Two very different Indian startups have announced major funding developments. GIVA, a fine-jewellery brand, is preparing for a much larger offline retail presence. Armatrix, a deep-tech robotics company, is building machines designed to work in cramped and hazardous industrial locations.

Their products may have little in common, but both stories show investors backing businesses that solve very clear problems – making everyday jewellery more accessible and making dangerous industrial work safer.

GIVA raises over USD 100 million for its next growth phase

As per Mint, Bengaluru-based jewellery brand GIVA has raised more than USD 100 million in a funding round led by Multiples Alternate Asset Management. Existing investors Epiq Capital and Edelweiss Discovery Fund also participated.

GIVA was founded in 2019 by Ishendra Agarwal, Nikita Prasad and Sachin Shetty. The brand began with sterling-silver jewellery and later expanded into gold and lab-grown diamond products. It sells through its website, online marketplaces, quick-commerce platforms and physical stores.

The funding round includes both primary and secondary capital. Primary capital goes into the business for growth, while secondary capital allows some early investors and shareholders to sell part of their stake. The deal also includes an employee stock ownership plan buyback, giving eligible employees a chance to benefit from the company’s growth.

GIVA plans to use the fresh funds for three key areas – expanding its store network, improving manufacturing capabilities and supporting working-capital needs such as inventory. The company has more than 400 stores across India and Sri Lanka and aims to cross 1,000 outlets over the next three to five years.

This is a big shift from the idea of GIVA as only an online jewellery brand. Jewellery buyers often want to see, touch and try products before spending money. More physical stores could help GIVA build trust, especially in Tier II cities.

GIVA faces tough jewellery competition

GIVA operates in a crowded market. Its competitors include BlueStone, CaratLane, Melorra, Candere and established jewellery names such as Tanishq. The company is betting that lightweight, everyday jewellery and an omnichannel model – where online and offline shopping work together – can help it stand out.

Its challenge is not only opening stores. The company must manage store costs, inventory, gold-price changes and customer expectations while moving towards profitability.

Armatrix raises Rs. 67.28 crore seed funding

As per Entrackr, Armatrix has raised Rs. 67.28 crore in a seed funding round led by UK-based Crane Venture Partners. Existing investor pi Ventures, along with gradCapital, Boundless Ventures, Inuka Capital, NKSquared and other investors, also took part.

Founded in 2024 by Vishrant Dave, Prateesh Awasthi and Ayush Ranjan, Armatrix develops snake-like robotic manipulators. These are flexible robotic arms designed to enter narrow, hard-to-reach and potentially unsafe spaces.

Think of a maintenance task inside a ship, an oil-and-gas facility or a nuclear installation. Rather than sending a worker into a confined area first, an operator may use a robot to inspect equipment, carry tools or perform a task from a safer location.

Armatrix says its technology is relevant to shipbuilding, aviation, oil and gas, nuclear energy and other industries where safety and access are major concerns.

What will Armatrix use the money for?

According to a regulatory filing-based report, Armatrix will use the funds for business expansion and general corporate purposes. The round appears to be ongoing, which means the final amount could increase through later tranches.

The report estimates the company’s valuation at around Rs. 360 crore, up from about Rs. 75 crore in its pre-seed round. However, Armatrix has not publicly confirmed a final valuation, so this number should be treated as an estimate.

Armatrix will compete with conventional inspection and maintenance teams as well as companies offering industrial robotics solutions. Its success will depend on proving that its robots are reliable, cost-effective and easy to deploy in real industrial environments.

India’s startup funding scene is rarely limited to one sector. This week’s activity moves from a croissant-waffle food chain and kids’ snacks to mutual fund advice and AI chips.

The Croffle Guys and Troovy have announced fresh funding rounds. PowerUp Money has raised USD 10 million for its wealth-management push. Meanwhile, Agrani Labs is reportedly in talks for a much larger round, though that deal is not confirmed yet.

The Croffle Guys plans a bigger store network

Mumbai-based quick-service restaurant startup The Croffle Guys has raised Rs. 14 crore at a reported post-money valuation of Rs. 100 crore. V3 Ventures led the round, with N.A.N Partners also participating.

Founded in 2025 by Rahul Vohra, Annanya Agarwal, Amay Thakkar and Veer Pinto, the company sells croffles – a mix of a croissant and a waffle – in sweet and savoury flavours.

The funding is meant to support rapid expansion. The company plans to add more than 40 outlets, mainly in Mumbai and Delhi, while also exploring selected locations in Pune. It currently operates eight outlets after starting with two stores.

The challenge will be keeping product quality and store-level profits steady while growing fast. In the food-service market, The Croffle Guys will compete for attention with café chains, dessert outlets and quick-service brands that already have deeper reach.

PowerUp Money looks beyond mutual fund tracking

Bengaluru-based PowerUp Money has raised USD 10 million, or about Rs. 95 crore, in a round led by Flourish Ventures. Existing backers, including Peak XV Partners, Accel, Blume Ventures, Kae Capital, 8i Ventures and DeVC, also participated.

Founded by Prateek Jindal, who earlier co-founded Uni Cards, PowerUp Money helps people review, select and manage mutual fund investments. The company was incorporated in 2025 after being developed within the Uni Cards ecosystem.

Its fresh capital will be used to build AI-led wealth-management tools, grow its managed advisory service and offer more personalized financial planning. In practical terms, the company wants to help an investor understand whether their mutual fund mix matches their goals, risk level and time horizon.

PowerUp Money’s competitors include traditional wealth managers, banks, mutual fund distributors and digital investment platforms. Its pitch is that technology can make advisory services more accessible, but investors should remember that no app can guarantee market returns.

Agrani Labs may be heading for a major AI-chip round

As reported earlier also, Agrani Labs is reportedly in discussions to raise USD 100 million at a valuation of around USD 300 million to USD 350 million. Google, HCLTech, Groww founders’ Stargazer fund, Peak XV Partners and 360 ONE are among the names linked to the talks.

This remains a reported discussion, not a completed funding announcement. The final amount, valuation and investor list may change.

Founded in 2024 by Dheemanth Nagaraj, Ashok Jagannathan, Srikanth Nimmagadda and Rajesh Vivekanandham, Agrani Labs is building AI chips and related software for enterprise and data-centre computing. The founders have experience at companies including Intel and AMD.

If the round closes, the money could go towards chip development, research and engineering. Agrani is entering a difficult market dominated by global companies such as Nvidia. Its aim is not simply to design hardware, but to develop software that makes the chips useful for AI workloads.

Troovy doubles down on children’s snacks

Gurugram-based Troovy has raised Rs. 100 crore in a Series B round led by Fireside Ventures, with Sharrp Ventures and other investors participating.

Founded in 2021 by Mansi Baranwal and Aditya Mukherjee, Troovy makes snacks and food products for children and families, including chips, puffs, cookies, sauces, spreads and milk mixes. The brand focuses on ingredients that avoid refined sugar, palm oil, preservatives and artificial additives.

The new funding will help Troovy improve research and development, expand manufacturing and grow its presence on quick-commerce platforms and offline stores. It competes with brands such as Slurrp Farm, Farmley and phab in the growing better-for-you food category.

Disclaimer

This article is for informational purposes only and is based on publicly available reports and company announcements. Funding figures, valuations, investor participation and business plans may change or remain unconfirmed, especially where a deal is reported to be under discussion. This is not investment, financial, legal or business advice.

A customer service call can quickly become awkward when a voice bot mispronounces a name, cannot understand Hinglish, or pauses too long before replying. Bengaluru-based Arrowhead AI wants to fix that problem with Fletch, its new in-house text-to-speech voice model.

Fletch is designed for India and Southeast Asia, where people often move between languages during a single conversation. It is aimed at banks, NBFCs, insurers, fintech companies and other businesses that make or receive large volumes of customer calls.

What is Arrowhead AI Fletch?

As per their LinkedIn update, Fletch converts written text into spoken audio. In simple terms, it gives an AI calling agent its voice.

Arrowhead AI says Fletch supports 14 languages, including Indian languages as well as Malay and Indonesian. It can also handle code-mixed speech, such as a customer saying, “Mera EMI payment kal due hai,” instead of using only Hindi or English.

That may sound like a small feature, but it matters in real calls. Financial terms, product names, addresses and customer names often appear in English even when the rest of the conversation is in a regional language.

The company says Fletch can start producing audio in under 100 milliseconds and has been tuned for local pronunciation. These are company-reported figures and have not been independently benchmarked.

How does it work?

A voice AI call usually has three main parts. First, speech recognition converts the customer’s spoken words into text. Then, a language model understands the request and decides what to say. Finally, Fletch turns that written reply into speech.

Imagine a customer calling an insurer to ask why a policy renewal payment failed. The AI can listen to the question, check the required information in the company system, explain the next step, and speak back in the customer’s preferred language. If the query becomes too complex, the call can be passed to a human agent.

Arrowhead says it has built several parts of this system in-house, including speech recognition, its language model and the voice layer. The company believes this offers better control over speed, pronunciation and data handling for financial services clients.

The startup behind Fletch

Arrowhead AI was founded in 2022 by Devyani Gupta and Vengadanathan Srinivasan. Gupta is the company’s CEO, while Srinivasan is its CTO.

The startup focuses on voice AI for banks, non-banking financial companies, insurers and fintech platforms. In January 2026, Arrowhead raised USD 3 million in a seed round led by Stellaris Venture Partners. The company has said it operates across India and Southeast Asia.

Fletch is a logical next step for Arrowhead. Rather than depending fully on an outside voice provider, it can tailor its own speech technology for regional languages and industry-specific terms.

Who are the competitors?

Arrowhead enters a busy voice AI market. Global names such as ElevenLabs, Deepgram and Amazon Polly offer speech tools for businesses. Indian AI companies, including Sarvam AI, are also working on language technology for the country’s diverse market.

However, Arrowhead’s approach is more specific. It is not only selling a voice generator. It is offering full calling agents built for sales, collections, renewals and support teams.

That focus could help the company, but it also brings responsibility. For financial calls, businesses must ensure customer consent, data protection, accurate information and an easy way to reach a human agent.

India’s startup funding news is not only about consumer apps and quick commerce. The latest announcements cover last-mile delivery technology, advanced manufacturing, venture capital and space systems.

Together, these developments show capital moving across different stages of the ecosystem. One company is raising money to improve delivery riders’ work. A private-equity fund is backing industrial businesses. A new venture firm is preparing to invest in technology startups, while the government is supporting complex space hardware.

Dispatch Network raises Rs. 5 crore for delivery technology

Pune-based Dispatch Network has raised Rs. 5 crore in a pre-seed round led by Antler India. Angel investors Krishi Fagwani, Yashin Mahadevia and Parth Modwadhia also participated.

The startup was founded in 2026 by Rajit Arya and Navneeth Kannan. It operates a last-mile delivery network designed to improve how delivery orders are assigned to riders.

As per ISN, Dispatch plans to use the fresh capital to grow its artificial-intelligence team and develop its logistics model. In simple terms, the company wants to help a rider receive the most suitable next order, reducing the time and distance spent travelling without a delivery.

This matters because empty travel reduces rider earnings and adds to traffic and fuel use. Dispatch says it works with platforms such as Zomato, Swiggy, Zepto, Instamart and BigBasket. Its challenge will be proving that its technology can work reliably as it expands beyond Pune, including its planned Mumbai entry.

ValueQuest Tristar Fund crosses Rs. 2,100 crore

ValueQuest Tristar Fund has secured investor commitments of more than Rs. 2,100 crore as per SME Street. This is not a single startup funding round. It is a private-equity fund that will invest in businesses operating in advanced manufacturing.

The fund is focused on areas such as aerospace, defence, precision engineering and energy-transition manufacturing. It has already invested in Hi-Q Electronics, Rangsons Aerospace, Waaree Energy Storage Solutions and Trusted Aerospace & Engineers.

The importance of this fund lies in the sector it supports. Manufacturing businesses often need patient capital for machinery, quality systems, customer approvals and capacity building. A company making a mission-critical component cannot grow overnight like a software app.

For India, investments in these areas can strengthen domestic supply chains and support exports. But returns will depend on execution, quality control and the ability of portfolio companies to win long-term customers.

Mettle Capital launched with a $350 million fund

Mettle Capital has raised a $350 million fund to invest in Indian technology companies as per VI. The venture firm was set up by Ashish Agrawal, Tejeshwi Sharma and Ishaan Mittal, who were formerly partners at Sequoia India, later known as Peak XV Partners.

The new fund reflects continued investor interest in India’s technology market. Mettle Capital is expected to back companies that have a clear product, early customer traction and room to scale.

For founders, a new fund can mean another source of capital and experienced investors. For Mettle Capital, the real test will be selecting companies that can grow sustainably, not simply those benefiting from market excitement around artificial intelligence or digital consumption.

IN-SPACe offers Rs. 67.15 crore to four space firms

IN-SPACe has offered Rs. 67.15 crore under its Technology Adoption Fund to Manastu Space, Inspecity Space Laboratories, VyomIC and MumbaiSemi reported The Print. This is milestone-linked government support, not a traditional equity investment.

The projects cover iodine-based satellite thrusters, refuellable microsatellite propulsion, highly stable clocks for navigation and a receiver chip that works with India’s NavIC and GPS signals.

Manastu Space has been offered the largest amount, Rs. 22.08 crore, for its iodine-based propulsion system. The broader aim is to help Indian companies build important space technologies locally instead of relying heavily on imported parts.

Space hardware needs long testing cycles and significant capital. This support could help promising technologies move from laboratory development to commercial use. However, the companies will need to meet technical milestones before funds are released.

Two Indian startups from completely different markets have announced new funding rounds. Two Point O Capital is working to help businesses finance cleaner energy and water infrastructure. Hyeglo Beauty is building makeup products designed with skincare-focused ingredients.

The two deals show how investors are backing both practical business infrastructure and consumer brands with a clear product point of view.

Two Point O Capital raises $10 million for clean infrastructure

Two Point O Capital has raised $10 million in a Series A funding round led by Transition Venture Capital. Existing investor Omnivore also participated, along with angel investors Chiranjeev Singh Saluja and Sudhir M. Reddy.

Founded in 2024 by Archit Mehrotra, Karan Bhutani, Manya Ranjan, and Shashidhar Reddy, the company helps commercial and industrial customers finance and set up clean-energy and water-treatment projects.

Its work includes rooftop solar, energy-efficiency upgrades, wastewater treatment, and battery energy storage. These are useful areas for businesses such as factories, hospitals, data centres, pharmaceutical companies, automotive firms, and large commercial buildings.

The company’s model is different from simply selling solar panels or water-treatment equipment. It combines financing, project execution, and monitoring. This can help a company adopt clean infrastructure without carrying the entire upfront cost alone.

For example, a manufacturing company may want to install solar panels but may not want to spend a large amount immediately. Two Point O can help structure the financing and manage the project, allowing the customer to focus on its own operations.

As per BW Disrupt, the new funding will support the company’s entry into battery energy storage and help expand its solar, energy-efficiency, and wastewater-treatment businesses. It also plans to serve more small and medium enterprises across India.

Battery storage is especially important because solar power is generated during the day, while many factories need electricity beyond daylight hours. Stored energy can help businesses use power more efficiently and manage high electricity costs.

Two Point O will compete with green-finance firms, energy-service companies, solar developers, and infrastructure lenders. Its advantage will depend on how well it manages financing risk, project quality, and long-term asset performance.

Hyeglo Beauty raises Rs. 7 crore for product growth

Hyeglo Beauty has raised Rs. 7 crore in a funding round led by Sauce. Giga Capital, Consumer Collective, Reckitt executive Arjun Purkayastha, and The Patient Capital also participated.

The brand was founded in April 2026 by Kanupriya Ahluwalia. Hyeglo is a direct-to-consumer beauty company that combines makeup and skincare. Its products are designed for buyers who want colour cosmetics that also include active skincare ingredients.

This approach is often called hybrid beauty. A skin tint, for instance, may offer light coverage while also focusing on hydration or skin-friendly ingredients. The idea is to reduce the gap between a skincare routine and everyday makeup.

As per Indian Retailer, Hyeglo plans to use the fresh capital for research and development, new product launches, brand building, and hiring. For a young beauty brand, research matters because product texture, ingredient choice, shade range, performance, and packaging can all decide whether buyers return.

The company will compete with established beauty brands, online-first makeup labels, and skincare-focused cosmetics players. Its biggest task will be proving that its products work well as makeup while delivering the skincare benefits it promises.

Two different markets, one common goal

Two Point O Capital and Hyeglo Beauty are solving very different problems. One helps businesses adopt cleaner infrastructure, while the other aims to make makeup more skin-conscious.

Yet both startups are using fresh capital to deepen their core offering rather than move into unrelated categories. Two Point O is expanding clean-energy financing and storage. Hyeglo is investing in product development and brand building.

India’s consumer-brand market is attracting investment at two very different stages. Rotoris, a premium watch company, has raised Rs. 70 crore to build a global luxury brand from India. Qiroko, a young fashion accessories startup, has secured Rs. 1.5 crore to widen its product range and distribution.

The funding amounts are very different, but both companies are working on the same basic challenge – creating a strong brand in a crowded consumer market.

Rotoris raises Rs. 70 crore to build an Indian luxury watch house

Gurugram-based Rotoris has raised Rs. 70 crore in a Series A round led by Blume Ventures. The round also included 9Unicorns, Centricity, family offices, and individual investors, including Diwakar Goel, Atul Singh, Adhiraj Burman, and actor Rannvijay Singha.

Rotoris was founded by Aakash Anand and Prerna Gupta. The startup sells limited, numbered watch collections and is trying to create an independent luxury watch brand from India for international customers.

Luxury watch buyers often look at more than timekeeping. They consider design, craftsmanship, brand history, materials, and exclusivity. Rotoris is building its brand around this idea, selling watches through an invitation-led membership system called the Registry.

The company’s first launch of 2,100 numbered watches reportedly sold out within days. Rotoris says it has since received registrations from nearly 100,000 potential buyers, with a significant share of interest coming from outside India.

As per report, the fresh funding will be used for research and development, larger production capacity, and expansion of its physical retail presence in India and overseas. Rotoris is setting up a dedicated watch-assembly facility in Gurugram and plans to expand its appointment-led Rotoris House experience beyond Delhi.

The startup faces a difficult challenge. It is competing for attention with established global watch brands such as Tissot, Seiko, Rado, and Swiss luxury houses that have spent decades building trust. Rotoris will need consistent quality and strong service, not just limited-edition launches, to earn long-term credibility.

Qiroko raises Rs. 1.5 crore to grow beyond accessories

Bengaluru-based Qiroko has raised Rs. 1.5 crore in a Pre-Seed round led by ISV Capital, with participation from angel investors.

Founded in 2025 by Shivam Vasisht and Ashwin Krithik, Qiroko sells affordable everyday fashion accessories. The startup has remained bootstrapped until this round, meaning the founders ran it without external institutional funding.

As per Entrackr, Qiroko plans to use the money for new product development and expansion into watches and bags. It also wants to improve its reach through its own website, online marketplaces, and quick-commerce platforms.

The brand currently sells through its direct-to-consumer website, Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, and Blinkit. Quick-commerce availability could be useful for small-ticket products, where buyers may make an impulse purchase and expect fast delivery.

The company says it has achieved an annualized revenue run rate of Rs. 6 crore within its first year. This is a company-reported figure, and detailed financial performance has not been disclosed publicly.

Qiroko’s challenge is different from Rotoris’s. It is not trying to sell exclusivity. It is aiming for wider adoption by offering wearable, affordable products across jewellery, watches, and bags. Its competition includes large fashion marketplaces, established accessories brands, and countless online sellers.

Hyundai Motor India is looking beyond its own research teams for the next set of mobility ideas. The carmaker has shortlisted 16 startups under its inaugural Hyundai Innovation Challenge 2026, a six-month programme created to find practical technology for future vehicles and business operations.

The selected companies come from a pool of 980 applications received from across India. Their ideas cover areas such as electrification, artificial intelligence, connected mobility, vehicle safety, logistics, and customer experience.

What the Hyundai Innovation Challenge is about

Hyundai Motor India launched the Innovation Challenge in June 2026 with support from Hyundai Motor Group’s global open-innovation platform, ZER01NE.

The programme was designed for startups working on 15 focus areas. These include electric-vehicle technology, advanced driver assistance systems, in-car experiences, connected vehicles, sustainable materials, smart manufacturing, and AI-based tools.

Advanced driver assistance systems, often called ADAS, are vehicle features that help drivers avoid accidents. Examples include lane warnings, automatic emergency braking, and parking assistance. Hyundai is also looking at ideas that make such systems better suited to India’s changing traffic conditions, roads, and driving patterns.

The aim is not merely to find interesting concepts. Hyundai wants to test whether the startups’ technology can solve real problems and be commercially useful.

Meet the 16 shortlisted startups

The shortlisted startups are Pulse Energy, Novus Hi-tech, CraftifAI, AmpereHour, Enmovil, GoComet, Haulog Technologies, Syook, Unbox Robotics, Motiv AI, AMI Technologies, Dasham Labs, AltMat, Simlioncis, Ravity, and EmpFly Services.

These companies presented their solutions to teams from Hyundai Motor India and Hyundai Motor India Engineering during the Grand Pitch Day held on October 29, 2026.

The selected startups work across different technology areas. Some are likely to be relevant to electric mobility and charging, while others focus on logistics, automation, artificial intelligence, materials, and connected systems.

For example, better battery-management tools could help EV owners understand charging needs and vehicle range. A logistics platform could help Hyundai improve the movement of parts between suppliers, factories, and dealerships. Robotics or automation solutions could support quicker and safer operations inside manufacturing facilities.

What the startups may receive next

Shortlisting does not mean that every startup has secured a commercial deal with Hyundai. The next stage involves evaluating their technology through paid proof-of-concept projects, validation programmes, and pilot deployments.

A proof of concept is a limited test that checks whether an idea works in a real business situation. For a startup with a new AI tool, Hyundai may test it with a defined set of vehicle or customer data. For a hardware company, it could mean testing a solution at a plant, charging site, or logistics facility.

The programme offers access to Hyundai’s technical teams, expert guidance, and possible proof-of-concept grants. It could also lead to future investment, market access, or longer-term partnerships if a solution proves valuable.

For early-stage startups, this kind of pilot can be more useful than publicity. A successful test with a large carmaker can help a company improve its product, gain credibility, and approach other customers.

Why this matters for India’s auto sector

India’s vehicle market is moving toward electrification, connected features, smarter factories, and software-led services. Carmakers cannot build every technology alone, especially when innovation is happening quickly across batteries, AI, automation, and digital services.

Hyundai’s challenge places it in the same broader innovation race as other automobile companies working with startups to develop new mobility solutions. The real measure of success will be how many of these 16 companies move from a pitch presentation to a working commercial project.

Facts Input- 1, 2

Docterz, a healthtech company for doctors and clinics, has received backing from people who already use its platform. At the other end of the market, One Planet Partners and Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank are setting up a large private-equity fund for growing Indian businesses.

One story is about a startup raising a relatively small round with strong customer support. The other is about creating a much larger pool of money for companies that are ready to scale.

Docterz gets backing from doctors who use its platform

Healthtech startup Docterz has raised Rs. 5 crore from around 35 investors. Nearly 60 percent of the money came from doctors who already use the company’s services. The round also included SUGAR Cosmetics co-founder Vineeta Singh and CaratLane co-founder Avnish Anand.

Docterz was founded more than a decade ago by Dr. Atish Laddad. Its technology helps doctors and clinics manage day-to-day work, including patient appointments, digital medical records, billing, vaccine inventory, queue management, and communication with patients.

As per ET, the company says its platform supports more than 5,000 doctors across India. That makes the funding round notable because some of its own users have chosen to invest in the business. A doctor who uses the platform every day may understand its value more clearly than an outside investor looking only at numbers.

For a small clinic, software like Docterz can reduce paperwork and help staff spend less time coordinating appointments or maintaining records. A doctor can also use it to track follow-ups, manage billing, and communicate with patients in one place.

The startup plans to use the capital for organic expansion, possible acquisitions, and practical AI features for doctors. It also wants to reach more independent practitioners, clinics, and healthcare organisations.

Docterz operates in a competitive market that includes clinic-management software companies, appointment-booking platforms, and teleconsultation services such as Practo. Its advantage may lie in being built around the daily working needs of doctors rather than only patient discovery.

One Planet Partners aims for bigger growth investments

Mumbai-based One Planet Partners has launched its first private-equity fund in partnership with Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, commonly known as SMTB. The fund is targeting more than Rs. 3,000 crore.

It is important to understand the difference between a fund target and money already available. The Rs. 3,000 crore figure is the intended size of the fund, not the confirmed amount raised so far. The firm plans to achieve its first close by mid-2027.

Founded in 2024, One Planet Partners was established by Mukund Rajan, Bobby Pauly, Mrinalini Mirchandani, and Sheetal Thakkar. SMTB has made a strategic investment in the firm and is also anchoring the fund.

As reported, the fund will focus on Indian mid-market businesses that can benefit from energy transition, new mobility, and manufacturing growth. It intends to invest between Rs. 100 crore and Rs. 500 crore in companies with annual revenue ranging from Rs. 200 crore to Rs. 2,000 crore.

This is growth capital, not early-stage startup funding. For example, an electric mobility company with a proven product and a growing customer base may need capital to expand manufacturing, build charging infrastructure, or enter new cities. A private-equity fund can support that next phase.

One Planet Partners has already participated in the Series C round of Bengaluru-based electric mobility company Yulu.

Robots have been used in factories for years, but most are built for one fixed task in one controlled space. Tensrai wants to make industrial machines more flexible, capable, and easier to deploy.

The Hyderabad-based startup has raised Rs. 3.4 crore in a Pre-Seed round to develop what it calls physical AI – technology that allows robots and industrial vehicles to understand their surroundings and carry out real-world work with less human control.

What Tensrai is building

Tensrai was founded in 2022 by Sai Nikhil Rao Gona, Venkata Sai Charan Chalamalasetty, Harshith Uppalapati, and Vivek Datta.

The company is developing an autonomy platform for robots, industrial vehicles, and machines. In simple words, it wants to give machines the ability to move safely, understand their environment, and complete useful physical tasks.

For example, a robot in a warehouse may need to move boxes from one area to another. In a factory, it could transport components between workstations. In an airport or hospital, it could support cleaning or material movement.

Tensrai’s platform is designed to work with new robots as well as existing industrial equipment. This retrofit approach is important because businesses may not want to replace every forklift, trolley, or machine they already own. Instead, they may be able to add autonomous features to suitable equipment.

Where the Pre-Seed money will go

As per Newzchain, the Pre-Seed round was backed by India Accelerator, Finvolve, Hyderabad Angels, and other angel investors. Tensrai plans to use the capital for technology development, engineering, deployment capabilities, and expansion in India and overseas markets.

The funding should help the startup improve the hardware and software needed to make its robots work in real environments. A warehouse floor is not always smooth, quiet, or predictable. There can be people walking around, moving vehicles, uneven surfaces, and changing layouts.

This is where physical AI differs from a regular software tool. A chatbot works with information on a screen. A physical AI system must understand the world around it and take action safely. Tensrai says its technology uses cameras and software to help machines navigate, identify surroundings, and perform tasks with limited human intervention.

The company also plans to earn money through robot sales, retrofitting existing machines, customized projects, and Robot-as-a-Service. Under the Robot-as-a-Service model, a customer pays for the use of a robot instead of buying it outright. That could make automation more affordable for businesses that do not want a large upfront investment.

The problem Tensrai wants to solve

Factories, warehouses, and large commercial sites often face shortages of skilled operators for repetitive or physically demanding work. Manual material movement can also be slow, especially when operations run around the clock.

Tensrai’s aim is not simply to replace workers. The stronger use case is helping people avoid repetitive, heavy, or potentially hazardous work while allowing teams to focus on supervision, maintenance, and higher-value tasks.

The startup will compete with warehouse-automation firms, industrial robotics companies, and makers of autonomous mobile robots. Its key challenge will be proving that its systems remain reliable across different sites and work conditions.

A robot that works well in a controlled demonstration must also work safely in a busy factory or uneven outdoor industrial yard. That is where practical deployment matters more than ambitious claims.

India’s startup funding area is moving across very different sectors at once. New capital is flowing into electric-vehicle technology, climate solutions, esports, and deep-tech investing.

The latest updates include Viridian Ingni’s Pre-Seed round, Carbelim’s investment from the IIT Madras Unicorn Frontier Fund, Let’s Game Now’s esports push, and Aavishkaar Group’s plan for a large new fund. Each story has a different goal, but all point to growing interest in technology-led businesses with long-term potential.

Viridian Ingni bets on homegrown EV propulsion

Chennai-based Viridian Ingni Propulsion has raised Rs. 1.47 crore in a Pre-Seed round led by Inflection Point Ventures. The startup was founded in February 2024 by Sriram G, who is also its chief executive.

Viridian Ingni develops electric propulsion systems, which include the motor, controller, and the software that manages their performance. These systems can be used in electric two-wheelers, e-rickshaws, drones, robots, and industrial machines.

As per Business Fortnight, the funding will help the company move from working prototypes to pilot production. It plans to spend on motor tooling, a small manufacturing setup, testing and certification, controller software validation, and initial customer deliveries.

The startup’s larger aim is to reduce dependence on imported EV components. Its competition includes established motor makers and overseas suppliers, but a locally designed system could be useful for Indian vehicle makers looking for customized solutions.

Carbelim takes its climate technology forward

Carbelim has secured Rs. 10 crore from the IIT Madras Unicorn Frontier Fund. The Kerala Startup Mission-backed company was founded by Dr. Karthika Gopi and Rahul Babu.

Carbelim works on microalgae-based carbon-capture and air-purification systems. In simple terms, its technology uses algae to absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen. The company is developing solutions for cities and industries that want cleaner air and lower emissions.

As per Sahyadri Startups, the new funding is expected to support technology development, production scale-up, and international growth. Carbelim says it has filed 13 patents, including Indian and US applications, for its work.

Climate technology is a demanding field because a product must work reliably outside the lab. Carbelim will compete with conventional air-purification companies, carbon-capture businesses, and other climate-tech startups. Its use of algae-based systems gives it a distinct place in that market.

Let’s Game Now builds an esports league

Esports platform Let’s Game Now has raised Rs. 30 crore in a round co-led by Anand Mahindra and Bestvantage Investments. A UAE-based family office also participated.

Founded in 2018 by Santanu Basu, Let’s Game Now runs gaming tournaments, offline events, live broadcasts, and brand campaigns. Basu has also co-founded the Indian Super Gaming League with Gautam Badalia.

As per the Talk eSport, the capital will be used to develop the Indian Super Gaming League, or ISGL. The league is designed around a franchise format, similar to professional sports leagues. Instead of only hosting one-off tournaments, it aims to create a more organized path for players, teams, coaches, analysts, broadcasters, and sponsors.

The company faces competition from gaming platforms, tournament organizers, and esports publishers. Still, backing from investors with experience in building major sports properties could help ISGL attract teams and commercial partners.

Aavishkaar Group prepares its next big pool of capital

Aavishkaar Group is targeting Rs. 2,000 crore for its seventh fund. This is a fundraising target, not money that has already been collected or invested as per Venture Intelligence.

Founded in 2001 by Vineet Rai, Aavishkaar has long focused on businesses that combine commercial growth with social or environmental impact. Its proposed fund is expected to concentrate on deep-tech areas such as advanced materials, agriculture, technical textiles, tissue culture, and space technology.

Unlike the other three stories, Aavishkaar is not raising money for one startup. It is building a fund that could support several emerging companies over time. The group reportedly aims to announce at least six deep-tech investments before December.

India’s startup funding news covers a wide mix of businesses. There is a company helping factories build critical parts, a nutrition brand investing in product research, an underwater robotics startup working with defence customers, and an entertainment software firm seeking its next major round.

The common thread is clear. Investors are backing companies with focused plans for the money, whether that means building factories, improving products, expanding care facilities, or selling software to businesses.

Venttup and Ace Blend focus on building stronger products

Venttup has raised $3 million in a Pre-Series A round led by Rainmatter by Zerodha and Unicorn India Ventures. Founded in 2021 by Sandeep Nair, M. Wasim Ankli, and Joseph Panakkal, Venttup works with businesses that need precision-engineered components.

Its role goes beyond simply connecting a buyer with a supplier. The company helps with design, prototype development, testing, validation, and final production. For example, a firm developing an electric vehicle component may need a part redesigned, tested, and manufactured at scale. Venttup aims to make that process easier.

As per ET Entrepreneur, the startup plans to use the fresh funds to expand its engineering team, build precision manufacturing capacity, and improve prototype infrastructure. It is also setting up a Bengaluru facility. The company is targeting sectors such as energy, defence, aerospace, electronics, and future mobility.

Ace Blend has reportedly raised $9.91 million in a Series A2 round. The Mumbai nutrition company was founded in 2018 by Shivam Hingorani and Saif Mekhri. It sells protein products, supplements, and functional coffees.

Ace Blend’s funding plan is different from that of many consumer brands. The company says it expects to direct much of the capital towards product research, clinical studies, and quality testing instead of spending heavily on advertising. In a crowded nutrition market, that could help it compete with larger supplement brands by building consumer trust around its products as per Stopdown.

Coratia brings funding to underwater robotics

Coratia Technologies has secured Rs. 18 crore in a bridge round led by MGF Kavachh. Founded in 2021 by Debendra Pradhan and Biswajit Swain, the company develops underwater robotic systems for defence and industrial uses.

Its remotely operated vehicles can inspect areas that are risky or difficult for people to reach, including ship hulls, ports, pipelines, dams, and other underwater structures. Such inspections are important because minor damage can become a costly problem if it is missed.

As per ET Entrepreneur again, the company plans to use the money to strengthen research, increase manufacturing, and support deployments. Coratia also has an Indian Navy programme, giving the startup a strong use case in the growing defence technology space. Its competitors include imported underwater inspection systems and other robotics firms working in industrial and defence applications.

Jagruti and Dashverse show two different growth paths

Jagruti Rehabilitation Centre, founded in Pune by Dr. Amar Shinde in 2008, has raised Rs. 28 crore Series A funding as reported in Localsamosa. The centre provides mental-health, addiction-recovery, dementia, and rehabilitation services.

Dashverse, meanwhile, is reportedly seeking $30 million to $40 million in new funding as per VentureIntelligence. Founded by Sanidhya Narain, Lalith Gudipati, and Soumyadeep Mukherjee, the company is moving away from its consumer micro-drama app, DashReels.

Its next focus is Frameo AI, software designed to help entertainment companies produce videos. The proposed funding would help Dashverse grow this business-to-business offering. Unlike Venttup, Ace Blend, and Coratia, this is not a closed funding round yet. The final amount and investor participation may change as discussions continue.

India’s startup funding story is not only about large AI valuations and late-stage companies. Early-stage investors are also backing products that people can play, chips that can help machines see, and software that can make business systems easier to build.

Dubdub raised a $1.3 million seed round, Nova Spectral AI secured Rs. 21.15 crore for an indigenous infrared sensor chip, and QwikBuild announced a $2.3 million pre-seed round with a Japan-focused expansion plan.

Dubdub wants to make the feed more interactive

Consumer startup dubdub has raised $1.3 million in a seed round co-led by 3one4 Capital, Antler and Stellaris Venture Partners. Founded in 2026 by Kaustubh Priye and Supan Shah, the company runs a swipe-based platform for trivia, mini-games and puzzles as per Stopdown.

The idea is simple. Instead of only watching a short video or scrolling through posts, a user gets a quick question, puzzle or challenge to answer. The app covers areas such as cricket, Bollywood, general knowledge and logical reasoning. It also allows users to challenge friends and compare scores.

The seed money will be used to hire product and engineering talent, introduce new interactive formats and make the feed more personalized. This means a cricket fan may gradually see more sports-led challenges, while someone interested in films may receive more entertainment questions.

dubdub is competing for the same limited screen time as casual games, quiz apps and short-form entertainment platforms. Its challenge will be keeping users interested after the first few sessions.

Nova Spectral AI is building a chip for difficult visibility

Bengaluru-based Nova Spectral AI has raised Rs. 21.15 crore in a seed round led by Shastra VC. Equirus InnovateX Fund and angel investors also participated. The startup was founded earlier in 2026 by Dr. Anish Priyadarshi and Sanjeev Kumar reported inc42.

The company is working on short-wave infrared, or SWIR, image sensor chips. In plain language, this technology can help cameras and machines identify things in low light, smoke, haze or dust where a regular camera may struggle.

Its first target is defence and surveillance, but the long-term uses could include drones, robots, industrial inspection and vehicles. Nova Spectral AI says many high-end infrared sensors are imported, so a locally designed alternative could be strategically important.

The new money is expected to help the team develop a field-ready prototype within 18 months and expand its technical team. Hardware startups face a tougher path than software firms because they must prove that a working product can be reliably manufactured, tested and used in real conditions.

QwikBuild pairs funding with a route into Japan

Enterprise AI startup QwikBuild has raised $2.3 million in a pre-seed round led by Japan-listed Globalway. Blume Ventures, DeVC, Marsshot and angel investors, including Groww founder Lalit Keshre and Curefoods CEO Ankit Nagori, also joined the round as per IndianStartupNews.

Founded in 2025 by former Slice executive Pradeep Ayyagari, QwikBuild helps businesses create custom software and automate workflows using AI agents. These are software tools designed to complete multi-step work, such as moving data between systems or preparing routine business reports.

The capital will support go-to-market activity, including a team in the United States and expansion across Southeast Asia. QwikBuild has also announced a joint venture with Globalway to take its platform into Japan’s enterprise software market.

QwikBuild will compete with traditional software-development firms, automation providers and large enterprise software platforms. Its pitch is speed – helping businesses build or modernize software without waiting months for a conventional project.

Discussing four very different stories, one involves a possible multi-billion-dollar valuation for an AI company, another focuses on aerospace engines, while a healthcare startup may receive fresh capital. Separately, ixigo co-founder Rajnish Kumar has announced a small but meaningful fund for student founders.

An important point – three of these are reported funding talks, not completed deals. Terms, valuations and investor participation can change until companies make official announcements.

Sarvam AI’s big valuation discussion

Bengaluru-based Sarvam AI is reportedly in talks with Cognizant for an investment that could value the company at around $3.5 billion to $4 billion. Reports suggest Sarvam is exploring a larger fundraising round of about $300 million. Neither company has announced a final transaction reported Elets CIO.

Sarvam AI was founded in 2023 by Vivek Raghavan and Pratyush Kumar. Its aim is to build AI models and tools that work well for India, including Indian languages and business use cases. For example, a bank could use such technology to assist customers in regional languages, while a government department could use it to make digital services easier to access.

If the reported investment moves ahead, the money could help Sarvam expand computing capacity, hire AI researchers and build more enterprise products. Sarvam competes for attention with global AI firms as well as Indian players building language-focused AI products.

Parsec Aerospace looks to fund deep-tech work

Parsec Aerospace, a Bengaluru startup founded in September 2025 by former Pixxel engineer Effy John, is reportedly discussing a $10 million funding round. Nexus Venture Partners may lead the round, with existing investor Lightspeed also expected to participate as per Venture Intelligence.

The company is operating quietly and is said to be developing next-generation engines for aerospace applications. Building hardware for aviation or space is expensive and slow compared with launching an app. It requires engineering talent, prototypes, testing and strict safety work.

Parsec has not publicly shared a detailed use of funds. So, it would be premature to say exactly where the capital will go. Still, a fundraise of this size could support early research, testing infrastructure and team-building. The company will eventually face competition from established aerospace suppliers and other deep-tech engine makers.

Lumov may bring orthopaedic products into focus

Health-tech startup Lumov is reportedly in talks to raise Rs. 32 crore in a round led by Peak XV Partners. The round may also include the founders of Minimalist and Mokobara, along with Panthera Peak Ventures, according to people familiar with the discussion reported ET.

Founded in 2024 by Saumaric Dangwal and Ankit Gupta, Lumov makes orthopaedic recovery and rehabilitation products. These can support people recovering after surgery, managing pain or needing mobility assistance.

Lumov had previously raised Rs. 10 crore in a seed round. Its earlier stated plans included product development, surgeon collaboration, manufacturing and expansion into more cities. The purpose of the proposed new round has not been officially announced, so it should not yet be treated as confirmed informed Venture Intelligence.

Rajnish Kumar’s Rs. 1 crore push for IIT Kanpur students

Unlike the three reported deals, ixigo co-founder and Group CEO Rajnish Kumar has announced the Made in Fire Fund. The Rs. 1 crore fund is designed to support up to 10 technology-led startups from each graduating IIT Kanpur batch with Rs. 10 lakh each in non-dilutive prototype funding as per Moneycontrol.

Non-dilutive means founders can receive the money without giving away company ownership. Beyond cash, the programme plans to offer mentorship, product feedback and introductions to potential customers and investors. It could be useful for a student team with an early idea but no money to build a working version.

Bengaluru-based Simplismart has raised $14 million, or around Rs. 133 crore, in a Series B funding round as more companies look for cheaper and faster ways to run AI models in real business applications. Earlier also, Nvidia was in advanced discussions to lead a $20 million funding round in Simplismart, with the startup being valued at around $100 million

Dallas Venture Capital led the round. NVIDIA, Accel, Shastra VC, Micromax, and angel investors also participated. The funding puts Simplismart in a growing group of Indian AI infrastructure startups working behind the scenes of chatbots, voice tools, video apps, and enterprise software.

What Simplismart does

Simplismart was founded in 2022 by Amritanshu Jain and Devansh Ghatak.

The company helps businesses deploy, run, monitor, and optimize open-weight AI models.

An open-weight model is an AI model whose core parameters are available for companies to use and adapt. This gives businesses more control over where their AI system runs, how it handles data, and how much it costs.

The difficult part is not always building an AI model. It is running that model reliably once thousands or millions of requests begin arriving. A voice assistant needs a quick response, while an overnight document-processing task can accept a slower response if it reduces the bill.

Simplismart’s software helps companies make those trade-offs. It works on the layer between an AI model and the GPU hardware used to run it.

Why the $14 Mn round matters

The Series B will support development of Simplismart’s inference engine and orchestration platform as per its Press release. Inference means the stage when a trained AI model receives a request and produces an answer, image, voice response, or other output.

The startup also plans to expand partnerships with cloud providers and enterprises, with North America among its growth priorities. Simplismart does not build or own a fleet of GPUs. Instead, it provides software that lets cloud providers turn their existing GPU capacity into managed AI services under their own brand.

For example, Yotta uses Simplismart to power the serverless inference layer of Shakti Studio. This allows customers to run AI models without having to manage all the underlying infrastructure themselves.

Simplismart says companies including HeyGen, Higgsfield, InVideo, Shiprocket, Apna, and Ema use its platform for video, voice, multimodal, and enterprise AI workloads.

NVIDIA’s role in the deal

NVIDIA’s participation is important because its GPUs are widely used to train and run AI models. Simplismart says its engineers work with NVIDIA Solutions Architects and use that technical collaboration to improve deployment and scaling for customers.

For Simplismart, NVIDIA is more than a financial backer. The company can also provide technical knowledge and industry connections as Simplismart works with cloud providers and large enterprises.

The startup said its annualized revenue run rate increased 14 times over the past six months. That is a company claim, but it suggests strong demand for infrastructure that can make AI applications more economical in production.

What about the reported $40-50 Mn round

Earlier reports said Simplismart was in discussions for a much larger funding round of around $40 million to $50 million, potentially at a higher valuation.

However, Simplismart’s chief executive Amritanshu Jain has clarified that the newly announced $14 million Series B is a separate, closed round. He also said the company is not actively raising money at present.

This means the larger round should be treated as earlier reported fundraising discussions, not as a confirmed future fundraise.

Competitors and market position

Simplismart competes in a crowded AI infrastructure market that includes cloud platforms, model-serving tools, and companies such as Modal. Major cloud providers also offer their own AI deployment services.

Simplismart’s pitch is that businesses should not have to choose only between the lowest cost and the fastest response. Its platform aims to balance speed, cost, data location, and reliability for each workload.

India’s space sector is growing beyond rockets and satellite launches. A large part of the work now happens in the systems that help satellites move, adjust their orbit, avoid collisions, and complete their missions safely.

Navi Mumbai-based Manastu Space has received Rs. 116 crore in financial support from the Technology Development Board under the Department of Science and Technology. The support will help the startup develop indigenous green propulsion technology for satellites and launch vehicles.

The project is more than a funding milestone. It is aimed at making satellite propulsion safer, more practical, and less dependent on imported technology.

What Manastu Space is building

Manastu Space develops propulsion systems for satellites, launch vehicles, orbital transfer vehicles, and landers. In simple terms, propulsion is the system that gives a spacecraft the controlled push needed to move or change direction in space.

The company is working on a hydrogen peroxide-based green propellant with additives, along with engines, propellant feed systems, and a high-temperature ceramic catalyst. Traditional spacecraft fuels can create handling and safety challenges. Manastu’s approach is designed to reduce those operational difficulties while improving performance and cost efficiency.

Its system is planned for applications between 5 millinewtons and 300 newtons of thrust. That range covers small satellite needs as well as larger propulsion requirements.

For example, a small satellite may need a gentle push to correct its orbit. A stronger propulsion system may be needed for a launch vehicle or to move a satellite into a planned position. Manastu is trying to build one scalable platform for these different uses.

The story behind the startup

Manastu Space was founded in 2017 by Tushar Jadhav and Ashtesh Kumar, both IIT Bombay alumni.

Jadhav serves as co-founder and chief executive officer, while Kumar is the co-founder and chief technology officer.

The company began with a focus on replacing hazardous satellite fuels with safer alternatives. Over the years, it has moved from laboratory research to ground tests and in-space demonstrations.

According to the company, its green propulsion system was tested in space during the Adyanta mission on ISRO’s PSLV-C60 mission. That matters because space technology must prove that it can work outside controlled laboratory conditions.

How the Rs. 116 crore support will be used

The Rs. 116 crore support comes through the government’s Research Development and Innovation Fund. The total project cost is Rs. 277.63 crore.

This is not a standard grant. The support will be provided as optionally convertible debt, a form of financing that can function as debt and may be converted into equity under agreed terms.

The project will focus on further engineering, system integration, testing, and validation. Its goal is to move Manastu’s propulsion technology from Technology Readiness Level 6 to Level 9.

In plain language, this means taking an advanced working prototype toward a system that is proven for real operational use. The company wants to improve reliability and prepare the technology for wider use in satellites and launch vehicles.

Competition and the larger opportunity

Manastu Space operates in a developing Indian space-tech market that includes companies such as Bellatrix Aerospace, which also works on satellite propulsion technology.

The competition is not limited to building a powerful thruster. Companies need to prove safety, reliability, price, and the ability to manufacture at scale. Satellite makers also need systems that fit their missions without adding unnecessary weight or complexity.

Government support can help deep-tech companies handle the long testing cycles involved in space hardware. Unlike a consumer app, a propulsion system cannot be rushed into the market after a few software updates. It needs repeated testing and mission-level proof.

Facts Input- PIB, ET

Trading US stocks from India can feel complicated. Users often need overseas brokerage accounts, foreign currency transfers, and a fair amount of patience before they can make their first move.

Mochatrade wants to change that experience. The startup has raised total funding of $5.56 million, including a latest seed round led by CoinFund. Coinbase Ventures and Nicky Montana of Zero Knowledge Ventures also participated, while Y Combinator and Pioneer Fund backed its earlier pre-seed round.

The company is building a trading platform for Indian users who want exposure to US stock prices while adding money and tracking results in rupees.

What Mochatrade is building

Mochatrade lets users trade perpetual futures linked to US-listed companies such as Nvidia, Tesla, and Apple. A perpetual future is a contract that tracks an asset’s price but does not have a fixed expiry date.

This does not mean users own shares in those companies. Instead, they can take a position on whether the price may rise or fall. The platform also offers leverage, which allows a trader to control a larger position with a smaller amount of money.

For example, a trader who thinks Tesla’s price may rise can open a long position. If the price moves up, the trade may make a profit. But if the price moves in the opposite direction, losses can rise quickly, especially when leverage is involved.

Mochatrade says users can fund their accounts through UPI, trade in rupees, and withdraw in rupees. That approach removes the need to manage a dollar stablecoin balance or open a US brokerage account.

The founders and the startup story

Mochatrade was founded in 2026 by Utkarsh Sinha, Chetan Manda, and Parth Maheshwari. The three founders are IIT alumni and have known each other for around a decade.

Sinha is the company’s chief executive officer. Before Mochatrade, he founded Martian Wallet, which was later acquired by Pontem Network. Manda serves as chief product officer and previously worked in product roles at Sprinklr. Maheshwari is the chief technology officer and has earlier worked at Adobe and Navi.

The startup joined Y Combinator’s Spring 2026 batch. It is currently in beta and plans a wider public launch in the coming weeks, according to The Block.

Where the $5.5M funding may go

Mochatrade plans to use the fresh capital to improve its trading technology, strengthen risk systems, and attract more active traders in India.

Risk systems are particularly important for a platform that supports leveraged trades. They help monitor positions, margin requirements, and possible losses when markets move sharply.

The company also plans to add US stock options, more assets, and social trading features, subject to applicable laws and regulatory approvals. It earns revenue through fees on trades placed through the platform.

Mochatrade’s Indian operating entity is registered with the Financial Intelligence Unit-India as a Virtual Digital Asset Service Provider. However, this registration should not be treated as approval for every product the company offers or plans to launch.

Competitors and the market gap

Mochatrade will compete for trader attention with platforms such as CoinDCX, Delta, and CoinSwitch, which already offer crypto-focused trading products. For Indian users looking to buy and hold US shares, platforms such as INDmoney and Vested are also alternatives.

Its difference is the focus on rupee-funded, leveraged contracts tied to US stock prices. Traditional investment platforms are designed mainly for buying shares and holding them over time. Mochatrade is targeting traders who want shorter-term market exposure and the ability to trade both rising and falling prices.

For many working parents, finding a dependable nanny is harder than finding a job. A recommendation from a neighbour may help, but families still have to handle screening, payments, leave days, replacements, and daily coordination on their own.

Bengaluru-based childcare startup Maasi is trying to bring more order to that process. The company has raised Rs. 6 Cr in a pre-seed round from Better Capital. The funding gives Maasi early support as it builds a platform for families looking for trained and verified caregivers.

A startup built around a common parenting problem

Maasi was founded by Aashu Manchali, Gargi Pandey, and Reshov Roy. The company was founded in 2025.

The idea began with a parent community that grew to more than 8,000 families. The team found that many parents faced the same concern – they needed childcare support but did not know whom they could trust inside their home.

Maasi offers a managed childcare service instead of acting only as a listing platform. It helps families find caregivers and stays involved through onboarding, payments, service support, and replacement assistance when required.

The startup says its caregivers are screened before being matched with families. It also focuses on training and support for caregivers, because childcare depends on people showing up reliably and understanding a child’s needs.

What Maasi plans to solve

A parent may need a full-time nanny, part-time help, short-notice care, live-in support, or assistance after childbirth. Every need is different, but the search usually begins with uncertainty.

For example, a parent returning to work may need a caregiver for eight hours a day. Another family may need help for a few days when a regular nanny is unavailable. Maasi aims to make these arrangements simpler by bringing caregiver discovery and ongoing support under one service.

The company’s name comes from the Hindi word for a mother’s sister. It reflects the kind of trust Maasi wants to build with families – someone caring, familiar, and dependable.

How the Rs. 6 Cr funding may help

Entrackr reported that Better Capital led Maasi’s pre-seed round. Better Capital is known for backing early-stage Indian startups, which makes the investment a strong early signal for the childcare platform.

Maasi has not shared a detailed public breakup of how it will use the funds. However, a childcare platform needs steady investment in caregiver hiring, checks, training, customer support, and technology.

The money could help Maasi build its caregiver network in Bengaluru, improve matching between families and caregivers, and strengthen its service operations. Expansion will depend on more than app downloads. Families will judge the company on caregiver quality, safety, response time, and support during emergencies.

Competition in the childcare space

Maasi operates in a market that includes organized daycare and preschool brands such as KLAY. KLAY mainly runs physical preschool and daycare centres across Indian cities.

Maasi has chosen a more home-focused model. It is designed for families who need a caregiver at home rather than a place in a daycare centre. This gives Maasi a distinct position, although trust and service consistency will decide whether parents stay with the platform.

Online shopping is slowly becoming less about typing product names into a search bar. Many people now discover a dress, gadget or skincare product while watching videos and scrolling through social media. Live2.ai is building tools for this shift, helping brands turn product content into a direct shopping experience.

The Bengaluru startup has reportedly raised Rs. 130 crore led by venture capital firm IvyCap Ventures to expand its AI-led social commerce platform, according to a YS report. The funding puts attention on a growing space where videos, creator posts and customer content are increasingly linked to online stores.

What Live2.ai is building

Live2.ai was founded in 2024 by Venkat J as a founder and Yash Arora among the founding team. The startup operates under Woovly India and offers software for brands that want to use interactive content across websites, apps, social media and connected TV screens.

Its main idea is simple. A brand can add shopping links to a video or display customer-created posts on a product page. Instead of watching a fashion creator’s video and then searching manually for the featured outfit, a shopper could tap the item and move directly to the relevant product page.

The platform also helps brands manage social media content, create social walls and use shoppable videos. This gives businesses a way to bring the familiar feel of a social feed to their own online store.

Why the Rs. 130 crore funding matters

The reported funding can help Live2.ai grow its platform at a time when brands are looking for better ways to hold a visitor’s attention online. A regular product page with a few images may explain the basics, but a short video can show how a product looks, fits or works in daily life.

For a beauty brand, that may mean showing a customer applying a product. For an automobile accessories seller, it could mean demonstrating how a phone mount or dash camera works inside a car. A shopper gets a clearer view before buying, while the brand gets another route to a sale.

The raise will support expansion.

The startup’s bigger aim

Live2.ai appears to be aiming beyond basic video tools. Its website describes a platform that can monitor social conversations, review brand content and help companies use approved content in campaigns and commerce.

That matters because brands often have plenty of photos and videos but struggle to organize them, obtain permission to reuse creator content and link the right content to the right product. Live2.ai is trying to make those tasks easier through one platform.

The company will need to prove that its tools produce useful outcomes, such as stronger engagement, longer time spent on a website and more completed purchases.

Competitors and the road ahead

Live2.ai operates in a competitive market. Global companies such as Firework and Bambuser also help brands use video and live shopping experiences. The company’s advantage will depend on how well its product works for brands across different markets. Ease of setup, video quality, reliable shopping links and clear reporting will matter more than flashy features.

Preventive healthcare and artificial intelligence sectors are in focus. Healthtech startup Cent has reportedly raised $15 million, while Peak XV and Lightspeed are among the venture firms reported to be discussing investments in Indian AI startups.

Cent’s plan to make health screening more accessible

Founded in 2025, Cent was started by Practo co-founder Shashank ND, former Ola executive Anshul Khandelwal and former Lenskart product leader Arpit Garg. The Bengaluru-based company brings together medical scans, blood tests and doctor consultations to help identify potential health risks earlier. Its screening covers cardiac, cancer, neurological and metabolic risks.

As reported by PharmaBiz, Cent has raised $15 million in a Series A round. The new funding is intended to support the company’s growth and its preventive screening work. In practical terms, that could mean expanding its screening centres and improving the technology and services used to bring tests and medical guidance together.

Cent is entering a field that includes established diagnostic providers such as Thyrocare, as well as newer preventive health businesses. Its challenge will be to build trust and show that customers find value in a detailed screening service.

Peak XV and Lightspeed look toward AI

A separate report from EquityPandit says Peak XV and Lightspeed are in talks to invest in Indian AI startups. These discussions point to investor interest in companies building AI products and the tools businesses need to use them.

That could include software that helps a company run an AI service or tools that apply AI to a specific industry. But an investment under discussion is not a completed deal. The startups, amounts and final terms may only become clear if the parties announce agreements.

Why these stories matter

Cent’s reported funding reflects a bet on people paying for more detailed health checks before symptoms appear. The AI discussions reflect another kind of bet: that Indian startups can build useful products for businesses and consumers. In both cases, funding gives companies room to grow, but long-term success will depend on whether customers adopt their services and the businesses can deliver on their plans.

Disclaimer

Funding discussions and company plans can change. This article is for general information only and is not medical or investment advice.

Four companies are raising money to grow in very different fields. Gaming startup Matiks has secured $10 million, healthcare data company BioStack has raised $9.5 million, Clinics On Cloud has landed Rs. 120 crore, and Glance has received a strategic investment from L Catterton.

The deals range from early-stage funding to an investment whose financial terms have not been made public. Here’s what each company does and what it plans to do next.

Matiks raises $10 million for brain games

Founded in 2024 by Sudhanshu Bhatia, Mohan Kumar and Sushant Timmapur, Matiks makes mobile games based on maths, puzzles, memory and logic. Players can practice against the app or compete with other people.

General Catalyst led the $10 million pre-Series A round. Ronnie Screwvala and existing investors Info Edge Ventures, Tanglin Venture Partners and Untitled Ventures also participated. Matiks says it will use the funding to expand its platform and enter more markets as per Techcrunch.

The company has also been exploring ways for users to create games. Its aim is to make short brain challenges feel like fun competition, rather than lessons or drills. Matiks reported more than 300,000 daily users in September 2026; that figure was shared by the company.

BioStack secures $9.5 million for medical AI data

BioStack’s product is aimed at the teams building medical AI. The company connects health records that can be spread across different providers, then prepares de-identified information for research and model training. De-identified records have personal details removed or obscured.

The Y Combinator startup, co-founded by Sanat Mishra and Parth Patwa, raised $9.5 million in seed funding. Its announcement named Peak XV, Afore Capital, DCVC, Emerson Collective, SV Angel, Verdict Capital, Streamlined Ventures and Y Combinator among the investors.

As reported, BioStack plans to use the money to grow its hospital network, develop its platform and expand its engineering and research teams. The practical goal is to help medical AI developers work with fuller patient histories, rather than separate test results or notes.

Clinics On Cloud raises Rs. 120 crore

Pune-based Clinics On Cloud was founded in 2018 by Abhay Agarwal and Manashrri Agarwal. It builds health screening and primary-care facilities, including Health ATMs, mobile medical units and clinic spaces that can be set up in workplaces or other locations.

The company raised Rs. 120 crore in a Series A round backed by Dubai-based Model42, at a reported valuation of Rs. 600 crore. It plans to expand internationally, starting with the UAE, and invest in AI-supported diagnostics, research, manufacturing and its microclinic network reported The Tribune.

The idea is to bring basic checks closer to people who may not have a hospital or diagnostic centre nearby. Clinics On Cloud says it has carried out more than 12 million health screenings and has installations in over eight countries.

Glance gets backing from L Catterton

Glance, founded in 2019 by Naveen Tewari and the InMobi team, brings content and shopping experiences to mobile and connected screens. Its newer shopping platform uses AI to suggest products based on a person’s interests and preferences.

Consumer-focused investment firm L Catterton has made a strategic investment in Glance. The companies did not disclose the amount or other financial terms. L Catterton plans to support Glance’s continued expansion, with a particular focus on the US per reports.

The investment reflects a bet that AI may change how people discover products: instead of searching for a specific item, shoppers could receive tailored suggestions as they browse.

What the deals tell us

These investments back four different ways of using technology: turning puzzles into social games, preparing health data for AI research, bringing basic care to more locations, and making online shopping more personal. Each company now has funding to pursue its next stage, but the real test will be whether its services gain lasting users and customers.

Disclaimer

Funding details and company performance figures are based on company announcements and media reports. Glance’s investment terms have not been disclosed. This article is for general information and is not investment advice.