Winzo File a Claim Against Google for Not Authorising Non-Rummy Games on Play Store

Winzo Games Latest Startup News

Winzo, the producer of Poker and Rummy like games application said on Tuesday it was filing a complaint against Google in Delhi High Court that "Google is discriminating and is not authorising Non-Rummy games on the Play Store. Winzo says that Google is partial and it only permits Rummy and unrealistic sports games on the app store. 

Winzo also claims that Google, which is not against gambling and betting in India is doing discrimination against them by not allowing real money-making apps on the play store. Google has declared recently that it was doing a one-year pilot with the Rummy and Dream Sports app. 

Why is Winzo so upset with Google? & What was the Major Issue that Caused the Rift Between Winzo and Google? 

All this started in March of this year. Winzo sued Google in March because of the warning that Google Chrome used to show every time on the cell phones, whenever someone attempts to download the Winzo application that says "Document may be destructive". This was the common warning that used to display among most of the individuals who were about to download this real money-making app, Winzo. 

Recently, Winzo again filed a claim against Google on 20th September for not authorising Winzo games and fantasy games on Play Store. Winzo is one of the numerous industry players like MPL and Zupee who have declared Google's pilot policy with Rummy and fantasy games erratic, biased and prohibitive. Winzo and the other organisations declared this in front of the media in its most recent suit.

If You are Wondering What was the Reaction of Google on Winzo's claim? Here it is;

Google refused to remark: The organisation has never restricted any of the real cash gaming applications on the Play Store. Another hearing of this case was on 22nd September (Thursday).

In the court records collected by Entrackr, the lawyers from Google's side told that this claim was "waggish, meaning-less and reductant" quarrelling that Google Chrome and all the other browsers display a similar warning for all the APK files that are being downloaded from the platforms other than Play Store. The lawyers from Google's side said that the IT Rules 2021 permitted it to show that brief as a safety effort.

Google presented the reviews from Winzo's iOS application, which is also accessible on the Play Store, where various customers claims about being deceived by the real money gaming apps or incapable to clear out their money or withdrawals.

What does the Co-founder of Winzo Comment about the Situation with Entrackr? 

Saumya Singh Rathore, the co-founder of Winzo told Entracker that Google's narrow scope for this pilot strengthens monopolies organised by fantasy game companies such as Dream11 and harms the producers like Winzo that have many real cash game ideas in their applications.

Rathore also told Entracker that the warning shown by Google Chrome while downloading this real money gaming app was making 75 out of 100 customers, who initiate to downloading the app yet change their mind after seeing the warning. 

You may also like: Fast Food Chain Wow! Momo Raises $16 Million in Series D

Wrapping Up 

Winzo has filed a claim against Google for allegedly breaching antitrust law by not allowing developers to use non-rummy card games in their Play Store. The court's final decision is yet to come. The battle between Winzo and Google is still fresh and will pose to be an interesting one. Be connected with us at Entrackr for the latest startup news and also about this hot topic in the market.

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Fast Food Chain Wow! Momo Raises $16 Million in Series D

Wow! Momo Latest Startup Funding News

Wow! Momo is a quick service restaurant chain founded in August 2008 by a group of entrepreneurs led by Kunal Bahl. They are expanded to over 19 cities and have 425 outlets in India. This startup basically provides everything related to momos only like momo-filled burgers and its desserts also. The company has raised close to $8 million in Series A round of funding led by an individual investor. This Series D round of funding is led by V’oceanInvestment and Oaksand India.

Wow! Momo is headquartered in Kolkata, India with operations in Mumbai, Chennai and more 16 cities. Wow! Momos aims to grow their fast food joint to be an IPO and compete with McDonald’s and Dominos like fast food restaurant chains. The company is rapidly expanding in the country. Mohit Bhargava, an IIT Bombay alumnus, co-founded and incubated the company before crossing the Rs1 crore revenue mark in just three months. 

This startup Wow! Momo has now raised a Series D round of funding. The current funding round is worth Rs 125 crore or $16 million. This most recent round of funding for Wow! Momo brings their total funding to $41 million. Wow! Momo is the first quick service restaurant chain in India to adopt a service-oriented design, which was introduced by Apple.

This startup has raised $16 million in a round led by Tree Line Investment Management. This latest round will take the company to a total of $70 million. In October, Wow! Momo Foods launched its newest range of products at the 35th China Food Expo. The company plans to use the amount to expand its outlets.

Wow! Momo is the first and only QSR serving the Chinese market. It has been established since 2008 and is based in Mumbai. Their food is a blend of East, East and East. Wow! Momo specializes in Chinese cuisine. It is mainly a QSR chain which prepares foods such as fried rice, pork buns, noodles, and wonton. This QSR chain is found in India and Nepal too. It has three QSR brands, Wow! Momo and Wow! China and Wow! Chicken. It is one of the leading QSR chains in India and Nepal.

On 26th March 2016, the startup announced that it has raised $16 million (Rs 100 crore) led by venture capital firm Accel and was seeking to raise another $10.6 million (Rs 70 crore) in the Series D round of funding. As per Fintrackr estimates, Wow! Momo has raised fresh investment at a valuation of $270 million or Rs 2,130 crore post allotment. As per Fintrackr's estimates, Wow! Momo's valuation grew more than 60% in the past year as it was valued at $165-170 million in its Series C round.

Also read: Top Benefits of Virtual Workspace

Wrapping Up

Wow! Momo raised ₹44 crore from Lighthouse funds in 2017, in 2018 they raised 300 crore (US$45 million) from Fabindia, In 2019 130 crore (US$23 million) from Tiger Global Management. So currently, this startup’s financial valuation has crossed 860 crore (US$120 million). Wow! Momo has not filed its financial statements for the last fiscal year but its revenue from operations shrank 36% to Rs 106 in FY21. Meanwhile, the company’s losses ballooned 17X to Rs 59.3 crore in the fiscal year marred with the pandemic.

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Mahindra Electric’s Op-Revenue Nears Rs 450 Cr in FY22, Losses Shrink 34%

Mahindra Electric Latest News

Mahindra Electric's revenues have grown rapidly in recent years on the back of the booming sales of electric vehicles in India. The company's revenues stood at Rs 450 crore in the financial year ended March 31, 2021, up from Rs. 204.41 crore in the previous financial year.

The company's losses have also shrunk significantly, from Rs 107 crore in FY2 to just Rs 70.5 crore in FY22. This is largely due to the growing sales of electric vehicles in India, which have helped offset the higher costs associated with manufacturing and marketing these vehicles.

Looking ahead, Mahindra Electric is well-positioned to capitalize on the growing demand for electric vehicles in India. With a range of new products in the pipeline and a strong distribution network, the company is poised for further growth in the coming years.

Mahindra Electric's operating revenue grew 2.17x to Rs 44.388 billion in FY 2022 from Rs. Electric vehicle sales were the main source of income. Accounting for 67% of operating profit, it increased by 2.8 times to Rs 296.8 crore in FY22 from Rs 106.39 crore in the previous fiscal year. Mahindra Electric's portfolio consists of 2 vehicles (eVerito and E20Plus) and 6 vehicles including e-pedicab and e-car (passenger and freight segments).

Product development and design fees were the other major source of revenue, increasing by 21.8% to Rs 83 Crore in FY2022. Sales of kits and spare parts earned Mahindra Electric Rs 63 crore in FY22.  Mahindra Electric witnessed material costs as the biggest cost center because of reasonable manufacturing rates. Material costs totaled Rs 256.5 cr in FY22, up 11.9% from Rs 231.2 cr in the preceding fiscal year (FY21). Material costs also constituted half of the overall costs in FY22, up from 50.1% in FY21. 

Mahindra Electric saw an increase in manufacturing costs for both capitalized and variable costs-- the increase in variable costs was likely a result of severe labor shortages which reduced the ability of development engineers and other manufacturing personnel to work.

Also read: Tiger Global Leads $15 Mn Round in Jodo at $90 Mn Valuation

Mahindra Electric spends more on advertising, promotion and transportation than on research and development. The company spends Rs 517.7 crore ($74 million) on everything from advertising, promotion and transportation. All this presumably helps the electric car maker to increase its sales, at least when it isn't subject to import tariffs or other government-imposed restrictions. However, keeping costs stable means harmful cuts to R&D, research and development, which is why the company's operating losses increased from 35 percent in the previous year to 64 percent this year.

Follow one of the best platforms for the latest startup news, Entrackr to get all the latest happenings in the startup world.

Tiger Global Leads $15 Mn Round in Jodo at $90 Mn Valuation

Latest Jodo Startup News

Tiger Global Management, one of the largest venture capital firms in the world, has led a $15 million investment round in Jodo, a social media platform for businesses which was participated by existing investors Elevation Capital and Matrix Partners India. The investment values Jodo at $90 million.

Jodo, an academic-focused fintech startup, creates payment solutions that make it easy and affordable to pay for education. It also simplifies fees collection for educational institutions.

This is a big vote of confidence in Jodo, which has only been in operation for a little over a year. The company is based in Bangalore, and was founded by Atulya Bhat, Koustav Dey, & Raghav Nagarajan.

The investment from Tiger Global will be used to help Jodo tweak its products, catalyse sales and expand its team according to a press statement by Jodo.

Fintrackr was able to decode the Series B round through regulatory filings. Jodo has not disclosed any details. According to filings, Tiger led the round with Rs 78.5 crore. Elevation and Matrix were existing investors and each contributed Rs 19.6 crore.

Jodo assists middle-income families with their academic expenses. The company also helps schools digitise the collection process, and offers multiple payment options. It is able to collect fees for more than 700 schools and facilitate fee payments for more than 15,000 students.

After two years, the Series A round has been completed for the Bengaluru-based firm. It raised $3.8million from Matrix and Elevation, as well as 15 angels, including Amit Rajan and Nithin Kamath (through Rainmatter Capital), Softbank’s Sarthak Mitra and CRED's Kunal Shaikh. Entrackr reported exclusively on Jodo's seed round.

After the Series A round, Tiger now holds 11.24% of Jodo's shares. Matrix and Elevation each own 13.35%. Atulya T. Bhat, Raghav Nagarajan and Koustav dey are the co-founders. They collectively hold 52.75%. It is worth noting that all three are ex-executives of Matrix Partners India.

This is a big win for Jodo, and it is sure to help the company attract more customers and grow its business.

Also read: Top Benefits of Virtual Workspace You Must Know in 2022

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Rohit Kapoor, Global CMO of OYO has quit to Join Swiggy

OYO Startup News

OYO's head of marketing Rohit Kapoor has quit the company following four years, according to three people with knowledge of the specifics. "Kapoor has already quit OYO and is currently serving his notice," said one of the sources who requested anonymity. "He's probably to be released from his duties at OYO in August."

This is a huge loss for OYO as a leader. Kapoor was promoted to worldwide chief marketing officer at the beginning of March this year, replacing Chief Executive Officer (Southeast Asia and India). He has been employed by the company based in Gurugram for 44 months. He then was appointed to OYO as the CEO of its rental business (India).

In the wake of Kapoor's appointment, OYO also said that its chief business officer worldwide, Ankit Tandon, will assume the responsibility for Southeast Asia with a specific concentration on Indonesia as well as the Middle East region as its CEO. Ankit Gupta, CEO of the Hotels and Homes vertical, was also promoted to CEO (India).

Swiggy Startup News

According to reports, Kapoor is in advanced discussions to join Swiggy in a higher position. "Kapoor is expected to join the food tech unicorn, assuming there is no change at the very last minute," said another source who requested anonymity because the talks are confidential.

The queries we addressed for Rohit Kapoor OYO, along with Swiggy, did not receive a prompt response. We'll revise the blog in the event they respond. Kapoor's resignation comes when OYO has seen a revival of its business following 18-24 months of slow growth caused by the pandemic. OYO had reported more than five times the growth rate in May and added over 1,250 corporate customers during the three months (March-May in the current year).

Before that, the company had several resignations from senior management in the second quarter of 2020. Gaurav Ajmera, the global Director of revenue management, and Burhanuddin Pithawala, the global Director of growth and marketing, quit the company in September. Mohit Bhatnagar, Sequoia Capital's Managing Director, has also resigned from the OYO board of directors to assume the role of an observer within the company's board in October 2020. Harshit Vyas, OYO India COO, resigned from the company in the past. The online marketplace has recently hired Vyas for Pepper Content as a chief business officer (CBO).

OYO has been planning to launch an IPO for quite many years. However, OYO's IPO plan is expected to come to fruition in the final quarter of the calendar year. In October of 2021, the company submitted the draft prospectus red herring (DRHP) to SEBI to raise an amount of Rs 8,430 crore.

Also read: Top Benefits of Virtual Workspace

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Top Benefits of Virtual Workspace You Must Know in 2022

We live in a world where trends are rapidly evolving, giving rise to new ideas for businesses to prosper and thrive. One such concept is the virtual workspace. A virtual workspace is a win-win for anyone looking for a cost-effective, flexible and comfortable business environment.

The virtual workspace is the actual answer to the start-up workspace problem. It's a consistent work environment that provides company presence and full access to the benefits of a real workplace, all without the need for a physical office. For this reason, we have seen a huge increase in virtual workspaces lately. The report shows that the number of digital nomads in the US has tripled in the past few years. There were only 4.8 million digital nomads in America in 2018, and that number has grown to 15.5 million in 2021.

Virtual desktops allow employees to interact with a variety of portable communication devices, including email, audio/video, voicemail, etc. The virtual company uses these tools to drastically reduce the work time of each employee. A robust virtual office plan replaces multiple workspaces, providing a single productivity hub that employees can use for business purposes.

Here are some of the top benefits of having a virtual workspace:

1. Superior versatility and flexibility

A virtual workspace provides greater flexibility in work, as it allows employees to work from anywhere and at any time.

Giving employees the independence to work within their set deadlines has been proven to increase their productivity and commitment to work. Employees perceive the freedom to work at any time convenient for them as a privilege of their organization.

Therefore, a virtual office is beneficial in the sense that it improves the attitude of employees to work, which means it increases staff turnover.

2. Economical way of working

The cost-effectiveness of the Virtual Workspace plan is what makes it so popular in the digital age. A virtual workplace offers significant savings because it is incompatible with the creation of a physical workplace.

Having a virtual desktop can save you a lot on additional costs such as rent, office bills, and other service fees. Thanks to this, the organisation can focus its resources on the most important aspect of its activity - investing in potential directions and achieving good profits.

In the same way, employees, being part of a virtual workspace, helps them save on travel costs and free up time for their families and themselves.

3. Rich world experience at your disposal

If you want to take advantage of access to global talent, your organization must set up a virtual workspace.

Workspace virtualization makes your company more attractive to the world. Employees are attracted to jobs that allow them to function in their place. In this sense, the virtual office plan will put global talent at your disposal.

Also, if your business is growing and you need to hire more employees, but you can't squeeze them into your existing physical workplace, switching to a virtual office will pay off. This will avoid changing the workplace or moving to a more spacious workplace.

You can easily hire as many employees as you want according to your needs by turning into a virtual company. 

4. It affects the company

Your brand will still display a respectable, expert and corporate legal reputation if you have a virtual workspace with a specific address.

Having the right place of work and workplace contact information ensures that your company's reputation is solid, genuine, and genuine.

What's more, having a virtual workplace in a visible place will fantastically enhance the impression of your company. This is why a virtual office benefits your business by having a major impact on your business.

5. No long-term commitment

A traditional office space requires many formalities, including lease and lease agreements. On the contrary, switching to the mode of creating a virtual workspace will help you get rid of problems with contracts.

This is because Virtual Office does not require any contract and is offered on a monthly basis. This makes the opt-out option flexible.

Establishing a workplace on the basis of an employment contract turns out to be unprofitable since it is impossible to quit the workplace before the expiration of the contract. This makes the virtual office popular among entrepreneurs. 

The business assistance offered by virtual offices is sometimes overlooked but can still be of great help to your business. Your time and effort may be occupied with tasks that can be delegated elsewhere, such as answering calls, handling mail, and performing general administrative tasks.

Various virtual office software provides solutions included in your virtual office plans that make your work easier, allowing you to focus on the core processes of your business. By providing such assistance, a virtual office brings great benefits to your organization.

Final Words

A virtual workspace has many advantages as it actually brings all employees from all over the world together in one place. Although it is true that not all companies have succeeded. They still need to go through the traditional way of working or bring something new to their working model. Despite everything, a virtual office is beneficial for most companies whose employees are happy to work from different countries. 

For more latest startup news & information, stay tuned to Entrackr.

Entrackr is a media platform that covers the latest startup news on its website. They cover the latest updates, announcements, acquisitions, and funding news of the Indian startup scene.

GOAT Brand Labs Secured $50 Million in Series A1 Round

GOAT Brand Labs Startup Funding News

GOAT Brand Labs, a D2C brand aggregator has recently secured a funding of $50 million in their Series A1 round. New investors 9Unicorns, Winter Capital, Oxyzo, Vivriti Capital, Venture Catalysts, and other existing investors

OfBusiness' lending arm -  Oxyzo became a unicorn in March 2018. Entrackr sources say that Oxyzo has lent more than 20 startups. GOAT has raised from its first institutional round a funding of $36 million from Tiger Global Management and Flipkart Ventures. Its current investors include Better Capital, and Nordstar as well as a number of angels like Sujeet Kumar and Ranjan Pai.

Being a marketplace platform, GOATS acquires D2C (direct-to-consumer) brands and helps them scale with its expertise and market understanding.

After receiving profitable brands, the company claims its portfolio has experienced a nearly 85% increase in scale. Since its inception, the company has made 15 acquisitions, including Abhishti and Doggie Dabbas, as well as Frangipani, Hipkoo The Label Life, and Voylla. The company will be in discussions with 12 other brands in the coming weeks.

Also Read: Indian Startups Acquisitions & Fundings News [30 May- 04 Jun]

GOAT was founded by Rishi Vasudev and Rameswar Misra and focused on brands in fashion and beauty as well as home and kitchen space. Vasudev, Myntra, Jabong, and Flipkart Fashion were previously in charge of Flipkart's Fashion for over five years. Rameshwar was part of Voonik’s management team that merged with Bangladesh's ShopUp in February 2020.

GOAT is a D2C company optimization tool that works in the same way as Perch, Thrasio and Branded in America. It helps companies with expansion and marketing, growth hacking and process optimization.

GOAT is competing with two unicorns in the space: GlobalBees, Mensa Brands, and 10club. Evenflow, Powerhouse91 and Powerhouse91. Mensa reports that it raised $300 million equity and debt, while GlobalBees led by Nitin Agarwal & Supam Maheshwari has raised more than $260 millions in two funding rounds.

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