Daily Indian Funding Roundup & Key News - 17 February 2026: Navikenz $7.5M, CraftifAI $3M; Equirus Closes ₹166 Cr Fund

India’s startup ecosystem continued to see steady capital inflows across AI, deeptech, career access, consumer brands, and recruitment tech. From Shark Tank India-backed consumer plays to multi-million dollar AI rounds, today’s funding activity highlights strong investor appetite across early and growth stages. Here’s your detailed roundup.

Daily Indian Startup Funding Digest - 17 February 2026

Artociti raises ₹1 crore on Shark Tank India

India’s leading mass-premium luxury 3D wall art and manufacturing brand, Artociti, has raised ₹1 crore for a 7.5% equity stake at a valuation of ₹13.33 crore on Shark Tank India. The funding comes from renowned investors Namita Thapar, Executive Director of Emcure Pharmaceuticals, and Vineeta Singh, Co-founder and CEO of SUGAR Cosmetics. 

Beep raises $850K in Pre-Series A

Career access platform Beep raised $850,000 in a Pre-Series A round to expand its reach among Tier-2 and Tier-3 students. The capital will support platform development, partnerships, and scaling mentorship-led career programs.

CraftifAI secures $3M seed round

AI-powered enterprise solutions startup CraftifAI raised $3 million in a seed round led by Ankur Capital. The funds will be deployed toward product innovation and expanding its AI capabilities for enterprise clients.

Navikenz raises $7.5M in seed funding

AI consulting startup Navikenz secured $7.5 million in a seed round led by Sekar PRC and Sudip Nandy. The company plans to strengthen its AI advisory and implementation services across global markets.

Intrinsic Foundries raises ₹12 crore

Deeptech startup Intrinsic Foundries raised ₹12 crore in a seed round led by Transition VC. The funding will accelerate product development and early commercialization efforts.

Homerun raises ₹60 crore in Series A

Recruitment and talent platform Homerun raised ₹60 crore in a Series A round led by Sorin Investments. The company will use the funds to enhance technology infrastructure and expand enterprise partnerships.

Key Business News for 17 February 2026

Equirus InnovateX Fund closes B2B tech fund at ₹166 crore

The Equirus InnovateX Fund has announced the final close of its B2B-focused fund at ₹166 crore. The fund will back early-stage and growth-stage enterprise tech startups across sectors such as SaaS, fintech infrastructure, climate tech, and industrial innovation. With this close, Equirus strengthens its push into India’s fast-growing B2B technology ecosystem, targeting companies building scalable, export-oriented solutions.

Byju’s parent Think & Learn challenges Aakash rights issue in Supreme Court

Edtech major Byju’s parent Think & Learn has approached the Supreme Court challenging Aakash Educational Services’ recent rights issue. The move escalates the ongoing governance and control dispute between the two entities, with significant implications for shareholding structure and future capital raising at Aakash. The legal battle comes amid broader financial and restructuring pressures at the Byju’s group level.

RBI approves Rajan Bajaj as CEO of Slice Small Finance Bank

The Reserve Bank of India has approved the appointment of Rajan Bajaj as CEO of Slice Small Finance Bank (SFB). The approval formalises leadership at the fintech-turned-bank following Slice’s transition into a regulated small finance bank entity. Bajaj’s appointment is expected to steer the company’s next phase of banking expansion, compliance strengthening, and credit growth.

Daily Indian Funding Roundup & Key News - 16 Feb 2026

Here’s your dose of daily Indian startup funding roundup for 16 Feb 2026: Neysa turns unicorn with a $1.2 B raise, C2i Semiconductors secures $15 M Series A, plus Ola Electric shares hit new lows, and Anthropic expands in India.

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