The funding led by Prime venture partners and Zephyr Peacock India will help Poshn create the largest distribution network in the food ecosystem.

The company was founded by Shashank Singh and Bhuvnesh Gupta and has raised around $8 million in equity since its inception in 2020.

The company leverages a full-stack approach to address inefficiencies across the entire food value chain, encompassing various stakeholders like food processing units, wholesale buyers, institutions, general trade, and retailers.

Poshn plans to use the fresh funds to build further its innovative stack of solutions that address the gaps in the system. Besides, it will use the funds to expand the business to global markets with imports/ exports in profitable categories to Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern countries.

Shashank Singh, Co-founder of Poshn, said, “Poshn has already cemented its position in the wholesale segment over the last three years. With the trust of investing partners and infusion of fresh equity, we aggressively integrate forward and backward in the chain and open foreign/export markets over the next 12 months while growing profitably.”

Over the past three years, Poshn has experienced remarkable growth while maintaining profitability. The company’s revenue has skyrocketed six-fold from FY22 to FY24. Poshn is one of the few startups that have been EBITDA profitable while supporting the growth trajectory. Since its inception, the startup has marked a presence in more than 16 states in India. In 2022, the startup raised USD 4 million in equity in a seed round with Prime Venture Partner and Zephyr Peacock. Additionally, it has partnered with Banks & NBFCs for its debt requirements. Some notable names include ICICI Bank, Alteria Capital, UCIC, Northern Arc, Blacksoil, and Capsave.

Prime Venture Partners added,” Poshn has led by being a supply-first company and has meaningfully solved for the B2B food value chain. The company has always been bottom-line focused with a remarkable ROCE and wants to continue expanding that further by going deeper into the supply chain while also pursuing some full-stack vertical integrations. We believe Poshn will be a category-defining company in the coming years, and we are excited to be their partners from day zero.”

In its journey, Poshn has built solutions to make the supply chain efficient for user onboarding, document collection and verification, and ledger matching. In the next phase, the company will integrate forward and backward in the food value chain to unlock further efficiencies via capacity planning, utilizations, and reaching directly to retailers.

Bhuvnesh Gupta, Co-founder, said, “Poshn boasts of best operational and capital efficiency in not just food tech but across B2B segments. With renewed capital and trust, we will continue to scale newer horizons with the same efficiency.”

The food supply chain market is over USD 800 billion and is highly fragmented on the supply side. The chain experiences inefficiencies due to a slew of intermediaries or middlemen, poor capacity planning, a lack of predictable demand, and a lack of technology. Poshn is working on bridging these gaps with technology.

 “Poshn is using technology to simplify and organize the fragmented food value chain in India. Both buyers and suppliers are adopting Poshn’s platform for convenient access to quality products at competitive prices.  We are excited to partner with Shashank and Bhuvnesh,” said Mukul Gulati, Managing Partner, Zephyr Peacock India.

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According to data presented by AltIndex.com, Tesla is the only loser among AI giants in 2024, with its stock value plunging by 30% year-to-date.

Unlike NVIDIA, Microsoft, Alphabet, and Meta Platforms, which continued adding trillions of dollars to their stock values amid the AI renaissance, Tesla, has seen a severe plunge in sales and stock price.

The once red-hot company, previously a member of the prestigious “Magnificent Seven” tech stocks, now holds the dubious distinction of being the worst performer in the S&P 500.

Several factors have contributed to this dramatic fall: slowing growth, safety concerns leading to recalls, price cuts, and missed sales targets. The combined effect has been a dramatic drop in Tesla’s stock price, wiping away hundreds of billions of dollars in market value within just three months.

Tesla’s market cap has been observed up-and-down trend over the past year. From $586 billion in April 2023, it climbed to $814 billion a month later, only to dip back down to $525 billion in May. This trend continued throughout the year, with the company adding and losing billions in value. Despite the volatility, Tesla managed to close December 2023 at a market cap of $831 billion.

However, starting from 2024 it was a downhill from. By January’s end, the company’s stock value had plummeted to $583 billion, representing a massive 28% drop in a single month. While the market cap reached a temporary high of $643 billion in February, it has been on a downward trajectory ever since. Last week, the combined value of Tesla shares stood at $550.9 billion, signifying a staggering $250 billion loss since the year began.

According to the alternative data platform AltIndex, which analyzes millions of data signals from thousands of publicly traded companies to forecast future price movements and overall company performance, investors should approach buying Tesla (TSLA) stocks with caution.

Based on its social media mentions, financial results, and neutral sentiment across popular stock forums, the AltIndex algorithm currently marks TSLA with a hold signal.

The full story and statistics can be found here: 

https://altindex.com/news/tesla-ai-stock-drop

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According to Forbes, the industrial sector is the third best sector to invest in 2024, behind AI and the healthcare industry. It is due to its critical role in the global economy and its ongoing transformation with technologies like automation, robotics, and Internet of Things (IoT).

The Crunchbase data show the companies and startups in the industrial sector have raised $15.2 billion in funding rounds year-to-date, 80% more than in Q1 2023 and the highest quarterly figure in the market`s history. Statistics also show that, while the total funding amount increased, the number of funding rounds dropped, showing startups managed to raise more fresh capital in fewer funding rounds. Since the beginning of the year, these companies saw 14 VC investments, down from 26 in Q1 2023.

The Q1 funding amount in the industrial sector is even more impressive when compared to other top markets for VC investments. Statistics show industrial companies and startups have drawn 30% more fresh capital to finance their businesses than AI startups. Since the beginning of the year, companies working in the artificial intelligence space raised $11.6 billion, or $5 billion less than in the same period a year ago.

Healthcare startups are also far behind when it comes to VC funding activity. Over the past three months, companies in the healthcare industry raised $7 billion in funding rounds, or twice less than the industrial companies.

With $15.2 billion of fresh capital poured into the industrial sector year-to-date, the cumulative funding amount in this market jumped to $122.1 billion. Interestingly, more than half of that value was raised in the past two years.

Statistics also show that despite leading the chart of the most funded markets in 2024, the industrial sector loses the race with AI and healthcare companies when talking about cumulative funding. AI companies have raised over $355 billion, nearly three times more than startups from the industrial sector. Healthcare companies have also raised much more money, or over $229 billion so far.

The full story and statistics can be found here: https://altindex.com/news/industrial-sector-leads-vc-funding

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According to data presented by Stocklytics.com, government internet shutdowns have cost the global economy more than $50 billion since 2019. In 2023, these shutdowns affected almost 750 million people worldwide and cost the global economy over $9.1 billion.

The Top10VPN data show that since 2019, nearly 600 major internet shutdowns across the globe, totalling more than 205,000 hours of disruptions.

Analyzed by year, 2019 saw the highest number of internet blockages, 134 lasting more than 19,200 hours. Statistics show 2022 remains the absolute record year in terms of total economic cost. That year alone, internet blockages cost the world economy a shocking $24.6 billion. That means almost half the five-year cost of internet blockages and shutdowns happened that year.

Still, 2023 saw the longest total duration of internet blockages. Although the total economic cost of government-caused internet shutdowns dropped by 60% to $9.1 billion, last year saw more than 79,000 hours of internet disruptions, the highest number in the past five years.

Analyzed by geography, Russia is undoubtedly the most affected nation by government-caused internet blockages and shutdowns. In 2023 alone, the total cost of internet and social media blockages in the country hit over $4 billion, while the five-year figures climb to over $25 billion, or half the world`s total in this period.

The Top10VPN data also showed that X, formerly Twitter, is generally the most blocked social media platform, suffering more than 10,600 hours of deliberate disruption in 2023, 26% more than TikTok and 18% more than Instagram.

Also, over half of all government internet outages last year were associated with additional human rights abuses, most frequently restricting freedom of assembly.

The full story and statistics can be found here:  https://stocklytics.com/content/the-world-economy-has-lost-over-50-billion-due-to-internet-shutdowns-in-the-past-five-years/

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Appreciate breaks down barriers for investing outside India, from India – removing high remittance fees, hidden charges, and minimum investment amounts. With this app, millions of Indians to invest in the $46 trillion U.S. stock market effortlessly. Investors can now purchase fractions of leading global stocks for as little as Re. 1.

The company was founded by Subho Moulik (CEO), Shlok Srivastav (COO), and Yogesh Kansal (CMO).

Mr. Subho Moulik, Founder and CEO of Appreciate, said, “This is huge savings and returns unlock where millions of people want to take the first step towards financial diversification but have always been deterred by high minimums, high fees, and a poor experience. We have solved bottlenecks others have failed to solve to make investing in U.S. stocks easy and low-cost.  With Appreciate, even a kirana store owner in Vidarbha can open a free U.S. trading account, buy a fraction of any U.S. stock for as little as Re. 1 – and participate in the growth story of these companies.”

He added, “Today, an investor needs to go to their bank, fill out an A2 form, identify and sign-up with a brokerage firm abroad, and then pay anywhere between Rs. 500 to Rs. 1,500 for the wire transfer, on top of dealing with the back and forth with a bank on remittance processing. This has been a key challenge for Indian investors who want to diversify their investments abroad – a challenge that we have worked on diligently and solved.”

Appreciate’s partners include YES Securities – a leading full-service Indian broker – for cost-effective access to Indian securities, and Samhita – a leading social sector financial inclusion and livelihoods accelerator – to promote financial literacy, a key enabling step towards driving mass adoption of regular saving and investing habits.

Appreciate’s user-friendly interface offers personalized investment recommendations and expert insights, supported by an AI-driven recommendation engine. Beyond U.S. stocks, the platform plans to expand its offerings to include Indian mutual funds, stocks, fixed deposits, and other domestic financial products, aiming to become the go-to financial destination for one billion Indians.

Mr. Prashant Kumar, Chairman of YES Securities (India) Limited, said, “Our partnership with Appreciate signifies a landmark moment where 1.4 billion Indians gain the unique opportunity to not only invest but to truly create wealth, now with seamless access to overseas markets. I firmly believe that this collaboration is not just about expanding our scale and distribution; it’s about elevating the standard of service we provide to our customers. Together, we see an exciting journey of innovation and growth that will have a lasting impact for years to come.”

Ms. Priya Naik, Founder and CEO of Samhita said, “Our partnership with Appreciate to drive financial literacy and empowerment using digital learning supplemented by digital saving and investing tools will provide support to women and those sections of society that are beginning their saving and investment journeys.  This is a key step to help 1.4 billion Indians build resilience through a regular saving and investing habit.”

In addition to providing a full suite of savings and investment products for consumers, Appreciate also has a strong B2B technology solution stack across investments, remittances, financial distributor management, cash management, credit sourcing, credit scoring, and Gen-AI applications.  The company works with multiple financial sector customers to embed these B2B technology solutions into B2B customer applications and customer interfaces, enabling B2B customers to achieve their product and customer goals better and faster.

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According to data presented by Altindex.com, the ML market is expected to reach a record valuation of $204 billion in 2024, capturing nearly 70% of the total AI market share.

Machine Learning Market Size Quadrupled in Four Years

The exponential growth of the machine learning industry in recent years is nothing short of impressive. This AI technology, renowned for its ability to streamline operations across diverse business domains—from decision-making processes and product development to manufacturing, logistics, and customer service—has emerged as a transformative force across industries, propelling overall market expansion.

Back in 2020, the global machine learning industry was valued at roughly $60 billion, representing 54% of the total AI market size. Just a year later, this figure more than doubled and hit $134.5 billion, with machine learning’s market share rising to 59%.

After a considerable setback in 2022, the market continued surging last year. Statistics show the machine learning sector skyrocketed by 120% in 2023, twice and even three times the growth of any other segment of the AI industry. This caused machine learning market size to jump to $158.8 billion, representing 65% of the total AI market value.

Although 2024 will bring much smaller growth of 28%, the machine learning industry is still expected to hit a record valuation of over $204 billion. With more and more businesses recognizing the potential of the technology and investing in its applications, the entire market is expected to hit a $528 billion value by 2030, making 72% of the total AI market size.

US Dominates Global Machine Learning Market

Geographically, the United States emerges as the undisputed leader in the global machine learning landscape. Statista forecasts a 24% year-over-year growth, propelling the US machine learning sector to a valuation of $70 billion in 2024—constituting one-third of the total market value. By 2030, this figure is projected to surge by an additional 142%, reaching a monumental $170 billion.

While trailing behind the US, the Asian machine learning market is poised for robust growth. Fueled by its vast population, diverse industries, and escalating investments in technological infrastructure, the Asian market is poised to witness a remarkable 34% year-over-year growth, resulting in a market size of $55.1 billion in 2024. By 2030, this figure is expected to catapult by 178%, reaching $153 billion.

Similarly, Europe’s machine learning sector is slated for exponential growth in the coming years. With a projected 28% growth rate, the European market is anticipated to reach a valuation of $55.8 billion in 2024, surging by 161% to $144 billion by 2030.

For further insights and detailed statistics, please refer to the full article on Altindex.com: https://altindex.com/news/machine-learning-ai-market

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Globally, the shift to renewables is happening at a fast pace. The primary sources of renewable energy being utilized include solar energy, wind energy, hydropower, geothermal energy, tidal energy and biomass energy. The shift to renewable energy is happening primarily due to the concerns about climate change and global warming. The other reason is that non-renewable sources such as oil and gas reserves are limited and will not last forever. To avoid a potential global climate catastrophe, use of fossil fuels is being minimized.

While the switch to renewable energy sources is inevitable, it makes us wonder how the oil industry and oil producing nations will manage this change. What will happen to the large workforce that is currently deployed in the oil industry? How will oil-producing nations deal with the threat of losing their primary source of income? How will the citizens of these countries be impacted, who currently have one of the highest per capita incomes in the world? To answer such questions, let us take a look at how the shift to renewable energy sources such as solar energy and wind energy will impact the oil industry and oil producing countries.

Gradual shift, not instant

While renewable energy sources are being harnessed at an industrial scale, it will still be several decades before oil is completely removed from the ecosystem. As per estimates provided by the International Energy Agency (IEA), oil demand is expected to reach its peak by 2025. Beyond that, there will be a steady decline in demand for oil.

However, oil will continue to be used by various industries. For example, sectors like aviation and shipping will take much longer to shift to renewable energy sources. Oil and gas will continue to be used in power plants and even for generating green fuels such as hydrogen. In comparison, the auto industry is expected to switch to electric much faster.

Economic diversification

Oil-rich countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq, United Arab Emirates, Iran, Kuwait, Qatar, etc. have stepped up focus on diversifying their economy. This is the only way for these countries to survive the switch to renewable energy sources. For example, Saudi Arabia is making big investments in solar and wind energy. It is also focusing on sectors such as tourism, banking and finance, pilgrimage, global supply chain and logistics and healthcare.

Economic diversification will help absorb the negative impact of the shift to renewable energy sources. People employed by the oil industry can be reskilled and shifted to other sectors. Assets and resources of the oil industry can be repurposed for various industries including renewable energy such as solar and wind energy. As the shift will be gradual, oil-producing nations have ample time to diversify their economies.

Shift in geopolitical landscape

Traditionally, oil-producing countries have enjoyed tremendous clout in the global political landscape. With the shift to renewable energy, oil-producing nations will see a reduction in their global influence. This will create a balance of power among nations. It is not necessarily something that is a negative development for oil-producing nations. As a matter of fact, the change in geopolitical landscape will prompt oil-producing nations to innovate and compete more aggressively, instead of being completely dependent on oil money.

Impact on oil industry workers

As the shift to renewables will be gradual, the oil industry will continue to function for several decades. However, since production is expected to decline gradually, some job losses will be unavoidable. It will be great if oil companies and governments can work together to launch special programs to protect the interests of people employed in the oil industry. As mentioned earlier, reskilling can be a great way to help oil industry workers impacted by the shift to renewable energy sources.

Focus on newer technologies

Fossil fuels are blamed primarily due to their high carbon footprint. However, things can change in the future with new technologies. For example, improved methods of carbon capture can reduce the pollution emitted via the burning of fossil fuels. Similarly, more efficient internal combustion engines can be developed to produce electricity or other green fuels.

Government policy and regulations

The overall impact on the oil industry and economy will depend on how prepared the respective governments are in dealing with the shift to renewable energy sources. With proactive policies and regulations, oil-producing nations can achieve a smooth transition.

Is it safe to invest in green energy stocks?

With the shift to renewable energy sources, one may consider investing in green energy stocks. However, it is important to choose the right stocks that have potential for growth. Some reliable green energy stock options one can consider include Adani Green Energy, Reliance New Energy, JSW Energy, KP Energy, Zodiac Energy, Websol Energy System, Borosil Renewables, NTPC, BF Utilities and Inox Wind Energy. It is important to do your own research and invest as per your risk appetite. For max gains, you may have to choose long-term investments in green energy stocks.

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According to data from Stocklytics.com, financial firms will spend $45.2 billion on AI in 2024. This spending will grow by 30% each year, reaching $97 billion by 2027.

AI has made a big difference in finance. It helps companies predict their future earnings and profits more accurately. Also, AI can find fraud in large amounts of financial data. Many companies use AI to check contracts and invoices, which makes decisions faster and improves the whole process.

Collaborative data from Statista, the IMF, and IDC reveal that financial companies are expected to spend $45.2 billion on AI solutions this year. By 2025, spending on AI will reach $58.3 billion.

AI spending in finance will keep growing. In 2026, it will be almost $75.2 billion or $30 billion more than this year. By 2027, it will reach $97 billion, showing a huge 177% increase in just four years. Overall, financial companies will spend $275 billion on AI in the next four years.

AI can also boost the financial market’s growth rate. According to a study by Accenture and Frontier Economics, AI can potentially increase economic growth rates by a weighted average of 1.7% points across 16 industries by 2035.

Financial companies that use AI well could see their profits go up by 38%. It can increase their growth rates by 4.3% and boost their value by $1.2 trillion by 2035.

The full story and statistics can be found here:  https://stocklytics.com/content/financial-sectors-spending-on-artificial-intelligence-to-grow-by-30-per-year-and-hit-97-billion-by-2027/

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Type Certificate for drones is an official document issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) certifying that a specific type of drone meets all the technical parameters and safety standards for operation in India.

Gurugram-headquartered IoTechWorld Avigation is one of the major players in the krishi-drone market in the country.

Commenting on receiving of Type certification for AGRIBOT A6, Company’s Co-Founder and Director Mr. Deepak Bhardwaj said, the newly launched ‘AGRIBOT A6 drone’ is 30% more compact compared to the previous model of ‘AGRIBOT’ and much more stable and reliable.

“Despite advanced design of AGRIBOT A6, we have not increased its price. We want to increase adoption of drones in India & provide complete handholding to users. AIF is available for AGRIBOT A6 in which 90% collateral free loan is available at 3% subvention on the interest rate,” he said.

AGRIBOT A6 is available in 3 variants – Bike, Backpack and 4-wheeler models across the country and desirous customers may buy it either from its wide network of dealers or from the company directly.

“We are the pioneers of Krishi-drone in the country and were privileged to receive the country’s first type certification from none other than Union Civil Aviation Minister Mr. Jyotiraditya Scindia last year. The latest type of certification received for our product AGRIBOT A6 is a testimony of our continuous endeavour to develop high-quality and innovative products,” said Mr. Anoop Upadhyay, another Co-Founder and Director of the company.

He further said that from a farmer’s perspective, a AGRIBOT A6 drone is very easy to transport and operate because of its compact design.

“AGRIBOT-A6 has global quality standards, and with the liberalized export policy recently announced by DGFT, AGRIBOT-A6 has larger access to the global markets. We are quite confident that this new model will get a good response,” he said.

IoTech is credited with pioneering ‘Bike model’ which could be easily transported on a motorcycle to fields.

IoTechWorld has established partnership with agrochemical company Syngenta and has undertaken more than 25,000 kms of drone yatra in various parts of the country.

IoTechWorld aims to sell more than 3,000 drones in the current financial year. It is also exploring opportunities for export in regions like SAARC, South East Asia, Latin America, Africa etc.

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With this acquisition, Hitachi Payment Services aims to enhance its market position by integrating the cash management business into its overall service offerings.

This move will enable Hitachi to become an end-to-end payments and commerce solutions provider, offering a unified platform for all merchant-related payment and commerce needs. The acquisition will also allow Hitachi to provide comprehensive ATM services to financial institutions, while complementing its existing digital offerings for merchants.

Writer Safeguard has been offering comprehensive cash services, including ATM cash replenishment and retail cash pick-up services, to corporate clients in India since 2001. It has an extensive network of around 40,000 touchpoints, including ATMs and retail locations, spanning 25 states and serviced by over 10,000 employees.

Tatsuro Ueda, Vice President and Executive Officer, CEO of Financial Institutions Business Unit, Hitachi, Ltd. said “As the movement of digitalization accelerates globally, Hitachi is committed to provide future-ready solutions that effectively meet the varied needs of our customers especially in India, where digitalization is progressing rapidly in rural areas. This acquisition will enable us to expand our service offerings and further strengthen our position in the Indian market. Specifically for the merchant ecosystem, we will be able to provide a distinctive value proposition and further drive digital acceptance by becoming a one-stop solution provider, catering to the diverse needs of merchants.” 

 Sumil Vikamsey, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer – Cash Business, Hitachi Payment Services, said “The acquisition of the Cash Management Business of Writer Corporation will complement Hitachi Payments’ vision of becoming a leading payments and commerce solutions provider, offering holistic, reliable and cost-effective solutions across the payments value chain. In line with our overall strategy, the deal creates opportunities for us to broaden our service offerings and provides us a unique position to drive growth and innovation in the Indian payments landscape.”

Dayle de Souza, Managing Director, Writer Business Services, said “Over the last two decades, Writer Corporation has created a rich legacy in the Cash Management Business through pioneering technologies, operational efficiencies and superior risk management practices. As one of the founding members of the Cash Logistics Association, the company has played a pivotal role in bringing global standards to the Cash Management industry in India. We are confident that the transfer to Hitachi Payments will bring new possibilities for this business. We will continue to retain and grow the ATM Managed Services business as a part of the overall service portfolio to our corporate clients.”

Hitachi Payments is already a pioneer in the payment industry in India, providing a wide range of payment solutions, including ATM services, POS solutions, payment gateway solutions, and innovative offerings such as SoftPOS and next-gen mobile-based merchant platforms.

The completion of the acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions.

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