India Angel Fund Invests in Mental Wellness Startup - IPHM Services

IPHM Services has succeeded in raising a seed round of funding from India Angel Fund, most of them Women Entrepreneurs, also first time angel investors.

New age healing assistance, IPHM Services (Integrated Personalized Health Care Management), helps design programs and workshops for the psychological well-being of individuals and employees of large organizations. 

Founded by Dr. Sachin Bhavsar, IPHM believes that the Heart, Body, Mind and Soul are four pillars of life and an integrated system that needs constant nurturing. Their services aim to assist individuals to reach their own potential by developing skill sets within them, pertinent for their good health, emotional and mental well-being. 

An influx of funds would mean training more individuals, employees and aspiring entrepreneurs to reach their potential growth and increase general productivity within an individual. Afterall, all these aspects are interlinked and a positive push in any direction would enhance our own offering. 

Speaking on this fundraise, Dr. Sachin Bhavsar, Founder - IPHM Services said, "While we have always believed in nurturing the four attributes for a healthy living, there is also very little awareness of the real-time applications and the rapidly evolving technological advances in the healthcare system. This infusion would mean creating cognizance at the grass-root level and would definitely ameliorate the overall health economy."

Being a subject matter expert and an integral part of IPHM Services, Sneh Kulkarni, Co-founder – IPHM Services remarks, "There was always a need-gap between awareness about mental health and real-time use of technology in the healthcare system. We are now one world that has been connected digitally and therefore, it becomes easier to really understand societal structures and socio-economic backgrounds. This enables us to understand the different cultures that people come from, and offer a personalized approach to helping these individuals."    

First time angel investor and an alumni from IIM Ahmedabad, Monaliesa Sarkar said, “I have been working actively with various NGOs and government bodies in Delhi NCR and I cannot stress enough on the need for more startups to emerge in the mental health space. I also love the fact that an inspiring person like Dr. Sachin is matched by a powerhouse of energy which is Sneh Kulkarni. I am also kicked that this deal is led by women angels like me, Jyoti, Koel and Sabana and we have a woman entrepreneur like Sneh. I have always advocated that Women Angels should actively lead from the front and back other Women Entrepreneurs.” 

Women are now stepping up as angel investors and putting their energy, time & money in industries that are not only growing but are also adding value to the well-being of the nation. Speaking on this, women entrepreneur Jyoti Tiwari said, “I have been a healthcare professional for more than 15 years and absolutely agree that mental health is the key to overall health and wellness and our immunity can only be built by working on the MIND and not just the body. I am also making my first angel investment and just love the fact that it's a woman co-founder like Sneh Kulkarni on the other side apart from the inspiring Dr. Sachin.”

The third women angel investor on this project is a powerhouse with 17+ years of experience in corporate retail and also runs a successful startup. Koel Dutta said, “Having been a professional for 17 + years and having successfully exited from my last startup TieKart, I am now making my first Angel investment thanks to my old friend Rahul Narvekar and I am sure we 4 women angel investors can work with mentoring Sneh on how to build this company, since I have also run a successful startup.”    

The 4th women Angel Investor Sabana Khatoon also an IIM A Alumni, wearing multiple hats as a business woman, active in various initiatives in Kolkatta from helping run TEDxChowringhee to various entrepreneur networks said, "Being a single woman entrepreneur and having myself seen so many cases in the past few months of mental health issues, I am quite excited to make my first Angel Investment and that to with Sneh Kulkarni and Dr. Sachin.”. 

“Being a Doctor I always tell everyone that mental health manifests into physical health and especially in such challenging times, it is more so. I am awed by the personal journey of Dr. Sachin, multiple surgeries, amputation and still he is so positive and an absolute role model for everyone. I also love the positive energy that all the women here bring as a team. This is also my first Angel investment and I like the fact that it's in a space I am personally involved in too”, said Dr Vikaas Grover, a doctor by profession and a startup enthusiast.

India Angel Network has made another seed investment of Rs. 25 lakhs into IPHM Services. Speaking on this deal Rahul Narvekar, Co-founder IAF said “Mental Health is a subject which has been amplified in mainstream conversations recently and especially in these times of uncertainty and fear and overall negative atmosphere, it has brought home the fact that we need to openly talk about this but also address and heal. I was introduced to Sneh and Dr. Sachin by Rajiv Dabhadkar and was completely awed by their dedication and deep domain expertise in this space. Dr. Sachin’s personal journey is a story of grit and determination and that is the key ingredient for any entrepreneur. Interesting to note that this has turned into a women dominated deal. We have an awesome majority of women entrepreneurs and I believe that women make the best entrepreneurs, CEOs and Angel Investors. Women do multitasking routinely, are more open about sharing and are natural care givers and that’s what mental health platforms need. Also all the four Angel Investors are first time Angels and I would LOVE to see more women become Angel Investors.”

About Integrated Personalized Healthcare Management Services

The USP of the IPHM service is “Nurturing health in heart, body, mind, and soul. IPHM believes that this is an integrated system that works on these four pillars. If one fails then life becomes unbalanced. IPHM offers services such as Stress management, Women wellness, Child and Adolescent Psychology.

Integrated HR is the Programme designed by Integrated Personalised Healthcare Management for the Corporates. IPHM evolves into the mainstream functions of organisations, the remote work revolution predicts further possibilities and is here to stay. Every organization needs to make new strategic choices and also equally need to take care of employee’s mental health.

Educational Project Adds Feather in the Cap for Nadakkavu School in Calicut, Kerela

Nadakkavu School, an educational project that has become the exemplary model for the hundreds of government schools all across India has done it again and proven to us that if the right atmosphere and tools are provided, anyone can be a leader. 

TiE Young Entrepreneurs is a Global program aimed at fostering the future generation of entrepreneurs; with focus on teaching entrepreneurship to high school students and helping them discover the rewards and challenges of becoming an industry leader.

It is with immense pleasure that Faizal and Shabana Foundation announces that a team of five students from Government Vocational Higher Secondary School for Girls Nadakkavu, Calicut, Kerala have reached the finals of TiE Young Entrepreneur competition.

Beating the odds and 23 other teams from all over the world, the prodigious team of five girls made it to the finals which are being held today in Seattle, USA but due to COVID is being held online at 8 am Pacific time, 8.30 pm IST.

“This is the very first time a Government School is taking part in TiE Global Finals and these students stand tall before the world  

as representatives of all the Government School Students. This 

moment is of great pride and pleasure for the education system 

of Kerala and the nation as a whole”, says Kozhikode North MLA A. Pradeep Kumar.

Faizal and Shabana Foundation, the philanthropic arm of KEF Holdings has a vision to transform the education system in India replicating the PRISM (Promoting Regional Schools to International Standards through Multiple Intervention) model which was conceptualized and initiated by A. Pradeep Kumar, MLA, Kozhikode North. 

Faizal and Shabana Foundation truly believe that education should not be an elite commodity to be consumed by only a few, but rather it should be made available to all. This is the only way forward to a progressive society.

51.4% of MSMEs Assessed were First Time Borrowers, Says NeoGrowth Research

An exhaustive study by NeoGrowth Credit on a base of over 17,000 MSMEs across cities including Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Hyderabad, Pune, Bengaluru, Lucknow, and Ahmedabad, revealed some interesting insights about the MSME industry.

Credit bureau scores have been traditionally used as a report card of one's credit history and repayment behavior. The lack of sufficient credit history or no credit history usually makes it difficult for the borrower to get loan approvals. According to NeoGrowth Research, over 51.4% of the MSMEs assessed were first-time borrowers

According to the Sixth Economic Census released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation in 2018, womenconstitute around 14% of the total entrepreneur base in India i.e. 8.05 million out of the total 58.5 million entrepreneurs.  10.8% of the total disbursements of the 17,000 MSMEs assessed for FY2019-20 were towards businesses that were run by women either as sole proprietors, partners, or directors.

The entrepreneurial ecosystem in India has been conventionally led by experienced players that have been reigning in their respective markets for generations. While first generation entrepreneurs are finally emerging in the scenario, they are starved of growth opportunities majorly due to a lack of credit. NeoGrowth Research establishes that about 77.6% of the MSMEs assessed were revealed to be first-generation entrepreneurs.

With digital connectivity growing rapidly and emergence of smart cities, Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities are the new business hubs, employment centres and consumer markets of the country. About 19% of the MSMEs assessed in the study, were originating from Tier-2 cities.

The Indian Government considers MSMEs and entrepreneurship as key to driving economic growth, innovation, job creation and social upliftment across the nation. By generating 120 million employment opportunities, MSMEs boast of being the second largest job creators in the country. As per the study, 28% of the MSMEs assessed showed an increase in the number of their employees’ post availing a business loan.

These insights form part of an annual assessment conducted by NeoGrowth. Over these years, NeoGrowth the company has successfully maintained its unique product proposition by providing collateral free, short-term, quick, and customized business loans on flexible repayment terms. Having disbursed loans amounting to more than INR 5,500 crores, NeoGrowth has been funding and enabling MSMEs to grow and sustain their businesses while continuing to tread on its initial journey of achieving inclusive growth.

Mr. Dhruv Khaitan, Founder and Chairman, NeoGrowth said, “We are happy to share our Sixth Social Impact Report, an annual effort to engage with our key stakeholders – MSMEs, to understand their financial needs, challenges faced by them and assess the impact of lending activities on their lives. At NeoGrowth, we have always focused on creating strong positive social impact on MSMEs by lending to first generation entrepreneurs, assisting women entrepreneurs and enabling our customers in job creation and improvement of credit scores via our loans.”

NeoGrowth Research is the in-house research team of NeoGrowth that keeps a continuous track on the emerging trends in the payments, fintech and MSME sectors and publishes insights.

ZEE Entertainment Brings Back the Acclaimed Content Brand ‘Zindagi’ on ZEE5

Keeping the consumers’ evolving entertainment needs at the fore, Media & Entertainment Powerhouse ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (ZEE) today announced the return of its much-loved content brand Zindagi, on its digital entertainment platform, ZEE5. Zindagi’s shows have been highly appreciated by audiences for its realistic appeal, superlative character portrayals, captivating performances and its ability to satiate the evolving content preferences of the viewers. Catering to this strong level of global consumer demand, Zindagi is returning with a bigger promise to not only offer its rich original content library, but to also create fresh new shows which will be thought provoking, with a bold multicultural narrative. As a premium global content brand, Zindagi has always narrated handpicked real stories that are differentiated, yet universal in its storytelling and appeal, resonating strongly with the consumers globally.

Speaking on the announcement, Mr. Amit Goenka, CEO, ZEE5 Global and International Broadcast Business, ZEE said, “ZEE’s strength has always been in its ability to narrate unique stories, to connect with billions of audiences worldwide, and to offer different genres of content. Zindagi has always been appreciated for its premium content offering and culturally rich stories from across the globe, which are far more attuned to the digital audience sensibilities. Zindagi’s universal content has a very strong appeal, and we are excited to offer this rich & engaging content library to the users of ZEE5, in India and across the world. We also understand that the viewers’ needs are diverse and therefore we have a compelling content catalogue from Zindagi, which encapsulates a

universality of emotions. We stay committed to offering an extraordinary entertainment experience to our consumers across multiple touchpoints, and we are sure that our viewers will once again embrace this widely acclaimed brand on our platform.”

With a promise of ‘Zindagi Mil ke Jiyenge’, the brand reinforces its commitment to live up to its legacy of bringing forth multi-cultural narratives that resonate with the audiences. The brand philosophy is a reflection of its belief that art knows no nation, boundary or religion. Zindagi will offer a myriad mix of shows that are truly global in nature, ranging from family dramas to romance including Shehr-E-Zaat, Aunn Zara, Badi Aapa, Mastana Mahi, Main Abdul Qadir Hun, Noorpur Ki Rani and many other such realistic stories which are customized as per the tastes and preferences of the global audiences. This eclectic mix of curated shows, featuring 1000+ hours of meaningful content, will be available for our global audiences on ZEE5.

Co-founder of Netscape, Andreessen now joins HP board

Two years after selling his software company to Hewlett-Packard, Marc Andreessen has joined the PC giant's board of directors.

HP announced the appointment, effective immediately, on Thursday. In a statement, HP's chairman and CEO Mark Hurd described Andreessen as "a software pioneer whose leadership has helped shape the Internet...Marc's entrepreneurial background and industry expertise will be a welcome addition to the HP board of directors."

Andreessen and HP's relationship goes back several years, culminating with HP's purchase of Opsware for $1.6 billion in 2007. Since then, Andreessen, best known as the co-founder of Netscape, has helmed social network creation service Ning, and a new venture capital firm Andreessen-Horowitz. He also sits on the boards of eBay and Facebook.

Agencies

Buy your software from a cloud to ease your budget

As small and medium businesses in India struggle to stay afloat during the global economic slowdown, they are opting for cheaper computing services, and a Boston-based entrepreneur is here to promote his solution, cloud computing, in which software is shared over a wide network of computers.

Sumeet Sabharwal, senior vice-president of outsourcing and IT hosting firm Navisite Inc, says cloud computing is a viable Internet model for small and medium businesses across India, especially in the technology hubs in and around the capital and in Bangalore.

"The demand for having a reliable hosted infrastructure has increased over the years in India as businesses are shifting to the Internet from off-line facilities. At the same time, users do not want to burden themselves with the cumbersome processes of installations and hardware specifics. They look for solutions that are flexible, to scale and automated from the deployment standpoint, to maximise profit and output," Sabharwal said.

He said cloud computing was "still in a nascent stage in India and users need to be educated. Demand will grow as medium and small business owners realise its financial upside. I think it is the technology of the future for a country like India".

"Cloud computing," explained Sabharwal, a Cornell University alumnus, "is a computer paradigm in which tasks are assigned to a combination of connections. It operates on three basic principles - computer, bandwidth and storage.

"It eliminates the manual tasks of shipping the software to the user and allows users direct access to the software from the net. This network of servers and connections is collectively known as 'the cloud', which is a kind of a platform."

Computing at the scale of the cloud, said Sabharwal, allowed users to access supercomputer-level power. "Using a thin client or other access points like an iPhone, BlackBerry or laptop, users can reach into the cloud for resources they need. For this reason, cloud computing has also been described as on-demand computing."

Cloud computing, where the "intelligent network acts as the supercomputer", is a way to increase network capacity or add capabilities without investing in new infrastructure, new personnel or licensing new software.

"It is a pay-per-use service and cuts business cost by at least 40 percent depending on how the businesses leverage it. At the same time, one can scale up or scale down on the network itself, going by the number of visits to a business site
and its growth," Sabharwal said.

"Clouds are of two types - the public cloud, where infrastructure can be shared horizontally depending on areas and geographies of growth - and large private clouds dedicated to big companies, mostly the independent software vendors
, retail firms and technology providers.

"Cloud Computing," said Sabharwal, "is also the most effective technology for hosted e-mails for medium-sized corporate firms."

Agencies