Author: Aman Atulya

AI-fintech platform Kaaj has raised $3.8 million in a seed funding round led by Kindred Ventures, with participation from Better Tomorrow Ventures and other investors. The round will support Kaaj’s mission to bring next-generation underwriting workflows to small-business lending and make smaller loans economically viable for lenders. Funding to Scale AI Agents, Product & Lending Partnerships Kaaj intends to deploy the fresh capital toward expanding its engineering team, enhancing its agentic AI workflows and doubling down on partner integration with lenders and brokers. The startup will also focus on broadening its service reach across U.S. small-business lending and equipment-finance verticals.…

Data-platform startup CtrlB has raised $2.5 million in a seed round led by Chiratae Ventures, with additional participation from Equirus, InnovateX Fund, Campus Fund and Point One Capital. The infusion will fuel the company’s global expansion, product development and enterprise readiness initiatives. Funding to Accelerate Engineering, R&D and Certifications CtrlB said it will deploy the capital to scale its “diskless data lake” platform, invest in engineering and research, file patents around its core indexing and compression technology, and secure enterprise certifications such as SOC 2 and ISO 27001. The company also plans to expand its footprint in India and the…

Agritech company AgroStar has secured $30 million in a funding round led by environment-focused investor Just Climate, with participation from existing backers including Aavishkaar India, Bertelsmann, Evolvence India, Chiratae Ventures and Hero Enterprises. The fresh capital will be deployed to fuel omnichannel growth, accelerate product innovation and deepen the use of AI and data in the company’s farmer-facing platform. Leveraging Technology to Improve Small-holder Farming Outcomes Founded in 2013 by brothers Sitanshu and Shardul Sheth, AgroStar offers quality agricultural inputs and advisory services to Indian farmers using an integrated model that combines a digital platform and physical retail presence. The…

The Karnataka government showcased 50 startup-developed innovations during the second day of the 28th edition of the Bengaluru Tech Summit, as part of its push to elevate the state as a frontier innovation hub. The reveal took place in the presence of IT Minister Priyank Kharge and senior government officials. Innovations Spanning Deep Tech, Clean Tech and More The selected solutions cut across sectors including IT/ITeS, agritech, medtech, cleantech, AI, IoT, cybersecurity, SaaS, R&D, gaming, animation and electronics system design and manufacturing (ESDM). Several of the startups showcased are incubated at government-supported facilities such as K-Tech Innovation Hubs, Centres of…

Multimodal AI company Luma AI has raised $900 million in a Series C round led by Humain, the PIF-backed full-stack AI company, with participation from AMD Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, Amplify Partners, Matrix Partners, and other existing investors. The raise marks one of the largest global funding rounds for an AGI-focused company this year. Powering Multimodal General Intelligence with Massive Compute The funding will accelerate Luma AI’s mission to build multimodal general intelligence AI systems capable of understanding, generating and acting within the physical world across video, audio, images and language. As part of the partnership, Luma AI will become a…

On-demand construction and interior materials platform HomeRun has raised ₹9 crore in a seed funding round co-led by Titan Capital and Sparrow Capital, with participation from Consumer Collective by Atrium, Anupam Mittal, Abhishek Goyal (Tracxn), Suraj Nalin, Raj Sheth, and Gautam Shewakramani. The company will use the new capital to expand category depth, increase dark-store coverage and invest further in its technology and fulfilment capabilities. Building Fast, Reliable Supply for the Construction Industry Founded in 2024 by Pukhraj Grewal, HomeRun offers genuine construction and interior materials on-demand, delivered within 60 minutes to homeowners, contractors and architects. Its model is built…

Samsung India, in partnership with the United Nations Global Compact Network India (UN GCNI), has launched DigiArivu – Empowering Students Through Tech, a large-scale education initiative aimed at transforming STEM and digital learning in government schools across Tamil Nadu. The programme will benefit more than 3,000 students across 10 government schools in Kancheepuram and Ranipet districts. A Community-Centric Model to Upgrade School Infrastructure Through DigiArivu, Samsung will upgrade school infrastructure, enhance digital access and introduce hands-on STEM learning modules. The initiative includes Building as Learning Aid (BaLA) designs, installation of digital learning equipment and structured activity-based STEM sessions for school…

Voice-AI startup Synthio Labs has raised $5 million in a seed round led by Elevation Capital, with participation from 1984 Ventures, Peak XV Partners, Y Combinator, and several strategic angels. The funding strengthens Synthio’s plan to deepen enterprise adoption and expand into major global healthcare markets. Capital for Talent, Deployments, and Global Partnerships Synthio Labs will use the new capital to scale engineering and product teams, accelerate enterprise deployments across the U.S. and Europe, and expand collaborations with life sciences and healthcare organisations. The company aims to position its voice-AI operating system as a core communication layer for pharma, clinicians…

Logistics-SaaS startup Pidge has raised ₹120 crore in its Series A round, led by Spain-based investment firm La Vida es Chula (LVEC). This marks LVEC’s maiden investment in India. The fresh funds will support Pidge’s plans to strengthen its tech stack, expand into smaller Indian cities and build capacity for its next growth phase. Capital Deployment for Tech, Product and Geographic Expansion Pidge will use the new capital to deepen its product and engineering capabilities, invest in AI-powered logistics tools and accelerate entry into tier II and tier III cities. The company is also preparing pilots in select international markets…

Tractor-focused marketplace Tractor Junction has raised $22 million in a new funding round led by Astanor, with participation from Info Edge and Omnivore. The round includes $17 million in equity and $5 million in debt, taking the company’s total capital raised to $28 million, including its $5.7 million seed round in April 2022. Capital to Expand Offerings Across Rural Mobility and Financing The fresh funds will support Tractor Junction’s expansion across vehicle sales, services and financing, while strengthening partnerships with OEMs, dealers and rural sellers. The company also plans to broaden its digital platform and physical footprint as demand rises…