Ola, homegrown cab hailing startup, has raised $ 36 million from Tekne Capital Management, a New York based hedge fund, according to filings with the Registrar of Companies.
VCCircle reported, the company allocated 171,173 fully and compulsorily convertible preference shares at Rs. 13,521 apiece. Delaware based Tekne Private Ventures III LP invested Rs. 167.15 crores for about 1.23 lakh shares while 47,548 shares worth Rs. 64.28 crores were issued to Tekne Private Ventures I Master from the Cayman Islands.
The new shares were allotted at the same price at which Ola raised $ 104.4 million from Falcon Edge Capital and Ratan Tata’s RNT Capital Advisers. According to the filings, these shares were allocated on 7 June 2017, after a board resolution was passed on May 29. Ola’s valuation could not be ascertained as it is not clear whether this investment is a part of a larger funding round or if more investors are involved. In August 2015, Ola was valued to be close to $ 4.8 billion while media reports in February this year pegged its valuation to be around $3.5 billion.
In April this year, the cab aggregator company raised $ 250 million from Japan’s SoftBank Group Corp., making SoftBank Ola’s largest investor. They also raised $50 million (Rs. 322 crores) from Tekne Capital Management LLC., and were in talks with Coatue Management LLC., for raising more funds.
Ola and US based Uber Technologies Ltd., have been locked in a fierce battle to capture India’s lucrative cab hailing market. Ola has also launched local innovations better suited for the Indian market, including a bike taxi service, Ola Bike. It was also reported, Microsoft was likely to invest $50-100 million in Ola, resulting in Ola switching to Microsoft’s cloud computing platform Azure from Amazon Web Services.
For the financial year 2015 – 2016, Ola’s operating revenue jumped to Rs. 438.6 crores from Rs. 57.5 crores while their consolidated net loss tripled to Rs. 2,311.7 crores. The total expenditure surged to Rs. 3,078.19 crores from Rs. 899.7 crores the year before. At present, Ola operates in 100 Indian cities while Uber has a presence in only 29 cities.
Google has refreshed its iconic ‘G’ logo for the first time in nearly 10 years, replacing the familiar solid blocks of red, yellow, green, and blue with a smooth, vibrant gradient that blends these colors seamlessly. This subtle update gives the logo a softer, more fluid, and modern appearance, aligning with Google’s evolving digital identity and current design trends.
The new gradient transitions smoothly from red to yellow, yellow to green, and green to blue, making the logo more visually appealing and adaptable across various devices, especially on mobile platforms. This redesign also reflects Google’s growing emphasis on artificial intelligence, echoing the gradient style used in the branding of Google Gemini, the company’s AI-generative assistant.
The updated ‘G’ logo has started rolling out on iOS through the Google Search app and on some Android devices, particularly Pixel phones running the Google app beta version 16.18. However, most other platforms, including the web and non-Pixel Android devices, still display the classic solid-color logo. A wider rollout is expected in the coming weeks.
So far, Google’s main wordmark and other product logos like Chrome, Maps, and Gmail remain unchanged. Given the shift toward gradient designs and AI-inspired visuals, similar updates to other Google icons may follow in the future.
In summary, this first major update to the ‘G’ logo since 2015 signals a subtle but meaningful shift in Google’s branding strategy, blending tradition with innovation as the company deepens its focus on AI and modern design aesthetics.
Indian online travel platform ixigo has suspended all flight and hotel bookings to Turkey, China, and Azerbaijan in response to these countries expressing support for Pakistan after India’s military strikes-dubbed ‘Operation Sindoor’-against terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir. The move, announced by CEO Aloke Bajpai on X, was described as an act of solidarity with India during heightened diplomatic tensions following the Pahalgam terror attack.
ixigo’s decision aligns with similar actions by other Indian travel companies, including EaseMyTrip and Cox & Kings, which have also restricted travel services to Turkey, China, and Azerbaijan. The suspensions come amid widespread calls for boycotts after these countries condemned India’s military response and backed Pakistan.
The travel industry’s collective response underscores how geopolitical developments are influencing business decisions, with Indian companies emphasizing national interests and unity in the face of international criticism
MapmyIndia reported a strong fourth quarter for FY25, with consolidated net profit rising 28% year-on-year to INR 49 crore, up from INR 38.3 crore in Q4 FY24. Revenue from operations jumped 34% to INR 143.6 crore, while total income climbed 40% to INR 166.8 crore. EBITDA surged 47% to INR 58 crore, and the EBITDA margin expanded to 40% from 37% a year ago.
The Consumer Technology & Enterprise Digital Transformation (C&E) segment led growth, with revenue up 60% to INR 88.1 crore, while the Automotive & Mobility Technology (A&M) segment rose 7% to INR 55.4 crore. The company’s map-led business maintained strong EBITDA margins at 47%, and IoT-led margins improved to 14% in FY25 from 12% last year, reflecting a shift toward SaaS revenue.
For the full year, net profit increased 10% to INR 147.6 crore, and operating revenue grew 22% to INR 463.3 crore. The order book at year-end stood at INR 1,500 crore, up 10% year-on-year, supporting the company’s target to surpass INR 1,000 crore in revenue by FY28.
MapmyIndia also announced the renaming of its subsidiary Vidteq to Mappls DT, focusing on digital transformation and defence tech, led by former CEO Rohan Verma. The company declared a final dividend of INR 3.50 per share for FY25, and its shares closed 1.54% higher following the results.