Startup Funding & Growth: Pre-seed startups need strong customer acquisition, retention, and monetization to succeed. Investors are prioritizing revenue milestones over unicorn valuations, seeking sustainable growth and solid gross margins. Many startups fail to secure follow-on funding due to inflated seed rounds and inadequate customer validation.
Tech Graveyard 2024: Several tech products died in 2024, including Fossil smartwatches, the Apple Car project, Google Podcasts, the Kindle Oasis, Microsoft HoloLens, WordPad, Spotify Car Thing, Apple's Lightning Port, and Google Chromecast.
E-waste Crisis: Rapid tech upgrades and online shopping fuel e-waste. Less than 20% of e-waste is properly recycled. Conscious consumerism, repairing devices, and sustainable business practices can help mitigate this crisis.
Karnataka Tech Hub: Karnataka is establishing Centers of Excellence (CoEs) in automotive, gaming, and space technology. These CoEs aim to foster innovation, research, and entrepreneurship. The state is also focused on attracting investments in the space tech industry.
Import Restrictions: India extended its system for unrestricted imports of laptops, tablets, and PCs until December 31, 2025. This decision follows concerns from tech companies and the US over potential trade restrictions.
AI-Powered Bath: A Japanese company has developed an AI-powered "human washing machine" that offers a personalized, 15-minute bathing experience.
AI & Chess: AI is boosting chess's popularity through bots and analysis, but human input remains crucial.
AI in Credit Underwriting: Generative AI (GenAI) is transforming credit assessment by automating memo creation and analyzing large documents, improving efficiency.
India and LLMs: Some argue India should build its own Large Language Models (LLMs) for long-term advantage, while others believe India should leverage existing models to solve problems. LLMs can assist in low-code and no-code platforms by automating code generation, error detection and content generation.
AI Policy: There is debate over AI regulation, with some advocating for light-touch policies and others emphasizing safety checks, with differences in how much chatbots should be censored.
AI in Banking: Indian banks are integrating AI for customer service, trading, and fraud detection. However, concerns about cyber vulnerabilities, lack of transparency, and regulatory gaps exist. There is a need for regulations regarding the use of AI in banking.
Ixigo Performance: Ixigo saw a significant increase in bus bookings, outpacing flights and trains. The company is working on expanding its bus network and focusing on bringing new bus bookers online.
Palm Payment System: China has a palm payment system that allows people to make purchases by waving their hands over a sensor.
Indian Esports: An Indian studio launched the "Indus" battle royale game aiming to compete with BGMI and other titles. The Indian esports market is growing rapidly, with increasing participation and prize pools. The company is aiming to develop a community around its game and plans to expand internationally.
