Startups In India

Ethereal Machines raises $28.5 mn in Series B round led by Avataar Ventures

The Bengaluru-based deep-tech startup will use the capital to expand precision manufacturing capacity, build a mega factory and strengthen its presence in global aerospace and defence markets

Defence, space-tech startups move beyond metros for testing, manufacturing

As defence and space-tech ventures move from design to deployment, many are expanding testing, manufacturing and training operations into smaller cities to access land, airspace and lower costs

9 Indian cos join WEF's Tech Pioneers cohort of 100 early-stage startups

Nine Indian startups, including Dhruva in the space business and Varaha in the climate arena, have made it to the World Economic Forum's latest list of new technology pioneers. Releasing the list, the WEF said these 100 early-stage startups from 23 countries are building the infrastructure for the next era of AI and are developing breakthrough technologies with the potential to transform industries and societies. "What sets this year's cohort apart is its focus on enabling the next era of Artificial Intelligence (AI). While recent advances have centred on models and consumer applications, many of the Tech Pioneers are building the software and physical infrastructure needed to AI at scale," the WEF said. The cohort also reflected the expanding geographies of frontier innovation. India has contributed nine companies, many focused on deep-tech and space innovation, while the Republic of Korea records its strongest representation to date across AI, robotics and quantum ...

From BPO to robo-BPO: Why robotics labs may need Indian homes, factories

Experts say India could become important hub for physical AI services, but only if companies go beyond basic data collection and build higher-value capabilities in robotics, simulation, infrastructure

Profitable products in AI world possible, says Thomas Jeng of OpenAI

OpenAI says rising AI token costs are not a long-term hurdle for startups, as Indian adoption of Codex and AI workflows accelerates sharply

Pronto admits to recording household tasks for AI training after backlash

A report citing investor documents claimed that Pronto was recording household activities inside homes to help train physical AI and robotics systems, triggering privacy concerns among customers

Snabbit expands into beauty services with quick salon-at-home offering

Startup expands into salon-at-home services with instant fulfilment model after Bengaluru pilot completed over 2,000 beauty service jobs in six weeks

Sadev Ventures appoints Ishan Kansal as co-founder, managing partner

The move comes as the early-stage investment firm targets ₹1,000 crore in funds under management over the next 12-24 months

Gen Z investing startup Trackk raises $3.7 mn from Lightspeed, Info Edge

Mumbai-based Trackk plans to expand its investing platform and product offerings as younger Indians increasingly participate in financial markets

$240 million fundraise propels Rapido post-money valuation to $3 billion

The mobility startup, now valued at $3 billion, is expanding deeper into Tier-2 and Tier-3 markets amid rising demand for low-cost transport

India Deep Tech Alliance selects 20 startups for inaugural cohort

The India Deep Tech Accelerator programme, led by the UChicago Polsky Center, will help IIT-linked startups scale research-driven products for global markets

Govt reopens narrow FDI door to China-linked funds: How it impacts startups

The revised Press Note 3 framework may speed up startup deals by allowing limited China-linked exposure through the automatic FDI route, while keeping direct Chinese investment under approval

Rise of India's 18-Year-Old Founders: Why a Digital Business Degree Is the Smartest Career Move of 2026

.

Anthropic weighs funding offers at over $900 billion valuation, tops OpenAI

Anthropic had previously resisted several inbound proposals from investors for a new round at a valuation of $800 billion or more

How an immunologist is turning India's chaos into an investment play

Natasha Malpani of Boundless Ventures argues that robots and drones trained under Indian conditions develop resilience no US lab can replicate - and her fund is placing early bets on that hypothesis

Snabbit raises $56 mn in Series D round as home-services race intensifies

Funding co-led by Susquehanna, Mirae Asset and Bertelsmann to drive expansion, improve unit economics and strengthen operations in India's fast-growing home services market

HyugaLife raises ₹100 crore in Series A round led by IvyCap Ventures

Health and wellness e-commerce platform HyugaLife has raised Rs 100 crore in a Series A funding round led by venture capital firm IvyCap Ventures. The funding round also saw participation from First Bridge Fund. The fresh capital will be utilised to strengthen the platform's AI-powered personalisation capabilities, expand its dark store network for faster deliveries, and establish an offline retail presence, the company said in a statement. HyugaLife operates as a marketplace for proteins, supplements, and health foods. The platform sources directly from brands-eliminating third-party sellers-and conducts independent lab tests for nutrition and heavy metals. The startup, which counts Indian cricketer KL Rahul among its key investors, currently lists over 10,000 products from more than 450 brands. "India's protein and supplements market has a trust problem, and HyugaLife was built to address it. We're doubling down on our authenticity guarantee by expanding lab-tested offerings,

Fidelity marks down Gupshup's stake, implies sharp valuation drop

Fidelity cuts Gupshup's implied valuation to $280-300 million from $1.4 billion, reflecting steep markdown amid slowdown and business challenges

India is very uniquely placed in AI tech capability, says Jason Graefe

Microsoft's Jason Graefe says India's AI strength lies in multilingual innovation and SaaS roots, positioning startups to build globally scalable solutions

Over 68,000 Indian startups headquartered beyond major hubs: Tracxn

India's startup ecosystem is expanding beyond top cities, with over 68,000 firms now based in smaller hubs, driven by regional demand and evolving funding patterns