Indian Startups Secure $61.8 Million in Funding This Week
This week, Indian startups raised $61.8 million through one growth-stage deal, 14 early-stage deals, and two undisclosed rounds. There were also 15 significant appointments and one merger and acquisition. In contrast, the previous week saw 23 startups collectively securing around $356.8 million.
Growth-Stage Deals
Growth-stage startups raised $40 million through a single deal this week. Bengaluru-based AI interactive content company Flam secured $40 million in a Series B funding round led by QED Investors. Additional participation came from Claypond Capital, Martin Chavez, Olivier Pomel, Venky Harinarayan, Shah Rukh Khan, and existing investors RTP Global and Dovetail.
Early-Stage Deals
Early-stage startups acquired $21.8 million from 14 deals this week. The AI-native semiconductor verification firm VerifAIX obtained $5 million in a seed round co-led by Endiya Partners and Bluehill VC, while deeptech startup DheyaTech raised Rs 43 crore in a pre-Series A round spearheaded by Avaana Capital. Gurugram-based beauty quick commerce startup Firi also raised $3 million in a round led by 360 ONE Asset. D2C fashion startup UniqYou secured Rs 15.8 crore in a seed round led by Arkam Ventures and Antler. Metal procurement platform Enlight Metals garnered $1.5 million from Exar North Group at a $10 million valuation, while aesthetic surgery platform TRUE ARTIS raised Rs 11.4 crore in a seed round led by Zeropearl VC. Other startups that received funding included the baby-focused quick commerce platform Kiddo, gaming startup 1312 Interactive, industrial workforce platform Factrika, along with five others. Digital physiotherapy platform Physioplus Healthcare and eye beauty brand Peep Beauty also obtained funds this week, although the amounts were not disclosed.
City and Segment-Wise Deals
Bengaluru led the funding scene with seven startup deals, followed by Delhi-NCR with six deals. Mumbai, Chennai, and Jaipur also registered transactions. E-commerce startups led the sectors with eight deals, followed by healthtech with two deals, while AI, semiconductor, deeptech, gaming, and other sectors also witnessed funding activity.
Series-Wise Deals
Seed rounds topped the week with nine deals, followed by pre-seed and pre-Series A rounds with four deals and two deals respectively. Series B and angel funding each saw one deal.
Week-on-Week Funding Trend
On a weekly comparison, startup funding dropped over 82% to $61.8 million from $356.8 million raised in the prior week. The average weekly funding over the last eight weeks was about $219.6 million across 21 deals.
Key Hirings
Bluestone has appointed Amit Jain, co-founder and former CEO of CarDekho, as a Non-Executive Non-Independent Director. Info Edge has welcomed Naresh Chand Gupta, former MD of Adobe Systems India, as an independent director, while Himanshu Agarwal steps in as the new CFO. Fintech platform super.money assigned Rohan Khara as Chief Product Officer. Practo elevated its founder and CEO Shashank ND Singh to Managing Director and Executive Chairman, with former COO Jagnoor Singh taking on the role of CEO. OTPless promoted co-founders Satyam Nathani and Tanmay Sagar to CEO and COO, respectively. Avendus Wealth Management appointed Umang Papneja as Executive Vice Chairman and CEO, and BikeWo Green Tech added Sumanth Badiga to its Advisory Board. RTP Global announced the promotion of Smita Goel to Chief Operating Officer for its Asia operations. PointAI appointed Afshan Banu as Global Head of Fashion & Beauty, while Leverage Edu has named former KPMG and IASB executive Prabhakar Kalavacherla as an Independent Director and Chair of its Audit Committee.
Mergers and Acquisitions
Unstop has merged with talent assessment platform PerspectAI, with its founders and team joining Unstop. This acquisition will enhance Unstop’s hiring platform with PerspectAI’s AI and game-based assessment features.
New Launches and Partnerships
Swiggy has introduced an on-demand “Early Cashout” feature for its delivery partners, allowing them to access their earnings any time rather than waiting for weekly payouts. Partners can request a payout via the Swiggy Partner app and receive the amount within an hour. This feature aims to offer partners improved liquidity for daily needs and emergencies.
Puresta Lifestyle has unveiled EVERQ, an AI-driven skin health platform that merges skin assessment, dermatologist consultations, personalised treatment, and ongoing skincare. This platform operates on a “Diagnose First. Then Treat.” approach, employing AI-based skin evaluations followed by dermatologist-led care and tailored recommendations.
News Flash This Week
Neeman’s is targeting Rs 1,000 crore in revenue within three years, planning to expand its physical presence to 500 stores across India. The sustainable footwear brand, which generated Rs 185 crore in revenue last year, anticipates reaching Rs 350 crore by March 2027.
IPO-bound Zetwerk is looking to advance its owned manufacturing footprint, with three new factories set to be completed by March 2026. The technology-focused manufacturing platform manages 26 facilities across four countries, combining both acquired and organically established sites.
NSE has raised Rs 6,746 crore from 189 anchor investors ahead of its IPO, opening for public subscription on September 17. The exchange has allotted 3.78 crore shares at Rs 1,785 each, the highest end of its price range with investments from notable entities such as LIC, Norway’s Government Pension Fund Global, ADIA, GIC Singapore, Fidelity, and Societe Generale, among others.
Kissht parent OnEMI Technology Solutions has secured approval for funding up to Rs 832.2 crore through preferential share issuance. The company plans to offer up to 2.64 crore shares at Rs 314.11 each to 34 non-promoter investors, including Axis Mutual Fund and HDFC Mutual Fund.
RentoMojo debuted on the stock market at a 19% premium, with shares trading at nearly 19% above the IPO price of Rs 404 as it opened at Rs 482.45 on the NSE and Rs 480 on the BSE, reflecting strong investor interest for its Rs 1,256 crore IPO.
PhonePe surpassed 11 billion monthly UPI transactions in August, processing 11.19 billion transactions and holding a 45.64% market share by volume. Google Pay came in second with 7.91 billion transactions and a 32.26% share, while Paytm followed with 1.97 billion transactions and an 8.03% share.
NPCI has announced a 0.4% MDR on select merchant UPI transactions exceeding Rs 2,000, starting from October 15, 2026. The charge will be capped at Rs 300 for transactions of Rs 75,000 and above, while payments up to Rs 2,000 will be free. Merchants will bear the MDR costs, with consumers incurring no charges.
Indian wealthtech funding continues to thrive in 2026, surpassing $300 million. According to data from Startup Superb, Indian wealthtech startups raised approximately $317 million across 26 deals in the first eight months of 2026. Only four rounds exceeded $30 million, led by Veriqus Group, Neo, Sahi, and Centricity, but none topped $50 million. However, Sahi is reportedly in discussions to raise around $80 million soon.