Direct-to-consumer (D2C) startup Bajo Foods raised $2 million in fresh funds led by Mount Judi Ventures where S Ramadorai and KPB Trust’s founder KP Balaraj participated.
Bajo Foods Private Limited” is manufacturing Keto Chocolate, High Protein Atta etc. Bajo will use the funding proceeds to expand its B2B and hospital distribution networks and brand-build for its new product lines. The startup also plans to grow its leadership team in the revenue-generating and branding sectors.
Carpediem Capital, a private equity firm dedicated to creating SME leaders in India’s consumption and services sectors, has announced its full exit from Flipspaces, a tech-enabled commercial design-and-build leader, delivering 9x returns for Carpediem Capital Fund I. Carpediem partners with high-potential SMEs that build consumer brands or bring structure to fragmented service sectors, typically through significant minority or control stakes, and often as the first or sole institutional investor. The exit was concluded in August 2025 through a secondary sale to PE funds and family offices, as part of a larger Series C primary funding round led by Iron Pillar, with participation from other investors including Synergy Capital Partners, Prudent Investment Managers, Panthera Growth Partners, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Invests, and SMBC Asia Rising Funds. In total funds amounting to USD 50 million were raised. The transaction valued Flipspaces at ~USD 120 million, delivering an impressive ~9x multiple on invested capital (MOIC) and ~40% IRR for Carpediem. Carpediem first invested USD 1.8 million in Flipspaces in December 2018 during its Series A round, acquiring a significant minority stake through equity shares. The investment thesis was driven by the founding team’s entrepreneurial strength, Flipspaces’ advanced tech-enabled approach with VR visualization technology, its end-to-end design-and-build solution, and the opportunity to organize a highly fragmented, execution-heavy market. Since Carpediem’s investment, Flipspaces has achieved 11x revenue growth, expanded into international markets such as the U.S. (now contributing ~20% of revenues), strengthened its proprietary tech stack, and delivered projects for marquee clients including TCS. Today, Flipspaces operates with 400 in-house employees, having served over 1,000 clients, covering 8.5 million sq. ft. of commercial space globally. Carpediem supported Flipspaces’ entry into new geographies, including the U.S. market and large enterprise accounts, opening avenues for scalable growth. The firm strengthened the company’s leadership depth by appointing a Finance Head and introducing robust corporate governance frameworks to enhance reporting and tracking efficiency. By leveraging its network, Carpediem connected Flipspaces with large real estate companies and SME clients, fostering long-term relationships and repeat business opportunities. Nurturing First-Generation Founders Carpediem’s approach is, its partnership with first-generation entrepreneurs, entering early stage and catalyzing their growth journeys: Hithendra Ramachandran, Managing Director, Carpediem Capital, said, “Flipspaces has been one of the standout performers in our portfolio, validating our thesis of backing businesses that bring structure to fragmented service sectors. This success reflects Carpediem Capital’s approach of not merely being a provider of capital, but as a true partner in building businesses. The management team at Flipspaces has shown the rigour and resilience to manoeuvre profitable growth despite facing existential challenges during the pandemic days.” Kunal Sharma, Co-Founder, Flipspaces, added, “Carpediem has been more than an investor. They have been a true partner in our journey. Their belief in us, strategic guidance and active support have enabled us to innovate, expand and build a strong presence across domestic and international markets. With our new investors joining in, we’re ready to take the next big leap and redefine what’s possible in commercial interiors, while remaining deeply grateful …
The Burger Company (TBC) has announced the official rollout of its newest format – TBC PICO, a compact yet full-flavor outlet model designed to bring the brand’s signature taste closer to a wider audience. The concept has already witnessed an overwhelming response, with more than 10,000 direct Expressions of Interest (EOIs) received to date. The highest traction for PICO has come from Delhi NCR (with over 1,000 EOIs), followed by Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, and East UP – each recording 500+ EOIs. This city-wise demand reflects the strong enthusiasm for TBC’s expansion into newer, high-potential markets. By October 5, 2025, the first TBC PICO outlet will be operational. The month will further see 5–7 outlets opening their doors, with 25+ more already under fit-out and scheduled to launch in the following weeks. Staying true to its roots, every PICO outlet will feature the star attractions from the regular TBC menu, offering vegetarian burgers, chicken options, fries, munchies, sandwiches, momos, pies, and beverages. The curated menu ensures that customers experience the same beloved taste and variety of TBC in a compact, neighborhood-friendly format. “With PICO, we’re making TBC more accessible while retaining everything our customers love about us – great taste, variety, and quality,” said Neelam Singh, Founder and CEO at The Burger Company. “The incredible response proves the strength of the concept and marks an exciting new chapter in our growth journey.” The PICO format represents TBC’s commitment to innovation, scalability, and customer convenience, strengthening its position as a brand built on delivering exceptional food experiences across India.
Indian festive seasons usher in a wave of celebrations, parties, and naturally, eating out. For restaurants, it is a double-edged sword with gigantic business prospects but also creating operational hurdles. Fulfilling the demand spikes with the promise of consistent quality of service needs to be managed with more than conventional planning. Artificial intelligence (AI)-backed demand forecasting has now become a revolutionizing tool, helping restaurants effectively plan for festive surges. Historically, restaurateurs used experience, intuition, or past records to project festive demand. Though these gave an overall idea of customer flow, they were often inexact. Consumer actions in festivals are affected by several factors: cultural affinities, pay periods, weather patterns, current events, and even macroeconomic factors. AI forecasting systems can handle such multifaceted data inputs in unison. They take cues not only from historical sales but also from factors outside of them like social media patterns, holiday calendars, local events, and online ordering habits. The outcome is a more refined, more accurate demand forecasting. One of the major benefits of AI forecasting is in inventory management. With festive seasons, there is little room for error. Overstocking causes wastage of food, whereas understocking means lost revenues and disappointed customers. AI algorithms study historical buying patterns in addition to existing market conditions to recommend the exact amount of raw material needed. For example, if a city has high demand for traditional sweet dishes or local festival foods, restaurants can pre-order ingredients, arrange more favorable supplier terms, and avoid last-minute runs on inventory. Staffing is another aspect where AI-based insights are a godsend. The festive season necessitates flexible management of the workforce to manage greater foot traffic, order deliveries, and longer working hours. AI can forecast peak hours and days of a festival week and assist restaurants in dividing staff in the kitchen, service staff, and delivery staff according to the correct number for each shift. This avoids overstaffing that increases expenses unnecessarily and understaffing that affects the quality of service. In an industry where customer experience dictates loyalty, such precision is crucial. Tools driven by AI also assist in dynamic menu engineering and pricing plans. Festivals usually witness changes in consumer food habits; families might prefer big combos, corporate parties might require catering services, and young customers might prefer festive-themed products. AI models can monitor these changes in real time, leading restaurants to adjust menus, package bestsellers, or roll out limited-time seasonal specials. Moreover, AI can assist with price-based decision-making by monitoring competitor behavior, consumer expenditure habits, and willingness to pay during busy times. This enables restaurants to optimize profit without pushing away price-conscious consumers. The emergence of food delivery apps has further heightened the significance of AI forecasting. Orders surge sharply on festival days when traffic jams or social obligations discourage people from eating out. AI systems can be made to interact with delivery platforms in order to project spikes in certain neighborhoods or time slots. Restaurants can make their kitchen operations and delivery logistics accordingly to ensure quick order fulfillment, cut …
