iWorld
Explurger secures $ 4.5 million in series-A funding led by Affle
Mumbai: Social media platform Explurger has announced that it has raised an investment of $ 4.5 million (Rs 37.3 Cr) in a series-A funding led by Affle (India) Limited (“Affle”) at a pre-money valuation of about $ 40 million (Rs 338 Cr). With this investment, Affle (India) Limited will hold a 9.03 per cent stake (on a fully diluted basis) of Explurger, which has already shown a robust potential and interest from global investors.
Launched in 2021 in India, Explurger has already garnered more than 8.5 million users across 75+ countries. Pioneering the field as the only “Gamified” AI-powered vertical consumer-tech social media platform for travelers, Explurger is listed by Google as one of ‘10 Most Innovative Apps Making Mark in India and Beyond’. With an AI-centered social media format, the app differentiates itself with features such as Automatic Travelogue, Rewards and Bucket List to cater to the distinctive needs of travelers and explorers. The company expects to target the growing social media users in India and the world, amidst a renewed interest in the travel segment in the post-pandemic world.
The travel and tourism industry continues to be on the rise, with a projected contribution of about 8.4% to the Global GDP in 2023 (WTTC) and projected contribution of about 5.4% to India’s GDP in 2023 (WTTC) with an estimated 124% increase for the following decade, it is clear that the niche premise of the app signals brighter horizons.
Speaking about the investment, Explurger founder & CEO Jitin Bhatia, said, “We’re thrilled to welcome Affle on our cap table as part of Series-A funding round. Affle is already a leading name known for their tech innovations and R&D, and with them as an investor, it validates our vision to build a social media platform of the future that goes beyond likes and shares, and truly builds a global connected community using the advancements of AI. We look forward to the next phase of our growth story and are grateful for the confidence shown in us by the team at Affle.”
iWorld
WhatsApp may soon let users to pick who sees their status updates
The messaging giant is borrowing a page from Instagram’s playbook as it pushes to give users finer control over their social circles.
CALIFORNIA: WhatsApp is quietly working on a feature that could make its Status function considerably smarter and considerably more private.
According to reports from beta tracking platforms, the app is testing a tool called Status lists, which would allow users to create named groups such as close friends, family and colleagues, and control precisely which group sees each update. It is a meaningful step up from the platform’s current blunt instruments, which offer only three options: share with all contacts, exclude specific people, or manually select individuals each time.
The new feature draws an obvious comparison with Instagram’s Close Friends function, and the resemblance is unlikely to be accidental. Both platforms sit within Meta’s family, and the company has been nudging them toward a common logic of audience segmentation for some time.
The move also fits neatly into WhatsApp’s broader privacy push. The platform has been rolling out enhanced chat protections and is exploring the introduction of usernames, which would allow users to connect without exchanging phone numbers. Status lists extend that philosophy from messaging into broadcasting.
Meanwhile, Status itself has been evolving well beyond its origins as a simple photo-and-text slideshow. The feature now supports music stickers, collages, longer videos and interactive elements, pushing it closer to the social-media-style story format pioneered by Snapchat and refined by Instagram. In that context, finer audience controls are not merely a privacy feature. They are a precondition for people sharing more.
The feature remains in development and has not been confirmed for release. WhatsApp routinely tests tools that are later modified or quietly shelved. But the direction of travel is clear: the app wants Status to be a destination, not an afterthought. Letting users decide exactly who is in the audience is how it gets there.
