Good morning, Bengaluru!
🌫️ Today’s weather: High: 25 ℃ | Low: 19 ℃ | Misty through the day.
🧐 Did you know? The flyover at Sirsi Circle, also known as the Mysore Road flyover, was the first flyover built in Bengaluru. It was opened for traffic in 1998.
🆒 Scrabble tournament in Bengaluru
The city is set to host an international Scrabble tournament with renowned participants.
Four divisions: The Karnataka State Scrabble Association (KSSA) is preparing for the KSSA India Open, an international Scrabble tournament to be held in Whitefield, Bengaluru. Sponsored by Mu Sigma, the event will feature four divisions based on player skill ratings.
- Close to 200 local players and 25 international competitors, including world champion Nigel Richards, have registered.
- The tournament, with a prize pool of ₹11 lakh, will run from January 25 to 28, featuring 32 games per player to ensure fairness.
Details: Interested players can register online at indianscrabble.com on or before January 15 to participate in the tournament.
💰 Impact Analytics’ $40M funding boost
Bengaluru’s Impact Analytics secures significant investment for expansion.
How much? Impact Analytics, a retail SaaS company from Bengaluru, has raised $40 million in a funding round led by Sageview Capital, with additional support from Vistara Growth. The investment will enable the company to expand its Bengaluru-based team and advance its AI-powered planning and merchandising products for the retail sector.
- The funding will enhance Impact Analytics’ technology platform and market reach.
- The company aims to strengthen its sales, marketing, customer service, and strategic partnerships.
Fresh faces: New board members Jeff Klemens and Prashanth Palakurthi from Sageview Capital will join, bringing their expertise to the company’s strategic growth.
🛣️ Young minds awarded for road safety ideas
Schoolchildren in Karnataka were recognised for their innovative road safety solutions.
Bright minds: Over 5,000 schoolchildren from Karnataka participated in a letter-writing competition, expressing imaginative ideas for road safety. The best three letters were awarded by Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot at Karnapex 2024. Asfiya Samreen of St Joseph’s Central School, Mysuru, won an international award and the state’s first prize for her letter emphasising road consciousness among children. Classmates A Kushi and KR Ankitha from Bengaluru also received state-level awards for their creative contributions.
- The competition theme focused on imagining oneself as a superhero dedicated to making roads safer for children.
- The awards were part of the Universal Postal Union and UN Road Safety Fund initiative.
A success: Karnapex 2024, a festival of stamps, also recognised philatelists for their contributions. The Chief Postmaster General highlighted the event’s success, with over one lakh visitors and significant business at philatelic stalls. A ‘Pop-up’ post office was a special attraction, allowing children to engage in letter writing.
🚀 Bellatrix Aerospace’s milestone
Bellatrix Aerospace’s payloads have been successfully validated in space.
What’s it about? Bengaluru-based Bellatrix Aerospace achieved a significant milestone with the successful space qualification of its payloads, Arka 200 and Rudra, launched on ISRO’s POEM-3 mission.
- Bellatrix’s propulsion systems, Rudra and Arka, offer environmentally friendly solutions and enhanced satellite manoeuvrability, marking a key development in sustainable space exploration.
- The payloads were part of ISRO’s PSLV-C58 mission, validating Bellatrix’s innovative designs.
A significant achievement: The company’s innovation in eco-friendly propulsion systems and efficient electric engines represents a major advancement in Indian space technology.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Do you own a credit card?
- I own a credit card.
- I don’t own a credit card.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
Which is your favourite proverb?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- After nine years, the prolonged wait of Bengaluru vendors for a renovated market has turned into frustration.
- In Bengaluru, gardeners commonly favour the hibiscus plant.
- The Peenya flyover in the city will be closed from 11 pm on January 16 until 11 am on January 19.
- Over 150 families are still awaiting compensation after the Bengaluru floods in 2022.
- Shangri-La Bengaluru’s Caprese is unveiling a refreshed menu, featuring a variety of inventive dishes and revamped dining experiences.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll:
- I have run a marathon: 33.3%
- I haven’t run a marathon: 66.7% 🏆
That’s it for today. Have a great day!