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Alibaba Cloud To Set Up Special Teams For Startups

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Alibaba Cloud Special Teams For Startups,Startup Stories,Startup News India,Latest Business News 2018,Alibaba Cloud Build Special Teams,First India Data Centre,Alibaba Cloud Latest News,Startups Ideas, Alibaba Cloud Special Team,Alibaba Group

Alibaba Cloud, a subsidiary of the well known Alibaba Group, is a cloud computing company. Alibaba Cloud provides products and services to clients in India across the e commerce, gaming, media, retail and IoT sectors via its network of distributors. Recently, Alex Li, General Manager of Alibaba Cloud Asia Pacific said Alibaba Cloud has always been dedicated to empower enterprises of different sizes to tap into opportunities in the digital age. With digital transformation poised to add close to $ 154 Bn to India’s GDP, this is a great opportunity for us to do business in India.

In January this year, the company set up its first India data centre in Mumbai. The aim was to fulfill the surging demand for cloud computing services which is among one of the fastest growing numbers of Indian small and medium sized businesses in the region. Alibaba Cloud said it will build specialised teams to focus on various market segments and sectors such as startups and online business. Alongside, it wants to strengthen its network as they plan to train 1,000 sales and technology personnel in India in the next six months. According to a study conducted by the International Data Corp (IDC,) with an estimated  $ 2.12 billion spent on public cloud services, India currently ranks third on the list of countries who have turned towards cloud computing in the Asia Pacific excluding Japan.

With regards to Alibaba’s interest toward startups, earlier this year, Alibaba called for startups’ ideas in the fields of artificial intelligence (AI,) internet of things, digital services, augmented and virtual reality, big data and cyber security for the latest competition. Those startups who are interested can apply online at Create@Alibaba, but entrants need to generate less than $ 500,000 annual revenue. The startup must be registered in the UK, Ireland or Nordics in the last five years and it cannot be a publicly listed company. The most successful entrants will be shortlisted to compete against each other in the next round to be held on 5 September 2018. The top five will then be selected to battle against startups in Harbin, China later that month. The best four startups from these cities will then have the opportunity to pitch in front of investors at Alibaba Group’s HQ in October 2018.

 

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ZILO Raises $4.5M to Boost Quick Fashion Delivery

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Mumbai-based fashion tech startup ZILO has raised $4.5 million in seed funding, with Info Edge Ventures and Chiratae Ventures co-leading the round. Founded in 2025 by ex-Flipkart and Myntra executive Padmakumar Pal and entrepreneur Bhavik Jhaveri, ZILO aims to transform urban fashion retail by delivering products from over 250 brands—including Levi’s, Louis Philippe, and Puma—within 60 minutes of order placement. The new capital will be used to strengthen ZILO’s hybrid supply chain, deepen brand partnerships, and expand operations beyond Mumbai into other major metro cities by year-end.

ZILO’s quick commerce model stands out by combining the convenience of online shopping with the efficiency of offline retail. The platform operates through a network of dark stores and brand outlets to ensure fast delivery of fresh, in-season fashion items. Customers benefit from scheduled home trials, allowing them to try multiple sizes upon delivery with the option for instant returns, and receive AI-powered style recommendations for a more personalized shopping experience.

The funding comes amid surging investor interest in ultra-fast fashion delivery startups, as rapid fulfillment becomes a key differentiator in India’s competitive ecommerce landscape. With plans to expand its product range to include footwear, bags, and accessories by the festive season and scale up to nearly 100,000 styles, ZILO is positioning itself to meet the growing demand for speed, personalization, and reliability in fashion retail.

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Meta in Advanced Talks to Acquire Voice Cloning Startup PlayAI to Boost AI Capabilities

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Meta Platform is reportedly in advanced talks to acquire PlayAI, a Palo Alto-based startup renowned for its cutting-edge voice cloning technology powered by artificial intelligence. While the deal is not yet finalized, sources indicate that Meta aims to acquire both PlayAI’s proprietary technology and a significant portion of its staff. Though financial details remain confidential, industry insiders estimate the acquisition could be worth between $300 million and $500 million.

PlayAI has made a name for itself by developing tools that generate highly realistic voice clones, with applications spanning customer service, virtual assistants, and conversational AI agents. A key differentiator for PlayAI is its low-latency, edge-computing architecture, allowing for near-instant, natural-sounding voice responses. The startup has attracted over $23 million in funding from notable investors such as 500 Startups and Kindred Ventures, positioning itself as a leader in the rapidly growing field of voice AI.

For Meta, this potential acquisition fits squarely within CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s broader strategy to make artificial intelligence central to the company’s future. Integrating PlayAI’s advanced voice technology could significantly enhance Meta’s AI assistant, smartglasses, and other hands-free devices, helping the company keep pace with competitors like Google and OpenAI. The move also follows Meta’s recent multi-billion dollar investment in Scale AI and its aggressive recruitment of top AI talent, signaling Zuckerberg’s commitment to leading in the next wave of AI innovation. Both Meta and PlayAI have declined to comment on the ongoing negotiations.

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Elon Musk Bans Hashtags from X Ads, Ushering in a New Era of AI-Driven Marketing

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Hashtag on X

Elon Musk has announced that, starting June 27, 2025, hashtags will be banned from all promoted posts on X (formerly Twitter). This policy applies exclusively to paid advertisements, meaning regular users can still include hashtags in their personal posts. Musk described hashtags in ads as an “esthetic nightmare,” emphasizing that the change is intended to create a cleaner, less cluttered feed where advertisements blend more seamlessly with organic content. 

The ban reflects Musk’s long-standing criticism of hashtags, which he has called “ugly” and unnecessary. He argues that with the platform’s advanced AI tools, such as the Grok chatbot, hashtags are no longer essential for content discovery or categorization. Instead, X’s algorithms can now surface and organize relevant content and ads without relying on manual tags, signaling a broader industry shift toward AI-driven content curation.

For advertisers, this marks a significant departure from traditional social media marketing strategies, where hashtags have been key for engagement and campaign tracking. Brands will now need to adapt by focusing on compelling visuals, concise copy, and leveraging X’s AI-powered targeting. The move has sparked debate among marketers and users, with some supporting the cleaner look and others lamenting the loss of a familiar engagement tool.

 

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