Start Ups

India's startups turn to AI applications in 2026 after missing infra boom

Venture investors and startup executives are betting on services, enterprise tools in 2026 after missing the infrastructure boom

Ed-tech firm LEAD Group targets partnering with 1,200 schools in 2026

With nearly 8,500 schools already on board, LEAD Group is planning its next growth phase ahead of a proposed FY28 IPO

Arrowhead raises $3 mn to expand human-like voice AI for financial sales

The startup's human-like voice AI can handle long sales calls and, according to the company, delivers significantly higher conversion rates than human agents

Juniper Green raises ₹2,039 cr in debt financing for renewable projects

The company raised the debt financing from the National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NaBFID), HSBC Bank, DBS Bank India, Barclays Bank and Aseem Infrastructure Finance Limited

Even Healthcare secures $20 million to expand its managed-care hospitals

With this announcement, Even Healthcare reports operating break-even within six months of its first hospital launch. The fundraise also marks a 2x valuation milestone for the company

Apax Partners makes strategic bet, acquires minority stake in iD Fresh Food

Private equity firm invests more than ₹1,500 crore for over 35% of the ready-to-cook foods maker, backing its expansion across India and Gulf markets, according to sources

Govt scraps 3-year eligibility rule for deep-tech startups under DSIR

Speaking on the participation of women, Singh said that over 10,000 women beneficiaries are currently availing DSIR schemes, including more than 55 women-led self-help groups

Arya.ag secures ₹725 crore funding in equity round led by GEF Capital

India's largest grain-commerce platform will use the capital to deepen farmer engagement, promote climate-smart agriculture and reduce post-harvest losses across the supply chain

Knight FinTech raises $23.6 million in Accel-led Series A funding

Credit-infrastructure firm will use the funds to expand AI-driven risk and lending platforms and accelerate growth across the Middle East and Asia-Pacific regions

Milk, veggies among top-ordered items across metro cities: Zepto report

Milk topped orders across cities in 2025, as Zepto data shows Indians increasingly turning to quick commerce for daily staples, snacks and beverages

Startup ecosystem matures, shutdowns plunge to 5-year low in 2025

Shailesh Haribhakti, a management expert, said that many startups that were founded during the pandemic boom were built on rapid scaling and the assumption of endless capital

Quick commerce Zepto to confidentially file draft papers for IPO on Friday

Quick commerce unicorn Zepto plans to file draft IPO papers via the confidential route, aiming to become India's first pure-play qcom platform to list on the bourses

India's startups build humanoids with local code, globally sourced hardware

Indian robotics startups are developing humanoid and quadruped robots using locally built software while relying on global supply chains for critical hardware, as deployments steadily rise

STQC norms rollout has boosted Indian surveillance companies, says Khemka

The founder of Aditya Infotech says the rollout of STQC norms has improved trust and compliance in India's surveillance market, and helped the firm scale up capacity and gain market share

From funding winter to liquidity surge, 2025 turns pivotal for startups

If 2023 was defined by a "funding winter" and 2024 by cautious optimism, 2025 will be remembered for a historic rise in exits, particularly through the public markets

CoreEL gets $30 million Series B to support aerospace defence projects

Bengaluru-based aerospace and defence technology firm CoreEL Technologies has raised $30 million in Series B funding to scale manufacturing in large defence programmes in India and overseas

Gold, iPhones and noodles: What India bought on Instamart in 2025

From ₹10 printouts to ₹4.3 lakh smartphone splurges, Instamart's 2025 order data shows how quick commerce has become a routine part of everyday life across India

Axiado raises over $100 million to scale AI-driven security globally

Digital infrastructure security firm Axiado has raised over $100 million in an oversubscribed Series C+ round to expand globally, deepen India-based R&D

PowerUp Money raises over ₹107 crore in funding from Peak XV, others

Over the next three years, the company targets onboarding 10 million users to further cement its position in shaping the future of retail wealth management in India

Oben Electric raises ₹85 crore, targets ₹100 crore revenue in FY26

Oben Electric raises ₹85 crore in a pre-Series B round to scale showrooms, boost brand reach and accelerate product launches as it targets break-even by FY27