InStoried, an AI and deep-technology based content intelligence platform, has raised an undisclosed sum from venture fund Rockstud Capital, it said on Wednesday.
The development comes four months after the Benglauru-based Instoried raised $1 million (around Rs 7.45 crore) in a pre-Series A fundraise. That round was led by Mumbai Angels Network, with participation from 9Unicorns, JPIN, Jain Angel Network, SOSV and Artesian.
Instoried, operated by Instoried Research Labs Pvt Ltd, was set up in 2019 by Sharmin Ali, a graduate of the Visvesvaraya Institute of Technology in Bengaluru who has previously worked as a senior business analyst with management consulting firm Mu Sigma.
The company’s platform helps brands create an emotional connect with customers by identifying the emotional quotient of a piece of content and the providing customised recommendations to help boost engagement and increase productivity.
It will use the capital it has raised to reach out to newer geographies for its tool and increase focus on its business-to-consumer solutions.
Happy Jars, a health food brand that focusses on peanut butter products, has raised Rs 3 crore (around $412,862) in a seed funding round led by Inflection Point Ventures.
The bet on the consumer startup is the eighth deal this year for IPV, which is one of the more active early-stage investors in the country.
Happy Jars was set up by Surabhi Talwar and Vikram Sekhar in 2016. The company said it has since acquired 1% of the Indian peanut butter market. It operates its own manufacturing unit in Delhi, with its products being vegan and gluten-free.
It will use the capital it has raised to launch new flavours, scale up its operations, build out brand awareness, expand its distribution to Tier-I and Tier-II cities including Mumbai and Bengaluru.
Bidgely, an artificial intelligence-based energy analytics firm, has raised Rs 15 crore (around $2.06 million) from IvyCap Ventures to accelerate its growth plans.
Bidgely, operated by Bidgely Inc, uses its AI platform to enhance meter and customer data to help utilities and energy companies better understand and engage with their audiences. Apart from this, it also lets companies create personalised energy profiles for individuals to provide targeted marketing benefits.
The investment from IvyCap Ventures will help it develop its platform to include electrification, electric vehicle, and decarbonisation solutions, as well as accelerate growth in other markets, CCEO Abhay Gupta said.
The company works with more than 30 utilities and energy retailers across the world. Other investors in the company include Georgian Partners and Khosla Ventures.
ExtraaEdge, a marketing technology company focussed on the education sector, has raised $1 million (around Rs 7.26 crore) in a pre-Series A fundraising round led by Penthathlon Ventures.
Other participants in the round include 9Unicorns Accelerator Fund, Indian Angel Network, Faad Network, and DevX Innovation. Angel investors that took part include Icertis co-founder Monish Darda, former Threadsol CEO Manasji Ganguly, and former PremjiInvest executive Aditya Somani.
ExtraaEdge, operated by ExtraaEdge Technology Solutions Pvt Ltd, was set up in 2015 by Abhishek Ballabh and Sushil Mundada. The company operates on a software-as-a-service model and leverages a revenue assurance platform along with CRM software to help players in the education space to manage admissions-related aspects while automating sales and leads processes.
It will use the capital raised in this pre-Series A round to increase its customer base, enhance its product development and data science teams, and expand to international markets. Apart from India, ExtraaEdge also maintains a presence in the UAE and the UK.
Zotalabs, an education-technology startup focussed on the K-12 segment, has raised $125,000 in a seed funding round from a clutch of investors.
Participating investors in this round include Alfa Ventures’ Dhianu Das, TransUnion CIBIL’s Bhavesh Jain, Value Unlocked Sandeep Jain, ISS Thailand’s Deepak Goyal, Gen Real Property’s Ankur Shrivastava, and PayPal’s Vatsal Jain.
Zotalabs, operated by Zotalabs Pvt Ltd, was set up by co-founders including company CEO Wasim Khan. The startup says it aims to provide students access to K-12 education globally through multiple educational institutions and a blended learning experience.
The company will use the capital raised in this seed round team and product development, product growth, and enhancing its technological infrastructure. It will also expand its presence across Southeast Asia.
Ready Set Jet, a beauty products firm, has raised $291,500 (around Rs 2.11 crore) through multiple channels, it said on Wednesday.
Of this amount, $205,000 was raised via investors including influencer Ranveer Allahbadia, The Seed Lab, Trishul Capital, DailyCandy founder Dany Levy, and Causeforce CEO Julie Winfield. Apart from this, it has also raised $50,000 from an undisclosed Amazon US partner, and around $36,500 via crowdfunding.
The company, set up by Shalini Vadhera, says its products are easy-to-use, are made with cruelty-free ingredients, and provide inclusive beauty. The crowdfunding component of the fundraise will also help provide access to more women to be part of the company’s equity, Vadhera said.
Apart from this, the company also operates the Ready Set Jet Institute, which uses a portion of product proceeds and donations for disenfranchised and underprivileged women around the world.
Voiro
Voiro, a software-as-a-service startup that focusses on revenue analytics for media and content companies, has raised $1.8 million (around Rs 13.07 crore) in a round led by Mela Ventures.
Mela Ventures is a fund floated by at least two co-founders of software services company Mindtree Ltd. The firm marked the first close of its maiden investment vehicle at Rs 130 crore (around $17.5 million).
Other participants in the round include early-stage venture fund and angel platform 1Crowd, the Bengaluru-based Voiro said in a statement.
Voiro, operated by Voiro Technologies Pvt Ltd, was set up in 2014 by Kavita Shenoy, Anand Gopal, Anil Karat, and Jithin George. The company says its platform uses a data-driven approach to accelerate revenue for customers. It also blends capabilities such as media-specific CRM, revenue reconciliation, and deep analytics.
It will use the capital it has raised to accelerate its growth in areas including product innovation and international market expansion.
