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<ul><li><keyword id="8713739" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="hikeland">HikeLand</keyword> is a mobile-first virtual world for people to hang out with friends. </li><li>The latest feature from <keyword id="44033" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="hike">Hike</keyword> offers two experiences right now - Home, where you can add a friend on Hike and watch movies together and Big Screen, which works exactly like a theatre but online.</li><li>In an interview with Business Insider, <keyword id="6567188" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kavin-Bharti-Mittal">Kavin Bharti Mittal</keyword> says HikeLand is beyond the transactional elements of the social media platforms today.</li><li>While HikeLand is currently integrated with YouTube only for content, Mittal says they are soon looking at adding Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hotstar etc.</li></ul>Over the last three years, there has been a lot of curiosity about the Hike – what was once India’s fastest unicorn had fallen into a pit in 2018 ⁠— much like the portrayal in the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/flying-unicorns-could-save-softbank-from-the-aposvalley-of-coronavirusapos-according-to-the-quirky-slides-from-its-earnings-call-x2014-take-a-look/slidelist/75816247.cms">infamous SoftBank presentation</a> ⁠— but came out with flying colours last year with its now famous Hikemojis. Founder Kavin Bharti Mittal, who walked away from his dream of a super app after investing three years, is now back with an ambitious venture – a virtual world that seems apt in post-COVID world. His team at Hike had been working on it much before coronavirus struck. Today (June 17), Hike finally launched its much-awaited HikeLand – a virtual world for friends to hang out, watch movies, chat, and more. <div type="image" title="hikeland main." msid="76419564" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;HikeLand&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> “This was a step at figuring out the future of <keyword id="9415254" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="social-products">social products</keyword>. We have been stuck in innovations in the last decade which has been for the 2G/3G world – messaging, calls, etc. Products have been transactional. Today, we are finally in that place where we can change that with good smartphones, cheap 4G and still put the value of relationships at the centre,” Mittal told Business Insider. Theatre with a twist The virtual world builds on the Hikemoji virtual avatar. At a time when people are stuck at home because of the coronavirus lockdown, HikeLand aims to give them a safe space to hangout. HikeLand offers two experiences right now – Home and Big Screen. “In the home feature, you can add one friend and watch a movie together. There are different themes you can select for the home interior too. We are working on enabling users to add more friends in a single home,” said Mittal. <div type="image" title="hikeland2." msid="76419593" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Home at HikeLand&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> "The Big Screen is a theatre with a twist – where you can bump into people virtually. You can join a show playing, start watching and also message other people who are watching the same content with you,” said Mittal. <div type="image" title="hike big screen." msid="76419609" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;HikeLand Big Screen feature&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Keeping the safety of users in mind, one can only send a message to the other person once – only if the other person replies will they be able to have a conversation, but the conversation will last as long as the movie lasts. Phone numbers aren’t shared, only usernames are shared. <div type="image" title="hikeland1." msid="76419632" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;HikeLand&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> While HikeLand is currently integrated with YouTube only for content, Mittal says they are soon looking at adding Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hotstar etc. “We are not a content company and we can’t curate content for the entire country, so we are also working on letting users choose their own content and create a programming schedule,” said Mittal. The comeback of Hike Mittal is confident about the promise of HikeLand. “We are pushing the boundaries on building a brand new user experience of what it means to hang out online. This is the world’s first mobile-first virtual world,” he said. With the coronavirus keeping people at their homes, people are looking for more and more ways to spend time with their friends, which has also resulted in a surge of online gaming in India. HikeLand which has been in the making for months now, is being pushed out to give a new platform for users to spend time with friends and family during lockdown. The vision was in place long before the lockdown The first line of code for HikeLand was put down in February, while the designs were planted in late 2019, but they brought it to market quickly considering the demand. “The opportunities of meeting people in the real world is very limited and that’s where HikeLand comes in. This is an early preview and we will keep taking feedback and adding more elements – more homes, games, content sources – as we go,” said Mittal. Revenue, the next goal Hike’s last known valuation is from 2016, when it turned unicorn - $1.4 billion. Since then it hasn't raised funds. But a virtual world means a virtual economy – and that’s where Mittal is looking for revenue, which will come in in the next few months. The Hike sticker chat now has 2 million weekly active users and with HikeLand Mittal is betting on the numbers to grow. Mittal believes the experiences of yesterday were transactional and list-based. But to bring the real world onto a virtual one, it was important to bring sentience to the experience. “Today’s social platforms don’t let you build deeper relationships and HikeLand changes that. We don’t even call this an app, it is a virtual world,” said Mittal. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/indian-startups-stellapps-and-zestmoney-are-in-the-list-of-technology-pioneers-of-2020-by-the-world-economic-forum/articleshow/76403444.cms">These two Indian startups are in the World Economic Forum's Technology Pioneers list that has earlier had Google, Airbnb, and Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/akash-ambani-was-the-one-to-choose-facebook-the-next-big-investments-for-reliance-jio-and-the-ideas-sold-to-investors/articleshow/76316650.cms">EXCLUSIVE: Inside the Reliance Jio deals – Akash Ambani was the one to choose Facebook, the next big investments and the ideas sold to investors</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/a-new-survey-shows-startups-msme-firms-are-running-out-of-cash/articleshow/76398244.cms">Many Indian startups and small businesses are running out of cash fast, a new survey shows</a>

Kavin Bharti Mittal unveils the cool new HikeLand – that includes a virtual movie theatre for the post COVID world

<ul><li>In an interview with Business Insider, <keyword id="6567188" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kavin-Bharti-Mittal">Kavin Bharti Mittal</keyword>, founder &amp; CEO of <keyword id="1868750" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hike-Messenger">Hike Messenger</keyword> said that he wants to employ psychologists to understand “why people do what they do?” </li><li>The game designers will be working on the Hike’s new social experience — <keyword id="8713739" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="hikeland">HikeLand</keyword>. </li><li>Hike is also looking for a crypto economist. The role demands digital skills including blockchain, consensus algorithms, bonding curves, mining.</li></ul>While the world is moving towards mainstream IT roles and emerging technologies like AI and data science, instant messaging platform Hike is looking to hire game designers, economists and psychologists. In an interview with Business Insider, Kavin Bharti Mittal, founder &amp; CEO of Hike Messenger said that he wants to employ ‘smart’ people to fit into the company’s fast-paced culture. “One thing about us is, we like keeping our teams small. We’re 150 people and we like that size. We’ll be hiring game designers, economists and psychologists — for a deeper understanding about why people do what they do?” Mittal said. The game designers will be working on the Hike’s new social experience — HikeLand, he added. He said that Hike has no ties with the offline world — which explains the lower demand for technology roles. <div type="Youtube" id="yU0IcyPgCpU" title="Kavin Mittal, Founder &amp; CEO, Hike shares his 2020 vision" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/yU0IcyPgCpU/mqdefault.jpg"></div>

 In his recent tweet, Mittal also advertised for the opening of a crypto economist for Hike. The role demands digital skills including blockchain, consensus algorithms, bonding curves, and <keyword id="179198" type="TECHNOLOGY" weightage="20" keywordseo="data-mining">data mining</keyword>. “It is someone who can help us explore and design a new type of blockchain economy. You should have a deep understanding of blockchain, consensus algorithms, bonding curves, mining and more,” he tweeted. <div type="twitter" handle="kavinbm" handlename="Kavin Bharti Mittal" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1215423641204088833/eVf11liQ_normal.jpg" favoritecount="177" retweetcount="39" status="🙅‍♀️We're hiring a Crypto Economist! 🙅‍♂️ Someone to help us explore &amp; design a new type of blockchain economy. Yo… https://t.co/21QXvKoEfx" createdat="1581054102000" id="1225655858308116481"></div>

 Mittal also added that the company is looking for typical quintessential technical roles — including front-end engineers, backend engineers, ML scientists, UX designers. However, he emphasised that they hire very ‘selectively.’ “We are looking to expand our team but we hire very selectively. That’s because we like running small teams. We will at maximum add 50 people in 2020 — taking the total headcount to 200 employees,” he said. The seven-year old chatting platform is now set to launch its new feature with enhanced user experience called HikeLand. The company is also looking to experiment with revenues this year — to trade off between what can be offered free and what has to be kept as a paid service. Mittal claims that the messenger app had over two million active users every week, as of December 2019. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/exclusive-kavin-mittal-says-hike-will-look-to-make-money-this-year-heres-how/articleshow/73924944.cms">Exclusive: Kavin Mittal says Hike will look to make money this year —here's how</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/hike-takes-on-snapchat-launches-in-built-camera-with-face-recognition-skills-and-other-new-features/articleshow/55473215.cms">Hike takes on Snapchat, launches in-built camera with face recognition skills and other new features</a>

Hike is hiring game designers, economists and psychologists to build a ‘smart’ team

<ul><li><keyword id="866223" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kavin-Mittal">Kavin Mittal</keyword> plans to introduce a new "social experience" to Hike in 2020 called <keyword id="8713739" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="hikeland">HikeLand</keyword>.</li><li>In an interview with Business Insider, Mittal said that Hike will be experimenting with revenue this year to find out what should be paid and what can be offered for free.</li><li>According to him, the <keyword id="8713742" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="virtual-economy">virtual economy</keyword> is an untapped golden goose in India with microtransactions set to increase as payments become seamless.</li></ul>From being a super app that offers games, news and the ability to send messages, Hike has unpacked itself to focus on the chat experience. Last year, Hike CEO and founder Kavin Bharti Mittal launched Hike Sticker Chat — a messenger app focused on emojis to communicate with close friends, peers and significant others. In an interview with Business Insider, Mittal shared that he plans on "creating a new social experience" to help monetise the app called HikeLand. And, it has nothing to do with e-commerce. "In 2020, this is going to be the year that we start experimenting with revenue," he said and it doesn't necessarily need to reflect in the real world. Launched in 2012, <keyword id="1868750" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hike-Messenger">Hike Messenger</keyword> has gone from being a super app to a sticker chat with 2 million weekly active users as of December 2019. <div type="Youtube" id="yU0IcyPgCpU" title="Kavin Mittal, Founder &amp; CEO, Hike shares his 2020 vision" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/yU0IcyPgCpU/mqdefault.jpg"></div>

 Revenue is just another feature In 2020, Hike plans to find out what consumers are willing to pay for and what can be given away for free. "Revenue is one more feature. Building revenue is also a part of the product development process," said Mittal. The aim is to take Hike Sticker Chat into a new era using technology to build an upgraded user experience around the <keyword id="8335972" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="hikemoji">HikeMoji</keyword>. Mittal describes it as, "a new user experience beyond messaging that's a safe place for people to hang out." He explains that the HikeMoji will be able to do multiple things within HikeLand. That will be the ecosystem around which Hike will build a virtual economy business model. Virtual economy is the untapped golden goose Mittal believes that since payments have not become seamless, microtransactions are going to emerge in a big way — and the virtual economy is the golden goose that no-one has tapped into. "Virtual economy business model is the one that's completely untapped in this market," he claimed. According to him, as virtual communities emerge and multiple verticals are created, economies can be integrated into them to add a layer to the consumer experience. Hike — as a 'bits-based' business — has no ties to the offline world, according to Mittal. There are no warehouses, no logistics and no delivery mechanisms. "We have already seen this [virtual economy] happen. More in the East than in the West. And, that's the model we're going to pursue," he explained. Hanging out online Hike's peak usage is between 10:00 pm to 12:00 am. According to Mittal, it's not because people are messaging or sending stickers at the time — it's simply because they want to hang out online with their friends after they're done with "family time". "If we want to build a safe place for people to hang out in 2020 for close friends or with their significant other, what would that look like? And, that's the big step that we're taking with HikeMoji — and HikeLand," said Mittal. Doubling down on existing bets In addition to launching HikeLand, Mittal will be doubling down on the bets that he's already made. In 2018, the Hike super app was unbundled into two verticals — messaging and gaming. On one side was Hike Sticker Chat and on the other was investment, a gaming platform called <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/zostel-and-zorooms-founder-has-a-new-fund-for-game-developers/articleshow/70301357.cms">WinZo</a>.. News, on the other hand, was dropped altogether. "We have to double down on both these products. How do we get Sticker Chat to a much bigger user base? How do we land HikeMoji and HikeLand extremely well? On the WinZo side, how do we grow the scale we have today to be three to four times bigger," said Mittal In addition to growing what's already working for the company, Hike will continue to work on the innovation pipeline as well. Nonetheless, the return of the super app doesn't seem to be on the cards. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/zostel-and-zorooms-founder-has-a-new-fund-for-game-developers/articleshow/70301357.cms">A new $1.5 million fund is looking for good game developers in India</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/hike-takes-on-snapchat-launches-in-built-camera-with-face-recognition-skills-and-other-new-features/articleshow/55473215.cms">Hike takes on Snapchat, launches in-built camera with face recognition skills and other new features</a>

Exclusive: Kavin Mittal says Hike will look to make money this year —here's how

<ul><li><keyword id="44033" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="hike" source="Orion">Hike</keyword> had raised $175 million at a valuation of $1.4 billion in 2016.</li><li>The company was known as the fastest growing unicorn despite its inability to generate revenue through operations.</li><li>Earlier this year, Hike closed its flagship messenger to focus on the gaming segment.</li></ul>One-time messaging platform and super app Hike has raised funding for the first time in five years. This development comes almost eight months after the company decided to<a href="https://m.economictimes.com/tech/technology/hike-shuts-down-hike-sticker-chat-to-pivot-to-other-social-products/articleshow/80328203.cms#:~:text=Kavin%20Bharti%20Mittal%2C%20CEO%20of,data%20from%20within%20the%20app."> close down </a>its flagship messaging app and focus on the gaming segment. Several big names like Tinder’s co-founders Justin Mateen and Sean Rad, SoftBank Vision Fund’s chief executive (CEO) Rajeev Misra, Tribe Capital’s Arjun Sethi, Zeta’s cofounder Bhavin Turakhia, Cred’s Kunal Shah, Flipkart’s Kunal Bahl and Rohit Bansal and South Park Commons’ Aditya Agarwal participated in this round. The company did not disclose any financial details of the funding round. <keyword id="6567188" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="kavin-bharti-mittal" source="Orion">Kavin Bharti Mittal</keyword>, founder and CEO of Hike, said, “The rapid technological evolution over the last few years has paved the way for massive disruption in social and gaming. There’s little to separate these two categories. Gaming is now inherently social, evolving into a new way for people to hang out and interact in the virtual world.” Hike will use this funding to expand its product strategy and hire across functions. The company has 25 open positions at the moment. It has a team of 160 employees that are working across 50 cities in India. The company will use this funding for its recently launched online gaming vertical Rush and said it will experiment in other domains like social and cryptocurrency. The company was founded in 2012 and was considered one of the fastest growing unicorns in the country. A unicorn, in startup parlance, is a company valued at or above $1 billion. Hike was valued at <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/hike-raises-175mn-in-series-d-funding/articleshow/53720179.cms">$1.4 billion </a>during its last fundraise of $175 million in 2016 despite its inability to generate any revenue from operations. <div type="image" title="Hike raises money for the first time in five years to experiment with crypto &amp;amp; gaming" msid="85588763" hostid="261"></div> The company had been trying to find ways to montinse its messaging app and even decided to launch a super app, combined with other services like digital wallet, ticket booking, e-commerce and more. However, it did not pay off. The company decided to shut off the messaging app in January 2021. Instead the company decided to focus on HikeLand, which is a virtual hangout zone launched by the company in June 2020. The company plans to generate revenue from Hikeland through in-app purchases. HikeLand is now rebranded as Vibe and would continue to offer interactive social media experience. Meanwhile, Rush is a mini games platform that offers casual games. SEE ALSO <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/khatabooks-valuation-touches-600-million-with-zero-revenue-to-show/articleshow/85586956.cms">Khatabook’s valuation touches $600 million with zero revenue to show </a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/swiggy-sharechat-byjus-lead-the-funding-race-as-indian-startups-raised-6-5-billion-between-april-and-june/articleshow/85583697.cms">Swiggy, ShareChat, Byju’s lead the funding race as Indian startups raised $6.5 billion between April and June</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/retail/news/ikea-products-would-now-be-even-cheaper-in-india/articleshow/85585775.cms">Ikea products would now be even cheaper in India</a>

Hike raises money for the first time in five years to experiment with crypto and gaming

<ul><li><keyword id="44033" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="hike">Hike</keyword> has appointed Suvesh Malhotra as its VP and head of engineering. </li><li>Malhotra takes on the position at Hike after spending three years at <keyword id="2808667" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="OYO">OYO</keyword>. </li><li>Malhotra’s appointment comes at a time when Hike has been <keyword id="6357342" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hiring">hiring</keyword> in full power and also strengthening its leadership team.</li></ul>Hike has appointed Suvesh Malhotra as its VP and head of engineering. Malhotra takes on the position at Hike after spending three years at OYO and most recently was the Senior Vice President of technology. Prior to OYO, the IIT-graduate Malhotra worked at Amazon and StepOut. At Hike, Malhotra will focus on his consumer tech expertise and work with three focus sectors – Art, Artificial Intelligence and consumer delight. “Social is a space I have always been passionate about. The advancements in technology today have opened the doors for tremendous innovation. Kavin's vision for a new social future is big and exciting and I’m thrilled to join the stellar team at Hike to redefine the way social products are built,” said Suvesh Malhotra, VP &amp; Head of Engineering, Hike in a statement. Malhotra’s appointment comes at a time when Hike has been <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/hike-is-hiring-engineers-laid-off-by-other-companies-but-there-is-a-test/articleshow/75862521.cms">hiring in full power</a> and also strengthening its leadership team. In June, Hike had appointed Seema Chawla as its VP &amp; Head of Marketing. Chawla had previously worked with Disney and Ajio.com. In June, Hike had also launched its much-awaited HikeLand – a virtual world for friends to hang out, watch movies, chat, and more. Hike founder Kavin Bharti Mittal has often said that 2020 is the year Hike finally turns its focus on revenues to start making money. The Hike sticker chat now has 2 million weekly active users and with HikeLand Mittal is betting on the numbers to grow. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/tiktok-ceo-kevin-mayer-leaves-the-company-in-just-four-months-as-political-dynamics-changed-what-he-signed-up-for/articleshow/77777059.cms">TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer leaves the company in just four months as ‘political dynamics’ changed what he signed up for</a>

Hike brings on board OYO’s tech honcho to lead its engineering

<ul><li>Under the “Zeroto2” hiring program, the startup will bring on board people with zero to two years of experience.</li><li>However, <keyword id="44033" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="hike">Hike</keyword> plans to keep up with its lean hiring plan with a low acceptance ratio – as positions are open for 20 people.</li><li>The startup was in the news recently for having shut down its messaging app.</li></ul>Hike, the Indian startup founded by <keyword id="866223" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kavin-Mittal">Kavin Mittal</keyword>, is back with its hiring program of the year. Under the “Zeroto2” hiring program, the startup will bring on board people with zero to two years of experience. “This way, we get fresh talent with a radically open mind and a hunger to do things differently. We are targeting 2019 - 2021 pass-outs from colleges like IITs, NSIT, NITs, IITs, DTU, etc. pursuing Computer Sciences, IT, and Systems,” Karan Chadha, VP People Operations at Hike told Business Insider. The first #ZeroTo2 remote hiring <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/hike-is-hiring-engineers-laid-off-by-other-companies-but-there-is-a-test/articleshow/75862521.cms">event last year took</a> place when the pandemic was at its peak, and Hike had received applications from over 4000 candidates. “We interviewed over 400, with an acceptance ratio of 1%,” said Chadha. Even this year, Hike plans to keep up with its lean hiring and has positions open for 20 people. The startup was in the news recently for having shut down its messaging app. “Today we're announcing that we will be sunsetting StickerChat in Jan'21. We thank you all for giving us your trust. We wouldn’t be here without you,” Mittal had said on Twitter. Mittal also announced that HikeLand, their foray into the social gaming world, was being renamed as ‘Vibe’ and another new product Rush would be their focus. While Vibe will be an ‘invite only’ community, Mittal said that Rush is a “new bite-sized gaming service that aims to channel the competitive spirit of India where players can use their skills to Play, Compete &amp; Win!”. And they are currently hiring for these products. “As we pursue aggressive goals for Vibe and Rush, we are scaling up with the right talent from all over the country. All shortlisted candidates will have to go through the screening and interviews, which includes a cultural fitment round too, as they would in a real-world setting,” said Chadha. With the COVID-19 pandemic, Hike like all other companies had gone remote and intends to stay so. “For the first time, location or relocation is not an issue for a candidate. As a remote-first company, Hike is hiring across cities and thus, reinventing and innovating the remote hiring process along the way. Having the right talent enables us to build products that customers love, and if that means continuing to hire remotely, then why not,” said Chadha. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/priyanka-chopra-jonas-makes-another-tech-investment-this-time-in-us-based-rental-marketplace-apartment-list/articleshow/80554158.cms">Priyanka Chopra Jonas makes another tech investment – this time in US-based rental marketplace Apartment List</a>

Kavin Mittal’s Hike looks to hire computer science, IT graduates from IITs, NSIT, NITs

<ul><li><keyword id="4734114" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lattu-kids">Lattu Kids</keyword> offers digital learning tools for children. </li><li>The telecom giant has acquired a 10% stake in the <keyword id="1464841" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Edtech">edtech</keyword> platform. </li><li>The edtech startup is the fourth company to be a part of the <keyword id="9261064" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="airtel-startup-accelerator-program">Airtel Startup Accelerator Program</keyword> </li></ul><keyword id="15491" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Airtel">Airtel</keyword> has made its first education technology investment with Lattu Kids as part of the <keyword id="9416778" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="airtel-startup">Airtel Startup</keyword> Accelerator Program. The telecom giant has acquired a 10% stake in the edtech platform. Lattu Kids offers digital learning tools for children. The Mumbai-based startup focuses on digital content, gamification and technology driven solutions for students between Nursery and Grade 2 specializing in Maths and English. The app has a 4.3 star rating on Google Play and has over 100,000 downloads. The app has also been integrated across platforms like Ola, Amazon FireTV. The strategic investment from Airtel comes at a time when the edtech sector is booming as schools and colleges have been shut for months now due to the coronavirus lockdown. “At Airtel, we aspire to support the growth of the start-up ecosystem through our digital platforms. And now more than ever, online education is a critical need for millions of young children who do not have access to regular classrooms. We believe that LattuKids can make a positive impact in the space of online education and are excited to have them in our accelerator and partner in their growth,” said Adarsh Nair, Chief Product Officer, Bharti Airtel. The edtech startup is the fourth company to be a part of the Airtel Startup Accelerator Program and will use Airtel’s expertise to scale up operations and distribution. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/kavin-bharti-mittal-unveils-the-cool-new-hikeland-that-includes-a-virtual-movie-theatre-for-the-post-covid-world/articleshow/76419525.cms">Kavin Bharti Mittal unveils the cool new HikeLand – that includes a virtual movie theatre for the post COVID world</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/indian-startups-stellapps-and-zestmoney-are-in-the-list-of-technology-pioneers-of-2020-by-the-world-economic-forum/articleshow/76403444.cms">These two Indian startups are in the World Economic Forum's Technology Pioneers list that has earlier had Google, Airbnb, and Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/akash-ambani-was-the-one-to-choose-facebook-the-next-big-investments-for-reliance-jio-and-the-ideas-sold-to-investors/articleshow/76316650.cms">EXCLUSIVE: Inside the Reliance Jio deals – Akash Ambani was the one to choose Facebook, the next big investments and the ideas sold to investors</a>

Airtel makes its first bet in education – acquires a 10% stake in edtech startup Lattu Kids

<ul><li><keyword id="9417188" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="o9-solutions">o9 solutions</keyword> recently turned <keyword id="152045" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Unicorn">unicorn</keyword> after a $100 million investment from leading private equity firm <keyword id="6354544" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="kkr">KKR</keyword>.</li><li>The Texas-based startup founded by Indians – Chakri Gottemukkala and Sanjiv Sidhu – is looking to expand their business in India and Asia. </li><li>Globally the company boasts of a clientele that includes Nestle, Walmart, Google among others.</li></ul>Digital solutions startup o9 solutions recently turned unicorn after a $100 million investment from leading private equity firm KKR. Now, the Texas-based startup founded by Indians – Chakri Gottemukkala and Sanjiv Sidhu – is looking to expand their business in India and Asia. KKR is the first external investor on the platform, and it valued them straight over a billion dollars. As a part of its business planning software solutions, the company offers improved visibility into drivers of demand, improved quality of forecasts using AI models, better real-time visibility into risks and opportunities across extended global supply chains, and matching of demand and supply using intelligent algorithms. The company works with clients from sectors like retail, consumer goods, apparel, consumer electronics, industrial manufacturing, and oil and gas. While the 11-year old company has been present in India since 2009 and has clients like Asian Paints, divisions of the Aditya Birla group and Tata group, it is now planning to tap the digital transformation of India. During the lockdown, the company has strengthened its India office in Bengaluru by hiring 100 more people and taking the total number of employees in India to 350. “The funding from KKR is enabling us to accelerate growth across global markets, including India. India is also the place where we hire world-class development and consulting talent. In the last year, our India team grew by close to 100 percent. We will continue to hire both experienced professionals and freshers from IITs, IIMs and other premier institutions,” said Chakri Gottemukkala, CEO and Co-founder, o9 Solutions. Globally the company boasts of a clientele that includes Nestle, Walmart, Google among others. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/kavin-bharti-mittal-unveils-the-cool-new-hikeland-that-includes-a-virtual-movie-theatre-for-the-post-covid-world/articleshow/76419525.cms">Kavin Bharti Mittal unveils the cool new HikeLand – that includes a virtual movie theatre for the post COVID world</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/airtel-makes-its-first-bet-in-education-acquires-a-10-stake-in-edtech-startup-lattu-kids/articleshow/76423574.cms">Airtel makes its first bet in education – acquires a 10% stake in edtech startup Lattu Kids</a>

This KKR-backed unicorn startup founded by Indians is doubling down on its business in India

<ul><li>The $16 billion <keyword id="6357120" type="DEFINITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="paytm">Paytm</keyword> has bought two towers in Noida for a new office campus – over 5.5 lakh square feet across 21 floors. </li><li>But the company is letting go of the leases of 19 facilities across India – out of which 16 are regional offices. </li><li>For several offices, work from home will become the new norm. </li></ul><keyword id="198636" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vijay-Shekhar-Sharma">Vijay Shekhar Sharma</keyword> has a new office address. The $16 billion Paytm has bought two towers in Noida for a new office campus – over 5.5 lakh square feet across 21 floors. The office space will have 5,000 seats and promises to accommodate people even with social distancing in place. <keyword id="4225623" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Paytm-Mall">Paytm Mall</keyword>, the e-commerce vertical of Paytm owner One97 Communications, had earlier this month announced that it’s shifting base from Noida to Bengaluru. The company also said that along with the move, it is also looking to ramp up operations and hire 300 people for product and technology roles in Bengaluru. The new office will have multi-level car parking, a shopping complex with food courts and gourmet restaurants as well. The startup plans to complete the transition to the new office by December-end and with this the company is letting go of the leases of 19 facilities across India – out of which 16 are regional offices. For several offices, work from home will become the new norm. “While we have time to move into our biggest campus, we are streamlining some of our real estate spread across India. We will not extend the leases of some of our offices as our colleagues will continue working from home. Consolidating our offices to one large campus would improve operational efficiency and further create synergies between various teams and processes,” said Narendra Yadav, Vice President, Paytm. The company which has moved Paytm Mall’s operations to Bengaluru is also taking up a 1.5 lakh sqft space in the city for its office – this would house its engineering units. One97 Communications reported a loss of ₹4,217 crore in FY2019, and its revenues recorded a marginal growth to ₹3,579 crore from ₹3,309 crore. In the same year, Paytm clocked in a gross transaction value of $50 billion through 5.5 billion transactions. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/hero-group-chairman-pawan-munjal-invests-in-car-servicing-startup-gomechanic/articleshow/76436851.cms">EXCLUSIVE: Hero Group Chairman Pawan Munjal invests in car servicing startup GoMechanic</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/kavin-bharti-mittal-unveils-the-cool-new-hikeland-that-includes-a-virtual-movie-theatre-for-the-post-covid-world/articleshow/76419525.cms">Kavin Bharti Mittal unveils the cool new HikeLand – that includes a virtual movie theatre for the post COVID world</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/airtel-makes-its-first-bet-in-education-acquires-a-10-stake-in-edtech-startup-lattu-kids/articleshow/76423574.cms">Airtel makes its first bet in education – acquires a 10% stake in edtech startup Lattu Kids</a>

Paytm has a new address – a swanky building with 21 floors, multi-level car parking, shopping complex and gourmet restaurants

<ul><li><keyword id="87849" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Pawan-Munjal">Pawan Munjal</keyword>’s investment is a part of the Series B round raised by <keyword id="3933763" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="GoMechanic">GoMechanic</keyword>. </li><li>The startup had already raised $15 million from Chiratae Ventures, Sequoia Capital and Orios Venture Partners last year.</li><li>GoMechanic has 280 technology-enabled multi-brand network of car service centers and workshops across twelve cities in India.</li></ul><keyword id="46577" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hero-group">Hero Group</keyword>’s Chairman Pawan Munjal has invested an undisclosed amount into car servicing startup GoMechanic. Munjal’s investment is a part of the Series B round raised by GoMechanic where they have already raised $15 million from Chiratae Ventures, Sequoia Capital and Orios Venture Partners. Munjal’s investment is in his personal capacity, similar to how he has invested in Ola Electric. “We had been in talks with the investment team of Mr Munjal, and we couldn’t have asked for a better partner – an industry veteran with years of experience and standing in the market,” Amit Bhasin, co-founder of GoMechanic told Business Insider. GoMechanic has 280 technology-enabled multi-brand network of car service centers and workshops across twelve cities in India. The four-year old startup has big plans for the year despite the pushback from the coronavirus pandemic. “Currently we service anywhere close to 15,000 cars a month. We will be hitting those numbers by next month, right now we are at 80% of the pre covid numbers, By December, we aim to double these numbers,” said Bhasin. <div type="image" title="gomechanic" msid="76436928" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;GoMechanic co-founders Amit Bhasin and Kushal Karwa&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> During the lockdown, the founders only saw the need for such a service. They now plan to expand to more Tier 2 cities. “Ours is a technology-first place which also gives us the opportunity to scale much faster. Tech ensures that the brand experience remains constant while we scale cities in a very cost effective manner,” said Kushal Karwa, cofounder of the company. The startup has also redesigned its operations due to the coronavirus pandemic. “We have invested heavily in technology to reduce human interactions. Currently, most of our orders are being done with the pick up and drop model, while all the updates are available on the app,” said Bhasin. But they are also aware of the future – electric vehicles. The startup has partnered with Revolt Bikes, which produces EV bikes, and is the default after sales workshop for them which includes – repair and services, swapping of batteries. They had also brought on board Suyash Kumar, who was the eMobility business lead for Ashok Leyland and is now leading the startup’s EV strategy and plan. “We have also partnered with companies to set up EV charging stations within our workshops,” said Karwa. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/kavin-bharti-mittal-unveils-the-cool-new-hikeland-that-includes-a-virtual-movie-theatre-for-the-post-covid-world/articleshow/76419525.cms">Kavin Bharti Mittal unveils the cool new HikeLand – that includes a virtual movie theatre for the post COVID world</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/airtel-makes-its-first-bet-in-education-acquires-a-10-stake-in-edtech-startup-lattu-kids/articleshow/76423574.cms">Airtel makes its first bet in education – acquires a 10% stake in edtech startup Lattu Kids</a>

EXCLUSIVE: Hero Group Chairman Pawan Munjal invests in car servicing startup GoMechanic

<ul><li><keyword id="6371031" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="IKEA">IKEA</keyword> has launched a web platform – <keyword id="9417558" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="everydayexperiments">Everydayexperiments</keyword>.com for design and technology experts.</li><li>The platform is backed by IKEA and its research lab <keyword id="6887416" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="space10">SPACE10</keyword>. </li><li>The experiments will be based on latest technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, augmented reality and cutting-edge spatial intelligence.</li></ul>Swedish furniture giant IKEA has launched a web platform – Everydayexperiments.com for design and technology experts to come up with ideas on digital <keyword id="41366" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="homes">homes</keyword> and how we can interact with the elements at home. The platform is backed by IKEA and its research lab SPACE10. “The future home should be about the people first. It’s a place for everyone to be safe, to feel comfortable and in control. Technology is quickly becoming a vital part of the IKEA customer experience and home furnishing offer. Being a values-driven brand, we focus on people and planet. As we enter a new digital era, we are also exploring new ways to create a better everyday life at home, while protecting people’s privacy,” said Fredrik Axén, Digital Manager Core Business Franchise, Inter IKEA Systems in a statement. The experiments will be based on latest technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, augmented reality and cutting-edge spatial intelligence. Some of the interesting experiments listed on the website are – optical sound system, where you can actually see how music travels inside your homes. “Optical Soundsystem is a speculative design prototype for an augmented reality (AR) application which would allow you to "see" music within your environment,” says the LA-based company ManvsMachine behind the experiment. Another experiment is building new tech initiatives within your old furniture. “The apps would be simple, friendly tools which could, for example, use sunrise and sunset to open and close your blinds; use a lightbulb to warn you of high air pollution; or take images from NASA’s photo archive and turn them into a lighting display,” says the Bakken &amp; Bæck, the global tech design company which was also one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies 2020. The launch of the website comes at a time when the coronavirus pandemic has forced people to stay home and work from home has become the new normal. ““Home – especially these days – plays an important role in how we develop our everyday interactions and relationships. We believe, the more we learn about the next curve of design and technological innovations, the more we can help people to make tomorrow’s life at home, and with each other, even better,” said Bas Van De Poel, Creative Director at SPACE10. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/kavin-bharti-mittal-unveils-the-cool-new-hikeland-that-includes-a-virtual-movie-theatre-for-the-post-covid-world/articleshow/76419525.cms">Kavin Bharti Mittal unveils the cool new HikeLand – that includes a virtual movie theatre for the post COVID world</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/airtel-makes-its-first-bet-in-education-acquires-a-10-stake-in-edtech-startup-lattu-kids/articleshow/76423574.cms">Airtel makes its first bet in education – acquires a 10% stake in edtech startup Lattu Kids</a>

IKEA launches a global platform for tech and interior design experts to experiment with the future of homes

<ul><li>Hike is looking to hire engineers who lost their jobs and freshers to fill in around 20 new positions at the company.</li><li>In an exclusive interview with Business Insider, Anshuman Mishra, the VP of Operations at Hike outlines the four-stage process that candidates have to go through to get selected.</li><li>Some of the roles that they’re looking at include areas like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), and user research.</li></ul>The Kavin Mittal-owned startup, Hike, is opening up hiring during the lockdown even as most companies have announced a . As they work towards launching HikeLand — an augmented reality-based based experience that nobody really knows much about — it has opened up around 20 positions to add to their 152-strong staff. And, all the hiring will happen virtually. In addition to looking at freshers from <keyword id="6364832" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="IIT-Kharagpur">IIT Kharagpur</keyword>, IIT Dhanbad, Netaji Subhas University of Technology (NSUT) and some other top tier colleges through its ZeroTo2 program — Hike is also looking to hire people who were laid off during the lockdown in hopes of picking up top talent on the rebound. “We are reaching out to alumni networks, mapping and prioritising high pedigree candidates facing job and salary cuts and are actively accepting requests from organisations looking for outplacement support,” Anshuman Mishra, the VP of Operations at Hike exclusively told Business Insider. The loopholes that candidates will have to jump through in order to get hired “Once a candidate’s profile is shortlisted, we share custom-designed stimulations and assignments — depending on the role they have applied for — with each candidate. We have been using tech tools like Hackerank and in-house developed simulations,” explained Mishra. Each simulation will have a cut-off and the scores will be compared to select the top performers depending on the number of positions available. “We use top percentiles to decide real-time thresholds for cutoffs, so that bar is always high,” said Mishra. Once the top candidates have been selected, they will move to the second stage — interviews. Not just one, but every candidate will have to go through at least four rounds of interviews for Hike to evaluate their competency. The interview stage is followed by one more check that candidates will have to clear — how they fit into the overall culture at Hike. “We introduce the candidates to Hike and assess how well do they align to Hike’s values, DNA and vision,” said Mishra. Some of the roles that they’re looking at include areas like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), and user research over and above the conventional hiring in product, design and marketing. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/covid-effect-startups-staring-at-revenue-decline-many-in-process-of-closing-down/articleshow/75832629.cms">COVID effect: Startups staring at revenue decline, many in process of closing down</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/youtube-talent-managers-share-the-biggest-challenge-they-face-in-helping-build-an-influencers-career/articleshow/75853240.cms">YouTube talent managers share the biggest challenge they face in helping build an influencer's career</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/hiring-at-infosys-and-tech-mahindra-is-down-40-in-line-with-the-trend-in-top-five-it-firms-and-its-not-just-because-of-covid-19/articleshow/75669358.cms">Hiring at Infosys and Tech Mahindra is down at least 40% in line with the trend in top five IT firms⁠— and it's not just because of COVID-19</a>

EXCLUSIVE: Hike is looking for engineers who lost their jobs during lockdown ⁠— here’s a behind-the-scenes look at the test candidates have to go through

You Searched For "hikeland" and got 12 results

Kavin Bharti Mittal unveils the cool new HikeLand – that includes a virtual movie theatre for the post COVID world

Sanchita Dash

Hike is hiring game designers, economists and psychologists to build a ‘smart’ team

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Exclusive: Kavin Mittal says Hike will look to make money this year —here's how

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Hike raises money for the first time in five years to experiment with crypto and gaming

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Hike brings on board OYO’s tech honcho to lead its engineering

Sanchita Dash

Kavin Mittal’s Hike looks to hire computer science, IT graduates from IITs, NSIT, NITs

Sanchita Dash

Airtel makes its first bet in education – acquires a 10% stake in edtech startup Lattu Kids

Sanchita Dash

This KKR-backed unicorn startup founded by Indians is doubling down on its business in India

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Paytm has a new address – a swanky building with 21 floors, multi-level car parking, shopping complex and gourmet restaurants

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EXCLUSIVE: Hero Group Chairman Pawan Munjal invests in car servicing startup GoMechanic

Sanchita Dash

IKEA launches a global platform for tech and interior design experts to experiment with the future of homes

Sanchita Dash

EXCLUSIVE: Hike is looking for engineers who lost their jobs during lockdown ⁠— here’s a behind-the-scenes look at the test candidates have to go through

Prabhjote Gill

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