Entrepreneur News Network

How Astrotalk Became a $1 Billion Unicorn Without Raising Fresh Capital

Astrotalk

Astrotalk, an astrology and spiritual-commerce app, is now worth $1 billion. It got there without taking a single rupee from a new investor. On August 12, the Noida-based company told Entrackr and YourStory it had crossed unicorn status through an ESOP buyback — more than 100 employees selling a slice of their shares back to … Read more

India Startup Funding Weekly: $151.5M Raised as AI, Mobility and DeepTech Lead the Charge

Asia Funding

August 16, 2026 | ENN India’s startup funding market saw a sharp slowdown this week, with startups raising $151.5 million across 14 funding rounds between August 9 and August 14, compared with approximately $383.8 million across 28 deals in the previous week. Despite the decline, the week delivered several notable developments across electric mobility, fintech, … Read more

Lane Raises ₹8.5 Crore to Expand Tech-Enabled Driving Education Platform in India

Lane_Team

BENGALURU, India, Aug. 12, 2026 — Lane, a Bengaluru-based tech-enabled driving education and mobility platform, has raised ₹8.5 crore in a funding round led by Kae Capital, with participation from DeVC, Antler India, Panthera Peak and prominent angel investors. The company said it will use the funds to expand its instructor network, accelerate development of … Read more

Funding in India: The Definitive 2025–26 Playbook for Founders

Funding in India

From your first angel cheque to Series C and beyond — real data, proven frameworks, and the government schemes most founders leave on the table. India’s startup ecosystem has crossed a quiet but important threshold. It is no longer a market where a handful of headline-grabbing rounds define the year — it is a deep, … Read more

thumpN Raises $3.75 Million in Pre-Seed Funding Led by Arijit Singh, Badshah and Vijay Shekhar Sharma

thumpN

AI-powered live entertainment startup thumpN has secured more than $3.75 million in a pre-seed funding round, attracting investments from some of India’s biggest music and technology leaders. The funding round includes participation from Bollywood artists Arijit Singh, Sunidhi Chauhan, and Badshah, along with Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Madhur Deora, Shray Chandra, and VG Jairam. … Read more

Heatronics Raises ₹1.8 Crore Seed Funding Led by Inflection Point Ventures to Expand Preventive Pain Management Solutions

Hargun Singh Chawla, Heatronics

Noida: Preventive pain management and wellness startup Heatronics has raised ₹1.8 crore in a seed funding round led by Inflection Point Ventures (IPV). The investment will support the company’s efforts to expand its product reach, strengthen manufacturing capabilities, and accelerate growth in India’s rapidly evolving healthcare and wellness market. The funding round also attracted participation … Read more

Can India’s $60 Billion Home Services Playbook Work in Southeast Asia? Inside the Numbers

Can India's $60 Billion Home Services Playbook Work in Southeast Asia

In India, booking a plumber, a massage therapist, or a deep-cleaning crew through an app has become routine enough that the market built around it is now worth roughly $60 billion, with three well-funded startups burning real money to fight over the fastest-growing slice of it. In most of Southeast Asia, the equivalent transaction still … Read more

BharatTender Raises ₹1.25 Crore Pre-Seed Funding to Build AI-Powered B2B Procurement Platform

BharatTender

B2B procurement technology startup BharatTender has secured ₹1.25 crore in a pre-seed funding round from an angel investor, providing fresh capital to accelerate product innovation, customer acquisition, and the development of AI-powered procurement solutions. The funding marks an important milestone for the young startup as it seeks to modernise and digitise procurement processes for businesses … Read more

91trucks Restructures Business, Reduces Workforce and Shuts Stores Amid Commercial Vehicle Market Slowdown

Cofounders of 91 Trucks: (L-R) Vikas Sharma, Abhishek Gautam and Siddharth Sharma.

As per media reports, commercial vehicle marketplace startup 91trucks has undertaken a significant restructuring exercise, reducing its workforce and scaling back its offline retail operations as it adjusts to changing market conditions in India’s commercial vehicle sector. The company confirmed that it has implemented organizational changes and is sharpening its focus on key growth markets, … Read more

Indian Startup Funding Weekly Roundup: 23 Startups Raise Nearly $432 Million as Sarvam Joins the Unicorn Club

Founder Stories

India’s startup ecosystem posted a strong week of fundraising activity, with 23 startups collectively raising close to $432 million across 21 publicly disclosed deals. The week’s funding mix included 7 growth-stage rounds and 14 early-stage rounds, while two startups chose not to reveal their deal terms. Beyond the capital raised, the week was also marked … Read more

Recykal Raises ₹166 Crore in Series D Funding Round Led by Pidilite Vice Chairman Ajay Parekh

Reckyal

India’s climate-tech and circular economy sector continues to attract investor interest as Recykal, a leading digital waste management platform, has raised ₹166 crore (approximately $18 million) in a Series D funding round led by Ajay Parekh, Vice Chairman of Pidilite Industries. The funding round also saw participation from existing investors, including 360 ONE, Strat Venture … Read more

Tringbox Raises ₹5 Crore Seed Funding to Expand AI-Powered In-Store Music Intelligence Platform

Mumbai-based music technology startup Tringbox has secured ₹5 crore in seed funding to accelerate the growth of its AI-powered in-store music intelligence platform designed for commercial venues. The funding round was led by Nikhil Gandhi through GIPL, with participation from MGB Family Office, Paytm Chief Business Officer Narendra Singh Yadav, and several angel investors through … Read more

Haircare startup Xtovia raises pre-seed funding led by V3 Ventures

Xtovia

Indian haircare startup Xtovia has secured ₹6.9 crore in pre-seed funding in a round led by V3 Ventures, with participation from Consumer Collective by Atrium and several angel investors. The fresh capital will support the company’s product innovation, intellectual property development, market expansion, and brand-building efforts. The funding comes as consumer demand for science-backed beauty … Read more

Influencer marketing startup INFLUISH raises pre-seed funding at Rs 25 Cr valuation

INFLUISH

INFLUISH, an emerging creator economy platform focused on helping content creators grow, learn, and monetise their audiences, has secured pre-seed funding from a group of angel investors at a valuation of ₹25 crore. The funding round saw participation from notable investors including Pankaj Vermani, Jeetendra Tewani, and Sachin Harneja. While the company has not disclosed … Read more

This Tamil Nadu Startup Lets Drivers Keep 100% of Their Fare — And Investors Are Betting It Can Outlast Ola and Uber’s Commission Model

Taxina Founders Story

While millions of Indian gig drivers absorb commissions of up to 40% per ride, a Salem-based startup backed by Tamil Nadu’s taxi unions is betting that the real disruption in ride-hailing isn’t a better app — it’s a fairer business model. For the better part of a decade, India’s ride-hailing economy has run on a … Read more

CREST Raises $3.1 Million Pre-Seed Funding to Build AI-Powered Wealth Management Platform

CREST Founder

Indian wealth management startup CREST has secured $3.1 million in pre-seed funding from a group of leading venture capital firms and angel investors, as it looks to strengthen its position in the rapidly growing family office and asset management market. The funding round was led by BEENEXT, Sparrow, Shastra VC, DeVC, Warmup Ventures, Atrium Ventures, … Read more

TruNativ Raises $30 Million Series B Funding Led by OrbiMed to Expand Clean Nutrition Business

TruNativ Founder

Indian clean-label nutrition brand TruNativ has secured $30 million (approximately ₹290 crore) in a Series B funding round led by global healthcare investor OrbiMed. The funding round includes a combination of fresh capital infusion and partial exits by some of the company’s early investors. The latest investment will support TruNativ’s growth strategy as it seeks … Read more

Gimi Michi Raises $1 Million Seed Funding to Expand Korean Food Brand in India

Gimi Founders

Gurugram-based food startup Gimi Michi has secured $1 million in seed funding in a round led by IndiaQuotient, with participation from DeVC, Titan Capital, and IIMA Ventures. The fresh capital will help the company accelerate product innovation, expand its team, strengthen brand awareness, and grow its distribution network across India’s rapidly expanding quick-commerce ecosystem. The … Read more

EV mobility startup Trevel raises $1 Mn led by India Accelerator and Finvolve

Trevel

Electric mobility startup Trevel has secured $1 million in a funding round co-led by India Accelerator, Finvolve, the Haldiram Family Office, and Rohit Qamra, as the company looks to strengthen its position in India’s fast-growing electric mobility sector. The funding round also saw participation from RMRN Ventures, BP Jain Holdings, Bipin Preet Singh, Aakash Goyal, … Read more

Rekise Marine Raises $9.7 Million to Develop Autonomous Ships and Underwater Defence Systems

Rekise

Indian marine robotics startup Rekise Marine has secured $9.7 million in fresh funding in a round led by Accel and NKSquared, as the company accelerates the development of autonomous ships, submarines, and advanced underwater defence technologies for the Indian Navy. The funding round also attracted participation from prominent investors, including Sameer Brij Verma, former partner … Read more