Varthana Finance, a leading NBFC in the affordable education sector in India, has secured a series of strategic international debt financings to strengthen its mission of transforming affordable education and school infrastructure across India. The funding includes a USD 6 million loan from WaterEquity, along with USD 5 million NCD
Mumbai-based wellness startup Dhun Wellness has secured $4 million (approximately INR 36.6 crore) in a fresh funding round to expand its footprint and strengthen its offerings in India’s growing health and wellness market. The funding marks a significant step for the luxury urban wellness brand as it eyes
India’s startup ecosystem stayed active on 22nd January 2026, with notable funding activity across deeptech and EV mobility, alongside major business headlines shaping the broader market landscape. Meine Electric raised $750K in a pre-seed round to accelerate its iron-air long-duration energy storage innovation, while Chargeup secured INR 22 Cr
Chargeup, a driver-first EV technology platform, has raised INR 22 crore in a funding round led by IAN Group, with participation from Cap-A and existing investors. The fresh capital will be used to expand operations in high-demand EV markets and strengthen Chargeup’s technology platform for drivers, NBFCs and ecosystem
India’s startup funding momentum continued strong on 21st January 2026, with a diverse set of deals spanning voice AI, semiconductors, energy-tech, consumer brands, travel, workforce solutions, and sports-tech. The day saw WanderOn raise a sizeable INR 54 Cr Series A, while voice AI startups Bolna and Ringg AI attracted
WanderOn, India’s experiential travel brand catering to Gen Z and millennial travellers, has raised INR 54 CR in its Series A round led by DSG Consumer Brand and CAAF. The round is among the largest institutional fundraises by a travel and experiences company in the country. The company had
Actor and wellness advocate Samantha Ruth Prabhu has launched Mile Collective, a contemporary activewear and lifestyle brand, alongside co-founders Harshita Motaparthi and Pravishta Nadella. The label focuses on comfort-first clothing designed for everyday wear, extending beyond traditional workout apparel. Built on the idea that clothing should feel good on the
EV as a service platform raises INR 12.25 crore in equity + debt funding from Recur Club. Also saw participation from Thyrocare’s Dr. A. Velumani, Aditya Singh of All In Capital, and LetsVenture’s Pranav Mahajani Hala Mobility, India’s leading EV as a service platform, has secured a
* The ESOP buyback comes at a time when Cashfree has moved into a new 80,000 sq ft headquarters at Ecoworld, Bangalore, underscoring its next phase of growth Marking a decade of innovation in India’s digital payments ecosystem, India’s leading payments company, Cashfree Payments, announced the implementation of
* Platform now processes over 200,000 daily calls across more than 10 Indian languages * The only India-focused startup in the recent Y Combinator batches Bolna, a Bengaluru-based voice AI startup, has raised $6.3 million in a seed funding round led by General Catalyst, as enterprises increasingly look to automate
Aerem Solutions, India’s leading full stack platform for distributed solar, has raised $15 million (INR 136 crore) in Pre-series B led by SMBC Asia Rising Fund, the venture capital arm of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC), the storied banking behemoth from Japan and one of leading banks globally, with
Arthum, India’s first integrated operating system for contract workforce management, has raised INR 10 crore in seed investment led by Caret^Capital, a $50 million thematic venture capital fund. The round also saw participation from Keynote Financial Services Limited and JS Global. Founded in 2023 by Darpan Sharma (Co-founder
Backed by Fireside Ventures, Huddle Ventures and Alteria Capital, Cumin Co. reports rapid scale driven by materials-led innovation.
Sensesemi Technologies Private Limited, a DLI-approved fabless semiconductor startup, has raised INR 25 crore (approximately USD 2.75 million) in a seed funding round led by Piper Serica. The round also saw participation from LetsVenture Angel Fund, Sun Icon Ventures, MyAsiaVC, Whitepine Investments and Jain Oncor, along with angel investors
India’s startup funding landscape remained active on 20th January 2026, witnessing a strong mix of large and early-stage capital inflows across AI, healthtech, fintech, consumer brands, and travel. The biggest highlight was Emergent’s $70 million Series B led by Khosla Ventures and SoftBank, reflecting rising investor confidence in
Intellend Technologies Advisors Private Limited, a fully digital and embedded lending technology platform focused on bridging India’s MSME credit gap, has raised $1.2 million (INR 10.6 crore) in a seed funding round. The round was led by Incubate Fund Asia, with participation from M Venture Partners, Atrium
With this funding, Raana Semiconductors aims to accelerate domestic solar and semiconductor supply-chain capabilities.
India’s startup and business ecosystem continues to witness a mix of funding momentum and major corporate developments. In today’s roundup, social networking platform Culture raised INR 2 crore in a seed round led by Acuvest Infra, while premium sneaker brand Gully Labs secured INR 30 crore in Series
Gully Labs, a homegrown premium sneaker brand blending Indian cultural storytelling with contemporary design and craftsmanship, has raised INR 30 crore in a Series A funding round led by Saama Capital, with participation from existing investor Zeropearl VC, which is doubling down with a follow-on investment beyond its pro-rata allocation
* The funding will be used to accelerate product development, expand community initiatives & strengthen safety-focused platform infrastructure * The newly raised capital will also support the rollout of creator-led ‘Spaces’, a feature that allows creators and community leaders to host live discussions, events, and hybrid online-offline experiences Culture, a human-first social
Soult, a Mangaluru-based startup, announced its official global launch at TiECon Mangaluru 2026, unveiling the world’s first Digital Life Vault designed for comprehensive legacy management. Soult enables individuals and families across the world to securely organize financial assets, critical documents, personal memories, wishes, and life instructions within one private
India’s startup ecosystem continues to see vibrant activity in January 2026, with major developments across space tech, online knowledge platforms, and auto-tech sectors. Space startup Ethereal Exploration Guild (EtherealX) raised $20.5 million in Series A funding to develop its first fully reusable medium-lift launch vehicle, Razor Crest Mk-1.
* India’s FinTech sector raised a total of $2.4B in 2025, ranking 3rd globally after the US and the UK * The ecosystem witnessed 4 $100M+ funding rounds, led by Groww, Weaver, and Raise * Early-stage funding stood at $1.2B in 2025, up 78% from $667M in 2024 * The year
India’s startup ecosystem may be facing global headwinds, but Zerodha Founder and CEO Nithin Kamath believes optimism is not just necessary, it is essential. In a recent LinkedIn post shared on National Startup Day, Kamath addressed growing concerns around India’s economic growth and geopolitical instability. He acknowledged the