Paavan Nanda

Pleased to announce that Karekeba Ventures, among others, has invested in Stylework SaaS-based co-working/managed workspace aggregator Stylework on Wednesday announced the closure of Rs 30-crore Pre-Series B funding, which is planned to be deployed towards technology enhancement, domestic and international market expansion, and hiring key leadership personnel. Of the total funding, the company had achieved the first close of Rs 10-crore led by Equentis Angel Fund last month, with participation from Karekeba ventures /Cogniphy AIF Fund alongside continued subscriptions from Lets Venture Fund, MoneyVyapaar, HNIs and other strategic investors, Stylework said. Karekeba Ventures Kshitiz Anand Vishal Nikumbh

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Big signal in India’s OTT + Gaming ecosystem (most people will miss this) Last week, Zupee quietly acquired micro-drama startup Vertical TV for < ₹40 Cr. At first glance, it looks like just another acquisition. It’s not. This is what’s really happening 👇 🎮 From Real-Money Gaming → Micro-Drama OTT After the government’s ban on real-money gaming, platforms like Zupee were forced to answer one brutal question: “If gaming is restricted, where does user attention go next?” Zupee’s answer: Short-form storytelling. So they launched Zupee Studio And now acquired Vertical TV to scale it faster. This isn’t random diversification. It’s attention arbitrage. Why micro-dramas make sense for gaming companies • Same mobile-first users • Same binge behavior • Same daily habit loops • Lower production risk • Multiple monetisation layers Gaming companies already understand: 👉 retention 👉 rewards 👉 episodic engagement Micro-dramas plug right into that playbook. This isn’t just Zupee After the RMG ban: WinZO moved into micro-dramas & subscriptions Dream Sports pivoted into watch-parties & creator-led formats Dream11 relaunched as a fan-engagement platform Multiple gaming startups laid off teams and quietly rebuilt around content Gaming → Content → Community → Commerce That’s the new stack. The bigger trend nobody is saying out loud Micro-drama OTT is becoming the Plan B (and soon Plan A) for: • Gaming startups • Social platforms • Short-video apps • Media companies Because when regulation hits transactions, attention still survives. And whoever owns attention can monetise later. My take: This Zupee–Vertical TV deal is not about content. It’s about who controls India’s next daily habit. Micro-dramas are no longer “experimental”. They’re now strategic infrastructure. If gaming companies are buying micro-drama startups, imagine what social apps, telcos, and ecommerce platforms are planning next. If you’re: • A founder exploring OTT or short-video • A gaming company looking beyond RMG • An investor tracking attention-led businesses This shift is worth paying attention to. Happy to brainstorm on micro-dramas, OTT strategy, or building scalable video platforms. 📩 DM open 📞 +91 9818399142 🌐 https://mogiio.com Source by Inc42 Media #MicroDrama #OTTPlatforms #MediaTech #ShortVideo #VernacularOTT

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SCOOP: Palmonas is set to raise Rs 200 Cr in a Series B led by XPONENTIA Capital, with Vertex participating. The new round comes at a 3.8X valuation premium. Its FY25 revenue surged 40X to Rs 39 Cr, while the firm’s profit stood at Rs 4.3 Cr. Break by Mukul Manchanda https://lnkd.in/gEJAjCmp

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Krafton, the South Korean gaming giant renowned for titles like PUBG: Battlegrounds and Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), has acquired a controlling stake in Pune-based game development studio Nautilus Mobile for ₹118 crore (approximately $14 million). ​ Founded in 2013, Nautilus Mobile is best known for its popular Real Cricket franchise, which has amassed over 350 million downloads globally. The acquisition grants Krafton a "north of 75%" stake in the company, marking its first majority control deal in India. ​ This strategic move aligns with Krafton's vision to establish India as a global hub for game development. By leveraging Nautilus Mobile's expertise in cricket games, Krafton aims to enhance and expand the Real Cricket franchise and explore new gaming genres. The collaboration is expected to refine existing titles and extend their reach to other cricket-playing nations. ​ Prior to this acquisition, Krafton had invested $5.4 million in Nautilus Mobile in 2022, indicating a sustained interest in the Indian gaming market. With this acquisition, Nautilus Mobile will continue to operate independently, retaining its team of 45 employees, while benefiting from Krafton's global resources and technological expertise.

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Agilitas x Virat Kohli partnership is one of the masterstroke deals I have seen in recent times. Virat invests 40 CR in Agilitas for a 1.94% stake, putting Agilitas’s valuation around 2000 CR. 📈 In turn, Agilitas acquires one8world, making Virat a co-founder and shareholder. They now get two very important growth levers: ⬇️ 1. A powerful manufacturing (via Mochiko Shoes - a 600 CR+ footwear brand that Agilitas acquired in 2008 ), 2. India’s biggest athlete — exclusively aligned. Easily becomes a 4000 CR revenue brand in the next 5 years. Footwear + retail scale requires capital — but this partnership compresses customer acquisition, product cycles, and brand-building like few others. Even Virat said in his podcast with Abhishek Ganguly, the co-founder of Agilitas that, “I didn’t want a brand deal… I wanted to build something that outlives me.” And Abhishek said something even beautiful - “An ambition to build from India but be globally relevant.” This isn’t marketing. This is legacy building with shared skin in the game. And that is how startups work - shared ambition with one goal (to make the company big) and food (read stake) in the table for everyone! A company that can be built in the long term with culture, capital, and conviction aligned. This might be the first time in India, where an athlete joins hands with a sport company to re-imagine and build the sport ecosystem of India - truly revolutionalising the game with a clear vision. 🙌

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Excited to share this News, 888vc, Our Early-stage venture capital firm based in Bangalore, India has launched platfrom Gro8 backed by ₹175 crore (US$ 20M) fund to back startups focused on AI, deep tech, Enterprise SAAS and sustainability over the next three years. 💡 Key Focus Areas: 🔹 Average ticket size of ₹2–4 crores 🔹 Sector Agnostic Angel fund 🔹 Focus on globally scalable solutions 🔹 Launch of GRO8 angel platform for cross-border funding, mentorship & market access 📌 If you’re building in AI, deep-tech, or sustainability with ambitions to grow globally, let’s talk. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gtUcYkrx #888vc #gro8 #venturecapital #angelinvestments #startups

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🚀 Funding Update in the Indian Startup Ecosystem Mumbai-based Luma fertility, a tech-enabled fertility care startup, has successfully raised $4 million in seed funding, led by Peak XV Partners (via its Surge program), along with participation from notable investors like Ameera Shah (Metropolis Healthcare) and Vijay Taparia (B2V Ventures). Founded by Neha K Motwani, Luma Fertility is building a patient-first platform to offer end-to-end reproductive care—covering IVF, fertility assessments, egg freezing, at-home diagnostics, and more. The startup is leveraging technology and empathy to modernize fertility services in India. 📍 With a flagship clinic in Bandra West, Mumbai, Luma now aims to expand across multiple cities over the next two years. This is yet another sign of rising investor confidence in healthtech and femtech sectors in India. As a funding consultant, I closely track such movements and assist businesses in navigating their own equity and debt funding journeys. 📩 If you're a startup or growing company looking to raise capital or explore funding options, feel free to connect. #FundingNews #StartupFunding #SeedFunding #LumaFertility #PeakXV #HealthTech #FemTech #IndianStartups #Linkedin #techindia #healthcare

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Eggoz Raises $20 Mn Series C Led By Gaja Capital; Claims to hit its EBITDA Breakeven In Q4 FY25, Revenue Up 76% YoY To INR 130 Cr FY25 https://lnkd.in/gd9j68rp Abhishek Negi Aditya Singh #Eggoz #funding #D2Cbrands #Agritech #EBITDAbreakeven #Revenuegrowth #Indianstartups #consumerbrands #GajaCapital

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Rapido’s “Ownly” Targets the Big Two 🚀 After months of buzz, Rapido is officially rolling out Ownly — its zero-commission food delivery platform — to challenge the Swiggy-Zomato duopoly. Launching in Bengaluru by June-end, Ownly skips the platform fees, slashes commissions, and pushes for sub-₹250 meals — giving both restaurants and consumers a breather. Will this no-frills, fixed-fee model disrupt India’s online food game? The food fight is just getting started. To read the in-depth article, click here: https://4-2.co/4kyFCTV #RapidoOwnly #FoodDelivery

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Snapdeal co-founders Kunal Bahl and Rohit Bansal, through their early-stage fund Titan Capital, had invested just ₹57 lakh in Urban Company during its seed stage. That small cheque has now turned into a ₹110 Cr exit, marking an extraordinary 200X return. The exit came after Titan Capital sold its stake to Dharana Capital (Vy Capital’s arm), right before Urban Company’s IPO — which went on to be oversubscribed 103X. This makes it one of the most successful early startup bets in India’s ecosystem, highlighting the power of patient, high-conviction angel investing. #TitanCapital #UrbanCompany #ROI #IPO #StartupUpdates #AngelInvesting #VC #Fundraise #Exit #Profit #India via Startupro.in

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Has India’s gaming sector hit by a funding slowdown? VC funding for gaming startups has plunged nearly 90% in just three years. Why? Real-money gaming has been hit by regulatory fog, GST fears, and wobbly monetisation models.. But there’s more here than a funding freeze. AI is quietly rewiring the gaming value chain. Infrastructure players and tools-focused startups are still drawing investor interest. So, what’s missing? Regulatory clarity, and a national framework that doesn’t punish innovation. Until then, even solid fundamentals like low data costs, a young digital-native population can’t drive the next boom. Find the story in the comments. Outlook Business

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Dream11's exit from their ₹358 crore BCCI sponsorship deal - with BCCI waiving penalties due to government regulations - reminded me of a costly lesson I learned during the early IPL mobile rights days. Back then, we had acquired IPL Mobile Digital rights and partnered with Nokia as our exclusive mobile partner. Everything was going well until legislation banned VAS services overnight. When we rushed to review contracts, I discovered a painful reality - Nokia had ironclad protection clauses for regulatory changes, but I had no such mirror provisions with my licensor. Nokia walked away clean. I was left holding the bag. The asymmetry in contract terms taught me that in regulated industries, you're only as protected as your weakest contractual link. Key takeaways for founders: 🔹 Mirror Your Risk Clauses - If you're giving downstream partners regulatory exit clauses, ensure you have identical protection upstream 🔹 Legislative Force Majeure - In sectors like gaming, telecom, or fintech, standard force majeure isn't enough. You need specific regulatory change provisions 🔹 Don't Bank on Goodwill - Dream11 got lucky with BCCI's understanding. Most contracts won't be this forgiving 🔹 Risk Cascade Analysis - Map how regulatory risks flow through your entire contract chain. One weak link can sink the ship The Dream11-BCCI situation shows institutional maturity in handling unforeseen regulatory challenges. But as founders, we can't rely on such understanding. Build your contracts assuming the worst-case scenario - because sometimes it happens. #Startups #Contracts #RiskManagement #IPL #Entrepreneurship #LessonsLearned Kalaari Capital Dream11

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