Startups

VC funding in India's chip and space startups is picking up in 2026 as the government's Semicon 2.0 push boosts investor confidence

Funding for startups founded by experienced business operators rose nearly 12 times between 2023 and 2025, while seed-stage investments increased 17.5 times

The Technology Development Board has backed 22 deeptech startups with ₹2,192 crore under the RDI Fund, supporting projects worth ₹4,744 crore across strategic sectors

The government will white-list venture capital firms to co-invest in semiconductor design startups under ISM 2.0, aiming to de-risk funding and deepen India's chip ecosystem

The startup, founded by a former Ultrahuman executive, is developing a context-aware computing interface as AI agents reshape how people interact with smartphones and computers

Named Inkling, the open-weight model allows developers to download, run and customise its underlying systems; the 975-bn-parameter model is the first general-purpose AI release from Thinking Machines

Emergent has raised $130 million at a $1.5 billion valuation as rapid global adoption of its AI-powered software development platform drives strong revenue and user growth

The selected startups include Fermbox Bio, Revelations Biotech, 4baseCare, Sea6 Energy and Telluris Biotech, the sources said

The industry body aims to connect family offices with India's startup ecosystem through a dedicated platform for deal flow, co-investment and policy engagement

Nilekani made his largest personal commitment to a venture firm as Fundamentum expanded its leadership team and reaffirmed its focus on backing Series B startups

AI firms are spending millions on free credits as they compete to become the preferred platform for the next generation of startups

The first five startups backed under the government's RDI fund will develop indigenous technologies in space, defence, healthcare, batteries and biotechnology through milestone-based financing

Broadband technology company Sterlite Technologies Ltd has raised Rs 1,500 crore through a qualified institutional placement to primarily de-leverage debt and pursue the next phase of growth, the company said on Monday. The company allotted 2.57 crore equity shares to qualified institutional buyers, aggregating to Rs 1,500 crore. Following the allotment, STL's paid-up equity share capital increased to Rs 102.78 crore, comprising 51.39 crore equity shares, the company said in a statement. The QIP saw participation from both domestic and global investors, including Motilal Oswal, Nomura, HSBC and Oxbow, among others. "STLhas raised Rs 1,500 crore through a Qualified Institutions Placement (QIP). The entire process saw participation by reputed domestic and global investors including Motilal Oswal, Nomura, HSBC, Bank of India, Oxbow, Think Investments, Bandhan and Manulife, among others," the company said. The proceeds from the QIP will be primarily utilised to substantially de-leverag

More than half of the capital raised by India's leading under-30 entrepreneurs is being deployed towards product development and market expansion, reflecting a growing focus on building sustainable businesses, according to a report released on Wednesday. "But what truly sets this generation apart is not the scale of capital they have raised, it is the discipline with which they are deploying it. Over 50 per cent of all funds raised are going directly into product development and market expansion," said Anas Rahman Junaid, founder and chief researcher at Hurun India. "These are founders who are not building for the next funding round; they are building for the next decade. In a world that often celebrates the raise, this cohort is quietly focused on the result," Junaid added. According to the report, funding deployed by companies on the Avendus Wealth-Hurun India U30 List 2026 is primarily directed towards growth and expansion, with product development accounting for 27 per cent of .

The month-long, fully funded programme has selected 43 students from more than 11,000 applicants to help transform AI-led startup ideas into validated ventures

An Oxford Economics report says a restrictive digital regulatory regime could reduce startup formation by 20 per cent and venture capital investment by 25 per cent

India's tech startups raised $7.2 billion in H1 2026, but deal volume dropped sharply as investors concentrated capital in fewer companies

Uttar Pradesh is drafting a new startup policy with incentives for deep-tech ventures, women-led firms and innovation-driven entrepreneurship

Even before India's air taxi rules are finalised, hospitals and air ambulance operators are partnering with eVTOL startups to transform emergency care

Since 2007, the company has made investments of ₹4,900 crore across 135 startups across sectors