Another Exit From Zepto, Vijay Shekhar Sharma’s Advice, MPL’s Strategic Move

Zepto’s HR head Martin Dinesh Gomez steps down, adding to a string of high-profile exits at the quick commerce giant. Meanwhile, Paytm's Vijay Shekhar Sharma urges founders to prioritize AI-first companies to stay competitive in a rapidly changing landscape. MPL makes a strategic move by investing in CloudFeather, expanding its gaming tech stack, while Anuj Tandon, former JetSynthesys executive, joins BITKRAFT Ventures as partner, signaling an exciting shift in the investment space.

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“Mujhse Kuch Seekho”: Focus On Building AI-First Companies Says Vijay Shekhar Sharma To Founders

“Build AI-first or be left behind,” warns Vijay Shekhar Sharma, urging founders to embrace tech that replaces human workflows.

Speaking at the Rising Rajasthan Global Investment Summit 2024, the Paytm founder predicted AI-driven automation across sectors like finance and operations. For India, Sharma emphasized, this shift demands a deep reimagining of jobs in the near future.

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“Mai Chala Apne Raaste”: Zepto HR Head Martin Dinesh Gomez Resigns

Zepto’s HR chief, Martin Dinesh Gomez, has stepped down after a brief tenure of under a year, signaling turbulence at the quick commerce startup.

Chandan Mendiratta, the brand officer since January 2024, will now juggle HR responsibilities as the chief culture officer. This exit follows a troubling pattern of senior departures across growth, business, and finance divisions, raising questions about stability at the high-growth company.

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“Ab Aayega Maza”: MPL Picks Up Stake In CloudFeather To Expand Its Gaming Tech Stack

MPL is leveling up its game—literally—by acquiring a significant stake in CloudFeather Games to bolster its tech stack.

The move strengthens the gaming startup’s foothold in the ecosystem, tapping into CloudFeather’s development tools expertise. It’s a clear signal that MPL is serious about staying ahead in the competitive gaming landscape.

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“Aaaiye Aapka Intezaar Tha”: Former JetSynthesys Executive Joins BITKRAFT Ventures As Partner

BITKRAFT Ventures has upped its game by bringing on board Anuj Tandon, a seasoned pro from JetSynthesys, as its new partner.

Known for backing Indian gaming gems like StockGro and LILA Games, BITKRAFT aims to deepen its roots in the industry with Tandon’s expertise. It’s a power move in the fast-evolving gaming and tech investment space.

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1. Stride Ventures launches its fourth fund, targeting a $300 Mn corpus to support startups across sectors. With investments exceeding ₹100 Cr in brands like Ather and Pharmeasy, Stride cements its position as a key player in venture debt.

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2. LambdaTest secures $38 Mn in funding, led by Avataar Venture Partners, to enhance its cloud-based testing infrastructure. This brings the startup’s total funding to $108 Mn, cementing its growth in the browser testing space.

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3. Mintifi raises $180 Mn in its Series E round, with major backing from Prosus and TVG. The fintech startup aims to accelerate its growth in the lending space, fueled by this significant funding boost.

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4. Amazon India’s Smbhav Venture Fund pledges $120 Mn to boost AI and manufacturing startups, driving digital transformation in consumer goods. This marks a shift in the fund’s focus, which now spans sectors from D2C to gaming and fintech.

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5. Kerala-based startup Netrasemi raises ₹10 crore in Pre-Series A funding from Unicorn India Ventures to develop Edge AI for IoT products. The funds will be used to fabricate two machine learning SoC chips, Netra A2000 and Netra R1000, for enhanced performance.

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