Meesho planning an IPO; Ninjakart launches agritech fund; CredAvenue turns unicorn; Apollo.io raises $110 mln from Sequoia

Meesho is preparing for an IPO as early as 2023, Reuters reports, citing an internal company document it has seen. According to Reuters, the Bangalore company is working to be ready for a listing by the end of 2022 and is evaluating both Indian and US exchanges. Ninjacart, an agri-tech platform provider, has launched a $25 million fund. And CredAvenue has raised $137 million, tripling its valuation in the process, according to ET.  Meesho is preparing for an IPO as early as 2023, Reuters reports, citing an internal company document it has seen. According to Reuters, the Bangalore company is working to be ready for a listing by the end of 2022 and is evaluating both Indian and US exchanges. Meesho, which raised $570 million in September last year, is moving away from its social commerce roots to become a larger e-commerce company. Its venture capital investors valued it at $4.9 billion in September. CredAvenue, an online debt marketplace for businesses, has raised $137 million in funding led by Insight Partners, B Capital Group and Dragoneer, Economic Times reports. According to ET, existing investors also participated, and the company’s valuation has tripled to $1.3 billion from September last. Nikhil Sachdev, managing director at Insight Partners, will join CredAvenue’s board of directors. Ninjacart, an agri-tech platform provider, has launched a $25 million fund to support emerging and new-age startups in the agriculture sector, the company said in a press release. Ninjacart will make seed investments in new startups, as well as exceptional tech teams even though they may not immediately have specific ideas or solutions. Apollo.io, a San Francisco company that provides a sales intelligence and engagement platform, has closed $110 million in a Series C funding led by Sequoia Capital, along with existing investors Tribe Capital, Nexus Venture Partners, and NewView Capital, the company said in a press release. With this funding, the Silicon Valley company, which also has a Bangalore centre, will accelerate its product-led growth, nearly tripling its investment in product and engineering. The company has raised over $150 million to date. Nasscom has announced a Launchpad Programme for Canada in partnership with the Province of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and the City of Brampton that will help Indian tech companies expand into the North American Market, the Indian tech lobby said in a press release on Friday. Log9 Materials, a battery cell technologies company, has entered into a three-year agreement to collaborate on a mutual-interest basis with the Centre for Automotive Research and Tribology at the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, the Bangalore startup said in a press release. Aston Martin has teamed up with lithium-ion battery cell technologies company Britishvolt to make batteries for the British luxury car maker’s high-performance vehicles, according to Green Car Reports. Aston Martin plans to launch its first battery-electric vehicle in 2025, which is expected to directly replace one of the automaker’s current front-engine sports cars. The automaker also aims to provide an electrified powertrain option to all new product lines by 2026. The company expects 95 percent of its lineup to be electrified (meaning hybrid or all-electric) by 2030, with the remaining 5 percent retaining gasoline-only powertrains limited to track use. Green Car Reports https://shrtm.nu/POZ6 Theme music courtesy Free Music & Sounds: https://soundcloud.com/freemusicandsounds