Page 9 - Start- Ups

Startup India made country a vibrant startup hub, says PM Modi

Lauding 'Startup India' as a transformative programme, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on its ninth anniversary on Thursday that the initiative has propelled India to become one of the largest and most vibrant startup ecosystems globally. It is a landmark initiative that has redefined innovation, entrepreneurship and growth, he said, describing the programme as "very close to my heart," as it has emerged as a powerful way of furthering youth empowerment. He said on X, "Over the past nine years, this transformative program has empowered countless youngsters, turning their innovative ideas into successful Startups." People would doubt India's ability to thrive in this system just a decade ago, he added. The prime minister said this "transformative" programme has empowered countless youngsters, turning their innovative ideas into successful startups. From tech-driven solutions to rural innovations, healthcare advancements to biotech breakthroughs, Fintech to EdTech, clean energy to

From 500 to over 159,000 and counting: Nine years of Startup India

As the country celebrates the 9th edition of Startup India, the ecosystem now boasts over 1.59 lakh DPIIT recognised startups and 110 unicorns, making it the third-largest globally

AIFs seek specific funds from govt for new-age, sunrise, deep-tech startups

Alternate investment funds (AIFs) have sought from the government specific funds for investments in new-age, sunrise and deep-tech startups with a view to promote innovation in the country, an official said. They have also urged the government to announce a fresh round of funds under the Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS) scheme. These demands were raised during a meeting between AIFs and the officials of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) here last week. The department held discussions with AIFs on ways to promote funding for startups in the country, the official said. "In the meeting AIFs demanded more funds under FFS. They demanded an increase in the duration of FFS from the existing 12 years," the official added. At present FFS is sector agnostic. The AIFs have suggested specific funds for the sunrise and new-age sectors. Issues like capital mobilisation and promoting funding for startups in smaller cities were also discussed during the meeting.

Ed-tech unicorn PhysicsWallah expands offline presence to over 150 centres

PhysicsWallah offers two types of classes for students: Vidyapeeth, which are its offline centres, and Pathshala, which includes a hybrid model

upGrad's Mayank Kumar, Oyo's Ayush Mathur unveil new venture BorderPlus

BorderPlus is a talent mobility platform dedicated to connecting blue-collar workers with global opportunities

UP govt plans Rs 4,000 cr corpus to boost startups, innovation ecosystem

The proposed corpus will be facilitated by the state government and the investment managers under the aegis of the UP Innovation Fund (UPIF)

Venture capital firm Accel secures $650 million for eighth India fund

Accel earned a 35x gain on its investment in Swiggy's initial public offering (IPO), marking one of the biggest gains for the Silicon Valley fund

After rough ride this year, Indian startups look for a promising 2025

The Indian startup ecosystem experienced a rollercoaster ride in 2024, characterised by a slight-yet-concerning decline in funding activity and a shift in investor sentiment, alongside a silver lining with several startups achieving unicorn status. Despite facing global economic challenges, India's startups showcased remarkable resilience, adeptly navigating changing market conditions, while continuing to attract investments. According to data from Tracxn, Indian startups raised a total of USD 30.4 billion in funding throughout 2024, a 6.5 per cent decline from the USD 32.5 billion secured in 2023. Despite this dip, the Indian startup ecosystem demonstrated resilience, with several companies achieving unicorn status this year. Noteworthy entrants to the unicorn club include Rapido, Ather, Perfios, Porter, and Money View, highlighting ongoing innovation and investment interest in the sector. The overall funding trend reflects a cautious-yet-optimistic approach from investors, as the

Perfect human-machine interaction likely in 12-18 months: CoRover CEO

CoRover develops human-centric conversational platforms driven by generative AI (Gen AI) technology, including chatbots, avatars, and voice bots, and has already gained over a billion users

B2B robotics startup Haber raises $44 mn in funding from Creaegis, BEENEXT

Haber plans to use the capital primarily to scale its operations internationally, with a particular focus on the Americas, where demand for AI-driven industrial automation solutions is rising rapidly

Orange Health Labs raises $12 million in funding led by Amazon Smbhav

The company offers diagnostics directly to customers' doorsteps, with booking available through its website or app

Israel sees record-breaking $10.5 billion in startup acquisitions

This comes amid ongoing economic troubles in Europe and the US and as Israel faces an ongoing, multi- front war

Proptech startup Reloy sees 40% revenue growth to Rs 25 cr on strong demand

HDFC Capital-backed Proptech startup Reloy, which helps builders generate referral sales, is likely to achieve nearly 40 per cent revenue growth to Rs 25 crore this fiscal on strong housing demand. "We have now cracked the code on referral sales and are replicating this across all our clients. This is also backed by new client wins," Reloy founder and CEO Akhil Saraf told PTI. During the last financial year, Reloy had helped builders in generating Rs 1,450 crore worth of referral sales. The number will be higher in the current 2024-25 fiscal. Saraf noted that the company has benefited from a strong revival of housing demand post-COVID. "The demand continues to be strong, especially for reputed builders who have a good track record of delivering projects on time," Saraf said. Founded in 2015, Reloy has been specialising in real estate loyalty and referrals. It is a B2B2C homeowner and broker management platform that helps builders manage their builders and brokers more ...

The Earnicorns highlights profitable startups in a unicorn-dominated world

Startups, unicorns included, have been about adventure (misadventure too), independence (at least from the outside), pitches (and rounds of fund-raising in dollars

Nykaa acquires majority stake in clean beauty brand Earth Rhythm

Nykaa had previously acquired a minority stake in the company in 2022 through a combination of primary and secondary transactions

EV leasing firm Alt Mobility raises $10 mn from Eurazeo, other investors

Commercial EV leasing and asset management firm Alt Mobility on Wednesday said it has secured USD 10 million funding in a Series A round led by European VC and PE funds and existing investor, Eurazeo. The latest funding round also saw the participation from other investors including Shell Ventures, Twynam Earth Fund and EV2 Ventures, Alt Mobility said. The fresh capital infusion would help the company in its next phase of growth including expanding the capabilities of its digital asset management platform and driving standardization of battery technology, among others, it said. "Alt Mobility has secured USD 10 million in a Series A funding round led by existing investor Eurazeo, and (it also) saw participation from other existing investors including Shell Ventures, Twynam Earth Fund and EV2 Ventures," the company said. Alt Mobility currently owns a fleet of 10,000 vehicles across 20 cities in India leased to fleet operators and individual drivers. The company said it is ...

Amazon doubles down on AI startup Anthropic with $4 billion investment

The e-commerce company's increased investment in Anthropic underscores the billions of dollars funneled into AI startups over the past year

Bengaluru Tech Summit: India's DPI has reached maturity level to go global

Countries showing interest in adopting India's digital public infrastructure model, which would help them deliver essential services, empower citizens, and improve lives by enabling digital inclusion

Physis Capital raises Rs 150 cr for Rs 400 cr fund, to invest in startups

Venture Capital firm Physis Capital has received commitment of Rs 150 crore for its around Rs 400 crore or USD 50 million venture fund, which it plans to invest in 12-15 startups, a senior official of the firm said on Tuesday. Physis Capital, General Partner, Vinay Bansal told PTI that the firm expects the final close of the fund by early 2026. "Our Rs 400 crore fund is split into four buckets comprising Rs 100 crore retail investors, Rs 100 crore family offices, Rs 100 crore from financial institutions and Rs 100 crore from the government. "We have closed Rs 100 crore from retail investors and half of the family offices bucket. We have received a total commitment of Rs 150 crore," Bansal said. Physis Capital was set-up by the founders of Inflection Point Ventures which has invested in companies like Bharat Pe, Blusmart, VideoVerse, Milkbasket, Samosa Party, Stage, and Otipy. "The final close of the fund is expected by early 2026. We will invest the fund in Indian start-ups. Physi

India's startups need more than growth; focus on governance also crucial

Some of the most prominent startups are struggling to build the governance structures they need to handle their rapid growth