Daily Indian Funding Roundup & Key News - 18 May 2026: Trackk Bags ₹30 Cr From Lightspeed, Cellogen Raises ₹20 Cr, Paytm Launches Pocket Money
Indian startups saw funding flow into trading-tech, biotech, and recovery-tech today, with three rounds totalling around ₹50.3 crore. Mumbai-based trading app Trackk led the day, raising ₹30 crore in an extended seed round from Lightspeed India and Info Edge Ventures. Cellogen Therapeutics bagged ₹20 crore from Kotak Alts to advance its CAR-T pipeline, while Owners ID picked up $260K in pre-seed funding. In key news, Paytm launched a Pocket Money feature for teenagers, and Delhivery posted a flat Q4 profit despite 30% revenue growth.
Daily Indian Startup Funding Roundup - 18 May 2026
| Startup | Sector | Funding | Round | Lead Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trackk | Fintech / Trading | ₹30 Cr (~$3.16 Mn) | Extended Seed | Lightspeed India, Info Edge Ventures |
| Cellogen Therapeutics | Biotech / Cell & Gene Therapy | ₹20 Cr (~$2 Mn) | Undisclosed | Kotak Alternate Asset Managers |
| Owners ID | Recovery-Tech / Consumer | ₹2.2 Cr ($260K) | Pre-Seed | Crucifer Investments |
Trackk Raises ₹30 Crore in Extended Seed Round
Mumbai-based Trackk is a trading-first platform building stock trading tools for young investors. Founded in 2021 by Vedant Gupte, Aryan Jain, and Siddharth Thakkar, it offers single-screen trading, personalised insights, and behavioural analytics.
The startup has raised ₹30 crore (~$3.16 million) in an extended seed round led by Lightspeed India, with participation from Info Edge Ventures. Lightspeed contributed ₹23.66 crore while Info Edge Ventures put in ₹6.37 crore, valuing the company at around ₹118 crore post-allotment. The round comes nine months after Trackk raised $1 million in seed funding from Mga Ventures, GSF Ventures, and others.
The fresh capital will be used for capital expenditure, marketing, working capital, and general corporate purposes. Trackk is reportedly in talks to raise a further $8 million in a round led by Z47, formerly Matrix Partners India. The company secured SEBI approval last year to offer brokerage services on both NSE and BSE.
Cellogen Therapeutics Raises ₹20 Crore From Kotak Alts
Cellogen Therapeutics is a cellular engineering and gene therapy startup developing CAR-T treatments for cancers and blood disorders. Founded in 2021 by Dr Gaurav Kharya and Dr Tanveer Ahmad, it is building bispecific, dual-antigen CAR-T therapies that target two markers instead of one.
The biotech startup has secured ₹20 crore (~$2 million) from Kotak Alternate Asset Managers via the Kotak Life Sciences Fund I (KLSF-I). The investment follows Natco Pharma's earlier acquisition of over 5% stake in Cellogen for ₹15 crore.
The capital will be used to advance CAR-T clinical programmes, expand the gene therapy pipeline, and strengthen GMP-compliant manufacturing and regulatory capabilities. Cellogen aims to price its therapies at $60,000 to $70,000, well below the $500,000 to $700,000 cost of existing treatments. The startup is working towards phase I human clinical trials in collaboration with CMC Vellore.
Owners ID Raises $260K in Pre-Seed Round
Bengaluru-based Owners ID is a smart recovery-tech startup building a digital identity layer for physical belongings through privacy-first QR technology. Founded in November 2025 by Jesintha Louis, the company aims to make lost valuables instantly returnable across luggage, keys, wallets, passports, electronics, vehicles, and pet tags.
The startup has raised $260K in a pre-seed funding round led by Crucifer Investments. Its QR-based recovery products let finders connect with owners without exposing personal phone numbers or private information.
The fresh funds will be allocated towards product development, technology enhancement, manufacturing scale-up, mobile app improvements, AI-powered recovery systems, and global market expansion. According to industry estimates, India witnesses nearly 82 million lost-item incidents annually, while the global figure exceeds 319 million cases every year.
Key Business News for 18 May 2026
Paytm Launches Pocket Money Feature for Teenagers
Paytm has launched 'Pocket Money', a feature that lets teenagers make UPI payments without holding their own bank account. Built on NPCI's UPI Circle framework, it allows parents to set monthly spending limits and monitor transactions in real time. Individual transactions are capped at ₹5,000, with a total monthly limit of ₹15,000 across the UPI network. The launch comes after teen-focused fintechs such as FamPay, Akudo, and Muvin were impacted by RBI restrictions on co-branded PPI-based UPI arrangements.
Bharti Airtel Overtakes HDFC Bank to Become India’s Second Most Valuable Company
Bharti Airtel has overtaken HDFC Bank to become India’s second most valuable listed company, with a market capitalisation of ₹11.78 lakh crore as of May 18, 2026, trailing only Reliance Industries. The shift reflects strong investor confidence in Airtel, supported by growth in mobility, premiumisation, and improving ARPU, along with positive brokerage outlooks and solid Q4FY26 performance.
In contrast, HDFC Bank’s stock has remained under pressure due to concerns around its chairman succession plan. Over the past five years, Airtel has significantly outperformed, delivering 270% returns compared to HDFC Bank’s 49%. Airtel also announced a higher dividend of ₹24 per share and continues to focus on long-term growth, with Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal aiming to increase promoter control to 51% over the next decade.
Delhivery's Q4 Profit Flat at ₹72.4 Crore Despite 30% Revenue Growth
Logistics major Delhivery reported a near-flat consolidated net profit of ₹72.4 crore in Q4 FY26, against ₹72.5 crore a year earlier. Operating revenue rose 30% year-on-year to ₹2,850 crore, while EBITDA jumped 94% to ₹231 crore with margins expanding to 8% from 5.4%. For the full year, PAT rose 8% to ₹321 crore and revenue grew 17% to ₹10,486 crore. The company also appointed Tata Communications CFO Kabir Ahmed Shakir as a non-executive independent director, replacing Romesh Sobti.
TCS Targets Global AI Leadership With 130 Top Clients Onboarded
Tata Consultancy Services is aiming to become the world's largest AI-led technology services firm, CEO K Krithivasan said. The company has onboarded 130 of its top clients for AI solutions and is aggressively upskilling its workforce to meet rising demand. TCS is also expanding its AI infrastructure capabilities, including building data centres in India.
Tata Electronics, ASML Partner for Semiconductor Manufacturing in India
Tata Electronics has joined hands with Dutch lithography major ASML to establish chip manufacturing in India. The partnership will support Tata Electronics' new semiconductor Fab in Dholera, Gujarat, with ASML's advanced lithography tools to be deployed at the facility. The collaboration also aims to accelerate local talent training and build a more resilient semiconductor supply chain in the country.
Muskaan Kapoor
