Author: Aman Atulya

Distil, a specialty chemicals startup, has raised $7.7 million in Series A funding, led by Singapore’s Jungle Ventures and UAE’s CE-Ventures, the corporate venture arm of Crescent Enterprises. Strategic investors Rubamin, PI Industries Vice Chairperson Mayank Singhal, and India Quotient also participated in the round. This funding brings Distil’s total capital raised to $10.8 million. The company previously secured $3.1 million in June 2024 through Jungle Ventures’ First Cheque@Jungle platform. Funding Snapshot Product & Market Edge Founded in 2021 by Atanu Agarrwal and Viraj Shah, Distil develops advanced specialty chemicals for paints, plastics, and construction materials. Operating through an R&D-first,…

Every time Prof. Dr. Sashikumaar Ganesan observed engineers running thousands of simulations to design motors or batteries, he noticed a recurring problem: enormous computing resources were spent, but the results were rarely reused. That inefficiency became the seed for Zenteiq.ai, a startup developing AI models that learn from past simulations to predict engineering outcomes with greater accuracy. IndiaAI Mission Backing Founded in 2022, Zeinteiq.ai is one of only eight startups selected by the Government of India to build a sovereign foundational AI model under the IndiaAI Mission. The company will receive ₹75 crore in its first year, primarily for compute…

Material science deep-tech startup Chakr Innovation has raised USD 23 million (≈ ₹193.5 crore) in a Series C round, led by growth-stage investor Iron Pillar. Existing investors SBI Cap Ventures, ONGC, Indian Angel Network (IAN) and Inflexor also participated. What the Funding Will Be Used For Chakr Innovation plans to deploy the fresh capital to: What Chakr Does & Why It Matters Founded in 2016 by IIT Delhi graduates, Chakr Innovation develops technologies focused on reducing pollution and enabling cleaner energy and materials. Some of its core products include: Chakr already has over 5,000 installations, more than 2,000 customers, and…

Digital payments firm PhonePe, backed by Walmart, posted a solid improvement in FY25, with revenue growing about 40% year-on-year to reach ₹7,115 crore. At the same time, the company narrowed its net loss by over 13%, bringing it down to around ₹1,727.4 crore, from ₹1,996.1 crore in FY24. Revenue Growth & Business Drivers The 40% growth in revenue reflects rising adoption of financial services offered via PhonePe’s platform. As usage of digital payments, UPI, wallet and allied services expands, PhonePe appears to be converting scale into top-line gains. Loss Reduction But Still in the Red While the net loss has…

Deep-tech startup VyomIC has secured Rs 14 crore ($1.6 million) in a pre-seed round led by Speciale Invest, with participation from BYT Capital and DeVC. The funding will accelerate development of its Low Earth Orbit (LEO)-based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) payload, back its upcoming spaceborne demonstration mission, and expand team capabilities. Aiming Beyond GPS Founded by Lokesh Kabdal, Vibhor Jain, and Anurag Patil, VyomIC is building satellite constellations to deliver sovereign, secure, and highly accurate PNT services without dependence on foreign-controlled systems like GPS or GLONASS. The platform promises centimeter-level positioning and nanosecond-level timing, designed for mission-critical sectors such…

Bengaluru-based Climate-Tech Venture Expands Circular Economy Solutions Carbon Masters India, a climate-tech company focused on circular economy innovations, has raised a fresh equity round led by Schneider Electric Energy Access Asia (SEEAA), Sangam Ventures, and IAN Group, with participation from Sriram Sankaran (Synchron Group) and Muthu Murugappan (Murugappa Group). The deal also brings Vikram Raman (SEEAA) and Sriram Sankaran onto the company’s Board of Directors. Focus of Investment The new capital will be used to: About Carbon Masters Founded by Som Narayan and Kevin Houston, Carbon Masters transforms organic waste that would otherwise reach landfills into renewable biomethane and bio-enriched…

Bengaluru-based Startup Secures Pre-Series A Funding OnFinance AI, a generative AI platform built specifically for the Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI) sector, has raised $4.2 million in a Pre-Series A round. The round was led by Peak XV’s Surge, with participation from Shyamal Hitesh Anadkat, Groww Founders’ Fund, MarsShot VC (Razorpay Founders’ Fund), Climber Capital, and existing investors Indian Angel Network (IAN) and Silverneedle Ventures (SNV). About OnFinance AI Founded in 2023 by Anuj and Priyesh Srivastava, OnFinance AI develops generative AI-powered solutions to automate and streamline regulatory compliance, risk management, and audit processes in the BFSI sector. Its…

Bengaluru-based HR Tech Startup Secures Seed Funding Human resources technology startup All Things People (ATP) has raised Rs 7 crore in seed funding from a consortium of investors including Varun Alagh (Founder & CEO, Honasa), Amit Dalmia, Alex von Behr, Vivek Gambhir, and Amit Sinha. The capital will be used to scale ATP’s flagship product, atp|reflect, enhance its AI-driven analytics capabilities, and expand its marketing and sales footprint. About All Things People Founded in 2024 by Anish Singh, Kshitij Jain, and Shashank Shekhar, ATP is a next-generation HR tech company focused on transforming workplace experiences globally. The startup combines artificial…

The H-1B visa program, established by the U.S. Congress in 1990, allows companies to hire skilled foreign professionals primarily in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields when qualified American workers are unavailable. H-1B visas are typically valid for three years and can be extended, with many visa holders eventually receiving green cards. Trump Administration’s $100,000 Fee In a recent move, President Donald Trump introduced a $100,000 fee for new H-1B visa applicants. According to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, the fee is intended to prevent companies from “training foreign workers” instead of hiring Americans. The fee has generated confusion: while…

Online Travel Firm Deepens Investment in Green Hospitality Online travel aggregator EaseMyTrip has increased its stake in Eco Hotels and Resorts Limited by 7.77% through a rights issue, further expanding its presence in the hospitality sector. The parent entity, Easy Trip Planners, approved the investment during a board meeting on September 20, according to its stock exchange filing. Investment Details The company subscribed to 10 lakh equity shares at Rs 15.20 apiece, taking the total investment to around Rs 15.2 crore, which will be paid in tranches. EaseMyTrip initially entered the hospitality space in December 2023, acquiring a 13% stake…