Author: Aman Atulya
Edtech firm Vedantu has announced that it has secured $11 million in a funding round led by Accel, with participation from ABC World Asia (a Temasek-backed impact fund) and Omidyar Network, among others. This infusion is part of a larger, ongoing capital raise and includes a secondary component aimed at enabling exits for certain early investors. Despite being cash-flow positive, Vedantu says the fresh capital will serve as a financial cushion as it charts a path toward an IPO. The company is expected to target a public listing in 2027, giving it time to rationalize its cap table and bring…
On the 11th anniversary of the Make in India initiative, Prime Minister Narendra Modi doubled down on the government’s ambition to turn India into a manufacturing powerhouse. Speaking at the Uttar Pradesh International Trade Show 2025, he declared that India must be able to “manufacture everything from chips to ships,” reinforcing the tenets of Atmanirbhar Bharat — or economic self-reliance. A Broader Vision: Making India Self-Reliant Modi’s address came amid global economic turbulence, rising trade protectionism, and supply chain disruptions. He warned that continued dependence on external sources undermines growth and strategic autonomy. He emphasized that every product that can…
Handpickd, a fresh commerce startup, has raised $15 million in a Series A funding round led by Bertelsmann India Investments (BII), with participation from Titan Capital Winners Fund (TCWF) and existing investors. The company plans to utilize the funds to expand its operations, enhance its technology infrastructure, and improve its supply chain capabilities. Business Model and Operations Founded in April 2024 by Anant Goel, Nitin Gupta, and Sahil Madan, Handpickd operates on a zero-inventory model. The platform collects customer orders a day in advance, procures the exact quantity and quality of produce from farmers overnight, and delivers it to customers…
Space-tech startup Cosmoserve Space has secured $3.17 million (₹26.5 crore) in a heavily oversubscribed pre-seed round led by Alan Rutledge, with participation from AUM Ventures and Shakti VC. The round drew strong interest from global backers, including Ram Shriram, Google’s early investor and long-time board member. The fresh capital will enable Cosmoserve to ramp up its R&D efforts, expand its engineering team, and begin work on prototypes for its robotic spacecraft designed to tackle orbital debris. With thousands of satellites being launched each year and an increasing volume of junk in orbit, the risk to global space assets is accelerating.…
Agritech startup Bharat Intelligence has raised ₹7 crore in pre-seed funding, led by Sahyadri Farms, to scale its operations across Western Maharashtra’s horticulture belts. The fresh capital will be used to expand its team, enhance product development, and embed AI-driven solutions into the value chains of grape, banana, tomato, and pomegranate farmers. Tackling Rural India’s Labour Gap Founded in 2024 by Azhaan Merchant and Gourav Sanghai, Bharat Intelligence is addressing one of Indian agriculture’s most pressing challenges—the farm labour crisis. Its platform uses advanced AI models to organise rural labour markets, ensuring farmers get timely access to skilled crews while…
India-focused early-stage venture fund Zeropearl VC has announced the final close of its maiden fund at Rs 159 crore (~$18 million), oversubscribed 3.5x against its original Rs 80 crore target. Founded by veteran investor Bipin Shah, the fund aims to back pre-seed and seed-stage startups with high conviction and selectivity. About the Fund Zeropearl VC’s Fund I attracted commitments exceeding Rs 280 crore before being capped at Rs 159 crore. Over 52% of the capital comes from 31 successful founders, including 19 unicorn leaders and multiple IPO-linked entrepreneurs. The fund also counts global funds-of-funds and family offices among its limited…
Recove, a B2B startup digitising India’s plastics recycling supply chain, has raised ₹5.3 crore in a pre-seed funding round led by Momentum Capital. The round also saw participation from industry veterans including Ganesh Natarajan (ex-CEO, Aptech & Zensar), Ashish Goel (Co-founder, Urban Ladder), Chaitanya Kejriwal, and Shruti Deorah. The capital will help Recove scale its digital marketplace across India, establish pre-processing hubs, and deepen its network of recycling partners. Solving a Broken Recycling Chain Founded in 2024 by Viral Chhajer, Nirja Bhatt, and Sharan Subaiah, Recove is building a tech-enabled B2B marketplace for plastic recyclables. Its platform connects suppliers of…
Electric vehicle startup Simple Energy has secured $10 million in a fresh funding round. The capital will be used primarily to scale its store and experience center network across India, aiming to strengthen customer touchpoints and drive adoption. Simple Energy’s models, such as the Mark 2 electric motorcycle, already enjoy a presence in multiple cities through its direct sales and partner outlets. With the new funding, the company plans to significantly broaden its retail ecosystem, ensuring deeper penetration in key markets and smoother customer journeys from discovery to delivery. The investment comes at a time when Indian EV startups are…
Fintech startup Oolka has raised $7 million in a seed funding round co-led by Lightspeed India Partners and Z47, with participation from 8i Ventures and several angel investors. This comes after Oolka had previously raised $6.9 million in the same round from Lightspeed Venture Partners and others. Funding Snapshot Solving the Credit Gap India’s young population is increasingly turning to digital platforms to manage finances, yet credit health remains opaque and confusing. From tracking CIBIL scores to managing EMIs, many face challenges that restrict access to affordable credit. Oolka addresses this by offering an AI-powered platform that delivers personalized insights,…
Early-stage venture capital firm Good Capital, known for backing breakout names like Meesho, Orange Health, and LEAD School, has announced the final close of its second fund at $30 million (₹260 crore). The fund, launched in 2023 with a target of $35 million, saw strong commitments from family offices across Asia and Europe. Fund Focus & Portfolio With Fund 2.0, Good Capital will continue its thesis of supporting technology-first and AI-driven startups, betting on companies building scalable solutions with global ambitions. The firm has already backed ventures such as: Strategy & Vision “With Fund 2.0, we doubled down on high-conviction…