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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Online platforms reflect a growing demand for menopause care like hormone-replacement therapy.</li><li>More research is needed to better tailor virtual clinics' treatment plans.</li></ul>When Jodi Miller was 49, she started to experience mood swings, hot flashes, weight gain, and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/teledermatology-future-of-skincare-musely-ceo-jack-jia-2024-6">adult acne</a> — some of the many <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/health/reproductive-health/menopause-age">symptoms of menopause</a>.When Miller, then a middle-school teacher in Rochester, New York, sought care from her OB-GYN, she said she felt dismissed."I was told to stop focusing on the negative and to start focusing on the positive," Miller, who is turning 50 this month, told Business Insider.Levels of estradiol, or estrogen produced by the ovaries, typically drop to below 20 picograms per milliliter, compared with the 40 to 300 pg/mL produced during a normal menstrual cycle, according to Dr. Mary Jane Minkin, an OB-GYN and clinical professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences at the Yale School of Medicine.This hormonal shift can lead to hot flashes and night sweats and negatively affect bone health, cardiovascular function, cognition, and skin elasticity. It can also lead to discomfort during sex because these hormonal shifts contribute to the thinning and drying of a woman's vaginal walls, Minkin said.Frustrated by the lack of support for her menopause symptoms, Miller reached out to Midi Health, a virtual care clinic that specializes in helping patients navigate <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/perimenopause-symptoms-tech-founder-shares-treatment-2024-9">perimenopause</a> and menopause, or the stages in midlife when a woman's hormones fluctuate and then decrease drastically.Since launching in September 2022, Midi Health says it has served more than 100,000 patients. It's one of a few dozen <a target="_blank" href="https://sjfventures.com/sjf-ventures-market-analysis-outlines-startups-disrupting-menopause-care-and-opportunities-for-investors/#_ftn3">menopause-care startups</a> that have launched since 2010 and one of a handful of virtual and hybrid clinics that offer menopause-symptom support, such as hormone-replacement therapy, to women.An estimated 1.3 million women in the US reach menopause each year. Now, as millennials — one of the country's largest generational groups — enter their 40s and many begin to experience perimenopause symptoms, some health professionals anticipate an uptick in patients seeking this specialized care.<h2 id="cabb2b87-466e-4def-9596-2a67fa519cac">Patients are demanding solutions for common and debilitating menopause symptoms</h2>The menopause market — which includes supplements, medical devices, HRT, and telehealth services — is valued at an estimated $5.3 billion in the US and projected to grow by about 4.8% each year until 2030, according to an analysis from Grand View Research, a US- and India-based consulting firm for the energy, healthcare, and technology industries, among others.One reason menopause-care initiatives are gaining visibility is women's increasing presence in executive roles in the workplace, said Dr. Neel Shah, the chief medical officer of Maven Clinic, a digital platform that employers and health plans use to provide care for women and families.With more women in top decision-making and hiring roles — many experiencing perimenopause or menopause themselves — there tends to be more awareness and empathy for employees seeking this type of midlife health support, Shah said.And <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-employers-can-help-menopausal-women-2022-1">companies need to retain talent</a>, so preventing absenteeism and attrition due to employees' severe perimenopause or menopause symptoms could motivate employers to seek solutions like telehealth clinics for their workers, Shah said.Miller, for example, said that her hot flashes and heart palpitations made it difficult for her to teach her classes. She was also transitioning to a career in higher education at the time and becoming an empty nester."I felt so horrible, and my energy levels were so low that I was ill-equipped to manage it all," Miller said.Shah added that millennials entering perimenopause and menopause may be more willing to advocate for the care they want than previous generations experiencing the same symptoms.Fortunately for Miller, a combination of treatments — including low-dose HRT for estrogen and progesterone, another sex hormone — helped her manage tough-to-handle symptoms. After undergoing the therapy, she said she experienced fewer hot flashes and an increased sex drive. Miller's doctor also prescribed her a low-dose antidepressant to help get rid of her mood swings and a GLP-1 medication to help her lose about 60 pounds, which helped regulate her blood pressure.According to Joanna Strober, Midi Health's CEO and cofounder, doctors may also prescribe supplements and lifestyle changes to patients who want to manage their symptoms.<h2 id="4b765042-0d6a-48bb-8bfe-e17b54eb8608">Ramping up menopause research</h2>As the demand for women's midlife-healthcare support grows, research and education are critical to improving treatments and support."We started Midi out of a realization that very few doctors or medical providers are trained in understanding the issues of women in this age category, particularly with regard to their hormones," Strober said.Knowledge about perimenopause and menopause is still evolving, so more research into effective treatments and interventions is needed to improve and tailor treatments, Minkin said.Researchers are collecting data as part of two long-term National Institutes of Health projects: "The Study of Women's Health Across the Nation" and "Menopause Strategies: Finding Lasting Answers for Symptoms and Health." These studies aim to develop a better understanding of women's menopause symptoms like depression, insomnia, and hot flashes, with the goal of developing <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/health/reproductive-health/how-to-stop-hot-flashes">more helpful treatments</a>.Another influential — but controversial — piece of research has been the Women's Health Initiative. Study results published in 2002 described some types of HRT as increasing some health risks, such as breast cancer and blood clots. In response, doctors resisted prescribing the therapy, Shah said.However, the interpretation of the data in the media and in clinical practice lacked nuance, and secondary research papers have since demonstrated HRT's benefits in most women, according to Shah. "To be honest, the medical profession is still catching up on the data," Shah said.To further address the need for perimenopause and menopause research and medical care, Congress introduced in May the bipartisan Advancing Menopause Care and Mid-Life Women's Health Act. The bill is being reviewed by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. If it's passed, the legislation would boost federal research and public-health promotion of menopause care. Additionally, in his 2024 State of the Union address, President Joe Biden called on Congress to invest $12 billion in women's health research, which would include menopause.Most recently, a phase 3 Bayer study found that the nonhormonal treatment elinzanetant can help reduce the severity and frequency of hot flashes, according to a September 10 press release from the pharmaceutical company.<h2 id="4a418015-96ba-41b3-bf0f-9ec33fffe2f5">Expanding treatment options and providers for patient satisfaction</h2>Overall, Minkin said, advancing women's health during perimenopause and menopause requires a comprehensive approach that blends technological innovations like online care platforms with strong research and educational initiatives.An estimated 30% of residency programs in the US offered a formal menopause curriculum, according to a 2023 report published in the journal Menopause. Minkin said this may be a lingering effect of the Women's Health Initiative's preliminary results. She added that an increased focus on menopause across all levels of medical training was needed."Addressing the physiological, mental-health, and social-support needs of women during these stages of life demands a multifaceted strategy," Minkin said. "By integrating technological tools with a strong foundation in research and education, we can work toward closing this gap and improving menopause care for all women."After roughly a year of treatment for her menopause symptoms, Miller is flourishing."I'm getting my doctorate in higher educational administration, and I would have never been able to navigate such an enormous responsibility without menopause care," Miller said. "I feel like anything is possible now."

Women are demanding better menopause care. Online platforms are heeding the call.

The de facto norm for creating and integrating contemporary apps has been and continues to be application programming interfaces, or APIs. Simply defined, APIs allow software to communicate with other software, which frees up more developers to work on creating more applications faster and innovating better. Although businesses have been using APIs for a while, there’s been a shift in the way these interfaces are viewed within organizations. Today, many competitive, forward-thinking companies view APIs as software products that enable developers to open up new digital business models and prospects rather than merely as an integration tool to link programmes and data. To give us a broader perspective on this, Abhinav Asthana, CEO and Founder of Postman spoke with Felipe LaMaitre, Director of Developer Relations at AWS, as part of the SaaS Scions web series by Business Insider India to further elaborate on this. Then a Software engineer, Abhinav Asthana launched Postman in 2012 as a side project with the intention of making API testing easier. Today, Postman has more than 25 million registered users and 75,000 open APIs, making it the largest public API hub in the world. Driving factors behind Postman’s success Postman’s popularity can be attributed to the numerous small measures that the company undertook. Asthana's advice to fellow founders is to create a support network of colleagues within the workplace as well as family and friends outside of the business. This serves as the main driving force behind continued building. He reiterates that it is crucial to wait, consider, and list the pros and cons while developing, Asthana acknowledges the simplicity of creating software but advises founders to focus on product development rather than being consumed by operational aspects. “Software is much simpler to create because it doesn't require a significant initial expenditure. You only need a computer, the internet, free time, and some talent. To top it off, there are a tonne of materials online, some of which are even offered by AWS. Instead of getting so preoccupied with the operational aspects of beginning a business, such as seeking capital, setting up an office, and so forth, founders shouldn’t neglect what is most important at this time–developing the product,” he says. Balancing simplicity and complexity in software When asked how to keep things simple in a commercial world when markets and consumer needs are becoming increasingly complex, Asthana says it is "difficult to achieve." The term "software" in general is as wide as the ocean, with an equally enormous scope for improvement. One may always add new features and submit updates, but this leads to a slew of newer challenges. "Every update or upgrade is a component that must be carefully maintained, and the most difficult aspect is balancing all of the components." He notes the importance of introducing new features and simultaneously removing outdated, ineffective ones. APIs as the next big wave in SaaS APIs have been called the "next big SaaS wave." The software revolution began slowly, but in recent years it has skyrocketed, with the shift to software as a service, or SaaS, becoming the fastest-growing part of data. Asthana adds to this by saying, “Two decades ago, this industry was severely underserved on a global scale, with developers bearing the brunt of this". In actuality, however, APIs serve as the fundamental units of software, and since the early 2000s, developers have yearned for a better developer experience, including tools that make designing, documenting, and testing APIs more streamlined. As opposed to writing raw code, developers spend more time working with APIs. As a result, both tech and non-tech businesses have gone digital. Today he says, “APIs are essential abstractions in important industries including banking, healthcare, retail, and others. All of our aspirations for technology two decades ago have been surpassed by this”. However, the buck doesn’t stop here, more needs to be learned and developed, and Postman will play a crucial part in the expanding API business. Postman’s role in expanding the API business Lastly, Asthana spoke about how Postman is working on building and maturing the API market. “We currently work on two levels, informing leadership of the value of APIs for businesses. We also manage developer relations, a programme that is entirely devoted to developers and provides them with practical tools that they can apply right away in their line of work,” he said. He continued, “A student programme run by Postman links peers and the market with students who are open to using software services. Additionally, a lab is available for testing and simulation. All of this is covered by our curriculum for developer education.” "The second level is the executive education programme, which primarily works on getting executives together to produce educational content in the form of books and white papers,” says Asthana. The rapid growth of SaaS, exemplified by the success of Postman, underscores the transformative power of cloud-based software solutions. APIs have emerged as the critical component of modern software development. All knowledge workers will need an elementary knowledge of API. API embodies knowledge and enables us to use the digital tools at our disposal for efficiency while being informed, obtaining verified, trustworthy information, and staying up-to-date. Disclaimer: This article is generated and published by the Insider Studios team. You can get in touch with them on <a href="mailto:insiderstudios@businessinsider.in">insiderstudios@businessinsider.in</a>

Postman’s APIs to deliver the next wave of innovations: Leading the SaaS revolution from the front along with AWS

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Treeview is a developer of extended-reality software that serves clients such as Microsoft.</li><li>Its founder spoke with BI about the company's training, education, and mixed-reality applications.</li></ul><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://treeview.studio/">Treeview</a>, a leading boutique development shop in South America, has established a global presence in extended-reality software.The company <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://clutch.co/developers/virtual-reality">works with enterprise companies</a> in the US, Europe, and the South Pacific to develop augmented- and virtual-reality applications for major platforms, including Meta's Quest, Apple's Vision Pro, and Microsoft's HoloLens. Its clients include Microsoft, education institutions such as the University of Alberta, and healthcare companies like Medtronic.Business Insider spoke with Treeview's founder, Horacio Torrendell, to learn more about how business and enterprise clients are leveraging AR and VR hardware for XR applications.The following has been edited for length and clarity.How'd you get into this line of work?Treeview started around 2015 when I got an Oculus DK2 for university. I began doing freelance work with the hardware when there were very few VR developers in South America. I found some clients, started growing, and started to build a team. We did a lot of work with startups from 2017 to 2020. Now we're focusing on enterprise clients.What's your take on the arc of the AR/VR industry's journey so far?I see it more as steps than an arc. It's all generation-based, with new hardware opening up new use cases.We started with PC VR for tinkering and exploration, then mobile VR like Samsung Gear VR and Google Cardboard. Next came stand-alone VR and mobile AR, where we did a lot of work with startups on projects similar to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/5g-help-retailers-shopping-augmented-reality-2019-8">Ikea Place</a> and construction tools. Now we're entering the mixed-reality generation with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/using-apple-vision-pro-for-the-day-productivity-2024-2">Vision Pro</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/meta-virtual-reality">Meta Quest</a>.Each step brings initial confusion as people figure out how to use the new technology, so I think of it as a staircase. Every time there's a new step up, there's a period of adjustment. We're at the start of the mixed-reality generation, and people are still figuring out what they can do with it. I expect we'll see much more mature use cases in the next year or two as the current technology paradigm settles.What kind of problems are companies coming to you with now?Our main focus for the last three years has been training and education. There's a huge demand in this area, but it's challenging to scale because building a high-quality training simulator requires a lot of effort.We're excited about the emerging trend of merging AI with XR. Currently, AI is primarily a back-end, server-side concept that people interact with through text prompting. What's really interesting now is exploring how we can interact with AI through different computing interfaces, particularly immersive ones.Can you help me visualize how AI is being integrated into a training experience?One project we're working on with Microsoft is part of what they call the industrial metaverse. It's mainly around <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-digital-twin-technology-can-transform-archeological-research-2024-8">digital twins</a>, which are digital replicas of physical locations with data overlaid onto that information. We're working on one of the largest <a target="_blank" href="https://treeview.studio/digitaltwin">renewable-energy-production sites in Uruguay</a>.We have a bunch of data and a real-life location, and we want to interact with that data. The way we're thinking of this is, how do you query that information? We have data that doesn't make sense without the context of the location, which is this actual wind farm.Previously, you might filter that information by time stamps or ask specific questions with a predefined user interface. But we're exploring how to have a conversation with that data through an AI model that's trained on top of that data and large language models.It's opening the possibility of having a conversation with a computer about a piece of content that is a physical representation of a physical place with data on top of that place.<div type="image" title="Horacio Torrendell wears virtual-reality glasses while showcasing a digital-twin simulation of wind farms in Uruguay" height="724" width="1086" msid="112689893" hostid="261" sizebytes="52052"></div>What sort of hardware platforms do you target on a project like this?This project targets Microsoft HoloLens 2, mobile with AR capabilities, and the standard web. We have to remember that XR is just one component in a larger set of software solutions. It's crucial to vertically integrate these technologies based on how you're interacting with the data.Having stakeholders around a table with HoloLens, discussing data on-site in a real environment, would be the highest tier of experience. But there's still value in having a website with a 3D model that you can browse and interact with through chat prompts.Let's zoom out a bit and talk about your workflow when starting a new project. How do you begin to scope out what a project is going to be?We call that the discovery phase. It's about trying to understand what the client or the use case is about, not just receiving a list of requirements. It's a brainstorm that we have with clients.For many of these corporations, there's value in deploying a solution. But there's also a lot of value in the innovation approach, in knowing exactly what's going on with this technology, exploring it, and doing some internal tinkering.What's the scale of what you're normally building in terms of distribution?With business-to-business projects, there is not a massive distribution. There are specific use cases and internal tools rather than customer-facing applications. However, we do have some clients, especially on the startup side, who have done more massive rollouts.For context, we recently launched a free educational app for Apple Vision Pro. The project is called <a target="_blank" href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/inviewer/id6479699008">Inviewer</a>, and it's like a Wikipedia of interactive spatial content. This app is featured in the education category of the app store, which is pretty cool. After four weeks, it had about 2,600 users.Are companies looking to hit certain metrics, like reducing time or improving knowledge?One of our largest clients is a startup that's a leader in employee training, though I can't name it due to nondisclosure agreements. What I can say is that some companies are training employees for specific tasks, like installing an electric circuit.There's also huge demand in the market for institutions to provide context to, say, students about what they can do, especially for professional or technical careers. They want to get a feel for what it's like to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/solar-careers-in-demand-workforce-shortage-2024-7">install solar panels</a>, for example.These kinds of applications address a real need in the market. They help people understand career options they might not have known existed.You mentioned you developed for the Apple Vision Pro. How are the latest headsets, like the Vision Pro, changing what you can achieve?Apple brought the whole <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-eye-tracking-accessibility-control-iphone-ipad-2024-5">concept of eye gazing</a>, the concept of prioritizing windows, and the fact that those windows can be expanded. That's a lot of new paradigms in the user-interface experience that Apple brought to the table, and it's been amazing.

The founder of a software-development company says there's a 'huge demand' for training and education applications — extended reality can help

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Parker Short went viral for dancing to a song at a rally for Vice President Kamala Harris.</li><li>Short is passionate about politics since he's benefited from policies like Social Security.</li></ul>This as-told-to essay is based on an interview with Parker Short, an incoming graduate student at the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University and president of the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.youngdemsga.org/">Young Democrats of Georgia</a>, a youth organization that's part of the Democratic Party of Georgia and the Young Democrats of America. Short, who is 22 and lives in Dunwoody, Georgia — a northern suburb of Atlanta — went viral on July 30 when he was <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@fabulouswithharris/video/7397609730769734943">filmed dancing</a> to a Kendrick Lamar song at a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/harris-freedom-2024-campaign-songs-trump-vance-walz-2024-8?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_campaign=business-sf&amp;utm_medium=social">rally for Vice President Kamala Harris</a>. The following has been edited for length and clarity.When <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kendrick-lamar-not-like-us-music-video-drake-references-2024-7">"Not Like Us"</a> came on, one of my best friends, Royce — he's right next to me in the viral video — looked at me because he knew how much <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/harris-freedom-2024-campaign-songs-trump-vance-walz-2024-8">I loved this song</a> and how well I knew every word.I just started to do what I would have done in the car alone. I sang every word, and I got real excited. I had so much energy that day.We all went out to a bar after, and my friends said, "Parker, you're all over the internet." I went home and slept, and when I woke up, I had 10,000 more Instagram followers.I've been organizing for the Young Democrats of Georgia since I was 15. And when I went viral, I said, "Okay, I need to do the most with this. I need to tell people to vote and keep doing the work that I've been doing for years."Your vote is the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.facebook.com/RepJohnLewis/posts/the-right-to-vote-is-the-most-powerful-nonviolent-tool-we-have-in-a-democracy-i-/473010132753004/">most powerful non-violent tool</a> you have, as the late Rep. John Lewis said.<div type="image" title="Photo shows Parker Short meeting John Lewis." height="702" width="642" msid="112426057" hostid="261" sizebytes="23270"></div>We live with that responsibility of being in Georgia, the birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement, the birthplace of Jimmy Carter — and we need to continue to live those values.I got involved in politics at 15 years old. Right after Trump got elected, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/womens-march-washington-dc-photos-experience-2017-1">I went to the Women's March</a> with my mom. Growing up with a single mom, it really matters how you're raised, and my mama raised me right.<h2 id="aadf82a7-ee43-4daf-8c98-07ca674258b6">'I will always invest in America'</h2>I lost my dad when I was a little kid. I was four years old, and he died of lung cancer. The doctors told him he had three months to live — he lived for 18 months.It was really tough on my family. I didn't really get to know my dad too well because I was just a little kid. My dad was an artist. He was the art director for "Remember the Titans," and a set consultant for "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" which is my favorite movie of all time.When my family lost him, it was me, my mom, and my little brother. I had to grow up, and I had to get tough real quick. Paying bills is tough. I understood the stress that my mom was under.Social Security is what made a huge impact on my life. There's something called survivor Social Security, and when you lose a parent, you're able to receive that benefit. That kept my family afloat.Social Security allowed me to have a roof over my head, allowed me to go to school, allowed me to invest in myself, and give back to my community. I view this as America investing in me, and I will always invest in America.When Jon Ossoff ran for Congress in my congressional district in 2017, I was 15 years old. And that was my first job as an intern.<div type="image" title="Photo shows Parker Short with Jon Ossoff." height="616" width="621" msid="112426056" hostid="261" sizebytes="28492"></div>Since then, I've been working in politics and public policy. I've worked for the state, local, and federal government, and a variety of different elected officials, nonprofit organizations, and lobbying organizations.I'm lucky to be a Pell Grant recipient and graduate from the University of Michigan's Ford School of Public Policy, debt-free. I've felt and seen the benefits of positive, progressive public policy.<h2 id="9d1545df-f489-43e7-8cdf-ca0156bdd628">'We are stronger when we help each other'</h2>After I went viral, my congressman, Rep. Hank Johnson, came to my town. My state senator also came over to my house and affirmed her support for the Young Democrats of Georgia. It's been great to talk about these issues and the work I've been doing for years and to have a larger platform.Looking to the future, I'm going to spend my life in Georgia policy-making, trying to fix this state. The truth is, there's so much work to be done.I don't have any immediate plans to run for office. Honestly, I just want to be an asset to progress in Georgia, and I know my impact could be more profound if I continue to educate myself.Growing up in red Dunwoody, Georgia, people would be like, 'Oh, you're the Democrat kid, aren't you?'And I would tell them why, and tell them my story and how Social Security impacted me, and what Medicaid was, what Medicare was, and why we needed to elect Democrats.I think we have a country that, in many ways, has forgotten the working class. I think work is so valuable. There's so much dignity in going to work, whatever your job is, because it's hard, and everyone who works deserves the ability to make a living.Sometimes things don't always go right. Sometimes, your dad dies when you're a four-year-old kid, and your mom is left with two toddlers that she's got to deal with. And that's when those social safety net programs, like Social Security, that neighborliness of our country, that joy, that communal care, comes in because we should help each other. We are stronger when we help each other, not when we tear each other down.Let me level with you because I like to say the quiet part out loud. I'm not a bullshitter. Everybody who knows me knows one thing about me: I am blunt, I try to be real, and I don't have time to mess around.We have work to do. And I have a platform, so I'm going to use it. I'm not going to be quiet.

I went viral for dancing at a Kamala Harris rally. It's given me a platform to inform people about issues I'm passionate about, like Social Security. 

Global VC firm <keyword id="48032" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="blackstone" source="Orion">Blackstone</keyword> on Monday reached a definitive agreement to sell its stake in the Kerala-based software-as-a-service (<keyword id="6395918" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="SaaS" source="Orion">SaaS</keyword>) provider <keyword id="95627" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="ibs-software" source="Orion">IBS Software</keyword> to global private equity firm Apax for $450 million. Following the transaction, Apax will partner closely with <keyword id="128946" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="ibs" source="Orion">IBS</keyword> Software's Founder and Executive Chairman, V.K. Mathews, who will remain the majority shareholder. Founded in 1997, IBS Software provides next-generation SaaS solutions that power the most mission-critical operations at the world's leading aviation, tour and cruise, hospitality, and logistics companies. Backed by a team of 4000 professionals across the world with more than 25 years of deep domain expertise, IBS Software's scalable, cloud-native platform and demonstrated market leadership position it to define the future of mission-critical technology for the travel industry. "This investment is an endorsement of our strategy and our commitment and contribution to the industry, and we have a shared vision with Apax for the future of the business. We're grateful to the Blackstone team for their invaluable support over the years and we look forward to an exciting and fulfilling journey ahead with Apax," said Mathews of IBS Software. The transaction is expected to close by the end of Q2 2023. Blackstone acquired about 40 per cent stake in IBS Software, from <keyword id="6375561" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="general-atlantic" source="Orion">General Atlantic</keyword>, in 2015 for $170 million. "Having closely monitored the travel software sector over the last several years, IBS Software stood out to us as uniquely positioned in the industry, offering a next-gen software suite that we believe is truly unrivalled," said Jason Wright, Partner, Apax. Amit Dixit, Head of Asia Private Equity, Blackstone added that they are happy to have played an important role in IBS Software's transformation to a SaaS company with global leadership in travel and logistics. "IBS is already one of the largest enterprise SaaS companies out of India. Value creation at IBS Software demonstrates our business-building approach to investing and reinforces our conviction in Technology as a sectoral theme," Dixit added. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sports/news/lowest-scores-in-ipl-history-rajasthan-royals-joins-the-list-with-59-runs/slidelist/100249661.cms">Lowest scores in IPL history – Rajasthan Royals joins the list with 59 runs</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/8-things-that-google-bard-can-do-but-chatgpt-cannot/articleshow/100187360.cms">8 things that Google Bard can do, but ChatGPT cannot</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/how-to-track-and-block-your-lost-smartphones-using-the-sanchar-saathi-portal/articleshow/100242116.cms">How to track and block your lost smartphones using the Sanchar Saathi portal</a>

Blackstone sells stake worth $450 mn in Indian firm IBS Software to Apax

Online higher education platform upGrad on Thursday said it has acquired corporate training solutions provider <keyword id="138877" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="centum-learning" source="Orion">Centum Learning</keyword> in a share swap deal. The company did not disclose the deal size. With this transaction, Bharti Enterprises Limited and its affiliates will join upGrad's cap table. New Delhi-based <keyword id="4525766" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="centum" source="Orion">Centum</keyword> with 2,000 employees is likely to clock a revenue of Rs 170 crore in FY23. Centum's will continue to operate independently under <keyword id="646222" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="sanjay-bahl" source="Orion">Sanjay Bahl</keyword>, Managing Director and CEO, the company said in a statement. "upGrad has always seen enterprise upskilling as a strategic growth driver and we are making some nonlinear movements to reinvent B2B learning in <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword> and create an integrated LifeLongLearning ecosystem for our stakeholders," said Mayank Kumar, Co-founder and MD, upGrad. Centum has been enabling 360-degree learning solutions right from entry-level professionals to mid-level leaders with direct and measurable business impacts. With over 3,000 L&amp;D specialists, Centum Learning has trained more than two million people, empowering 400+ corporates across India and <keyword id="12925" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="africa" source="Orion">Africa</keyword>. "Both upGrad and Centum are committed to driving outcomes for their learners and therefore, I am excited about combining the two synergies for creating a scalable portfolio for continued results," said Bahl. Last month, upGrad raised $210 million (about Rs 1,670 crore) in a round that saw participation from ETS Global, Bodhi Tree, Kaizen Management Advisors and others. The edtech company said it is on track to record annual gross revenue of $400-500 million during FY23, out of which about 45 per cent of total revenue will be realised from its own-branded online courses and programmes. Started in 2015, the edtech platform has a learner base of over three million across more than 100 countries, over 300 university partners and a client base of 1,000 companies. In July, upGrad acquired online learning institution Harappa Education for Rs 300 crore (about $38 million). SEE ALSO : <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/fitch-slashes-indias-fy23-gdp-growth-forecast-to-7-from-7-8-earlier/articleshow/94213633.cms?utm_source=google_newsstand&amp;utm_medium=google_rssfeed&amp;utm_campaign=news_referral">Fitch slashes India's FY23 GDP growth forecast to 7% from 7.8% earlier</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/robots-and-humans-are-gearing-up-to-explore-space-with-isros-gaganyaan/articleshow/94216760.cms">Robots and humans are gearing up to explore space with ISRO's Gaganyaan</a>

Online education platform upGrad acquires Centum Learning to upskill enterprise workforce

Higher education platform <keyword id="2008319" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="upgrad" source="Orion">upGrad</keyword> on Friday announced it has acquired online learning institution <keyword id="8535878" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="harappa-education" source="Orion">Harappa Education</keyword> for Rs 300 crore (about $38 million). upGrad closed the transaction with present <keyword id="265317" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="harappa" source="Orion">Harappa</keyword> shareholders - Bodhi Tree Systems (a newly-formed platform between James Murdoch and <keyword id="105547" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="uday-shankar" source="Orion">Uday Shankar</keyword>) and Co-Founders Pramath Raj Sinha and Shreyasi Singh. Harappa Education is likely to clock Rs 75 crore in revenue this year. "A combination of upskilling courses along with these critical skills that Harappa has to offer would set us apart. We see strong demand from our clients and with Harappa coming in, we believe we'll be able to grow exponentially within the segment as we cross-leverage the synergies," said Ronnie Screwvala and Mayank Kumar, Co-founders of upGrad. Co-founded by Sinha, also the Founding Dean of the <keyword id="6357275" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="indian-school-of-business" source="Orion">Indian School of Business</keyword> (ISB), Harappa Education offers self-paced courses to address the spiralling problem of poor employability, inadequate leadership, and an ill-equipped workforce. Harappa has an active clientele of 100 mid and large-sized organisations. "As a combined force, Harappa and upGrad will anchor our purpose and conviction to create a truly wholesome learning ecosystem for lifelong learners in <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword> and abroad, with our time-tested pedagogy, flagship programs, and rich partnerships to guarantee unmatched outcomes for our learners and clients," said Sinha and Singh, Founders of Harappa. upGrad has a learner base of over 3 million across over 100 countries and more than 300 University partners, along with an enterprise business with a client base of 1000 companies worldwide. Earlier this month, upGrad Rekrut, a 100 per cent subsidiary of online higher education platform major upGrad, announced it has acquired recruitment and staffing firm Wolves India, for an undisclosed sum. SEE ALSO : <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/education/news/cbse-class-12-results-declared-passing-rate-above-92/articleshow/93045586.cms">CBSE class 12 results declared, passing rate above 92%</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/education/news/80-impact-students-going-to-study-abroad-will-feel-the-pinch-but-it-is-worse-for-students-already-there/articleshow/93044954.cms">₹80 impact: Students going to study abroad will feel the pinch, but it is worse for students already there</a>

upGrad acquires edtech platform Harappa Education for Rs 300 cr

<ul><li><keyword id="20441241" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="qx-lab-ai" source="keywords">QX Lab AI</keyword> has launched <keyword id="20441243" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ask-QX" source="Orion">Ask QX</keyword>, a hybrid GenAI platform.</li><li>Ask QX is available in 100 languages, including 12 Indian languages.</li><li>Ask QX is currently available for free for web and mobile users.</li></ul>QX Lab AI has launched Ask QX, the world's first node-based hybrid GenAI platform, catering to 12 Indian languages and over 100 global languages. This new platform aims to democratise AI access for the Indian populace, providing a seamless experience in their preferred languages. Ask QX has a user base of over 8 million at launch and supports text and audio formats, with image and video functionalities slated for release in the first quarter of 2024. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Support for 12 Indian languages" comment="subhead" text="Support for 12 Indian languages">Support for 12 Indian languages</cmsannotation> The 12 Indian languages covered by Ask QX include Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Odia, Punjabi, and Assamese. Additionally, the platform is available in major global languages such as English, Arabic, French, Spanish, Japanese, German, Italian, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, and Sinhala. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="How it works" comment="subhead" text="How it works">How it works</cmsannotation> The chatbot utilises a hybrid model comprising 30% Large Language Model (LLM) and 70% Neural Network Architecture, setting new standards in language comprehension and user interaction. The platform's applications extend across diverse sectors, including <keyword id="19909937" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="healthcare" source="keywords">healthcare</keyword>, education, and legal services. Ask QX's neural architecture, with 372 billion parameters and 6 trillion tokens, ensures scalability, cost-effectiveness, and enhanced security against potential data breaches. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="What does it cost?" comment="subhead" text="What does it cost?">What does it cost?</cmsannotation> The company models cater to various user segments, with free and paid versions for customers. While the company is only offering a free version right now, it is expected to offer a paid version in the coming months, which could be priced as low as $1 per month. <keyword id="20478805" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tilakraj-parmar" source="keywords">Tilakraj Parmar</keyword>, co-founder &amp; CEO of QX Lab AI, expressed delight at introducing Ask QX, emphasising its role in making AI accessible to all Indians. Renowned musician A.R. Rahman also launched his meta humans project at the Dubai event, aligning with QX Lab AI's vision of blending real and virtual worlds. Ask QX is now available in <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="india" source="keywords">India</keyword> through web and mobile applications, with an iOS version set to follow soon. QX Lab AI's roadmap includes two more innovative products focusing on video and image processing, further expanding the reach and capabilities of GenAI.

QX Lab AI launches Ask QX, the world’s first hybrid GenAI platform with support for 12 Indian languages

<ul class="summary-list"><li>With its coding capabilities, generative AI is making it <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chatgpt-ai-technology-end-of-coding-software-developers-jobs-2023-4">easier to develop software</a>.</li><li>This could disrupt the way software is created, distributed, and used, VCs and startup founders say.</li></ul>While <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-chat-gpt-2023-1">ChatGPT</a> has been wowing the public, behind the scenes investors and technologists are beginning to talk about a deeper disruption to the inner workings of the established software industry.A new potential framework for software, whose earlier iteration was coined <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/341553733_Designing_and_Programming_Malleable_Software" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> "malleable software"</a> by researcher Philip Tchernavskij, describes a future where <a href="https://www.geoffreylitt.com/2023/03/25/llm-end-user-programming.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">generative AI and humans work together</a> to customize tooling and even create entire applications.This outcome would flip the traditional software industry on its head, calling into question the value of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/software-as-a-services-explainer">SaaS</a> companies in a world where <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chatgpt-ai-technology-end-of-coding-software-developers-jobs-2023-4">everyday people can build software themselves</a>."No-code was the first step," said <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-venture-market-is-surprisingly-rabid-says-investor-2020-8">Matt Turck</a>, a partner at venture capital firm FirstMark. "This is the final chapter of software eating the world, where a bunch of people can create enterprise software within the enterprise."This would represent quite a reversal for the industry. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/tech/saas">Software-as-a-Service</a> companies have been the disruptors for a decade, not the disruptees. They have sky-high valuations because investors are betting their subscription revenue will continue steadily rising for many years to come. If generative AI really catches on, though, that future may look very different.<h2>Democratizing tech creation</h2>Venture capitalists and startup founders have been obsessed with the idea of democratizing tech creation for years, as seen by the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/no-code-low-code-rising-popularity-amid-remote-work-experts-2020-6">rise of low-code and no-code startups</a> like Airtable, last valued at $11 billion, and Webflow, which landed a $4 billion price tag last year.Some technical knowledge was still required to build most software. Now, though, the emergence of generative AI tools like <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/codex-github-copilot-chatgpt-openai-productivity-2023-3">GitHub Copilot</a> has opened up the ability to generate code using just natural language, Ethan Kurzweil, a partner at Bessemer Venture Partners, told Insider.For Jake Saper, a general partner at Emergence Capital, the use cases that stand to be disrupted first are simple, low-risk tasks and applications in small and midsize businesses. These instances offer the lowest chance of business disruption and require the least cross-company coordination, he said.Vertical software companies taking existing technologies and making them easier to use in antiquated industries could also be under threat of replacement if their value-add is more around convenience versus actual product differentiation, Fika Ventures senior associate James Shecter said.Already, technologists have begun to use generative AI tools like Copilot to build simple apps, including a <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=30c8e0a951bc0b06e06cd5e139d66c203579f067beaae835573ed17dc924f7b8&amp;postID=6467cbbf255dba48ea4393cc&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fpulse%2Fi-built-app-github-copilot-heres-result-simona-winnekes%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">trivia game</a> and a <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=30c8e0a951bc0b06e06cd5e139d66c203579f067beaae835573ed17dc924f7b8&amp;postID=6467cbbf255dba48ea4393cc&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fpulse%2Fi-built-app-github-copilot-heres-result-simona-winnekes%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">site for discounted Amazon items</a>. Some later-stage tech startups are trying to get ahead of the curve by sharing the power of creation with their customers. One example can be found in knowledge base startup Guru's AI writing assistant, which lets customers create their own custom tones of voice using generative AI. This challenges the traditional idea of software as a rigid tool with a fixed set of available actions for users, Guru cofounder and CEO Rick Nucci told Insider."We've talked about 'platforms' in the SaaS world for a long time, the idea that someone can create a set of foundational building blocks that customers can configure and shape to be what they want," he said. "This is a step change that's actually happening."<h2>A new era for software</h2>Some VCs and founders believe that generative AI could not only transform the way we create technology but also the way we interact with it through ultra-personalization.For instance, new generative AI technology could help startups create user interfaces customized to each person's exact preferences, Bessemer partner Talia Goldberg said. Already, ChatGPT is showing early signs of this by choosing to provide certain responses in data table format, even when users don't specifically ask for that, she explained.In more extreme cases, entire tools could be generated by AI on the fly to replace common actions a user takes, CRV principal Brittany Walker said. In the long term, VCs like NEA partner Vanessa Larco and investor Elad Gil believe that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-autonomous-artificial-intelligence-agents-silicon-valley-latest-obsession-2023-5">autonomous AI agents</a>, rather than humans, will be the main entities interacting with software. One potential scenario could be a world where individuals have a primary AI agent that coordinates and manages a number of "micro-agents" capable of doing everything from text messaging to scheduling dinner reservations, Larco told Insider.These types of connections and interactions — the technical plumbing that currently makes different software programs work together — is the bread and butter business of many SaaS companies. If generative AI models can do this work automatically, what will happen to these SaaS businesses?<h2>A 'healthy pressure' for traditional SaaS providers</h2>To be sure, the death of the traditional software company still seems a long way off.First, the choice between building software yourself or buying from a third party brings with it a substantial opportunity cost."I don't necessarily want to sit on my computer for 10, 12, 15 hours developing this when I can go and find something that's ready out-of-the-box," CRV's Walker said. "The barrier would need to drop very low for a critical mass of people to start creating their own bespoke software."Additionally, paying an outside software vendor helps people put the burden of safety, maintenance, and accountability onto a third party, Emergence Capital's Saper said.However, even skeptics admit that the threat of generative AI to traditional SaaS will push established software companies to prove their worth. "It'll probably be healthy pressure because the 'build' decision may be more tempting because it'll be theoretically easier to do," Saper said. "It's going to put pressure on software vendors to really deliver value."Got it a tip? Contact Stephanie Palazzolo using a non-work device on encrypted messaging app Signal (+1 979-599-8091), email (spalazzolo@insider.com), or Twitter DM <a href="https://twitter.com/steph_palazzolo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@steph_palazzolo</a>.

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