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Alibaba To Invest In Logistics Startup XpressBees

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Alibaba Group Holdings, China’s online commerce giant, is looking to pick up a significant minority stake in logistics company XpressBees. The company will be investing close to $ 100 million in the Pune based logistics firm, according to three sources.

A source close to the development told The Economic Times, “The deal is likely to close in the next two three weeks.” Both the companies, according to the news daily, have been in talks for a potential investment for the past 18 months. However, the percentage of the minority stake Alibaba will be picking up in XpressBees was not disclosed.

In 2017, the Chinese conglomerate invested in multiple Indian startups including online payments platform Paytm and online grocery delivery services BigBasket. In July last year, reports suggested Alibaba was looking to invest in Gurgaon based logistics startup Delhivery along with XpressBees. Alibaba’s aim with these investments was to build the ‘iron triangle’ of businesses in ecommerce (Paytm Mall, Bigbasket), payments (Paytm) and now logistics to establish an Amazon like network in India. 

XpressBees, founded by Amitava Saha and Supam Maheshwari in 2015, spun out of baby products retailer FirstCry. The ecommerce logistics company, owned by Busybees Logistics Solutions, aims to fulfill comprehensive supply demand needs of India’s online industry. XpressBees offers services including last mile delivery, cross border services, reverse logistics, drop shipping, vendor management, payment collection, fulfillment services and tailored software solutions. The company claims their team delivers 6000+ shipments every day. The company also managed to raise close to $ 12.5 million in a Series A funding round from existing investors SAIF Partners, IDG Ventures, Vertex Ventures and Valiant Capital in 2016. 

Another source further added, “Alibaba wants to make XpressBees the Cainiao of India and over time logistics operations for all companies like Paytm Mall and Bigbasket may get consolidated under it giving it a larger captive customer base.” Post these investments in BigBasket and XpressBees, Alibaba’s total investment in India through its payments affiliate Ant Financial will be close to Rs. 11,000 crores.

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Imarticus Learning Acquires MyCaptain for INR 50 Crore to Boost Non-Tech Upskilling

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My Captain

Imarticus Learning, an IPO-bound professional education firm, has acquired Bengaluru-based edtech platform MyCaptain for INR 50 crore in a cash-and-stock deal. This marks Imarticus’s fourth acquisition in four years and is aimed at expanding its presence in non-tech career training, especially across India’s Tier-II and Tier-III cities. MyCaptain, which has over 500,000 learners and a revenue of ₹27 crore for FY25, specializes in creative and entrepreneurial fields, with 60% of its users from smaller cities.

 

With this acquisition, Imarticus will bring MyCaptain’s employability bootcamps in digital marketing, design, and content to its 20+ classroom centers in 16 cities, blending online and offline learning. MyCaptain will operate as a fully-owned subsidiary, and all 250 of its employees will join Imarticus, expanding the combined workforce to over 850. The move supports Imarticus’s goal to reach five million learners by FY28 and deepen its offerings in non-tech domains.

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Ex-100X.VC Partners Launch 247VC, Announce INR 250 Crore Fund for Seed-Stage Startups

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StartupStories

Former 100X.VC partners Yagnesh Sanghrajka and Shashank Randev have launched a new venture capital firm, 247VC, unveiling a maiden fund with a target corpus of INR 250 crore (about $30 million). The SEBI-registered Category II AIF includes a base of INR 200 crore and a INR 50 crore greenshoe option, and is focused on backing 30 seed-stage startups across India over the next three years.

 

247VC will target high-potential founders in sectors like deeptech, enterprise tech, consumption, and Industry 5.0, with initial cheque sizes ranging from INR 3 crore to INR 4 crore and follow-on capital for top-performing companies. The fund has attracted prominent early backers, including Sachin Tagra (JSW Ventures), Vivek Mathur (ex-Elevation Capital), and Shailendra Majmundar (Johns Hopkins University).

Sanghrajka and Randev, who together have invested in over 200 startups previously, aim to support ambitious founders building for scale and innovation, especially in emerging and underexplored markets. The launch comes as seed-stage investing gains momentum in India, with average cheque sizes rising despite a cautious funding environment.

 

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Flam Secures $14M Series A to Revolutionize Mixed Reality Marketing with AI

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Flam_StartupStories

AI infrastructure startup Flam has raised $14 million in a Series A round led by RTP Global, with participation from Dovetail and existing investors, bringing its total funding to $22 million. Founded in 2021, Flam enables brands to create and deliver high-fidelity mixed reality (MR) and generative AI experiences without the need for app downloads, allowing consumers to access immersive content via QR codes or links in under 300 milliseconds.

Flam’s platform is already used by over 100 global brands-including Google, Samsung, and Netflix-reaching more than 380 million users. The new funding will accelerate product innovation, expand operations in North America, Europe, and Asia, and launch a full-stack enterprise suite for MR and GenAI-driven marketing. The company currently has over 120 employees and plans to grow to 180 by the end of 2025, aiming to transform every brand touchpoint into an interactive digital experience.

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