Richard Branson, owner of the Virgin Group, has quite a reputation. Since the year 1970, Branson has made a strong mark on the world positioning himself among the top ten successful entrepreneurs in the world. While there are a lot of facts known about this serial entrepreneur, there are still quite a few unknown facts. Check them out here!
1. He is dyslexic
Did you know that while most people shy away from admitting they have dyslexia, Branson credits his success to his disorder? It was because he discovered this disorder at a young age that he was able to learn how to delegate his tasks and start learning to be the leader he is today.
2. He created a submarine
While most of us just dream of one day owning a submarine, Richard Branson made his dream come true. Called the Necker Nymph submarine, Branson’s submarine is a treat for his visitors. Not only does the man have a private island, he also designed his own transport to and from his private island. How cool is that?
3. He cried when he sold his first company, Virgin Records
The first thing you create is always your baby and when you sell it, you experience a pain like never before. Branson also felt the same way when he sold, Virgin Records, the company which began his empire. Despite selling the Company for a billion dollars to keep the Virgin Group afloat, the loss of his first baby made Branson bawl like no one could imagine. Ouch.
4. He is not a part of any boards
Unlike other owners, Branson is not a part of any of the boards of the companies he owns. Despite owning more than 200 companies under the Virgin Group, Branson always stays away from being a part of the Board of Directors. Why? Because he believes he is not a businessman but a creator and visionary!
5. He has been knighted
Richard Branson is perhaps the only entrepreneur in the world to be knighted by Queen Elizabeth 2 in the year 1999. Sir Richard Nicholas Branson received a knighthood for his relentless services for entrepreneurship. Did you know that Branson is the only entrepreneur who backed more than 18 startups? A deserved knighthood, no? Incidentally, apart from being knighted, Branson was also awarded by the United Nations (UN) for his contribution to the environment and humanitarian causes, earning him the title of The United Nations Correspondents Association Citizen of the World Award.
6. Adventure could easily be his middle name
Apart from building his very own submarine, Branson is an avid hot air balloon lover. Did you know that Branson is the first and only person in the world to cross the Atlantic in the largest hot air balloon? He loved the thrill so much, he broke his own record in the year 1991 by crossing the Pacific in a hot air balloon made by Virgin. Clearly no one else thought they could beat his record.
7. Television loves him
Television loves Branson. Apart from making special appearances on shows like FRIENDS and Baywatch, a lot of other shows like The Simpsons and Monty Can’t Buy Me Love have created entire characters based on the man behind the Virgin Group!
Richard Branson gave the world the Virgin Group and everyone lessons for a successful life. If you think we missed out on any other facts about this man, comment and let us know!
MobiKwik is venturing into the stock broking sector with the launch of its subsidiary, MobiKwik Securities Broking Private Limited (MSBPL), following approval from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs on March 3, 2025. This move aims to diversify MobiKwik’s offerings beyond its core digital payments services and compete with established players like Zerodha and Groww.
MSBPL will provide a range of brokerage services, including trading in shares, securities, commodities, and derivatives. The subsidiary has an initial capital of Rs 1 lakh, with plans for an additional Rs 2 crore investment to support its operations.
As MobiKwik enters this competitive market, it brings a substantial user base of 172 million and a merchant network of 5 million. Despite recent financial challenges, including a reported loss of Rs 55.2 crore in Q3 FY25, the company aims to leverage its existing infrastructure and user engagement to capture a share of the growing investment technology market, projected to reach $74 billion by 2030.
This strategic expansion aligns with MobiKwik’s broader goals of enhancing its financial service
Nazara Technologies has sold its entire 71.54% stake in Sports Unity Private Limited, the company behind the multiplayer quiz game ‘Qunami’, for INR 7.15 lakh. This divestment, effective March 25, 2025, signifies a strategic shift for Nazara, which had previously acquired a controlling interest in Sports Unity in 2019 for INR 7.5 crore.
The decision to offload the stake comes as Sports Unity has faced financial difficulties, reporting no active business operations and a negative net worth of INR 0.45 crore at the end of FY24. This move aligns with Nazara’s broader strategy to streamline its operations and concentrate on more profitable ventures within the gaming sector.
This sale follows Nazara’s recent divestment of a 94.85% stake in another subsidiary, Open Play, to Moonshine Technologies for INR 104.33 crore. Despite reporting record quarterly revenue of INR 544.7 crore in Q3 FY25, Nazara experienced a 53.5% decline in net profit year-over-year.
Nazara continues to focus on enhancing its portfolio through strategic acquisitions and investments in high-potential gaming platforms while navigating the competitive landscape of the gaming industry.
Hypergro.ai, a Bengaluru-based marketing technology startup, has raised Rs 7 crore in seed funding led by Silverneedle Ventures, with participation from Huddle, TDV Partners, HME Ventures, Dholakia Ventures, FiiRE, and angel investors. Founded in 2022 by Rituraj Biswas, Neha Soman, Abhijeet Kumar, and Arijit Mukhopadhyay, the company aims to revolutionize digital marketing by addressing challenges like high Customer Acquisition Costs (CAC) and low Return on Ad Spend (ROAS).
The startup leverages AI to create hyper-personalized video ads using user-generated content (UGC). The fresh capital will be used to enhance Hypergro.ai’s AI capabilities, expand operations, and build a specialized team focusing on data analysis, predictive algorithms, and automation.
Since its inception, Hypergro.ai has collaborated with over 70 brands, including several from Shark Tank India. The company’s innovative approach has led to its selection for Google’s Startups Accelerator: AI First (India) program in July 2024, providing access to critical training, mentorship, and state-of-the-art AI tools.
Hypergro.ai’s platform now supports a community of over 300,000 creators across India and has partnered with more than 100 brands, significantly enhancing its AI model’s accuracy and improving revenue generation for clients. As it continues to expand and refine its AI-powered marketing solutions, Hypergro.ai is set to transform the digital advertising landscape, offering businesses more effective and efficient customer acquisition and engagement strategies.