Onto Raises $1 Million for Smarter Hotel Savings and Formial Labs Secures Rs. 2.88 Crore for Personalized Skincare

Two young Indian startups have raised pre-seed funding to solve everyday problems in very different markets. Travel platform Onto has secured $1 million, while Bengaluru-based Formial Labs has raised Rs. 2.88 crore for its prescription-led skincare business.

Pre-seed funding is early-stage capital used to build a product, hire a small team and prove that customers want the service. In both cases, investors are backing focused ideas rather than broad marketplaces.

Onto wants travellers to benefit when hotel prices fall

Onto was founded in June 2026 by Jagdeep Singh and Shubham Goyal. The startup has raised $1 million in a pre-seed round led by Stargazer Fund, with Singapore-based White Venture Capital also participating.

Its core offering is called Price Drop Refund. The idea is simple. Hotel prices can drop after a customer has made a booking, but most travellers never go back and check. Onto tracks eligible reservations and, when it finds a lower price for the same stay, it aims to help the customer move to the cheaper rate and receive the difference.

For example, if someone books a hotel room for Rs. 6,000 and the same room later drops to Rs. 5,200, the service may help the traveller save Rs. 800, subject to the booking being eligible and cancellable.

Onto says it can monitor bookings made on its own platform as well as selected bookings made elsewhere. The startup plans to use the new capital for technology, operations and new travel products. It is also working on AI-based recommendations that may suggest stays based on a traveller’s preferences.

The company will compete indirectly with large hotel-booking platforms such as MakeMyTrip, Goibibo, Booking.com and Agoda. Its difference is the focus on protecting customers after they have booked, not only helping them find a hotel before payment.

Formial Labs focuses on doctor-led skincare

Formial Labs has raised Rs. 2.88 crore in a pre-seed round led by Zeropearl VC. Angel investors in the round include OZiva founder Aarti Gill and Social Alpha’s Arvind Radhakrishnan, among others.

The startup was founded by physician Dr. Jeet Patel and is reported to have started in 2024. Formial Labs combines online consultation, clinical diagnosis, tailored formulations and regular follow-up support for skin and hair concerns.

Instead of selling the same cream to every customer, the company aims to provide prescription-based plans for concerns such as acne, pigmentation, scarring and melasma. This matters because skin conditions often need consistent care rather than a quick product switch.

The fresh capital will be used to expand the clinical team, increase consultation capacity and improve the technology used for diagnosis, personalization and follow-up. Formial also plans to widen its reach through its digital platform, dermatologist clinics and pharmacy partners.

Its competitors include dermatology clinics, direct-to-consumer skincare brands and telehealth platforms. Formial’s challenge will be to build trust while making expert-led skincare accessible beyond large cities.

Why these pre-seed rounds matter

Onto is building around a common travel frustration: paying more than necessary after booking. Formial Labs is addressing a health and beauty category where customers increasingly want professional guidance and visible results.

Both startups still have much to prove, but their funding shows that investors remain willing to support practical services with a clear customer problem at the centre.

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