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Lachy Groom to back India startup Pronto at a $200M valuation, sources say

Published

3 weeks ago

April 25, 2026

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Pronto, an Indian instant house-help startup, is finalizing a funding round led by tech investor Lachy Groom that would value the fast-growing company at about $200 million after investment, TechCrunch has learned.

The deal is expected to bring in about $20 million in fresh capital and would mark a sharp jump from the $100 million valuation at which the company raised $25 million in a Series B round led by Epiq Capital in early March, doubling its valuation in a matter of weeks, two people familiar with the matter said.

Bengaluru-based Pronto completed about 500,000 orders last month and is currently handling around 24,000–25,000 orders daily, up from about 18,000 daily bookings in March and roughly 1,000 last year.

Founded in 2025, Pronto connects households with on-demand domestic help for services such as cleaning and chores, promising quick turnaround times through a managed network of workers.

In March, Pronto founder Anjali Sardana told TechCrunch the startup had expanded from one city to 10 — including Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, and Mumbai — and from five to more than 150 micromarkets. However, much of its activity remains concentrated in a handful of markets, with the National Capital Region accounting for about half of total bookings.

The startup has over 4,500 active professionals on its platform, around 99% of whom are women, Sardana said last month, adding that demand continued to outpace onboarding of new workers as bookings grew about 20% week over week.

Before this funding, Pronto had raised about $40 million in total. Its investors include Epiq Capital, Glade Brook Capital, General Catalyst and Bain Capital Ventures.

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Pronto and Groom did not respond to requests for comment.

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BREAKING: APC Postpones House of Representatives Primary Election, Issues Revised Timetable

Published

4 minutes ago

May 15, 2026

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The All Progressives Congress has postponed its House of Representatives primary election for the 2027 general elections by one day.

The party announced that the exercise, initially scheduled to hold earlier, will now take place on Saturday, May 16, 2026.

This was contained in a press statement issued on May 14, 2026, by the APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka.

According to the statement, all other previously announced dates for the party’s primary elections remain unchanged.

“The All Progressives Congress (APC) announces the postponement of the House of Representatives Primary Election for the 2027 General Elections to Saturday, 16th May, 2026,” the statement read.

The party further confirmed the revised timetable for its remaining primaries as follows:

House of Representatives – Saturday, May 16, 2026
Senate – Monday, May 18, 2026
State House of Assembly – Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Governorship – Thursday, May 21, 2026
Presidential – Saturday, May 23, 2026

The statement did not provide reasons for the postponement of the House of Representatives primary election.

The APC primaries are expected to determine the party’s candidates for various elective offices ahead of the 2027 general elections.

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Thousands Welcome Naanlong Daniel in Piapung Ahead of Assembly Primary, Launches Ward Coordinators,

Published

12 minutes ago

May 15, 2026

Preport

Thousands Welcome Naanlong Daniel in Piapung Ahead of Assembly Primary, Launches Ward Coordinators,

Thousands of supporters on Thursday welcomed the Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Naanlong Daniel, to his hometown of Piapung in Mikang Local Government Area, where he inaugurated ward coordinators ahead of the forthcoming House of Assembly primary election.

The event, held at the Piapung Community Hall, attracted party faithful, community leaders, youth groups, women associations, and supporters from across the constituency.

Addressing the gathering, the Speaker charged the newly inaugurated ward coordinators to remain focused and intensify grassroots mobilization ahead of next Wednesday’s primary election.

He urged them to reach every part of the constituency in order to strengthen support and ensure effective coordination during the election period.

Daniel expressed appreciation for what he described as the overwhelming support and confidence reposed in him by the people of Piapung and the wider constituency.

According to him, his campaign remains issue-based, with the development and progress of Mikang as the top priority.

“With God on our side and the support of the people, we are committed to purposeful leadership, sustainable development, and impactful representation for the people of Mikang and beyond,” he said.

The Speaker disclosed that the screening process for beneficiaries of his scholarship scheme had been completed and announced that the programme would soon commence to support students in various tertiary institutions and academic programmes.

He stated that his administration has continued to improve access to education through scholarship initiatives and educational support programmes aimed at easing financial burdens on parents and students across the constituency.

Daniel also reaffirmed his commitment to supporting farmers through the distribution of fertilizers to boost agricultural productivity and food sufficiency in the area.

He further highlighted several projects and programmes executed under his leadership, particularly in the areas of education, agriculture, youth empowerment, and infrastructure development.

The Speaker assured residents of continued efforts toward rural transformation through the execution of additional development projects across communities in Mikang Local Government Area.

He also pledged to further upgrade the community hall he built in Piapung to make the facility more beneficial and convenient for residents.

In his remarks, John Poesmang commended the Speaker for what he described as impactful leadership and quality representation, noting that the people of Piapung were proud of his achievements and developmental strides.

Speaking on behalf of the newly inaugurated coordinators, former councillor of Yepwest Ward, Hon. Hangkop Yohana, thanked the Speaker for the confidence reposed in them and pledged loyalty and commitment toward ensuring the success of the campaign.

The event ended with chants of solidarity and renewed support for the Speaker as supporters reaffirmed their commitment to his leadership and vision for the constituency.