Zomato’s Rain Fee, leap.club Shuts Down, and Zepto’s Zepto Atom

Zomato's Gold users face a new "rain fee" starting May 16, while Trump rains on Apple’s India dreams, declaring he’s “not interested” in their factories here. Women-first startup leap.club shuts down, unable to weather retention woes, even after $2.3M raised. Meanwhile, Amazon’s Project Kuiper wants to beam down broadband with a quick India launch. And as Zepto rolls out Zepto Atom, a bold foray into consumer analytics.

Grab your simmering cup of StartupChai.in and unwind with our hand-brewed memes.

“Let’s Make America Great (Again)”: We Are Not Interested In You Building In India, Says Trump To Apple CEO

Trump’s taking a bite out of Apple’s India plans—telling Tim Cook he's “not interested” in seeing factories pop up there. He slammed India as a high-tariff nation that's tough on US goods.

Ironically, Apple’s betting big on India, which could soon churn out 20% of all iPhones.

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“Golmal Hai Bhai Sab Golmal Hai”: Zomato To Charge Additional Rain Fee For Gold Users From May 16

Zomato’s bringing the monsoon blues early—with a new rain fee for even its Gold members starting May 16. The company says it’s to fairly pay delivery partners battling the downpour.

Meanwhile, Zomato’s profits are shining, with a 56% YoY jump in adjusted EBITDA to ₹428 Cr last quarter.

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“Arthik Tangi Ki Maar”: leap.club Halts Operations Due To Funding Crunch, Retention Challenges

leap.club, the women-only networking startup, is hitting pause after raising $2.3 million since 2020. Despite a strong start, sky-high customer acquisition costs and tough retention made scaling unsustainable.

The shutdown news dropped via Instagram and LinkedIn—bittersweet farewell from a bold community experiment.

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“Swagat Nahi Karoge Humara”: Project Kuiper Seeks Quick Launch In India’s Satellite Internet Market

Bezos is beaming into India—Project Kuiper is pushing for a speedy launch in the country’s satellite internet race.

The Amazon-backed venture plans to set up 10 gateways and two data hubs in Mumbai and Chennai. With a letter to the DoT, Kuiper’s asking for the green light to get orbit-ready, fast.

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“Ab Aayega Maza”: Zepto Enters Consumer Analytics with ‘Zepto Atom’ Launch

Zepto is diving into data with its newest launch—Zepto Atom, a subscription-based analytics platform rolling out May 16.

It’ll give brand partners the lowdown on real-time consumer trends, repeat rates, and predictive insights. With its own app and website, Atom marks Zepto’s sharp pivot into the business of knowing what you want before you do.

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1. Zenergize just sparked a $2 Mn boost to supercharge its ‘Made in India’ EV fast chargers. The seed round was led by Delhivery’s Mohit Tandon and Aspiring Minds’ Himanshu Aggarwal.
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2. Premium ice cream brand Hocco has secured $10 million in the first tranche of its $20 million Series B funding round, co-led by the Chona Family Office and consumer-focused VC firm Sauce VC.
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3. Ex-X India head Manish Maheshwari is back in the game—this time with a $100 Mn VC fund via BAT VC to fuel Indo-US startups. The focus is on early-stage innovation with a cross-border edge.
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4. India Family Mart has bagged $12 Mn in Series D funding to grow from 67 to 100 stores across North and East India. The value retail chain is going big on expansion in the heartland.
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