FundingErlySign Secures Rs 16 Cr in Pre-Series A Funding from Ashish Kacholia
CURO Biosciences Private Limited, widely recognised as ErlySign, has successfully secured Rs 16 crore in pre-Series A funding from Ashish Kacholia. This investment will facilitate ErlySign in finalising trials, obtaining CDSCO approvals, and launching its innovative oral cancer detection kit. Furthermore, the company is exploring CRISPR miRNA technology to enhance its capability to detect multiple cancers from a single sample.
**Company Overview**
– **Founders**: Shubhendra Singh Thakur and Dr Deovrat Begde
– **Guidance**: Oncologist Dr Vishal Rao
– **Objective**: To make early cancer detection painless, affordable, and accessible
– **Product**: A biomarker-based saliva test kit that detects oral precancerous conditions in just 15 minutes.
**Other News**
**80% of Retailers Plan to Enhance AI Capabilities by 2025: Research**
According to Honeywell’s AI in Retail survey, over 80% of retailers intend to increase the utilisation of automation and artificial intelligence (AI) across their operations. This move aims to adapt to evolving consumer behaviours, enhance employee skills, and improve shopping efficiency.
**Key Findings from the Survey:**
– 35% of major retailers plan to raise their AI investment to address significant challenges such as:
– Return management
– Customer service automation
– Product availability in a dynamic, omnichannel environment
– More than half of retail leaders assert that AI improves employee retention, with 52% believing it accelerates employee advancement, fosters soft skill development, and adds ongoing value to their roles.
– Approximately 60% of retail executives reported that AI tools simplify employee tasks, and 55% indicated that they enhance job satisfaction.
– Notably, two-thirds of consumers have engaged with AI during their shopping experiences, particularly for:
– Chatbot queries
– Price comparisons
– Review summaries
– The leading AI functionalities in retail include:
– Price comparison (53%)
– Checking availability (41%)
– Simplifying checkout processes (34%)
**Venture Catalysts Recognised as Top Early-Stage Investor of 2024**
Venture Catalysts, an early-stage investment firm and integrated incubator, has been acknowledged as the top early-stage investor for 2024 by research firm The Kredible. The investment firm has successfully completed 48 investment deals throughout the year, leading investments in various promising companies including:
– **CoRover**: A conversational AI startup focused on enhancing digital interactions across diverse sectors.
– **Aikenist**: A provider of Gen AI-powered workflow solutions.
– **Perceptyne**: A deep-tech robotics and AI startup dedicated to automating complex industrial tasks.
– **SuperUs**: A cutting-edge technology OEM transforming display technology.
Venture Catalysts typically invests between $250,000 and $2 million in early-stage startups that have the capacity to create lasting value over time.
**Firm Background**
– **Founded**: 2016
– **Founders**: Apoorva Ranjan Sharma, Anuj Golecha, Anil Jain, and Gaurav Jain
– **Investment Portfolio**: Over 300 startups
– **Cumulative Valuation**: Exceeds $10 billion
(This article will be updated with the latest news throughout the day.)