professional upskilling, offering a glimmer of hope for future growth.

The report highlights a 96% increase in funding in early 2024, totaling $164 million, marking a notable rebound. The peak funding quarter for the sector remains Q3 2021, with $2.48 billion raised. The first quarter of 2024 has been the highest-funded quarter in the last three quarters, accounting for over 65% of the total funds raised this year.

Neha Singh, Co-Founder of Tracxn, remarked, “The Indian EdTech sector has shown remarkable adaptability amid changing market dynamics. Although funding levels are yet to reach 2021 highs, the sector’s recent growth reflects renewed investor interest, particularly as digital innovations are integrated into traditional learning methods.”

The sector has seen 24 funding rounds exceeding $100 million, though only four occurred since early 2022. In 2024, only one such round has been recorded. Notable developments include Avanse securing $120 million in funding and Lawsikho going public. These instances illustrate potential growth areas within the sector.

The report lists top companies in the Indian EdTech space, with Unacademy leading at a $3.44 billion valuation, followed by Eruditus at $2.9 billion and upGrad at $1.86 billion. Acquisitions peaked in 2021 with 31 deals but fell to 13 in 2023. In 2024, only one acquisition has been noted—Schoolnet India’s acquisition of Genius Teacher.

Funding has predominantly been in late-stage rounds, with a peak in 2021 and a sharp drop in 2023, a 94% decline from 2021 figures. In 2024 YTD, late-stage funding totals $166 million. Early-stage investments also peaked in 2021 but saw a decline in 2023, raising $96.4 million, an 85% drop from 2022. Early-stage funding in 2024 stands at $40.4 million. Seed-stage funding, which peaked at $175 million in 2021, has dropped to $8.5 million YTD in 2024, a 76% decrease from 2022.

The Test Prep segment, once a funding hotspot with $7 billion, has experienced a significant downturn, with funding falling to $8.5 million in 2024 YTD. Continued Learning has also faced a funding decline, from $517 million in 2022 to $103 million in 2023, with $20 million raised in 2024 YTD. Blume Ventures, Wellfound, and LetsVenture are the leading investors overall, while IPV, We Founder Circle, and EvolveX are prominent in Seed-stage investments. Blume Ventures, Alteria Capital, and the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation lead in Early-stage, and Trifecta Capital, Alteria Capital, and Stride Ventures excel in Late-stage investments.

Bengaluru continues to dominate the Indian EdTech sector, accounting for over 64% of total funding, followed by Delhi and Mumbai.

 

Meta and Telangana Government Launch Two-Year AI Partnership to Revolutionize E-Governance and Citizen Services

Meta has announced a two-year collaboration with the Telangana government to boost e-governance and citizen services through artificial intelligence (AI). The partnership aims to equip both public officials and citizens with advanced AI technologies to improve government operations and service delivery.

In a statement, Meta revealed that it will work with the Department of Information Technology, Electronics and Communications (IT, E&C) of Telangana to deploy e-governance solutions using its open-source generative AI technologies, including the latest ‘Llama 3.1 model’. This initiative will focus on enhancing various public service functions and increasing the efficiency of government departments by leveraging generative AI.

The partnership underscores Meta’s commitment to open AI innovation and aligns with Telangana’s vision for digital leadership. It seeks to harness AI’s potential to create social and economic opportunities within the state while addressing local needs and developing innovative solutions.

 

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