One Thing Today in Tech
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Novavax Covid shot 90 percent efficacious; Google Workspace for everyone; and Harsha Moily's journey from micro-finance to clean tech VC
Novavax said yesterday that its recombinant nanoparticle protein-based Covid 19 vaccine, demonstrated 100 percent protection against moderate and severe disease and 90.4 percent efficacy overall, after Phase 3 trials. Also in this programme, Google has made its Workspace open to anyone with an account; and later, entrepreneur Harsha Moily talks about his new VC firm, and plans to invest $200 million in clean tech startups in India and Israel
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US lawmakers take a big swipe at big tech; Byju's most valuable Indian startup; Astrogate Labs' Nitish Singh on plans ahead
Leading this briefing is news that America's technology giants such as Apple and Amazon will have to sell or leave various businesses under wide-ranging antitrust rules proposed by US lawmakers on Friday. Also in this programme, Byju's ongoing funding round values it higher than Paytm, and space technology startup Astrogate Labs' CEO Nitish Singh talks about preparations for a satellite launch in March to demonstrate the company's laser-based communications technologies
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SoftBank boosts Klarna to $45.6 billion; Tata Digital to acquire 1mg; and Yashraj Erande at BCG on the rise of digital banks
Leading this briefing is news that Klarna Bank has raised $639 million in fresh equity funding in an investment led by SoftBank Group that values the Swedish fintech startup at $45.6 billion. Also in the programme, Tata Digital is said to be acquiring majority stake in online pharmacy venture 1mg; and Yashraj Erande of BCG analyses the rise of digital banks in the Asia Pacific region
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Biden lifts TikTok ban; women learners rise online; and a chat with Shashank Kumar, CEO of agri-tech startup DeHaat
Leading this briefing is news that El Salvador, the smallest country in Central America, yesterday became the first country to make Bitcoin legal tender. The country's Bitcoin law was been approved by a 'super majority' Nayib Bukele, El Salvador's 39-year old president said on Twitter. Also in the programme, President Biden lifts US ban on TikTok; more women in India went online for STEM courses; and an interview with Shashank Kumar, co-founder and CEO of DeHaat on expansion plans at his agri-tech startup
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Infosys panned for tax portal glitches; US to invest billions in hi-tech; Whatfix raises $90 million; and Neil Shah at Counterpoint discusses Apple's privacy strategy
Leading today's briefing is news that Infosys was panned yesterday after the new version of the income tax department's e-filing portal that the IT company built didn't work for many users. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman took to Twitter to pull up the company, and chairman Nandan Nilekani assured her the system would stabilise soon. Later on the programme, Neil Shah, VP Research at Counterpoint Research analyses Apple's aim of building user privacy into its long-term business strategy
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Amazon's Jeff Bezos to fly to space; Apple WWDC; G7 agree on tax on big tech; The Nevera hypercar; and a chat with Stellapps's CEO Ranjith Mukundan
Leading today's briefing is news that Amazon's founder Jeff Bezos plans to be one of the passengers, when New Shepard, the reusable rocket built by Blue Origin, the space company he started over 20 years ago, makes its first manned flight on July 20th. Also on the programme, Apple's WWDC; Google to pay a fine in France; the Nevera electric hypercar; and later, we talk to Ranjith Mukundan, CEO of Stellapps Technologies on bringing the power of IoT to dairy supply chains in India
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Special briefing: IBM's Heike Riel and Gargi Dasgupta demystify the potential and promise of quantum computing
Over the last five years, interest and investments in quantum computing have picked up considerably, with technology companies as well as national governments committing billions of dollars to developing commercial quantum computers. Heike Riel, IBM Fellow, Head of Science and Technology and Lead, Quantum, IBM Research Europe, and Gargi Dasgupta, Director of IBM Research India and CTO of IBM India and south Asia, discuss the importance of this emerging technology
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Softbank may invest in Flipkart again; TCS sets 2030 zero carbon target; new Google Pixel buds; chat with Anthill Ventures' CEO on speed scaling
Leading this briefing is news that SoftBank Group Corp. is in talks with Flipkart to invest again, four years after it sold its stake in the Indian ecommerce company to Walmart, according to news reports. SoftBank's Vision Fund could invest $600-700 million in Flipkart. Also in this programme, TCS commits to net zero carbon footprint by 2030; and we speak with Prasad Vanga, CEO of Anthill Ventures about the firm's speed-scaling process for startups
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Urban Company seeks IPO; Clubhouse hires Aarthi Ramamurthy; Zerodha's trade-tagging feature; and Probir Roy Chowdhury of J Sagar Associates bats for crypto regulation
Leading today's briefing is news that Urban Company, a tech-enabled home services marketplace, plans to go public in the next 18-24 months after it announced a fresh $255 million funding round Wednesday. Also in the programme, Clubhouse hires FB's Aarthi Ramamurthy; Locus raises $50 million; and Probir Roy Chowdhury, a partner at the law firm J Sagar Associates, says cryptocurrency regulation in India will take time, but there is a groundswell of expectation that a ban won't happen
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Crypto lobby welcomes RBI clarification; conversational AI rises; and a talk with Dhruvil Sanghvi of Loginext on automation in logistics
Leading today's briefing is news that some of India's cryptocurrency exchange businesses have set up a self-regulatory code, and are setting up a board to oversee its implementation. Blockchain and Crypto Assets Council, a lobby formed by these businesses, welcomed the Reserve Bank of India's clarification to banks on Monday—you can hear more on Monday's tech brief. Also in the programme, the rise of conversational AI; and an interview with Loginext's co-founder and CEO on automation in logistics
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RBI's 2018 crypto circular no longer valid, it tells banks; Xiaomi's 8-minute hypercharge; and a chat with an Infosys cloud exec on trillion-dollar benefits
The Reserve Bank of India has told banks that they cannot refer to its April 2018 circular—struck down by the Supreme Court in 2020—to caution customers about trading in cryptocurrency. This comes at a time when Indian banks have been reportedly sending notices to customers, warning of penalties and account closures if it is being used for crypto transactions. Also in this programme, we talk to Narsimha Rao Mannepalli, an executive VP at Infosys, about the company's latest cloud findings