The Tech Panda takes a look at recent tech launches.
Esah Tea, a leading direct-to-consumer (D2C) tea brand from Assam, launched the world’s first microplastic-free cotton tea bags.
Bijit Sarma, Founder and CEO of Esah Tea, stated, “At Esah Tea, we’ve always viewed ourselves as more than just purveyors of fine tea; we’re custodians of a centuries-old rich tea heritage. The introduction of our microplastic-free cotton tea bags is not merely a product launch—it’s a paradigm shift in how we approach tea production and consumption. We’re addressing a critical health and environmental issue while simultaneously elevating the tea-drinking experience. This launch notably exemplifies our belief that exceptional quality, responsible production, and environmental stewardship can and must coexist in perfect harmony. I am extremely thankful to our R&D team whose day and night efforts have brought our toxin-free tea bags to fruition. We invite conscious consumers to sip responsibly and sustainably with Esah Tea.”
The Why
The launch comes in response to alarming findings from McGill University researchers, which revealed that conventional plastic tea bags release an astounding 11.9 billion harmful microplastic particles per cup.
The urgency of Esah Tea’s innovation becomes clear when considering the far-reaching implications of microplastic consumption. These minuscule particles, when ingested, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin, pose significant health risks. Scientific studies have indicated that microplastics can potentially cause cellular damage. In addition, regular exposure to microplastics has been linked to immune system disruption, neurotoxicity, reproductive issues, and even carcinogenic effects.
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In a bid to provide authentic data and unparalleled insights into the nation’s esports industry, AFK Gaming launched ‘AFK Gaming Insights’, India’s first-ever premium analytics dashboard, which offers real-time data and analytics to help users, brands and other stakeholders make informed decisions and stay ahead in the esports landscape of the country.
Nishant Patel, Co-founder and CEO of AFK Gaming stated, “AFK Gaming Insights is a product built to address a critical market need. In the absence of reliable data to aid their decision-making, key stakeholders in the Indian gaming, esports, and youth culture industries have been struggling to make informed decisions. With this launch, we hope to empower tournament organizers, brand managers, team owners and industry observers with a single source of truth that they can turn to for industry knowledge and information that will drive the sector’s growth as a whole.”
The Why
According to a report by Niko Partners, India is the fastest-growing gaming market, with over 450 million gamers and more than USD 830 million revenue generated in 2023. This expansive market requires a platform that enables stakeholders and brands to access insights on the go and use these metrics for their engagement and campaigns.
To address this, AFK Gaming Insights, which will be available exclusively to annual subscribers, has been devised to cater to a diverse spectrum of users. For newcomers, the dashboard serves as an entry point, providing information that helps them understand trends, player performances and tournament dynamics.
Features
Affinidi, a Singapore-based data and identity management company, launched the Affinidi Iota Framework built on open standards at the WeAreDevelopers World Congress. This innovative framework establishes a new way for individuals to share data by prioritising explicit consent, empowering individuals to selectively share specific data points with a clear understanding of their intended use.
“In a new world where individuals can control their identity and data, we must redefine how information is shared. The Affinidi Iota Framework represents a major step forward in safeguarding privacy and consent by shifting information processing to the individual’s personal data vault. Gone are the days of trusting third parties with sensitive documents like pay slips and bank statements just to open a bank account,” said Glenn Gore, Chief Executive Officer of Affinidi.
The Why
In the traditional digital landscape, individuals often share sensitive data with third parties without transparency or control, leaving their data vulnerable to misuse, unauthorised access, and data breaches. A Twilio report shows that 60% of Asia Pacific consumers demand consent and communication on data use, while a PwC study reveals a trust gap, with only 30% of consumers trusting businesses. Existing solutions exacerbate these issues by collecting vast amounts of individuals’ data (essential/non-essential) and transferring it to back-end databases, burdening developers with managing large volumes of data and associated risks.
Affinidi’s Iota Framework disrupts this outdated model, pioneering a new era of data privacy and security.
Features
Zeeve, a provider of managed blockchain infrastructure as a service, has upgraded its Hyperledger Besu offerings. The enhancement includes a fully configurable, topologically adaptable, one-click deployment feature for permissioned Besu networks, complete with managed infrastructure and additional options for enterprise integrations. This update enables teams to input their requirements and launch their custom-configured network within 30 minutes from scratch.
“You can create a large decentralized consortiums on Besu, which is not possible on other layer2 scaling solutions today,” said Ghan Vashishtha, co-founder and CTO of Zeeve. “You can create a native gas token, have your own tokenomics with utility around the token, and then invite stakeholders to run validators and stake in it. Besu has an open source Ethereum client written in Java supporting both public and private networks and supports tokenomics in a big way. All these make it a favorable choice for organizations who want permissioned capabilities. Now, with our fully managed, click-and-go deployment support on Zeeve, enterprises and consortiums can set up scalable, highly available, and compliant Besu networks that match all their custom needs, complete with all security tools and best practices within 20-30 minutes if there are any other customizations that are not on the platform by default, that can also be provided on-demand if the Besu network allows.”
Features
Bitget, a cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company, and Upland, an immersive Layer1 gaming platform, launched the utility token SPARKLET on Ethereum. This collaboration will include the establishment of Bitget’s virtual headquarters in the metaverse built by Upland, with extensive token airdrops and rewards for both Upland and Bitget communities.
“At Bitget, our support for crypto gems goes beyond a simple listing. We are dedicated to helping promising projects gain more visibility, users, and partners through our Launchpool, Launchpad, and various educational and reward initiatives. Our collaboration with Upland to create a Bitget-themed metaverse is a mutually beneficial and exciting endeavor. We aim to become the top choice for more emerging projects in the future, aiding them in creating a greater real-life impact.” says Gracy Chen, CEO at Bitget.
Features
Newgen Software, a global provider of low-code platform, released a new version of its document management solution—NewgenONE OmniScan 7.0—that redefines document management in high-volume environments. This new version enables advanced scanning and capturing capabilities, powered by NewgenONE Marvin, setting new standards for document management.
Varun Goswami, VP of Product Management at Newgen Software, said, “This version of our scanning solution represents a significant leap forward in document management technology. With its advanced features driven by NewgenONE Marvin, organizations can drastically maximize efficiency and accuracy in handling high-volume document workflows. This release underscores our commitment to driving innovation and empowering businesses to thrive in the digital age.”
The Why
With a focus on driving innovation and enhancing efficiency, this release offers a host of business benefits across various verticals, including banking, insurance, government, healthcare, and shared services. Business users can leverage the power of NewgenONE Marvin to create templates conveniently, automate document classification, streamline data extraction, and accurately manage large volumes of records.
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Tata International, the global trading and distribution arm of the Tata Group, launched Phoenix Leather, an eco-friendly product under its Earthcare® Leather range. Developed through a patented collaboration with the Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI), Chennai, Phoenix Leather marks a significant advancement in sustainable leather technology.
P. Rajasekaran, Business Head – Finished Leather Business at Tata International, emphasized, “Tata International’s Earthcare® Leather range aims to lead the sustainable development of the leather industry. Despite lower demand post-Covid, we are now witnessing promising recovery with increased interest from key markets such as the USA, China, and Europe. Tata International is one of the largest exporter of leather and leather products in India. We are optimistic about sustainable and bio-based leather. Percentage share of Earthcare® leather in financial year 2023-2024 accounted for 27% of our total production and we plan to increase this to 50% in next 4 years.”
The Why
The patented “GENOCORIUM” process behind Phoenix Leather transforms trim waste from leather production into high-quality reconstituted leather sheets. This innovative technology not only repurposes corium waste but also significantly reduces water pollution, depletion, and greenhouse gas emissions associated with traditional leather manufacturing.
Features
Qlik, a global leader in data integration, analytics, and AI, announced the general availability of Qlik Answers™, its newest self-service AI solution designed to help organizations harness the power of AI by removing the risk, embracing the complexity, and scaling the impact of AI. Qlik Answers transforms unstructured data into actionable results through generative AI, offering full explainability—a common obstacle in enterprise AI adoption.
“Qlik Answers is designed to help businesses use their unstructured data to make better decisions,” said Brendan Grady, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Qlik’s Analytics Business Unit. “This solution integrates our strengths in analytics and data with generative AI, providing users with precise answers to their questions. With Qlik Answers, we are offering a tool that supports the direct translation of unstructured data into tangible business outcomes.”
Features
ESET, a global company in cybersecurity, introduced the cloud version of ESET Secure Authentication, the multifactor authentication module of the ESET PROTECT Platform.
“We understand how poor password hygiene can lead to devastating data breaches. So, with the cloud version of ESET Secure Authentication, we aimed to provide a solution that is flexible, scalable, easy to deploy, and above all, effective and affordable for companies of all sizes, boosting business data protection while reducing total cost of ownership, in an effort to deliver superior business value to our customers,” said Michal Jankech, Vice President of SMB and MSP segment at ESET.
The Why
In today’s cybersecurity landscape, an increasing number of data breaches occur every day. One of the most common ways hackers can gain access to a company’s data is through weak or stolen passwords gathered via automated bots, phishing, or targeted attacks.
To protect against such threats, in addition to just protecting normal users’ logins to critical services, businesses can implement multifactor authentication to prevent unauthorized administrative access. By adding a multifactor solution like ESET Secure Authentication, a business will make it much more difficult for hackers to gain access to your systems and, ultimately, compromise them.
The reason why it is important to use the second factor in the authentication process is that usually end customers use the same passwords across all their accounts. ESET is introducing a new cloud-based version of this solution that makes multifactor authentication much easier to implement for any business type without any local hardware needed.
Features
Edverse, a metaverse platform designed for online education, launched Learnspace, a platform that aims to change the virtual education landscape. The newly launched LearnSpace will continue to raise the benchmark in a digital classroom by providing an immersive and engaging learning environment.
“We are excited about launching LearnSpace, a platform that reflects our initiative in education sector,” said Rishab Kapur, Co-Founder and Vice President of Strategic Alliances at Edverse. “The increase in cost of education in the last few years, especially after the pandemic, prompted many institutions to switch to online education. This shift not only makes learning more affordable but also attracts higher student engagement. As we prepare for a world of online learning, we are building Edverse to offer an immersive learning experience at a lower cost than traditional methods. Our aim is to provide educators with the tools to design exhaustive and interactive learning environments that inspire and motivate learners. LearnSpace evidences our commitment to continuously improve this landscape. The future is here, and institutes must adopt or get left behind!”
The Why
In the growing world of digital education, the Indian online education market is projected to reach US$6.71bn in 2024. With a wide range of opportunities and avenues for investment and R&D, the sector has a lot to offer to the patrons. Additionally, institutions have also started to add online courses to their curriculum to not only expand but also transform the way education is imparted. For example, BITS-Pilani’s Work Integrated Learning Programmes (WILP) and PGDM and Certificate courses by universities/institutes like SPJIMR, MICA, Amity University and others; now offer numerous online programs, underscoring the growing trend.
In this evolving landscape, LearnSpace aims to transform virtual education.
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