Page 16 - Start Ups

Physis Capital raises ₹200 crore, eyes 15+ startup deals by mid-2025

Backed by SUD Life, Haldiram's and others, Physis Capital aims to support 15+ high-impact startups with investments between $1-1.5 mn and top-ups up to $4 mn

VC firm Speciale Invest plans launch of new fund for deep-tech investments

Deep-tech investor Speciale Invest to roll out Fund III, slightly bigger than its ₹300 crore Fund II; expects to back 5-6 startups in first year with $0.75-1 mn tickets

In a first, CCI probes allegations against quick-commerce companies

The CCI had asked the distributor's body for details on relevant market share of each of the quick commerce players in the FMCG industry

Gurugram-based Darwix AI raises $1.5 million to scale product, global reach

The Gurugram-headquartered firm looks to deploy the fresh funds towards product development, hiring, and market expansion, according to a company statement

Fintech POP raises $30 mn from Razorpay to build loyalty-first model

POP to use Razorpay's $30 million investment to drive innovation, expand rewards ecosystem, and deepen merchant ties in the fast-growing D2C payments segment

Zepto scales fresh supply chain, sells 22 lakh units daily in May

Zepto quadruples daily fresh produce sales to 22.1 lakh units in May by sourcing directly from farmers via 70+ hubs and using tech to optimise procurement and delivery

Amazon's entry into quick commerce faces scale, recall challenges

Jefferies says Amazon's late entry, app integration strategy and limited brand recall may hinder its Q/C push in India despite competitive pricing and Prime perks

Blinkit, Zepto resume operations in Maharashtra after FDA licence clearance

Blinkit and Zepto resume operations at closed facilities in Maharashtra after securing food safety licences and complying with corrective actions ordered by the FDA

Digital competition Bill: Online cos tell Parl panel to protect innovation

The Parliamentary Panel is looking into the role of the Competition Commission of India (CCI) in an evolving economy, particularly the digital landscape

Bhavish Aggarwal's Krutrim bets on India-first AI to rival global peers

Kruti, Krutrim's new AI assistant, focuses on multilingual voice-first design and India-specific service integration to stand out in the fast-growing AI assistant market

Operator-led startups outpace peers in funding speed and deal size

A Tracxn report commissioned by RTP Global finds operator-led startups outperform others in funding speed, size and Seed-stage success across 2022-24 in India

Startups tap technology to tackle anxiety with new tools and solutions

Other emerging tools also include virtual reality, which is being explored for exposure therapy and immersive stress reduction

Fireflies hits $1 bn valuation, adds real-time search with Perplexity

Voice assistant expands features with Perplexity tie-up as Fireflies crosses $1 bn valuation and sees sharp growth in enterprise AI-powered meeting productivity tools

Rapido pilots food delivery in Bengaluru; analysts see limited impact

Rapido's entry into food delivery comes with low take rates and scale ambitions, but Bernstein sees limited disruption to Zomato and Swiggy's duopoly in the near term

Airports become key battleground for cab companies after BluSmart closure

With BluSmart suspending metro operations, Uber, Rapido, and others are intensifying their push into high-growth airport routes, driven by a steady rise in domestic air passenger traffic

Jobs platform Apna's interview prep tool records 760K AI interviews

Gen Z job seekers and metro city users are driving the rapid adoption of Apna's AI Job Prep tool, which simulates interviews and offers real-time feedback

Flipkart CEO joins delivery run as firm scales quick-commerce push

Flipkart expands its Minutes unit with a fresh produce strategy, dark store rollout and tier-2, tier-3 penetration to compete with Blinkit, Zepto, and Swiggy Instamart

Recur Club eyes early, mid-stage firms for Rs 2,000 crore FY26 bet

Recur Club plans to invest Rs 2 crore on average in early and mid-stage startups, aiming to fund 1,000 firms in FY26 through its debt marketplace platform and network of 50+ lenders

Flexiloans raises ₹375 crore in Series C funding led by BII, others

With total funds raised at ₹665 crore over six months, Flexiloans will scale operations, boost technology and expand reach across India's underserved MSME sector

Cred's valuation slump signals caution for India's fintech companies

The sharp markdown despite backing from existing investors reflects growing investor caution and a broader recalibration in the Indian fintech and credit-led ecosystem