News•Feb 13, 2026
Clean-Tech Start-Up Solar Capital Launches Digital Platform Enabling Rooftop-Less Consumers to Participate in India's Solar Growth
Solar Capital, a Gurugram clean‑tech start‑up, launched a digital platform that lets individuals and organisations invest in solar projects without owning rooftops. Subscriptions start at just Rs 999, removing installation and maintenance barriers for renters, apartment dwellers, and small businesses. The model pairs these fractional investors with commercial hosts who provide rooftop space without upfront capital, earning them Green Credits redeemable for utility bills. Backed by industry experts and a recent Digital Solar Innovation Award, the platform aims to broaden India’s solar participation ahead of its 2047 sustainability goals.
By Business Standard — Economy/Markets
News•Feb 13, 2026
Artha Venture Moves To Oust Hornet CEO Over Alleged Governance Breaches
Artha Venture Fund exercised its shareholder rights to remove Hornet’s co‑founder and CEO, Souvik Haldar, citing serious governance breaches. The VC alleges Haldar diverted seed‑fund proceeds, took paid external work with a client, and copied the startup’s code and sensitive...
By Inc42
News•Feb 13, 2026
Centre Approves Startup India FoF 2.0 With An Outlay Of ₹10,000 Cr
The Indian government has approved the second phase of the Startup India Fund of Funds (FoF) 2.0, allocating an additional ₹10,000 crore to the scheme. Managed by SIDBI under DPIIT oversight, the FoF channels capital to SEBI‑registered alternative investment funds, which...
By Inc42
News•Feb 13, 2026
FAST42 2026: Announcing The Ranking Of India’s Fastest-Growing D2C Brands
Inc42 unveiled FAST42 2026, its fifth edition ranking the 42 fastest‑growing Indian direct‑to‑consumer (D2C) brands. The list, compiled from over 250 applications, uses FY23‑FY25 CAGR and a minimum ₹1 Cr FY23 revenue threshold. Collectively the winners generated ₹2,100 Cr in revenue, secured...
By Inc42
News•Feb 13, 2026
Exclusive: D2C Brand ClayCo Raises ₹30 Cr From Twenty Nine Capital Partners
ClayCo Cosmetics, a 2023‑founded D2C beauty brand, closed a fresh Series A round of ₹29.99 crore (about $3.3 million) from London‑based Twenty Nine Capital Partners. The funding was issued as 1,529 non‑cumulative CCPS at a premium exceeding ₹1.96 lakh per share. This capital...
By Inc42
News•Feb 13, 2026
Addverb’s Humanoid Bet: How This Noida Robotics Startup Is Building Physical AI
Addverb, a Noida‑based robotics firm backed by Reliance, has introduced its first humanoid robot—a six‑foot, 80 kg machine capable of carrying 15 kg and equipped with wheels for legs. The humanoid is designed for unstructured factory and warehouse settings where traditional automation...
By Inc42
News•Feb 13, 2026
How Freelancers Can Stay Profitable in Every Economy — From Crushing Recessions to Crazy Booms
Freelancers must treat economic cycles and AI disruption as catalysts for change, not threats. By broadening skill sets, offering multiple services, and positioning themselves as strategic advisors, they can convert slow periods into growth opportunities. Financial discipline—cash reserves, expense audits,...
By Entrepreneur
News•Feb 13, 2026
Anthony Edwards Has a Plan to Get Your Attention
NBA star Anthony Edwards is turning his on‑court fame into a media empire through Three‑Fifths Media, which now produces the unscripted series *Year Six* and the viral Believe That Awards. The company, co‑founded with manager Justin Holland, secured a production...
By Fast Company
News•Feb 13, 2026
Why World Models Will Become a Platform Capability, Not a Corporate Superpower
The article argues that large language models have become commoditized, offering generic linguistic intelligence but lacking real‑world understanding. It proposes that world models—systems that learn environment dynamics, causality, and feedback—will evolve into a shared platform capability rather than a proprietary...
By Fast Company
News•Feb 13, 2026
Battery Tech Startup E-TRNL Energy Raises ₹27.4 Cr For Product Development
e-TRNL Energy, a battery‑tech startup founded in 2021, secured ₹27.4 cr ($3 mn) in a seed round led by IAN Alpha Fund. The capital will fund completion of its chemistry‑agnostic lithium‑ion and future sodium‑ion cell technology and demonstrate large‑scale manufacturing in India....
By Inc42
News•Feb 13, 2026
Six Sense Mobility Bags $4.8 Mn To Build New Electronics Manufacturing Unit
Six Sense Mobility secured $4.8 million (₹44 cr) in a Pre‑Series A round led by Ashish Kacholia, with Piper Serica Angel Fund participating. The capital will finance a new electronics manufacturing facility in Noida, designed for an initial output of one million units...
By Inc42
News•Feb 13, 2026
Fraud Detection Startup IDfy Nets ₹476 Cr To Enter New International Markets
IDfy, an Indian fraud detection and identity verification platform, secured ₹476 Cr ($52.5 M) in a Series F round led by Neo Asset Management. The mix of primary and secondary capital will fund strategic acquisitions, entry into new international markets, and enhancements to...
By Inc42
News•Feb 12, 2026
Nuclear Power Group Alva Energy Launches with $33 Million in Funding
Alva Energy, a Massachusetts‑based nuclear startup, closed a $33 million Series A round led by Playground Global to fund retrofits of existing U.S. reactors. The company will replace steam generators and add a second turbine, boosting each plant’s output by 200‑300 MWe and...
By POWER Magazine
News•Feb 12, 2026
Subba Rao Joins Vertex Group as Co-Founder & Chief Growth Officer
Subba Rao Bhairavabhatla joins Vertex Group as co‑founder and chief growth officer after four years at Teleperformance. He brings two decades of process excellence, quality, and digital transformation experience from Asian Paints, HSBC, Wipro, Capita, WNS and Teleperformance. At Vertex,...
By HR Katha (India)
News•Feb 11, 2026
Faraday Future Follows Tesla’s EV Playbook, Only Better
Faraday Future is rolling out its Super One, an AI‑centric luxury electric SUV priced between $20,000 and $80,000, positioning it as a direct challenger to high‑end models like the Cadillac Escalade. The company recently secured $30 million to fund the broader...
By CleanTechnica
News•Feb 11, 2026
AI Industry Rivals Are Teaming Up on a Startup Accelerator
OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Meta, Microsoft and others have united to launch F/ai, a Paris‑based accelerator for European AI startups. Hosted by Station F, the program runs twice yearly, each three‑month cohort featuring 20 companies building on the partners' foundational models. Startups...
By WIRED AI
News•Feb 11, 2026
How to File Tax Returns for Individuals with Multiple Streams of Income
The Nigeria Tax Act 2025 mandates that every resident file a personal income‑tax return by 31 March, consolidating earnings from salaries, freelance gigs, rentals, dividends and other streams. Taxpayers must use their State Internal Revenue Service’s portal—or visit the office where digital...
By Techpoint Africa
News•Feb 11, 2026
BigHaat Raises $10 Mn Led by OCP Group’s Arm Bidra Innovation
Indian agri‑tech platform BigHaat secured $10 million in a funding round led by Bidra Innovation Ventures, the U.S. VC arm of global fertilizer giant OCP Group. Existing backers JM Financial and Ashish Kacholia also participated, bringing total funding to roughly Rs 300 crore....
By Entrackr
News•Feb 11, 2026
HUL-Owned Minimalist Revenue Spikes 48% to Rs 515 Cr in FY25
Hindustan Unilever‑owned Minimalist posted a 48% jump in operating revenue, reaching Rs 514.8 crore in FY25, surpassing the Rs 500 crore mark. The brand’s expenses rose 51% to Rs 504 crore, driven by higher advertising spend and material costs, yet EBITDA remained positive at Rs 18 crore. A...
By Entrackr
News•Feb 11, 2026
EximPe Gets Final PA-CB Licence to Process UPI Cross-Border Payments
EximPe, a cross‑border payment startup, has secured the Reserve Bank of India’s final Payment Aggregator Cross‑Border (PA‑CB) licence. The authorisation lets the firm enable global merchants to collect Indian consumer payments via UPI, cards, wallets and other methods, with settlements...
By Entrackr
News•Feb 11, 2026
How Shiprocket Became the Bridge Between Bharatpreneurs and National Markets
Shiprocket has emerged as a critical logistics and commerce platform that bridges India’s small‑town entrepreneurs, known as Bharatpreneurs, with national markets. By consolidating courier networks, payment processing, order management, and offering rapid working‑capital financing, the service enables regional MSMEs to...
By YourStory
News•Feb 11, 2026
Create Value, Valuation Will Follow: How Dr Sanjay Salunkhe Built Jaro Education
Jaro Education, founded in 2009 by Dr. Sanjay Salunkhe, tackles the lack of access to premium education for Indian professionals through a partner‑led, technology‑enabled model. The company has served over 350,000 learners and remained profitable from day one, financing growth...
By YourStory
News•Feb 11, 2026
Malsons Ventures Makes Strategic Pre-Series A Bet on Mumbai-Based Fintech Startup Seven
Seven, a Mumbai fintech startup known for its 7 Ring wearable payment device, secured a strategic pre‑Series A investment from Shivam Malhotra, founder of Malsons Ventures, acquiring a 1% equity stake. The capital will fund product innovation, market penetration, team...
By YourStory
News•Feb 11, 2026
Spacetech Startup EtherealX’s Valuation Jumps 6X in Series A
Indian spacetech startup Ethereal Exploration Guild (EtherealX) announced a $20.5 million Series A round led by BIG Capital, issuing 9,763 preference shares at Rs 1,87,920 each. The financing lifts its post‑money valuation to roughly $80 million, a six‑fold jump from the $12 million seed round....
By Entrackr
News•Feb 11, 2026
Showroom B2B Raises Rs 150 Cr in Series A Round Led by Cactus Partners
Showroom B2B, a Gurugram‑based fashion supply‑chain platform, secured Rs 150 crore (about $17 million) in a Series A round led by Cactus Partners, with participation from Zephyr Peacock and existing backers. The financing combines equity and debt and follows a $6.5 million pre‑Series A raise in...
By Entrackr
News•Feb 11, 2026
India’s Startup Wave in Manufacturing Is Reshaping Demand for Digital Design Tools: Dassault
Dassault Systèmes reports a rapid shift in Indian manufacturing toward digital design tools, driven by post‑COVID acceleration and a growing hardware startup ecosystem. Companies are embracing virtual twins to simulate products and factories, slashing prototype costs and waste. The firm’s...
By YourStory
News•Feb 11, 2026
Europe Urged to Follow China’s Industrial 3D Printing Strategy
Europe risks falling behind China in additive manufacturing as Beijing embeds 3D printing in its Made in China 2025 plan, while EU leaders treat the technology as a niche. Chinese firms now ship 94% of desktop printers worldwide, outpacing the...
By KrASIA
News•Feb 11, 2026
‘Unsustainable’ Gaps in Policing of Franchise Businesses Must End, MPs Say
The UK House of Commons business and trade committee warned that gaps in policing franchise businesses are “unsustainable” after scandals involving Vodafone and McDonald’s. It called for a statutory code of conduct and stronger independent enforcement to protect franchisees and...
By The Guardian » Business
News•Feb 10, 2026
Former Canva Exec’s Product Mapping Startup, Adora, Designs $9.9 Million Seed Round
Adora, an AI‑powered journey‑mapping platform co‑founded by former Canva product head Omar Salem, closed a $7 million seed round led by Blackbird Ventures. The tool automatically captures screens, interactions and user paths, turning them into live visual maps enriched with analytics...
By Startup Daily (ANZ)
News•Feb 10, 2026
Shorooq, PayLater Sign MOU to Explore Institutional Credit Facility
UAE‑based investment firm Shorooq has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Qatar’s first QCB‑licensed, Sharia‑compliant BNPL provider PayLater to explore a scalable, institutional‑grade credit facility. The proposed financing would be non‑dilutive and aligned with Sharia principles, giving PayLater capital to...
By Wamda
News•Feb 10, 2026
CedarBridge Begins Deploying Third Private Equity Fund Across the GCC
CedarBridge Partners has started deploying capital from its third private equity vehicle, CedarBridge High Growth III (CBHG III), a $150 million fund aimed at building platform businesses in education, healthcare, beauty, wellness and pet care across the GCC. Managed by Access...
By Wamda
News•Feb 10, 2026
Shorooq Deepens Doha Roots as Snoonu Founder Backs Its Growth and AI Funds
UAE‑based Shorooq announced that Hamad Al‑Hajri, founder of delivery platform Snoonu, will invest in both its newly launched late‑stage growth fund and its global AI fund. The growth vehicle is backed by the Qatar Investment Authority, while the AI strategy...
By Wamda
News•Feb 10, 2026
Egypt’s Tactful AI Raises $1 Million Pre-Series A to Scale Agentic CX
Tactful AI, an Egyptian CX platform specializing in agentic AI, secured $1 million in a pre‑Series A round co‑led by Foras AI and M Empire. The funding will bolster growth in Egypt, validate expansion across EMEA, and accelerate R&D to enhance scalability...
By Wamda
News•Feb 10, 2026
Egypt Introduces Unified Framework to Support Startups
Egypt has unveiled the Egypt Startup Charter, its first government‑backed framework dedicated to nurturing startups and entrepreneurship. The charter, shaped by a year of consultations with 15 ministries and over 250 ecosystem stakeholders, defines startups officially and bundles incentives, a...
By Wamda
News•Feb 10, 2026
UAE Startup ThrowMeNot Secures $550k Pre-Seed
UAE‑based ThrowMeNot closed a $550,000 pre‑seed round led by Sheikh Ahmed bin Mana Al Maktoum. The startup, founded in 2025 by Archie Rudyuk, operates a marketplace for near‑expiry and surplus food, offering discounts up to 90% and currently lists over 2,700...
By Wamda
News•Feb 10, 2026
Saudi Fintech SiFi Raises $20 Million Series A Led by Ra’ed Ventures
Saudi fintech Simplified Financial Solutions Company (SiFi) secured a $20 million Series A round led by Ra’ed Ventures, with participation from QED Investors, Breyer Capital, MEVP and several local backers. The financing follows a $10 million seed round, bringing total capital raised to...
By Wamda
News•Feb 10, 2026
Zain Hosts Demo Day for Regional Startup Accelerator Zain Great Idea
Kuwait‑based Zain Group staged a Demo Day for its flagship accelerator Zain Great Idea, showcasing eleven tech startups from six Arab markets. The event marked the programme’s final milestone and opened pathways for investment and strategic partnerships. Zain Ventures paired...
By Wamda
News•Feb 10, 2026
Routech Express Bags $1 Million Pre-Seed
Saudi‑based logistics tech startup Routech Express closed a SAR 3.75 million ($1 million) pre‑seed round led by Q Fund, with angel participation. The platform aggregates multiple carriers, delivering instant price comparison, booking, payment and tracking through a single digital interface. Funds will accelerate...
By Wamda
News•Feb 10, 2026
Smart Bricks Closes $5 Million Pre-Seed to Automate Real Estate Investing
Smart Bricks, a Dubai‑based proptech startup, closed a $5 million pre‑seed round led by Andreessen Horowitz’s a16z Speedrun, with participation from global funds and angels. The company is building an AI‑native infrastructure that automates the end‑to‑end real‑estate investment workflow, compressing a...
By Wamda
News•Feb 10, 2026
A Profile of Anthropic and Its Key Executives Like Chris Olah, and a Look at Project Vend, an Internal "Claudius"...
Anthropic, the AI safety‑focused startup behind the Claude series, is profiled in a New Yorker feature that spotlights executives such as former Google researcher Chris Olah. The piece delves into the company’s internal “Project Vend,” a Claudius‑branded experiment that tasked...
By Techmeme
News•Feb 10, 2026
Startmate Launches Social Enterprise Stream Backing Founders Taking on Society’s Biggest Problems
Startmate has added a dedicated Social Enterprise stream to its Launch Club pre‑accelerator, offering four to six fully‑funded scholarship spots for founders tackling social or environmental challenges. Applications close on March 1, with the cohort launching in late March. The program...
By Startup Daily (ANZ)
News•Feb 10, 2026
Steve Baxter: Why I’ll only Invest in Australian Defence Startups that Are Serious About the US
Steve Baxter announced that his fund will only back Australian defence startups that demonstrate a concrete plan to establish a U.S. presence. He argues that the U.S. defence budget—about $1.5 trillion—offers the scale required for venture‑backed growth, far beyond Australia’s $35 billion....
By SmartCompany » StartupSmart (AU)
News•Feb 10, 2026
Elle, MD, Hiive, and LiORA Among Latest CIX Startup Awards Winners
Elevate announced the 14 winners of its 2026 CIX Startup Awards, chosen from more than 370 applications by a 94‑member investor committee. The awardees span three maturity tiers—Emerging, Early and Growth—and include fintech platform Hiive, geothermal pioneer Eavor, climate‑tech firm...
By BetaKit (Canada)
News•Feb 10, 2026
Ssense Founders Can Buy Back Company, Court Rules
Montréal‑based luxury e‑commerce platform Ssense will be reclaimed by its founders after a Quebec Superior Court dismissed lenders' request for a forced asset sale. The court approved a founder‑led buyback valued at $78 million, including a $58.5 million cash payment and assumption...
By BetaKit (Canada)
News•Feb 10, 2026
Sen. Warren Plans Bipartisan Legislation with Sen. Banks that Bans the Sale of Certain AI Chips to China After Dario...
Senators Elizabeth Warren and Sherrod Brown announced a bipartisan bill to prohibit the export of certain advanced AI chips to China. The legislation follows a meeting between OpenAI co‑founder Dario Amodei and Warren, where concerns about China’s use of AI...
By Techmeme
News•Feb 10, 2026
Boston Dynamics CEO Robert Playter Steps Down After More than 30 Years with the Company and Plans to Retire; CFO...
Boston Dynamics CEO Robert Playter announced his retirement after more than three decades leading the robotics pioneer. Playter, who guided the development of flagship robots like Spot and Atlas, will hand the reins to CFO Amanda McMaster as interim chief...
By Techmeme
News•Feb 10, 2026
Prediction Market Kalshi Reached $1bn in Trading Volume During Super Bowl
Kalshi, a U.S.‑based prediction market, recorded over $1 billion in trading volume on Super Bowl Sunday, a 2,700% year‑over‑year surge. More than $145 million was wagered on Bad Bunny’s opening song and $45 million on his guest performers, despite the platform not running a...
By The Guardian » Business
News•Feb 10, 2026
Newo, Which Offers AI Voice and Text Agents that Act as Always-On Front Desks for SMBs, Raised a $25M Series...
Newo, a startup delivering AI‑powered voice and text agents that function as always‑on front desks for small and medium‑sized businesses, announced a $25 million Series A financing round. The new capital lifts the company's total funding to $32 million, positioning it for rapid...
By Techmeme
News•Feb 10, 2026
This Kenyan Startup Promises School Pickups Digital Paper Trail
TerraGO, a Kenyan startup, has launched an NFC‑based platform that records school transport handovers through wristbands or bag tags and readers at buses and gates. The system creates time‑stamped, location‑specific logs of boarding, arrival and pickup events, providing parents and...
By TechCabal
News•Feb 10, 2026
Sources: Spain-Based Multiverse, Which Shrinks LLMs to Reduce Energy and Compute Costs, Is in Talks to Raise ~€500M at a...
Spain‑based Multiverse, which compresses large language models to slash energy and compute expenses, is courting investors for a €500 million round that would value the company at over €1.5 billion. The startup recently disclosed it has reached €100 million in annual recurring revenue,...
By Techmeme