5 startups get ₹35 lakh each in WhatsApp India contest

Facebook-owned WhatsApp and Invest India on Tuesday picked 5 Indian startups who would receive nearly ₹35 lakh ($50,000) each to further develop country-first products to solve real-life problems being faced by millions in the country.

The start-ups are: digital healthcare platform MedCords; virtual reality content platform Melzo; WhatsApp-based conversational AI platform Javis; agri-tech platform Gramophone; and MinionLabs that provides real-time device level electricity consumption insights to businesses.

“With more and more India-centric startups coming to the fore, we are looking forward to act more than just financing them. We would do partnership with them to bring right services to right people,” Abhijit Bose, Head of WhatsApp India, told IANS.