Hello,
Nasa has released some really cool images of the Earth taken by the Artemis II crew as they crossed the halfway point between the Earth and the Moon.
The images were taken after the successful completion of the final engine burn, which sent the Orion spacecraft towards the Moon. The astronauts had a collective “expression of joy” upon hearing of the milestone.
The Artemis crew was amazed by the spectacular views of the Earth. One of their photos captures a curved slice of Earth, while another image shows the entire globe with oceans and swirling clouds.
Meanwhile, Indian studios are deploying AI with great gusto, using it to cut production time and costs and dub movies in various languages. They are also creating full-fledged AI-generated films.
While Hollywood is constrained by union rules, studios in India are getting ahead in the game, betting boldly on AI-driven efficiency in filmmaking, Reuters reports.
ICYMI: Lastly, PowerWash Simulator, a video game from 2021 with a sequel released in 2025, has people hooked to mundane jobs. The game involves players cleaning filthy in-game locations until they are spick and span. What is it about the game that’s making people literally rinse and repeat?
In today’s newsletter, we will talk about
- Steep decline in VC inflow
- Tech job openings in April
Here’s your trivia for today: What is the name of Ridley Scott’s production company?
Funding
Steep decline in VC inflow
Venture capital (VC) funding in Indian startups saw a sharp decline in the first week of April as the clear absence of high-value deals brought the value down.
The total funding for the first week of April was $117 million from 20 transactions. In contrast, the previous week saw a total amount of $328 million from 22 deals. Comparing the two weeks, it clearly shows that the number of deals were almost similar but there was a big difference in the amount raised.
Key takeaways:
- The decline can be attributed to a lower number of high-value transactions in this week. This also reveals the challenge the startup ecosystem continues to face in terms of capital inflow as the ongoing battle in West Asia has cast a dark shadow on overall transactions.
- During the week, VC funding was spread across the sectors of D2C, aerospace and fintech. The pre-Series A and Series A saw the highest traction in terms of number of deals.
- It remains to be seen if the current momentum is likely to sustain or there will be a change in the direction of the fund flow.
ICYMI
Tech job openings in April
Job openings for technology professionals in India are 8% lower in April, compared to March, and this is largely due to the tense geopolitical situation in West Asia, according to a report.
Xpheno, a specialist staffing company, in its ‘Active Tech Jobs Outlook – April 2026’ report, noted that this is a rollback of demand after the rise in January and February 2026. It also added that FY2027 is set to have the second lowest start on active tech demand over six years. However, compared to April 2025, there has been a 7% increase.
Key takeaways:
- The volume of active openings in the tech sector has been sluggish over the last four quarters. The sector’s current contribution to India’s total active talent demand is 49%, rolling back to the sub-50% mark for the first time since December 2025.
- The tech openings for April 2026 have a 42% ‘freshness index’, with nearly half of all openings being published or refreshed in the last two-week period. In comparison, March 2026 had a 39% freshness index, and the same period last year had a 44% freshness index.
- The month-on-month rise in freshness of postings is an outcome of hiring funnels getting refreshed as many employers approached the end of the fiscal year.
News & updates
- Interest rates: The International Monetary Fund has urged Bank of Japan to continue raising interest rates, despite the “significant new risks” posed by the West Asia war to the country’s economic outlook.
- Windfall tax: Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Austria have made a joint call for a windfall tax on energy companies’ profits in response to rising fuel prices as a consequence of the war, according to a letter from finance ministers to the EU Commission seen by Reuters.
What is the name of Ridley Scott’s production company?
Answer: Scott Free Productions
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