SACRAMENTO, Calif., June 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Specialty retail stores have used foot scanners for a while. In recent years, the scanner has morphed into a mobile app. In both versions, the scanner addressed a niche segment of footwear buyers who either go to stores or have the patience to download an app for buying a pair of shoes. Research shows that only 2-3% of online customers download an app to scan their feet.

For the first time ever, American retail giant Target has selected two Indian startups — Find Me A Shoe and Story Xpress — from its India-based accelerator program to participate in a retail-focused accelerator based out of Target’s Minneapolis headquarter. Participating startups will focus on scaling their business and catering to the U.S. fashion market.

The VC firm just announced the first close of its sixth fund — —Ventureast Procative Fund II (VPF2). In an interaction with Techcircle, Sarath Naru, managing partner of Ventureast, said VPF2 has raised $83 million in the first round its technology fund for which it ultimately plans to raise $150 million. The first closure of the month was delayed by about a year as the VC firm had hoped to accomplish it by the second quarter of 2015. The firm hopes to close the fund in the next six months, Naru said.