Digest

Another week has gone by, and the funding drought persists across the Indian startup landscape, with new-age companies mopping up just $103 million across 17 rounds in the last seven days. The funding raised by these companies plunged 85% year-on-year, from the $688 million raised across 45 rounds last year.ETtechSequentially, funding activity for Indian startups plunged 58%, against $243 million raised across 28 rounds last week. Bengaluru-based pet food-maker Drools led the funding activity this week, scooping up $60…

While people across India are reeling under the heat of an intense summer, things have been no better for startups across the country, which continue to shiver amid a prolonged funding winter, with no signs of a groundhog emerging to signal its end. New-age companies mopped up just $86 million this week across 17 rounds, recording a sharp fall of 58% from the same period last year, according to data provided by market research firm Tracxn. ETtechSequentially, funding activity for Indian startups plunged 85%, compared to…

Posted in: Archie, Comics, Preview | Tagged: archie, Comics, jughead, previewsArchie Milestones Jumbo Digest #20 is hitting shelves, featuring Jughead as Captain Hero. What's next—a burger-powered Batmobile? Preview inside!Published Mon, 05 Jun 2023 17:26:11 -0500 by Jude Terror | Ah yes, another groundbreaking creation from the minds at Archie Comics. Archie Milestones Jumbo Digest #20 graces comic store shelves on June 7th, regaling us with the heroic tales of Jughead as the caped crusader known as Captain Hero. Because…

Indian startups managed to raise just $1.06 billion in May, according to data provided by market intelligence firm Tracxn, with the flow from funding taps thinning down to a trickle. Funding activity saw a 69% decline year-on-year from the $3.42 billion raised by startups in May 2022. Month on month, there was a 44% slump in activity compared to April 2023, when startups raised $1.9 billion. ETtechThe funding numbers for May were bolstered by late-stage investments in app development startup Builder.ai and Walmart-owned…

Swiss scientists have discovered cold-adapted microbes capable of breaking down biodegradable plastics at 15°C, which could pave the way for more cost-effective and environmentally friendly plastic recycling.Biodegradation of plastic at low temperatures can save money and energy.Researchers have discovered microbial strains in the high altitudes of the Alps and in the polar regions that can break down biodegradable plastics at temperatures as low as 15°C (59°F). These microbes, found in the plastisphere of alpine and…

Indian startups secured a total of $447 million in funding this week across 20 rounds, according to data provided by market intelligence firm Tracxn, a 124% surge compared to the same period last year, when startups had raised $188 million across 66 rounds. The funding was bolstered by late-stage investments in app development startup Builder.ai and Walmart-owned fintech major PhonePe.ETtechWhile Builder.ai raised $250 million from Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), PhonePe picked up an…

Witness Betty and Veronica Jumbo Comics Digest #314 dive into superhero chaos, as Blastmaster gives the Superteens a run for their money!Published Tue, 23 May 2023 17:26:12 -0500 by Jude Terror | Get your gas masks ready, kids! Betty and Veronica Jumbo Comics Digest #314 is set to deliver a "blast" on Wednesday, May 24th. In this issue, Captain Hero and the Superteens must deal with the ominously named Blast Master. Judging by the title, we have to ask: is this all just a thinly veiled fart joke? Or do all superheroes…

Get your wallets ready for Archie Jumbo Comics Digest #340, where missing book reports are more exciting than the Riverdale dating scene.Published Tue, 16 May 2023 20:27:10 -0500 by Jude Terror | Well folks, here we are again. Another week, another new release that we absolutely *must* talk about. This time, it's Archie Jumbo Comics Digest #340, hitting comic book stores this fine Wednesday, May 17th. Brace yourselves for some truly groundbreaking action: Archie losing a book report. Because in Riverdale, even the most…

Swiss scientists have discovered new cold-adapted microorganisms that can degrade different types of plastic at temperatures lower than currently required. The discovery is the first step towards developing a more cost-effective, industrial-scale method that could rid the planet of plastic pollution.There’s a great need to reduce plastic pollution on our lands and in our oceans. In 2020, annual global plastic production reached 367 megatons; and it continues to rise.Already, several microorganisms that "eat" plastic have…

In a potentially encouraging sign for reducing environmental waste, researchers have discovered microbes from the Alps and the Arctic that can break down plastic without requiring high temperatures. Although this is only a preliminary finding, a more efficient and effective breakdown of industrial plastic waste in landfills would give scientists a new tool for trying to reduce its ecological damage. Scientists from the Swiss Federal Institute WSL published their findings this week in Frontiers in Microbiology, detailing…