Greetings startup janta! Another year is coming to an end. I think we can all agree that 2016 was simply amazing :| But on a happier note, we'd like to say thank you for being part of this community and consuming the quirky content we create. Gracias! Okay, back to the grind.
Speaking of starting venture funds, apparently the IIT Alumni Association also wants to get in on the action. They have announced intentions to raise INR 1000 Cr to invest in startups founded by IIT grads. It's no secret that the Indian startup ecosystem is largely skewed towards IITian founders, and this new VC fund is unlikely to change that.
Tech Tales
Silicon Valley has often been accused of solving only Silicon Valley problems. Chamath Palihapitiya weighs in and challenges VCs to back startups that are solving hard problems.
Frustrated by the constant overuse of "AI and Machine Learning" as buzzwords, members of the developer community launched a *fake* startup called RocketAI. Exploiting the hype, they even held a launch party and attracted the attention of 5 well known VCs!
You can't make this stuff up! Or maybe you can...
Home Base
Bhavish Aggarwal & Sachin Bansal caused some amount of stir in the media when they made a case for India to follow certain protectionist measures China takes. While most media carried sensational posts criticizing the suggestion, there were some who stood by them as well.
Another case that could be made in favor of the government protecting Indian startups is the one where Flintobox seemed to have been at the receiving end of a few dirty tricks by Amazon.
We'd love to hear your opinion on this. Do you think the Indian Government should do more to protect home grown startups against foreign competitors? Tweet Poll alert!
