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“Oda, the Grocery Startup Backed by SoftBank, Shifts Focus to Norway and Sweden with Layoffs of 150 Employees”

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Oda, the Norway-based online supermarket delivery startup, has confirmed layoffs of 150 jobs as it drastically scales back its expansion ambitions to focus on just two markets, its homebase and Sweden, the homebase of Mathem, an online grocery that Oda merged with last year. Online grocery is hard — complex orders with perishable items and a multi-temperature supply chain in a highly price sensitive category,” Oda’s CEO, Chris Poad, wrote on LinkedIn last week (before the layoffs were announced). Prior to the pandemic, Oda – founded in 2013 – carved out a place for itself as one of the strong regional players in online grocery delivery in Europe. But by late 2022 Oda was raising $151 million at a valuation of $353 million. Local publication e24 says Kinnevik and other existing backers Summa Equity and Verdane are expected to provide the bulk of the NOK600 million ($57 million) Oda is reportedly raising.

Khosla and Founders Fund Co-Lead $150 Million Boost for Ramp, Valuing Company at $7.65B

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Spend management startup Ramp has raised another $150 million at a post-money valuation of $7.65 billion, the company confirmed to TechCrunch today. New investor Khosla Ventures and existing backer Founders Fund co-led the raise, which also included participation from new backers Sequoia Capital, Greylock and 8VC. Other existing investors Thrive Capital, General Catalyst, Sands Capital, D1 Capital, Lux Capital, Iconiq Capital, Definition Capital, Contrary Capital also put money into the latest round. Apparently, there were no hard feelings on the part of Founders Fund, which still participated in the financing, even without Rabois. (It’s worth noting that Rabois originally represented Founders Fund and has sat on Ramp’s board since 2019.)

“Government Pushes Electric Vehicle Agenda as India’s Two-Wheeler Startups Skyrocket to 150+ Players”

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The number of startups in India’s electric two-wheeler market has surged to over 150 from 54 in 2021, driven by government incentives to promote clean vehicles and cut oil imports, according to a new analysis. “Most are competing in the mainstream, and 85% of the 65 models launched last year were such products: high-speed as against speed and range-constrained products, which used to be a feature of the startups,” Bernstein analysts wrote. The government has offered incentives under its FAME II scheme, which provides subsidies to buyers and was recently extended to 2024. Bernstein’s analysis found low barriers to entry, with electric two-wheelers built using outsourced models and readily available components. Most established automotive companies have been granted PLI while only a few startups qualified, potentially providing a cost advantage for major incumbents, Bernstein said.

“Limited Selection: Apple’s Vision Pro Has Only 150+ Exclusively Designed Apps”

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It’s not just Netflix, Spotify, and YouTube that don’t have apps for Apple’s Vision Pro at launch. New App Store data indicates the new mixed reality headset and Apple’s foray into virtual reality has so far seen only a tepid response from app developers. The Vision Pro is theoretically compatible with iOS and iPad apps, unless a developer opts out. Meta, which makes its own VR headset, has also unsurprisingly opted not to specifically build native apps for the Vision Pro, Appfigures’ list reveals. That’s not to say there’s nothing for Vision Pro users to do with their new headset at launch.