Apple and Android phones hacked by Italian spyware; Flipkart commits to net-zero by 2030

Apple’s iPhones and Android smartphones were hacked by an Italian company's spyware in Italy and Kazakhstan, Google said in a report on Thursday, according to Reuters. Flipkart has committed to decarbonising its operations by 2030 and that of its entire supply chain by 2040, the Walmart company said in a press release. And Fundamental VC, an early-stage Bengaluru investor, is raising $130 million for its first fund. Notes: Apple’s iPhones and Android smartphones were hacked by an Italian company's spyware in Italy and Kazakhstan, Google said in a report on Thursday, according to Reuters. Milan-based RCS Lab, whose website claims European law enforcement agencies as clients, developed tools to spy on private messages and contacts of the targeted devices, the report said, according to Reuters. Instagram is testing new options for young people on it to verify their age, starting with those in the US, the Meta company said in a blogpost yesterday. Instagram will require them to verify their age using one of three options: upload their ID, record a video selfie or ask mutual friends to verify their age. Flipkart, the Indian ecommerce unit of Walmart, has committed to the target of decarbonising its operations by 2030 and what it calls its “larger value chain” by 2040, the company said in a press release, yesterday. Recognising that the majority of the climate impact comes from Flipkart’s extended chain of suppliers, waste in operations, transportation and logistics, and product end-of-life, it will also work with its sellers, consumers and partners to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040, the company said. Fundamental VC, a Bengaluru-based early-stage VC firm, started by former startup operators Saswat Sundar and Abhishek Rathi, has launched its first fund with a target corpus of $130 million. The firm will invest up to $1.5 million in each startup and aims to support 30 startups through the fund, over 2 years. Cashify, a ‘re-commerce’ marketplace that facilitates gadget trade-ins and buybacks, has raised $90 million in Series E funding from NewQuest Capital Partners and Prosus, the company said in a press release. WeRize, a financial services provider to small-town Indian customers, has raised $15.5 million from new investors, British International Investment, the UK’s development finance and impact investor — formerly known as CDC group — and Sony Innovation Fund, along with existing investors. Neuron7.ai, a customer and field service software provider, has raised $10 million in Series A funding led by Battery Ventures and Nexus Venture Partners. Vibrant Planet, a SaaS startup that is developing a Lidar and AI-based map of land and forests in California, to accelerate the restoration of forests, has raised $17 million in seed funding, TechCrunch reports. The funding was led by Ecosystem Integrity Fund and The Jeremy and Hannelore Grantham Environmental Trust. The mapping software and related data and analytics are called Land Tender, which the company calls an “operating system for forest restoration,” according to TechCrunch. Theme music courtesy Free Music & Sounds: https://soundcloud.com/freemusicandsounds