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Tag: Times Bridge

  • Headspace to launch services for media & entertainment HR professionals

    Headspace to launch services for media & entertainment HR professionals

    MUMBAI: Media & entertainment human resources professionals please take note. Headpsace – a  global leader in mindfulness and meditation  – is all set to launch in India. One of  the first meditation apps in the world, reaching more than 62 million users across 190 countries, Headspace offers B2B services (through Headspace for Work)  to more than 600 companies, such as Hyatt, Adobe, GE, and Starbucks, to help them build healthier, more productive cultures and higher-performing organisations.

    Headspace announced today that it had received an investment from Times Bridge as its Series C funding comprised of $53 million of equity from participating investors and $40 million of debt capital. Times Bridge, a global investments and partnerships firm, will enable Headspace to launch and scale in India, the world’s second-largest internet market.

    A press release issued by Times Bridge, says that Headspace will enable Indian users to integrate the practice of mindfulness and meditation into their daily lives, through easily accessible mindfulness routines, including sleep, movement and meditation, among other features. Even today, Indian users can explore bite-sized audio sessions on everything from focus and productivity to stress and anxiety. The courses are led by the guiding voice of co-founder Andy Puddicombe, a former Buddhist monk who spent 10 years travelling around the world, culminating with ordination as a Tibetan Buddhist monk in Northern India.

    It further states that “Times Bridge will enable Headspace’s launch in the Indian market, accelerate its growth and advance its mission. By providing subcontinent-wide market leadership and drawing on the unmatched reach of Times Group assets, Times Bridge’s initiatives will ensure Headspace’s product, partnerships and positioning are optimized for adoption and impact across India."

    “Headspace’s mission is to improve the health and happiness of the world,” says Headspace co-founder & CEO Richard Pierson. “While the scale and diversity of India are widely known, our opportunity to make a significant impact in the ancient home of meditation is unique. We are excited to pair this time-honoured 2,000-year-old practice and bring it to a large audience around the world. We are delighted to partner with Times Bridge and The Times Group to expand Headspace’s reach in the Indian market.”

    Adds Times Bridge CEO Rishi Jaitly: “Times Bridge's mission is to bring the world’s best ideas to India, and share India’s best insights with the world. Headspace is one of those bold, original trailblazer companies with founders and a wider team sincerely committed to a more mindful world, and to India in particular. We’re delighted to work with a partner that sees India holistically and is ambitious about its opportunity to create value across the subcontinent.”

  • Times Bridge and Girl Effect come together to empower young girls in India

    Times Bridge and Girl Effect come together to empower young girls in India

    MUMBAI: Times Bridge, the global investments and partnerships arm of The Times Group of India, today announced its strategic partnership with Girl Effect, an international non-profit organisation that works to empower adolescent girls to change their lives. The partnership will accelerate Girl Effect’s India focused plans.

    Founded by the Nike Foundation in 2004, Girl Effect is now an independent organisation working from nine global locations and active in over 50 countries. Using a unique understanding of girls and innovative behaviour change science, Girl Effect has a globally-proven journey to create media brands that girls love, with content that is entertaining, informative and relevant to them.

    In India, Girl Effect has a 15-member team of digital-media, brand and gender experts based in Mumbai focused on creating digital-first content that is co-created with and for girls. Working with partners to drive demand and link to information and services available, Girl Effect India’s branded media content is designed to debunk myths, challenge gender stereotypes and change behaviours so that girls are equipped with the right skills and confidence to make decisions about their future.

    Through the partnership, Times Bridge will support Girl Effect India across the board – from market partnerships and the creation of an India Advisory Board to activating public advocacy initiatives and more – as it seeks to create a generation of girls who are able to define their own trailblazing journey and become a part of the India growth story. To date, Times Bridge has already initiated strategic alliances with national and regional influencers to advance awareness of Girl Effect’s work in India. Drawing on the resources of the Times Group, this partnership will also focus on bringing onboard culturally relevant distribution platforms and facilitating conversations with stakeholders – both public and private.

    Commenting on the new association, Times Bridge CEO Rishi Jaitly said, “Times Bridge’s mission is to bring the world’s best ideas to India and share India’s best insights with the world. Girl Effect is a bold idea, and one that has proven itself by successfully launching compelling youth brands around the world. We at Times Bridge are honoured to bring to bear our resources to build on recent momentum and advance Girl Effect’s mission across India.”                                         

    Girl Effect CEO Jessica Posner Odede said, “We are delighted to have the support and confidence of Times Bridge as we launch in India. This partnership will accelerate our ability to scale and grow Girl Effect India, facilitating new partnerships that ultimately enable us to empower more girls to make positive choices. Girls in India face many barriers to reaching their potential – simply because they are girls – and negative norms, experienced in adolescence, will go on to impact a girl’s place in society for the rest of her life. With the digital revolution in India, there is now an unprecedented opportunity to use media and mobile at scale to empower girls to transform their lives. I’m grateful to Rishi and the team at Times Bridge for supporting us on this journey.”

  • Oscar-winning executive producer Guneet Monga joins MUBI India as content advisor

    Oscar-winning executive producer Guneet Monga joins MUBI India as content advisor

    MUMBAI: Following the recent announcement of curated global streaming service, MUBI’s expansion into South-East Asia, Guneet Monga joins the company as content advisor for India as it expands its operations in the region. Times Bridge and MUBI announced a strategic investment and partnership last year.

    Monga is an Oscar-winning executive producer and BAFTA-nominated producer, having won an Academy Award for her short film ‘Period. End of Sentence’, and has to her credit films including the smash hits like ‘The Lunchbox’ and ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’.

     At MUBI India, Monga will take forward the overall programming and acquisitions strategy for MUBI India. She brings with her a wealth of experience within the Indian film industry that will help define the content profile.

    MUBI founder and CEO Efe Cakarel said, “We bring great cinema to audiences across the globe, and in recent years have localiSed our service to cater to film lovers in more countries and more languages than ever before. With our upcoming launch in India, following our recent Malaysia launch, we are thrilled to expand our value proposition with the introduction of bespoke channels to showcase content from across the region, appeal to local tastes, and champion the work of local filmmakers.”

    Film producer Guneet Monga said, “I've been a fan of MUBI for many years now. To see a new curated film everyday through my own little window to the world of cinema, has brought me unparalleled joy. And now, as the MUBI India content strategy consultant, I am thrilled to be a part of the Times Bridge – MUBI partnership, and share with the Indian audiences the delight that this platform can be. Looking forward to bringing movies from across languages and film industries to MUBI India and watching them with the rest of the country. I will, alongside this wonderful opportunity, continue to produce movies and build my company, Sikhya entertainment.”

    Times Bridge sr vice president, investment Viral Jani said, “As part of our India playbook for MUBI, we want to build a strong connection with the Indian content ecosystem and drive strategic partnerships for wider distribution. We are excited to have Guneet on board to advise on content strategy & acquisition for MUBI India. We look forward to jointly working on localising the MUBI experience for India to bring curated high quality movie consumption experience to viewers.”

    As part of Times Bridge’s investment in MUBI, they will also be providing the company with local market expertise, talent outreach and access to commercial and festival partnerships.

    MUBI recently announced that it is expanding into South-East Asia, with offices now open in Kuala Lumpur running a localised service for the platform, and further plans to launch across more territories in the fast-developing region.

    By the end of the year, MUBI India will host a channel dedicated to curated Indian cinema as part of its offering to audiences here.

  • Times bridge and Malaria no more announce partnership to help end malaria in india

    Times bridge and Malaria no more announce partnership to help end malaria in india

    MUMBAI: Times Bridge, the global investments and partnerships arm of The Times Group of India, today announced a strategic partnership with Malaria No More, a leading, global non-profit organization whose mission is to ensure no one dies from a mosquito bite. This partnership with Times Bridge will build on Malaria No More's recent momentum in support of India’s malaria elimination goal and add capacities – particularly as it relates to building coalitions of influencers, strengthening policy advocacy, and producing and distributing regionally adapted, multi-media content- to elevate the issue on the national agenda.

    Established in 2006 by business leaders Peter Chernin and Raymond G. Chambers, Malaria No More works with governments, non-government organizations, communities and the private sector to mobilize the political commitment, funding, and innovation required to end malaria within our generation. As part of the partnership, Times Bridge will rally national and regional influencers from across many subsets of Indian culture to advance mass awareness, promote progress amongst government decision makers, and popularize actions and behaviors individuals must take to protect themselves, their families, and communities from malaria. Drawing on the vast storytelling resources of The Times Group, Times Bridge will also lead the production and distribution of actionable, cross-platform media, including optimization for mobile/digital contexts, that informs and engages at-risk populations in key regions of the country regarding the disease, while also giving a wider swath of Indians an opportunity to take action in support of the campaign.

    The partnership will build on Malaria No More’s innovative work with the central government and the government of Odisha, where malaria cases declined by more than 80% in the last year. These efforts are critical steps toward achieving a Malaria Free India by 2030, a vision Indian Prime Minister Modi set forth at 2015’s East Asia Summit in Malaysia. Among Malaria No More’s Board members are prominent Indian leaders including Walt Disney Asia Pacific President Uday Shankar, former Fortune 500 CEO Surya Mohapatra, and Former US Ambassador to India, Richard Verma.

    Commenting on this partnership, Rishi Jaitly, CEO of Times Bridge and Member of Malaria No More’s India Advisory Board, said, “Times Bridge’s mission is to bring the world’s best ideas to India and share India’s best insights with the world. Malaria No More is a bold, original idea, founded and led by some of the world’s most accomplished social entrepreneurs, with real results to speak of in many countries, including India. We at Times Bridge are honored to bring to bear our resources to advance Malaria No More’s critical elimination mission in India.”

    Martin Edlund, CEO of Malaria No More, said, “India is key to humanity’s ambition to eliminate the disease. It was true for smallpox and polio, and it will be true for malaria. But we can only accomplish this goal if we work hand-in-hand with India’s most entrepreneurial companies and inspire the public to take up this historic challenge. Times Bridge has an unmatched record of bringing innovations to India and shaping consumer culture. We’re convinced they’ll be transformative in helping India to end mankind’s oldest, deadliest disease.”

    According to the World Health Organization’s World Malaria Report 2018, more than half of the malaria-affected world is within reach of elimination. There remains significant work to be done, however, as cases increased in 10 of the 11 highest-burden countries. India was the only one among the highest burden countries to reduce malaria cases, registering a historic 24% decrease in malaria cases.

  • Wattpad partners Times Bridge to grow presence in India

    Wattpad partners Times Bridge to grow presence in India

    MUMBAI: Wattpad, the global multi-platform entertainment company for original stories, and Times Bridge, the global investments and partnerships arm of The Times Group, have announced a new partnership and strategic investment to grow Wattpad’s presence in India and reach new users.

    The partnership will give Wattpad a strategic advantage in expanding its Indian operations. Working with Times Bridge, Wattpad will grow its local community of readers and writers, establish new strategic partnerships and create opportunities for Wattpad Studios to work with local partners to turn Wattpad stories into books, TV shows, films, and digital projects.

    Wattpad CEO and co-founder Allen Lau said, “We’re thrilled to work with Times Bridge expand our footprint in the region and create more opportunities for India’s rich literary community to tell their stories, reaching new audiences in India and around the world.”

    Times Bridge CEO Rishi Jaitly said, “Times Bridge’s mission is to bring the world’s best ideas to India and share India’s best insights with the world. Wattpad is a bold, proven idea that has changed how audiences around the world create and experience stories. Our investment will advance Wattpad’s mission, and original storytelling, across the Indian subcontinent, unlocking the creativity of many millions along the way. We are delighted to be working with a partner who sees growing creativity, diversity and value across the Indian market.”

    The deal follows Wattpad’s recent announcement that Devashish Sharma has joined the company Wattpad’s first country manager for India.

    Wattpad country manager for India Devashish Sharma said, “Millions of Indian readers and writers have already found a home Wattpad. Times Bridge and The Times Group have an unmatched media and entertainment portfolio, and connections with some of India’s most respected authors and cultural figures. We’re excited to work together to create new opportunities for Indian storytellers.”

  • Times Bridge appoints two Twitter execs to leadership roles

    Times Bridge appoints two Twitter execs to leadership roles

    MUMBAI: Times Bridge has added two more Twitter seasoned professionals to its roster. The global investments arm of The Times Group has appointed Viral Jani and Margot Ling-former executives at the microblogging site-to its leadership team. Jani has been appointed senior vice president of investment operations while Ling has been appointed as head of greater China investments and partnerships.

    Both appointments are effective immediately. 

    “The mission of Times Bridge is to bring the world’s best ideas to India and to share India’s best insights with the world,” said Times Bridge CEO Rishi Jaitly, who previously served as Twitter’s vice president, Asia Pacific and Middle East. “Viral and Margot are proven, mission-driven leaders who will help us build on recent momentum to scale the pan-India success of our investment portfolio and meet the demand for Times Bridge’s platform in China and beyond.”

    Viral Jani, a graduate of MICA in Ahmedabad, has worked in a variety of functions across technology and media firms. Until recently, Jani led strategy, television and entertainment partnerships for Twitter across India working with key strategic partners to drive innovation and monetisation. Previously, he was Head of Strategy and Social Media for The Times Network. Jani will be based in Mumbai and lead the India success of Times Bridge’s growing investment portfolio, which includes Airbnb, Coursera, Houzz, MUBI, Thrive, Uber, Vice and others.

    “India is a meeting point for the world’s great ideas and a microcosm of the world’s markets, presenting unique challenges and opportunities for all entrepreneurs,” said Jani. “At Times Bridge, I look forward to setting a new standard for what it means for big ideas, from our investment portfolio and beyond, to immerse across India.”

    Margot Ling, before leading strategy and partnerships for Twitter across Greater China, helped global companies such as Dolby, News Corp and Edipresse structure deals in Mainland China. Ling will be based in Hong Kong and work with entrepreneurs and executives across Greater China to help them realize their India opportunity.

    “China and India are not only the world’s fastest-growing economies but also two of the world’s most celebrated, ancient civilisations,” said Ling. “At Times Bridge, I look forward to building a bridge between India and China and, in so doing, setting a new standard for what it means for ideas to travel between cultures.”

  • Times Bridge invests in MUBI streaming service

    Times Bridge invests in MUBI streaming service

    MUMBAI: The investment arm of the Times of India group, Times Bridge, and Danish film-maker Nicolas Winding Refn have invested in specialty streaming service MUBI. The terms of the deal remain undisclosed but are understood to be similar to the revised arrangements under which China’s Huanxi Media became a backer in November 2016 according to a Variety.com report. In that deal, Huanxi paid $2 million for a 1.6 per cent ownership stake, valuing MUBI at $125 million.

    Unlike the global leaders in streaming with all-you-can-eat content menus, MUBI operates by operating a limited and rotating selection of just 30 movies. It contends that curation (selection by humans, not algorithm) creates a community of active users. After 10 years in operation, it currently claims 8 million registered users.

    Times Bridge, which counts stakes in Uber, Vice and AirBnB, regards the investment as strategic. It will provide MUBI with local knowledge, talent outreach and commercial and festival partnerships. India, which is currently waking up to streaming video, already represent MUBI’s third largest market. Subscriptions are sold at Rs 500 per month in India and at $8.99 in the U.S.

    “MUBI is an original idea with a decade’s worth of proven appeal amongst fans of independent cinema worldwide. Film is inextricably linked to India’s heritage and, in a country with rapidly-changing tastes, we are confident that the MUBI platform will delight a meaningful audience seeking high-quality, curated, global cinema,” said Rishi Jaitly, CEO of Times Bridge.

    Winding is expected to provide advocacy and add brand value to the company which already counts Working Title’s Eric Fellner as an angel investor. Winding Refn previously produced new brand identity for MUBI.

    “Times Bridge have shown a highly sophisticated understanding of our business and our goals in the region. India is a unique opportunity for us to engage with a passionate community with deep cultural ties to film,” said MUBI’s founder and CEO Efe Cakarel, in a statement.

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