Rising startups: a bumper crop of edtech ventures

Which are the startups that are on the path to becoming the next big thing? In this regular post, we give you an overview of the companies that have raised money in the past week, as well as those that we think investors should look at.

1. MoEngage (India)

MoEngage, an AI-powered customer engagement platform, announced that it has raised US$25 million in a series C funding round. The startup said it will use the new funds to invest further in initiatives related to customer experience and accelerate product innovation across AI, analytics, and customer personalization capabilities. It will also deepen its relationships in Asia and scale its operations in the US and Europe, its two fastest-growing markets. More info.

2. Vedantu (India)

Edtech startup Vedantu has raised US$24 million in an extended series C round led by GGV Capital. The funds will be used to grow in brand leadership and add new experiences for its young learners. Currently catering to students in the sixth to 12th grade, the startup now looks to expand into new categories such as early childhood to lower grades, specifically from kindergarten to standard 5. More info.

3. Simsim (India)

Online social commerce startup Simsim has raised US$8 million in its series B round led by existing investors Shunwei Capital and Accel. The latest funding will be used to expand the firm’s network of influencers and further build its technology platforms. Only seven months ago, Simsim raised US$6 million in its series A round from the same investors. More info.

4. WorkIndia (India)

Four-year-old recruitment startup WorkIndia, founded by Kunal Patil and Nilesh Dungarwal, aims to connect blue-collar workers and employers so that companies can find the right profile based on candidates’ skill sets through its AI-enabled platform. It has received an investment of US$5.9 million from Xiaomi. WorkIndia claims to have 15 million job seekers across more than 750 Indian cities. More info.

5. Coding Ninjas (India)

Edtech platform Coding Ninjas has raised US$5.2 million in a series A funding round from Info Edge India Limited. Founded in 2016, the startup focuses on teaching programming fundamentals but also offers other courses such as machine learning, data science, and web development, among others. The company said it will use the new funds to strengthen its tech and content capabilities, enter new business territories, and scale its new offering called Career Camp, an income-sharing payment model. More info.

6. HempStreet (India)

HempStreet, a healthcare startup that focuses on using cannabis for Ayurvedic medicine, has raised US$1 million in pre-series A funding in a round led by US-based pharmatech firm Pharmacon and private investor Romain Barberis. HempStreet plans to use the new funds to further develop its technology and bolster its research capabilities, said the firm’s co-founder, Abhishek Mohan, in a statement. It is also set to release an extensive range of cannabis-based prescription products over the next quarters. More info.

7. GudangAda (Indonesia)

GudangAda, a business-to-business marketplace for fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), said it has raised “double-digit million funding” in a round led by Alpha JWC Ventures and Wavemaker Partners. The fresh funds will be used to bankroll the startup’s expansion efforts, which includes expediting member onboarding, adding more services and solutions, and strengthening its leadership team. More info.

8. PouchNation (Singapore)

PouchNation, an event management company, announced that it has secured an undisclosed amount of funding in an extended series B round from Indonesian online ticketing platform Tix ID. Founded in 2012, PouchNation provides an offline-to-online solution for events and recreational venues in Asia. It focuses on the use of near field communication technology to digitize event management, including guest registration, cashless payments, access control, activity tracking, social engagement, and detailed analytics reporting. More info.

9. Cyfirma (Singapore)

Cyfirma, a predictive cyber threat visibility and intelligence analytics platform, announced that it has secured undisclosed series A funding. Its cloud-based platform uses AI and machine learning to help organizations identify potential threats, offer deep insights into their cyber landscape, and amplify preparedness against upcoming attacks. The company will use the new funds to strengthen its position in the cyber visibility and threat intelligence segment in Japan and then expand into Asia and the US. More info.

10. Printerous (Indonesia)

Online printing and packaging platform Printerous announced that it has raised an undisclosed amount of series A funding in a round led by BAce Capital, AddVentures, GDP Venture, and Gobi Agung. Founded in 2012 as an Instagram photo-printing service, Printerous has now evolved into a one-stop printing and packaging solution for individuals, enterprises, as well as micro, small, and medium-sized businesses. The new funds will be used to ramp up its technology infrastructure, expand to 30 cities in Indonesia, and focus on growing the business in a sustainable way. More info.

11. Tourkrub (Thailand)

Traveltech startup Tourkrub announced it has secured an undisclosed amount of funding in a round led by the digital arm of local travel retail group King Power Click. Founded in 2016, the online leisure and corporate travel company offers a selection of packaged tours, private groups, and corporate incentives for outbound travelers. It plans to use the fresh funds to expand its platform to provide services for outbound travelers from Southeast Asia with transfer flights in Bangkok. More info.

12. Greenly (Indonesia)

Food and beverage retail brand Greenly has raised an undisclosed amount of seed funding in a round led by East Ventures, with participation from several angel investors. Founded in 2019, the Surabaya-based startup serves healthy food and drinks made from fresh and natural ingredients. The company plans to use the new funds to bankroll product innovation and technology development, as well as its planned expansion to Jakarta and other big cities in Indonesia this year. More info.

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Indonesian ride-hailing giant Gojek has chosen nine local retail startups in the fast-moving consumer goods sector for the third batch of its Gojek Xcelerate accelerator program. Through Gojek Xcelerate, the retailers will gain access to training and learn how to adapt to the rapid changes in consumer preferences. More info.

13. Gigel (Indonesia)

Gigel is a rental platform that focuses on baby and kid equipment. It has 177,184 registered users on its platform as of 2019.

14. Sugar Technology (Indonesia)

15. Kiddo (Indonesia)

16. Mad for Makeup (Indonesia)

17. Callista (Indonesia)

18. Etanee (Indonesia)

19. Meyer Food (Indonesia)

20. Pijak Bumi (Indonesia)

21. Heiden Heritage (Indonesia)

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22. FutureLab (Malaysia)

23. Vere360 (Singapore)

24. Hardskills (Singapore)

25. Practicle (Singapore)

26. Yumcha Studios (Singapore)

27. Flying Cape (Singapore)

28. Acktec Technologies (Singapore)

29. Arclab (Singapore)