To generate more user interest in its video streaming service ‘Watch’, Global tech giant Facebook has decided to crack a licensing deal with the three largest music companies — Universal Music Group, Sony Music and Warner Music Group — seeking rights over music videos.

Just like YouTube, Watch also pays its popular content creators and publishers in order to keep them entertained and motivated to publish more content.

Well, Facebook and the music companies already have signed up a licensing deal that lets Facebook allow its users to add music to their images and videos.

If successful, Facebook will also host the latest music videos on its platform.

As far as the performance of the platform in India is concerned, Facebook has $241 Mn users in India, as of June 2019. | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1577010979.3100464/Facebook-Seeks-Licensing-Deals-With-Music-Companies:-Should-YouTube-Worry??ref=audio_experience

In a statement, IFF said that the public consultation will ensure that the public has a chance to give their comments on PDP bill.

In order to get wider participation of the public on this bill, IFF urged that the committee should ensure that the bill is made available in various regional languages.

After getting a nod from the union cabinet, the PDP bill, on December 12, was sent for a review to the Joint Parliamentary Committee comprising of members from both the Houses of Parliament.

Moreover, the PDP bill has also given rise to criticism for allowing law enforcement agencies in India to process personal data of users without consent for “reasonable purposes”.

Justice BN Srikrishna, who led the committee that drafted the PDP Bill, said the bill is “dangerous” and can turn India into an Orwellian state. | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1577008806.686356/Internet-Freedom-Foundation-Seeks-Public-Review-Of-PDP-Bill?ref=audio_experience

Rein, a Chapel Hill, NC, Maynard, MA and Halifax, NS-based insurtech startup, received an investment from Volvo Financial Services.

Founded in 2015 by Steve Rabbitt, Co-Founder and President at REIN, Rein creates collaborative insurance programs between carriers and data-driven ecosystems.

Through its insurtech platform, the company enables rapid program deployment while improving risk analysis.

Earlier this year, the company showcased its insurtech platform at iLabX, Volvo Financial Services’ ten-week accelerator program designed to enable startups to develop their solutions in live customer environments.

Now, VFS and Rein will continue to explore customized data-driven solutions that increase safety and improve the overall insurance experience for Volvo Group customers. | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1577007371.0164165/Rein-Receives-Investment-from-Volvo-Financial-Services?ref=audio_experience

AWH LogoAscend Wellness Holdings, a multi-state, vertically integrated cannabis operator, raised $28.2m in new financing.

Led by Founder Abner Kurtin, Ascend Wellness Holdings is a vertically integrated operator with assets in Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Massachusetts and New Jersey.

AWH owns Michigan Supply and Provisions, Illinois Supply and Provisions and Ascend and operates Ohio Provisions.

Three new Michigan Supply and Provisions stores are planned to open this winter in Ann Arbor, Detroit and Battle Creek.

The Ozone brand is already being sold to critical acclaim and market success in Illinois and Michigan. | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1577005702.244093/Ascend-Wellness-Raises-$28M-In-Funding?ref=audio_experience

Smart Wires, a Union City, Calif.-based global provider of modular power flow control solutions for electric utilities and grid operators, raised $75m in growth equity financing.

The round was led by Lime Rock New Energy.

Lime Rock New Energy representatives will join the board of the company alongside representatives from existing investor 3×5 Partners.

Led by Gregg Rotenberg, CEO, Smart Wires provides power flow control devices that allow utilities to increase the efficiency and resilience of the power grid infrastructure and unlock large amounts of underutilized transmission capacity that exists on their systems today.

This means they can reduce congestion to save customers money and deliver clean, renewable energy to end users. | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1577003928.4647117/Smart-Wires-Receives-$75M-in-Growth-Equity-Financing?ref=audio_experience

Earlier, retail used to be all about the retailer.

Instead, retailers should find their own voice and rise above the crowd with a unique proposition.

Brands need to use their existing network to build experiences instead of starting a whole new division for it.

Intelligent retail automation is now a necessity, not a luxury.

With the power of data, intelligent retail automation can completely transform how retail teams function. | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1577001774.9019444/The-Technology-Intervention-That-Indian-Retail-Needs-Right-Now?ref=audio_experience

What is a certainty, however, is that the foodtech sector is poised to grow.

A recently released TechSci Research report, India Foodtech Market, said the foodtech market was projected to grow at a CAGR of over 12 percent from 2016 to 2021.

Here are the key trends that are likely to catapult the growth of India’s foodtech sector in 2020.

YourStory Founder and CEO Shradha Sharma in conversation with PhonePe CEO Sameer Nigam.

Speaking about UPI and policy changes that shaped the competition in India, Sameer feels that Paytm played the wallet story very well. | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1576999807.7194078/From-what’s-likely-to-be-cooking-in-India’s-foodtech-sector-to-PhonePe’s-strategy-a?ref=audio_experience

In the earlier 420 posts, we featured an art festival, cartoon gallery.

world music festival, telecom expo, millets fair, climate change expo, wildlife conference, startup festival, Diwali rangoli, and jazz festival.

The eight-day Serendipity Arts Festival (SAF) is wrapping up in Goa today.

See our earlier interview with Smriti Rajgarhia, Director, Serendipity Arts Foundation; curator insights; and photo essays on the festival launch, innovation exhibits and social messages.

“The Serendipity Arts Festival is getting bigger and better each year,” said Sunil Kant Munjal, Chairman of Hero Enterprises; he is also Founder and Chief Patron of Serendipity Arts Trust. | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1576998110.0669427/Interpretations,-practices,-trends:-Serendipity-Arts-Festival-wraps-up-2019-edition-with-multi-disciplinary-showcase?ref=audio_experience

Willow, a Mountain View, Calif.-based developer of an in-bra wearable breast pump, raised an additional $20m in funding.

The round, which brought total capital raised to date to $100m, was led by NEA and Meritech Capital Partners as well as Lightstone Ventures and others.

The company intends to use the funds to accelerate product development and further expand into retail, insurance and international channels.

Led by President and CEO Naomi Kelman, Willow offers in-bra quiet wearable pumps leveraging patented technology that mimics a baby’s continuous suction.

The raise follows the launch of Container, which gives moms the option to pump and pour with the Container or pump and store with spill-proof Milk Bags. | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1576996458.9051242/Willow-Raises-$20M-in-Funding?ref=audio_experience

Challenges Plaguing India’s Real Estate IndustryThe establishment of this crisis fund is a positive move, but it fails to address the multitude of challenges plaguing the real estate space.

Especially, the residential real estate sector has witnessed a decline in sales and investments due to weak demand, high taxation, defaults and the rippling effect of the NFBC crisis.

Active involvement of multiple stakeholders is paving the way for tech-based innovation, reimagining and redefining the real estate industry in the country.

As the possibility of another financial crisis emerges, but buy-to-let properties could be the only saviour of the country’s ailing real estate sector.

Especially, the residential real estate space is expected to have a positive transformation buoyed by widespread adoption of this trend. | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1576994405.503203/The-Buy-To-Let-Model-Can-Breathe-New-Life-Into-India’s-Dwindling-Real-Estate-Sector?ref=audio_experience