Helia Raises $3M From Silicon Valley Investors, Including Neo, Abstract Ventures and Kevin Hartz

Helia, a US based enterprise security startup by Indian origin co-founder, Ashwin Sreenivas, along with the company’s US co-founders, Russell Kaplan and Daniel Berrios, today announces that it has raised USD 3 million. The funding round was led by some of the top venture capital firms and investors in Silicon Valley including Neo, Abstract Ventures and Kevin Hartz, the cofounder and chairman of Eventbrite.

Helia’s SaaS platform enhances physical security within enterprises by autonomously reviewing security camera footage in real time. Rather than requiring large teams of human guards, Helia uses cutting edge deep learning to monitor cameras for security events, and alerts teams of breaches instantaneously, before they escalate into security incidents. Helia does this without requiring specialized cameras. Instead, it integrates with existing security cameras, processes their feeds on an enterprise’s premises using Helia’s deep learning stack, and centralizes results to the cloud where they can be viewed securely.

Helia has worked extensively with teams in India on product development, particularly in start-up hubs like Bangalore that are filled with deeply technical and entrepreneurial teams. Furthermore, Ashwin has deep connections to India, having spent the majority of his life in Cochin, Kerala.

“We are honored to have this incredible group of investors backing our vision and helping Helia on its journey” said Ashwin Sreenivas, co-founder of Helia. There is growing demand within enterprises for security teams to change posture from reactive to proactive. Rather than simply addressing the consequences of a breach, Helia allows security teams to prevent the incident altogether.

*  Helia's AI autonomously monitors all existing security cameras, and alerts security teams of breaches in real time, allowing officers to respond before the breach can escalate.

*  Breach detection ensures that only authorized employees have access to spaces.

*  Enterprise risk reports quantify risk over time allowing security leaders to uncover access control vulnerabilities and allocate guard staffing optimally

About the Founders: Ashwin Sreenivas, a technology entrepreneur from Kerala, is one of three co-founders at Helia; prior, he was a deployment strategist at Palantir Technologies, and has graduated with degrees in computer science and AI from Stanford University (BS, MS). Russell Kaplan, co-founder, was formerly a senior machine learning scientist at Tesla, and also has degrees in AI from Stanford University (BS, MS). Daniel Berrios, co-founder, worked in the TMT investment banking group at Goldman Sachs, and has a degree in economics from Stanford University.

About Helia: Helia is structuring and understanding the world's video. Billions of hours of video are created every day, but almost none of it can be used to create value; Helia changes this by using AI to autonomously review video in real time. The company uses advanced computer vision to integrate with existing security cameras and access control systems to monitor for breaches. Security teams are then notified of incidents in real time, along with a video clip of the event, allowing for quick identification, triage, and response.

HiHi – New Vibrant, Online Community Launched Across Indian Market

* App has clocked 47,000 downloads till date 

Meotida Pvt. Ltd. announces the launch of a vibrant, interactive and user-friendly dating app in India – HiHi - for young and dynamic individuals seeking friendship and meaningful relationships from their smartphones. Launched in Aug. 2020 on Google Play Store, the app has already made over 47,000 individuals fall in love with the platform within a short span of time and the numbers keep on increasing.

HiHi is dedicated to facilitate smooth conversations between young, like-minded and free-thinking individuals wherein they can interact, make friends, engage in discussions, share thoughts and views and even go on potential dates.

Speaking about this launch, Mr. Jistesh Bisht, CEO, HiHi (Meotida Pvt Ltd.) said, “We are extremely happy to build a thriving community of so many young, energetic and dynamic users via HiHi who continue to engage and interact with one another.  Soon after we commenced our operations, our aim was to create a platform where these active individuals can find like-minded people to engage with and befriend them through a safe, secure and clutter-free platform like ours. We look forward to becoming a leading player in India's online dating market by continuing to expand this thriving community.”

The app’s unique aspect lies in its advanced algorithms which scans and ensures authenticity of all profiles via a detailed registration funnel in order to find a perfectly compatible partner for the members. It also has an easy user interface which enables one to set up their profile and customise it further basis their preferences. In addition, it allows users to communicate only with people who are swiped ‘Left’ by another user thereby making it a safe place to converse without limits.

According to Online Market Researcher Statista’s report, the user penetration in the Indian online dating market is estimated to touch 3.2% by 2023, testimony to Indian society evolving culturally at a rapid pace over the last few years augmented by the extensive access to technology, especially smartphones. HiHi’s focus now lies in steering its user growth and increasing user engagement by adapting to their needs.

YES BANK and Worldline Support Merchants and Communities by Providing Remote Payment Solutions Through SMS Pay

 

·         Merchants can accept remote payments through SMS PAY using the POS Terminal

·         SMS Pay is offered to YES BANK Merchants at no additional cost

·         Assists in maintaining social distancing by providing remote and contactless payment solutions

YES BANK announced the launch of SMS Pay functionality on POS terminals in partnership with Worldline, enabling merchants to accept contactless and remote payments from their customers. This initiative is in line with the Bank’s commitment to support small and medium businesses in restarting their businesses while providing safety to their customers. SMS Pay is a step towards facilitating merchants to accept remote payments on their POS machines and enabling their customers to transact safely from the comfort of their homes.

Through this, a safe and simple platform is created for shopkeepers and merchants including local kirana stores & departmental stores enabling them to request payments against invoices by simply entering amount and customer contact details on their POS machines. Instantly an SMS is triggered to the customer’s mobile number with a payment link, allowing them to pay securely through their domestic debit and credit cards.

Speaking on the launch, Rajanish Prabhu, Business Head - Credit Cards and Merchant Acquisition, YES BANK, said “In line with the Bank’s strategy of building a transformed Digital Bank, we along with Worldline have been working on supporting our merchant partners through innovative solutions which help them unlock their businesses in a safe and convenient manner. SMS Pay is a simple yet convenient value addition to our merchant POS solutions and provides an alternative channel of payment acceptance for our merchants at zero incremental cost. SMS Pay will help in boosting business by providing merchants dual benefit of enabling them to serve outside their vicinity as payments can be made remotely as well providing safety and convenience to their customers.”

Speaking on the launch, Deepak Chandnani, Managing Director, Worldline South Asia and Middle East said, "Consumers continue to increasingly prefer digital payment options over cash. Technology enabled contactless payment solutions are the need of the hour and Worldline is in the forefront of this emerging trend. We will continue to innovate and enhance the functionalities of all our acquiring solutions including POS terminals in order to provide convenient, frictionless and secure solutions for merchants as well as customers. We are pleased to extend our relationship with our trusted partner, YES BANK to provide the SMS Pay feature for their merchants.”

Platform Benefits:

·         Zero contact payments

·         Remote & quick setup on POS terminals

·         Trusted and secure

·         Easy to operate

Simple and Instant Payment Process Flow

YES BANK POS terminals have an SMS Pay option displayed in the terminal menu

Upon selecting SMS Pay, the terminal prompts merchant to enter customer’s mobile number and sale amount

The customer receives URL for making payment via SMS

Customer completes the payment remotely via Internet payment gateway (IPG) page through his or her preferred mode of payment (domestic credit or debit card)

Once the payment is complete, charge slip is generated from the POS machine and merchant can deliver goods or services.

BharatPe’s POS Business Grows to US$ 2Bn Annualized Transaction Value in 3 Months

BharatPe, India’s largest merchant payments company, today announced that it has recorded the fastest ever scale up on POS in the industry. BharatPe’s POS business has grown to US$ 2bn annualized transaction value in just 3 months post the launch. The company announced that its POS business now contributes to 25% of the annualized transaction value. The company currently offers this product in 10 cities of the country and plans to ramp it up to 40 cities by the end of the current fiscal year. It has set a target of US$ 5bn POS annualized transaction value from the POS business by end of FY21. 

BharatSwipe, the POS machine from BharatPe launched in the second half of 2020 is India’s first zero rental card machine that offers the merchants the option for zero transaction charges. It allows the merchants to accept payments from a range of credit and debit cards. Additionally, the merchant can generate receipt for both card and QR transactions. BharatSwipe has received an overwhelming response from small merchants across industries including kirana store owners, restaurant owners as well as entrepreneurs with 4-5 outlets. 

Talking about the success of BharatSwipe, Mr. Suhail Sameer, Group President, BharatPe, said, “BharatSwipe has been one of our biggest success stories. In just about a quarter, our POS business is now 1/4th of our annualized transaction value. We launched POS machine with zero rental and zero transaction fee which resonated well with the merchant community and helped us get a headstart in this competitive market. This success is also a testimony of our in-depth understanding of small merchants’ financial services requirements. Interestingly, our average daily active merchants on POS are much higher than the industry average. We will be aggressively focusing on building this business as we expand to newer markets. We currently have close to 35,000 machines in the market and are targeting 1,00,000 POS machines deployment by the end of the current fiscal. Also, we have recently launched cash advance loans based on the merchant’s POS transaction data and initial data looks very promising. We will be scaling this up in the coming months.” 

BharatPe offers a range of fintech products to help small merchants grow their business.  These include industry’s first interoperable UPI QR with zero transaction fee, a range of credit and insurance products, the POS machine and digital gold. It recently announced its aggressive expansion plans across Tier-1, 2 and 3 cities in the country. The company is currently present in 35+ cities and plans to scale up its presence by adding another 30 cities to its list by December 2020. 

About BharatPe 

BharatPe was co-founded by Ashneer Grover and Shashvat Nakrani in 2018 with the vision to make financial inclusion a reality for Indian merchants. BharatPe launched India’s first UPI interoperable QR code, first ZERO MDR payment acceptance service, and first UPI payment backed merchant cash advance service. In 2020, post-Covid, BharatPe also launched India’s only ZERO MDR card acceptance terminals – BharatSwipe. Currently serving over 50 lakh merchants across 35 cities, the company has grown business 30x in 2019 and is a leader in UPI offline transactions, having processed 5 crore+ UPI transactions a month (annualized TPV of US$ 7+ Bn). The company has already facilitated disbursement of over Rs. 500 crores to its merchants since launch. BharatPe has raised US$ 142.5 million till date. The company’s list of marquee investors includes Beenext, Sequoia, SteadView Capital, Ribbit Capital, Coatue Management LLC, Insight Partners, and Amplo. 

GoodWorker, Founded by Temasek, Joins with Sonu Sood, Schoolnet and Invests Rs. 250 Cr in Tech Platform for Blue-Collar Workers

* Pravasi Rojgar, an initiative of Sonu Sood and Schoolnet, has already onboarded 10 lakh job seekers and thousands of employers within 4 months  

* GoodWorker to Expand Pravasi Rojgar’s horizon by leveraging technology to deliver job matching, upskilling, financial and other services for 10 crore blue-collar workers  

As India steers through the COVID-19 crisis towards self-reliance and growth, there is an urgent need to address the challenges faced by the blue-collar worker community in the areas of employment and empowerment. To bridge this gap, GoodWorker, a digital job matching platform, has come together with noted actor, Sonu Sood and Schoolnet, a leading education and vocational skills provider, to form a joint venture with an initial investment of Rs. 250 Cr (~US$ 34M). 

The technology platform aims to reach 10 crore Indians by providing access to good jobs and career progression through upskilling services, followed by financial, healthcare and social security services. The initiative will also help employers in recruiting and retaining verified blue-collar workers, which will result in productivity gains, improved profitability and sustainable operations. 

The platform uses decentralised technology built by Affinidi, also founded by Singapore investment company Temasek, and will provide workers and their families with digital identities and verifiable credentials. They will have greater control of their data, and improved access to employment opportunities and life empowering services. 

Pravasi Rojgar was launched by Sonu Sood along with Schoolnet in July 2020 as an employment portal for job-seekers, especially migrants, after millions lost jobs in the pandemic. This initiative has received an overwhelming response from all stakeholders, onboarding over 10 lakh job seekers and thousands of employers within just 4 months of its launch. Pravasi Rojgar’s scope is now being expanded beyond job matching in partnership with GoodWorker, building on the combined strengths in migrant outreach, education, skilling and technology. The strategy centres around a core digital platform supported by Schoolnet’s physical network spread across India. The joint venture will formally launch its product offerings early next year. 

Ekam Advisors, an investment banking firm out of Mumbai has been instrumental in bringing all the partners together and advised on the strategy for this initiative. 

Announcing the partnership, Pradyumna Agrawal, Board Member of GoodWorker, said, “The cutting-edge technology that GoodWorker brings will allow businesses in India to effectively expand their operations by finding the right talent, and also allow workers to have control over their data while widening access to digital products and services. With digital transformation accelerating against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, GoodWorker’s investment reflects our optimism towards trends in India that are underpinned by technology and digitalisation.” 

RCM Reddy & KK Iyer, Board Members of Schoolnet, said “Schoolnet, as a market leader in education and skilling services, reaching more than 1 crore students, youth and enterprises, along with its deep domain knowledge and execution track record, is uniquely positioned to realise this mission of creating a community of an empowered blue-collar workforce.”  

Sonu Sood, whose philanthropic services for migrant workers have been widely recognized, said “This partnership will help in realising my dream of providing a better life and securing livelihood for millions of youth. I am fortunate to partner with this socially relevant technology platform, as it helps institutionalise and scale Pravasi Rojgar's humanitarian efforts.” 

This partnership is expected to complement the Government’s initiatives to spur economic growth, create employment opportunities and support inclusive development through the use of technology at scale.      

Nokia 2.4 Launches with An AI-Powered Camera, Two Days of Battery Life1 and An Immersive, Large HD+ Screen

* First in the series to feature a dual camera; capture the details in the dark with Night mode and refocus bokeh images post-capture

* Three years of security updates and two years of AndroidTM OS software upgrades offering great value from a brand that you can trust

* Premium Nordic design that’s built to last and featuring Finnish-inspired, brand-new contemporary colours; Dusk and Fjord

HMD Global, the home of Nokia phones, today announces the launch of Nokia 2.4, the latest addition to the widely successful Nokia 2-series in India.

The next generation Nokia 2 brings advanced AI imaging features including Night mode and Portrait mode, helping to take your photos to the next level. See the bigger picture and do more for longer – watch, learn and create on the large 6.5” (16.5 cm) HD+ screen. And, thanks to its two-day battery life[i], you’re free to enjoy your favourite apps and games for longer without battery anxiety. Bringing modern essentials like fingerprint and face unlock, you can benefit from effortless access and added security. Plus, the Nokia 2.4 comes with our Android promise, giving you three years of monthly security updates and two years of OS updates, meaning it’s ready for Android 11 and 12. The Nokia 2.4 comes with a unique and refined and premium Nordic design that’s built to last and features Finnish-inspired, brand-new contemporary colours: Dusk, Fjord and Charcoal.

Sanmeet Singh Kochhar, Vice President, HMD Global:

“The 2-series is a fan favourite and the most successful series in India. It brings much loved features such as a two-day battery life, an AI-powered camera and pure, secure and up-to-date Android, all in an affordable and elegant package. The Nokia 2.4 continues to exceed expectations when it comes to what a phone within this segment can provide. We’ve included high-end features like the AI camera with Night mode and Portrait mode. The large screen makes for a more immersive visual experience, and for added security, a biometric fingerprint sensor is included, which is a first for the series. All of this wrapped up in a timeless Finnish design that’s reflected in the Nokia 2.4 colour palette.”

“Fans around the world know and trust Nokia phones. Recently, we have been rated as the leaders3 in Trust rankings by Counterpoint Research, based on our leadership in providing Software upgrades, Security Updates and Build Quality. During this uncertain time and beyond, trust the Nokia 2.4 – the all-rounder smartphone – for your life journey whether at home with your loved ones, or while stepping up at work.”

Detailed night and portrait shots fueled by AI imaging

Moments worth capturing don’t always happen in the light of day. With Night mode’s advanced image fusion and exposure stacking, the Nokia 2.4 lets you capture vibrant detail even in darker conditions. Bring out your creativity with Portrait mode’s custom shapes and blurred backgrounds. With the new Portrait Editor, you can refocus and edit pictures long after you’ve snapped them – making for instantly shareable and unique shots.

Watch, learn and create on a 6.5” (16.5 cm) screen and enjoy long-lasting entertainment

A large HD+ display with a selfie notch maximises the screen, bringing you an elevated viewing experience at an accessible price for those looking to get lost in their favourite shows. Plus, staying true to the signature two-day battery life you’d expect from the Nokia 2 range, the Nokia 2.4 is packed with a large 4500mAh battery that lasts up to two days on a single charge thanks to the AI-assisted Adaptive Battery, so you can spend more time recharging yourself and not your phone.[ii] It learns what apps you use the most and prioritises power for them – so you can use more of the features you love, for longer.

Timeless design inspired by our Finnish roots, built to last

The Nokia 2.4 brings with it modern essentials, such as accessing your device quickly and easily with a convenient fingerprint sensor and AI face unlock giving you versatility in how you use your phone. True to its Finnish roots, the Nokia 2.4 comes wrapped in a durable design that’s not only built to look good but also to last. The 3D nano-textured cover sits securely in your hand and has a stunning finish available in Nordic-inspired colours. Plus, the die-cast metal chassis with polycarbonate shell gives your phone rigidity combined with the comfortable feel you’d expect from a Nokia phone.

Benefit from an Android 11 and 12-ready smartphone

Nokia 2.4 delivers on our pure, secure and up-to-date promise by bringing you an excellent software experience with a streamlined interface and no bloatware. Part of the Android One programme, the Nokia 2.4 ensures you can enjoy the latest Android features and security with three years of monthly security updates and two years of software upgrades, so you get more out of your phone for longer. Plus, accessing information is even easier with the help of Google Assistant – activated by voice or the dedicated button.

Pricing and availability

The Nokia 2.4 is available Dusk, Fjord and Charcoal colour options, at a recommended best buy price of INR 10,399 for the 3GB/64GB variant.

The Nokia 2.4 will be available online exclusively on Nokia.com/phones starting 26th Nov. 2020. The first 100 customers on Nokia.com/phones placing successful orders between 26 Nov. 12:00 noon IST and 04 Dec. 11:59 pm IST, will also receive a 007 merchandise hamper comprising 007 special edition bottle, cap and metal keychain.

Starting 4th Dec. 2020, Nokia 2.4 will be available online on Amazon.in and Flipkart, and at leading retail outlets across India.

Nokia 2.4 customers on Jio would be entitled to benefits worth Rs. 3,550. The benefits include instant cashback of Rs 2,000 on the prepaid recharge of Rs. 349 plan and Rs 1,550 worth vouchers from partners. This offer is applicable to new as well as existing Jio subscribers.

India Tour of Australia Goes Live on SonyLIV; Scam 1992 Travels South Along with the Host of Other Shows

After months of waiting to see team India in action, SonyLIV is here with a breather for all cricket lovers. The much-hyped India Tour of Australia will go live on the platform starting 27th November. In one of the most high-octane series in International cricket, Team Kohli will take on the Aussies for three ODI’s, three T20’s and 4 test matches at their home turf till 15th January 2021. With simultaneous feeds across 4 languages, the much-anticipated tour will be available for viewing to SonyLIV’s premium subscribers.

Post a successful period of quarantine, the teams are now set to lock horns, this Friday onwards across venues in Brisbane, Adelaide, Sydney, and Melbourne. Team India will begin with a slight edge over the hosts in the ODI’s, with a 12-10 win-loss record against them in recent past. However, Australia, who recently defeated world champions England in their home turf, will look to replicate victory, led by Aaron Finch. Premium subscribers will get an access to the live feed without any delay.

There’s a lot to rejoice for soccer fans as well on SonyLIV with the popular UEFA Champions League 2020-21, the 66th season of Europe's premier club football tournament along with UEFA Europa League and Serie A matches going live on the platform. 2021 brings another sporting spectacle - Australian Open with Rafael Nadal headlining the event next year in Melbourne.  

And there’s more in store for SonyLIV’s patrons. Following its stupendous success amongst audience and critics,  Scam 1992 – The Harshad Mehta Story will now be available for the regional audience with its dubbed versions in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada along with the host of other titles like Avrodh: The Siege Within, Your Honor, Undekhi and more. This development is in alignment with SonyLIV’s brand promise of curating an expansive content catalogue across languages and emerge as a go to destination for digital content.

In addition to this, the platform has recently launched titles like Uncommonsense by Saloni, Daan Sthapana hosted by the reputed speaker Devdutt Pattnaik and Mahabharat- Ant ya Aarambh, an 11-episode animation series.  Highly acclaimed English shows like The Good Doctor S4 and For Life S2 are also up for viewing for the Indian audience.

So, whether you are a cricket lover or a football enthusiast, an ardent fan of stand-up comedy or a devout believer in mythology, SonyLIV is the place to be.

About SonyLIV

SonyLIV is the first Indian premium Video on demand (VOD) service by Sony Pictures Networks’ (SPN) providing multi-screen engagement for users on all devices. Launched in January 2013, the digital streaming player is home to 24 years of rich content from the library of Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) with over 40,000 hours of programming. SonyLIV subscribers get exclusive access to key sporting events from across the globe, the latest Hollywood Shows, Originals, 18,000+ hours of TV Shows, LiveTV, News, Lifestyle, Fitness and Kids content.

With 100 million+ app downloads so far, SonyLIV is the first amongst its competition to provide original and exclusive premium content to Indian viewers. SonyLIV is the first OTT platform to launch an Original web series - #Lovebytes, followed by India’s first Marathi Original – YOLO. Currently, the platform has over 150+ original shows spread across Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati and Bengali. The Tamil and Telugu library itself boasts of 2000+ hours of Movies and Originals. SonyLIV recently added new originals to its line-up - Avrodh, Your Honor, Undekhi and Scam 1992 being some of them.

Apart from being the official Indian streaming partner for Global Sporting events, SonyLIV keeps its viewers entertained throughout the year with Live action Cricket, Football, Tennis, Basketball, eSports, Racing and Fighting Sports. The platform offers its subscribers a host of premium International tournaments like the UEFA Champions League, Australian Open, Serie A, W.W.E., N.B.A., UFC, F.A. Cup, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Euro 2020, Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, Mzansi Super League, Big Bash, T10, ATP Tours, Impact Wrestling and The Ashes to name a few. SonyLIV also has rights to tournaments of Cricket Boards inclusive Cricket Australia, England and Wales Cricket Board & Cricket Ireland. In 2019, the service launched in the Middle East and has plans to expand its complete bouquet of services in several Southeast Asian countries.

SonyLIV has partnerships with key International studios – SPE Films, Lionsgate and iTV, which allows its subscribers exclusive access to award-winning shows like, Seinfeld, Power, The Good Doctor and Mr. Mercedes. The platform recently added a host of celebrated Hollywood shows to its library like LA’s Finest S2, On Becoming a God in Central Florida, Alex Rider, For Life, Lincoln Rhyme, War of the Worlds, Commons and Indebted amongst others.  SonyLIV also has exclusive local partnerships with the likes of TVF, which adds popular Indian Originals like Gullak and Tripling S2 to their vast content library.