Startup Street: Meet Bengaluru’s New Drinking Buddy, The Bro’ster

The world of startups is just like a James Bond movie. There's so much happening that it keeps one on the edge. People jump ship all the time (metaphorically), switch teams and then there are the cool gadgets.

Take a look at what's happening this week on Startup Street.

A Coaster Who's Your Bro. Meet Bro’ster.

You’ll never have to go out for a drink alone, now that Bengaluru-based startup Morning Fresh, has come up with The ‘Bro’ster’. It's a piece of technology-cum-coaster which keeps you entertained through the night with witty, charming, and sometimes snarky comments. And no, this isn’t like that Hello Kitty cellphone that says ‘hello’ every time you press anything.

If you're interested, The Bro'ster can also tell you what your drinking personality is like and then send you away with a bottle of Morning Fresh - their in-house hangover cure.

Indian-Voice Operated OS On A Smartwatch

Move over Google and Apple, Indian startup Witworks launched its own version of a smartwatch at TechSparks, an annual event in the country that celebrates tech-entrepreneurs.

The smartwatch Blink seems to have picked up the best elements from smartwatches already out there in the market. Plus it has its own voice operated operating system - Marvin. Looks like Siri has some competition.

The watch’s 1.4-inch screen allows you to swap between more than a thousand songs, design your own reminders, and set alarms. Users can also reply to notifications and use the watch as a fitness tracker. Stocks, weather, news, text-to-speech…you name it, Marvin has it!

Launched on September 30, Blink comes at a starting price of Rs 13,000.

“We have partnered with the most advanced manufacturing facilities in the world to make Blink. At the same time, we are working very closely with traditional watchmakers with over 25 years of experience in watch craftsmanship to bring in their design sensibility,” said Chandrashekhar Iyer, co-founder and chief operating officer of Witworks, in a press statement.

Snapchat To Release Glasses With Built-In Camera

Imagine making snap-stories out of a pair of hi-tech sunglasses, transferring them to your smartphone, and then showing everyone exactly what you saw. How cool is that!

Snapchat will soon launch ‘Spectacles’ which are sunglasses with a built-in camera for video shooting. This memory-making gadget will be sold at $130 - in one size and three colours - a spokesperson told Bloomberg. The gadget is expected to make an introductory appearance in New York next week.

While we're on the subject of Snapchat, the company will soon change its name to Snap Inc. to represent its evolution from just a social media application. A new Twitter handle has already been made.

Paytm Absorbs EduKart’s Workforce

The mobile payments and commerce platform Paytm has absorbed all 50 members of education enrollment portal EduKart, including founder Ishan Gupta who is now the vice-president of business of Paytm. The deal is an ‘aqui-hire’, meaning the acquisition involves absorption of EduKart’s workforce without any other monetary transaction, according to a joint statement by Paytm and EduKart.

EduKart is also in talks for a strategic sale, according to the statement. Edukart currently has with more than 10,000 students on its platform.

Vijay Shekhar Sharma, the founder and CEO of Paytm, was also one of the first investors in EduKart. Sharma’s office refused to comment on the company’s strategy going forward and the rationale of the deal.

Billion Dollar Talk

Indian e-commerce website Flipkart is in talks with global retailer Wal-Mart for $1 billion worth of investment to help it compete with Amazon.com, a person involved with the deal told Bloomberg on Wednesday.

As a part of the deal, Wal-Mart would hold a minority stake in Flipkart, the source said. However, the matter is being kept hush hush. A Wal-Mart official refused to give Bloomberg any immediate comment while a Flipkart spokesperson said, “It is our policy not to comment on rumours or speculations.”

Also Read: Wal-Mart as Sugar Daddy

Zoomcar Gets A New Chief Product Officer

The self-drive car rental startup has roped in Rajesh Bysani as its chief product officer, according to the Press Trust of India. Bysani’s experience and leadership skills will allow Zoomcar to speed product innovation, expand into new markets and deliver exceptional customer value, a company statement said.

The company raised Rs 161 crore in its third round of funding in August 2016, reports TechCircle, from Ford Motor’s ‘smart mobility’ unit along with other investors such as Sequoia Capital, Nokia Growth Partners and Empire Angels.

KartRocket Gets Former eBay Executive On Board

KartRocket, the e-commerce solution provider, recently hired eBay's former executive Abhimanyu Lal as its chief business officer, according to the report in the Press Trust of India.

Abhimanyu Lal also the co-founded Twyst, a startup that helped small retailers connect with customers and manage clients more efficiently.

Startup Buys A Chunk Of Rolling Stones

A Singapore-based startup called BandLab Technologies bought a 49 percent stake in Rolling Stones - the legendary magazine responsible for launching careers of many musicians.

BandLab, a social media network for musicians, was founded by Kuok Meng Ru, the son of an Asian billionaire Kuok Khoon Hong, reports Bloomberg.

The startup will oversee a new Rolling Stone International arm focusing on merchandise, live events and hospitality, leaving the editorial calls to the magazine.