Tag: #news

Prowrrap, a Delhi-based one-stop procurement platform for packaging materials, capex, warehouse assets, and turnkey projects, has raised ₹4 crore (₹40 million) in a pre-Series A seed round led by Calance Software Pvt Ltd and IIT Varanasi Alumni super angel investor Amit Govil. The company plans to raise its Series A round in the next 18–24 months to further accelerate growth.

Founded by brothers Sagar K. Saxena, IIM Lucknow Alumni & Ex-Project Head at Swiggy, and Rishabh K. Saxena, IMT Ghaziabad Alumni & Ex-Procurement and International Procurement Head at Bira91, Prowrrap started operations in January 2024 and is simplifying supply chain operations for MSMEs and high-growth enterprises through a design-to-distribution procurement platform. The startup is already serving clients in Tier-1 cities and select Tier-2 markets and aims to expand to 25 cities by the next fiscal year.

The fresh infusion of funds will be used to:

• Strengthen technology capabilities for smarter procurement solutions
• Scale distribution networks across India
• Deepen focus on quick commerce, fresh and natural produce (FnV), e-commerce, and SMEs/MSMEs

“Our vision is to transform & simplify the way businesses procure their packaging and operational assets,” said Sagar K. Saxena, Co-founder and CEO of Prowrrap. “This investment will help us enhance our technology, expand faster, and deliver unmatched efficiency to fast-growing enterprises.”

“MSMEs and high-growth companies often face supply chain bottlenecks,” added Rishabh K. Saxena, Co-founder of Prowrrap. “Prowrrap solves this by providing a unified platform that ensures speed, quality, and cost efficiency in procurement.”

Investor Amit Govil said, “Prowrrap is solving a fundamental challenge in the MSME and fast-commerce ecosystem—procurement efficiency. With the founders’ strong industry experience and clear vision, they are well-positioned to disrupt this space.”

With this funding, Prowrrap continues to strengthen its position as a trusted provider of comprehensive B2B procurement and packaging solutions for sectors ranging from e-commerce to hospitality—offering seamless, efficient supply-chain management tailored to diverse industry needs. The company is now rapidly scaling its tech-driven procurement services ahead of its planned Series A round in the next 1.5 to 2 years. India’s packaging market alone is USD 101B today and headed to USD 170B by 2030, while global packaging tops USD 1.18T—alongside fast-growing adjacencies like warehouse automation (16%+ CAGR)—underscoring the scale Prowrrap is building for.

Ghazal Alagh, co-founder of Mamaearth, TheDermaCo, Dr. Sheth’s, Aqualogica, and BBlunt, recently shared insights on LinkedIn about the real reason many startups never succeed.

“The biggest graveyard for startup dreams isn’t failed businesses. It’s unstarted ones,” she wrote. Reflecting on her entrepreneurial journey, Alagh recalled meeting countless people with “amazing business ideas” that they had been perfecting for years, many of which remained unlaunched even after more than half a decade.

The Failure Happens in Your Mind

Alagh emphasised that startup failure often occurs before a business even starts.

“The failure doesn’t happen when your startup runs out of money or loses customers. It happens in your mind, months or years before you ever take action,” she said.

She outlined key mental barriers that prevent founders from turning ideas into reality.

Mental Barriers That Kill Startup Dreams

• Analysis Paralysis Disguised as Research: “You’ve read every business book, watched every Gary Vaynerchuk video, and can recite startup statistics by heart. But research becomes procrastination when it replaces action,” Alagh explained. She stressed that no amount of studying will teach you what one week of actually trying will.
• Perfectionism Masquerading as Professionalism: Entrepreneurs often wait for flawless business plans, perfect websites, or bug-free products. Alagh noted, “Successful entrepreneurs are launching imperfect products and improving them based on real feedback, not theoretical scenarios.”
• Waiting for the ‘Right Time’ That Doesn’t Exist: Many delay launching until conditions seem perfect—after a promotion, saving more money, or market stability. “The right time is a myth designed to keep you comfortable in your current situation forever,” she said.
• Comparing Your Starting Point to Others’ Highlight Reel: It’s easy to assume you need the resources, team, or knowledge that successful entrepreneurs have today. “They started with none of that either,” Alagh reminded aspiring founders.

Start Before You Feel Ready

Alagh observed that most people who say they want to be entrepreneurs are seeking the outcome, freedom, wealth, and recognition, without embracing the daily grind, uncertainty, or sacrifice.

“But the ones who succeed aren’t the smartest or most prepared. They’re the ones who start before they feel ready, learn by doing instead of planning, and treat failure as education rather than evidence they should quit,” she said.

Ghazal Alagh Success Story: Mamaearth Founder | Biography | Education

Explore the inspiring journey of Ghazal Alagh, a visionary mompreneur redefining success. Join us in discovering how she seamlessly integrates mom and entrepreneur roles, leaving a lasting impact on the business world. Find out about Ghazal Alagh’s success story, including her early life, history, net worth, childhood, personal life, education, Information, achievements, and more.

StartupTalkyKanimozhi Sivakumar

Pep Brands, housing two of India’s fastest-growing D2C brands – mCaffeine and HYPHEN – has announced the appointment of Shashwat Jain as its Chief Commercial Officer. In this new role, Shashwat will be responsible for driving and strengthening P&L performance and unlocking cost optimisation opportunities for Pep Brands. 

With 13-14 years of rich and diverse experience spanning analytics, marketplaces, food tech, consumer tech and gaming, Shashwat Jain has successfully paved a career at the intersection of data, technology, and business growth. His journey includes entrepreneurial stints in consumer tech and gaming, where he co-founded and scaled successful ventures such as Dangal Games and Poker Dangal. These ventures not only provided him with first-hand experience building businesses from the ground up but also honed his expertise in growth, customer acquisition, and product-led scaling. His background reflects a unique blend of analytical acumen, entrepreneurial mindset and leadership across dynamic, high-growth industries.

In 2024, he joined Pep Brands as part of the CEO’s Office, working closely on strategy and execution at the leadership level. Now, as Chief Commercial Officer, Shashwat is responsible for driving bottom-line growth and full P&L ownership across categories, channels, and markets. His mandate spans building commercial strategy and ensuring profitability. With a focus on disciplined execution and a long-term vision, he is enabling Pep Brands to achieve sustainable business building.

Tarun Sharma, Co-founder & CEO of Pep Brands, said, “Shashwat’s journey has always been about building and scaling businesses with a sharp eye on growth and profitability. He has consistently demonstrated a mix of hustle, strategic vision and disciplined execution. I’m confident that as the Chief Commercial Officer, he will play a pivotal role in making Pep Brands a highly profitable asset. At Pep, we celebrate entrepreneurial talent by giving them high-stake responsibilities to create legacy.”

Shashwat Jain, Chief Commercial Officer at Pep Brands, added, “Stepping into the role of Chief Commercial Officer is an exciting new chapter in my journey. Having worked across diverse industries, I’ve always been driven by solving complex problems, uncovering growth opportunities, and building teams that create real impact. At Pep Brands, with mCaffeine and HYPHEN, I look forward to scaling two of India’s most dynamic D2C brands while setting new benchmarks for sustainable, consumer-first growth in the beauty and personal care space.”

This appointment marks an exciting period for Pep Brands, where Shashwat will bring his invaluable experience from the CEO’s Office to his new role as the CCO and help steer the brand towards exponential growth.

About PEP Brands

PEP Brands is redefining India’s beauty and personal care landscape with a sharp focus on innovation, accessibility, and authenticity. Guided by 6P Framework of Product, Proposition, Pricing, Packaging, Platform and Promotion, PEP has built some of the country’s most disruptive brands available across 19,000 pincodes across India.

• mCaffeine: India’s first and the largest caffeine-based personal care brand now a leader in the bodycare category with 100+ products and 25M+ units sold across platforms.
• HYPHEN: Co-founded with Kriti Sanon, this high-performance skincare brand simplifies routines with multi-benefit products that merge science and nature and is setting a benchmark for operator-led, celebrity-anchored brands in India.

Over the last decade, PEP has shaped its own cultural code, rooted in Hunger, Hustle, Honesty, Humility, and Humour. Together, its brands reflect a larger mission: to build the future of beauty and personal care, category-shaping, consumer-first, and culture-driven.

Misfits, India’s pioneering prebiotic soda brand, today announced the successful completion of its seed funding round, raising an undisclosed amount from a consortium of prominent investors. The round was led by Nu Ventures, seasoned angel investor Subba Rao Telidevara, Turiya Advisory Services’ Managing Bijoy Daga, and renowned corporate finance and strategic investment consultant Robert Pancras.

Founded by brothers Aditya and Yash, Misfits has disrupted India’s beverage industry by introducing the country’s first prebiotic soda that combines bold taste with gut-friendly benefits. The brand’s flagship product contains zero added sugar and are low in calories, positioning itself as a healthier alternative to traditional carbonated drinks.

The funding will be utilized to enhance production capabilities, expand distribution networks, and accelerate market penetration across India. Since its launch, Misfits has gained significant traction with consumers seeking functional beverages that deliver both taste and health benefits.

“We are thrilled to partner with investors who share our vision of revolutionizing India’s beverage landscape,” said Aditya Pai, Co-founder of Misfits. “This funding validates our mission to provide consumers with a guilt-free alternative to sugar-loaded sodas while supporting gut health through innovative prebiotic formulation.“

Yash Pai, Co-founder of Misfits, added, “The investment will enable us to scale our operations and introduce new flavors while maintaining our commitment to clean-label ingredients and functional benefits. We’re excited to build a brand that resonates with health-conscious consumers across India.“

The funding round reflects growing investor confidence in India’s functional beverage market, where consumers increasingly prioritize health benefits alongside taste preferences. Misfits’ unique positioning as India’s first prebiotic soda addresses this evolving consumer demand.

“Misfits represents exactly the kind of innovative brand that can transform traditional categories,” said Venk Krishnan, Founder of Nu Ventures.

“The founders have identified a genuine market gap and developed a product that delivers authentic functional benefits while maintaining the taste profile consumers expect from carbonated beverages. Their approach to building a health-focused alternative in the soda category has tremendous potential for market disruption.” said Subba Rao Telidevara, angel investor and former industry executive.

Misfits differentiates itself through plant-based ingredients, natural sweeteners, and zero preservatives, appealing to conscious consumers who value transparency and health benefits. The company’s clean-label approach includes providing third-party lab reports, enabling informed consumer decision-making and building trust in the functional beverage space.

Founded by brothers Aditya and Yash, Misfits is India’s first prebiotic soda brand committed to providing healthier alternatives to traditional carbonated beverages. The Mumbai-based startup combines functional ingredients with bold flavors to create products that support digestive health while delivering the taste experience consumers expect from premium sodas. With its clean-label approach and innovative formulation, Misfits is redefining what fizzy drinks can be in the Indian market.

The advancement of AI is such a boon to humanity who are not authors or publishers. Copyright infringement cases have been on the rise since 2022. It is essential to know that AI is not magic. AI undergoes training, using the original work of experts to emulate these intellectual abilities (meaning they learn like us). Authors, Visual Artists, News Publishers, Music and Coders filed several cases against big giants like OpenAI, Meta, Stability AI, Microsoft, AI song generators Suno and Udio, GitHub Copilot, and more.

And many creators tragically lost their cases. But, in Anthropic’s case, they had to make a huge sum ($1.5 billion + interest) as a settlement to authors. Interestingly, the largest copyright settlement in U.S. history. Does this mean there could be a shift in how AI companies are handling the original content or creators? And here’s everything you need to know.  

What Is Happening With Anthropic?

• In the Bartz, et al. v. Anthropic PBC case, Anthropic allegedly used the authors’ work for training its AI systems.
• Now, Anthropic has agreed to settle the case (by paying the authors) for at least $1.5 billion + interest.
• The payout for each author would be $3,000 per book/work. And it is said to be the largest copyright settlement in the U.S.

Why Is Anthropic Paying These Authors?

In August 2024, three renowned authors, Andrea Bartz, Charles Graeber, and Kirk Wallace Johnson, accused Athropic of using pirated books to train their AI. The court favoured the authors and held Anthropic accountable for copyright infringement.

In July 2025, a judge called for a class-action lawsuit. This means that U.S. authors whose books were allegedly pirated by Anthropic could be part of the case (and welcome to take their share). In short, not just these three authors, the court calls all the authors, as a group, to collectively fight against the company. 

In August 2025, Anthropic came to a settlement instead of continuing the trial. 

Aparna Sridhar, Anthropic’s deputy general counsel, told The Verge in a statement, “Today’s settlement, if approved, will resolve the plaintiffs’ remaining legacy claims. We remain committed to developing safe AI systems that help people and organizations extend their capabilities, advance scientific discovery, and solve complex problems.”

Bartz, et al. v. Anthropic Pbc Case Settlement Details

• The next hearing is on September 8, 2025, that’s when the court must approve the settlement.
• About 500,000 (author) works are expected to be eligible for the payout.
• In the event that more than 500,000 are filed, Anthropic shall pay $3,000 per work for those authors as well, meaning the payout can be larger than we initially learned.

For the same, a special website, AnthropicCopyrightSettlement.com, has been set up.

Here, authors can:

• Give their contact details to lawyers.
• Check if their work is on the settlement list.
• Learn their rights to payment after the court approves. 

Furthermore, Anthropic Must:

• Anthropic shall destroy all pirated files and any copies it has.
• This settlement only covers the actions of the past (August 25, 2025). However, the authors can still sue the company if a similar occurrence happens in the future.
• The company can no longer use authors’ works for future AI training.

Why Is This a Big Deal for Authors and Publishers?

Well, this is the first time that an AI company is paying the authors for using their work. The past has only seen most of them losing their cases against tech giants. Notably, many AI companies are partnering with authors and organizations (by paying them) to train their AI systems. 

It’s a known fact that India is one of the largest markets for Meta. According to the Vice President at Meta – India and South East Asia, there are 700 million active users on Meta AI. About 6 million metro tickets are sold via WhatsApp every month, and much more. Therefore, to cater to such a huge user base, Meta is building AI chatbots (or digital characters) that talk with users in Hindi. Not only for India, but the project also includes other countries, such as Indonesia and Mexico. For the same, Meta is hiring contractors in the U.S. who can work on these language chatbots (Hindi, Spanish, Indonesian, or Portuguese). So, what does the hiring process look like? Learn more.

Who Is Meta Hiring?

• Basically, Meta is hiring temporary workers based in the U.S. on a contract basis.
• The pay looks like $55 per hour (₹4,850).
• The candidates who are proficient in local languages like Hindi (India), Indonesian, Spanish, or Portuguese.
• Now, these hires will happen through staffing companies like Crystal Equation and Aquent Talent.

The candidates must have 5 years of experience in:

• Storytelling
• Creating characters (video games or so)
• Working with AI content systems (meaning designing prompts for AI) 

What Is the Job Description?

• Developing chatbot characters that can chat in local languages on Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp.
• Training the chatbots to be culturally relevant, so the users naturally connect to the bots in India or specific countries (like Indonesia, Mexico, or more).
• Collaboration with the regional team to shape the chatbot’s character, personality, and style.

In short, think of it like a video game character that actually talks to real people.

History of Meta’s AI Chatbots

• Meta started it as a small experiment in 2023 with big celebrity chatbots like Kendall Jenner and Snoop Dogg. However, the experiment didn’t see much success or last that long.
• In 2024, Meta introduced AI Studio, where users can create their own chatbots. Well, the tool received mixed reviews and raised several concerns (like Privacy and data handling).
• And now Meta is all in to professionally make bots that engage users in India (and other countries), instead of leaving it all to users.

Why Is Meta Building These Characters?

Meta wants to make these characters local and enjoyable because it wants to sound like a local friend rather than some generic robot. According to the CEO of Meta, Mark Zuckerberg, chatbots could complement real-world friendships,” meaning digital companions. 

Concerns and Controversies

Meta’s chatbots in the past have misbehaved, raising concerns on a large scale, like:

• Romantic or sexual conversations with minors (Facebook allows users with 13-year-olds to access the tool, and many fake their age to use any tool).
• Misleading medical advice
• Racist responses

Potential Privacy Concerns: The professionals working on the project are Contractors. They’ll now access the chatbot conversations, see personal information (like names, phone numbers, emails, images shared with the bot, and more). So, it’s risky (in a way). 

However, U.S. lawmakers are ensuring that stricter rules are imposed so that Meta can better handle any situation in the future.