StartupCentral

Sequoia Capital-backed electronic television programme guide What’s On India has raised an undisclosed round of funding from Intel Capital and existing investors Sequoia and Nexus Venture Partners as part of a Series C round.  Intel Capital is investing from its $250 million India-dedicated fund. The deal was announced last week as part of an aggregate $20 million investment across six Indian companies.

What’s On India will use the fresh funds primarily to power its push into mobile devices, including tablets, a strategic move that it announced in May. The company launched its Android app in August which gives users of Android-based devices access to information on television programmes across 500 channels. Founded in 2005 by former Rediff and Starcom executive Atul Phadnis, the company’s multi-device programme guide currently covers more than 550 television channels and powers more than 30 million set-top boxes.

Phadnis sees mobile as the company’s next big frontier for growth and hopes to leverage the association with Intel to power this phase. Smart TV and mobility have recently been identified by Intel Capital as a key focus area for investments in India. This is in line with its parent, chipmaker Intel’s own strategic business focus. Since inception, What’s On India, which was originally incorporated as Aarohan Media Software, has raised three rounds of funding. The first round came from Wealth First Advisors in 2006, followed by a Series B from Sequoia and Nexus in 2008. The amounts invested by these institutions are not known.

Hyderabad is a charming city and the biryani more than lives up to its name. Unlike previous years, the Marriott, off the majestic Hussain Sagar, was the venue for TiE-ISB Connect 2009. The event has also gotten bigger. About 500-plus delegates were in attendance. But there was one key element missing this year. The Business Plan Showcase was not part of the schedule. The organizers, said Sateesh Andra, program convener and venture partner, DFJ India, are working on a revamp to give the showcase more teeth. This implies some kind of funding commitment to the winning startup, which has not been the case in the past.

The event started with the ‘Jumpstart Your Venture – Workshop’ and following are excerpts from some of the parts that I found particularly insightful:

Atul Phadnis, What’s On India

Phadnis founded What’s On India, a company that provides television electronic programme guide solutions, in 2005. It is backed by Nexus Venture Partners and Sequoia Capital and is based in Mumbai. Phadnis spoke about the importance of partnerships for startups. Edited excerpts: Read the full story