The global search and tech giant Google has selected 11 startups for their Google Developers’ Launchpad Build mentorship program. These women led startups will be trained under their Launchpad Accelerator Program to achieve rapid progress in a short time. The Developers Launchpad Build event was hosted in Bengaluru and explored the challenges of being a startup leader.
The digital world today is seeing a lot of women stepping out to pursue their dreams and ambitions. This program gives the selected women entrepreneurs a chance to build successful startups through focused, one on one mentorship from Google and other industry experts.
According to the Google Launchpad website, this edition plans to support women entrepreneurs from startups across various stages. Different expert areas including Product Strategy, UX/UI, Marketing with a special focus in Technology covering Android/Firebase, Web and Cloud were taken into consideration for this program.
This program will include leadership workshops driven by Google and was organized in collaboration with Google’s Women Techmakers Initiative and Google’s Women@program.
Here are the 11 entrepreneurs that will receive training from Google and industry experts.
1. Mishipay: A new retail payments startup founded in 2015, Mishipay uses new technology that eliminates queuing from the point of sale. Their technology allows shoppers to pick up a product they wish to buy, scan the bar code with their phone, pay through their phone and simply walk out. The goal of this startup, cofounded by Mustafa Khanwala and Tanvi Bhardwaj is to reduce queue times and facilitate faster checkouts.
2. Guvi Geek Network: Guvi Geek Network was initially started as a YouTube Channel with more than 400 technical videos in vernacular languages. It was incorporated as a startup in 2014, as an online tech skill accelerator in vernacular languages. This startup, incubated in Madras, seeks to help users acquire new skills in vernacular languages, sticking to their motto ‘Learn in your native language.’
3. Evibe Technologies Evibe is an online platform for hassle free party planning service. They offer services ranging from private farm birthdays to themed wedding cakes and even offer drone proposals and chauffeured Audis. This Bengaluru based startup was founded in 2014 by B. Anjaneyulu Reddy and Swathi Bavanaka who aspire to touch millions of lives with their skill and expertise.
4. LetsEndorse This Bengaluru based startup builds holistic ecosystems and acts as a digital market network dedicated to social development. Cofounded by Monika Shukla and Varun Kashyap, this venture enables intelligent knowledge harnessing of practicable social models and builds collaborations for co-creating and scaling up of solutions. The startup, backed by Social Alpha and incubated as part of NASSCOM 10 k Startups, brings together social change makers and mobilizes funds and resources through a mix of crowd funding.
5. Fundamentor Fundamentor is a Bengaluru based edutech startup that uses methods which children enjoy to ensure effective cognitive aptitude development. Founded in 2014 by Bhargavi A.R., it is an innovative product that improves logical reasoning, Maths, English and creative thinking aptitude in children aged 8 to 15. The platform helps develop life skills to bridge the gap between academics and professional success. They claim to have more than 5000 subscribers and 16,000 parents and user community.
6. Talking Street This startup, founded by Maheima Kapur is a ‘local foodie helpline’ which helps travelers and foodies experience and discover the most popular eateries that are frequented by the locals. Their content is created with the help of foodies in the city and so far have a presence in 24 cities.
7. Clinikk Healthcare Founded by Bahvjot Kaur, Clinikk is a personalized health concierge for blue collar workers and their families. The startup provides a centralized, convenient, trustworthy and top notch quality healthcare experience ensured by an internal medical monitoring platform. This health assistant is the single point of contact for an entire subscribed family for any medical need.
8. CampusTime: CampusTime helps universities and colleges set up private social networks that enable students to connect with everyone on the campus. This Bengaluru based startup founded by Amrutha Desai, helps students connect and get access to part time jobs and internships.
9. Omnify: A new age scheduling and ecommerce platform for small businesses, Omnify was founded by Kabandi Saikia and Manik Mehta in 2016. It is a global Saas platform centered around helping businesses manage their schedules, sell omnichannel and improve engagement with their customers.
10. PlexusMD: Online professional network exclusively for medical professionals and healthcare organizations, PlexusMD was founded by IIM alumni Rohan Desai and Binal Doshi along with Kinnar Shah. The startup helps doctors create their professional identity in the web, stay updated on the latest news and developments in their specialty, find and connect with other medical professionals. They claim to be India’s fastest growing online community of healthcare professionals with 75,000 doctors across 25 states and over 300 hospitals across 120 cities.
11. PregBuddy: Week by week pregnancy tracker, PregBuddy is a comprehensive health monitoring and concierge platform for women around the world. Founded by Subhadeep Modal and Sivareena Sarika in 2016, it provides personalized care via health experts and doctors during the years of pre-conceiving to early years of motherhood.
SuperGaming, the Pune-based gaming innovator known for hit titles like MaskGun and Indus Battle Royale, has raised $15 million in a Series B funding round, boosting its valuation to an impressive $100 million. This marks a nearly fivefold increase from its 2021 valuation of $21 million, highlighting the company’s rapid growth and the rising investor confidence in India’s booming gaming industry. The funding reflects SuperGaming’s strong market presence and strategic vision to become a global leader in online gaming.
The funding round was spearheaded by Skycatcher and Steadview Capital, with significant participation from notable international investors including a16z Speedrun, Bandai Namco O21 Fund, Neowiz, and prominent Web3 financiers such as Polygon Ventures and Sandeep Nailwal. Existing backers like AET Japan and BACE Capital also continued their support. SuperGaming aims to utilize this capital infusion to expand its footprint internationally, focusing on emerging markets. A key initiative includes launching its award-winning game, Indus Battle Royale, in Latin America through a partnership with LOUD.GG, alongside rolling out its proprietary SuperPlatform developed with Google Cloud to empower game developers worldwide, especially in resource-constrained regions.
CEO and Co-Founder Roby John emphasized that this funding milestone is crucial in shifting India from merely a gaming consumer base to a hub for gaming innovation. By adopting a “hyper-local” strategy that tailors games to diverse cultures in underrepresented markets like the Middle East and Latin America, SuperGaming is poised for global growth. With over 200 million installs and an expanding user base, SuperGaming’s recent fundraising solidifies its position at the forefront of India’s gaming revolution, ready to make a major impact on the international stage.
Swiggy, India’s leading online food delivery platform, has introduced DeskEats, a unique meal delivery service specifically designed for office-goers and working professionals across 30 major cities. DeskEats aims to streamline office dining by offering a diverse, office-friendly menu, making it easier than ever for corporate employees to enjoy convenient and delicious meals right at their workplace. By simply typing “Office” or “Work” in the Swiggy app, users can unlock curated collections like Value Combos, Stress Munchies, Healthy Nibbles, and Teamwork Bites, catering to every office dining scenario—from solo meals to team lunches and quick snack breaks.
Swiggy’s DeskEats is now operational in over 7,000 tech parks and business centers, granting office workers access to nearly 700,000 menu items from over 200,000 restaurants. This vast variety ensures there’s something for everyone, addressing the growing demand for quick, tasty, and nutritious food that fits seamlessly into the busy schedules of working professionals. Early trends from DeskEats’ pilot phase show a strong preference for easy-to-eat options like chicken popcorn in Bengaluru and garlic breadsticks in Gurugram, reflecting the popularity of meals tailored for the modern workday.
Expanding upon its Corporate Rewards Program, which is already trusted by thousands of organizations, Swiggy enables companies to enhance employee wellness programs by offering food delivery, groceries, and dining benefits efficiently. With DeskEats, Swiggy reaffirms its commitment to transforming workplace dining by prioritizing variety, convenience, and user satisfaction—cementing its position as a key player in the evolution of India’s office food culture.
Setu, the API infrastructure platform and subsidiary of Pine Labs, has significantly strengthened its leadership by appointing Prashanth Nimmagada (ex-Razorpay) as Chief Technology Officer, signaling its commitment to innovation in India’s dynamic fintech landscape. Alongside Nimmagada, Setu has welcomed other top industry talent: Vijeth Pandit (ex-Razorpay) as Chief Product Officer, Ramkumar Thirumurthi (ex-Razorpay, co-founder Actyv.ai) as Chief Revenue Officer, Nikhil Ratanpal (ex-PhonePe) as Director of Product Development, and Santosh Subramanian (ex-Yes Bank, Wibmo) as Head of Finance. These high-profile hires accompany Anand Raisinghani’s (ex-SAP India) appointment as CEO, underscoring Setu’s focus on building a strong, experienced leadership bench to drive future growth.
Setu specializes in providing API-based digital financial infrastructure for services such as UPI, bill payments, KYC, and digital signatures, while also operating as an RBI-licensed NBFC Account Aggregator. With this expanded leadership team—drawn from India’s leading fintechs—Setu is well-positioned to accelerate the development of scalable, API-driven financial solutions for banks, fintechs, and enterprises. The influx of expertise from Razorpay and PhonePe veterans will bolster Setu’s technical capabilities and strategic partnerships, ensuring it remains a key enabler in India’s rapidly maturing digital public infrastructure ecosystem.
This leadership overhaul comes as parent company Pine Labs prepares for a major IPO, aiming to raise ₹2,600 crore through a fresh share issue after turning profitable in FY25. Setu’s enhanced leadership reinforces the broader group’s ambitions for international expansion, technological innovation, and financial performance. As Setu solidifies its role at the forefront of India’s fintech evolution, the company is poised to deliver advanced financial infrastructure solutions that support the country’s growing digital economy and drive Pine Labs’ strategic momentum.