5 startups to watch in India

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App-based taxi service Ola stepped on the gas today, bagging US$500 million in investment. Logistics firm HipShip and hospitality management service Hostmaker were among others who got a slice of the pie, belying reports of a funding slowdown in India.

Ola

On-demand cab service Ola has received US$500 million in a series F funding round, it announced today. Investors include Didi Kuaidi, Baillie Gifford, Tiger Capital, SoftBank Group, FalconEdge Capital, and DST Global.

Ola, Uber’s rival in India, claims that it gets a million booking requests a day and has over 350,000 vehicles using its service.

Hipship

Logistics startup Hipship got an undisclosed amount in funding from Inara Capital and a consortium led by Scootsy founder Rishi Khiani, it said today.

The startup aims to empower customers and SMEs by picking up and delivering their packages and documents. It aims to strengthen its technology backbone and expand across the country with the new funds.

Hostmaker

Hospitality management service Hostmaker today closed a US$2 million seed funding round led by DN Capital that also saw participation from Asia-focused DSG Consumer Partner and other venture funds, entrepreneurs, and travel industry professionals.

Hostmaker was founded a year ago by Nakul Sharma, a hospitality professional. It offers its Airbnb management services in London, Barcelona, and Rome, serving about 5,000 guests every month. The funding will be used for product enhancements and phase two of its expansion to other European capitals.

ScoopWhoop Media

News startup ScoopWhoop Media has raised US$4 million in fresh funds from venture capital firm Kalaari Capital.

The two-year-old startup plans to expand its video production unit, ScoopWhoop Talkies, with the fresh funds.

Goodbox

Tsepak Technologies’ instant messaging app Goodbox, which connects users with merchants, attracted US$2.5 million in a series A round. The investment came from Nexus Venture Partners.

Goodbox will use the money to expand operations, Bangalore-based Tsepak said in a press statement. The app allows businesses to create a real world-like storefront.