GVFL Backs Biokraft’s Vision for Ethical Protein with ₹2 Cr Bet on 3D Bioprinting Breakthrough

GVFL, one of India’s pioneering venture capital firms, has invested Rs. 2 crore in a pre-seed round in Biokraft Foods, a next-generation food-tech startup developing structured cultivated meat using cutting-edge biotechnology and 3D bioprinting.

Founded in 2023 by Kamalnayan Tibrewal, an alumnus of the Institute of Chemical Technology Mumbai, Biokraft Foods aims to redefine how meat is produced and consumed. The startup is developing India’s first sustainable, slaughter-free, high-quality cultivated meat products using cutting-edge 3D bioprinting technology. For consumers, this means the same taste and experience as conventional meat, a breakthrough in the country’s alt-protein space.

Biokraft Foods, which has previously received support and grants from leading incubators iCREATE, SPTBI, and ICT-NICE, has adopted a hybrid approach that combines cultivated meat with food-safe ingredients, improving affordability, texture, and scalability. The company aims to be the first company to commercialize cultivated meat in India and has conducted over 400 consumer trials with positive feedback.

Commenting on the investment, Mihir Joshi, Managing Director of GVFL, said, “Biokraft Foods is at the forefront of a paradigm shift in the protein ecosystem. Their science-led approach to cultivated meat aligns with GVFL’s focus on backing disruptive technologies with societal impact. We are thrilled to support Biokraft’s vision of ethical and affordable food solutions.”

Kamalnayan Tibrewal, Founder & CEO of Biokraft Foods, said, “Our mission is to leverage biotechnology to craft sustainable food solutions by addressing issues such as climate impact, animal welfare concerns, and inefficiencies of conventional meat production. In the next three to five years, our goal is to make cultivated meat affordable and accessible starting with India and expanding to APAC region. GVFL’s backing is a strong validation of our science, strategy, and vision, and with its support, we are one step closer to bringing real, ethical meat to consumers.”

Biokraft Foods’ products are targeted at consumers who want sustainable choices without sacrificing taste, as well as food manufacturers, restaurants, and retailers looking to overcome the inefficiency of conventional meat and introduce next-generation proteins. Its future product pipeline comprises cultivated seafood and pet food applications using cultivated meat.

The cultivated meat sector is gaining global momentum with regulatory approvals in the US, Singapore, and Israel. In India, the cultivated meat segment is still nascent, but Biokraft Foods is emerging as a first-mover.

Rotimatic Debuts in India, Bringing Its Flagship fully automatic AI-Enabled Roti Maker ‘Rotimatic NEXT’ to Indian Households

Rotimatic, the world’s first smart kitchen appliance powered by robotics and AI, which makes fresh rotis hands-free in 90-110 seconds, today announced its much-anticipated India debut with the launch of its next-generation model, Rotimatic NEXT. While the company is headquartered in Singapore, the manufacturing unit has shifted to the Bangalore-Mysore region to serve both global and the Indian markets.

Founded in 2008 by mechanical engineer Pranoti Nagarkar and software engineer Rishi Israni, Rotimatic has already redefined convenience in over 1 lakh homes across the US, Canada, Australia, the UK, the Middle East, and beyond, with over 250 million rotis made to date.

The India launch marks a strategic move driven by demand that Rotimatic is witnessing in the country, reinforcing their belief that India is a high-potential market for smart kitchen solutions. Marking its official India debut, Rotimatic NEXT will be available exclusively through a direct-to-consumer model via the company’s official website. This direct-to-consumer approach enables Rotimatic to deliver a seamless, personalized buying experience for Indian customers, complete with dedicated support, exclusive offers, and full control over product quality and delivery, without involving third-party intermediaries.

Commenting on the launch in India, Pranoti Nagarkar, Founder & CEO, Zimplistic (Rotimatic) stated, “Bringing Rotimatic back to India is deeply personal. In a country where the culture of eating hot, fresh rotis is woven into daily life, it is time Indian households experience the same world-class technology that has already transformed 1 lakh kitchens globally. With this launch, we’re not just offering convenience, we are celebrating Make in India excellence by delivering a proudly manufactured, quality product that simplifies cooking while preserving tradition.”

Rishi Israni, Co-Founder & CTO, Zimplistic (Rotimatic) said, “Roti making is still labour-intensive, time-consuming, and often left to one person in the household. We live in a world where AI is transforming everything, from cars to communication, yet the act of making rotis hasn’t changed in decades. Rotimatic is not just a gadget; it’s a rethink of kitchen time. With Rotimatic NEXT, we have taken all our learning and user feedback and pushed the boundaries to make it even more intelligent, reliable, and personalized.”

Rotimatic NEXT automates one of the most essential yet time-intensive tasks in Indian kitchens, making fresh rotis. Engineered over a decade of innovation and 37+ patents, this next-gen model brings faster performance, quieter operation, and smarter functionality to homes that value tradition and convenience. From measuring and kneading to flattening, puffing, and roasting, it delivers a perfectly cooked roti every 90 seconds after a brief warm-up. By making roti-making effortless and accessible to all, Rotimatic NEXT has the potential to redefine traditional kitchen roles, proving that Indians are ready to embrace premium appliances that honour care, culture, and everyday ease.

What sets Rotimatic NEXT apart is its built-in AI and IoT capabilities, enabling it to learn and evolve with regular over-the-air updates. Enhanced with Vision AI and next-gen Kneading Intelligence, it now produces thinner, softer, and more versatile multi-flour rotis, all controlled via an intuitive 3.5-inch LCD touchscreen or the connected mobile app.

Beyond rotis, the appliance can effortlessly prepare a variety of flatbreads including parathas, Bhakri, and puris, as well as tortillas, wraps, and pizza bases. It also supports healthier choices using multigrain flours such as almond, maize, jowar, and bajra; store-bought gluten-free or low-sugar variants; and high-fibre blends made from brown rice or sorghum flour. Its ingredient containers for flour, water, and oil are easy to refill, with one load yielding up to 15 fresh rotis.

A powerful 1600–1800W heating system cooks the rotis at temperatures of up to 265°C, while maintaining an operating noise level of under 60 decibels. Weighing around 19 kg, Rotimatic NEXT is designed for effortless use and easy cleaning. Built-in safety features like auto shutoff when the door opens ensure worry-free operation in any kitchen.

Price & Availability

With its sleek design, smart features, and versatility, Rotimatic NEXT is more than just a roti maker; it’s a game-changing kitchen companion. Priced originally at INR 1,65,999/-, Rotimatic NEXT will be available at the launch price of INR 1,24,999 for a limited period. It is now available for purchase across India through the official website: https://in.rotimatic.com

FarMart Opens Its Own ERP Tech to All Food Businesses: Launches Saudabook

FarMart, India’s fastest-growing intelligent food supply network, is proud to announce the launch of its tech platform, Saudabook. In a bold step towards the modernization of the country’s food sector, FarMart is opening its own ERP (FarMartOS) to all food processors and manufacturers in India. Saudabook is India’s first and only technology solution that caters specifically to the food processing and manufacturing sector.

India's food manufacturing sector has faced persistent challenges such as limited automation, complex supply chains, and distribution issues. With over 3 million food processing businesses, many of which are multi-generational family-owned enterprises, this sector contributes significantly to a $500 billion market. Despite the industry's growth driven by rising domestic consumption and expanding export opportunities, there has been limited tech adoption and automation.

FarMart's Saudabook aims to transform this scenario by offering its easy-to-use platform, facilitating the digitization of the entire workflow for food processors. By adopting intelligent procurement processes through Saudabook, businesses can achieve enhanced quality and delivery controls, enabling them to keep pace with the dynamic industry demands.

As an industry leader, FarMart has built data and commerce products to establish a direct farm-to-business supply chain of high-quality and verified agri-produce. It boasts a robust network of 3.2 million farmers, 250,000 village-level aggregators who sell produce on the platform, and 2000+ processors and large food businesses that purchase from the platform. With Saudabook these linkages between India’s food manufacturing industry and India’s farming communities become even stronger.

On this launch, Alekh Sanghera, Co-founder and CEO, FarMart said “With SaudaBook, we envision an inclusive and prosperous food economy, where every stakeholder benefits from technological advancements. We firmly believe that digitization holds the key to doubling the food and agriculture contribution to our economy, elevating farmer incomes, and ensuring the world's access to safe and nutritious food.”

Dharmendra Jain, President, UP Roller Flour Millers Association said "The food processing industry is presently highly fragmented and is gradually moving towards digital adoption. I am eagerly looking forward to Saudabook, as this technology has the potential to unlock immense value and make our industry more globally competitive. Given FarMart's impressive track record in establishing a pan-India sourcing network, Saudabook will undoubtedly elevate their commitment to Make in India to new heights."

About FarMart:

FarMart is an intelligent food supply network connecting farming communities to food businesses globally. We build digital products & commerce solutions that modernize food value chains. Our mission is to make them more resilient, reliable and rewarding for humanity; at FarMart, we are building The Good Food Economy. In 2022, FarMart was recognized by Deloitte and ranked #1 as the fastest-growing tech company in India. FarMart is proud to have partnered with and backed by renowned VCs like General Catalyst, Matrix Partners, Omidyar Network and Avaana Capital that invest in leading tech companies that are sustainable and purposeful.

For more information please visit: www.farmart.co

Swiggy Partners WhizCo for In-App Influencer Activations to Drive Sales and Increase Restaurant Visibility

A man creating video content about food reviews Vectors by Vecteezy

Food deliver giant Swiggy is aiming to enhance the sales of partner restaurants in targeted cities through influencer/creator-generated content, while also promoting Swiggy's new feature that showcases short food review videos.

WhizCo, India’s leading Influencer Marketing and Creator Management agency recently announced its successful collaboration with Swiggy, India's leading food delivery app, for in-app influencer activations to drive sales and increase restaurant visibility.

As part of the campaign, WhizCo ropes in more than 200 content creators every month and helps create visually appealing and vividly descriptive content of the dishes at different restaurants on the Swiggy app. By leveraging the creativity and authenticity of local food enthusiasts and influencers, the campaign aims to provide users with a delightful and immersive experience of exploring the diverse culinary offerings available for delivery.

WhizCo's team of experts has worked diligently to overcome various challenges during the implementation phase. “The foremost challenge for our team was scouting nano and micro-influencers close to the partner restaurants and then ensuring that they could produce high-quality video content. Then, the team also worked on the post-production editing process of the videos produced by the creators and then crafted eye-catching food captions for the videos as well, which differentiated Swiggy's offerings in the users' minds. So we were there right from the very beginning to the end” said Aastha Goel, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer at WhizCo.

The campaign has resulted in increased discoverability of products on the Swiggy platform with a 10% uptick in restaurant visibility and 15% more orders so far and has also improved customer engagement and daily time spent on the app, as reported by Swiggy. Partner restaurants have also experienced a substantial increase in product impressions and long-term recall, resulting in enhanced new product discovery and order frequency. As a result, this partnership is also expected to expand to more restaurants and creators from remote areas in the near future as well.

Talking about the collaboration, Prerna Goel, Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer at WhizCo, said "The collaboration with Swiggy has been such a wonderful experience for us. Our team went above and beyond to ensure the success of the campaign”. "We are proud to have helped small-scale food creators expand their influencing careers and contributed to the increased footfall on the app and in partner restaurants. I’m glad that we were able to create a significant impact while also nurturing the growth of small food creators”, she added.

WhizCo is one of India’s leading influencer marketing and creator management agencies. With a network of more than 1,00,000 content creators across more than 15+ categories and 12+ languages, WhizCo has successfully completed various influencer marketing campaigns for more than 100 leading brands in the past. The agency has also plunged into the world of Live Commerce and AR Filters and is set to expand its services overseas very soon.

Pioneering Ventures becomes Innoterra, A Platform Company On A Mission To Help Transform Global Food Ecosystem

• Innoterra is a newly formed food and technology platform company with a footprint in 14 countries. The company provides digital services to 50,000 farmers and collaborates with over 15,000 farmer families to procure a range of fully traceable, branded, high-quality food products serving around 1.5 million consumers daily.
  
  
• Innoterra's predecessor company Pioneering Ventures worked closely with the Indian farming community for more than 15 years, supporting them in improving their farming practices and achieving higher quality produce. It helped farmers increase their incomes by selling their produce at higher prices both in domestic and export markets.
  
  
• Combining Pioneering Ventures' deep experience with the farming community with the capabilities of its more recently incubated financial services and technology businesses, Innoterra is now building a data-driven platform which creates value through data intelligence and network effects, i.e. it delivers incremental benefits for existing users as others join the network.
  
  
• The cloud-based technology platform provides access to intelligent data and applications on mobile devices, thus helping farmers and other stakeholders become more productive and efficient. Through the platform, Innoterra enables the food ecosystem to scale up the production and distribution of healthy food in a sustainable manner, while ensuring equitable value distribution among all stakeholders.

Zug, Switzerland / Mumbai, India, 4 February 2021 – After more than a decade of intensive collaboration with the farming community and the successful incubation of transformative food and tech ventures in India, Pioneering Ventures has now evolved to become Innoterra. Present in 14 countries, Innoterra is a food and technology platform company interacting and providing products and services to 65,000 farmers and serving around 1.5 million consumers daily through a range of fully traceable, branded high-quality food products.

In addition to the development of fully integrated and traceable food supply chains, the company is building a data-driven platform which provides services to all stakeholders in the food system. The aim of the platform is to improve the production and distribution of healthy food using fewer resources, all the while ensuring equitable value distribution among all stakeholders. As a first platform module, Innoterra recently rolled out a 360° solution empowering farmers and rural entrepreneurs. It facilitates learning through farm management training, education, and networking, and offers improved access to farm inputs, infrastructure and financial services, including affordable loans.

Elaborating on the launch of Innoterra, Ron Pal, founder of Pioneering Ventures and CEO of Innoterra, says: "In the next 30 years, we will have to increase food productivity by 70% to feed the 10 billion people then living on our planet. As food security and sustainability is becoming an important global challenge, we must critically question the status quo of the industry and the entire food ecosystem. Together, we need to facilitate a fundamental change. Our vision is to build one of the planet's most impactful food ecosystem platforms with a strong focus on the farming community. We see our company as an integral part of the food ecosystem and view our role as an orchestrator with the mission to provide consumers access to healthier and more sustainably produced food, while empowering farmers and other stakeholders in the system."

Dairy production facility at Palamaner, Andhra Pradesh

 

In addition to its focus on financial performance, Innoterra is highly committed to making a substantial, verifiable impact for people and the planet. Award-winning social entrepreneur Meagan Fallone, Chief Impact Officer of Innoterra and former CEO of Barefoot College International, summarizes Innoterra's unique impact philosophy as follows: "Our long-term financial success depends on our ability to sustainably generate value for all our stakeholders, including employees, contract workers, farmers, customers, consumers, investors, and the planet. Consequently, environmental and social impact is at the heart of our business strategy. Our impact vision is to boldly work towards an inclusive approach to stakeholder value creation and to make Innoterra a leading impact innovation company in the global agri- food sector."

Innoterra - Banana packhouse at Navsari, Gujarat

 Talking about Innoterra's plans for the future Akshaya Kamath, Chairman of Innoterra India, states: "While developing and rolling out our platform, we will continue to scale up our food operations in India and further expand our sourcing and distribution footprint in regions such as the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and in China. We are also systematically working on the realization of the identified business synergies and the acceleration of profitable growth. Our efforts enable us to sustainably supply high-quality traceable products around the year to the addressable adjacent markets with a population of close to three billion people."


Key facts and figures -

• Daily production of 450 tons of healthy food that reaches over 1.5 million consumers
• 15,000+ farmer families engaged; 70,000 people positively impacted
• 120+ proprietary collection and distribution centres across India, the Middle East and the Philippines
• Digital platform services used by an additional 50,000 farmers and 500 collection centers
• Geographic footprint in 14 countries
• Operational team of 500+ full-time employees; tech and data team of 50+ people

About Innoterra

Innoterra is a Swiss-Indian food and technology platform company operating in 14 countries. The company's mission is to transform the food ecosystem at scale to ensure a sustainable supply of healthy food to the world.

Innoterra's food business works closely with farmer communities in multiple sourcing regions. The company's completely integrated supply chains ensure the highest levels of process efficiency and consistent high quality of its branded food products. Innoterra's core products are fully traceable for its customers and consumers.

To create economic and social impact at scale, Innoterra has implemented a data-driven platform that combines digital and real-world measures. The platform creates value through data intelligence and network effects. It offers services empowering small and mid-scale farmers and other platform partners through improved access to information, insights, infrastructure, people, markets, and capital.

To find out more, visit Innoterra's website at www.innoterra.com or our LinkedIn profile.

 

FoodServiceDirect.com Taps Unbxd's AI to power Digital Transformation Across B2B and B2C

Unbxd Inc., a leading provider of AI-based Commerce Search and Product Discovery solution is changing the way shoppers buy groceries online on FoodServiceDirect.com (FSD). Unbxd, with its strong AI and ML capabilities, is able to provide highly relevant, personalized, and simple purchase experiences for both B2B and B2C customers.

With Unbxd, FSD is going to ensure that shoppers find the most relevant products across the purchase journey. Unbxd's self-learning AI models power the search and merchandising processes to match the intent of the shopper to the search results.

"We were looking for a solution that was easy to integrate with while hosting our eCommerce on Magento(Adobe Commerce). The search solution had to be fast and agile. The AI capabilities Unbxd demonstrated and offered made for an obvious choice," says Adeel Murtaza, Head of eCommerce Technology at FoodServiceDirect.com.

Unbxd's 50+ AI models, facets, and filters help in delivering a context-aware search. Unbxd shortens the path-to-purchase and uplifts conversions with slick visual autosuggest and inline add-to-cart functionalities thereby enhancing the overall online shopping experience.

Unbxd Founder & CEO Pavan Sondur says, "We are thrilled to help Unilever's FSD platform to deliver a personalized digital experience to its online shoppers. This transformation has come at a very apt time when everyone is heading the eCommerce way to buy essentials." He adds, "Grocery is a key segment for us and we are bringing the offline convenience to the online mode of buying."

About FoodServiceDirect.com:
FSD is one of the leading US-based online foodservice distributors offering B2B and B2C buyers an ever-expanding digital storefront for bulk purchases. Unilever is one of the current stakeholders in the platform. With over 250,000 SKUs, FSD's online catalog is stocked with a variety of foodservice and grocery products, alongside environmentally friendly disposable products and supplies.

About Unbxd:
Unbxd is an AI-powered eCommerce search solution that understands shoppers' intent and connects them to the products they are most likely to buy — across site search, browse, and recommendation purchase journeys. Unbxd powers search for more than 1300+ eCommerce sites across 40+ countries. The Unbxd product discovery solution can be deployed across verticals such as Fashion, Healthcare, Autoparts, Home Decor, B2B, and Mass Merchants. For more information, please visit unbxd.com or follow them on LinkedIn.

Contact: media@unbxd.com

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1000849/unbxdlogo_black_Logo.jpg

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AgNext & SourceTrace partnered to create Food-Safety and Fair-Trade platform for Agriculture and Food Businesses, called TraceNext

Today, amidst lockdowns and growing pandemic, global food value chains stand disrupted across all commodities. Food safety has been a growing global concern that is only set to rise in this covid world. It is in these times that it has become more imperative than ever, to ensure unadulterated and safe food across global food value chains.

As billions worth of food moves through the global food value chains, assessments and traceability of the food remain subjective or non-existent leading to losses in procurement, trade, storage, production and consumption.

Digitization of such value chains towards making food safe, trackable and of desired consumer quality, needs to be accelerated and implemented at a much faster pace than ever.

SourceTrace is a globally leading name in traceability and has already implemented solutions across diverse sectors such as fruits and vegetables, organic cotton, vanilla, aquaculture, flavors and fragrances, spices, honey and more. Working across 28 countries since 2013, SourceTrace’s DATAGREEN platform helps companies track their produce from global locations across all stages while maintaining complete transparency and assurance of quality.

AgNext solves the problem of quality, bringing the best of the technology world for agribusinesses. Using state of art technologies in computer vision, spectroscopy and IoT, AgNext has created the singular platform QUALIX, through which trade quality and safety parameters for multiple commodities could be assessed in a minute, enabling agribusinesses to leapfrog their procurement and operations processes, optimise costs, provide traceability, sharpen and smoothen blockchains and most importantly produce excellent products of highest quality for consumers and ensure fair-trade practices with farmers.

Helping businesses ensure the quality of food right from the Farm Gates to the consumers, AgNext has partnered with key nodal institutions in multiple commodities and has also been working with leading corporates in each of the segments.

By combining their solutions and signing an MoU, AgNext and SourceTrace have created a technology platform, TraceNext, that for the first time in history, can provide complete value chain traceability with an assurance of quality from the Farm Gates to the consumer.

The benefits for such a platform as TraceNext, brings immense value to multiple commodity value chains, ensuring various aspects like

1. Trace food origin and chain of custody
2. Monitor ethical and sustainable practices used in growing the food
3. Complete value chain traceability – from farm to consumer
4. Legal and compliance norms
5. Instant quality testing on trade and safety parameters
6. Instant trade decisions without any delays and dependencies
7. Ensure Blockchain and Fair-Trade practices in commodity supply chains

As per FAO, the value of trade in food is US$ 1.6 trillion per year. The estimated cost of food safety incidents for the economy of the United States is around $7 billion per year. Similarly, food fraud and safety scandals have cost over $8 billion USD every year in APAC alone. The health, sustainability and economic impact of such a solution can not be underestimated.

TraceNext fills that gap, providing a seamless solution catered to agriculture and food businesses that they always desired but never had as a single platform, ensuring complete control over quality and guaranteeing safe food to their consumers.

Venkat Maroju, CEO, SourceTrace said “In the coming years, traceability is going to be the most critical technology to ensure food safety. TraceNext is the only solution that can provide food businesses, regulatory bodies and consumers all the information they need to ensure food safety. It will also change how food businesses and consumers interact and what information is exchanged. We are looking at a complete transformation of the food ecosystem.”

Taranjeet Bhamra, CEO, AgNext said “Leveraging the best of technologies and principles of agriculture practices, we are joining hands to solve the greatest needs of the times, solving issues for farmers, agribusinesses and consumers alike. TraceNext fills the exact gap that is needed for providing a one-stop seamless solution for food origin and quality for effective trade, procurement, production and consumption of food. The potential to transform value chains is limitless.”

Convergent Finance Announces upto $23.8 Mn Investment in Camlin Fine Science Ltd

Convergent Finance LLP, an investment advisor to Infinity Investment Management, announced an investment, upto INR 1,800 million (USD23.8 million) in Camlin Fine Sciences Limited (‘Camlin’), a vertically integrated company engaged in the manufacturing of antioxidants and aroma chemicals supplying the food industry globally. Structured as a subscription to equity warrants priced based on the prevailing market price and in accordance with applicable SEBI regulations, the investment will aggregate upto INR 1,800 million (USD23.8 million) and will result in an approximately 22.65% ownership stake on a fully diluted basis. As a critical step towards aligning the interests of all shareholders, terms of the investment contemplate the institution of an ESOP programme for senior management, accompanied by a call option provided to the promoters to increase their shareholding. Customary closing conditions, including shareholder approval, will apply.

Camlin is engaged in the research, development, manufacturing, and marketing of specialty chemicals and blends, which are used for many applications in the food industry and beyond. Camlin is a leading producer of anti-oxidants (used as food preservatives and in cattle feed) and is also the world’s third-largest producer of vanillin (the flavouring agent behind “vanilla”, used in food & beverages). Camlin has manufacturing facilities in India, Italy, Mexico, China and Brazil with R&D centres at India and Italy and application labs in India, Mexico, Brazil, USA and Italy. The company serves customers in more than 80 countries across the globe with more than 100 products and over 1,000 satisfied customers.

Harsha Raghavan, Managing Partner at Convergent, commented, “Ashish Dandekar, with over 28 years of experience in the industry, has successfully led the company to achieve its current stature, and we are very impressed with Camlin’s performance under his leadership. Camlin is well-positioned to benefit from the current supply-chain disruption and the overall shift towards moving manufacturing away from China to other cost-efficient locations including India. Given our track record of working with great platform companies to help transform them into global leaders, Camlin will benefit from our network of relationships, strategic insights, and operational expertise."

Ashish Dandekar, MD of Camlin, welcomed this investment by saying, “This investment is a vote of endorsement for Camlin, and a reflection of the extraordinary transformation underway within our company. Given our M&A oriented strategy, this investment and the partnership that it brings with Convergent will enable us to leverage Convergent’s deep global expertise and relationships while benefiting from their strategic guidance. Since I started this business about 25 years ago, I have never been more excited about the prospects ahead."

About Convergent Finance LLP

Convergent Finance LLP is an investment management and advisory partnership at the forefront of bringing together Ideas, Capital, and passionate Entrepreneurs. The Convergent investment process involves identifying proprietary platform and bolt-on opportunities, speed of execution, and a relentless focus on performance improvement. The Convergent value investing approach believes in paying fair and reasonable valuations through bilaterally negotiated transactions.

About Camlin Fine Sciences Limited

With over 30 years of experience, Camlin is engaged in research, development, manufacturing, commercializing and marketing of specialty chemicals and blends, that are widely used in everyday life across foods, animal and pet feed, flavours & fragrances, pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, petrochemicals, dyes and pigments, polymers and biodiesel.

Cloud Kitchen and Restaurant Technology Platform POSist to Empower Businesses with Digital Ordering and Industry-first Digital Postpaid Dining Experience

POSist, a leading cloud-based restaurant technology platform serving over 8,000 restaurants in 20 countries, today announced the release of its new technology stack. It features Digital Ordering and Industry-First Digital Postpaid Dining to help accelerate technology adoption in restaurants. The technology stack will assist restaurateurs to minimize physical interactions between patrons and the servers in a dine-in setup. The company has also announced a COVID-19 Waiver Package for the official period of the lockdown and an additional extension of product subscription for the equivalent number of days to its customers.

A COVID-19 Waiver To Support The Community

[caption id="attachment_146099" align="alignleft" width="369"] Ashish Tulsian, Co-founder and CEO, POSist Technologies[/caption]

"At POSist we truly believe in keeping our restaurant community at the core of everything we do. We understand the next three months will be very crucial for restaurant owners and would require them to operate with minimum CAPEX. As a technology partner, we strive to support our community in the best of our capacity. To do our bit, we are waiving the product subscription fee for 75 days with effect from March 15, 2020, to May 31, 2020. This waiver will be in the form of a direct discount. Additionally, we will be offering an extension of the software license for the same duration of days to the customers who have already purchased our product by paying upfront for the full year," said Ashish Tulsian, Co-founder and CEO, POSist Technologies.

Commenting on the product release, Ashish added, "When we started working on the tech stack, we took into account the feedback received from our customers across regions. From the collective feedback, it was evident that the restaurant industry cannot be contactless, however, by using technology interventions at the right touchpoint, we can at least put 'less contact' in practice. That became the core essence of what we are releasing today as our technology suite for the new normal."

POSist QR Code Reader

[caption id="attachment_146100" align="aligncenter" width="701"] Digital Ordering Using QR Code[/caption]

Using POSists dashboard, restaurants will have an option to generate QR code assigned to a particular table number. This QR code will be on display, on the respective table, where the guest will be seated. Once the guest is ready to order, all they have to do is scan the QR code, enter their mobile number and the menu will appear on their mobile browser through which they can select the items and place the order in a seamless way.

Wi-Fi Based Ordering

The feature allows consumers to place an order from their phones by simply connecting to the restaurant's Wi-Fi at the property. Such Wi-Fi ordering makes the process much faster and secure as it is hosted on the restaurants network without any dependency on the customer's mobile network. This feature can also work in offline mode in case of slower internet speed at the restaurant.

Industry-First Digital Postpaid Dining

In a dine-in environment, customers often repeat orders or make new ones for different courses. With the postpaid dining feature, guests can easily do that without the hassle of paying upfront every time a new order is placed. Once the repeat order is placed, the waiter will approach the table maintaining the prescribed social distance to confirm the order. On confirmation, the waiter shoots the order to KDS (Kitchen Display System) where the chef will receive a notification to start the preparation process. The guest can continue to reorder without any interruption just like they have been doing in the pre-COVID world.

Digital Bill & Payments

Bill settlement can be done without physically touching any bill book or receipt. Once the guest is through with the meal, they can request the bill directly from their mobile. The waiter assigned to the table will receive the notification and raise the bill. The same will appear on the customer's phone along with the payment gateway for online payment or cash option. On making the payment, the receipt is automatically generated on the phone and a digital copy will be sent to the customer on WhatsApp and via SMS.

No Additional Burden On Restaurants

In these difficult times, the last thing restaurants want is to take any hit to their revenues in the name of digital ordering or payment assistance. As a technology enabler, POSist will be available to restaurants without any additional burden on transaction charges. POSist will offer an open platform for restaurateurs to choose the payment processor and the fee they negotiate with them.

POSist can be used by restaurants of all formats and sizes including, Fine-Dine Restaurants, Casual Dining Restaurants, QSRs, Hotel Restaurants, Food Courts, Bar & Breweries, and Cloud or Dark Kitchens. The company works with some of the leading brands across the world including Taco Bell, Jamie's Italian, UK based Millie's Cookies, Olive Bar & Kitchen among others.

POSist is integrated with all the leading payment gateways such as Paytm, MobiKwik, PayU, PhonePe, EzeTap, CCAvenue, and VeriPay. The POS software also works with Amazon Pay, Paytm, and DotPe to facilitate digital ordering through their QR code reader.

About POSist Technologies

Launched in 2012, POSist is a leading cloud-based restaurant technology platform suited for restaurants of all sizes. POSist offers scalable, reliable, and easy to use point-of-sale technology, enabling businesses to automate operations, integrate with aggregators, delight guests, and grow their revenue.

Headquartered in New Delhi, POSist has 100 employees, with offices in Dubai, Mexico, New York, Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Pune. POSist is trusted by over 8,000 restaurants in 20 countries and 100 cities worldwide.

POSist offers comprehensive integrations with over 70 platforms to enable the effortless functioning of restaurants of all sizes and formats. The suite of integrations includes Accounting Software, Online-ordering Platforms, Digital Wallets, Cloud Telephony Software, Table Reservation platforms, Loyalty Programs, and Delivery Integration with top online food aggregators, globally.

For more information, please visit www.posist.com.

Pioneering Ventures Acquires Lateral Praxis in a Move to Accelerate its Agri-Food Tech Platform Roll-Out

• Pioneering Ventures is a food, finance and tech platform which aims to reinvent the Indian food ecosystem to provide people with healthy food in a sustainable manner


•  Lateral Praxis is helping public and private sector clients to streamline their operations with the aim to promote good and sustainable food production and supply chain  practices


•  The move is aimed at strengthening the reach of technology-based solutions in the Indian food supply chain .


• This acquisition is an important and far-reaching strategic addition to the portfolio of the Swiss-Indian agricultural and food platform Pioneering Ventures

Pioneering Ventures announced newly closed acquisition of Indian agri-tech company Lateral Praxis today. The move is aimed at enhancing downstream reach of tech-enabled solutions for the food supply chain  including information access, apps, data analytics and risk mitigation. The acquisition recognizes significant shifts in the Indian food system  in recent years which bring forward an immence potential for using technology and data to improve operational efficiencies and quality in daily supply chain activities. The systematic generation of data intelligence also allows to create valuable services and improve decision making of all parties in the food ecosystem. 

Founded in 1999 by agri-tech stalwart Suniti Gupta, Lateral Praxis has worked closely with central and state governments, ministries and departments, along with farmer communities at village/panchayat level to build, configure and implement knowledge-based systems. The Mumbai-based company currently works with a strong core team to deliver solutions for online payment platforms, information aggregation and data mining for a varied customer base. 

Speaking about this development, Dr. Pablo Erat, co-founder of Pioneering Ventures, said: “End-to-end supply chain digitization has been a core pillar of our strategy. We have been working successfully with Lateral Praxis for many years and I am confident that the team will further boost our technology and data expertise. The acquisition is an important milestone in the implementation of our strategy  to accelerate the development of our fully integrated food technology platform and help us drive large-scale transformation across the food ecosystem through data intelligence-based services."

Elaborating on this development, Suniti Gupta, Founder-CEO of Lateral Praxis and a known agri-tech expert in India said: “As Indian agriculture and food sector gets ready to embrace next generation, tech-enabled future, the time is ripe for positive disruption. Our experience and core competencies will be augmented well by Pioneering Ventures’ expertise and presence across the food supply chain, helping us jointly scale up our solutions and delivery. We look forward to joining the PV family."

Lateral Praxis aims to create value in our customers' business. We regularly invest in integrating newer technologies into solutions that we provide for our customers. We architect, configure and implement our solutions and ensure long term success through specialized user training. What drives our systems is an understanding of the knowledge behind the framework. We provide elegant, field-proven software. We have a suite of products that go the “last mile” in agriculture, legal compliance, audit tracking and risk management.

Pioneering Ventures is a food, finance and technology platform company based in Switzerland and India. Our mission is to reinvent the Indian food ecosystem to provide people with healthy food in a sustainable manner. We strive to generate superior financial and social returns for all our stakeholders through knowledge and data driven transformation from farm to fork. This is done by re-engineering the way food is produced and supplied and empowering and connecting all partners in the ecosystem.

India's Prime Plant Protein Supplement 'Protuff' by Aarnix Healthsciences

​With the larger population becoming more health conscious and moving to vegetarian & vegan lifestyle, and while the world is currently battling the Corona Virus epidemic, Aarnix Healthsciences introduces a pea based plant protein that will revolutionize health & fitness in India.

Now build your immune system, battle disease, manage PCOD, Cancer, Type 2 Diabetes, lose weight the healthy way and build stamina and muscles.

Protuff Plant Protein offers a blend of multisource plant based protein derived from European Peas, Sprouted Brown rice, Indian Ginseng. It is also packed with the goodness of clinically researched Terminalia Arjuna and Supergreen blend which are a rich source of Antioxidants and Omegas. Protuff Plant Protein is hypoallergenic, easy to digest and contains no cholesterol or saturated fat.

One serving of 30g delivers 25g of complete protein with 5.7g essential BCAAs and Cardio boosting properties. Protuff Plant protein may help in lowering blood glucose postprandial and may improve overall glucose control in patients with normal kidney functions.

[caption id="attachment_143054" align="aligncenter" width="461"] Protuff - Plant Protein 2 Kg[/caption]

Key benefits of Protuff Plant Protein

• Reduces CVD Risk - Plant Protein in combination with fibre and nuts may lower cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure and CRP.


• Relieves Oxidative Stress - Antioxidants may help in relieving the oxidative stress of hyperglycaemia.


• Increase Insulin Response - High protein may result in significant reduction in HbA(1c).


• Reduces Hunger - Improves Satiety.


• Kidney Friendly - May Improve Renal Functions (Creatinine Levels & GFR).


• Easy to Digest - Fortified with digestive enzymes and free of major allergens.


• No Bad Stuff - Non-GMO, Gluten Free, Gum Free and Sugar Free.


• Dairy Free - 100% Vegan

Speaking about Protuff and plant protein, Mr. Deepak Khicha CEO, Aarnix Healthsciences quoted saying, "We aim to provide preventive health care with nutrient dense formulations not only for recovery but also for well-being. Plant protein is the healthier, correct and ethical protein to have. It is also ideal for our protein deficit vegetarian society and practicing Vegans. Aarnix Healthsciences is on a mission to 'Protify India' and raise the 'PQ' (Protein Quotient) Protuff plant Protein is the first step towards that."

Protuff is available at all leading stores and on all leading e-commerce sites.

About Aarnix Healthsciences

Aarnix offers a clean product range having third-party certifications saying so. It is manufactured at a GMP, ISO 22000 & HACCP Codex certified manufacturing facility. This ensures there are no banned substances - just nutrients.

~ Newsvoir

Govt of India's MPEDA's 1st State-of-the-Art Microbiology Lab Inaugurated

In a major step to help seafood exporters ensure quality of their to survive global competition, the Marine Products Export Development Authority's first state-of-the-art microbiology laboratory was
inaugurated here on Sunday.

Unveiling the laboratory, Minister of State for Food Processing, Rameswar Teli said the new microbiology laboratory would help the seafood sector overcome stiff competition in the global export market, particularly on the quality front.

MPEDA ChairmanK S Srinivas said the laboratory would be used to test all sorts of seafood at various stages, including during production and prior to export, to avoid the presence of any bacteria.

"It will ensure that the exporters are not faced with rejection of their products by any country on the grounds of sub-standard quality," he said.

The laboratory was necessitated by the fact that USA, the European Union and other major seafood importers were tightening their quality norms on a regular basis in the interest of the health of their population.

This has promoted seafood exporters to enhance the quality of their products to survive competition.

Teli expressed the hope that all other sectors under the food processing industry, including tea growers in Assam and elsewhere, would go for such a laboratory to promote quality and give a fillip to exports.

He was all praise for the experts involved in the setting up of mega food parks in Palakkad and Alappuzha in Kerala, observing that work was going on in full swing.

MPEDA unveiled its laboratory on the third and final day of the 22nd India International Seafood Show organised jointly with the Seafood Export Association of India (SEAI).

"Blue evolution: Beyond Production to Value Addition" was the theme of the biennial event, attended by over 1,500 delegates, 50 of them from 12 foreign countries.

The biggest marine products fairs wound up its 22nd edition here on Sunday, showcasing the latest technological interventions in aquaculture and deliberating on matters that can give a fillip to the sector ahead of the next summit at Kolkata in 2022.

"Our seafood sector can improve with a joint effort of a handful of key ministries: Commerce, Fisheries, Environment and Health.

This key point found highlight at IISS-2020, much to our pleasure," said K S Srinivas, Chairman of MPEDA, which functions under the Union Ministry of Commerce & Industry as an autonomous nodal agency for holistic development of seafood industry.

Tech Startup Happient Launches OHIEO to Revolutionize Food Catering Services in Bengaluru

Catering services in Bengaluru are as cosmopolitan as the city. When researching for the best caterers in the city, customers are often overwhelmed by the sheer number of service providers. Scouring through several recommendations, menus, price packages and more, can be quite a daunting task.

Leveraging technology to address this issue of finding the best Bengaluru-based catering services, two techies Amit Vyas and Prasad N T, Co-Founders of Happient Info Services Private Limited, have launched OHIEO, an online platform that brings together over 300 kitchens from across the city.

Potential customers can peruse pre-set menus for a range of events, with group sizes going from as low as 25 to as many as 6000, in a range of Indian and international cuisines. Customers can select and customize a menu, compare services and prices, make a booking and pay on the site as well. A single point of contact assigned to each event/order ensures the human touch to this service. This executive looks after all the minute details, from table settings to delivery to set-up, serving of the food and anything the client may need.

Addressing Gaps in the Market

[caption id="attachment_140479" align="alignleft" width="300"] Founders of OHIEO[/caption]

Explaining the gaps that OHIEO plans to address with its launch, Prasad, N T, Co-Founder, OHIEO says, "The catering sector in Bengaluru currently stands at around $12.8 million each month. Traditionally, the food market has been referral-based, but in the last decade with the emergence of online aggregators and delivery services, there has been an increase in demand for online options in catering for personal events and corporate food catering services. There is even a growing demand for catering for smaller groups of 25-50 people."

OHIEO aims to address the lacuna. Their services can be used by a cross-section of people for a range of events, going from corporates looking for snacks, daily lunches, dinners as well as boxed meals to corporate events and parties. OHIEO's services are dynamic and are geared towards handling personal events like weddings, house-warming functions, birthday parties and other social events.

"We decided to have a Christmas party for our staff at the office at the last minute. We could not find a caterer willing to take the job on. OHIEO came in at the right time and did a brilliant job of our event. They were courteous and on-point with all their interactions with us. They took care of all the minute details, from the menu to the service, the delivery, and the lovely thematic presentation. The service staff were efficient, well turned out and interacted well with our staff. We are sure to use their services again and will recommend them as well," says Maheshwari Verma from Bonito Designs.

Leveraging the Power of Technology

Speaking on the OHIEO experience, Amit Vyas, Co-Founder of OHIEO says, "For the internet savvy consumer of today, one looks for every service required online. Our use of technology has been to give customers a refined experience. We understand the premium on time and ensure that customers have a worry-free experience. Features such as being able to browse and compare catering menus online, pay using flexible options, placing an order online, receiving regular updates as well as tracking the order helps customers' focus on their events better. The single point of contact to help customize menus and ensure all minor details are taken care of, ensures our service is outstanding."

Subhash from Quantum Power Systems, Bengaluru can attest to that. He speaks of an online order placed with OHIEO for New Year 2020 celebrations. "It was on short notice and we were sceptical about it being done. The OHIEO team was extremely cooperative and ensured that we got just what we wanted. The food arrived on time, was well set up and presented. The staff were courteous all through the service and ensured every member of our office was well taken care of. It was a party that will be well remembered by our employees and our senior management leadership appreciated the food."

The founders of OHIEO believe that each of the orders received and executed on the platform are profitable, due to the order size, niche market and the kitchens associated with the business.

"We have no competition in some of our markets, as we are a service that provides solutions to hitherto unaddressed problems. Kitchens associated with OHIEO have the benefit of a platform reaching out to a larger audience. In turn, we pass on the benefits of competitive pricing to the customer. They are also assured of finding a menu in premium cuisines of their choice and the ability customize orders to their specific preferences," explains Amit

"In a competitive market like Bengaluru, it is difficult for a new catering business to be able to break in and be profitable. Getting onto the OHIEO platform and being associated with them exclusively as a kitchen a few months ago, changed that for us a business. From being restricted to small catering projects, we now cater to large corporates and are constantly finding newer clients to work with," explains Venkatappa Nayak of Chamundeshwari Kitchens in Bengaluru.

OHIEO currently operates in Bengaluru with plans to launch in Hyderabad by the end of 2020 and plans to be operational in all metros by 2022. OHIEO is also offering franchise opportunities to cloud kitchens that would like to associate with them.