Pune-based Peppermint Robotics has raised Rs. 100 crore in a pre-Series B round to scale its autonomous cleaning and material-handling robots. Meanwhile, D2C home-appliance brand Nuuk is reportedly in talks to raise about Rs. 100 crore.

The two stories reflect a wider trend in startup funding. Investors are backing companies that are building practical products for everyday business needs, whether that means keeping a factory floor clean with robots or selling better-designed appliances directly to households.

Peppermint Robotics raises Rs. 100 crore

Peppermint Robotics has announced a Rs. 100 crore pre-Series B round led by pi Ventures and Crane Venture Partners. Asiana Fund also participated as per its Press release.

Founded in 2019 by Runal Dahiwade, Miraj C. Vora and Nityanand Prabhutendolkar, Peppermint Robotics builds autonomous robots for commercial floor cleaning and specialized material transportation. The company operates from Pune and Austin and says its robots are deployed in nine countries.

The funding round includes both primary capital and secondary share transactions. Primary capital goes into the company for growth. Secondary transactions allow existing shareholders to sell some of their shares, so that part does not directly become money available for the business.

This distinction is important. The full Rs. 100 crore is the transaction value, but Peppermint has not disclosed how much of it is fresh capital for operations.

What Peppermint’s robots do

Peppermint’s robots are designed for places with large floor areas and repetitive cleaning needs, such as hospitals, airports, factories, warehouses, malls, hotels and universities.

The machines use technologies such as cameras, LiDAR sensors and software to understand their surroundings, map cleaning routes and avoid obstacles. LiDAR is a sensor system that uses light to measure distance and help a robot understand the space around it.

For example, a large warehouse may need floor scrubbing every day across several shifts. Instead of assigning workers only to repetitive cleaning, an autonomous scrubber can handle a planned route while staff focus on supervision, detailed cleaning and other work that requires human judgement.

How Peppermint plans to use the funding

Peppermint says the fresh capital will be used for new product development, research and engineering, manufacturing expansion, hiring and international growth.

A major focus will be North America. The company plans to establish an assembly line there, which could help it serve customers faster and reduce the complexity of shipping machines from India. It also plans to strengthen its presence in the US, Europe and Asia.

The startup is also developing a next-generation cleanroom robotics line. Cleanrooms are tightly controlled environments used in sectors such as pharmaceuticals and electronics manufacturing, where even small amounts of dust or contamination can be a problem.

Peppermint competes with international industrial-cleaning robot makers and conventional cleaning-equipment companies. Its challenge will be to prove that its robots offer reliable cleaning, strong service support and a clear cost benefit over manual or traditional machine-based operations.

Nuuk’s proposed Rs. 100 crore round

Nuuk, a D2C home and kitchen appliance brand, is reportedly in discussions to raise around Rs. 100 crore. The proposed round is expected to be led by Wipro Consumer Care Ventures and RPSG Capital Ventures reported Inc42 exclusively.

This transaction is not confirmed or closed. Reports say the proposed funding amount and valuation may change as negotiations continue, while Nuuk and the investors had not commented on the development.

Founded in 2023 by Rivigo co-founder Gazal Kalra and former Noise chief growth officer Shalabh Gupta, Nuuk sells home and kitchen appliances such as cordless vacuum cleaners, fans, heaters, air fryers, juicers and mixer grinders.

The brand sells through its own website, online marketplaces, quick-commerce platforms and offline retail channels. This mix gives it a chance to reach customers wherever they prefer to shop.

What Nuuk may gain from new funding

If the round is completed, Nuuk could use the money to build its product range, increase marketing, improve distribution and expand local manufacturing. Reports indicate that the company wants to raise domestic manufacturing from around 20 percent to more than 50 percent by the end of FY26.

Local manufacturing could improve supply-chain control and reduce dependence on imported products or parts. However, it also requires careful investment in quality, sourcing and after-sales support.

Nuuk operates in a highly competitive market that includes established brands such as Philips, Bajaj, Atomberg and Lifelong. Its success will depend on product quality, design, pricing and the customer experience after purchase.

Disclaimer

This article is for informational purposes only and is not investment advice. Nuuk’s reported funding round remains subject to final agreements.

India’s startup funding market is seeing fresh interest in two very different areas. Campus Fund has reserved up to $10 million for young founders who choose to build their companies from India. At the same time, Asiana Fund and Taiwan-based JC Capital have launched a Rs. 1,000 crore fund for advanced manufacturing and deep-tech businesses.

Both announcements focus on Indian opportunities, but their targets are different. Campus Fund is looking for young founders at the earliest stage. The Asiana-JC Capital fund is aimed at companies that have already built a business and are ready to grow.

Campus Fund’s $10 million Build In India plan

Campus Fund has earmarked up to $10 million from its $100 million third fund for its Build In India initiative. The money will support students, recent graduates and college dropouts from any country who want to develop their startups in India. The fund says founders will be considered regardless of their university, nationality or industry. ETEntrepreneur reported that the initiative will provide early pre-seed funding.

Richa Bajpai is the founder and chief executive of Campus Fund.

The firm began its first fund in July 2020 and has focused mainly on student-led startups and young entrepreneurs. Its third fund is expected to invest in around 60 to 80 startups over four years, according to ET.

The purpose is simple. A student founder may have a promising idea but lack money to build a first product, test it with customers or hire a small team. Campus Fund’s investment can help turn that idea into an early business.

The plan also reflects a growing trend of overseas-educated founders returning to India. Some are building products for Indian customers, while others see India as a lower-cost base from which they can expand globally.

Asiana Fund and JC Capital’s Rs. 1,000 crore fund

Asiana Fund and JC Capital have created the Asiana-JCC Advanced Manufacturing and Innovation Fund. The fund has a base corpus of Rs. 600 crore and can grow to Rs. 1,000 crore through an additional greenshoe option. It plans to invest in around 12 to 15 companies, mainly at the Series A and Series B stages. BS reported that the fund will focus on growth-stage Indian companies.

Its target areas include semiconductors, robotics, computing, advanced materials, sustainability, aerospace and defence. These are businesses that usually need more time, equipment and technical expertise than ordinary software startups.

Asiana Fund was founded in 2017 by Jalaj Dani, the co-promoter of Asian Paints. JC Capital was established in Taiwan in 2019 by Jim Chen.

The partnership combines Asiana’s India-focused network with JC Capital’s links to Taiwan’s semiconductor and technology ecosystem. The fund’s official website says it will also help portfolio companies with technology partnerships, supply chains, manufacturing expansion and overseas markets. Asiana Fund lists the fund size at about $105 million.

For example, a company developing industrial robots may use the investment to improve its technology, set up production, work with a large manufacturer and sell in international markets. This is the kind of long-term growth these investors appear to be targeting.

How the two funds differ

The two funds are not direct competitors in the usual sense. Campus Fund works mostly at the idea and pre-seed stage, while Asiana-JC Capital is looking at companies that have reached the Series A or Series B stage.

Campus Fund is built around young founders and early experiments. The Asiana-JC fund is designed for businesses that need larger cheques to scale manufacturing, protect intellectual property and enter global supply chains. Other early-stage venture funds and deep-tech investors may compete for the same founders, but the investment stages are clearly different.

Conclusion and key takeaways

These announcements show that India’s startup funding story is becoming broader. Young founders are receiving support at the idea stage, while engineering-heavy companies are attracting larger growth capital.

Campus Fund’s plan may encourage more students and overseas founders to build from India. The Asiana-JC Capital fund could help Indian deep-tech companies move from research and prototypes to commercial production.

Key takeaways –

• Campus Fund has set aside up to $10 million for its Build In India initiative.
• The initiative targets students, recent graduates and college dropouts.
• Asiana Fund and JC Capital have launched a fund with a potential size of Rs. 1,000 crore.
• The larger fund will focus on semiconductors, manufacturing, robotics, defence and sustainability.
• The two funds serve different stages of the startup journey.