One Thing Today in Tech
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Apple hires another Tesla engineer; Alphabet launches AI drug company; and a chat with Raghunandan G of Zolve
Apple has recruited another former Tesla engineer to build its electric car team, Bloomberg reported on Sunday. Alphabet, Google's parent company, has started a drug discovery company in Britain, based on DeepMind's AI technology. Plus, a chat with Raghunandan G, founder and CEO at his cross-border fintech company Zolve, on plans after a $40 million Series A funding
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Facebook is now Meta; Apple warns of supply constraints; Lightspeed to raise $5.5 bln; a chat with Gramophone's CEO Tauseef Khan
Facebook has rebranded itself as Meta. CEO Mark Zuckerberg sees the future of the business being built increasingly around the virtual world of metaverse that the company is investing heavily into. Apple, despite another record year, is facing tough supply chain conditions. Plus, agri startup Gramophone's co-founder and CEO Tauseef Khan on plans ahead after fresh funding round
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India tests Agni-5 missile; Merck's Covid-19 pill; Snap hits 100 million users mark in India; and a chat with Mohit Yadav on REVOS's P2P charging network
India successfully tested its surface-to-surface ballistic missile Agni-5 on Thursday. According to a statement by the Ministry of Defence, it can strike targets at ranges up to 5,000km with a very high degree of accuracy. Merck, the US-based pharma company, has signed a licensing agreement with Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) to allow more companies to manufacture generic versions of its experimental oral antiviral Covid-19 pill. Snap has garnered 100 million Snapchat users in India. Plus, Mohit Yadav at REVOS tells Forbes India about his company's peer-to-peer EV charging network
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Google's profits surge; Tiger Global backs Zolve; DeHaat raises $115 mln; and a chat with Microsoft India's Sangeeta Bavi
Google's parent Alphabet reported strong results for its fiscal third quarter that ended September 30, with better-than-expected ad sales at Google. Profits rose 68 percent to nearly $19 billion. Fintech startup Zolve raised $40 million in a Series A funding round that saw participation from Tiger Global. DeHaat raised $115 million in what is the largest funding round for an agritech startup in India. Plus, a chat with Sangeeta Bavi, Microsoft India's director of startup ecosystem, on a new programme AI Innovate
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Covid-19 didn't slow greenhouse emissions; Tesla valued at $1 trillion; a chat with the founders of Lohum Cleantech
Greenhouse emissions continue to rise at an alarming rate and the economic slowdown from the Covid-19 pandemic didn't slow them down, the World Meteorological Organisation warned ahead of the COP26 climate talks. Tesla surged to $1 trillion in value on Monday. Plus, a chat with Lohum Cleantech's founders on the ambition to make lithium-ion cells in India
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Facebook's research on India; Groww triples in value; Clear raises $75 mln; and a chat with Razorpay's Shashank Kumar
Facebook sees India as a vital market, but it is also a huge platform used for spreading hate and misinformation in the country, reports Bloomberg. The report cites a 46-page research note that is part of the documents released by Frances Haugen, the former Facebook product manager who turned whistleblower. Fintech startups Groww and Clear raise $251 million and $75 million in funding. Plus, a chat with Shashank Kumar—co-founder and CTO at Razorpay—on RBI's new payments rules, and finding and nurturing talent in India
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Special briefing: Magnus Ewerbring—CTO, APAC, Ericsson—on 5G technology and the innovation cycle it could trigger in India
Ericsson, one of the world's biggest telecom gear companies—supplying equipment to over half of the world's telecom operators rolling out 5G networks today—has been in India for more than 100 years. Today, the Sweden-headquartered company has more employees in India than at home—spanning operations and R&D. In this special briefing, we catch up with Magnus Ewerbring, chief technology officer for the Asia Pacific region at Ericsson
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PayPal may buy Pinterest; Facebook's name change; Apple's Tech Talks; and a chat with Iron Pillar's Anand Prasanna
PayPal is looking to buy Pinterest as the US payments giant moves to expand into online commerce. PayPal could pay about $70 dollar a share, valuing Pinterest at $39 billion, according to Bloomberg. Facebook is changing its name and restructuring the organisation as per a report by The Verge. Apple is conducting a series of more than 100 online live sessions for developers, called Tech Talks. Startup salaries in India have jumped. Plus, a chat with Iron Pillar's Anand Prasanna on Indian startups going global
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Google launches Pixel 6; Aiven valued at $2 bln; Zoho One enhancements; and a chat with Arcana Network's CEO Mayur Relekar
Google launched its Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro smartphones on Tuesday, equipped with its Tensor AI chip. The new phones have a camera system that takes up an entire bar across the width of the phones, jutting out at the back. Finnish data management company Aiven turns unicorn. Plus, we chat with Mayur Relekar, CEO of Arcana Network, a blockchain tech startup building decentralised storage for Ethereum
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India to encourage more space startups; Apple's new MacBook Pro; and a chat with Dhyanesh Bhatt, CEO of GramCover
India is revising its space industry policies and is also in the process of bringing in new ones to increase private industry participation, K Sivan, chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation and secretary, Department of Space, said at the Dubai 2020 trade fair; TCS wins a large Japanese contract; Apple launches new MacBook Pro; Bumble's 'Moves Making Impact' feature; and a chat with Dhyanesh Bhatt, CEO of GramCover on tech for rural insurance
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China's hypersonic missile; Klarna's UK update; and a chat on Canada's startup visa as a gateway to the US for Indian founders
China has amped-up its military technology race against the US, demonstrating advanced space capabilities with the test of a new hypersonic missile in August. Microsoft's LinkedIn unit is shutting its current app in China. Plus, a chat with Esha Chopra, director of strategy and marketing at Toronto Business Development Centre on how Indian founders and startups can tap Canada as a gateway to the US