Meet the Indian startups that VCs are making big bets on

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Hello readers,

It’s a rough time to run a startup. But these founders in India are breaking the mold: They’ve soldiered on and secured capital at a time when most VCs are being extremely selective.

So today we look at:

• The brave souls in India who didn’t stop fundraising
• Stripe powering this Philippine startup
• Other newsy highlights, including Zilingo’s CFO stepping down and Walmart wanting to invest in Tata Group

PREMIUM SUMMARY

The companies that made the right moves in India

You gotta respect these startups in India for going against the odds. They have continued to attract investment and attention despite the current turbulent times.

• PSA to all coffee lovers: Ever thought of bathing yourself in coffee goodness? Now you can. MCaffeine is a startup that provides caffeinated personal care products such as shampoo, facial wash, and shower gel. The company raised US$5.7 million from investors such as Amicus Capital and RPSG Ventures this month.
• FPL fans, put your hands up: Don’t worry if your Fantasy Premier League ain’t doing good this week, there’s always Mobile Premier League (MPL). MPL is a skills-based esports platform where you can play your favorite mobile games and win real cash. It recently bagged US$90 million from investors that include Sequoia Capital and Go Ventures.
• Bringing events on-air: Virtual events are the new kids on the block that are not leaving anytime soon (just look at all the cool events we have hosted). So Airmeet — an all-in-one platform that can host and discover fully remote events like conferences and professional meet-ups — has raised US$12 million from investors like Global Founders Capital and Venture Highway to ride on that trend.

Read more: 50 rising startups in India

STARTUP SPOTLIGHT

Stripe is powering this Philippine startup

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