In the dynamic landscape of finance and technology, Kapil Banwari, a certified Cost and Management Accountant from the Institute of Cost Accountants of India, stands out as a visionary entrepreneur. With a robust background in finance, including seven years at ITC in various financial roles, Kapil recognized the significant gap in financial literacy, particularly among children. In 2021, he took a bold step by founding Fyp, a fintech startup dedicated to empowering children with financial knowledge from an early age.

Kapil’s journey in the corporate world, honing his financial expertise, laid the foundation for his entrepreneurial venture. While at ITC, he observed a notable lack of financial literacy across various age groups. Colleagues from diverse departments sought his advice on personal finance, tax filing, and investment management. This experience illuminated the need for financial education, especially among children.

Transitioning from corporate finance to entrepreneurship, Kapil identified the potential to create a platform that could teach children about finance in an engaging and accessible manner. Leveraging his belief that teaching children is more straightforward than teaching adults, he set out to establish Fyp as a fintech solution tailored for children.

In a crowded space occupied by neobanks like Junio, FamPay, and Walrus, Fyp distinguishes itself by prioritizing financial literacy. Fyp’s core objective goes beyond facilitating payments; it aims to educate children about financial concepts through gamification and bite-sized video content. Understanding the immense growth potential in the global neobank market, Fyp is strategically positioned to cater to India’s young population, where more than half is under the age of 18.

Fyp’s uniqueness lies in its acquisition of Edunify, an edtech startup, earlier this year. This strategic move enhances Fyp’s capability to expand its user base through collaborations with schools nationwide. By integrating financial literacy into its offerings, Fyp envisions becoming a trusted banking partner for pre-teens and teenagers, offering convenience in banking services.

Fyp operates as a neobank, partnering with YES Bank for wallet services and Visa for its online and physical cards. Its revenue model primarily relies on interchange fees levied by banks on merchants for payment processing. The startup also issues physical cards linked to Fyp accounts, catering to users interested in both virtual and physical transactions. Additionally, Fyp explores revenue streams by associating with children-centric brands, providing a platform for marketing on its app.

Since launching its Minimum Viable Product (MVP) in September 2021 and the main product in December, Fyp has witnessed remarkable traction. With over eight lakh downloads across Android and iOS, the startup boasts daily active users ranging from 40,000 to 45,000. Having processed more than 2.5 lakh transactions, Fyp has positioned itself as a significant player in the teen-focused neobanking space.

Kapil’s leadership at Fyp reflects his commitment to bridging the financial literacy gap for the next generation. The startup’s target audience, aged between 11 and 21 years, resonates with the broader trend in teen-focused neobanking. Impressively, 70 to 75 percent of user acquisition for Fyp has occurred organically, underlining the relevance and appeal of its offerings.

In early 2022, Fyp successfully secured a seed round of $2 million, signaling investor confidence in its vision and potential. Currently in the process of raising its next investment round, Fyp continues its mission to empower children with financial knowledge and redefine their banking experiences.

As Kapil Banwari leads Fyp into the future, the startup stands as a beacon for financial inclusion and education. By fostering a generation of financially literate individuals, Fyp contributes to building a more empowered and economically savvy society.

In the vast expanse of developing countries across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America, a significant challenge plagues the on-road commercial vehicle industry. With more than 250 million vehicles navigating these regions, the lack of access to modern technology hinders operational efficiency for fleet owners. Recognizing this gap, LocoNav, a full-stack fleet management start-up, emerges as a game-changer, employing IoT innovations to streamline operations and enhance efficiency.

Shridhar Gupta and Vidit Jain, the co-founders of LocoNav, embarked on this journey in 2016 with a mission to empower fleet owners in price-sensitive markets. They aimed to deliver B2B fleet management solutions that cater to diverse technological landscapes, ensuring accessibility and affordability for all stakeholders.

Shridhar Gupta, with a background in leading sales and partnerships at ClearTax, brought a wealth of experience to LocoNav. His earlier roles in companies like Fitho and DNG Enterprises showcased his commitment to building scalable solutions. Shridhar’s visionary leadership is integral to LocoNav’s success, driving innovation and strategic growth. Vidit Jain, a founding engineer at Bizzy, played a crucial role in shaping the backend framework for the omnichannel marketing engine. His experience at ClearTax and expertise in technology positioned him as a key force behind LocoNav’s technical prowess. Vidit’s commitment to creating accessible and global solutions aligns seamlessly with the startup’s goals.

LocoNav, headquartered in San Francisco and Gurugram, specializes in providing comprehensive fleet management solutions since its inception. The start-up addresses the needs of various on-road vehicles, including cars, bikes, buses, trucks, ambulances, and construction vehicles. By integrating IoT sensors into vehicles, LocoNav collects and transfers data to secure cloud servers, leveraging advanced AI and ML for actionable insights.

The key features of LocoNav’s fleet management solution focus on tracking, measuring, and optimizing the entire fleet. These features include vehicle tracking, trip management, fuel monitoring, safety measures, compliance solutions, and more. LocoNav stands out by offering real-time alerts, rich analytics, and customized reports in an interface accessible in over 14 languages.

Vidit emphasizes LocoNav’s distinction as the largest fleet tech company in India, catering to the specific needs of developing and emerging markets. The start-up’s platform is designed with a customer-centric approach, solving industry challenges instead of imposing generic solutions. The user-friendly interface, available in multiple languages, ensures accessibility for diverse fleet owners, making LocoNav the go-to choice in the industry.

LocoNav’s success is further underscored by its global presence, extending to over 50 countries. With a track record of serving more than five million vehicles and boasting over 90,000 customers worldwide, LocoNav’s impact on the fleet tech industry is substantial. Despite challenges, LocoNav has witnessed a robust growth trajectory and achieved EBITDA positivity even during the pandemic. The start-up’s commitment to innovation and addressing industry concerns has resonated with investors. In a Series B funding round in June 2021, LocoNav secured $37 million from notable investors, including Quiet Capital, Anthemis Group, Sequoia Capital India, and others.

As a SaaS startup, LocoNav’s monetization strategy revolves around subscription-based solutions, combining software with connected devices. The platform’s reach is amplified through strategic partnerships that contribute to the growth of the LocoNav ecosystem.

Shridhar Gupta and Vidit Jain envision LocoNav as a catalyst for transforming fleet management globally. Their commitment to providing accessible, scalable, and innovative solutions remains unwavering. LocoNav’s journey, marked by continuous innovation and strategic expansion, exemplifies the impact visionary leaders can have on an industry.

In conclusion, Shridhar Gupta and Vidit Jain’s leadership at LocoNav reflects a paradigm shift in how fleet management solutions are conceived and implemented. Their visionary approach and dedication to creating a global impact through technology-driven solutions position LocoNav as a frontrunner in the ever-evolving fleet tech landscape.

In a strategic move, V. Raman Kumar’s CASHe, an AI-driven credit-led wellness platform, has ventured into the wealth management space through the acquisition of Gurgaon-based Sqrrl in an all-cash deal. The move aligns with CASHe’s vision 3.0, aiming to transform into a comprehensive financial wellness platform. The acquisition, backed by CASHe’s recent equity funding of Rs. 140 crores, marks a significant step towards offering a holistic suite of financial services to its user base.

CASHe’s vision 3.0 focuses on evolving into a full-stack wellness platform catering to the evolving needs of its user demographic. With over 20 million users on its credit-led wellness platform, CASHe is strategically expanding its offerings to include wealth management services. The acquisition of Sqrrl, an established player in the vernacular WealthTech space, presents a synergistic opportunity to integrate credit and investment solutions seamlessly.

The acquisition enables CASHe users, predominantly millennials and GenZ, to access Sqrrl’s digitally enabled, mobile-first investing platform. This platform facilitates byte-sized investments, allowing users to kickstart their investment journey with amounts as minimal as Rs. 100. CASHe’s foray into the WealthTech space reflects its commitment to addressing the diverse credit and investment needs of the new-age Indian demographic.

CASHe’s acquisition of Sqrrl is supported by its robust financial position, with surplus capital facilitating the all-cash deal. This move comes on the heels of CASHe’s successful equity funding round of Rs. 140 crores from TSLC Pte Ltd, its Singapore-based holding company. The acquisition positions CASHe for accelerated growth and reinforces its commitment to delivering innovative financial solutions.

The acquisition brings together CASHe, a credit-led wellness platform with a massive user base, and Sqrrl, India’s first vernacular app in the WealthTech space, serving over 5 lakh users across 600 cities. The synergies between the two platforms create a unique proposition, combining credit and investment services to meet the comprehensive financial wellness needs of the evolving Indian consumer.

V. Raman Kumar, Founder Chairman of CASHe, sees the acquisition as a crucial milestone in realizing CASHe’s vision 3.0 roadmap. The integration of credit-led services with Sqrrl’s digital-first wealth and investment management offerings aims to provide multi-product access and next-gen financial wellness solutions.

Samant Sikka, Co-founder of Sqrrl, expresses confidence in the move, anticipating the scale-up of the wealth management business by offering Sqrrl’s investment products to CASHe’s extensive customer base. The strategic focus remains on stable and sustainable growth in the wealth management segment.

As V. Raman Kumar steers CASHe into the WealthTech domain, the brand is poised to become a one-stop financial wellness destination. CASHe’s commitment to offering diverse financial products aligns with the evolving preferences of its user base. The acquisition of Sqrrl propels CASHe into a new era, reinforcing its position as a leader in the financial wellness space.

In conclusion, V. Raman Kumar’s strategic vision, coupled with CASHe’s robust financials, positions the platform for significant growth. The integration of credit and wealth management services through the acquisition of Sqrrl marks a pivotal moment in CASHe’s journey towards holistic financial wellness for the millennial and GenZ demographic.