Page 4 - Indian Startups

Startups use AI, omnichannel push to expand globally, reach deeper locally

A report by Meta in collaboration with Alvarez & Marsal India outlines six key strategies fueling scale, as young firms expand globally and deepen domestic reach

India startup funding falls 25% in H1 2025, ranks 3rd globally: Tracxn

India saw a funding slowdown in H1 2025 but rose to third globally as sectors like transportation tech and retail attracted major investments; Bengaluru and Delhi led in total capital raised

Mohandas Pai flags lack of domestic capital for startups, calls for reform

Indian startups are being held back by a lack of adequate domestic investment due to restrictive regulations of the government, according to industry veteran and Aarin Capital Chairman Mohandas Pai, who called for policy reforms and R&D investments to strengthen the ecosystem. Despite India being the world's third-largest startup hub, Pai cautioned that the country risks falling behind in global innovation unless these challenges are addressed. "We have 1,65,000 registered startups, 22,000 are funded. They created USD 600 billion in value. We got 121 unicorns, maybe 250-300 soonicorns. "The biggest issue for startups is the lack of adequate capital. For example, China invested USD 835 billion in startups and ventures between 2014 and 2024, US invested USD 2.32 trillion. We just put in USD 160 billion, out of which possibly 80 per cent came from overseas. So local capital is not coming in," Pai said in an interview to PTI. Pai pointed out that, unlike the US, where insurance ...

Cricket icon Jonty Rhodes backs Indian sports and fitness brand UpUrFit

The company operates in a segment projected to reach $40 billion by 2030, growing at a compound annual rate of 19 per cent

CII Summit 2025: Startup founders urge for domestic capital, tech push

Startup leaders at the CII Annual Business Summit 2025 highlighted India's skilled talent and urged stronger domestic investment and innovation to build global tech champions

India VC deals rise 19%, funding up 20% in early 2025: GlobalData

India's VC ecosystem grew strongly in early 2025 with deal volumes up 19% and funding up 20%, bucking the global trend of slowdown in markets like China and the UK

Bengaluru startup Frinks AI raises $5.4 mn to expand Vision AI solutions

Frinks AI, which builds Vision AI tools for visual inspection in sectors like automotive and medical devices, will use funds to expand in the US and boost R&D

360 ONE Asset launches Rs 500 cr VC fund to tap early-stage startups

360 ONE Asset's Rs 500 crore VC fund will invest in seed and Series A startups across sectors including AI, fintech, spacetech, defence, and precision manufacturing

Prosus CEO Bloisi visits India to launch flagship 'Luminate' event series

Bengaluru hosts Prosus's inaugural Luminate forum as the firm strengthens its ties with India's tech ecosystem and explores AI, digital commerce, and frontier tech

CloudSEK raises $19 million for AI-led innovation, global expansion

CloudSEK secures funding from Indian and US investors to boost AI capabilities and expand internationally, with the US emerging as its fastest-growing revenue region

Myntra expands the 'Rising Stars' programme to back D2C home brands

Homegrown brands like Sleepyhead and Chumbak join Myntra Rising Stars Home Edit with curated selections across decor, furnishings, smart cookware and more

Indian startups face funding, regulation, trust challenges: Rukam founder

Indian startups today contend with a range of hurdles, including access to consistent funding, navigating intricate regulatory and tax frameworks, overcoming bureaucratic obstacles, retaining talent, and earning consumer confidence in a price-sensitive market, according to Rukam Capital's Archana Jahagirdar. Jahagirdar -- the Founder and Managing Partner of the venture capital firm, which has invested in startups like Beco, Sleepy Owl, Indus Valley, GO Desi, Burger Singh, and Antithesis -- believes that while ambition and innovation of Indian startups are undeniable, access to consistent funding, especially at the early stage, remains a major roadblock. "Unlike more mature ecosystems, India still sees uneven distribution of capital, with non-metro startups facing even steeper barriers. Operating within a maze of complex rules and taxing systems is another industry challenge. "Beyond funding, Indian startups often grapple with regulatory bottlenecks, talent retention, and building ..

Zopper eyes expansion after raising $25 mn, IPO likely in 3-5 years: COO

Insurtech firm Zopper is currently focussed on scaling up its operations and may consider going public in the next 3 to 5 years, a top company official said. The company has recently raised USD 25 million in growth capital from investors to accelerate its expansion and invest in new-age technology. "As such, our business has a positive gross margin. But in a growth company, you keep investing the profits into future growth, which we have also been doing for many years," Zopper co-founder and Chief Operating Officer Mayank Gupta told PTI. He also said the company is not looking to break even at this stage but is instead investing every earned money towards expansion. "If we want, we can break even today, but that will mean that we stop investing in the future, and growth will become stunted," he said. The B2B insurance infrastructure company is even open to inorganic routes for expansion. "We are not actively looking at any acquisition, but keep doing a sense check of the market.

Uniqus Consultech raises $20 mn in Series C funding, round led by Nexus

The round was led by Nexus Venture Partners, with participation from Sorin Investments. Both are existing investors in the company

India's startup failure isn't about ambition, it's about the economy

Criticism of Indian startups may be valid, but the real culprit behind their consumer focus and lack of innovation is the govt's economic model

How Indian traditions helped this London woman create a $4M haircare brand

London-based influencer Erim Kaur has earned nearly $4 million with ByErim, a luxury haircare brand inspired by traditional Indian oiling rituals

Govt to give bulk of ₹10,000 cr startup fund to AI, tech sectors: Official

The commerce and industry ministry will allocate a major part of the second Rs 10,000 crore Fund of Funds Scheme (FFS) for startups to budding entrepreneurs in sectors such as new-age technology, artificial intelligence, and machine building, an official said. In the Budget, the government announced a new FFS with a corpus of Rs 10,000 crore. In 2016 also, the government had launched a similar scheme. "We are going to dedicate a lot of this Rs 10,000 crore fund of funds largely for the new age tech, AI, and machine building," the official said. The 2016 scheme was set up to catalyse venture capital investments and is operationalised by the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), which provides capital to Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi)-registered AIFs, which in turn invest in startups. SIDBI is expected to manage the second scheme also, the official added. With an intent to build a strong ecosystem of the country for nurturing innovation and promoting ...

US tariffs: Global trade tensions hit IPO outlook for Indian tech startups

A wave of market uncertainty has tempered investor appetite, leading many firms to consider delaying their listings, according to industry sources and analysts

US VC firm Expert Dojo to invest $45 mn in Indian startups by FY28

US-based venture capital firm Expert Dojo on Friday announced plans to invest USD 45 million (about Rs 387 crore) in Indian startups over the next 3-4 years. Launching its USD 100 million global fund at the Expert Dojo Investors Conclave 2025 in Bengaluru, the firm earmarked USD 15 million to be invested in 20-25 Indian startups in FY26. "Expert Dojo will deploy the USD 15 million in the first year to fund 20 to 25 early-stage startups across sectors such as fintech, B2B, SaaS, and AI. While sector-agnostic, the fund will focus on startups with global scalability. Founders can expect investment cheques ranging from USD 50,000 to USD 1 million, alongside access to Expert Dojo's international mentorship and go-to-market network," the company said in a statement. Over the next 2 to 3 years, Expert Dojo plans to invest an additional USD 30 million in Indian startups, the statement said. The company has also opened its India office in Bengaluru, positioning it as a central hub for ...

Nanotech startup Vimano raises Rs 25 cr in seed round led by Ankur Capital

Vimano's membranes can reshape how energy is stored across multiple formats, with green hydrogen alone projected to grow nearly 10-times to over $60 bn by 2030, according to the investor Ankur Capital