Inc42

MyGate Trims FY25 Loss By 61% To ₹15.4 Cr

MyGate reduced its FY25 net loss by 61% to ₹15.4 cr, down from ₹39.7 cr a year earlier. The turnaround was driven by an 80% surge in operating revenue, which reached ₹173.5 cr. Advertising now accounts for roughly two‑thirds of total income, while...

Wootzwork Nets $6.6 Mn To Scale Global OEM Manufacturing

Wootzwork, an enterprise services startup that offers end‑to‑end custom fabrication, closed a $6.6 million Series A round led by Z47, bringing its total funding close to $10 million. The capital will fund expansion of its global engineering and programme teams and scale manufacturing...

AI-Native Preconstruction Startup MeltPlan Raises $10M Seed Round Led by Bessemer Venture Partners

AI-native preconstruction startup MeltPlan announced a $10 million seed funding round led by Bessemer Venture Partners, with participation from European early-stage tech investment firm noa. The capital will be used to develop its AI-driven planning engine and expand its SaaS...

Capillary To Acquire Mastercard’s Loyalty Biz, SessionM, For $20 Mn

Capillary Technologies announced an all‑cash acquisition of Mastercard’s loyalty platform SessionM for $20 million, expected to close within six months. The deal brings SessionM’s AI‑driven loyalty and engagement tools and its enterprise client roster into Capillary’s portfolio, bolstering its presence in...

Exclusive: IPO-Bound Infra.Market To Raise ₹1,250 Cr Debt Funding

Infra.Market, the Indian B2B construction‑materials platform, is raising ₹1,250 crore (≈$137 million) in debt from Singapore‑based Ascertis Credit. The loan will be secured by the company’s assets, promoter shares and stakes in its subsidiaries such as RDC Concrete and Neptune Readymix. Proceeds...

How Flo Mobility’s AI Stack & Robots Are Disrupting The Construction Sector

Flo Mobility has introduced AI‑driven autonomous mobile robots that transport construction materials without manual labor, promising up to 45% faster delivery and 50% cost reductions. The Bengaluru startup raised a $2.5 million pre‑Series A round, bringing its total funding to roughly ₹23 crore,...

GIVA’s Loss Widens 23% To ₹72 Cr In FY25, Revenue Jumps 90%

GIVA, the Bengaluru‑based D2C jewellery startup, posted FY25 revenue of ₹518 Cr, an 89% jump from the prior year, while its consolidated net loss widened 23% to ₹72.3 Cr. The surge was driven by rapid offline store expansion, higher material costs and...

Bewakoof Founder Prabhkiran Singh To Step Down

Bewakoof founder and CEO Prabhkiran Singh announced his resignation after 14 years at the helm. Singh will stay on through March 2026 to oversee a structured handover while prioritising his health and family. The departure coincides with TMRW’s majority‑stake acquisition...

Puresta Bags $3.7 Mn To Build AI-Powered Full-Stack Dermatology Platform

Puresta raised ₹34 Cr (≈$3.7 M) in a pre‑seed round led by Spring Marketing Capital to build an AI‑powered full‑stack dermatology platform. The startup acquired HealthQ Life Science, the parent of D2C skincare brand SKINQ, to integrate dermatologist‑formulated products into its technology...

Deepinder Goyal’s LAT Aerospace Acquires Sharang Shakti To Foray Into Defence Tech

LAT Aerospace, the aviation startup backed by former Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal, announced the acquisition of early‑stage defence tech firm Sharang Shakti. The move enables LAT to integrate Sharang’s anti‑drone radar and hard‑kill interceptor technology into both defence and civil...

Exclusive: Practo In Talks To Raise $100 Mn In Pre-IPO Round

Practo is in advanced talks to raise between $100 million and $125 million in a pre‑IPO round that will combine equity and debt, led by a global private‑equity firm and joined by existing backers. The financing values the health‑tech platform at roughly...

How StarAndDaisy Grew To ₹108.5 Cr Within Five Years By Re-Engineering Baby Gear

StarAndDaisy, founded by brothers Akshay and Anshul Arya in 2020, re‑engineered the Indian baby‑gear market by localising design, manufacturing, and testing to meet BIS standards at affordable prices. The company now offers 150 SKUs across high chairs, strollers, and modular...

How FLiCKA Cosmetics Grew To ₹15.2 Cr By Owning Base Categories

FLiCKA Cosmetics, founded in 2017, targets India's missing‑middle beauty segment with affordable‑luxury base makeup. By focusing on a curated range of 550+ SKUs across five core categories and leveraging creator‑driven discovery, the brand grew revenue from ₹10.9 Cr in FY24 to...

How Ecoright Grew To ₹14.08 Cr By Making Eco Materials Affordable

Ecoright, founded by IIM Calcutta alumni in 2019, has scaled its affordable eco‑friendly bag line to ₹14.08 cr in FY25, a 60% revenue jump from the previous year. The brand leverages organic cotton, jute and recycled PET to offer 300+ SKUs...

How Bacca Bucci Grew To ₹81.6 Cr By Owning Mid-Premium, Design-Led Shoes

Bacca Bucci, founded in 2015, has positioned itself as a mid‑premium, design‑led footwear brand in India’s fast‑growing market. By adopting an asset‑light, outsourced manufacturing model and a marketplace‑first strategy, it sold nearly 5 million pairs to 4.5 million customers, achieving ₹81.6 Cr revenue...

How Something’s Brewing Grew To ₹12.4 Cr By Productising The Coffee Hobby

Something’s Brewing, a Bengaluru‑based e‑retail platform for home coffee enthusiasts, posted ₹12.4 cr revenue in FY25 – a 58% jump from the previous year. The company curates espresso machines, grinders, beans and accessories from India, Germany, Italy and China, and pairs...

The Economics Of Retention: How MoEngage Built A Defensible Moat In A Crowded Market

MoEngage has turned the high cost of user retention—estimated at five to twenty‑five times acquisition expense—into a core SaaS proposition. After raising $280 million in a Series F round, the company reported close to $100 million in ARR and achieved profitability in the...

BRND.ME Completes Reverse Flip, Merging Mensa Singapore Into Mensa India Ahead of IPO

Ecommerce unicorn BRND.ME completed a reverse flip, merging its Singapore entity Mensa Singapore into its Indian holding Mensa India after NCLT approval on February 20. The merger consolidates seven Indian group entities under Mensa India, positioning the company for an...

AI Startup Myelin Foundry Secures ₹48 Cr Funding From ASM Technologies

Myelin Foundry, an AI startup, announced it has raised ₹48 crore in a funding round led by corporate investor ASM Technologies. The capital will be used to accelerate product development and market expansion.

How This Trousers Brand Is Making Fit The Real Differentiator

The Pant Project, founded by Dhruv and Udit Toshniwal, tackles the chronic fit problem in Indian men’s trousers by using in‑house pattern engineering and stretch‑blend fabrics. The brand has grown from a made‑to‑measure startup to a ready‑to‑wear label with 300+...

How DrinkPrime Grew To ₹70.4 Cr By Turning RO Into A Service Model

DrinkPrime, a Bengaluru‑based water‑purifier startup, has turned reverse‑osmosis (RO) systems into a subscription service, offering rent‑to‑own units with free lifetime maintenance, delivery and relocation. Leveraging city‑specific product designs and a hyper‑local approach, the company now offers 24 SKUs tailored to...

ED Freezes ₹505 Cr Held Abroad In WinZO Money-Laundering Case

The Enforcement Directorate has provisionally attached ₹505 cr (≈$55.7 mn) held in WinZO’s US and Singapore shell accounts as part of a money‑laundering probe. The agency alleges the gaming platform used bots and algorithm‑driven personas to play against real users, inflating revenues...

Peptris Nets ₹70 Cr To Scale AI-Led Drug Discovery Pipeline

Qualcomm To Invest $150 Mn In Indian AI Startups

Semiconductor Startup Vervesemi Nets $10 Mn To Scale Product Commercialisation

Vervesemi Secures $10M Funding to Scale Semiconductor Product Commercialisation

Semiconductor startup Vervesemi announced a $10 million financing round aimed at scaling the commercialisation of its product. The funding will support production ramp‑up and market expansion. Details on investors and round stage were not disclosed.

Qualcomm Announces $150M Investment in Indian AI Startups

Qualcomm has announced a $150 million investment fund targeting Indian artificial intelligence startups. The initiative aims to support AI innovation in India and strengthen Qualcomm's presence in the region.

Peptris Raises ₹70 Crore to Scale AI-Led Drug Discovery Pipeline

Peptris, an AI-driven drug discovery startup, announced a fresh funding round of ₹70 crore to expand its pipeline and accelerate preclinical programs. The capital will be used to scale its AI-led platform and advance its drug discovery efforts. The raise...

MeitY, IVCA Mobilise ₹500 Cr VC Commitments For AI Startups

At the India AI Impact Summit 2026, MeitY and the Indian Venture and Alternate Capital Association (IVCA) announced a collective ₹500 crore VC commitment from 16 member funds to accelerate Indian AI startups. Sixteen investors, including Accel, Antler and Prosus, pledged...

How Minicult Cracked Cotton-First Kidswear Built For India’s Climate

Minicult, founded in 2018, has positioned itself as India’s leading cotton‑first kidswear brand by offering 100% cotton essentials across 7,500 SKUs. The company leverages an asset‑light manufacturing model, in‑house R&D, and multipack formats to keep prices low while ensuring durability...

CraftifAI Raises $3 Mn To Build AI Tools For Embedded Software Development

CraftifAI announced a $3 million seed round, led by Ankur Capital, to accelerate its AI-driven platform for embedded software development. The startup’s Orbit platform uses multi‑agent generative AI to automate code generation, hardware optimization, and AI/ML deployment for edge, IoT and...

How WickedGüd Grew To ₹13.38 Cr By Making Indulgence “Less Guilty”

Indian urban households are increasingly turning to ready‑to‑cook (RTC) meals as a convenient, healthier alternative to ultra‑processed foods, driving the market toward $11.9 bn by 2033. WickedGüd leveraged this trend by tailoring Korean‑inspired, rice‑bran‑oil‑based products to Indian cooking habits, overcoming early...

Suhail Sameer-Led OTP Ventures Closes First Fund At ₹500 Cr

OTP Ventures, founded in 2023 by ex‑BharatPe CEO Suhail Sameer, closed its first fund at ₹500 crore after a 17‑month raise that attracted over ₹750 crore in commitments. The fund originally aimed for ₹400 crore but was capped to maintain size discipline and...

Inc42 And Oracle Host Tech Leaders To Discuss AI Workloads And Cloud Economics

Inc42 and Oracle hosted a closed‑door CTO Dinner in Bengaluru, bringing together more than 20 senior technology leaders from Indian startups across SaaS, fintech, mobility, and consumer internet. The event centered on practical challenges of scaling AI workloads, optimizing cloud...

EaseMyTrip To Raise ₹500 Cr To Bolster Non-Core Segment

EaseMyTrip to Raise ₹500 Crore to Bolster Non-Core Segment

EaseMyTrip announced plans to raise ₹500 crore to fund its non‑core business segment, aiming to support expansion and diversification. The fundraising round is expected to be led by undisclosed investors.

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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....

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...

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...

IDfy Raises ₹476 Cr in Series F Round Led by Neo Asset Management

India-based fraud detection startup IDfy announced a ₹476 Cr (≈$52.5 Mn) Series F funding round, led by Neo Asset Management with participation from Blume Ventures, Analog Capital, Elev8, IndiaMART and Kae Capital. The capital will fund strategic acquisitions, international expansion and product...

Sleeptech Startup DUSQ Raises ₹24 Cr to Expand Into US Market

Sleeptech startup DUSQ announced a ₹24 crore funding round to support its entry into the US market. The capital will be used for product development, marketing, and distribution as the company expands internationally. Details of the investors were not disclosed.