Startup news and updates: Daily roundup (September 20, 2024)

Funding

Dantech Digital Dental Solutions bags Rs 21 Cr in funding

Dental prosthetic manufacturer Dantech Digital Dental Solutions has raised Rs 21 crore ($2.5 million) in funding from a group of investors.

The funding round saw participation from Gunavanth Vaid, Unicornus Maximus, Shagun Capital Ventures, Wow Investments, Ten Eighty Investments, the promoter family of Tablets India, and a consortium of renowned dentists, among others.

Dantech plans to use the funds to expand its domestic production capacity, broaden product offerings, and enter key international markets.

"Our journey began with a vision to revolutionise the dental industry, inspired by my grandfather's (Dr BP Rajan) unwavering dedication to providing exceptional care," said Varun Gunaseelan, CEO and MD of Dantech.

"With this new funding, we are excited to accelerate our growth and bring our innovative products to more dentists worldwide," he added.

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Dental and skincare startup makeO raises $16M in bridge round

TraqCheck raises investment from ex-Goldman Sachs executive, others

Enterprise software company TraqCheck has raised another round of investment from the former head of Goldman Sachs’ international wealth management unit, Alok Oberoi; Bellavita Founder Aakash Anand; and venture firm Caret Capital.

The funds will be used to accelerate the company’s global expansion plans.

The investment follows an earlier investment in April, which saw participation from the family office of Lenskart founder Peyush Bansal, along with Culture Cap and Caret Capital.

“We are excited to welcome such respected investors aboard the TraqCheck journey. With this new capital, we are poised to expand our operations globally, starting with the United Kingdom. Our cutting-edge background check technology is designed to help companies hire with confidence and at scale,” said the founders of TraqCheck, in a joint statement.

TraqCheck was founded in 2020 by Jaibir Nihal Singh, Armaan Mehta, and Rishabh Jain.

Other news

Beauty tech startup Numour selected for Amazon’s Launchpad programme

Numour has earned a spot on Amazon’s Launchpad programme.

The programme, which has helped brands like Mamaearth to scale up, is an invite-only initiative that provides potential brands with expert consultation, premium product placements and analytical tools to help fine-tune market strategies.

Founded in 2023, Numour’s products blend technology like LED therapy and EMS treatments and convenience to provide dermatologically approved solutions for its consumers.

“We are thrilled to be part of Amazon Launchpad,” said Numour spokesperson. “This platform reinforces our focus on innovation and quality while giving us the opportunity to grow faster and connect with more customers seeking advanced skincare solutions that genuinely simplify your skincare routines”.

iPhone 16 now available on quick commerce platforms Zepto, Blinkit

Quick commerce startups Blinkit and Zepto on Friday rolled out the sale of Apple’s latest iPhone series.

Zepto said that customers can now order the new iPhone 16 on Zepto’s app and get it delivered within 10 minutes while Blinkit said that customers can get their hands on the new iPhone models within minutes.

“We’re thrilled to partner in bringing the latest iPhone 16 to our platform. With Zepto, we’re offering more than just speed—this is about delivering premium tech right to your door in minutes, providing an unmatched shopping experience in cities like Chennai and Hyderabad where we may just be the first to do this,” said Vinay Dhanani, President at Zepto.

Both Zepto and Blinkit are rolling out delivery of iPhones in Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. Zepto is also delivering to Delhi, Hyderabad, and Chennai while Blinkit is delivering to Pune.

“We are partnering with Unicorn Infosolutions (the largest Apple Premium Partner in India) for the third year in a row to make the latest iPhone available. Customers in Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Pune, and Lucknow can get an iPhone 16 delivered within minutes. While Blinkit will handle the delivery, Unicorn provides discounts on select cards and offers EMI options, too,” said Albinder Dhindsa, Founder and CEO of Blinkit.

Blinkit has previously partnered with Unicorn in 2023 to deliver the 'Make-in-India' iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Plus to customers' doorsteps living in Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Pune, and Bengaluru.

India Accelerator partners with Trade Promotion Council for Geospatial and Space Industry

Multi-stage fund-led accelerator India Accelerator has entered into a strategic alliance with Trade Promotion Council for Geospatial and Space Industry (TPCGSI) to participate in its flagship event Drone Shaurya’.

Under the partnership, TPCGSI and India Accelerator intend to work together for opportunities in robotics, unmanned systems and space technology and its applications. The partnership will also help India Accelerator to strengthen its presence in Pune.

“India Accelerator's role as a "UAV Industry Facilitator" is multifaceted. We provide startups with strategic guidance, seed and growth-stage funding, and facilitate market access within defence and beyond. By nurturing these startups, we are contributing to the growth of the Indian UAV ecosystem and strengthening the nation's defence capabilities. Our dedication to supporting startups that are making significant contributions to the UAV industry makes us a worthy candidate for this award,” said Ashish Bhatia, Founder

and CEO, India Accelerator.

ISRO, IN-SPACe, NSIL signed 75 Technology Transfer Agreements with NGEs

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), IN-SPACe and NSIL on Friday said that it has signed five Technology Transfer Agreements (TTAs) with Non-governmental entities (NGEs), bringing the total TTAs to 75.

The agreements signed today were with Anabond, Salvo Industries, Micropack and Astra Microwave Products.

The announcement comes after Indian space reforms that pushed for collaborations between ISRO and various NGEs. The agreements give private players the opportunity to access developed technologies available with ISRO.

“The milestone of achieving 75 Technology Transfer Agreements marks a significant step forward in empowering India’s space private sector to harness cutting-edge space technologies for not just commercial applications, but also applications beneficial to society,” said Dr Pawan Goenka, Chairman at IN-SPACe.

(The copy will be updated with the latest news throughout the day.)