iWorld
Mr. Homecare strengthens brand; partners with Uber
MUMBAI: With on-demand services being extensively used by consumers, new ventures are rushing in to get the best possible professional services from on demand cabs to housekeeping to baby-sitting, or even having plumbers, electricians, carpenters on call.
The last few years have seen start-ups working towards brining convenient services to the consumer. One such start-up is Mr. Homecare, a platform for users to book professional on-demand services such as deep cleaning, pest control, car care, AC maintenance, plumbing, electrical support and many more.
Promoted by the Vora brothers, Rushabh and Sahil, Mr. Homecare began operations in February 2015. Their experience with their facility management business, SILA, which has over 1500 employees and manages over five million sqft of real estate, has helped them start operations in Mumbai, Pune and Bangalore within a few months.
In order to meet the need of the on-demand economy, Mr. Homecare and Uber have forged a partnership.
Through this association, any Uber consumer, on showing his Uber receipt and promo code to Mr. Homecare will get a 15 per cent discount on Mr. Homecare services. Additionally, Mr. Homecare customers who are new Uber users will get their first Uber ride up to Rs 300 for free.
Mr. Homecare co-founder Sahil Vora said, “It’s been about three months since we launched our services and we have received very positive responses from consumers, which for us is great validation of the idea. Our partnership with Uber aims to give the best of both on-demand services, and we look forward to more such associations.”
“It is exciting to have partnered with a brand like Uber. On-demand services is going to be a big thing in India in the coming years and we are glad we are one of the pioneers in the industry,” Mr. Homecare co-founder Rushabh Vora added.
“Uber has always been at the forefront of the on-demand economy and is excited to partner with and support start-ups with the same aim – one that brings convenience to the Indian consumer at the press of a button. Mr. Homecare is bringing cutting edge services to Mumbai, Bangalore and Pune that has, until now has not been available in these cities. Uber and Mr. Homecare have entered into a partnership that aims to bring the best of both platforms to the discerning consumer,” said a spokesperson from Uber.
Gaming
MTG gaming chief Benninghoff joins NODWIN board as esports firm primes for IPO
The Gurugram-based esports firm is pursuing a public listing, has returned to profitability and is growing revenues by 42 per cent
GURUGRAM: NODWIN Gaming is moving fast. The Gurugram-based gaming and esports company has launched a pre-IPO fundraising round, appointed UBS as lead adviser for both the round and a subsequent public listing, and landed a heavyweight board director, all in one go.
The new board member is Arnd Benninghoff, executive vice president of gaming at Stockholm-listed Modern Times Group (MTG), who has overseen the group’s strategic investments and portfolio growth since 2014. He is no stranger to building things: Benninghoff has founded and built fifteen companies, served as chief digital officer at ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG, managing director of SevenVentures, and chief executive of Holtzbrinck eLAB. He began his career as a journalist at Deutsche Presse Agentur and various TV networks, holds a Diplom-Kaufmann in business and administration from the University of Münster, and previously sat on the board of Edgeware AB.
The numbers back the ambition
NODWIN is not pitching a story without substance. The company has returned to EBITDA profitability and posted a 42 per cent year-on-year revenue surge, reaching $58.5m in the first nine months of FY2026. The pre-IPO round will combine a primary issuance to fund global expansion through organic growth and acquisitions, alongside a secondary sale to give existing shareholders some liquidity.
Akshat Rathee, co-founder and managing director of NODWIN Gaming, said Benninghoff understands “the entire lifecycle of the gaming and media ecosystem, from the boots-on-the-ground reality of building startups to the strategic complexity of managing multi-billion dollar global portfolios.”
Benninghoff, for his part, said the company “sits at the intersection of sports, entertainment, and technology, making it one of the most exciting players in the global gaming landscape today.”
A portfolio built for the global south
Founded in 2014 by Rathee and Gautam Virk, NODWIN has quietly assembled one of the more compelling esports portfolios outside the Western hemisphere. Its properties include DreamHack India and Comic Con India, and it recently acquired StarLadder, the Ukraine-based tournament organiser behind premier events in CS:GO and Dota 2. The company also serves as a long-term strategic marketing partner for the Evolution Championship Series (EVO), the world’s most prominent fighting game tournament, helping push it into new geographies.
Its geographic focus spans South Asia, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Backers include Nazara Technologies, KRAFTON, Sony Group Corporation, JetSynthesys, and the founders’ investment vehicle Good Game Investments.
What comes next
With UBS running the books, a board freshly reinforced with European media and gaming expertise, and revenue heading in the right direction, NODWIN is laying the groundwork deliberately. The esports industry has burned investors before with big promises and thin margins. NODWIN’s return to profitability, combined with a real portfolio of owned intellectual properties across gaming, music and youth culture, gives it a more credible runway than most. The IPO clock is now ticking.
