New Delhi, Jun 17 (PTI) Google for Startups (GFS) on Wednesday said it has opened applications for the new batch of GFS Accelerator.

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With the new batch, Google will have an expanded scope and applications are invited from all startups who are working on solutions oriented towards the "new normal" with a special focus on health-tech, fintech, edu-tech, agri-tech, retail and SaaS startups, a statement said.

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GFS Accelerator (previously Launchpad Accelerator) focuses on mentoring early stage startups which are solving for systemic problems such as healthcare, financial inclusion and sustainability through the use of artificial intelligence/machine learning technology to power their solutions.

GFS has also launched a playbook for startups to offer them advice on topics like thinking strategically about the startup's future, managing cash burn, identifying new sources of revenue, and managing teams and productivity while working from home.

GFS Accelerator's next batch of startups will commence in August 2020. This will be the fourth class of startups mentored by GFS Accelerator which has so far closely mentored over 60 startups in India till date and has supported over 250 startups through the COVID-19 outbreak.

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Peppermint raises seed funding from Venture Catalysts *

Venture Catalysts on Wednesday said it has invested an undisclosed amount in industrial robotics startup Peppermint. Naveen Kshatriya, Former Head of Castrol Asia and ANZ also participated in this seed funding round, a statement said.

Peppermint will utilise the fresh equity to scale up their manufacturing efforts, strengthen their after-sales support infrastructure and foray into new markets, it added.

Founded by Runal Dahiwade, Nityanand Prabhutendolkar and Miraj C Vora, Peppermint has an industrial floor cleaning robot that is designed to service everyday floor cleaning needs at public and industrial spaces such as airports, railways, factories, industries and hotels.

"With the onset of COVID-19 pandemic, the need for tech-enabled cleaning and hygiene solutions at workplaces is now higher than ever. Robots and automated machines can play a vital role during this crisis as they can minimise human intervention and enable social distancing," Dr Apoorv Ranjan Sharma, President and co-founder of Venture Catalysts, said.

The market for organised facility management in India is projected to grow at 18 per cent CAGR between 2018 and 2022 to reach USD 20 billion by 2022.

* * * * * Shiprocket introduces smart packaging solutions for SMBs e-commerce businesses *

Shiprocket, an e-commerce platform, on Wednesday said it has introduced smart packaging solutions on its platform for small and medium businesses.

With this launch, Shiprocket aims to make high-quality packaging accessible to all businesses, allowing them to elevate their overall end-user experience. The packaging solutions comprise tamper-proof courier bags and corrugated shipping boxes, a statement said.

"Packaging by Shiprocket is an essential part of the smooth and hassle-free shipping experience that we aim to offer. On the back of our logistics platform, we are enabling online sellers to put forth a cost effective and uniform packaging experience to their customers, helping them boost customer satisfaction and retention," Saahil Goel, co-founder and CEO of Shiprocket, said.

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