Startup news and updates: Daily roundup (March 10, 2025)
Summary
From the protein infused staples trend to Paytm ESOPs, YourStory brings you the latest updates from the Indian startup ecosystem.Protein powders and bars have long been a mainstay among the fitness community, especially regular gym-goers who are focused on building up muscle mass.However, in recent years, there has been a growing cognisance within the general public about protein deficiency, even in groups that dont actively track calories and use protein for post workout muscle repair and growth.This has prompted a slew of products from new-age D2C brands as well as legacy players to cater to the growing need for protein-infused products outside of the usual bars and powders.Post-COVID, Indian consumers are being more health conscious with consumers looking at what they eat, how much they eat. This January, the US, South Korea, and Japan agencies made a joint statement, pointing to North Koreas Lazarus Group as perpetrators of the cyberattack.Meanwhile, in India, a man was arrested in relation to his involvement in the case, YourStory had exclusively reported.This startup serves sharp insights and graphics to help athletes and sports academies up their gameA couple of years ago, PhD researchers Shyam Sivaramakrishnan and Shankar Sivaramakrishnan were at the Squash World Cup in Chennai, churning valuable insights backed by high-quality visuals for broadcast.They were integrating motion graphics with real-time data to display statistics such as shot types, error rates, and hand usagein a sophisticated manner never seen before in professional squash broadcast.After the event, many broadcasters and event organisers approached them, eager to bring the same level of visual appeal and data-driven insights to smaller sporting events, in an affordable way.In the fast-paced world of competitive sports, data is a gold mine, and proper use of it can open a window of opportunity for sportspersons, training academies, and sports leagues to up their game.One 97 Communications Ltd, the parent company of fintech giant Paytm, has allotted 84,793 equity shares to its employees under its stock option schemes, according to a regulatory filing on March 9, 2025.The allotment includes 84,377 shares under the 2019 Employee Stock Option Scheme (ESOP) and 416 shares under the 2008 plan. A scrutinizers report published on March 9 detailed the voting outcomes.The move signals a strategic shift for the company as it continues to evolve within the competitive food delivery and technology space. The board of directors had initially approved the name change on February 6, pending shareholder and regulatory approvals.Women wellness and hygiene brand FemiSafe, raised Rs 3 crore in its seed funding round led by Tom M Joseph of Jain University.Joseph had participated in the brands previous pre-seed round with Kerala Angel Network , Jess of Lunar Family Office, BeyondTeQ Ventures ( Oman) , and Musthafa Koori from Black Pepper Holdings also participated in this round .The company plans to use the fresh capital to enhance its product development, strengthen supply chain, and expand market presence, it said. This investment enables us to scale our impact and continue making a meaningful difference in the lives of women everywhere, said Naseef Nazar, Co-Founder of FemiSafe.DeepTech startup Make in Box (MIB) raised $260,000 in a pre-series seed funding round led by Mile Deep Works and its affiliate, Mile Deep Capital.The company, which specialises in agritech and Industry 4.0 smart factories, plans to use the fresh funds to enhance decentralized supply chains and develop mobile smart factory technologies, including its flagship product, "Mfreezer," it said.Additionally, the company said that the investment will enable the development of AI-integrated smart manufacturing units and mobile solar plants to support micro-factories, fostering greater efficiency and sustainability.Through its Factory as a Service model the company caters to industries including auto ancillary, aerospace, defense, construction, inland fisheries, and farming.B2B SaaS fintech company Zaggle Prepaid Ocean Services Limited partnered with Strada, which offers payroll, HCM and financial management solutions.The partnership comes with the aim to deliver a unified payroll and spend management solution that simplifies employee benefits for employers in India, the company said.For employers in India, managing employee expenses and payroll is an extremely complex process, requiring extensive manual administration.