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Founder Exits: Startup Cofounders & CEOs That Quit In 2025
Inc42 Media· 2025-12-05 06:56
Core Insights - The Indian startup ecosystem in 2025 experienced significant founder and CEO exits driven by strategic, financial, and personal factors, with a notable shift in company strategies and increased focus on profitability and AI [1][4][6] Leadership Changes - Numerous founders and CEOs stepped down, with some leaving due to company shutdowns while others pursued new ventures [2][5] - The exits were often linked to burnout, especially for solo founders who felt overwhelmed by the scale of their companies [3] - Strategic shifts initiated by boards led to transitions in leadership, as companies adapted to new market realities [4] Notable Exits - Abha Maheshwari resigned as CEO of Allen Digital after two years, planning to take a break before her next role [7] - Ashish Mishra of Clensta stepped down amid a cash crunch, planning to launch a new venture in beauty and personal care [9][10] - Ashok Shastry from DriveU left for personal reasons but remains on the board [12] - Kabeer Biswas exited Dunzo while facing legal challenges, later joining Flipkart Minutes [15][16] - Nishant Pitti of EaseMyTrip resigned amid rumors of involvement in a money laundering case, which the company denied [17][18] - Raheel Shah from Eduvanz stepped down during a restructuring, with plans to start an incubator [20] - Girish Mathrubootham announced his departure from Freshworks to focus on his venture capital firm [26] Market Trends - There was a growing interest in secondary deals, with 41% of Indian investors preferring this route for exiting portfolio companies, allowing founders to de-risk and pursue new opportunities [6] - PharmEasy faced a leadership crash with four cofounders stepping down, while the remaining cofounder took over as CEO [40][41]
ixigo Emerges Biggest Loser Amid A Mixed Week For New-Age Tech Stocks
Inc42 Media· 2025-11-02 04:00
Market Overview - The total market capitalization of new-age tech companies decreased to $109.15 billion from $110.93 billion over the past week [2] - A mixed performance was observed among 42 new-age tech companies, with 26 companies experiencing share declines between 0.17% and over 15%, while 16 companies saw gains ranging from 0.01% to over 33% [1][8] Company Performance - ixigo reported a net loss of INR 3.5 crore for Q2, down from a profit of INR 13.1 crore in the same quarter last year, primarily due to one-time ESOP expenses of INR 26.9 crore [21] - Operating revenue for ixigo increased by 36% year-over-year to INR 282.7 crore, but showed a sequential decline of 10% from INR 314.5 crore [21] - CarTrade's shares rose by 18.44% after the company reported a net profit of INR 64.1 crore for Q2, more than doubling from INR 30.7 crore a year ago, with operating revenue increasing by 25% year-over-year to INR 193.4 crore [18][19] IPO and Market Sentiment - Lenskart's IPO opened with a 110% subscription on the first day, despite concerns over high valuations [16] - Fintech unicorn Groww filed for a INR 6,600 crore IPO, while Pine Labs filed for a fresh issue of INR 2,080 crore [16][17] - The Indian equities market saw a decline, with Sensex and Nifty 50 both dipping by 0.3%, attributed to profit booking and regulatory changes proposed by SEBI [14]
Webus International Limited Launches AI-Powered Points Optimization Platform Leveraging OpenAI’s AgentKit Framework
Globenewswire· 2025-10-15 13:00
Core Insights - Webus International Limited has launched an AI-powered points optimization platform utilizing OpenAI's AgentKit framework, enhancing its Travel Tech ecosystem [1][3] - The platform features a "Loyalty Agent" that analyzes users' reward portfolios and recommends optimal redemption strategies, aiming to maximize reward value and reduce unredeemed points [2][3] - The global loyalty and rewards market exceeds US $20 billion annually, with nearly 30% of points remaining unredeemed, highlighting a significant opportunity for Webus's AI system to address this inefficiency [3] Company Overview - Webus International Limited (NASDAQ: WETO) is a global TravelTech company offering AI-driven travel and digital mobility solutions for both Chinese and international travelers [5] - The company provides services such as premium chauffeur services, personalized itineraries, and blockchain-enabled travel products across North America, Asia, and the Middle East [5] Future Plans - The platform is currently in internal beta testing with select users and partners, focusing on refining algorithms and user experience before a full public rollout [3][4]
X @Bloomberg
Bloomberg· 2025-07-21 06:42
Deal Overview - KKR 收购 CVC 支持的 Etraveli Group 的大量少数股权 [1] - 该交易对瑞典旅游科技公司的估值约为 27 亿欧元 [1] Company Valuation - Etraveli Group 的估值约为 27 亿欧元 [1]