e-commerce
Quikr raises Rs 365 crore for future expansion
Mumbai: Valued at around Rs 1800 crore, the online classifieds platform, Quikr has raised Rs 365 crore in the latest round of funding. The investment was led by new investor Tiger Global Management, a global investment firm, with participation from its current investors.
The company, which has so far received funding of around Rs 1,300 crore since its inception in 2008, will use the funds towards product development and further expansion of its mobile business, Quikr said in a statement.
Commenting on the latest funding, Quicker founder and CEO Pranay Chulet said, “The explosive growth in mobile Internet is fundamentally reshaping the Indian classified Internet market, and we are well positioned to be at the forefront of this growth.”
“This funding round is a powerful validation of our local knowledge and connections, skilled execution and quality management team. We are excited to welcome Tiger Global to Quikr as we continue to further grow our platform,” he added.
The Mumbai-based company’s current investors include Kinnevik, Matrix Partners India, Nokia Growth Partners, Norwest Venture Partners, Omidyar Network, Warburg Pincus and eBay Inc.
In the previous round of funding held in March, Quikr was valued at about Rs 1,525 crore. At that time, the company had raised Rs 550 crore in an investment round led by Swedish investment firm Investment Kinnevik.
Talking about the new investment, Tiger Global Management partner Lee Fixel said, “Quikr has grown rapidly to become one of India’s major classifieds players with a deep understanding of the local market. By leveraging the company’s strengths as a local player, Quikr has seized a tremendous opportunity in a rapidly growing market. We look forward to supporting the Quikr team.”
Quikr records 30 million users a month across 940 cities in India. These consumers come to Quikr to sell, buy, rent or find products and services in a variety of categories including mobile phones, household goods, cars, real estate, jobs, services and education.
e-commerce
American Express to acquire AI startup Hyper to boost automation
Deal targets expense management as AI reshapes corporate spending tools.
MUMBAI: From receipts to robots, the expense sheet is getting a brain upgrade as American Express moves to bring artificial intelligence into the heart of corporate spending. The company has announced plans to acquire Hyper, a relatively young but fast-rising startup founded in 2022 that builds AI-powered agents capable of organising expenses, generating reports, verifying compliance with budgets and policies, and nudging users with timely reminders. The deal, expected to close in the second quarter of 2026, underscores a growing shift among financial institutions to automate traditionally manual, time-heavy workflows.
Hyper counts Sam Altman among its backers, adding a layer of Silicon Valley credibility to the acquisition. While financial details remain undisclosed, the strategic intent is clear: deepen automation capabilities and sharpen American Express’s position in the competitive corporate spending ecosystem.
The two companies are not strangers. They previously collaborated in 2024 on a co-branded credit card product, suggesting that the acquisition is less a cold buy and more an extension of an existing relationship. With this move, American Express is effectively bringing that capability in-house, aiming to embed AI directly into its commercial services stack.
Chief executive Stephen Squeri had already signalled the direction of travel in a recent shareholder letter, describing AI as a “structural shift” in how businesses operate. The Hyper acquisition appears to be a direct response to that shift, particularly in expense management, where processes such as approvals, compliance checks and reporting remain ripe for automation.
Alongside the acquisition, the company is also expanding its product suite. A recently launched business credit card offers cashback and benefits at an annual fee of $295, with another card expected later this year moves that complement its broader push into commercial services.
Taken together, the strategy points to a future where managing expenses may require fewer spreadsheets and more algorithms. For American Express, the bet is simple, if businesses are rethinking how work gets done, the tools that power that work need to evolve just as quickly.
