Rebel Foods’ 15-Min Gamble, TIL Enters Fantasy Gaming Space & More

Rebel Foods’ High-Stakes 15-Minute Bet

The race to reach a netizen’s doorstep with a platter full of goodies at unprecedented speeds is as real as it gets, and so is the craze of getting on the quick commerce bandwagon.

Amid this, IPO-bound cloud kitchen unicorn Rebel Foods, too, has stepped into the ultra-fast food-delivery lane with QuickiES, its 15-minute food delivery app. 

However, at a time when smaller players like Swish and Zing have already started grabbing eyeballs with their 10- to 15-minute food delivery ventures, Rebel Foods’ rivalry list may boggle many. 

Well, the cloud kitchen brand wants to lock horns with Zomato, Swiggy and Zepto on their home turf — quick deliveries. Not to mention, the trio of delivery behemoths have time and again infused millions of dollars to scale their delivery play, culling minutes to serve customers at their beacon call. 

However, Rebel Foods seems unfazed, and CEO Sagar Kocchar is of the view that while their (Swiggy and Zomato’s) strengths lie in logistics irrespective of what they deliver, Rebel Foods’ defining strength lies in food.

What further seems to be fuelling this confidence is the company pledging a 15-minute delivery or it’s free — a claim never made before. An early bird with a similar proposition was Dominos, which, too, promised deliveries within 30 minutes or free, and we all know how sustainable that proved to be in the long run.

This makes us wonder — Has Rebel Foods really cracked the ultra-fast food delivery code, especially when the quick food delivery model is in its infancy and there’s a lot that has yet to be figured out? Even if it has, would it be enough to beat Swiggy and Zomato who have a sharper brand recall? While you ponder, here is a deeper insight into Rebel Foods’ 15-minute gamble against Zomato and Swiggy. Continue reading…

From The Editor’s Desk

TIL Enters Fantasy Gaming Space: Times Internet-owned popular cricket news and information platform Cricbuzz has entered the fantasy gaming space with the launch of a new platform, Cricbuzz11. Users can participate in contests for the Champions Trophy and the WPL on Cricbuzz11.

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Darwinbox Seeks $150 Mn Round: The HR tech platform is in talks to raise $120-150 Mn in a fresh funding round that could be led by KKR and Partners Group. The round, a mix of primary and secondary infusions, is expected to value the company at around $950 Mn.

Amazon Fined For Copyright Breach: Delhi High Court has ordered the tech giant to pay damages worth INR 339.3 Cr to Lifestyle Equities for alleged copyright infringement of its registered trademark Beverly Hills Polo Club. Amazon is accused of selling apparel with an identical logo. 

boAt Gets Board’s Nod For IPO: The consumer electronics brand has received its board’s approval to proceed with its IPO. The IPO would comprise a fresh issue of up to INR 500 Cr. It is said to be eyeing a valuation of over $1.5 Bn. 

upGrad Launches AI Incubator: The edtech major has launched an incubator, ‘upGrad AI Incubator’, to back homegrown AI startups. While the incubator aims to drive product innovation in startups, it plans to invest in 5-6 startups over the next few months.

PhonePe Nears Listing Dreams: Aiming for a valuation of up to $15 Bn, the fintech has picked four investment banks to advise on its upcoming IPO. The company is planning to initiate the IPO process in the first week of March.

Wipro Amps Up AI Bet: The tech major has committed $200 Mn to its venture arm, Wipro Ventures, to accelerate investments in early to mid-stage startups. This would be the fourth round of funding for its venture arm since its inception in 2015.

Inc42 Startup Spotlight

Meet The Indian Startup Deploying AI War Dogs To Secure Borders

As India ramps up its focus on advanced technology for national security, the government has opened the defence tech sector to private players while promoting innovation through initiatives like Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX).

One startup benefiting from this push is Edith Defense. Founded in 2021 by Rupesh Rupak and Deepesh Deepak, Edith Defense develops AI-powered automated surveillance systems to enhance border security and protect industrial zones. 

The company leverages AI, computer vision, and sensor fusion to improve threat detection and response. One of its standout innovations is a quadruped unmanned ground vehicle (UGV), or robotic dog, designed as a frontline defence asset. It boasts a 12 kg payload capacity and a four-hour endurance.

Beyond this, the startup has also developed miniaturised radar systems, micro-turbojet engines for high-speed UAVs, and a high-altitude drone to expand its defence capabilities.