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REVEALED: Pronto - The Real Truth

Andreessen Horowitz Declares 'Travis Is Back' With $1.7B Robotics Bet

Andreessen Horowitz is making a major bet on the future of AI-powered robotics, backing former Uber (NYSE:UBER) co-founder Travis Kalanick’s next venture with a $1.7 billion funding round for Atoms.

Benzinga

Travis Kalanick’s Atoms secures $1.7 billion from a16z, Uber, others to expand into industrial AI

Atoms, Travis Kalanick's robotics firm, has secured $1.7 billion in funding. This investment, led by Andreessen Horowitz, will fuel industrial AI development. The company focuses on automation for mining, transport, and food production sectors. Atoms also acquired self-driving startup Pronto to enhance its capabilities. This funding supports Atoms' next phase…

The Economic Times

India's domestic workers go online as instant services boom

NEW DELHI - Racing against a stopwatch, a group of women folds bedsheets as they train to join an Indian startup that offers instant home services, transforming a traditionally word-of-mouth sector and promising better pay.

Bangkok Post

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Snabbit, Urban Company lead push to organise India's domestic work sector

Indian startups are digitizing domestic services, offering workers better pay and customers flexibility. Platforms like Snabbit and Urban Company function like ride-hailing apps for household tasks. Workers receive bookings online and their performance is tracked through customer ratings. This model provides flexible hours for mothers and instant service for homemakers.…

The Economic Times

Instant househelp startups burn $16-17 million in June as battle for customers intensifies

Instant househelp sector cash burn rose 14% month-on-month to $16-17 million in June. Aggressive discounting and customer acquisition offers fueled demand and order growth across platforms. The sector's rising cash burn, coupled with the relatively limited size of the addressable market, is beginning to concern investors tracking the space.

The Economic Times

Fable 5 wake-up call; Indians chase SpaceX jackpot

Happy Monday! The Fable 5 disruption has triggered fresh calls for India to build its own AI muscle. This and more in today’s ETtech Morning Dispatch.

The Economic Times

Instant househelp startups burn $14-15 million in May as discounts heat up

Instant home services platforms like Urban Company, Snabbit, and Pronto are aggressively spending millions on discounts again to capture market share. Despite increased cash burn, order growth is modest, indicating a fierce customer acquisition battle. Companies are prioritising scale over immediate profits in this competitive landscape.

The Economic Times

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The world is becoming training data for AI, for which everyone is unprotected

Pronto, a home services startup, is facing criticism for using body-camera footage from workers inside customers’ homes to train AI and robotics systems. The company says customers can opt in for discounts, but critics argue the real business is collecting valuable in-home data for humanoid robots.

The Economic Times

Experts flag data spills as house-help platforms bring physical AI home

Recent data-gathering pilots by on-demand service platforms Pronto and Snabbit have drawn a spotlight on India’s emerging physical AI ecosystem – and put safety regulators on edge. Sources told ET that the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has taken note of recent developments, especially Pronto’s in-home recording pilots.

The Economic Times

ETtech Explainer: What Pronto’s new video recording feature means for your privacy

Pronto's service professionals — who provide cleaning, washing, and meal preparation services — record their activities, generating videos that can help train physical AI systems. Following privacy concerns, the founders of rival platforms Urban Company and Snabbit clarified that they do not engage in such practices and have no plans…

The Economic Times

Instant house help startups see bookings top three million in April amid labour shortage

As platforms raise prices and battle for workers, questions are emerging around the long-term size and profitability of the 10-minute househelp market. Companies are now expanding into adjacent categories such as cooking and car washing to deepen engagement and drive growth.

The Economic Times

Optimising to win, capture market share in InstaHelp: Urban Company CEO Bhal as firm reports 57x jump in net loss

Home services platform Urban Company reported a 57-fold jump in net loss to Rs 161 crore in the March quarter of FY26, primarily due to increased spending on its InstaHelp segment. The company is prioritizing market share over short-term profitability in this competitive on-demand domestic help market.

The Economic Times

My first time at teacher-less pilates: ‘There is a soothing quality to the digital instructor’s voice, like an early childhood educator or a cult leader’

There is no human teacher at Michael Sun’s reformer pilates class but it is more affordable than a typical session. Is the trade-off worth it?

The Guardian - AU

Stranger Things cafe opens in Japan for fans of the Upside Down

Netflix collaboration sees Tokyo venue Pronto transformed into themed pop up

The Independent UK

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Leeds Live

New Pronto food app delivers the best Leeds indie restaurant meals to your door

Pronto launched in Ilkley during the coronavirus lockdown period and it has now expanded to Leeds

People

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