The Indian startups on the up and up

More: ByteDance in talks to sell TikTok’s India operations and Tesla’s plan to make cheaper and smaller cars in China [Read from your browser]( Daily Newsletter Hello {NAME} Happy Singles Day! No need to check your calendar: Yes, we are still around nine more months away from 11.11. But February 15 is actually Singles Awareness Day, so for those who didn’t take part in Valentine’s yesterday, this is the day to celebrate independence. And just like all the startups in today’s listicle that haven’t found or aren’t seeking another company to merge with, being happy and successful on your own is entirely possible. Today we look at, - A [list of 50 rising startups]( in India - The startup that helps you feel closer to celebrities and influencers - Other newsy highlights such as ByteDance's move to sell TikTok’s India operations and Tesla’s plans to make cheaper and smaller cars in China  ---------------------------------------------------------------  PREMIUM SUMMARY  The startups in India that are turning heads We get it: Indian startups raise a lot of money. Just two months into the year and a couple of firms in the country are already raising hundreds of million of dollars.Let’s take a closer look at the companies that are raking it in. - The hot sector is, *drumroll*, edtech, with 14% of the 50 companies in the list addressing learning-related needs. The competition isn’t surprising, considering that Byju’s - the world’s most valued edtech startup - is based in India, and many are looking to grab a piece of the action. (Check out the key players in Indian edtech space [here]( - Raining money: The top-funded startup on the list is a gaming firm that has banked US$230 million in funding since launching in 2018. Called MPL, the esports platform allows users to play skill games and win cash prizes. - The non-jocks: Besides the trending industries - fintech, edtech, ecommerce, and teleconferencing - these days, Indian startups in co-working and automotive spaces are also racking up wins. Read more: [50 rising startups in India](  ---------------------------------------------------------------  STARTUP SPOTLIGHT “We stan” Fans of celebrities and influencers, you’re in for a treat! Social video platform Sendjoy has [raised US$150,800 in a seed round]( so that you can receive video messages from the stars you’re geeking out over. - Backstory: Founded by the British Film and Television Award-winning producer Low Ser En, Singapore-based Sendjoy allows users to book video messages from 200 popular celebrities and creators, including musicians, actors, comedians, and illustrators. - Achievements: Sendjoy claims its bookings in December jumped fourfold as customers booked star-powered greetings for Christmas and New Year. - Future plans: The new funding will be used to bring in a larger pool of talent from all parts of Asia onto the platform.  ---------------------------------------------------------------   QUICK BYTES  1️⃣ TikTok is still selling... its India operations Parent firm ByteDance is said to be [looking into selling]( the popular short-video app’s India operations of to rival unicorn Glance. The move was reportedly initiated by Japanese conglomerate SoftBank - backer of both ByteDance and Glance’s parent company InMobi - to revive TikTok, which has been banned in India since June 2020.  2️⃣ Tesla, made in China The US-based electric-vehicle maker is [working on designing]( a new smaller car in China that will be priced at around US$25,000. The compact model is expected to be a hatchback version of Tesla’s Model 3 vehicle and will have a driving range of about 350 to 450 kilometers.  3️⃣ Patrick Grove’s US$275 million IPO Malaysia-based investment firm Catcha Group has [announced]( that its special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC) Catcha Investment Corp. is now listed on the New York Stock Exchange, with 27.5 million units of its stock priced at US$10 per unit.  4️⃣ Oyo’s layoffs Oyo Latam, the Indian hotel chain startup’s Latin American unit, has [laid off nearly half]( of its entire staff as the business moves toward a digital-only model. The development comes as Oyo ended its joint venture with the SoftBank Latin America Fund barely six months after the parties struck a partnership in the region.  5️⃣ Another SPAC enters Indian online grocer Grofers is reportedly [looking to go public]( in the US through a merger with SPAC. The deal will boost the SoftBank’s-backed company valuation to about US$1 billion.  6️⃣ Pakistani startup gets funding from Stripe Safepay, has raised a [seven-figure investment]( in seed round from the USpayments giant and an undisclosed global fintech firm. Safepay aims to accelerate digital payment adoption in Pakistan by targeting a wave of entrepreneurs from the ecommerce industry.  ---------------------------------------------------------------   FREE PREMIUM ARTICLE  Will Gojek’s ambitions in Vietnam survive a merger? Amid much fanfare, Gojek officially entered Vietnam in September 2018 through its brand GoViet. The launch ceremony even included the participation of Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Gojek founder and then-CEO Nadiem Makarim. It made sense for Gojek to make Vietnam, the second-most populous country in Southeast Asia, its first overseas market. During his speech at the World Economic Forum held in Hanoi that same month, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc stressed that Gojek and GoViet’s partnership embodied the spirit of ASEAN collaboration. But Gojek’s two-year ride in Vietnam clearly did not live up to those lofty hopes. We’ve unlocked this [premium article]( for you to read in full this week.  ---------------------------------------------------------------  EVENTS HAPPENING - Unicon 2021 on February 20 and 21 Organized by National University of Singapore, Unicon strives to connect student entrepreneurs and industry professionals all over the world. Hear from innovative tech leaders including Hilmar Hahn (marketing director, Razer Asia-Pacific), Josephine Chow (head of expansion, Shopback), and Pam Chuang (head of growth, Revolut). Grab [your tickets here](. - [Workshop] Building a cap table that attracts investors on February 24 To help you navigate the complex world of equity and common cap table struggles, Tech in Asia has invited Michael Lints, partner at Golden Gate Ventures, to give a master class on cap table building. [Register for this event]( to learn what information must be included in a cap table, and the most common cap table mistakes, their effects, and how to avoid them. *RSVP at no additional cost for Tech in Asia Core and Live subscribers. - Digital Distribution & Ecosystems: Virtual Summit on February 25 The pandemic has prompted many insurers to emphasize the importance of digital transformation. To find out how you can embrace new technologies to get ahead, join InsurTech Connect Asia's virtual summit to learn key market trends and topics from Asia’s insurance innovation leaders. Speakers at the event include Val Yap (founder, PolicyPal), Yashish Dahiya (group CEO and co-founder, PolicyBazaar), Aaron Tan (CEO and founder, Carro), and many more. Get your [ticket]( today. - Tech in Asia’s Product Development Conference on April 7 and 8 This year’s conference is centered around a single goal: helping companies build outcome-oriented products. With five tracks from strategy to analytics, we want you to come out of this conference with product and engineering tips to build a winning product. You can get the ticket at an [early bird discount]( today for just US$15 (usual price US$50). Existing Tech in Asia Core, Live, and ID+ subscribers can RSVP at no additional cost [here](.  ---------------------------------------------------------------  WHO'S HIRING - [Marketing Director]( at Kacific (Singapore, Singapore) - [People Engagement and Culture]( at Dagangan (Jakarta, Indonesia) - [Full Stack Developer]( at Weplus Smart Insurance (Jakarta, Indonesia)  ---------------------------------------------------------------  SHARE WITH YOUR FRIEND Don’t leave your co-workers behind! Share this with them so that they can keep up with what’s going on in the region’s tech scene. Feel free to [drop us some feedback]( if our newsletter today got you feeling smarter (or if it didn’t).  ---------------------------------------------------------------  Thanks for reading! Tech in Asia’s newsletters are handcrafted daily with love - and sometimes powered by good kopi (or tea). [ADVERTISE]( | [PREMIUM]( | [JOBS]( P.S. Don't miss out on the biggest tech news and analysis. Add newsletter@techinasia.com to your address book, contacts, or safe sender list. Or simply move us into your inbox. Was this forwarded to you? You can read this everyday when you sign up [here](. Don't want to receive these emails anymore? [Unsubscribe](.  ---------------------------------------------------------------  Today’s edition is written by Betty Chum, with contributions from Deepti Sri. It’s edited by Eileen C. Ang. Copyright © 2021 Tech in Asia, All rights reserved. 51 Bras Basah Rd, #05-5061, Singapore 189554