MAM
Pyxis One raises $17 million in series B funding
Mumbai: Pyxis One, a California-based tech startup that aims to revolutionise marketing and consumer intelligence by providing an all-in-one, codeless AI platform, has closed $17 million in series B funding. With total funding of $24 million, the company plans to use this round of capital for investments in product development and to expand to new markets.
Celesta Capital and Premji Invest have co-led the round with participation from previous investors Chiratae Ventures, pi Ventures, and Exfinity Venture Partners. “Every enterprise is either already rearchitecting themselves to adopt AI, or are dependent on one or more AI-driven platforms,” said Premji Invest partner Atul Gupta. “Pyxis One stands out by helping consumer-first enterprises adopt AI for their marketing and business growth without having to disrupt the business at all.”
Pyxis One enables enterprises to scale accurate data-driven marketing. The startup’s codeless AI ecosystem comprises dozens of AI models deployed across different aspects such as targeting, optimisation, creative recommendation, and consumer research, enabling a complete ecosystem that can help teams collaborate, and leverage capabilities enabled by the adoption of AI.
“Modern businesses are looking to use advanced elements of artificial intelligence and machine learning to deliver targeted and effective marketing,” said Celesta Capital founding managing partner Sriram Viswanathan. “These capabilities are important for enterprises looking to benefit from next-generation marketing technologies. Pyxis One’s platform delivers on this promise, and we are delighted to back this team to realise this potential.”
The company is looking to add over 200 AI models to the AI infrastructure over the next two years. These AI models are trained with billions of cross-industry data points that brands from every industry can utilise. The platform also future-proofs AI structure and deployment to inherit new models and customise them without any rework.
“Marketing can become 10 times more efficient if every team that plays a role in appealing to consumers can collaborate and work together using precise AI-driven insights,” said Pyxis One global CEO Shubham A Mishra. “With AI’s agility and scalability, we bridge the gap between marketers and data scientists and enable them to make better decisions in the backdrop of accurate and dynamic consumer insights. The new funds will enable us to speed up product development, hire more AI experts and data scientists, and expand our sales and marketing to additional markets.”
The AI SaaS startup has witnessed a 550 per cent growth since its inception in 2018 and has a customer base across different industries including retail, automotive, healthcare, finance, and food tech. These customers are witnessing at least a 30 pert cent increase in their marketing efficiency and consumer intelligence, on average, said the statement.
“The real clincher is that our ecosystem of products is completely codeless thereby easing the adoption of AI for our customers,” said APAC CEO Neel Pandya. “Our series B funding will allow us to aggressively pursue the development of more AI models to strengthen the infrastructure and expand into newer markets.”
MAM
Lego brings Messi, Ronaldo, Mbappé, Vinicius together
Campaign clocks 314 million views ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026 buzz.
MUMBAI: Four legends, one frame and not a single tackle in sight. Lego has pulled off a crossover few thought possible, uniting Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior in a single campaign ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 only this time, they’re building dreams brick by brick.
Titled “Everyone wants a piece”, the campaign features the quartet assembling a Lego version of the World Cup trophy, before placing miniature versions of themselves atop it, a playful nod to football’s ultimate prize. Shared widely across social media, the ad carries a pointed disclaimer: it is not AI-generated, a subtle but telling signal in an era where even reality is often questioned.
The numbers tell their own story. The campaign has already crossed 314 million views on Instagram across the players’ accounts, with fans hailing it as a rare, almost nostalgic moment particularly for the reunion of Messi and Ronaldo, whose last shared campaign ahead of the 2022 World Cup became one of the platform’s most-liked posts.
Beyond the film, Lego is extending the play with exclusive, player-themed sets tied to each of the four stars, part of a broader football-led programme designed to ride the global momentum building towards 2026. The idea, as echoed by the players themselves, leans into the parallels between football and play experimentation, creativity, failure, and triumph.
Messi described the sets as a way to bring on-pitch moments into an imaginative, hands-on world, while Ronaldo called the transformation into a Lego figure a rare honour, blending sport with storytelling. Vinícius, meanwhile, struck a more personal note, recalling childhood moments of building with Lego and framing creativity as a universal language that transcends borders.
The timing is no accident. With the 2026 World Cup set to run from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Canada and Mexico, and featuring an expanded 48-team format, global anticipation is already building. Argentina, led by Messi, will enter as defending champions, adding another layer of intrigue.
For Lego, the campaign does more than celebrate football, it taps into its mythology. Because when icons become figurines and rivalries turn into play, the beautiful game finds a new kind of pitch. one built, quite literally, by hand.
