Author: Aman Atulya

Bengaluru | August 16, 2025 – Swiggy, India’s leading food delivery platform, has raised its platform fee from ₹12 to ₹14 in select high-demand regions. The move comes as the company faces a surge in orders and rising operational costs, particularly in its Instamart operations. Key Highlights Why It Matters Even a small fee hike can generate substantial revenue at scale, highlighting the importance of unit economics for marketplace startups. This strategic adjustment ensures Swiggy can continue to invest in operations, delivery infrastructure, and customer experience without compromising margins. Market Context Swiggy’s decision comes as competitors like Zomato and new…

Bengaluru | August 16, 2025 – Ola Electric Mobility showcased its most ambitious technology and product roadmap yet at its annual Sankalp 2025 event, unveiling indigenous innovations and next-gen EVs under its ‘India Inside’ vision. Bharat Cell & Ferrite Motor: India’s Firsts At the center of the announcement was the 4680 Bharat Cell, India’s first indigenously developed lithium-ion battery, designed for integration across Ola’s upcoming vehicle lineup. In parallel, Ola introduced the country’s first ferrite motor, eliminating dependence on rare-earth magnets. This breakthrough will be phased into production starting Q3 FY26. Expanding EV Portfolio Ola entered the sports scooter category…

New Delhi | August 15, 2025 — From the Red Fort, Prime Minister Narendra Modi used his 12th consecutive Independence Day address to outline a high-stakes roadmap for Atmanirbhar Bharat, with bold reforms in technology, defence, manufacturing, and taxation. Key Announcements for India’s Growth Story Why Founders Should Care Modi’s speech wasn’t just a national address it was a call to entrepreneurs to build the systems, products, and technologies that will define India’s next decade. Follow StartupStoryIndia for daily founder-first insights into how policy and innovation are reshaping India’s startup ecosystem.

Pune | August 14, 2025 — Photonics and defense technology startup Olee.space has raised $3 million in a seed funding round led by Rockstud Capital, with participation from multiple global investors. The capital will be used to scale production, strengthen quantum-secure communication protocols, and expand the company’s next-generation defense technology roadmap. Founded in 2023 by James Solomon and Suman Hiremath, Olee.space specializes in Free Space Optical Communication (FSOC), quantum-encrypted networking, and Directed Energy Weapons (DEW). These innovations are designed for high-security, low-latency data transmission and advanced aerial threat defense. Revolutionizing Defense with Photonics Olee.space’s FSOC technology uses low-powered infrared laser…

Mumbai | Aug 14, 2025 — Aditya Birla Group’s digital-first fashion arm, TMRW House of Brands, has secured a major ₹437 crore (~$50 million) investment from ServiceNow Ventures. The strategic capital will turbocharge the company’s AI-driven tech infrastructure and fuel growth across its portfolio of youth-focused labels: Bewakoof, Wrogn, Nobero, and The Indian Garage Co. AI Meets Fashion Launched in 2022, TMRW brings a technology-first mindset to young fashion consumers. With ServiceNow’s agentic AI platform, it aims to: CEO Prashanth Aluru underlines the ambition: “ServiceNow’s agentic AI capabilities will augment our playbook… enabling leapfrogging of traditional value drivers and delivering…

Chennai | August 12, 2025 — Chennai-based venture capital firm Speciale Invest has announced the close of its third fund, Speciale Invest Fund III, at ₹600 crore, surpassing its original target of ₹500 crore. This marks a significant leap from Fund I’s ₹60 crore and Fund II’s ₹300 crore, reflecting growing investor confidence in India’s deeptech ecosystem. Focus on Early-Stage Deeptech Founded by Vishesh Rajaram and Arjun Rao, Speciale Invest plans to deploy Fund III into 18–20 early-stage deeptech startups over the next 3–4 years. The firm’s investment thesis prioritizes globally competitive innovations in: Initial cheques will range from ₹7–10…

Bengaluru | August 12, 2025 — Spike AI, an AI startup redefining marketing orchestration, has secured $1.9 million in a pre-seed funding round led by Sorin Investments, with co-investment from Principal Venture Partners, GSI, and other strategic backers. Disrupting Marketing with MAGI Founded in 2024 by Deepesh Kumar and Shrestha Pratik, Spike AI is on a mission to automate marketing like never before. Their platform—MAGI—acts as a “marketing operating system,” autonomously optimizing across websites, paid media, SEO, emails, and influencer campaigns by: In essence, MAGI replaces fragmented tools and guesswork with an adaptive, explainable AI engine—a step toward marketing’s autonomous…

New Delhi | August 12, 2025 — Pronto, the home services startup founded by Anjali Sardana in April 2025, has raised $11 million in its Series A round. The funding, co-led by General Catalyst and Glade Brook Capital, also saw continued participation from Bain Capital Ventures, bringing Pronto’s post-money valuation to $45 million. What Makes Pronto Different? Pronto isn’t just another aggregator. It owns the entire service chain from recruitment and training to scheduling and background verification creating a 10-minute, shift-based delivery model that provides reliability for users and stable incomes for workers. Rapid Early Traction Since coming out of…

Mumbai | August 11, 2025 — Healthcare startup Truemeds has secured an $85 million (₹740 crore) Series C funding round, led by Accel and Peak XV Partners, with continued support from WestBridge Capital and Info Edge Ventures. More Than Just Capital Founded in 2019 by Akshat Nayyar and Dr. Kunal Wani, Truemeds uses proprietary algorithms to recommend affordable, clinically equivalent generic drugs helping patients save 50% to 70% on their monthly medicine bills. The fresh capital will fuel: Market Opportunity India’s aging population and chronic disease burden make affordable access critical especially in smaller cities where medicine delivery is inconsistent.…

Bengaluru | August, 2025 — Two Indian-origin AI startups are making global headlines after securing a combined $65 million in early stage funding, signalling strong investor confidence in India’s next wave of AI innovation. Funding Snapshot What They Do Why It Matters While both companies have relatively modest revenue today, investors are betting big on vision, product differentiation, and global scalability rather than short-term returns. This reflects a growing trend where India-born founders are building global-first AI infrastructure instead of just targeting domestic markets. The Road Ahead With the fresh capital, both startups are expected to invest heavily in R&D,…