This week, startup funding in India reached a total of $110.22 million, with 3 startups involved, consisting of one growth-stage and two early-stage deals. This is an increase compared to last week’s total of approximately $95.54 million, which involved 12 startups.
Highlights
Growth-stage Deals
In the past week, only one growth-stage deal was recorded, with the agritech startup Arya.ag securing Rs 725 crore (around $80.3 million) in its Series D funding round from GEF Capital Partners.
Early-stage Deals
The early-stage space saw limited activity this week as well. The Mumbai-based banking infrastructure startup Knight Fintech raised $23.6 million in a funding round led by Accel, along with participation from IIFL and Rocket Capital. Additionally, proptech startup Truva garnered over $6.32 million from existing investors Stellaris Venture Partners and Orios Venture Partners.
City and Segment-wise Deals
In terms of city-wise deal distribution, Mumbai recorded two deals while Delhi-NCR secured one. Each of the agritech, fintech, and proptech sectors had one deal recorded.
Series-wise Deals
This week, Series A rounds led the funding landscape with 2 deals, closely followed by Series D. For a detailed view of series-wise deals, including amount breakdowns and insights, check various sources.
Week-on-week Funding Trend
Startup funding saw an increase of over 15% this week, reaching $110.22 million compared to about $95.54 million from the prior week. The average funding over the last eight weeks stands at approximately $218.43 million, with around 22 deals each week.
Key Hirings and Departures
Mirae Asset Venture Investments (India) Private Limited has appointed Puneet Kumar as the Chief Executive Officer of its venture capital and private investment division. Notably, three significant leadership changes occurred this week: Vipin Kapooria, the CFO of Blinkit, departed almost a year after starting; Gaurav Garg, co-founder and managing director of StudyIQ, resigned from his role at Adda247; and Vishal Chaturvedi, Business Head for Cell at Ola Electric Mobility, also announced his departure.
Mergers and Acquisitions
Zappfresh, a D2C meat delivery and processed foods company, has approved the acquisition of a 51% stake in Avyom Foodtech Pvt Ltd through a private placement amounting to Rs 7.5 crore.
Financial Results This Week
FreshToHome reported Rs 421 crore in revenue for FY25, while losses remained stable. Kapiva spent Rs 188 crore on advertising in FY25 and posted Rs 342 crore in revenue. Traya returned to losses in FY25, with increasing marketing and employee costs. Nat Habit exhibited a revenue of Rs 106 crore in FY25, although losses surged by 61%. Scaler’s revenue fell to Rs 363 crore in FY25, yet losses were reduced by 98%, while OneCard reported Rs 1,878 crore in revenue, reducing losses by 26%. The Souled Store neared Rs 500 crore in revenue in FY25, but profits declined by 38%.
News Flash This Week
- ED has frozen Rs 192 crore linked to WinZO’s subsidiary during a money laundering probe.
- UPI achieved its highest monthly transactions, recording 21.63 billion in December.
- TVS topped December electric two-wheeler sales, while Ather faced a 20% decline and Ola Electric showed improvement.
- OYO’s parent company, PRISM, has filed confidential documents with SEBI, aiming for a valuation between $7–8 billion.
- Startup leadership changes in 2025 included 50 new CEOs, 12 co-founders elevated, and 17 departures, according to the Startup Superb Report.
- Captain Fresh has withdrawn its Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP) to refile after completing its acquisition.
Summary
In the latest weekly funding updates, startup investments surged over 15% to $110.22 million compared to the preceding week’s figure of around $95.54 million. The Enforcement Directorate has frozen assets worth about Rs 192 crore related to Zo Games Pvt Ltd amid money laundering investigations. UPI’s transaction volume reached a record 21.63 billion in December 2025, a growth of 29% year-on-year, with the total transaction value hitting Rs 27.97 lakh crore, as per NPCI reports. In December, TVS Motor concluded the year with a 26.14% share of India’s electric two-wheeler market, despite a month-on-month market decline of 19%. Furthermore, PRISM, the parent company of OYO, has confidentially filed for an IPO with SEBI, following approval to raise up to Rs 6,650 crore through a new equity issue, aiming for a valuation between $7 and $8 billion. The startup sector experienced significant leadership changes in 2025, with over 70 companies reporting key transitions, as indicated by the Startup Superb Report, which recorded 50 new CEO appointments, along with 12 co-founders elevated and 35 leaders exiting their roles.
