Category: Business

Uzbekistan’s First Unicorn Uzum Hits $1.5B Valuation

by educatekaroin News, Business, Funding, TechLeave a Comment on Uzbekistan’s First Unicorn Uzum Hits $1.5B Valuation

Uzbekistan’s Uzum is proving that Central Asia isn’t just catching up—it’s arriving. The startup just bagged $65.5 million from Tencent and VR Capital, lifting its valuation to $1.5 billion. That’s a major statement. With 17 million users and 16,000 merchants, Uzum’s mix of e-commerce, fintech, and delivery is clearly working. Now, it’s eyeing bigger moves—scaling digital banking, expanding SME services, and going global. Honestly, it’s exciting to see a Tashkent-based startup punch into unicorn territory. Uzum’s rise isn’t just a local win—it’s a signal that the region’s tech scene deserves serious global attention.

Read more: TechCrunch

Tesla Seeks Shareholder Nod for $29B Elon Musk Pay Amid AI Race

by educatekaroin News, AI, Business, TechLeave a Comment on Tesla Seeks Shareholder Nod for $29B Elon Musk Pay Amid AI Race

Tesla has asked shareholders to approve a $29 billion compensation package for CEO Elon Musk as the company faces an “AI talent war.” The proposal underscores Tesla’s priority to retain Musk’s leadership during a transformative period for the company, with AI playing a crucial role in autonomous driving, robotics, and manufacturing. The move comes as competition in AI innovation heats up, with rivals aggressively pursuing top technical talent worldwide.

Read more: TechCrunch

Practo Turns Profitable in FY25, Plans Global Expansion

by educatekaroin News, Business, Health, India, TechLeave a Comment on Practo Turns Profitable in FY25, Plans Global Expansion

Healthtech platform Practo has reported a profitable fiscal year 2025 and announced intentions to expand internationally. The platform credits its turnaround to increased efficiency, rapid digitization of healthcare services, and strong domestic demand. Practo’s management says global expansion will focus on markets where digital health adoption is accelerating. This milestone highlights India’s healthtech sector’s resilience and growing influence beyond national borders.

Read more: YourStory

Joby Aviation Considers Buying Blade Air

by educatekaroin News, Business, TechLeave a Comment on Joby Aviation Considers Buying Blade Air

Joby Aviation, a leader in urban air mobility, is reportedly considering the acquisition of Blade Air, an air mobility and travel brand. The potential deal could boost Joby’s presence in air taxi services and expand its urban-flight network. Industry sources suggest the move could fast-track efforts to commercialize eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) flights and strengthen Joby’s competitive positioning as cities prepare for next-generation air transport solutions. No official statements have been made, and talks are ongoing.

Read more: TechCrunch

Amazon and The New York Times Seal $20 Million AI Content Licensing Deal

by educatekaroin News, AI, Business, TechLeave a Comment on Amazon and The New York Times Seal $20 Million AI Content Licensing Deal

Amazon has agreed to pay The New York Times between $20 million and $25 million annually under a multiyear agreement that allows Amazon to use content from the Times’s news, cooking, and sports sections, including The Athletic, to train its AI models and enhance Alexa features. This deal, announced in May and recently detailed by The Wall Street Journal, represents about 1% of the Times’s expected 2024 revenue. It marks the Times’s first AI content licensing partnership with a tech giant amid its ongoing copyright litigation against OpenAI and Microsoft over unauthorized AI training

Read more: engadget

Google Commits $6 Billion to Asia’s Largest Data Center in Andhra Pradesh

by educatekaroin News, Business, TechLeave a Comment on Google Commits $6 Billion to Asia’s Largest Data Center in Andhra Pradesh

Google is investing $6 billion to build a 1-gigawatt hyperscale data center in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, marking the largest such facility in Asia by capacity and investment. This project includes a $2 billion allocation for renewable energy to sustainably power the data center, supporting India’s growing digital infrastructure needs. The investment aligns with Google’s global $75 billion expansion plan across Asia, also involving countries like Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. Andhra Pradesh aims to develop 6 gigawatts of data center capacity over five years, bolstered by new high-capacity cable landing stations enhancing connectivity and regional tech growth.

Read more: reuters

Paytm Turns Profitable with Strong Q1 Boost from AI and Merchant Growth

by educatekaroin News, AI, Apps, Business, India, TechLeave a Comment on Paytm Turns Profitable with Strong Q1 Boost from AI and Merchant Growth

Paytm surprised many by clocking a ₹122.5 crore profit in Q1, a sharp rebound from its hefty ₹838.9 crore loss during the same time last year. Backed by strong merchant growth and trimmed employee costs, the company clocked ₹1,917 crore in revenue and ₹72 crore in EBITDA. What’s really driving this? Smart use of AI, disciplined spending, and deeper monetisation through device subscriptions. Financial services doubled too, hinting Paytm’s lending game is maturing. It’s early days, but this feels like more than just a lucky quarter — the full-stack strategy might finally be clicking.

Credit: YourStory

Blinkit Bets on Owning Inventory for Better Margins

by educatekaroin News, Apps, Business, India, TechLeave a Comment on Blinkit Bets on Owning Inventory for Better Margins

Blinkit, Eternal’s quick commerce arm, is shifting from a marketplace model to full inventory ownership. Instead of just listing sellers, Blinkit will now stock products itself—aiming for better margins, smoother operations, and more control. This bold move could improve availability and fill rates, but it also means higher working capital. With over 1,500 dark stores and aggressive expansion plans, Blinkit’s eyeing profitability. Margins improved slightly this quarter, and leadership seems confident. It’s a risky play in a cutthroat space, but owning the supply chain might just give Blinkit the edge it needs.

Credit: YourStory

Perplexity Partners with Airtel to Expand AI Reach in India

by educatekaroin News, AI, Business, TechLeave a Comment on Perplexity Partners with Airtel to Expand AI Reach in India

Perplexity is going all-in on India! The AI search startup just teamed up with Airtel to give 360 million users a free 12-month Perplexity Pro plan (worth $200). This exclusive deal boosts its presence in a market where OpenAI still leads in numbers. Downloads in India surged 600% in Q2, and active users grew even faster. Perplexity’s earlier tie-up with Paytm and CEO Aravind Srinivas’ $1M India commitment show it’s serious about growth here. Though revenue lags behind ChatGPT, smart partnerships like this could help Perplexity win big in price-sensitive India.

Credit: TechCrunch

Zoho Unveils Zia LLM to Power Smarter AI for Businesses

by educatekaroin News, AI, Business, TechLeave a Comment on Zoho Unveils Zia LLM to Power Smarter AI for Businesses

Zoho has rolled out its own large language model, Zia LLM, built fully on NVIDIA’s AI tech. Announced at Zoholics India, the model is tailored for real business tasks like summarizing data, code generation, and smart retrieval. With three models (up to 7B parameters), it balances speed, cost, and performance. Unlike ChatGPT, Zia runs on Zoho’s own servers, ensuring better data privacy. It also introduced Hindi-English speech recognition, no-code AI agent tools, and over 25 pre-built Zia agents.

Credit: YourStory