Indian Startups Funding Report: $462 Million Raised in a Week

This week, Indian startups have achieved a significant milestone by securing about $462.27 million in total funding. This includes 6 growth-stage and 10 early-stage investments, while 3 startups opted not to disclose their funding amounts.

In contrast, the previous week witnessed 30 startups managing to raise approximately $355.02 million across various stages of development.

Growth-Stage Funding Insights

In the current growth-stage funding scenario, Zolve, a cross-border neobanking startup, successfully completed a Series B funding round led by Craegis. Additionally, Scimplify, a platform dedicated to sourcing and manufacturing specialty chemicals, raised $40 million in its Series B round. The luxury fashion platform Purple Style Labs also attracted $40 million in a Series E funding round. Other notable funding recipients this week included Ransons Aerospace, the SaaS platform Infinite Uptime, and Incred Finance.

Early-Stage Funding Overview

This week, early-stage startups collectively garnered $29.77 million in funding. Amrut Energy led the early-stage funding effort with $11.5 million, followed by other contributors such as AmpereHour (an energy storage venture), hospitality startup goStops, mobile game publisher Felicity Games, and admissions platform Ambitio.

Additionally, Weskill (an upskilling platform), edtech startup Dreamtime Learning, and Flowatt Battery Science (focused on battery technology) also secured funding, though the amounts remain undisclosed. For further details, additional sources can be consulted.

City and Segment-Wise Funding Deals

Bengaluru-based startups dominated the funding scene with 10 deals, while Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, and other regions followed closely behind.

Segment-wise, the Fintech and Edtech sectors were prominent, each securing 3 deals. The Gaming, Healthtech, and Energy sectors reported 2 deals each, while E-commerce, Manufacturing, Aerospace, and others also made their presence felt.

Funding Deals Breakdown

In terms of series-wise deals, Seed funding led with 4 deals, followed by pre-seed, Series A, pre-Series A, and Series B, among others.

Weekly Funding Trends

In a week-on-week comparison, startup funding saw an impressive rise of over 30%, climbing to $462.27 million from the approximately $355.02 million raised the prior week. The average funding across the last eight weeks is about $263.72 million, with an average of 26 deals conducted per week.

Key Leadership Moves

This week also featured significant leadership changes. Daman Soni, previously the President and Chief Business Officer at GlobalBees, is now with AstroTalk as their Chief Business Officer. The edtech unicorn PhysicsWallah appointed Nitin Savara, Rachna Dikshit, and Deepak Amitabh as non-executive independent directors. Additionally, Pi42, a crypto-INR perpetual futures exchange, welcomed Satish Mishra as its new Chief Technology Officer. Sirona promoted Ecommerce Head Krishna Mishra to the role of Vice President.

A notable departure occurred as Amit Aggarwal, Principal at Elevation Capital, decided to resign after four years, while Sudhir Kamath, Chief Operating Officer of Nazara Technologies, stepped down. The Group CFO of Yatra also resigned from his Chief Financial Officer position.

For more information, various sources can be visited.

Mergers and Acquisitions Update

This week brought forward essential mergers and acquisitions as well. DSP Group acquired Volt Money, a platform providing instant secured loans against mutual funds, while Fintech unicorn Perfios acquired the AI-driven debt collection platform, CreditNirvana. Furthermore, Nazara Technologies sold nearly a 95% stake in OpenPlay to Moonshine, the parent company of PokerBaazi.

Fund Launches and Expansion Plans

Bessemer Venture Partners successfully closed a $350 million capital raise for its second dedicated fund focused on early-stage Indian startups and their growth stages. Growth capital firm Playbook Partners aims to invest around $20 million in each of 12-15 companies over the next two years. Additionally, the startup accelerator Change Engine has announced plans to invest more than $5 million over five years in early-stage AI startups based in India.

For a detailed view of series-wise deals along with funding breakdowns and more insights into fund launches, additional resources should be consulted.

Recent Launches and Partnerships

Uber has teamed up with Refex Green Mobility to deploy 1,000 electric vehicles by 2026. Urban Company is venturing into quick commerce with ‘Insta Maid,’ offering 15-minute house help services. Former Zomato COO Surobhi Das is collaborating with Deepinder Goyal to launch a new venture, LAT Aerospace. Coinbase has registered with the FIU to start crypto trading services, while CARS24 is expanding into the ‘new cars’ market through an aggregator platform.

Financial Outcomes This Week

Fullife Healthcare, the parent of Fast&Up, has managed to cut losses by 39% in FY24. Loom Solar has achieved over Rs 150 crore in revenue in FY24, with profits tripling. Lahori Zeera reported revenues exceeding Rs 300 crore in FY24 with profits spiking threefold, while Hangyo is approaching Rs 300 crore in revenue for FY24, with profits doubling.

Upcoming Funding Deals

Several notable deals are on the horizon, with Droom India raising funds at a valuation of $360 million. Celebrities Salman Khan and Sachin Tendulkar are participating in a new round for Purple Style Labs, while CityMall is preparing to raise Rs 55 crore in debt and expand its ESOP pool. Brick&Bolt’s valuation is expected to triple in the new round, and Rusk Media is aiming to raise $8.5 million in its Series B round.

News Highlights This Week

Kuhoo Finance, an education finance startup, has secured its NBFC license. PhonePe has surpassed 600 million registered users, and Flipkart’s Super.money has climbed into the top five UPI apps, surpassing CRED in February. Overall, startup funding saw a notable rise of over 30% to $462.27 million compared to approximately $355.02 million in the preceding week.

UPI transactions experienced a 5.2% drop in volume, totalling 16.11 billion in February 2025. Leading the UPI market are PhonePe, Google Pay, and Paytm, with Flipkart’s Super.money recently making its debut in the top five.

Urban Company is also making waves as it has diversified into the quick commerce sector, launching ‘Insta Maids,’ a maid booking service that promises service within 15 minutes.

This week, various startups have been reported to be in discussions to raise capital, with significant upcoming deals including Rusk Media’s $8.5 million Series B led by Woori Venture Partners, social e-commerce platform CityMall’s attempt to secure $6.3 million, and used-car marketplace Droom India raising $2.9 million at a $360 million post-money valuation. Additionally, tech-enabled construction company Brick&Bolt is set to secure $1.95 million, nearly tripling its valuation to over $100 million.