<ul><li><keyword id="1518229" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lenskart" source="Orion">Lenskart</keyword> plans to invest upto $2 million in eye technology startups over the next couple of years.</li><li>Their investment would be made in eyewear technology brands across the globe and Lenskart would also mentor them.</li><li>One of its pilot projects includes giving out the glasses to the customer on the spot instead of them taking the eye test and waiting for delivery.</li><li>On the side, Lenskart is looking to hire over 2,000 people for tech, retail and corporate development teams in India and abroad.</li><li>Lenskart has picked Singapore, Middle East and the United States for its bets</li></ul>Even as eyewear brand Lenskart is all set to make segue into the international market, the company is looking to invest in new technology and ideas that could make its offering more compelling. The decade-old company — which set up a <keyword id="12088602" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lenskart-vision-fund" source="Orion">Lenskart Vision Fund</keyword> earlier in June this year — plans to invest upto $2 million in eye technology startups over the next couple of years. The total corpus of this fund is $20 million, which will be used to invest in 20 startups. Lenskart’s founder and chief executive (CEO) Peyush Bansal, in an interaction with Business Insider, said that he would be looking to invest in startups that are creating better eyewear for sports, phones, colourblind people or more. As a part of this process, the company has also set up a research and development (R&amp;D) center here in India to develop products. Though the company has not yet set up a concrete timeline to exhaust these funds, it claims to be underway to close 10 such deals by the end of 2022. Bansal told Business Insider the company will look to invest in companies that are revolutionizing eye technology in any part of the world. “The product research team is working on figuring out what a guy with a turban should wear because when the temples go inside a turban, it is uncomfortable. This is just an example of the problems we are working on,” Bansal added. Lenskart Vision Funds’s investment so far: <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;" class="redcator-table-advance"><colgroup></colgroup><col /><col /><col /><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Company </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Head office </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">What does it do? </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Thin Optics </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">USA </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Thin Optics makes light reading glasses that can be attached to phones, tabs and laptops. </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Ditto </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">USA </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Ditto offers a virtual try-on platform that allows customers to try out products online. </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">6over6 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Israel </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">6over6 allows customers to take their own eye test online. </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">TangoEye </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">India </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">TangoEye is a video analytics platform that enables retailers to improve sales conversions, optimise product placement and more. The company reads CCTV footage to offer such data to retailers. </td></tr></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody></table>What’s on the plate next? Lenskart claims to be underway to crack two more investment deals with Indian startups in the coming months. “One of the companies that we are in talks with is quite phenomenal. It’s not out of India though. It creates simple styles that can be worn right away. Currently, one has to get an eye test done, then I go to the back to make those glasses and give it to the customers,” Bansal said, adding that they are piloting this technology and giving out these glasses to the customer on the spot. The company will also offer its mentorship to these companies to grow. Bansal noted that they are not pushing these startups not generating revenue as they are tech product ideas. “We are only focused on developing them,” he added. Any investments in an early stage startup would be made through Lenskart Vision Fund, whereas any acquisition or merger would be made through Lenskart’s main entity. These acquisitions are not directly related to Lenskart’s international expansion plan but they would definitely bring in some strategic opportunities for the New Delhi-based company. More money for hiring Lenskart investment ambition also coincides with the company’s aggressive domestic and international expansion plans. The company is planning to hire over 2,000 employees in India to manage retail operations, technology operations, supply chain efforts and corporate functions. Besides this, it is looking to hire another 300 in sales, marketing and product development teams to expand internationally in Singapore, Middle East and the United States. The company already has a presence in Singapore and the Middle East since August this year. It will launch in the USA in another 30-45 days. Founded in 2010 by Bansal, Amit Chaudhary and Sumeet Kapahi, Lenskart is one of the largest retailers and manufacturers of eyewear in India with both online and offline presence. The company says that it serves over 10 million customers every year and nearly 30% share in India’s organised eyewear market. 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Lenskart is setting aside $20 million for technologies like instant glasses, spectacles for the colourblind and other breakthrough ideas

<ul><li>Additionally, it will hire 300 employees to expand its operations in Singapore, Middle East and USA.</li><li>About 1,500 of the new appointees will be retail employees to manage <keyword id="1518229" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lenskart">Lenskart</keyword>’s increasing offline stores network.</li><li>Lenskart’s workforce currently includes over 200 engineers, data scientists and product designers.</li></ul>Direct-to-consumer (D2C) eyewear brand Lenskart will be <keyword id="6357342" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hiring">hiring</keyword> 2,000 employees by next year to increase its customer base over the next few years. Besides this, it will also be hiring another 300 employees to expand its operations in international markets like Singapore, Middle East and the United States of America (USA). The firm is hiring across tech and non-tech verticals, but retail employees would make the largest chunk of it. The company recently hired over 100 employees for its Hyderabad hub. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; table-layout: fixed; width: 468pt;" class="redcator-table-advance"><colgroup></colgroup><col /><col /><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Hiring </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Verticals </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">1500 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">More retail employees to manage Lenskart’s increasing offline stores </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">100+ </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Engineers for technology teams across Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR and Hyderabad </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">300 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Supply chain and manufacturing operations </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">100 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Corporate functions across finance, consumer insights, human resources, merchandising </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">300 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">To expand internationally in Singapore, Middle East and the USA </td></tr></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody></table> Lenskart’s workforce currently includes over 200 engineers, data scientists and product designers. “We have continued to grow exponentially, in international markets as well as in India, and we are building a strong presence in regional markets as well through our stores and e-commerce. This has opened up several job opportunities across Lenskart to serve and delight our customers at a huge scale. So, hiring is a key aspect in our growth journey and we are looking at actively hiring skilled talent across verticals for regions like Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Delhi among others,” Lenskart’s chief executive officer (CEO) and founder <keyword id="824423" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Peyush-Bansal">Peyush Bansal</keyword> said in a statement. Founded in 2010 by Bansal, Amit Chaudhary and Sumeet Kapahi, Lenskart is one of the largest omnichannel retailers and manufacturers of eyewear in India. The company says that it serves over 400,000 customers on a monthly basis and claims to account for nearly 30% of India’s organised eyewear market. 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Lenskart aims to hire over 2000 employees to ramp up its operations

<ul><li><keyword id="16053037" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="coezy-sleep" source="Orion">Coezy Sleep</keyword> sells relaxers with stretchable apparel that claim to help customers sleep better using a cocoon-like design. </li><li>It claims to provide the same effect as swaddling a newborn baby. </li><li>All judges refused to fund <keyword id="16059635" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="coezy" source="Orion">Coezy</keyword> Sleep, calling it ‘nonsense’ ‘unsafe’ and ‘unfit for <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword>’ at present.</li></ul>Among the many novel products and unique ventures that made it to <keyword id="11924074" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="shark-tank-india" source="Orion">Shark Tank India</keyword> Season 2 was Coezy Sleep. It’s a startup that sells a sleep apparel that swaddles its users with a unique 360-degree compression technique. The startup calls its product a sleep quality enhancer. Founded by Hardik <keyword id="6393018" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="rathore" source="Orion">Rathore</keyword>, Coezy Sleep claims that its stretchable apparel helps users ‘sleep like babies.’ Its relaxers, as they are called, have a cocoon-like design. <div type="image" title="Coezy Sleep" msid="96983843" hostid="261" sizebytes="56720"></div> As per the founder, it’s a common custom to wrap a newborn baby in a cloth and rock it to sleep. The relaxer claims to do the same for adults. Made of stretchable material, the relaxer wraps around the body giving the feeling of a jadoo ki jhappi (magical hug), claims Rathore. However, the brand got no takers on Shark Tank India, despite the startup selling products worth ₹1.05 lakh in 20 days. The startup started selling its products a month before the episode was shot (August 2022). It was founded in late 2021. Globally, a $400 million industry Rathore claimed that though the concept is well-known abroad, the benefits of compression therapy have not been explored in India yet. “Globally, this is a $400 million industry and the West has already started adapting to it,” he said. Rathore, a mechanical engineer, had earlier suffered from stress, anxiety and insomnia. On a tour to Istanbul, he was introduced to weighted blankets and compression sheets, which lulled him to sleep. This sparked in him an ambition to bring this product to India. Prior to starting Coezy, he worked for four years with Tata and Byju’s. “India is the second most sleep-deprived country. One out of four Indians face sleep issues and 14% suffer from extreme anxiety or depression because of it. We need pampering, a deep touch or jadoo ki jhappi (magical embrace),” Rathore, who hails from Bhilwara, said on Shark Tank India season 2. The demo that led to dismissal At Shark Tank India, he asked for ₹35 lakh for 20% of equity in his company, valuing the company at ₹1.75 crore. “The equity you have offered makes me want to cry. Nobody gives us that high an equity on this show. Thank you brother, thank you,” Lenskart co-founder Peyush <keyword id="6442005" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="bansal" source="Orion">Bansal</keyword> said. Rathore gave a demo of the product to shark Anupam <keyword id="6367997" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="mittal" source="Orion">Mittal</keyword>, founder of Shaadi.com. He hopped around in the relaxer, describing how uncomfortable and suffocated he <keyword id="427351" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="felt" source="Orion">felt</keyword>. “The product is horrible. While I was trying the product, the compression for me felt suffocating. Felt like I was dying,” Mittal said. “What if you want to pee?” Mittal asked Rathore. The founder explained one can lift up the relaxer. But if users want to stay for a long time on the toilet, they have to remove the whole thing. Mittal also had fun trying the product out. “I will come for sure but I will not come to bed with you,” he told Rathore who called his product a partner. “See I am married, so whatever partner you are talking about, let me know beforehand,” Mittal quipped. Bansal said, “What is this product? If I go to the washroom on a flight wearing this, people will start laughing at me.” Bansal and Namita Thapar, executive director of Emcure Pharmaceuticals, claimed that India is not ready for such a product yet. “This product’s fit and form factor will take time to shape in India. It is quite an early stage. That’s why I don’t think this is investable,” said Bansal. “I have seen these products in Walmart in the USA. These things are working there. The Indian market is not ready for this yet,” shark Namita Thapar said. ‘Why swaddle adults?’ Mittal also refused to fund the startup. “I think this is vahiyad (nonsense). If this is true, why would babies come out of a womb then? We swaddle babies to help them easily transition from the womb to the real world. If you want to transition into adulthood, you have to leave these things behind,” he said. Mittal added that he was confused about the logo of the company, which hinted more towards pregnancy rather than depicting a sleep company. Aman Gupta, co-founder of boAt, backed out, and asked the founder to “understand the consumer, shut shop and do something else”. Judge <keyword id="246967" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="vineeta-singh" source="Orion">Vineeta Singh</keyword>, co-founder of Sugar Cosmetics, denied funding on the grounds that the relaxer is unsafe, as someone might trip or fall, not realising their legs are tied up, while using the product. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/statiq-to-set-up-20000-ev-charging-points-in-india-in-fy23/articleshow/96983567.cms">Statiq to set up 20,000 EV charging points in India in FY23</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/jp-morgans-anu-aiyengar-the-only-woman-to-lead-ma-at-a-major-wall-street-bank/slidelist/96963255.cms">JP Morgan’s Anu Aiyengar – The only woman to lead M&amp;A at a major Wall Street bank</a>

Shark Tank S2 judges refuse to 'get in bed' with this wearable sleep relaxer biz

<ul><li><keyword id="11924074" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="shark-tank-india" source="Orion">Shark Tank India</keyword> S2 judges appeared on a <keyword id="1590914" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Podcast" source="Orion">podcast</keyword> hosted by comedians Tanmay Bhatt and Rohan Joshi. </li><li>The sharks talked about how the pitches changed in S2, and how contestants were better prepared to answer their questions. </li><li>Vineeta Singh also mimicked her fellow judges and recited their catchphrases. </li></ul>The sharks of <keyword id="1417364" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="shark-tank" source="Orion">Shark Tank</keyword> India S2 appeared on the podcast <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXRchlAv51M&amp;ab_channel=HonestlybyTanmayBhat">Honestly by Tanmay</a> last week, hosted by comedians Tanmay Bhat and Rohan Joshi. During the 30-minute podcast, all five sharks poked fun at each other and shared interesting anecdotes about season 2 — like who’s the most emotional investor amongst them and how pitches have changed from Season 1. “In Season 2, the toxicity is out, for good,” said <keyword id="544908" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="namita-thapar" source="Orion">Namita Thapar</keyword>, a shark. Season 2 features five of the seven sharks from Season 1 — Vineeta Singh, cofounder, Sugar Cosmetics; Namita Thapar, CFO, Emcure Pharmaceuticals; Anupam Mittal, founder, Shaadi.com; Aman Gupta, co-founder boAt, and Peyush Bansal, co-founder Lenskart. Amit Jain, co-founder CarDekho, joined the season for the first time, replacing two of the sharks from season 1 — Mamaearth co-founder Ghazal Alagh, and BharatPe co-founder Ashneer Grover. This season, comedian Rahul Dua replaced actor Rannvijay Singha as the host. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="From winning over doubters to heightened popularity" comment="subhead2" text="From winning over doubters to heightened popularity">From winning over doubters to heightened popularity</cmsannotation> Initially, the ‘VC circle’ had looked down on the show, judging the sharks for participating in it. Doubts were also raised on the ability of this American show to capture the interest of the Indian audience. However, the massive success of Season 1 turned the skeptics around. “There was a lot of resistance (amongst VCs) initially. How can you take the Shark Tank of the USA and dramatize it for India? Once India embraced it, VCs would come and comment, ‘Oh we also got a call but we didn’t have time’. I’ve heard this so many times,” said Mittal. As per Singh and Thapar, Aman Gupta and Anupam Mittal have embraced their newfound fame with the most ease. They even lauded Gupta’s ‘social media game’. Gupta then said that he manages his social media accounts, himself. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Brands and their branding" comment="subhead2" text="Brands and their branding">Brands and their branding</cmsannotation> Thapar said that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/flatheads-shoes-founder-denies-shark-tank-offer-sells-his-entire-inventory-over-the-weekend/articleshow/96849132.cms">D2C brands benefitted</a> from the heightened popularity of their founders — but Gupta denied it. He stated that while the show helped increase brand awareness, Indian customers are far too intelligent to make buying decisions based on popularity alone. “I don’t think sales get impacted. The Indian consumer is very smart - they’ll buy after making their own decision. Yes, brand popularity soars across India. But does it impact sales? I don’t think so. The consumer will still see the product and its value proposition. They won’t buy it because it’s Aman’s product or Peyush’s product. I don’t think that happens in India,” shared Gupta. Bansal echoed Gupta’s statement, adding that it would be wrong to say that someone appears on Shark Tank India to build a personal brand. Jain also backed them stating if the product isn’t good, increased brand awareness won’t help sell it. However, both Vineeta Singh and Anupam Mittal believed that building a personal brand was crucial to selling a product, as the current generation of consumers values authenticity over anything else, and that shapes their brand loyalty. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Longer pitches but better prepared to answer judges’ questions" comment="subhead2" text="Longer pitches but better prepared to answer judges’ questions">Longer pitches but better prepared to answer judges’ questions</cmsannotation> In the 35-episode-long first season, <a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/business-bites-how-have-winners-of-shark-tank-india-1-fared-so-far-123010100470_1.html#:~:text=It%20was%20a%20reversal%20from,Rs%201%20crore%20or%20more.">report</a>s said that sharks collectively invested approximately ₹41 crore in 67 of the 198 pitches. The massive success of S1 impacted the quality of pitches in the second season. According to the judges, contestants pitching on Season 2 were more informed and far better prepared than their S1 counterparts, and ‘solid stories and entrepreneurs’ from across India appeared this time. “Startups (pitching on the season) with ₹30-₹50 crore revenue, ₹10 crore profits from bootstrapped companies,- families of 2-3 guys doing it. We were shocked, blown out of our brains - from small towns in India, from God knows where,” added Mittal. The average time for a pitch extended to 1.5 hours in S2, as compared to 53 minutes in S1 as the contestants were already prepared with the answers to commonly asked questions and used phrases and words most likely to impress the judges. “They had learned (how to pitch). The answers to our questions were already in their pitches. Many times we had no questions because they’d already shared the information we needed to hear, in the pitch itself,” said Gupta. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="The funding winter investors" comment="subhead2" text="The funding winter investors">The funding winter investors</cmsannotation> Though detailed, the long-winded pitches often left judges Namita Thapar and Aman Gupta bored, who resorted to playing games like cross and knots and passing chits of paper to while away time — especially when the other panelists questioned the contestants. As the group shared on the podcast, Bansal had the most number of questions to ask, while Mittal had the most ‘gyan’ (wisdom or knowledge) to offer. Making a subtle comment on the ongoing funding winter, Bansal and Mittal even added that Shark Tank was the only place where investments were still taking place. “We’ve made so many investments in this (funding) winter. This is why people will see the show, I believe. Because no one’s investing in the market. So here, the element of hope is very high,” commented Bansal. As of Friday, January 6, 2023, 11 of the 15 pitches from the show have received funding from the sharks. The four pitches that have not received funding are Recode Studios, Atmosphere (Kombucha), Flatheads Shoes and Organic Smokes. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="‘Will you invest in Elon Musk?’" comment="subhead2" text="‘Will you invest in Elon Musk?’">‘Will you invest in Elon Musk?’</cmsannotation> By the end of the podcast, the judges played a round of ‘who’s most likely to’. Amit Jain was named as the judge most likely to make an investment due to an emotional story. Thapar’s the shark who’s the quickest to cut a cheque, while Mittal is the most cautious investor. Gupta is the one most likely to misspell the word entrepreneur, and Jain emerged as the one most likely to win at poker. The hosts also asked all the judges if they’d invest in tech magnate Elon Musk, considering the way he’s handled the microblogging platform Twitter after taking over as its CEO. Bansal said that people’s memory is extremely short-lived and if Twitter’s profitable after two years, Musk’s current shenanigans will easily be forgotten. Jain further added that considering Musk’s ‘credible success rate’, he’d definitely invest in Twitter under Musk. Mittal, though, shared that “given all the things going in the world, we need unifying voices. And the point Elon Musk is at right now, we can do with less of that.” Shark Vineeta Singh also mimicked all the judges and recited their catchphrases from the show. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/indias-credit-worthiness-to-be-stable-in-2023-but-upcoming-elections-could-keep-social-spending-elevated-moodys/articleshow/96851926.cms">India’s credit worthiness to be stable in 2023, but upcoming elections could keep social spending elevated: Moody’s</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/mercedes-honda-bmw-and-others-showcase-some-exciting-car-tech-at-the-ces-2023-these-are-our-favorites/articleshow/96851293.cms">Mercedes, Honda, BMW and others showcase some exciting car tech at the CES 2023 — these are our favorites</a>

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Lenskart is setting aside $20 million for technologies like instant glasses, spectacles for the colourblind and other breakthrough ideas

Kritti Bhalla

Lenskart aims to hire over 2000 employees to ramp up its operations

Kritti Bhalla

Shark Tank S2 judges refuse to 'get in bed' with this wearable sleep relaxer biz

Eetika Kapoor

In Season 2 of Shark Tank India, the toxicity is out for good says Namita Thapar

Srishti Magan