Google Capital invests in Girnar Software, owner of Indian auto portal CarDekho.com

Girnar Software, which runs several auto portals in India including CarDekho.com, has raised an undisclosed amount of new funding from Google Capital, with participation from returning investor Hillhouse Capital.

This is the fourth Indian startup Google Capital has invested in (its portfolio also includes Freshdesk, Commonfloor, and Practo).

Before this round, Girnar Software had already raised at least $80 million. In addition to CarDekho.com, Girnar Software runs car classifieds sites Gaadi.com and Zigwheels.com, former competitors which it acquired in 2014 and 2015, respectively, and motorbike marketplace BikeDekho.com.

Girnar Software expanded its auto portal business internationally last March with the launch of CarBay.com, which operates in 25 countries in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, North America, and South America.

The company plans to continue growing overseas with its latest funding by making acquisitions, founder and CEO Amit Jain tells TechCrunch. In its home market, Girnar Software’s sites targets Indian car sellers and buyers with value-added services, like insurance, car accessories, tires, and roadside assistance.

According to a study by Japanese financial firm Nomura, India’s auto market is expected to grow 15.6 percent this year, nearly five times faster than the global growth rate. Factors fueling car ownership include larger salaries and pending tax changes that might make buying a vehicle cheaper.

CarDekho differentiates from rivals with technology like 360-degree of car interior and exteriors, audio recordings of horns, engines, and ignition, and virtual reality showrooms. The goal is to “ensure that the consumer gets an immersive experience of the car model he’s considering before he even visits a dealer showroom,” says Jain. It will improve its platform by investing some of its new funding into research and development.

In a press statement, Google Capital partner David Lawee said, “We’re very excited to be investing in Girnar Software, the parent company of Idia’s leading auto portal, CarDekho.com. The team is led by savvy entrepreneurs with a strong product orientation, who have positioned the company perfectly in a rapidly growing market.”

Comments

What is your preferred smartphone screen size

Screen envy. We all have it. Or do we? See, that’s the thing, I’m just not so sure. One thing I am sure about is that our phone screens have gotten progressively bigger and bigger over the last few years. The funny thing is, we as a society have taken that ball and run with it, like we just don’t care. But I always thought we did care? Some time ago, when phones were in the sub-5” range, we used to have a term called “phablet” which described an almost absurdly big phone. The definition varied from person to person. I always considered a phone with a screen 5.5” or bigger to be a phablet. The Galaxy Note fell into that category. The Lumia 1520 certainly did. There are others as well. I was safely ensconced in the 4.5” area at the time with my Lumia 920. What did I know? Leon’s getting laaaaaaaarrrger But slowly, phones started topping the 5” mark. I’m not talking about phablets here, I’m talking about normal flagship phones – the Galaxy S4 (barely) and the HTC One (M7) are ...

eGym raises $45M Series C for cloud-connected gym equipment and fitness software

eGym , the Munich-based startup that offers cloud-connected gym equipment and supporting cloud software and app for the fitness training floor, has closed $45 million in Series C funding. The round was led by new investor HPE Growth Capital, while existing investors, including Highland Europe, also participated. The problem that eGym is looking to solve is that, whilst gyms have moved from a bodybuilder market to a mass market in the last 20 years, the technology in gyms lags behind. That’s despite the fact that better use of technology can help to reduce customer churn, the biggest pain-point of both gym operator and gym users. Comprising of an app for both gym user and trainer, combined with the company’s connected strength machines, the eGym Cloud makes it possible for gym members to receive better fitness instruction and an evolving and personalised fitness plan based on data collected as they workout. And by providing a better workout feedback loop, gym goers can get an i...

Best Web Design Company in Pondicherry

#Technology has two faces. We all feel it, but sometimes can’t find words to describe it. #Ebooks are the best example to show the 0-1 nature of emotions the #technology evokes. #itwhere provide a #Best #solutions to #Growyourbusiness feel free to drop a #Mail info@itwheretech.co.in www.itwheretech.co.in

Facebook Now Supports PGP To Send You Encrypted Emails

You can now instruct Facebook to encrypt every email it sends to you so nobody — not even the NSA — is likely to be able to read your messages anytime soon. All you have to do is import your public PGP key into your Facebook settings and you’re good to go. The problem here, of course, is that most people have no idea how public/private key email encryption works and how to even get started with it. In the wake of Edward Snowden’s leaks, a number of organizations, including Google, promised to completely hide the complexities of end-to-end email encryption from regular users. Very few of these products have materialized so far, however — not for lack of trying, but because this is actually a very complex problem, both from a technical and user experience perspective. Facebook uses the well-established PGP scheme (the GNU Privacy Guard implementation of OpenPGP, to be precise) to encrypt messages and tools lik...

Airbnb will open its Cuba listings to users outside the United States

Airbnb will now let travelers from outside the U.S. to book properties in Cuba after receiving authorization from the U.S. government, reports the Associated Press . Previously, only Americans were allowed to reserve the site’s Cuban listings . They will open to international users on April 2. Airbnb launched its Cuban operations in April 2014 , four months after the Obama administration revealed that it will begin to restore diplomatic relations with the Communist country . The historic policy change means that travel and trade sanctions will be lifted , which is expected to boost tourism to Cuba dramatically because Americans no longer need licenses to visit. In fact, President Obama is currently on an official visit to Cuba , the first president since Calvin Coolidge to do so. According to the AP, Cuba is currently Airbnb’s fastest-growing market, with about 4,000 homes added since it opened listings. Other travel businesses...

Exciting Technology

Search This Blog