Category technology

Mumbai, September 18th, 2024 – Launching today, Vu Televisions proudly announces the sequel of the 2022 edition of its highly acclaimed GloLED TV – The Vu GloLED 2025 TV with better computing capabilities. Just in time for the festive season, this new TV features a 1.5 GHz VuOn™ processor, which improves phone and camera pairing as well as Bluetooth connectivity. Developed at The Vu Design Center, the Vu GloLED 2025 TV is now smarter and faster, offering better graphics and clearer pictures with AI upscaling. The 1.5 GHz VuOn™ processor also supports 2-way Bluetooth 5.3 and 5 GHz Wi-Fi, making it a great match for all your devices, including your Apple iPhone. The Vu GloLED range is well-known for its Glo Panel, now with Dolby Vision, HDR, Dolby Audio, and DTS VirtualX Surround Sound. Control everything from your couch with the new voice remote that includes a Wi-Fi hotkey, the world’s first developed by Vu Televisions.

During the launch of this TV at an art gallery, Devita Saraf, Founder Chairperson and CEO, Vu Televisions, commented, “Considering the massive success of the Vu GloLED TV 2022, it was difficult to find a way to upgrade the product but then our research team showed that Gen Z’s pattern of TV usage has a lot more to do with pairing devices such as phones and cameras. Putting in over a year of research, we added a better processor and can now proudly say we are the only TV where Apple and Google come together! Gen Z users are not only content consumers, but also content creators, for whom we have added camera connectivity for video recording and video conferencing. This product is truly a young consumer’s dream TV and we have made it even more affordable than the previous version!”

Kunal Gupta, Vice President, Large Appliances, Flipkart, said, “Our 10-year partnership with Vu has democratized access to high-quality smart TVs, driving industry growth. In the past decade, smart TVs have evolved from mere entertainment devices to the heart of connected living rooms. As consumer preferences shift towards smarter, immersive experiences, Flipkart remains dedicated to providing a wide variety of value-driven selections. The launch of the new Vu GloLED 2025 TV on Flipkart ahead of The Big Billion Days underscores our commitment to offering India the latest television technology. Together, we’re bringing cutting-edge features, superior picture quality, and an unparalleled entertainment experience to millions of Indian homes.We’re looking forward to continuing this journey, delivering the latest innovations, and redefining how India experiences entertainment. Further, Vu’s deep understanding of Indian consumers, from urban centers to rural India, perfectly aligns with our vision of empowering customers nationwide.”

Key features of Vu GloLED TV 2025

The VuOn™ 1.5GHz Processor

The most advanced AI VuOn™ processor available, it stands as the fastest in its class, guaranteeing superior graphics, enhanced picture clarity, and seamless, lag-free streaming with high-speed graphics and smooth motion. This processor supports Bluetooth, Screen Mirroring, and Casting from smart phones, and connects easily with cameras, PlayStations, and other devices, both wired and wirelessly, for effortless enjoyment of your favorite content.

Get the Perfect Phone Partner

The Vu GloLED TV offers extensive connectivity options, including casting from Android or Apple phones, 2-way Bluetooth for music, 5GHz Wi-Fi for streaming, and HDMI for gaming consoles. It supports both wired and wireless connections for additional devices. You can also control your smart home and TV with voice commands through Google Assistant or Apple HomeKit.

Vu GloLED2025 for Video Conferencing

Thanks to the Vu AI VuOn™ processor, which supports seamless camera connectivity, you can easily conduct Google Meet video calls by connecting an external camera and microphone to the TV. Additionally, Vu’s proprietary Family Moment app makes it simple to capture precious family moments

Latest Version of Superhit Glo-Panel

The Vu Glo-Panel delivers excellent color performance with a gamma range from 2.0 to ST2084, enhancing color intensity and provides uniform color accuracy in any light. Advanced A.I. technology upscales content to improve content sharpness and detail, and ensures smoothness for fast-moving scenes. It also supports Dolby Vision, HDR, and HLG formats for superior HDR video performance

Surround Sound with 24W DTS Virtual X Sound

This GLOLED TV showcases a sleek, slim floating panel design with built-in 24-watt powerful speakers. It features a robust amplifier that enhances vocal clarity and optimizes music playback. The amplifier independently fine-tunes and delivers high-quality sound through the TV’s built-in speakers. DTS Virtual X technology provides an immersive audio experience by simulating surround sound, making it feel like a home sound system is integrated into the TV.

Vu Remotes now with WiFi Hotkey Feature

Vu’s TV offers Indian-specific features, including Cricket and Cinema hotkeys with optimized Picture & Sound settings, quick preset access, and WiFi setup Hotkeys. The remote has a built-in Google Voice Assistant key. Running on the latest Google TV OS, the TV provides a refined interface with 4K UI support, background blurs, and customizable accessibility settings. It also enhances privacy by restricting background app services.

Kolkata, 18th September 2024: Neuron Energy, a leading manufacturer of EV batteries, has announced a strategic partnership with Pointo, a pioneer in the Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS) model. This collaboration will focus on leasing lithium-ion batteries to commercial E-Rickshaws in India. Starting in August 2024 and continuing through the following year, Neuron Energy has committed to delivering up to 12,000 high-capacity 5.1KW lithium-ion batteries for L3 category e-rickshaws, supporting the transition from lead-acid to lithium-ion technology and promoting the growth of sustainable electric mobility solutions.

Neuron Energy is recognized for its innovative range of electric mobility solutions, including lead-acid, lithium-ion, and cutting-edge sodium-ion batteries. Through this partnership, Pointo will lease Neuron Energy’s advanced battery packs as part of its comprehensive EV initiative across key markets such as Kolkata, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh. This initiative will further enhance electric mobility infrastructure in these regions, offering e-rickshaw drivers cost-effective, high-performance alternatives to traditional batteries.

Commenting on the partnership, Pratik Kamdar, CEO& Co-Founder of Neuron Energy, said “Our collaboration with Pointo signifies a significant shift in advancing sustainable mobility solutions by ensuring consistent, high-quality battery supply for the rapidly growing E-Rickshaw sector. At Neuron Energy, we are committed to driving the future of electric mobility through our innovative battery technologies, and this alliance will enable us to scale our efforts in transforming the EV landscape across India.”

Riki Biswas, Founder of Pointo, said “Pointo, as a pioneer in the Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS) sector, integrates OEMs and NBFCs to ensure the highest quality and performance of our products while streamlining battery leasing and lifecycle management. Our partnership with Neuron will accelerate market entry and establish premier service facilities, enhancing customer support and minimizing downtime. Together, we are committed to advancing the adoption of next-generation green batteries and delivering sustainable energy solutions for the mobility sector.”

The leasing model for EV batteries is seen as a game-changer, offering an affordable, scalable, and sustainable solution to drive the adoption of electric vehicles. This partnership reflects the shared vision of Neuron Energy and Pointo to promote eco-friendly transportation and enhance the Indian EV ecosystem for a greener future.

Mumbai, Monday, 16th September 2024: Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA), the apex national body of Automobile Retail in India today announced the outcome of Dealer Satisfaction Study 2024 results which was undertaken in association with PremonAsia, a consumer-insight led consulting & advisory firm based out of Singapore.

Commenting on the release of the study, FADA President, Mr. C S Vigneshwar said, “I extend my sincere gratitude to the over 1,500 Dealer Principals, representing nearly 4,500 outlets across India, who contributed to this year’s DSS study. Their invaluable feedback underscores the continued need for deeper collaboration between OEMs and Dealers to address key areas of concern. The 2024 findings highlight critical areas for improvement, particularly in the support for buy-back policies on unsold spare parts and the implementation of more dealer-friendly inventory management norms for new vehicles—both of which are essential to ensuring the financial stability of dealerships.

Despite these challenges, Dealers have expressed strong satisfaction with the reliability and diversity of OEM products, which continue to serve as key strengths in the Dealer-OEM relationship.”

PremonAsia Director and COO, Mr. Rahul Sharma said, “The Dealers continue to assign higher importance to After-sales and Business Viability related issues. While there have been improvements made by OEMs in all the areas, the expectations on ensuring Dealer viability, particularly related to OEMs buyback / deadstock inventory and understanding the dealer cost structure are still flagged as concern areas across the industry. Addressing these concerns through involving dealers in the policy making and hearing them will certainly go a long way in managing dealer expectations better.”

Key Highlights:

• 4-Wheeler mass market: JSW MG Motor emerges as the top performer with an industry-leading score of 866 points – the highest across segments.
• 2-Wheeler mass market: Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) leads with 805 index points, maintaining its position as the only brand to have consistently held the number one spot since the survey’s inception 4 years back.
• Commercial Vehicles: Ashok Leyland has surpassed its previous performance to achieve the top rank with 817 index points, while Bharat Benz makes its debut in the top three.
• Most significant improvement: Tata Motors PV has improved its last year performance by 98 points in this year’s study to end at number 4 in the 4-Wheeler Mass segment.
• In the 2-Wheeler Mass market segment, TVS Motor has secured the joint third position, improving its performance by 37 index points from last year.
• Bharat Benz has made its debut in the top three of the CV segments, achieving this milestone with a 94-point increase over its previous year’s performance.

With an Industry Average Dealer Satisfaction score of 768, there has been a single-point increase from last year. ‘Product’ scores the highest across all categories, indicating that the industry consistently provides competitive, well-supported and innovative products that meet customer expectations. After-Sales related areas assume the highest importance amongst all factors, followed by Sales. However, despite being the most improved factor over the past two years, ‘Business and Viability’ remains the lowest-scoring factor.

While 4-wheeler mass market dealers are more satisfied compared to last year, Dealer satisfaction in the 2-wheeler and CV segments has declined.

Opportunities for enhancement

• Provide support in clearance of above 60 days ageing vehicle stock
• Provide support in clearing unsold vehicle stock at change of calendar year
• Increase in warranty labour rates for better gross margin in workshops

Segment specific observations

In 4-Wheeler Mass Segment, dealers expressed concerns about the buyback or write-off policy for unsold spare parts inventory and the need for support in covering the carrying costs of stocks in transit. They also highlighted the importance of ensuring dealership viability, overall profitability, and greater involvement in OEM policymaking. However, dealers expressed satisfaction with the OEM’s extended warranty policy, as well as the reliability and range of products offered to customers.

In Commercial Vehicle Segment, dealers emphasized concerns regarding vehicle sales margins, overall dealership profitability, ensuring long-term viability, and a stronger desire for involvement in OEM policymaking. Dealers were quite happy with the overall product range and quality of fully built vehicles, and expressed satisfaction with the responsiveness of the OEM sales team

In 2-Wheeler Segment, the biggest concern which the study highlighted was OEMs were not supportive on buy back of dead stock of parts and they were not open to dealer inputs in terms of policy making and multi-brand outlets point of view. On the positive side, the study found that OEMs were fair in acceptance and rejection of warranty claims, product reliability & range as well as the training program for customer facing team.

New Delhi, September 14, 2024: MediaTek, a leading global fabless semiconductor company powering more than two billion connected devices yearly, hosted ‘Catch-up with Tech – a Lifestyle Influencer Meet & Greet’ in collaboration with Motorola and Flipkart on 10th September in New Delhi. Representatives from MediaTek, Motorola, and Flipkart were present for insightful discussions on the next frontier for technology. They discussed MediaTek’s dominance in various areas, including smartphones, smart devices, automotive and satellite communication, computing, and connectivity.

The meetup showcased MediaTek’s dedication to making technology more accessible for consumers. It featured the motorola razr 50, the first flip phone powered by MediaTek Dimensity 7300X SoC. The event also showcased the upcoming motorola edge 50 Neo for the first time, a candy bar phone powered by MediaTek Dimensity 7300 processor, and the EnvisionxSpectra Smart TV line, which uses Mini-LED technology powered by MediaTek SoCs. This year’s Catch-up With Tech event took place at an exquisite venue in New Delhi, India, and saw more than 50 Lifestyle Influencers, Analysts and Media personalities in attendance. The event focused on the new Motorola smartphones and MediaTek Dimensity chipsets, creating incredible user experiences. The information pertaining to these new smartphones and MediaTek Dimensity 7300 series chipsets was further elaborated in an engaging panel discussion.

The panel discussion was moderated by Anuj Sidharth, Director of Marketing & Corporate Communications at MediaTek. It included expert panellists such as Shivam Ranjan, Head of Marketing, APAC at Motorola, Konark Tyagi, Video Head- Non News & Podcast, Jagran New Media and prominent Lifestyle Influencer Sneha Arora.

The future-ready smartphones offer brilliant cameras, smooth displays, ultra-fast performance furthered by MediaTek’s HyperEngine optimisations, incredible AI enhancements, a powerful NPU for AI workloads and elevated gaming features. MediaTek chipsets for smart TVs provide speedy performance, advanced intelligence & brilliant picture quality, and offer robust connectivity that makes home entertainment experiences simply incredible.

MediaTek family of chipsets power nearly 2 billion devices every year, and the extensive portfolio includes MediaTek Dimensity for 5G Smartphones, MediaTek Helio G series for 4G gaming smartphones, MediaTek Kompanio for Arm-based Chromebooks, MediaTek Pentonic chipsets for Smart TV technologies, MediaTek Genio for Internet of Things, Dimensity Auto for innovative automotive technologies, and MediaTek Filogic for smart Wi-Fi 6/6E & Wi-Fi 7 solutions, among others.

Catch-up with Tech series is a mainstay for MediaTek, which aims to bring technology closer to consumers and help billions of people explore their true potential, said Anku Jain, Managing Director, MediaTek India. Through our collaboration with Motorola, we’re empowering mainstream 5G smartphones and foldables backed by MediaTek Dimensity 7300 series with AI-powered camera technologies, next-gen connectivity, incredible displays, accelerated gaming, and reliable Sub-6 5G connectivity at an accessible price point.

The MediaTek chipsets provide outstanding performance with four Cortex A78 Big cores and four Cortex A55 Efficient cores. The SoCs seamlessly integrate AI capabilities with a dedicated NPU to enhance the overall smartphone experience. Furthermore, the 4nm process technology leads to significant improvements in battery performance.

Shivam Ranjan, Head of Marketing, APAC, Motorola said, “At Motorola, we are focused on bringing meaningful innovation to consumers, and our collaboration with MediaTek reflects this commitment. The ‘Catch-up with Tech’ event highlighted the perfect synergy between Motorola’s vision and MediaTek’s cutting-edge technology. Our partnership is making 5G and foldable smartphones more accessible, in line with our goal of providing future-ready, powerful devices. Together, we are empowering customers with innovative technologies that enrich their daily lives.”

Kunal Gupta, Vice President, Flipkart said, “As consumers increasingly seek versatile entertainment options, the demand for smart TVs continues to rise. At Flipkart, as India’s homegrown e-commerce marketplace, our goal is to make the latest smart TVs accessible and affordable for customers across the country. With the launch of the Motorola EnvisionX Spectra TVs, featuring mini LED technology and screen sizes ranging from 32” to 86”, we are delighted to offer a diverse selection that caters to different entertainment needs, bringing advanced technology and an exceptional viewing experience directly to our customers’ homes.”

The MediaTek Catch-Up with Tech is an interactive, informative series aimed at demystifying the innovative technologies transforming our daily lives. The series emphasizes MediaTek’s commitment to making advanced technology accessible to consumers, thereby enhancing and enriching our daily lives and making us smarter and healthier.

London, UK | Bengaluru, India, 13 September 2024: UST, a leading digital transformation solutions company, has unveiled its ‘UST Retail GenAI platform’ at the London Innovation Lab. Steve Rempel, SVP & International CIO at Walgreens Boots Alliance, inaugurated this pioneering platform to transform retail operations through the power of Generative AI. Steve shared valuable insights on critical success factors to enable GenAI adoption, including the need to appreciate the trust cycle while planning various investments. Prior to the inauguration, UST’s CEO, Krishna Sudheendra, shared the focus with which UST is championing the adoption of Generative AI, including the in-house program to train 25,000 employees on GenAI.

AI has the potential to unlock between $400B and $660B in economic value for the retail industry, according to research. However, few companies have fully realized the potential of new technologies. Developed in-house by UST’s technology and industry sector experts, the platform combines established business models with key GenAI capabilities such as search, summarization, automation, and creation to revolutionize retail practices.

This state-of-the-art platform enables larger business teams to have an out-of-box experience for scenarios in the retail enterprise that would benefit from GenAI-led investments. The platform maps the alignment between GenAI and business capabilities, allowing for more effective decision-making. The UST Retail GenAI platform enables retailers to safely and swiftly pilot GenAI-driven solutions, test various scenarios and outcomes, accelerate innovation, and optimize operations. Retailers can conceptualize and plan their AI strategies with the help of scenario cards, which integrate the ‘Enterprise knowhow’ to address specific challenges.

“At UST, we’ve partnered with six of the world’s top ten retailers, transforming their businesses. While AI is already transforming retail operations, we still need to unlock its full potential. The UST Retail GenAI Platform offers a structured approach for exploring generative AI scenarios, marking a significant milestone in our mission to revolutionize retail operations through the power of generative AI. This is aligned to our focus on building platforms that can help scale the adoption of GenAI-led ways of working,” said Krishna Sudheendra, Chief Executive Officer, UST.

The benefits of investing in digital transformation and specifically AI were echoed in a recent survey commissioned by UST, where respondents cited building resilience to cope with future disruption the highest, increasing profitability, and improving sustainability as key outcomes of technological advancements within their business. UST AlphaAI consolidates the company’s AI offerings to enhance business agility, streamline operations, and accelerate digital transformation journeys.

12th September 2024: India, Elastic, the Search AI Company, today announced the Elasticsearch Open Inference API now integrates with Anthropic, providing developers with seamless access to Anthropic’s Claude, including Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Claude 3 Haiku, and Claude 3 Opus, directly from their Anthropic account.

“The integration of Claude with Elasticsearch Open Inference API allows engineers to analyze proprietary data in real time and generate important context like signals, business insights, or metadata with our frontier model family,” said Michael Gerstenhaber, vice president, Product at Anthropic. “Supporting inference during ingestion pipelines provides more flexibility for users, particularly with features that generate and store answers to frequently asked questions to minimize latency and cost. This integration will help our common customers build efficient, reliable and beneficial AI applications. ”

“The pace and sophistication of Anthropic’s innovation in building reliable AI systems is inspiring,” said Shay Banon, founder and chief technical officer at Elastic. “Anthropic’s Claude models are a welcome addition to the simple and powerful abstraction the Elasticsearch Open Inference API provides for developers.”

New Delhi, India, 12th September, 2024 – Mappls MapmyIndia , India’s pioneering and leading deep-tech digital mapping, geospatial software and location-based IoT company is thrilled to announce its partnership with Zoomcar, the leading marketplace for self-drive car sharing. This unique collaboration enables users to seamlessly book a Zoomcar and plan their trips on the Mappls App, significantly enhancing the end-to-end travel planning and booking experience.

Zoomcar’s vast selection of over 25,000 cars across 99+ cities is fully integrated into the Mappls app, ensuring that there’s a car for every type of traveler. From affordable options for budget-conscious adventurers to premium rides for those seeking luxury, users can easily find and book the perfect vehicle to suit their needs. With zero security deposit, unlimited kilometers and easy availability of car pick up and delivery from popular destinations, Zoomcar has become the preferred choice for self-drive car sharing in India.

Mappls App is India’s own one-stop app with inbuilt digital maps for easy navigation, hyperlocal discovery & travel planning. Aimed to simplify the way Indians travel, users can book a Zoomcar directly on Mappls App and enjoy unique features like 3D junction views for navigation through complex flyovers & junctions with real-time safety & speed alerts, breakers & more. Mappls additionally provides an AI-powered travel platform that offers tailored travel solutions to its users, from destination selection to hotel bookings and detailed itinerary planning.

“Our partnership with Zoomcar brings added convenience and freedom to travelers and marks a significant milestone in our mission to simplify and enhance the travel experience for users. We’re excited to offer more value to Mappls app users and Zoomcar customers through this partnership, and go deeper into travel tech” said Rohan Verma, CEO & Executive Director of MapmyIndia.

“We are thrilled to partner with Mappls and be a part of their cutting-edge maps and travel platform. Whether it’s a spontaneous road trip or a meticulously planned journey, we’re committed to making every trip seamless and enjoyable with Mappls.” added Hiroshi Nishijima, CEO of Zoomcar

Through this collaboration with Zoomcar, Mappls continues to redefine how people explore the world, offering users the tools and flexibility to plan their perfect journeys. An all-in-one solution for today’s tech-savvy travelers ensuring a smooth and hassle-free journey, this integration allows Zoomcar customers to save time and effort, where every trip is carefully organized and optimized for convenience and comfort.

India, September 12, 2024 – Check Point Software Technologies Ltd., a leading cyber security platform provider of AI-powered, cloud-delivered solutions, has been recognized as a Leader in the latest GigaOm Radar Report for Security Policy as Code. As part of the Infinity Platform to secure the cloud, Check Point CloudGuard offers robust code security capabilities that fortify businesses against evolving cyber threats.

“At Check Point, we understand the challenges that come with ensuring the safety and integrity of your digital assets in the cloud. That’s why we are thrilled to announce our positioning as a Leader in GigaOm’s Security Policy as Code report,” said Paul Barbosa, VP of Cloud Security at Check Point Software Technologies. “This recognition highlights our innovative CloudGuard solution, which enables organizations to seamlessly integrate security into their development processes, ensuring robust protection from the start.”

As businesses increasingly rely on advanced software for their daily operations, securing this code becomes crucial for protecting sensitive information and ensuring seamless operations. Cloud practitioners require dependable security solutions, such as code security, part of the Cloud Native Application Protection Platform (CNAPP), to meet this need. According to Check Point’s 2024 Cloud Security Report, a mere 21% of organizations focus on preventive measures to stop attacks before they happen, highlighting a significant gap in current cloud security strategies. By adopting Security Policy as Code, companies can prioritize proactive security measures, streamline security management, reduce errors, and empower teams to quickly address threats, as early as development, thereby securing cloud environments.

“CloudGuard benefits from Check Point’s deep cybersecurity expertise and integrates seamlessly with the Infinity platform, providing advanced threat prevention and security management capabilities across diverse environments,” said Whit Walters, analyst at GigaOm. “CloudGuard is well-suited for organizations operating in complex multicloud or hybrid environments, particularly those with a strong DevOps culture.”

Additional features of CloudGuard Code Security include:

• Integrated Security Across CI/CD Pipelines: offers seamless, language-agnostic security scanning, enabling early detection and resolution of vulnerabilities and exposed secrets to mitigate production security risks
• Automated DevSecOps Practices: Enforces uniform security policies and regulatory compliance while optimizing security operations, seamlessly integrating with DevOps to enable rapid development without sacrificing security
• Advanced Threat Detection and Prevention: Provides robust detection of vulnerabilities, malware, and weak security practices, reducing the likelihood of costly security incidents
• Actionable Remediation and Continuous Improvement: Offers precise remediation steps for security issues, empowering developers to swiftly address vulnerabilities and continually enhance their security practices

Bangalore, September 11: IT & BT Minister Priyank Kharge reaffirmed Karnataka’s commitment to industry-specific skill development through the recently launched *Nipuna Program* during a meeting with a delegation from Kongsberg Digital, led by President and CEO Shane McArdle, and Deepak, Managing Director of Kongsberg Digital India, at Vidhana Soudha today.

Under the leadership of Minister Kharge, the Nipuna Program aims to equip youth with precise skill sets tailored to industry needs, particularly in sectors like artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing. “This is not a generic training program. Nipuna is designed to address specific industry requirements, and we are ready to collaborate with companies like Kongsberg Digital to meet their workforce demands,” the Minister stated. He further emphasized the state’s openness to partnering with Norway on innovation and talent development, leveraging Karnataka’s highly skilled workforce to meet global standards.

Kongsberg Digital, a Norwegian company at the forefront of industrial data and technology, is shaping the future of work by making industrial data more accessible and meaningful through AI. The company has invested $10 million in Bangalore and intends to expand further by tapping into local talent and contributing to a more sustainable, inclusive Industry 5.0 ecosystem.

Deepak Kumar Swain, Managing Director of Kongsberg Digital India, expressed his excitement about the potential collaborations with the Government of Karnataka. “Our vision at Kongsberg Digital India is to build a highly skilled AI-driven workforce that can contribute to a more sustainable industrial ecosystem. The Nipuna Program offers a unique opportunity for us to access the talent required to achieve our ambitions,” said Deepak. He also emphasized the company’s commitment to supporting Karnataka’s startup ecosystem and driving innovation through partnerships with incubators and skill development programs.

Shane McArdle, President and CEO of Kongsberg Digital, echoed this sentiment, stating, “Bangalore has already proven to be a crucial part of our global operations, and we are eager to invest further in the local talent pool. Our ambition is to build an *Industrial Work Surface* powered by AI that transforms industries for the better, and we believe Karnataka is the perfect place to grow this vision.”

Kongsberg Digital also discussed its ambition to support Karnataka’s startup ecosystem by investing in incubators and exploring further collaborations with the government. McArdle highlighted the potential to bring more Norwegian companies to Karnataka, driving innovation through cross-border partnerships.

The meeting was attended by IT & BT Department Secretary Dr. Ekroop Kaur and other senior officials.

11th September 2024, New Delhi: Crackle Technologies has raised a $1.7M pre-seed round to build AI based products to help publishers maximize their adtech earnings. Round is led by We Founder Circle &AC Ventures. Other investors that participated include founders of Impetus Technologies, Sunicon Ventures, Global DeVC and Misfits Capital. Importantly, founders of prominent publishers like Ludo King and others have bestowed their faith in the Crackle team and their product offering by joining as investors.

The funding will be deployed to build globally scalable products to transform programmatic advertising for publishers and developers across gaming, apps, news, and OTTs (by addressing key pain points including low fill rates, ad viewability and eCPMs). Crackle’s proprietary tech applies advanced data analytics and predictive modeling to optimize publisher’s ad revenue, automate workflows, and deliver exceptional user experiences.

Crackle is founded by three ex-Google executives, Harsh Mittal, Shashank Dudeja and Jaivir Singh Nagi, who have a combined experience of 18 years in the publisher monetization industry. In their professional experience, they managed billions of dollars in ad tech revenue and helped multiple publishers scale their ads monetization 10x by introducing several industry-first innovations. Crackle’s mission is to enable publishers to maximize their earning potential and build sustainable businesses.

Commenting on the investment, Neeraj Tyagi, Founder & CEO, WFC stated, “Publisher business models are challenged due to factors including ad blockers, privacy regulations, and the dominance of major tech platforms. Crackle’s proprietary tech addresses these challenges head-on, helping publishers scale monetisation and build sustainable business.”

One of the other investors, Apurva Chamaria added “I’ve known the Crackle team for years and have been consistently impressed by their passion, vision, and ability to execute. Their adtech offerings have already started adding significant value to publishers and I’m thrilled to support their growth and expansion.”

Jaivir, Co-Founder, Crackle, expressed his gratitude towards the investors for their trust and support, he added, “this funding will be instrumental in advancing our mission to maximize publisher revenue and fuel a thriving ecosystem of diverse content to keep the internet relevant and useful for all.”

Since its launch in 2023 Crackle has gained significant traction and its unique approach has already started to generate significant returns for publishers impacted by lower monetization and the dominance of major tech platforms.