Daily Indian Funding Roundup & Key News – 16th January 2026: Ethereal Exploration Guild Raises $20.5 Mn, Wikipedia Marks 25 Years, CARS24 Eyes IPO

StartupTalky News

16 Jan 2026 — 2 min read

Daily Indian Funding Roundup & Key News – 16th January 2026

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. Meanwhile, Wikipedia celebrated 25 years with strategic AI partnerships, enabling high-volume structured access for AI companies. In the auto-tech space, used-car marketplace CARS24 announced plans for an IPO within the next 6–12 months, signaling investor confidence and growth momentum in the Indian startup ecosystem.

Daily Indian Startup Funding Roundup - 16th January 2026

Company	Amount	Round	Lead investor(s)	Sector
Ethereal Exploration Guild	$20.5 Mn	Series A	TDK Ventures, BIG Capital (with participation from Accel, Prosus, YourNest VC, BlueHill Capital, Campus Fund, Riceberg Ventures)	Space technology / Launch vehicles

Ethereal Exploration Guild (EtherealX) raises $20.5 Mn to develop reusable launch vehicles

Space technology startup Ethereal Exploration Guild (EtherealX) has raised $20.5 million in a Series A round co-led by TDK Ventures and BIG Capital, with participation from Accel, Prosus, YourNest VC, BlueHill Capital, Campus Fund, and Riceberg Ventures. The funds will be used to develop its first fully reusable medium-lift launch vehicle, Razor Crest Mk-1, capable of delivering payloads to low Earth orbit, geostationary transfer, and trans-lunar injection orbits. The Bengaluru-based startup aims to disrupt the space launch market with cost-efficient, fully reusable rockets.

Key Business News for 16th January 2026

Wikipedia celebrates 25 years with major AI deals

Wikipedia’s parent nonprofit, the Wikimedia Foundation, is marking its 25th anniversary by announcing a series of strategic agreements with leading AI and tech companies including Amazon, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Perplexity, and France’s Mistral AI. These firms will pay for structured, high‑volume access to Wikipedia’s vast corpus of human‑curated content through the Wikimedia Enterprise platform—a commercial product designed to support AI training and other advanced use cases. The move helps the foundation generate sustainable revenue as global reliance on AI models and digital information grows.

CARS24 may go public in 6–12 months

Used‑car marketplace CARS24 is targeting an initial public offering (IPO) within the next six to twelve months, according to CEO and cofounder Vikram Chopra. The company has posted improved financials, including an 18 % increase in adjusted net revenue and a narrowed EBITDA loss in the first half of FY26, bolstering its readiness for a market debut. This IPO plan reflects broader momentum in the Indian startup ecosystem and aligns with the firm’s expansion across auto‑tech services.