India’s startup funding market saw two very different early-stage updates on 18 Sept 2026. On one side, beauty and lifestyle startup MoroMaa raised Rs.1.5 crore from Aviral Bhatnagar of AJ VC. On the other, digital gold savings platform Jar raised Rs.29 crore from existing investor Unitary Fund.

Both deals are small compared with large funding rounds, but they point to two strong consumer trends. Indian buyers are trying new beauty categories, and many users are still looking for simple ways to save small amounts regularly.

MoroMaa – Bringing Moroccan beauty to India

MoroMaa is a Mumbai-based beauty, lifestyle and body care startup founded by Soundous Moufakir. The brand was launched in June 2026 and focuses on Moroccan beauty products and rituals for Indian consumers.

As per reports, MoroMaa raised Rs.1.5 crore from Aviral Bhatnagar’s AJ VC in exchange for a 9 percent stake. This fits AJ VC’s standard pre-seed model, where it typically invests Rs.1.5 crore for 9 percent equity.

MoroMaa wants to build what it calls “M Beauty”, or Moroccan beauty, as a category in India. Its products use ingredients sourced from Morocco and are designed for Indian buyers who are looking beyond regular beauty and body-care brands.

Funding purpose – Product range and distribution

The new money will help MoroMaa expand its product portfolio, improve distribution and build awareness around Moroccan beauty in India.

This matters because beauty is not only about making products. A new brand has to educate customers, explain ingredients, build trust, create repeat purchases and get shelf space online and offline.

For example, many Indian buyers know Korean beauty well today because brands spent years building that category. MoroMaa is trying to do something similar with Moroccan beauty, but at an early stage.

Its competitors include D2C beauty and personal-care brands such as mCaffeine, Plum, Minimalist, Mamaearth, Nykaa-owned brands and imported beauty labels.

Jar – Making small savings easier through digital gold

Jar is a Bengaluru-based digital gold savings platform founded in 2021 by Nishchay AG and Misbah Ashraf. The app helps users save small amounts in digital gold, often by rounding off online transactions or setting daily savings.

Jar has raised Rs.29 crore from existing investor Unitary Fund. Reports say the funding values the company at around Rs.3,155 crore post-money.

The startup’s larger aim is to make saving easier for people who may not regularly invest in stocks, mutual funds or other financial products. Gold is already trusted by many Indian families, so Jar uses that familiarity to build a daily savings habit.

Funding purpose – Working capital and business needs

Jar is expected to use the latest funding for working capital and general corporate purposes. This can include operational expenses, product improvement, partnerships and user growth.

The timing is important because digital gold and tokenized gold products are facing closer regulatory attention in different markets. For a fintech company, strong operations and compliance become as important as customer growth.

Jar competes with fintech and savings platforms such as Gullak, PhonePe, Google Pay, Paytm, Groww and other gold investment options offered by jewellers and financial apps.

Baby-care quick commerce startup Kiddo has raised Rs.12.5 crore in a pre-seed round led by Campus Fund. The round also included participation from strategic angel investors.

Founded in 2025 by Ankit Kawatra, Kiddo is building a quick-commerce platform focused only on babies and young kids.

The company is currently live in parts of Delhi NCR and promises delivery of baby and kids’ products in around 30 minutes.

What Kiddo is trying to solve

Parents often need baby products suddenly. It could be diapers at night, baby wipes before travel, a feeding bottle, rash cream, toys, clothes or age-specific food items. Regular e-commerce may take a day or two, while general quick-commerce apps may not always have the right baby product or size.

Kiddo wants to solve this gap with a focused baby-care shopping app. Instead of treating baby products as one small category, it is building the whole experience around parents and children.

The startup says it offers more than 30,000 curated products across essentials, fashion and other kids’ categories. This matters because parents do not only want speed. They also want confidence that the product is safe, relevant and suitable for their child’s age.

Why the funding matters

As per UNI, the fresh Rs.12.5 crore funding will be used for customer acquisition, dark store expansion across Delhi NCR, technology development, product improvement and team building.

Dark stores are small local warehouses built only for fast delivery. They are not normal retail shops. For a baby-care quick-commerce startup, these stores are important because parents expect urgent delivery and correct product availability.

For example, if a parent in Gurugram needs diapers for a six-month-old baby, the app must show the right size, the right brand and deliver quickly. If the product is wrong or delayed, trust can break very fast.

Founder background

Ankit Kawatra is not new to operations-heavy businesses. Before Kiddo, he founded Feeding India, a food-recovery network that later became part of Zomato in 2019. He also worked at Zomato, where he handled large-scale operations, including food relief work during the COVID period.

This background is important because quick commerce is not only an app business. It needs strong operations, supply planning, delivery control and customer trust.

Startup aim

Kiddo’s aim is to become the default baby-care platform for urban Indian parents. The company is starting with Delhi NCR and may expand to more cities after strengthening its model.

Its focus is not just fast delivery. It wants to add life-stage intelligence, which means showing products based on the child’s age and parent needs. For a new parent, this can reduce confusion while buying.

Competitors and market challenge

Kiddo will compete with FirstCry, Hopscotch, Amazon, Flipkart, Blinkit, Zepto, Swiggy Instamart and local baby stores. FirstCry is strong in baby and kids’ products, while quick-commerce platforms are strong in fast delivery.

Kiddo’s challenge will be to combine both strengths – deep baby-care selection and quick delivery. It will also need to maintain product quality, correct sizing, brand trust and reliable availability.

Bengaluru-based deeptech startup Dheya Engineering Technologies, also known as DheyaTech, has raised Rs.43 crore in a funding round led by Avaana Capital. Strategic investor Unimech Aerospace and Manufacturing also participated in the round.

Founded in 2017 and operational from 2018, DheyaTech was started by aerospace engineers including Gurushankara K C, Abhinav Alva and Chetan Kumar.

The company is building small gas turbine engines and related systems for defence, aerospace and energy use cases.

What DheyaTech is trying to build

As per Inc42, DheyaTech is working on indigenous micro gas turbine engines. These engines can be used in advanced aerial platforms, defence systems and power-generation applications.

In simple words, a gas turbine engine is a compact power system that produces thrust or energy by burning fuel and spinning turbine blades at high speed. Such engines are used in aircraft, drones, defence platforms and some energy systems.

India has depended heavily on imported propulsion technology for many advanced applications. DheyaTech wants to reduce that dependence by designing and building these systems locally.

Why the funding matters

Deeptech hardware companies need more time and money than regular software startups. Building a turbine engine is not only about design. It needs precision manufacturing, testing, safety checks, certification and customer trials.

The fresh Rs.43 crore funding will help DheyaTech scale production, set up an integrated testing facility and move closer to commercial deployment. Reports say the company is also preparing for flight trials targeted for Q4 2026.

This is important because customers in defence and aerospace cannot buy untested products. Every engine needs proof of reliability, performance and safety.

Startup aim

DheyaTech’s larger aim is to make India more self-reliant in critical propulsion and energy technologies. The company is developing a family of small gas turbine engines ranging from 20 kgf to 400 kgf of thrust.

Instead of building only one engine, it is creating a platform that can serve different customer needs. One engine may be used for an aerial platform, while another version may support energy or power-generation systems.

The startup is also working on hydrogen-related systems, including hydrogen-based turbines and fuel-cell components. This gives it a place in both defence technology and clean-energy hardware.

Competitors and market challenge

DheyaTech operates in a specialized market where competition comes from global engine makers, defence suppliers and aerospace technology companies. Large international players already have decades of testing, certification and customer trust.

Its challenge will be execution. The company must prove that its engines can perform reliably, meet certification standards and be produced at scale. If it succeeds, it could become an important Indian player in aerospace propulsion and clean-energy systems.

Factrika has raised Rs.8.9 crore in a seed funding round led by Info Edge which was confirmed earlier, the company behind Naukri.com, 99acres and other internet businesses. The investment gives Info Edge an early stake in a startup working on one of India’s practical manufacturing problems – finding reliable factory workers when they are needed most.

Founded in July 2024 by Kshitij Puri and Gaurav Asthana, Factrika is an on-demand industrial workforce platform.

It connects manufacturers with verified workers across different factory skills, helping companies manage sudden demand, absenteeism and shift-based hiring.

What Factrika is trying to solve

Factories do not always need the same number of workers every day. A production line may need extra hands during a rush order. Another plant may face sudden absenteeism before a key delivery deadline. Traditional contractor-led hiring can be slow, scattered and hard to track.

Factrika wants to make this process more organized. Its platform matches factories with skilled workers based on availability, location and skill category. Workers can accept shifts digitally, while the company manages attendance, payments and worker records.

For a simple example, if a factory in Manesar needs packaging workers for an urgent night shift, Factrika can help find verified workers faster instead of the factory depending only on local middlemen.

Why the funding matters

The fresh funding will be used to strengthen Factrika’s technology, expand its team and enter more industrial clusters. The company is starting with locations such as Bhiwadi, Manesar, Bawal, Noida and Bahadurgarh.

This expansion is important because India’s manufacturing growth depends not only on factories and machines, but also on worker availability. If a factory has orders but not enough workers on the shop floor, production slows down.

Factrika says it has more than 10,000 registered workers across over 20 skill categories. The platform also claims a show rate of more than 90 percent, which means most workers who accept shifts actually turn up.

How workers may benefit

Factrika is not only solving a factory problem. It is also trying to give workers better access to verified jobs. Many blue-collar workers still depend on informal networks, local contractors or word of mouth.

A digital work record can help workers build proof of experience over time. If a worker regularly completes shifts in machine operation, packaging or assembly, that record may support better job opportunities later.

Factrika also says workers on its platform can earn 20 percent to 30 percent more through skill progression. This will matter if the company can keep job quality, payments and reliability strong as it scales.

Competitors and market challenge

Factrika competes with traditional labour contractors, staffing agencies and blue-collar job platforms. Its broader rivals may include BetterPlace, Apna, WorkIndia, Vahan and local manpower firms working with factories.

The biggest challenge will be ground execution. Industrial staffing is not a pure app business. Factrika will need strong local teams, employer trust, worker verification, quick replacements and smooth payment systems.

Why Info Edge’s backing is important

Info Edge understands hiring deeply through Naukri.com and JobHai. Its investment in Factrika shows interest in a more specialized hiring category – industrial workforce supply.

For Factrika, Info Edge’s backing can bring credibility, hiring market knowledge and long-term support. For Info Edge, it is an early bet on the future of manufacturing jobs and blue-collar workforce technology.

Facts Input- CapitalMarket, ET-Entrepreneur

Hang Ten Systems has raised an additional $53 million in seed funding, led by Xora, a Temasek-backed fund. With this new round, the company’s total funding has reached $85 million.

The startup was founded in 2026 by Dr. Vishal Sikka, former CEO of Infosys and former SAP executive.

Hang Ten Systems is based in the US and works with large enterprises that want to use AI for real business work, not just small experiments.

What Hang Ten Systems does

Hang Ten Systems helps big companies build, modernize and run enterprise software using AI. In simple words, it wants to make business software development faster, cheaper and more useful.

Large companies often spend years and huge budgets on software projects. They may need systems for finance, human resources, analytics, operations, supply chains or customer support. Hang Ten says its AI-native model can help companies build such systems with smaller teams and shorter timelines.

The company uses agentic code generation, a reusable skills library and domain experts. Agentic code generation means AI tools can help plan and create software tasks with human supervision. The reusable skills library helps the company avoid starting from zero every time.

Why the new funding matters

This is not Hang Ten’s first seed round. The company had earlier raised $32 million, and the latest $53 million came only a few weeks later. That quick follow-on funding suggests investors are seeing strong demand from enterprise customers.

The new capital will be used to expand delivery capacity, hire more engineering and consulting talent, and improve the company’s platform and AI skills library.

For example, if a global manufacturer wants to replace an old internal software system, Hang Ten can help design and build a modern AI-supported version. If a finance team wants better analytics, the startup can help create tools that reduce manual work and improve decision-making.

Startup aim

As per TechCrunch, Hang Ten’s larger aim is to help enterprises move beyond AI pilots. Many large companies have tested AI tools, but turning those tools into reliable business systems is harder.

This is where Hang Ten wants to create value. It wants to become a trusted partner for companies that need production-grade AI software, not just demos or trial projects.

The company says it already has multi-million-dollar contracts with global enterprises. Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy is among the companies mentioned in its announcement.

Investors and board update

The latest round was led by Xora. Mayfield, which led the first seed round, also participated, along with Aramco Ventures.

Other investors linked to the company include Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan, Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra and Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang. Yang has also joined Hang Ten Systems’ board of directors.

Competitors and market challenge

Hang Ten Systems is entering a crowded but fast-growing market. It may compete with traditional IT service firms such as Accenture, Infosys, TCS, Wipro, Cognizant, IBM and Deloitte.

It may also face indirect competition from AI companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and Microsoft, which are expanding enterprise AI tools.

Hang Ten’s challenge will be execution. Big companies need security, reliability, compliance and long-term support. If Hang Ten can deliver real software faster and at lower cost, it may find strong demand.

India’s AI startup market has received another strong signal from investors. VC firm Activate has closed its maiden AI-focused fund at $105 million, with a plan to back young companies building around artificial intelligence.

Activate was founded in December 2025 by Aakrit Vaish, former CEO and co-founder of Haptik, and Pratyush Choudhury, a former partner at Together Fund.

The firm calls itself an India-native AI venture firm and wants to support founders from the very beginning, sometimes even before a company is formally incorporated.

Activate fund – What the $105 million includes

As per Dealroom, Activate’s maiden fund includes an $85 million early-stage vehicle and $20 million through dedicated growth investment vehicles. The fund has reportedly closed above its original target, which shows strong investor confidence in India’s AI opportunity.

The firm plans to back around 25 to 30 startups. Its first cheques are expected to be in the range of $500,000 to $3 million. These investments will mostly go into pre-seed, seed and idea-stage AI startups.

In simple words, Activate is not waiting for startups to become big before investing. It wants to work with founders when the idea is still being shaped.

What Activate wants to invest in

Activate is focusing on three broad areas – AI applications, foundational models and physical infrastructure.

AI applications are tools that solve real business or consumer problems using AI. For example, an AI tutor for students, an AI sales assistant for small businesses or an AI tool for doctors to manage patient notes.

Foundational models are deeper technology plays, such as language, voice, video or coding models built for specific needs. Physical infrastructure can include compute, robotics or hardware-linked AI systems.

The firm believes India can create strong AI companies in sectors where the country already has scale, such as commerce, financial services, education, healthcare and services.

Why this fund matters for Indian AI startups

AI startups need more than money. They need access to models, cloud credits, technical feedback, hiring help and customer introductions. Activate is trying to build that support system around its fund.

The firm says its network includes a GenAI community of more than 15,000 technical practitioners. It has also listed partnerships with major AI and cloud companies such as NVIDIA, OpenAI, Anthropic, AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud and Notion. Portfolio companies may get up to $1 million in credits and benefits.

For an early-stage startup, this can be useful. A small team building an AI product may spend heavily on cloud and model usage before earning revenue. Support like credits and technical access can reduce early pressure.

Investors and early bets

Activate’s limited partners include founders, AI researchers, family offices, enterprises, global VC partners and well-known technology investors. Names mentioned across reports and the firm’s website include Vinod Khosla, General Catalyst, Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Ronnie Screwvala and Ranjan Pai.

The firm has already made investments in startups such as Sarvam AI, ElevenLabs and Wispr Flow. It has also backed several early-stage companies through its Inception strategy, though some of them are still in stealth.

Competitors and market context

Activate is entering a busy space. Other investors are also increasing their focus on AI and deeptech. Accel has launched a large AI and deeptech fund, while Elevation Capital has also moved strongly toward AI-focused investing.

The difference Activate wants to create is early involvement. Its aim is to work closely with founders at day zero, help refine the idea and then support product, hiring and future fundraising.

TRUE ARTIS has raised Rs.11.4 crore in a seed funding round to expand its network of premium aesthetic surgery centres. The round was led by Zeropearl VC, with participation from Eleven, the business group of Medanta co-founder Sunil Sachdeva, along with healthcare operators and angel investors.

Founded in 2025 by Ankit Joshi and Sandeep Upadhyay, TRUE ARTIS is a New Delhi and Gurugram-based aesthetic healthcare platform.

Its focus is on plastic surgery, cosmetic procedures, hair restoration, body contouring, facial aesthetics and non-surgical skin treatments.

What TRUE ARTIS is trying to solve

Aesthetic surgery in India often sits between two choices. One option is a large multi-specialty hospital, where cosmetic surgery may be only one department among many. The other option is a small cosmetic clinic, which may offer privacy but may not always have hospital-grade infrastructure for more complex procedures.

TRUE ARTIS wants to fill this gap. The startup is building dedicated aesthetic surgery centres that combine senior plastic surgeons, advanced operating theatres, recovery rooms, ICU backup and a private patient experience.

In simple words, it wants to make cosmetic surgery feel more organized, safer and more transparent for patients.

Why the funding matters

As per reports, the fresh Rs.11.4 crore funding will help TRUE ARTIS open two new centres in Delhi NCR over the next six to eight months. The company also plans to strengthen its surgical teams, recovery systems, patient-care technology and network of plastic surgeons.

This is important because aesthetic surgery is not a simple beauty service. It involves medical planning, safety checks, surgery, recovery and follow-up care. For example, a patient choosing rhinoplasty, liposuction or gynecomastia surgery needs more than a consultation room. They need trained doctors, safe operation facilities, emergency support and clear post-surgery guidance.

TRUE ARTIS is also building its own technology platform to manage the full patient journey, from enquiry and consultation to surgery and recovery. This can help the company maintain consistency as it opens more centres.

Current presence and services

TRUE ARTIS currently operates centres in Delhi and Gurugram. As per company details cited in media reports, it works with around 20 plastic surgeons across Delhi NCR and has served more than 10,000 clients. The company has also completed over 400 surgeries in the past nine months.

Its services include facial aesthetics, breast procedures, body contouring, hair restoration, dermatology and non-surgical treatments. The brand also highlights privacy, transparent pricing and personalized care as part of its positioning.

Competitors and market challenge

TRUE ARTIS competes with cosmetic clinics, large hospital chains, dermatology centres and plastic surgery departments in premium hospitals. Names such as Oliva Skin & Hair Clinic, Kaya Clinic, Apollo, Fortis, Max Healthcare and several independent plastic surgeons operate in overlapping areas.

The challenge for TRUE ARTIS will be trust. In healthcare, brand building is slower than in fashion or food because patients need safety, proof, doctor credibility and realistic expectations. The company will need to scale carefully while keeping medical quality consistent.

VerifAIX has raised $5 million in seed funding to build its AI-native semiconductor verification platform. The round was co-led by Endiya Partners and Bluehill VC, marking the startup’s first institutional funding round.

Founded in 2024 by Madhulima Tewari, Kenneth Roe and Avner Landver, VerifAIX is working in a highly technical but very important part of the chip industry. Its main aim is to help semiconductor companies check whether their chip designs are correct before they move ahead with production.

Why chip verification matters

A chip is not something a company can casually fix after manufacturing. If there is a design mistake, the cost can be huge. It can delay launches, waste money and affect products like smartphones, cars, data centres, AI systems and consumer electronics.

That is where verification comes in. In simple words, verification is the process of checking whether a chip design behaves the way engineers intended.

Today, chips are becoming more complex because of AI processors, custom silicon, chiplets and advanced computing needs. At the same time, AI tools are also helping engineers create designs faster. But faster design creates a new question – who checks if the design is actually right?

This is the problem VerifAIX wants to solve.

What VerifAIX is building

VerifAIX is building a platform that combines AI with formal verification. Formal verification means using mathematical methods to prove whether a design follows the expected rules.

The startup calls the heart of its system a “Formal Brain”. It studies chip specifications, design code and verification data to find gaps, mismatches and possible errors.

For a simple example, imagine an engineer writes that a chip should behave in a certain way when two signals arrive together. VerifAIX’s platform can help check whether the actual design follows that rule, instead of depending only on manual review or selected test cases.

This can save time for engineering teams and reduce the risk of missing hidden bugs.

How the funding will be used

As per reports, the $5 million seed funding will be used for product development, customer deployments and hiring engineering talent across the US, India and Israel.

The company also plans to improve its platform for larger and more complex chip designs. This is important because semiconductor companies need tools that can handle real-world design problems, not just small demos.

VerifAIX says its technology is already being used by semiconductor companies for complex control logic and protocol-related verification work.

Who are its customers and competitors

VerifAIX is targeting semiconductor companies, chip IP firms, processor makers, AI accelerator developers, hyperscalers and companies building custom silicon.

Its broader market includes established electronic design automation players such as Cadence, Synopsys and Siemens EDA. These companies already offer design and verification tools, but VerifAIX is trying to stand out by building an AI-first verification layer focused on trust, traceability and mathematical checking.

The challenge will be customer confidence. Chip companies are careful about adopting new verification tools because mistakes are expensive. VerifAIX will need to prove that its platform can work at scale and fit into existing engineering workflows.

Hyderabad-based game publishing startup 1312 Interactive has raised $1 million in seed funding led by Chimera Venture Capital and T-Accelerate Capital, also known as TAC. The round also saw participation from Ventana Ventures and angel investors.

The company was founded in 2024 by Deepak Gurijala and Raviteja Mantena.

It works with indie and AA game developers, mainly those building PC and console games for global audiences. In simple terms, 1312 Interactive wants to become a launch partner for small game studios that have strong ideas but need help with funding, production, marketing and distribution.

What 1312 Interactive does

A lot of small game developers know how to build interesting games, but they often struggle when it is time to launch. Publishing a game is not only about uploading it to Steam or a console store. Developers need trailers, testing, localization, platform support, community building and marketing.

This is the gap 1312 Interactive is trying to fill. The company helps studios from early development to launch and post-launch support. Its focus is on premium PC and console titles, especially games from India and other emerging markets.

For example, a small Indian studio may have a story-driven game ready, but may not know how to reach players in Europe, North America or Southeast Asia. A publisher like 1312 Interactive can help with store placement, creator outreach, pricing, testing and release planning.

Why the funding matters

The fresh $1 million seed funding will be used to expand 1312 Interactive’s publishing work across emerging markets. As per reports, the money will support marketing, quality assurance, localization and production for partner developers.

These are practical spending areas. Quality assurance means testing a game properly before release so bugs do not spoil the player experience. Localization means adapting text, language and cultural details for different countries. For global PC and console games, both can make a big difference.

The company also plans to launch 1312 Playground, a community platform where players can test games earlier and give feedback before final release. This can help developers understand what players enjoy, where they get stuck and what needs fixing.

Founders and startup aim

Deepak Gurijala is the CEO and co-founder of 1312 Interactive. He has earlier worked in gaming through Street Lamp Games. Raviteja Mantena, the other co-founder, also comes with experience in game design and production.

Their larger aim is to help India become more visible in the global premium gaming market. India has many mobile game users, but PC and console publishing is still a smaller space. 1312 Interactive wants to help change that by backing games that can travel beyond India.

Competitors and market challenge

1312 Interactive competes with indie game publishers and gaming support platforms that help developers launch globally. Its broader competitors may include international publishers working with indie studios, regional game accelerators and platform-led programs from Steam, Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo.

The challenge is simple but tough. A publisher must pick the right games, spend carefully and create real demand before launch. One strong game can build reputation, while a weak launch can hurt trust with both players and developers.

Conclusion with key takeaways

1312 Interactive’s $1 million seed round shows growing investor interest in India’s gaming ecosystem beyond mobile games. The startup is not just building games. It is trying to build a publishing bridge between talented developers and global players.

Key takeaways –

• 1312 Interactive raised $1 million in seed funding led by Chimera Venture Capital and T-Accelerate Capital.
• The startup was founded in 2024 by Deepak Gurijala and Raviteja Mantena.
• It focuses on publishing indie and AA PC and console games.
• Funds will support production, marketing, localization, testing and developer partnerships.
• Its bigger aim is to take games from India and emerging markets to global audiences.

AI content startup Flam has raised $40 million in a Series B funding round led by QED Investors. The round also saw participation from Claypond Capital, Martin Chavez, Olivier Pomel, Venky Harinarayan and Shah Rukh Khan. Existing investors RTP Global and Dovetail also joined the round again.

Flam was founded in 2021 by Shourya Agarwal, Malhar Patil and Amit Gaiki,

The company started with augmented reality content and has now moved deeper into AI-powered interactive media for brands.

What Flam is trying to build

Flam wants to change how people experience ads and digital content. Instead of a simple video that users only watch, Flam helps brands create interactive content where people can scan, tap, move around, shop or engage with lifelike visuals.

A simple example is a newspaper ad that opens into an interactive celebrity video on a phone. Another example could be a retail brand letting shoppers see a product in 3D before buying it. For brands, this can make advertising feel more like an experience than a plain promotion.

Flam says its platform works across digital ads, print, retail, broadcast TV, outdoor media and communication channels. That wide use case is one reason investors may see a large market opportunity.

Why Flam needed fresh funding

The fresh capital will mainly be used for AI research, product expansion and global enterprise sales. In plain English, Flam needs money to build better AI models, improve its tools and sell to more large companies outside India.

This kind of business can be expensive to scale. Flam needs engineers, AI researchers, designers, cloud infrastructure, sales teams and customer support. It also has to prove that interactive content can give brands measurable results, not just creative appeal.

According to company and media reports, Flam already works with several large brands and enterprises. That gives it a base to expand from, but global competition in AI content is also rising fast.

Why investors are interested

QED Investors leading the round is notable because the firm is better known for fintech investments. Its bet on Flam suggests that interactive AI content is becoming attractive beyond traditional ad-tech circles.

Brands are spending heavily to stand out online, but normal ads are easy to ignore. Flam is trying to solve that problem by making ads more active and memorable. If a user spends more time with a brand’s content, that can improve recall, clicks and purchases.

Competitors and market challenge

Flam competes in a broad space that includes AR content platforms, generative AI video tools, 3D creation platforms and ad-tech companies. Global rivals may include tools like Runway, Adobe Firefly, Snap’s AR tools and other AI video or immersive content startups.

Its real challenge will be proving value at scale. Big brands may try new formats once, but they continue only if the results are clear. Flam will need to show better engagement, sales impact and lower production time.

Conclusion with key takeaways

Flam’s $40 million Series B shows growing investor interest in AI content beyond regular videos. The startup wants to help brands build interactive, shoppable and more memorable experiences.

Key takeaways –

• Flam raised $40 million in Series B led by QED Investors.
• The company was founded in 2021 and works in AI-powered interactive content.
• Funds will support AI research, product expansion and global enterprise sales.
• Its aim is to make ads and brand content more interactive across online and offline channels.

Four Indian startups have been selected for the Google DeepMind Accelerator – AI for the Planet, giving India a strong place in a climate-focused AI program for the Asia-Pacific region.

The selected Indian names are Terrastack, Varaha Climate, Farmers for Forests and Climitra Carbon. All four are working on climate problems, but their approaches are different. Some focus on farmers and land data, while others work on carbon credits, forests, biomass and industrial emissions.

Why Google DeepMind selected these startups

Google’s accelerator is focused on using advanced AI for real climate problems. The program supports startups, research teams and nonprofits that can use AI, satellite data, climate models and field information to build practical solutions.

The Indian startups fit that purpose well because they are not just building software for convenience. Their work touches agriculture, carbon removal, biodiversity, rural income and industrial pollution. These are large problems where better data can save time, reduce guesswork and help decisions happen faster.

1. Terrastack – Land intelligence for better decisions

Terrastack was founded in January 2024 and is incubated at SINE, IIT Bombay. Its co-founders include Aaryan Dangi and Prof. Milind Sohoni.

The startup builds location and land intelligence using satellite data, maps and field information. In simple terms, it helps banks, insurers, government teams and businesses understand land better before making decisions.

For example, a lender can use stronger land data before giving an agricultural loan. An insurer can understand farm risk better during floods or drought-like conditions. This is useful in India, where land records and ground realities are often difficult to read clearly.

2. Varaha Climate – Helping farmers earn from carbon removal

Varaha Climate was founded in 2022 by Madhur Jain, Ankita Garg and Vishal Kuchanur.

The company works with small farmers and uses remote sensing, science-based models and data tools to measure climate-positive farming practices.

Its aim is to help farmers earn through carbon credits by adopting regenerative agriculture and carbon removal practices. For a farmer, this could mean earning extra income for improving soil health or using better land practices.

Varaha competes in the wider climate-tech and carbon market space with companies working on carbon measurement, nature-based solutions and sustainable sourcing.

3. Farmers for Forests – Using technology for agroforestry

Farmers for Forests, also known as F4F, was founded in 2019 by Arti Dhar, Aditya Avinashe and Krutika Ravishankar.

The organization works with farmers to create biodiverse farms and forests.

Its purpose is simple but powerful. It helps farmers move towards agroforestry, where trees and crops grow together in a planned way. This can improve soil, support biodiversity and create extra income over time.

With AI-powered drones, satellite data and field mapping, F4F can track tree growth, land restoration and climate impact more reliably.

4. Climitra Carbon – Turning waste biomass into climate value

Climitra Carbon was founded in 2025 by Shubhankar Mihir Seth, Shaurya Sharma and Aryaman Mihir Seth.

The startup is building solutions around waste biomass, bio-coal and carbon removal.

Its focus is on hard-to-clean industries such as steel and cement. These industries need high heat and often depend on fossil coal. Climitra wants to convert waste biomass into a cleaner industrial input and also support biochar-based carbon removal.

If this works at scale, it can reduce farm waste, create new rural supply chains and help factories lower emissions.

Conclusion with key takeaways

The selection of Terrastack, Varaha Climate, Farmers for Forests and Climitra Carbon shows that Indian climate startups are moving beyond ideas into field-tested work.

Key takeaways –

• Four Indian startups have joined Google DeepMind Accelerator – AI for the Planet.
• The selected startups are working on land data, farmer income, forests, carbon credits and industrial decarbonization.
• Google DeepMind’s support can help them improve AI models, climate data use and product scale.
• The common goal is practical climate action, not just research or reporting.

Facts Input- Google India Blog, Google DeepMind, AI Front Page

India’s startup funding market is seeing money move into very practical businesses again. Fashion, furniture, restaurants and worker housing may look unrelated at first, but all four sectors are tied to everyday spending and real customer problems.

The latest funding updates around UniqYou, Furnishka, Popo Global and HerSpace Manufacturing show that investors are not only chasing software stories. They are also backing brands that need capital for products, stores, kitchens, factories, housing units and better supply chains.

UniqYou – Fast fashion with a personal touch

D2C fashion startup UniqYou has reportedly raised Rs.15.8 crore in a seed round. Publicly available details show that UniqYou Innovation Private Limited was incorporated in April 2026, with Sneha Priya and Nishanth Kammardi Nagaraj listed as directors.

The company describes itself as a real-time fashion brand that uses trend signals and personalization to create fresh designs faster. In simple words, the aim is to reduce the delay between what people are seeing online and what they can actually buy.

The funding need here is clear. Fashion startups need money for design, sampling, inventory, technology, marketing and delivery. UniqYou will compete with fast-moving fashion and D2C brands such as Newme, Snitch, Urbanic, Myntra-backed labels and social-commerce fashion sellers.

Furnishka – Making furniture buying less painful

Furniture startup Furnishka raised around Rs.27 crore in its pre-Series A round led by IndiaQuotient, with participation from BEENEXT, Sparrow Capital and angel investors. The Bengaluru-based company was founded in 2023 by Ganesh Pawar, who earlier co-founded Spinny.

Furnishka is trying to solve a familiar home problem. Buying furniture in India can mean long waiting times, unclear pricing and uneven quality. The startup sells through online and offline stores and offers more than 1,000 furniture designs.

The funds are expected to support product development, manufacturing, supply chain improvement and retail expansion. Its competitors include Pepperfry, Urban Ladder, IKEA, Wakefit, WoodenStreet and local furniture stores.

Popo Global – Food brands need scale, not just taste

Popo Global, the company behind The Pizza Bakery, Paris Panini and Smash Guys, has raised about $56 million, or around Rs.532 crore, from Artal Asia. The Bengaluru-based company was founded in 2017 by brothers Nikhil Gupta and Abhijit Gupta.

This is a large deal for a restaurant business. Popo Global’s need for funding is different from a small cafe. It needs capital for new outlets, kitchen systems, staff training, real estate and stronger delivery operations.

The company competes with food chains and QSR brands such as Domino’s, Burger Singh, McDonald’s, Taco Bell, PizzaExpress and several premium local restaurant brands.

HerSpace Manufacturing – Housing as worker infrastructure

HerSpace Manufacturing has secured a fresh $40 million commitment from existing investor Gray Matters Capital. Reports say the wider commitment from Gray Matters Capital stands at $50 million, including an earlier $10 million investment in 2025.

Founded in 2023 by Bob Pattillo and Puneeth Thimmegowda, HerSpace builds and operates managed housing for industrial workers near manufacturing hubs. Simha Nagaraj serves as CEO.

This is not a regular real estate play. The startup is trying to help factories house workers closer to job sites, with a focus on safety, women workers, food, housekeeping and compliance. Its capital will go into expanding across Greater Bengaluru, Hosur, Chennai and Andhra Pradesh.

Conclusion with key takeaways

These four funding stories show a simple shift. Investors are backing startups that solve visible, everyday problems.

UniqYou wants to make fashion faster and more personal. Furnishka wants to make furniture buying smoother. Popo Global wants to take Bengaluru-born food brands to more locations. HerSpace wants to make worker housing more organized and safer.

The common thread is execution. Funding gives these startups room to grow, but the real test will be quality, pricing, customer trust and how well they scale without losing control.

Facts curated from web and social media updates

Indian startup funding is not moving in only one direction. Some investors are backing deep technology that helps companies work better, while others are still betting on consumer businesses that can scale fast. Two recent examples are Dialflo and Swish.

Dialflo has raised Rs. 1.7 crore in its first funding round led by AJVC. And as discussed earlier, Swish, the quick food delivery startup, has raised $24 million in a round led by Bertelsmann India Investments. Both startups are young, but they are solving very different problems.

Dialflo Wants to Make Business Calling Smarter

Dialflo is a Bengaluru-based voice AI startup founded in 2024 by Abhishek Kumar.

The company builds AI voice agents for businesses. In simple words, these are software-based calling agents that can talk to customers, handle repeated calls, and support teams in areas like sales, customer service, hiring, and logistics.

For example, a logistics company may need to call customers to confirm delivery details. A staffing company may need to screen candidates before sending them to recruiters. Dialflo wants AI agents to handle such work while still keeping human teams involved where needed.

The startup says it is working on a hybrid model, where AI agents and human agents work together. This matters because many companies do not just want automation. They want clear proof that automation is actually improving customer experience and saving money.

Dialflo Funding Purpose

Dialflo’s Rs. 1.7 crore round was led by AJVC, with participation from angel investors including Afsar Ahmad, Arpit Dave, and Jani Pasha, as per public reports and founder updates.

The company plans to use the money to grow its engineering and AI teams, improve its attribution engine, and add more enterprise customers. An attribution engine means a system that tracks which action led to which result. For a business, this can help answer a simple question – did the AI call actually improve revenue, support quality, or customer response?

Dialflo already serves enterprise customers such as Tata Digital, Intugine, and Careernet, according to Newzchain.

Swish Bets Big on 10-Minute Food Delivery

Swish is a Bengaluru-based quick food delivery startup founded in 2024 by Aniket Shah, Ujjwal Sukheja, and Saran S.

Unlike regular food delivery apps that mostly connect users with restaurants, Swish works with its own neighbourhood kitchen network. The idea is to prepare and deliver fresh food quickly, often in around 10 minutes, by keeping kitchens close to customers.

This model is useful in dense urban areas. For example, an office worker may want a quick lunch without waiting 35 to 45 minutes. Swish is trying to serve that everyday food need with speed, limited delivery distance, and controlled kitchen operations.

Swish Funding Purpose

Swish has raised $24 million led by Bertelsmann India Investments. Existing investors Accel, Bain Capital Ventures, and Hara Global also participated, as per reports.

The company plans to use the funding to expand its kitchen network, strengthen supply chain infrastructure, increase capacity, and grow in existing as well as new cities. Bertelsmann India Investments says Swish has crossed more than 1 million monthly orders and wants to build a much larger kitchen network over the next few years.

Competitors and Market View

Dialflo competes in the AI contact centre and voice automation space. Its competitors include companies like Crescendo and Firstsource in enterprise contact centre services, along with newer AI voice agent startups.

Swish faces a tougher consumer market. Its competitors include Swiggy, Zomato-owned Eternal’s food delivery and quick food experiments, Zepto Cafe, Rapido Ownly, and Flipkart’s Eat In test. The challenge for Swish will be to keep food quality, pricing, speed, and unit economics balanced as it grows.

Conclusion and Key Takeaways

Dialflo and Swish show two sides of India’s startup market. Dialflo is building for businesses that want measurable AI results. Swish is building for consumers who want fresh food quickly.

Key takeaways –

• Dialflo raised Rs. 1.7 crore led by AJVC.
• Swish raised $24 million led by Bertelsmann India Investments.
• Dialflo is focused on AI voice agents for enterprises.
• Swish is focused on fast food delivery through neighbourhood kitchens.
• Both startups will use the funding to expand teams, infrastructure, and customer reach.

Marmalade, the company behind Brightside Craft Whiskey, has raised Rs. 6 crore in an early-stage funding round. The round was backed by angel investors from the alcoholic beverage, consumer brand, and startup ecosystem.

The story is interesting because Marmalade is not trying to sell whiskey only through old ideas of heritage and heavy branding. Its aim is to make whiskey feel smoother, more approachable, and more relevant for India’s new generation of legal-drinking-age consumers.

What Marmalade Does

Marmalade is a new-age alco-bev startup building flavour-led spirits for Indian consumers. Its first product is Brightside Craft Whiskey, which was launched in Pune in January 2026.

Brightside is positioned as a craft whiskey for people who may find regular whiskey too harsh, bitter, or difficult to enjoy. The brand is built around an easier-drinking experience, while still staying in the whiskey category.

A simple way to understand this is to think of a first-time whiskey drinker at a casual house party. Instead of choosing a very strong, smoky, old-school bottle, they may prefer something smoother and easier to mix or sip. Marmalade is trying to serve that kind of consumer.

Founders and Startup Background

Marmalade was founded in 2025 by Udit Mediratta and Surojit Bhattacharya.

Udit Mediratta has experience in marketing and sales, including past roles at HomeLane and AB InBev. Surojit Bhattacharya comes from a finance and strategy background. Together, they are building Marmalade as a modern Indian drinks company, starting with Brightside.

The startup has also developed Brightside Craft Whiskey in partnership with Amrut Distilleries and master blender Ashok Chokalingam.

Funding Details and Investors

The Rs. 6 crore round saw participation from around 20 angel investors. Reported names include Ashok Chokalingam, COO of Amrut Distilleries; Robert Sellares from the Don Q Rum founding family; Ishank Gupta, former AB InBev director and founder of Humyn Labs; HomeLane founders Srikanth Iyer and Tanuj Choudhry; and founders of Malt Society Arabia.

For a young alcohol brand, this kind of investor mix matters. It brings not only capital, but also experience in spirits, distribution, branding, and consumer behaviour.

Funding Purpose

Marmalade plans to use the fresh capital for distribution expansion, brand building, and strengthening sales and operations.

The company’s near-term focus is Mumbai and the broader Maharashtra market. This makes sense because the brand started in Pune and can use Maharashtra as a strong base before entering more states.

As per ETRetail, Brightside is priced at Rs. 1,750 for a 750ml bottle in Maharashtra. The company is also targeting Rs. 15 crore annualized revenue run rate by December 2026, after reaching a reported Rs. 5 crore run rate in September 2026.

Competitors and Market Context

Marmalade is entering a crowded but exciting market. India already has recognized whiskey brands such as Amrut, Paul John, Indri, Rampur, Godawan, and other premium Indian labels. At the same time, mass-market whiskey brands continue to dominate large parts of the category.

Brightside’s challenge will be clear. It has to stand out in taste, packaging, pricing, and availability. The opportunity is also clear. Many younger legal-age consumers are open to trying Indian brands if the product feels modern and easy to enjoy.

Conclusion and Key Takeaways

Marmalade’s Rs. 6 crore funding gives the startup a chance to move from a promising Pune launch to a wider Maharashtra play. The brand is still young, but it is entering the market with a sharp consumer idea and backing from people who understand alcoholic beverages and consumer brands.

Key takeaways –

• Marmalade raised Rs. 6 crore in early-stage funding.
• The startup was founded in 2025 by Udit Mediratta and Surojit Bhattacharya.
• Its first brand, Brightside Craft Whiskey, launched in Pune in January 2026.
• The funding will support distribution, brand building, sales, and operations.
• Mumbai and wider Maharashtra are key focus markets.

Graph AI has raised $13.3 million in Series A funding, marking a fresh push for AI in the pharmaceutical safety space. The round was led by Insight Partners, with participation from existing investor Bessemer Venture Partners.

The startup is not building a regular chatbot or a general AI tool. Its focus is more specific. Graph AI wants to help pharma and biotech companies handle patient safety work faster, with better tracking and human review where it matters.

What Graph AI Does

Graph AI builds a platform called Graph Safety. It is made for pharmacovigilance, which simply means the process of tracking and reporting side effects, adverse events, and safety issues linked to medicines.

For example, if a patient reports a serious side effect after taking a medicine, a pharma company has to collect that information, check it, process it, and report it properly. This can take a lot of manual work, especially when reports come through emails, call centers, forms, doctors, hospitals, and other channels.

Graph Safety aims to bring these steps into one AI-supported system. The goal is not to remove safety experts, but to reduce repetitive tasks so they can spend more time on analysis and decisions.

Founders and Startup Background

Graph AI was founded in 2024 by Raghav Parvataraju, Vijay Ponukumati, Mohan Konyala, and Ashutosh Bordekar.

Raghav Parvataraju is the CEO of the company. The startup has positioned itself around patient safety operations for pharma and biotech firms, a market where accuracy, audit trails, and regulatory compliance are extremely important.

Funding Purpose

The new Graph AI Series A funding will mainly be used to expand the company across the United States and Europe. This is important because pharma safety work is global, and companies need systems that can support different markets and regulatory expectations.

Graph AI has already launched two modules. One helps capture and sort incoming adverse-event reports. Another works as an intelligent safety database for case processing. The company is also preparing a reporting module and is working on signal detection, which can help spot early safety patterns across cases.

In simple words, the funding gives Graph AI more room to build its product, grow its team, support enterprise customers, and enter bigger markets.

Why This Funding Matters

Patient safety is one of the less flashy but very important areas of healthcare. When medicine use grows, safety reports also increase. Many teams still depend on older systems, spreadsheets, manual checks, and disconnected tools.

This is where AI can be useful, but only if it is used carefully. In healthcare and pharma, companies cannot simply trust a black-box answer. They need proof, review trails, and human oversight.

Graph AI’s pitch is built around that idea. It wants AI to handle the heavy operational work, while experts remain in control of judgment and compliance.

Competitors and Market overview

Graph AI is entering a space with strong existing players. Some well-known names in pharmacovigilance software include Oracle Argus Safety, ArisGlobal LifeSphere Safety, and Veeva Vault Safety. Veeva has also announced Falcon Safety, an AI-focused safety operations product planned for early adopter availability in November 2026.

ArisGlobal and Veeva already serve large life sciences customers, so Graph AI will need to prove that its platform is faster, easier to adopt, and reliable in regulated environments. Its advantage may come from being AI-native from the start, instead of adding AI features on top of older workflows.

Conclusion and Key Takeaways

Graph AI’s $13.3 million Series A round shows that investors are looking closely at practical AI tools for healthcare operations, not just consumer-facing AI products.

Key takeaways –

• Graph AI raised $13.3 million in Series A funding led by Insight Partners.
• Bessemer Venture Partners also participated in the round.
• The startup was founded in 2024 and focuses on AI-powered patient safety software.
• The money will support expansion across the US and Europe.
• Graph AI competes with players like Oracle Argus, ArisGlobal LifeSphere Safety, and Veeva Safety.

Facts Input- PRNewswire

AllSecureX, an Indian cybersecurity startup, has raised an undisclosed pre-seed round from Finvolve and India Accelerator. The funding comes as businesses, banks, government bodies, and defence organizations begin preparing for the security risks posed by future quantum computers.

Founded in 2025 by Himanshu Vohra, AllSecureX is working on tools that help organizations find encryption methods that may become weak in the future and move towards stronger protection. The startup is incubated at Delhi Technological University.

What problem is AllSecureX trying to solve

Most digital systems depend on encryption to protect sensitive information. This includes online banking, payment systems, hospital records, government communications, and connected vehicles.

Quantum computers are still developing, but experts expect that sufficiently powerful machines could one day weaken some widely used encryption methods. This is why organizations are now exploring post-quantum cryptography, which means encryption designed to remain secure even against advanced quantum computing attacks.

A simple example is a bank storing customer records for many years. Even if the data is safe today, the bank needs to consider whether its encryption will still protect that information in the future. AllSecureX aims to help organizations identify such risks early and plan a safer transition.

How the startup plans to help

AllSecureX offers products including Quantum Risk Discovery and QuantumVault. According to the company, Quantum Risk Discovery helps businesses assess security weaknesses across their digital systems.

QuantumVault is designed to help organizations discover older encryption methods, assess the risk, and adopt post-quantum cryptography in a phased way. This matters because a large company cannot replace every security system overnight. It needs to test upgrades without disrupting payments, customer apps, internal software, or communication networks.

The startup’s focus areas include banking and financial services, telecom, defence, space, healthcare, government, and automotive technology. These sectors manage sensitive information and depend heavily on secure digital networks.

Funding purpose and market opportunity

ETEntrepreneur reported that Finvolve and India Accelerator provided the pre-seed funding, though the investment amount was not disclosed publicly. The funding should give AllSecureX early support to develop its quantum-resilient cyber defence products, strengthen research, and work with potential enterprise users.

For an early-stage cybersecurity company, product testing is especially important. A bank or telecom firm will not adopt a security tool unless it works reliably with existing systems and meets strict compliance requirements.

AllSecureX is entering a growing quantum-security market that already includes players such as QNu Labs. QNu Labs works on quantum-safe encryption and secure communication products for enterprises, telecom firms, financial institutions, and government bodies.

The difference will come down to practical adoption. AllSecureX will need to prove that its tools are easy to deploy, work with existing technology, and help organizations prepare without adding unnecessary cost or complexity.

Key takeaways –

AllSecureX has raised undisclosed pre-seed funding from Finvolve and India Accelerator to advance its quantum-resilient cybersecurity work. Founded by Himanshu Vohra in 2025, the startup is focused on helping Indian organizations prepare for future encryption risks.

The company’s larger aim is clear – make it easier for critical sectors to find vulnerable encryption and shift to stronger security methods before the threat becomes urgent.

Homegrown fashion brand Theater has raised Rs. 56.25 crore in a Series A funding round led by Niveshaay. The company’s post-funding valuation is estimated at around Rs. 402 crore, based on public filings.

The funding marks an important moment for Theater as it looks to grow in India’s busy online fashion market.

The brand behind the funding round

Theater was founded in 2021 by Sarthak Aggarwal, Karan Jain, Vikram Jain, and Shruti Aggarwal.

It is a digital-first fashion and lifestyle brand selling footwear, bags, stockings, socks, perfumes, and accessories.

The company is built around design-led products positioned above basic mass-market choices, while remaining more affordable than luxury labels. Its products are sold through its own online platform and other digital channels.

For a customer, that could mean buying a pair of statement shoes or a handbag without visiting a large shopping mall. The business depends on making products discoverable online, delivering them quickly, and encouraging customers to return for other categories.

Who invested and what the money may support

Niveshaay led the round with an investment of Rs. 37 crore. FirstPort Capital and Skagen Ventures also participated, along with Saket Agarwal, Vishal Julka, and IPV International.

Theater is expected to use the new capital for business expansion, working capital needs, and strengthening its balance sheet. Working capital is simply the money a company needs to run daily operations, such as buying stock, storing products, paying suppliers, and processing deliveries.

For a fashion business, this funding can help Theater place larger orders before festive demand, introduce new designs faster, and avoid running out of popular sizes or colours. It may also support a wider product range and stronger online marketing.

Why the valuation matters

Theater’s estimated post-money valuation of around Rs. 402 crore shows that investors see potential in the brand’s growth. The company reported operating revenue of Rs. 33.35 crore in FY25, according to reports based on its filings.

A valuation is not the same as cash in the bank or annual sales. It reflects what investors believe a company may be worth after considering its growth, customer base, product range, and future plans.

Theater will face competition from large online fashion marketplaces such as Myntra and AJIO, along with newer direct-to-consumer brands in footwear and accessories. Its challenge will be to keep its designs distinct while maintaining quality and delivery standards as sales increase.

Key takeaways –

Theater’s Series A round gives the young fashion startup financial room to expand carefully. Founded by Sarthak Aggarwal, Karan Jain, Vikram Jain, and Shruti Aggarwal in 2021, the brand is building a wider lifestyle business around fashion and accessories.

The fresh money can support inventory, new product development, online growth, and daily business needs. The next test for Theater will be turning this funding into repeat customers and steady revenue growth in a crowded fashion market.

Uber has invested $10 million, or about Rs. 96 crore, in Indian fleet management startup Carrum Mobility. The fresh funding is expected to help Carrum add more vehicles, expand to new cities, improve its technology, and support Uber’s premium ride services.

For everyday riders, fleet management may sound like a back-end business. But it plays a direct role in whether a cab arrives on time, is well maintained, and has a trained driver behind the wheel.

What Carrum Mobility does

Carrum Mobility was founded in 2024 by Karan Jain, who is also its chief executive officer.

Jain had earlier founded car rental company Revv, which was acquired by CarDekho in 2023.

Carrum buys, deploys, and manages vehicles for ride-hailing services. Rather than every driver owning a car, a fleet partner can provide cars, arrange maintenance, recruit drivers, and use technology to track vehicle availability.

For example, if a driver’s car needs servicing, Carrum can assign another suitable vehicle faster than an individual owner may be able to. This can help keep more cars available on the road during busy hours.

The startup operates across cities including Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, and Kolkata. It works closely with Uber and supplies vehicles for services such as Uber Go, Uber Premier, and Uber Black.

Where the new funding may go

According to reports, Uber’s latest investment is part of a Series B funding round. Carrum plans to use the money to expand its vehicle fleet, enter more cities, strengthen its technology platform, and hire as operations grow.

The company reportedly aims to more than double its fleet to around 11,000 vehicles over the next 12 months. Carrum also focuses on CNG and electric vehicles, which could support lower-emission mobility options as urban ride demand grows.

Uber Black is likely to be an important part of this plan. Premium rides need cleaner cars, better upkeep, and more consistent service. A professionally managed fleet can make that easier than relying only on individual vehicle owners.

Why Uber is backing Carrum again

This is Uber’s second reported investment in Carrum in 2026. The ride-hailing company had earlier invested $7 million in the startup in January.

The latest round reportedly values Carrum at around Rs. 1,600 crore after the investment. For Uber, investing in a fleet partner can help increase the supply of cars and drivers without owning and managing every vehicle itself.

It also reduces dependence on a single large partner. As per Mint, in India’s organized ride-hailing fleet market, Everest Fleet is another major name. Uber has backed Everest Fleet as well, while Carrum is emerging as another important supplier of vehicles for the platform.

Key takeaways –

Uber’s $10 million investment gives Carrum Mobility more room to grow its fleet, technology, and city presence. Founded in 2024 by Karan Jain, Carrum is aiming to make fleet operations more organised for drivers and ride-hailing platforms.

The funding matters because reliable vehicles and trained drivers are central to a better cab experience. Carrum’s growth could help Uber strengthen both everyday and premium rides in India, though its execution over the next year will be the real test.

QNu Labs, a Bengaluru-based deep-tech cybersecurity startup, has raised Rs. 200 crore in a Series A1 funding round. The round was led by the National Quantum Mission and Speciale Invest, with participation from Sony Innovation Fund, Gaja Capital, and Artha Ventures.

The funding arrives at a time when governments, banks, telecom companies, and defence organizations are preparing for a future in which powerful quantum computers could threaten some of today’s encryption methods. QNu Labs is building tools designed to help organizations protect sensitive data before that risk becomes more serious.

What QNu Labs does

QNu Labs was founded in 2016 by Sunil Gupta and Srinivasa Rao Aluri after being incubated at IIT Madras.

The company develops quantum-safe cybersecurity products for protecting data in transit, on networks, in cloud systems, and across critical digital infrastructure.

The term quantum-safe can sound complicated, but the core idea is simple. Many modern digital systems use encryption to protect information such as banking transactions, medical records, government files, and business communication. Quantum-safe technology aims to prepare these systems for future computing capabilities that may weaken older encryption methods.

QNu Labs works across Quantum Key Distribution, or QKD, Quantum Random Number Generation, or QRNG, post-quantum cryptography, and cryptographic key management.

QKD is used to create and exchange encryption keys in a way that can help detect interference. QRNG creates highly unpredictable random numbers, which are important for strong encryption. Post-quantum cryptography refers to new security algorithms designed to resist future quantum-computing attacks.

Why the company needs fresh funding

Quantum cybersecurity is not a low-cost software category. It involves research, specialized hardware, optics, security testing, integration with existing IT systems, and long sales cycles with large institutions.

According to QNu Labs, the Rs. 200 crore funding will be used to accelerate research and development, expand sales and market operations in India and overseas, and widen its technology portfolio into quantum sensing and artificial intelligence.

A part of the capital will also support QNu Labs’ contribution to an approved Research, Development and Innovation project for building the technology backbone of India’s Quantum Secure and Sensing Networks.

This is why the funding matters. The company needs resources not only to develop products, but also to deploy them in real environments where security failures can have serious consequences.

The larger aim behind QNu Labs

QNu Labs wants to help organizations begin their transition to quantum-safe security before a major threat becomes real. This is especially relevant for data that must remain confidential for many years.

For example, a bank may need to protect customer information, payment systems, and internal networks for the long term. A power-grid operator may need secure communication between control centres. Defence and government systems may require stronger protection for sensitive data and critical infrastructure.

The company’s aim is to offer Indian-built technology for these high-security use cases while also selling to global markets. As per reports, the latest round takes QNu Labs’ total venture funding to Rs. 375 crore.

Competition in quantum-safe cybersecurity

QNu Labs operates in a global market with companies such as Quantropi, Nu Quantum, and QuintessenceLabs. These companies work on different parts of quantum-safe communication, encryption, key management, and security infrastructure.

QNu Labs’ advantage may come from building an end-to-end product stack in India and aligning with the country’s National Quantum Mission. But the company will need to prove that its products can work reliably with large, complex systems and meet international security standards.

Key takeaways –

QNu Labs’ Rs. 200 crore Series A1 funding will support research, product development, market expansion, and quantum-secure network projects. The startup is building technology meant to protect critical systems from future cybersecurity risks linked to quantum computing.

The opportunity is large, but so is the challenge. Quantum-safe security must be practical, affordable, and compatible with existing networks. QNu Labs now has fresh capital to turn its research-led technology into wider real-world deployments.

Facts Input- ET Telecom, YS, About, Competitors

Bajaj Finance has acquired a 5 percent stake in TrueFan AI, an enterprise AI video platform. The move is a strategic investment, not a full acquisition of the startup.

The deal builds on an existing relationship. According to Business Standard, Bajaj Finance has already used TrueFan AI to create millions of personalized videos for customer engagement and dealer communication. Becoming a shareholder signals that Bajaj Finance sees the technology as useful beyond a one-time vendor partnership.

What TrueFan AI does

TrueFan AI was founded in 2020 by Nimish Goel and Devender Bindal.

It began as a celebrity engagement platform and later shifted its focus towards AI-powered enterprise video generation.

The company helps businesses turn one video recording into many personalized versions. A bank, insurer, retailer, or finance company can create videos that use a customer’s name, preferred language, product details, or local context without filming every message separately.

For example, instead of sending the same written loan reminder to thousands of people, a company could send a short personalized video in Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, or another language. The message may feel clearer and more direct, provided it is used responsibly and with the right customer permissions.

TrueFan AI says its platform supports more than 175 languages and is used for marketing, sales, customer communication, training, and internal messaging.

Why Bajaj Finance bought a stake

Bajaj Finance is investing through Finserv Intelligence, Bajaj Finserv’s initiative for applied research and innovation. The company is increasing its use of technology, data, and AI to improve customer experience and automate parts of its operations.

A 5 percent stake gives Bajaj Finance a closer relationship with a technology partner it already knows. It may also help both companies work together on products designed specifically for financial services.

As per reports, the partnership may expand into personalized marketing, digital onboarding, multilingual communication, dealer engagement, learning programmes, and in-app avatar assistance.

For Bajaj Finance, the aim is likely to make large-scale communication feel more relevant to individual customers. For TrueFan AI, the investment offers validation from a major enterprise customer and can help it build more use cases in the banking, financial services, and insurance sector.

The value of the transaction was not publicly disclosed.

Why this matters for customers

Financial products can be confusing, especially when communication arrives in formal English or through long documents. Well-designed video communication can explain repayment dates, onboarding steps, insurance information, or product features in a simpler format.

A first-time borrower, for instance, may find a short video explaining an EMI schedule easier to understand than a detailed email. A dealer may receive a tailored training video instead of waiting for an in-person session.

But the technology must be used carefully. Financial companies need clear consent, accurate information, strong data protection, and safeguards against misleading AI-generated content. Personalization should make communication more useful, not more intrusive.

Competition in the AI video market

TrueFan AI operates in a fast-growing enterprise video market alongside global platforms such as HeyGen and Synthesia. These companies also offer AI avatars, multilingual video creation, and business communication tools.

TrueFan AI’s focus on high-volume personalized videos, Indian-language communication, and enterprise integration could help it stand out locally. The challenge will be maintaining video quality, customer trust, data privacy, and compliance as AI-generated communication becomes more common.

Key takeaways –

Bajaj Finance’s 5 percent investment in TrueFan AI is a strategic bet on personalized AI video for financial services. It follows an existing business relationship in which Bajaj Finance has already used the startup’s platform at scale.

The partnership could improve customer communication, onboarding, training, and dealer support. Its long-term success will depend on whether the technology delivers real clarity for customers while meeting strict standards for privacy, consent, and accuracy.

Facts Input- Inc42, HeyGen and Synthesia