The second week of October was filled with good news and billion dollar valuations for major startup companies! The Indian startup ecosystem was also getting ready to adapt cryptocurrencies and forge ahead in the world of blockchain businesses.

If you missed the major news of last week, here’s our weekly wrap up

1. 5G TO COME TO INDIA SOON
India is ready to move on from 4G Internet speeds and start working for a faster network. Telecom operators like Vodafone India, Reliance Jio and Idea Cellular will reportedly come together to create the software required to make 5G a possibility. The three telecom operators will introduce Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) technology to enable the 5G network. The MIMO technology will help increase network capacity by at least 4 to 5 times and increase the speed up to 30 Mbps t0 50 Mbps.

2. ANDHRA PRADESH GOVERNMENT FLAGS OFF THE BLOCKCHAIN BUSINESS CONFERENCE

The Andhra Pradesh Government is all set to make Vishakhapatnam the blockchain capital of India. The second leg of the Blockchain Business Conference was held last week to explore blockchain technologies, its applications and how it impacts the financial services industry. The conference also launched two accelerator programs for startups by ICICI Bank and Mahindra Finance. The accelerator programs will mentor and finance 30 startup companies and help them in solving problems. Notably, the AP Government is the first state to use blockchain pilots and the technology in various departments. 

3. OLA RAISES $1.1 BILLION FROM TENCENT, SOFTBANK AND OTHERS

India’s leading taxi aggregator, Ola raised the largest round of funding in their six year history this past week. The company raised $ 1.1 billion from China’s Tencent Holdings and Japan based SoftBank. This funding round by Ola is the third billion dollar round in a series of billion dollar funding rounds in the Indian startup ecosystem this year. Ola may be valued at $ 7 billion post the latest investment round despite a considerable decrease in valuation in the beginning of this year.

4. RESTAURANT DISCOVERY PLATFORM EAZYDINER RAISES $ 4.6 MILLION

Restaurant discovery and reservation startup EazyDiner raised close to $ 4.6 million in a Series B funding round from new and existing investors. Founded by various veterans of the hotel industry, EazyDiner is also backed by Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh through his venture fund YouWeCan. EazyDiner is an app based platform that allows users to book tables and offers an EazyDeal with every table booking in the form of a free glass of wine or popular desserts in some of the standalone restaurants and 5 star hotels. Along with DSG Consumer Partners and Saama Capital, the company has added Singapore based venture capital firm Beenext and an undisclosed family office from the Middle East to their investor’s list.

5. FACEBOOK UNVEILS NEW CHEAPER PORTABLE VR HEADSET: OCULUS GO

Technology has evolved over time to a point where virtual reality and augmented reality can be interwoven with real life. Making VR affordable, Facebook recently launched their latest device, Oculus Go which will run with the same VR as the Samsung Gear. Priced at $ 199, the new device will pack a high resolution fist switch LCD screen along with a ‘next generation lens’ and wide field of view. This latest device will also have an added spatial audio with the speakers built into the headset along with a 3.5 mm headphone jack for private listening. According to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Oculus Go will be “the most accessible VR experience ever.”

6. TIGER GLOBAL INVESTS $ 2 MILLION IN CHAAYOS

Picking up a considerable stake in the tea industry, global investment firm Tiger Global Management has invested $ 2 million the Gurugram based tea cafe chain Chaayos. According to reports, Ola co founders Bhavish Aggarwal and Ankit Bhati also participated in this internal round of funding along with Powai Lake Ventures and Toppr.com founder Zishaan Hayath. Chaayos, which is run by Sunshine Teahouse Pvt., Ltd., will use these funds to expand their chain to 70 cafes in four locations. The company, which currently operates 30 outlets in Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon, Mumbai, Chandigarh, Ghaziabad and Karnal, is all set to reach the 50 cafe mark by the end of this month.

7. OLA AND UBER SHOULD BE REGULATED: SUPREME COURT

Senior advocate Indira Jaising has raised valid concerns regarding the security of female commuters using the app based transport services like Ola and Uber, after several incidents were reported recently. Responding to Jaising’s concerns, the Supreme Court of India has stated that all app based transport service providers need to be regulated in order to ensure the safety of all female passengers. The Centre has been asked to examine the issue and a bench consisting of Justices Madan B. Lokur and Deepak Gupta have agreed to examine the plea. The National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) was also asked to set up an expert panel to frame a model that sets guidelines and rules to grant compensation to victims under the Victim Compensation Scheme by December 31.

That’s all for this week! Subscribe to our portal to never miss updates from the startup world! If your startup has an exciting announcement coming up, you can even write to us at [email protected]. Catch up with the highlights of the week with our The News This Week section.