Bits’n’bytes: Know about startup, business news in Pune

Jidoka Technologies opens support centre in Pune

Pune: Jidoka Technologies has opened its support centre in Pune to cater to the growing manufacturing market in western India. Besides Pune, the company has also expanded its operations in Chennai. Sekar Udayamurthy, CEO and co-founder, of Jidoka Technologies, said, “Jidoka’s software improves the defect detection rate by 10 to 15 per cent while also bringing down the false positives by as much as 30 to 40 per cent. The ability to perform inspection in real-time by eliminating inspection as a bottleneck in the supply chain is also an added advantage. Western India is an important strategic growth region for Jidoka. Our Pune centre will be supporting customers in the manufacturing industry across Maharashtra and Gujarat. We have opened an experience centre in Dallas and has presence in Lithuania, Europe.”

Arkam Ventures launches Fund II with target size of ₹1,500 crore

Pune: Early-stage tech VC Arkam Ventures launched its Fund II to build a portfolio of 20 tech startups with a target size of ₹1,500 crore. Top-tier global institutional investors and family offices will form the LP base for Fund II. Started in 2020 by two venture capitalists, Rahul Chandra and Bala Srinivasa, Arkam’s Fund I portfolio currently consists of 16 new-age companies and investors include British International Investment, SIDBI, Evolvence, Quilvest, US Institutional Investors, and large family offices. With Fund II, Arkam will continue to build a thesis-driven, concentrated portfolio by going deeper in its existing sectors and, as well as identifying category leaders in promising areas like manufacturing tech and EVs. Rahul Chandra, managing director, Arkam said, “Arkam’s ‘foundation first’ approach helps portfolio companies create sustainable businesses with the right governance, organizational design, and go-to-market strategies. We believe the middle India digitisation and SaaS opportunity will lead to the creation of 100 new mega businesses over the next decade.”

Udayan Care hosts Celebrating Change Summit 2023

Pune: Udayan Care hosted the “Celebrating Change Summit 2023” with 200 skill-empowered girls participating in workshops, panel discussions, capacity building and team activities. Actor and psychiatrist Dr Mohan Agashe along with Neha Dhupia attended the event themed “Embrace Equity and Evolve”. Dr Kiran Modi, founder and managing trustee,Udayan Care said, “Over the past 20 years, the Udayan Shalini Fellowship Program has made a significant impact, starting from supporting only 72 girls in Delhi in 2002 to impacting the lives of nearly 13,000 girls, today. The program has expanded to encompass 32 chapters across 13 states of India. The summit has been a remarkable journey of empowerment and inspiration for the underprivileged girls.”

Magenta Mobility, Altigreen, Exponent partner

Pune: Electric mobility and charging solutions provider Magenta Mobility has joined forces with energy-tech startup Exponent Energy, and electric commercial vehicle manufacturer Altigreen Propulsion Labs. After successfully completing a 3-month pilot, Magenta, Altigreen and Exponent solidified the partnership and are set to deploy 1000 Altigreen neEV Tez powered by Exponent over the next 12 months. To support the fleet, Exponent has installed 30 e-pumps across Bengaluru. New locations will be identified and e-pumps setup in other cities, allowing the EV fleets to conveniently charge on the go.

Maxson Lewis, founder,Magenta Mobility shared, “With Altigreen’s expertise in developing and distributing high performance EVs with specifications, telematics data, and highest volumetric load capacity along with Exponent’s 15-minute rapid charging technology, Magenta plans to enable efficient cross-utilization, resulting in significantly reduced operational costs for businesses across India.”

FUEL business school launched in Pune

Pune: Social organisation ‘Friends Union for Energising Lives’ has launched FUEL Business School at Forest Trails township in Pune. Ketan Deshpande, founder chairman, FUEL, said, “In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, we recognised the need for an institution that not only imparts fundamental business knowledge but also equips students with the skills to adapt, innovate, and lead with confidence. Our business school aims to bridge the gap between theory and practice, nurturing the next generation of business and social leaders.”