Page 2 - Startups

Hoola Health raises $5 million led by Peak XV's Surge to fuel expansion

The health-tech startup plans to use the funds to expand its clinic network, strengthen technology capabilities and scale its integrated paediatric care model

VinFast to erickshaw startups: New entrants reshape Indian EV landscape

India's automobile sector saw 480 new entrants in FY26, up 37 per cent year-on-year, with electric vehicle makers dominating registrations across categories amid policy support

India-born founders behind 96 US unicorns, highest among immigrants: Study

Indian-born entrepreneurs account for the largest group of immigrant founders of billion-dollar companies, or unicorns, in the US, according to a new study by the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP). The US-based non-profit organisation found that 96 American unicorns were founded or co-founded by entrepreneurs of Indian origin. Among them is Perplexity AI, co-founded by Aravind Srinivas, which ranks 12th with a valuation of USD 20 billion. According to the study, India tops the list of countries of origin for immigrant founders of US unicorns with 96 companies, followed by Israel (60 unicorns), the United Kingdom (47), China (41), Canada (30), Russia (23), France (21), Germany (18), Ukraine (16), Australia (14), Pakistan (10), and Romania (10). The NFAP study, titled "Immigrants and US Billion-dollar Companies" and authored by Stuart Anderson, found that immigrants have founded or co-founded 59 per cent (455 of 775) of America's privately held startup unicorns. The ...

Cars24 launches AI Labs, commits $20 mn to back AI startups and founders

Auto-tech platform Cars24 launches AI Labs to build AI-first products and support founders through funding, mentorship and partnerships with OpenAI, AWS and ElevenLabs

Estonian startups keen to partner with India, tap into its huge market

Several Estonian tech startups from diverse sectors such as AI, cybersecurity, defence and medicine have evinced interest in collaborating with India and tapping its huge market as the two countries seek to step up their economic partnership. Latitude59, an influential startup and technology conference that takes place here annually, is also keen on hosting a networking event in India next year under its aegis. Speaking with PTI, Latitude59 CEO Liisi Org said, "I love India, I have been there many times and I would love to host Latitude59 there. I don't know yet, where. There are conversations going on at various tech centres but of course if we don't do it, we are late to the party. India is one of the biggest countries in the world, if we don't collaborate with India, it is not smart." The interest is there in India because of the size of the market and the Indian delegation has been at Latitude59 five years in a row, she said. "The relationship is there and we should do somethin

Karnataka plans sops for data centre cooling solution providers

The Karnataka government is considering incentives for firms developing sustainable data centre technologies, including low-water cooling systems and renewable energy integration

Coffee chain abcoffee raises ₹61 crore in pre-Series B funding round

Homegrown coffee chain abcoffee will use the fresh capital to expand across key urban markets and strengthen technology, operations and customer engagement

Startups power Indian quantum computing push with homegrown innovation

About 100 homegrown firms are building advanced hardware and supply chains for tech transformation, reports Shine Jacob

Betting big on deep-tech, IAN Group deploys ₹625 crore in 50 startups

IAN Group has invested nearly Rs 625 crore in around 50 deep-tech startups over two decades, with increasing focus on AI-led ventures and sovereign technologies

Piper Serica launches ₹800 crore Bharat Tech Fund for deep-tech startups

Mumbai-based asset manager plans to invest in 22 semiconductor, defence, AI and space-tech startups through Series A and B rounds over a six-year holding period

Himachal to offer up to ₹5 lakh funding for startups under HIMUDA policy

The Himachal Pradesh state government will be providing funding of up to Rs 5 lakh per proposal to young entrepreneurs under the HIMUDA Start-up and Student Innovation Policy, to boost economic growth and to generate employment opportunities. This was stated by Town & Country Planning Minister Rajesh Dharmani while he chaired a review meeting of the Himachal Pradesh Housing and Urban Development Authority (HIMUDA) on Saturday. During the meeting, the minister said that the policy aims to build a strong ecosystem for innovation and start-ups in the state. "Keeping in view the geographical conditions of the state, the government was also exploring the possibility of funding start-ups related to disaster management under this policy", said Dharmani. He said that the projects of HIMUDA were aimed not only at meeting the housing needs of the people but also at creating new sources of revenue for the state. "Given the rapid pace of urbanisation, urban development has become a vital ...

Startup funding, exits evolve as investors demand profitability discipline

As startups increasingly tap public markets, investors are becoming more selective and demanding clearer paths to profitability than during the 2021 boom

Skyroot Aerospace raises $60 mn, becomes a unicorn valued at $1.1 bn

Skyroot Aerospace has raised nearly $60 million at a $1.1 billion valuation as the private space company prepares for the maiden launch of its Vikram-1 orbital rocket

Pronto raises $20 million in Series B round as valuation doubles from March

The company will use much of the fresh capital to scale its workforce, CEO Anjali Sardana said, adding the platform is very supply-constrained

Chinese AI startup DeepSeek could be valued at $50 bn in first fundraise

Chinese AI startup DeepSeek eyes up to $50 billion valuation in its first external fundraising round

Samsung expands startup push with 2026 Mobile Advance tech programme

Samsung's India R&D units launch the 2026 Mobile Advance programme to support deep-tech startups, offering funding and integration into its global mobile device ecosystem

Defence-tech startup Armory gets ₹100 crore order from MoD: Amardeep Singh

Company to provide indigenous AI-powered counter-unmanned aerial systems called SURGE

Chosen raises $5 million to expand science-led skincare business

Fireside Ventures leads funding round with participation from L'Oreal's Bold and Alkemi Growth Capital as startup scales R&D, product pipeline for Indian skin needs

Space startup GalaxEye puts world-first OptoSAR satellite into orbit

Mission Drishti to capture imagery in all weather conditions, day and night

Artha Venture's early bets begin to pay off as exit opportunities mount

Artha's Anirudh Damani says disciplined entry valuations-not market timing-are driving its biggest wins