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Sequoia’s Surge to empower 12 new startups

‘Surge 08’ is currently in progress and the founders are going through a 16-week hybrid programme focused on company building…reports Asian Lite News

Surge, which is Sequoia India and Southeast Asia’s rapid scale-up programme for early-stage startups, on Wednesday said it has launched its eighth cohort, featuring 30 inspiring founders across 12 companies.

‘Surge 08’ cohort includes startups that are building futuristic products across climate tech, AI, metaverse, digital health, new consumer brands and new models of e-commerce.

The curated community of startups under the programme now includes eight cohorts, more than 300 founders and over 130 startups across more than 16 sectors, Sequoia India and Southeast Asia said in a statement.

“Surge 08 founders are building next-gen products and businesses that have the potential to revolutionise their sectors over the next decade,” said Rajan Anandan, Managing Director, Sequoia India & Southeast Asia, and Surge.

These diverse set of founders each bring with them unique experiences and expertise to create ambitious and differentiated products and platforms to the problems they are tackling, and “we are excited to be a part of their early company-building journeys,” Anandan added.

Surge combines up to $3 million of seed capital with company-building workshops, a global curriculum and support from a community of exceptional mentors and founders.

Half of Surge 08 startups have at least one female founder, including an AI and natural language processing PhD holder focused on AI in healthcare and two medical doctors from Indonesia who are leveraging technology to democratise access to health and wellness services.

‘Surge 08’ is currently in progress and the founders are going through a 16-week hybrid programme focused on company building, said the leading VC firm.

Sequoia Capital India and Sequoia Capital Southeast Asia actively partner with founders from a wide range of companies, including BYJUs, CRED, Druva, Freshworks, Groww, Mamaearth, Pine Labs, Polygon, Razorpay, Truecaller, Zomato and more.

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Sequoia eyes investment in homegrown edtech startup

In more than a dozen Indian locations, K12 Techno Services manages the network of Orchids – The International Schools….reports Asian Lite News

Sequoia India is reportedly planning to invest more than $50 million in K12 Techno Services, an edtech startup that provides a variety of services to educational institutions and also manages its own chain of schools.

According to a TechCrunch report on Tuesday, K12 Techno Services which has raised more than $75 million in previous rounds and also engaged with TPG and Accel decided to go with existing backer Sequoia India.

“The terms of the investment might change because the round has not yet concluded. It is unknown if any other investors, outside Sequoia, are participating in the round,” the report said, citing sources.

In more than a dozen Indian locations, K12 Techno Services manages the network of Orchids – The International Schools.

It runs over 90 schools where it teaches a variety of from robotics to philosophy for an individual’s “360-degree development.”

Orchids has served over 75,000 students, according to its portal.

Through its subsidiary called Let’s Eduvate, it also provides an integrated curriculum, a platform for online classrooms, and other school management applications to over 300 schools.

Another subsidiary of K12, Sparkle Box, sells child-oriented activity kits through its e-commerce store.

K12 and Sequoia India both declined to comment, according to the report.

Sequoia earlier backed Byju’s, Unacademy and Doubtnut. In addition, it is an investor in Eruditus, a company that provides higher education in dozens of countries.

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