Brands
ScoopWhoop launches in-flight feed
MUMBAI: ScoopWhoop has announced the launch of its in-flight feed to give access to exclusive tailor-made content while flying above 16000 feet. The content publisher is the first to unlock this innovation, and is aiming to disrupt the industry, to re-look the way audience consumes content on-board.
While in-flight services are a common practice, ScoopWhoop’s latest addition to its app unlocks the feed, allowing users to read content while flying without internet connectivity. The feature which is currently in its beta version, appears as a push notification only when one is on airplane mode and flying above 16000 feet (cruising altitude). The feature will dissolve once there is a descend in the altitude.
The in-flight feed has been conceptualised by Dentsu Webchutney.
ScoopWhoop Media co-founder and chief product officer Debarshi Banerjee says, “This is the first time that a content publisher has forayed into distributing content basis behavioural patterns for airborne consumers. ScoopWhoop’s aim has always been to become a customer product and continue to revamp the strategy to innovate with the changing environment. We are hoping that the new update will help us build a further close connect with our audience.”
Dentsu Webchutney chief creative technologist Gurbaksh Singh adds, “Flying in India is mostly a boring experience due to unavailability of in-flight entertainment services. We are delighted to collaborate with ScoopWhoop to develop an innovative feature that will change the way audience consumes content. It was fun building the feature; we have deployed over 500 hours in air while testing the feasibility of the feature.”
Brands
Aman Gupta’s OFF/BEAT secures Rs 100 crore seed funding round
Bessemer backs new venture betting on AI and India’s digital shift
MUMBAI: Aman Gupta has raised Rs 100 crore in seed funding for his new venture OFF/BEAT, with Bessemer Venture Partners leading the round as it bets on a new wave of AI-led, consumer-first businesses in India.
The funding marks an early but significant push for OFF/BEAT, which is positioned to tap into a rapidly evolving market shaped by a digitally native generation and advances in artificial intelligence. The venture aims to build at the intersection of culture and technology, where brand identity and innovation increasingly go hand in hand.
Gupta, best known for co-founding boAt and scaling it into a Rs 3,000 crore-plus business, is now looking to apply those learnings to a new playbook. His focus this time is not just on building a consumer brand, but on leveraging AI and global networks to accelerate growth.
OFF/BEAT founder Aman Gupta said, “Having built from scratch before, I know what capital can do and what it cannot. This time, I was looking for partners with a global perspective who can help me leverage technology and AI, because that is where the future lies. Bessemer’s track record with companies like Anthropic, Shopify, Canva and LinkedIn says it all.”
The choice of investor reflects that ambition. Bessemer Venture Partners has backed global technology players such as Anthropic, Shopify, Canva and LinkedIn, bringing not just capital but strategic support and global reach.
Bessemer Venture Partners partner Anant Vidur Puri said, “We back founders who see around corners. Aman saw how a new India would come to think about aspiration, identity and quality, and built boAt as proof. He is now applying that same instinct to a market being reshaped by AI and by a generation with entirely new expectations.”
The investment comes at a time when India’s startup ecosystem is being reshaped by both consumer behaviour and technological disruption. Founders are increasingly expected to understand not just products, but the cultural shifts that drive adoption.
For OFF/BEAT, the journey is just beginning, but the signal is clear. In a market where attention is fleeting and expectations are rising, building something truly distinctive may be the only way to stay on beat.
