The funding momentum might have slowed but August 2018 was all about exits

Daily Capsule | 4th September The funding momentum might have slowed but August 2018 was all about exits According to YourStory data, August closed with $631 million being invested in the Indian startup ecosystem across 72 deals versus $3.1 billion across 56 deals in same time last year. Last month too, the numbers were higher: $899 million was invested across 86 deals. While the month might seem slower in terms of funding than the previous month and same period last year, there was a healthy mix of deals and there was an encouraging sign of more exits. In fact, the number of exits seen in the startup ecosystem this month came to 30. [Read more]( Arms-length investing does not work in a market like India, says Jeffrey Yam of Hog Kong-based Integrated Capital And we agree! If there is one comment about India that we are currently tripping on, it is this one made by Jeffrey Yam, Principal Investor covering private equity and venture capital investments at Integrated Capital, a Hong Kong-based multi-strategy private investment office. In an exclusive interview with YourStory, Jeffrey said, “India cannot be painted with one brush, and if you hope to make the right investments in India, as a foreign investor, you can’t simply take all your meetings out of hotels and corporate offices, and expect to understand the fabric of India as a country and place. You have to be on the ground if you want to pick up the correct signals. Arms-length investing does not work in emerging markets, especially in a complex market like India.” [Read more]( Zomato takes baby steps to cut down on packaging waste Did you know that all food delivery aggregators in India put together process around 35 to 40 million orders a month? This, on one hand, says a lot about India’s growing consumer base that is ready to pay for convenience but on the other hand also creates an extreme plastic waste problem. These many orders add up to 15,000 metric tonnes of plastic waste created every month! As Deepinder Goyal, CEO, Zomato, succinctly put it, “an unintended consequence of our business is that as more people order more food, the industry will consume more plastic packaging material.” In a blog post on Monday, he said that they will add a feature on the Zomato app for customers to opt out of cutlery to reduce plastic use and are working with their restaurant partners to increase adherence to this feature. [Read more]( Swiggy launches marketplace of eco-friendly packaging solutions for restaurant partners Swiggy too announced on Monday the launch of Swiggy Packaging Assist, a marketplace for its restaurant partners to access different packing solutions according to their menu needs at different price points. The team believes that packaging materials for food delivery platforms have several challenges like high costs, limited availability and quality issues. The move will help Swiggy's restaurant partners have access to different eco-friendly packaging options. [Read more]( These mobility startups take e-route for a smooth run The government of India, as part of its electric mobility plan, has yet another bold plan to save the environment. The Centre is targeting conversion of 30 percent of the country’s total vehicle fleet to electric vehicles by 2030. Apart from the biggies, here are a few electric vehicle startups in India that are trying to make this dream a reality. [Read more]( Start-up Conclave: Strengthening Indian Entrepreneurs BharatNiti is inviting you to a grand conclave “Entrepreneurship & Innovation in India" to bring everyone associated with the start-up ecosystem together on a single platform. The event will be attended by 400+ entrepreneurs, investors, policy makers & industry experts. It will see a major participation from the funding organization, Government bodies, incubators & industry experts. Book tickets using coupon code - "YOURSTORY20" to avail 20% discount. [Book Now]( -- [Click Here]( to unsubscribe from this newsletter.