Latest news with #POP
Entrepreneur
12 hours ago
- Automotive
- Entrepreneur
Startup Investment Highlights: June 14–20
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. India's startup ecosystem continues to thrive across diverse sectors, from fintech and mobility to education finance and electric vehicles. Driven by innovative founders and strategic investments, these ventures are solving unique problems while tapping into underserved markets. Let's take a look at six promising Indian startups that have recently made headlines for their business models, funding rounds, and impact in their respective domains. Spinny Founded in 2015 by Niraj Singh, Mohit Gupta, Ramanshu Mahaur, and Ganesh Pawar, Spinny is a Gurugram-based tech-enabled used car platform. It offers a seamless online-to-offline (O2O) car buying and selling experience, including end-to-end services such as vehicle inspection, financing options, and service warranties. Funding Amount: USD 30.6 Million Investors: WestBridge Capital POP Launched in 2023 by Bhargav Errangi, a former Flipkart executive, POP is a Bengaluru-based consumer platform that blends digital payments with e-commerce and credit. It integrates UPI payments, a D2C marketplace, and a co-branded RuPay credit card into a single ecosystem. The platform's key innovation is POPcoins, a brand-sponsored rewards currency that users can redeem across multiple partner merchants. Funding Amount: USD 30 Million Investors: Razorpay Mahaveer Finance India Founded in 1981 and led by brothers Praveen and Deepak Dugar, Mahaveer Finance India is a Chennai-based NBFC focused on used commercial vehicle financing. It serves first-time buyers, small fleet owners, and retail customers, enabling them to access funding and grow their transport businesses. With over four decades of experience, the company continues to meet niche financial needs in underserved markets. Funding Amount: USD 24 Million Investors: Elevation Capital, BanyanTree Finance, First Bridge Capital CLR Facility Services Pune-based CLR Facility Services was founded in 2002 by Gaurav and Gautam Pathak. The company offers comprehensive facility management solutions, including cleaning, mechanical and engineering maintenance, and production support. CLR serves clients across industries, ensuring operational efficiency through professional-grade services and workforce management. Funding Amount: USD 15 Million Investors: British International Investment (BII) Techfino Established in 2019 by banking veterans Rajesh Panda, Jayaprakash Patra, and Ratikant Satapathy, Techfino is a Bengaluru-based NBFC using technology to provide tailored lending products. It offers secured loans for MSMEs and unsecured education loans via B2B2C partnerships with educational institutions. Operating in states like Karnataka, Gujarat, and Andhra Pradesh, Techfino has remained profitable since inception. Funding Amount: USD 7.5 Million Investors: Stellaris Venture Partners, Saison Capital Oben Electric Founded in August 2020 by Madhumita Agrawal, Dinkar Agrawal, and Sagar Thakkar, Oben Electric is a Bengaluru-based startup manufacturing electric motorcycles and critical EV components. In addition to battery systems and vehicle control units, the company also provides fast-charging solutions for home use, aiming to build a sustainable and accessible electric mobility ecosystem. Funding Amount: USD 5.76 Million Investors: Helios Holdings, Sharda family office, Kay family, and others Spinny, POP, Mahaveer Finance, CLR Facility Services, Techfino, and Oben Electric each represent the dynamism and resilience of India's startup landscape.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Purple patch: Cannes Gold Lion for TOI's 'Ink of Democracy'
India is the world's largest democracy, but not everybody participates in the grand festival of elections. In fact, almost one-third of eligible voters didn't vote in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, leading to about 7,500 litres of purple indelible ink going unused. With the aim of increasing turnout, Election Commission of India and the Times Power of Print (POP) initiative by The Times of India invited creative minds across the country to tackle a challenging brief: 'Encourage every eligible citizen to step out and vote during the 2024 Indian general elections.' In response, several brilliant ideas poured in. The winning one, from the Havas Creative India team, led to the 'Ink of Democracy' campaign, which on Monday won a prestigious Gold at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, in the Print and Publishing category under Corporate Purpose and Social Responsibility. The concept's sheer simplicity made it immensely powerful. To symbolise the lost potential of votes not cast, TOI, along with The Economic Times, printed a page in purple ink, the same shade used to mark voters' fingers. The special 'Ink of Democracy' pages appeared in TOI's Mumbai edition on May 19, 2024, Delhi on May 24, and Kolkata on May 31. In ET, the page appeared in Bengaluru on April 26. This symbolic gesture represented one purple page for every 132 missed voters, culminating in approximately 23 lakh purple pages. The message was clear: "Don't waste a drop of electoral ink. Don't waste the power of democracy." By literally turning the pages purple, 'Ink of Democracy' became a striking symbol of civic responsibility, and served as a poignant reminder to readers that every uncast vote is a squandered opportunity for democratic participation. This innovative approach effectively engaged urban audiences, where voter turnout has historically been lower. It also wowed critics and juries, winning over 40 awards nationally and globally so far - and yet again effectively underlined the Power of Print in creating impact and driving results.
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Business Standard
4 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Fintech POP raises $30 mn from Razorpay to build loyalty-first model
Consumer payments application POP raised $30 million from business-to-business (B2B) fintech Razorpay on Thursday, a year after the company launched its operations on India's real-time payments system, Unified Payments Interface (UPI). The investment will enable Razorpay to expand its presence in the business-to-consumer (B2C) segment. POP has previously raised funding from investors including India Quotient, Unilever Ventures, Incubate Fund and NuVentures. Since the year of its launch, the fintech firm has clocked over 6 lakh daily UPI transactions, crossed 1 million unique monthly active transactors and executed over two lakh monthly commerce shipments. It claims to have more than 40,000 RuPay credit cards in a co-branded partnership with Yes Bank. 'India doesn't need another cashback-only rewards app. What we need is a new rewards economy built on a long-term purpose. POPcoins are designed to build habits, increase retention and reduce CAC (customer acquisition cost) for merchants — all while making payments more rewarding for the end user,' said Bhargav Errangi, Founder, POP. He added that the company will double down on a loyalty-first payments ecosystem after Razorpay's investment. In May, the company clocked 13.5 million UPI transactions. It is ranked 21st on the UPI leaderboard, which is currently dominated by PhonePe and Google Pay. 'Our investment in POP is driven by a clear purpose and that is to serve D2C merchants better. In today's crowded D2C space, brands need more than just payment solutions; they need tools to earn trust, drive repeat purchases and build real loyalty,' said Harshil Mathur, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Razorpay.
Entrepreneur
4 days ago
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Fintech Startup POP Raises USD 30 Mn from Razorpay
The funds will be deployed to enhance product innovation, strengthen POP's loyalty-focused offering via its POPcoins rewards currency, and deepen partnerships with D2C and lifestyle merchants. You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. Bengaluru-based fintech startup POP has announced the raising of USD 30 million in funding from Razorpay, a full-stack financial services platform, marking a strategic move to revolutionise the country's digital payment and commerce landscape. The funds will be deployed to enhance product innovation, strengthen POP's loyalty-focused offering via its POPcoins rewards currency, and deepen partnerships with D2C and lifestyle merchants. Founded in 2023 by former Flipkart executive Bhargav Errangi, POP is a rewards-first consumer platform that merges UPI payments, a D2C-focused marketplace, and a co-branded RuPay credit card into one seamless ecosystem. At the heart of its offering is POPcoins, a brand-funded rewards currency that users earn through UPI payments, in-app shopping, or by using POP's RuPay credit card, and redeem across a growing network of partner merchants. Since launching its UPI platform in June 2024, POP claims to have quickly scaled to over six lakh daily UPI transactions, one million monthly active transactors, and over two lakh monthly commerce shipments. It has also issued 40,000+ co-branded RuPay credit cards in partnership with Yes Bank. "India doesn't need another cashback-only rewards app. We need a new rewards economy built on long-term purpose. POPcoins are designed to build habits, increase retention, and reduce CAC for merchants—all while making payments more rewarding," said Bhargav Errangi, Founder of POP. "With Razorpay's support, we will double down on our mission to build a loyalty-first payments ecosystem that helps businesses scale with purpose and speed." The investment signals Razorpay's deeper push into loyalty, engagement, and commerce enablement. "In today's crowded D2C space, brands need more than just payment solutions. POP bridges the gap with a powerful platform that turns everyday transactions into lasting relationships," said Harshil Mathur, Co-founder and CEO of Razorpay. The deal complements Razorpay's acquisition of PoshVine and aligns with its vision to empower merchants through Razorpay Engage, India's first intelligent marketing growth suite.
The Print
7 days ago
- Politics
- The Print
Commander of Sri Lanka Army calls on Gen Dwivedi
'India & Sri Lanka, Forging Stronger Bonds Lieutenant General BKGM Lasantha Rodrigo, Commander of the Sri Lanka Army, called on #GeneralUpendraDwivedi #COAS at the Army House. They engaged in discussions aimed at enhancing bilateral #DefenceCooperation, strengthening military-to-military ties and reaffirming their shared commitment to regional stability and global peace,' it posted. The Indian Army shared the update, along with some photos of their meeting, in a post on X. New Delhi, Jun 14 (PTI) Commander of the Sri Lanka Army, Lt Gen BKGM Lasantha Rodrigo, met Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi here and engaged in discussions aimed at enhancing bilateral defence cooperation and strengthening military-to-military ties, officials said on Saturday. Lt Gen Rodrigo is on an official visit to India from June 11-14. It underscores the continued efforts of both nations to 'further strengthen and deepen' their longstanding defence partnership, the defence ministry said on June 11. On Saturday, the general officer graced the Passing Out Parade at the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun, as the Reviewing Officer. This visit marked a return to his alma mater, where he was commissioned in December 1990, as part of the 87th Course of the IMA. In another post, the Indian Army said, 'Lieutenant General BKGM Lasantha Rodrigo, Commander of the Sri Lanka Army, attended the Pipping Ceremony of newly Commissioned Officers held after the Passing Out Parade, #POP. He also pipped the two # GentlemanCadets of #SriLanka into Commissioned Officers.' Lt Gen Rodrigo, while congratulating the newly commissioned officers and their proud parents, exhorted them to uphold the highest traditions and ethos of their respective armies and strive to be 'exemplary leaders' in the future. In a separate post, the Indian Army said, 'Brigadier RMSP Rathnayake of Sri Lanka Army pipped his son, Foreign Officer Cadet RMNL Rathnayake, to be a Commissioned Officer in the Sri Lanka Army.' 'This pipping ceremony brings the total number of Sri Lankan Army Officers commissioned from #IMA to 296, highlighting India's long-standing bonds with the friendly foreign countries and the Indian Army's commitment to defence cooperation,' it added. PTI KND RHL This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
