AI-powered cybersecurity startup Deep Algorithm has raised ₹16 crore in a pre-Series A funding round led by Unicorn India Ventures, with participation from SB Investment (UAE), Prakash Govindan, and Himanshu Singhal. The company plans to use the fresh capital to expand into international markets, accelerate product development, and strengthen its platform with advanced identity and AI-driven security capabilities. Founded in 2021, Deep Algorithm focuses on building enterprise cybersecurity solutions centered around identity risk management, fraud prevention, and threat detection. Its product suite includes adapID-AI, a behavioural identity intelligence platform, and BotShield-AI, which offers zero-day threat prevention, DDoS mitigation, and runtime…
Author: Adarsh Kumar
PitchKaroIndia 2026 is positioning itself as a launchpad for India’s next generation of entrepreneurs, offering founders access to funding, mentorship, and strong investor networks through a nationwide startup platform. The initiative is designed to unlock India’s entrepreneurial potential by connecting early stage and growth stage startups with venture capital firms, industry experts, and global investors. A major highlight of the program is the opportunity to secure up to ₹1 crore in funding, supported by international investors including participants from Silicon Valley. PitchKaroIndia has been built with a focus on inclusivity, allowing student-led startups, first time founders, and scaling companies to…
Homegrown D2C coffee brand Sleepy Owl has raised ₹12 crore (around $1.3 million) in a fresh funding round from a mix of new and existing investors, including the Gauri Khan Family Trust, Optiscape Network Holdings, and Pramod Bhasin. This marks the company’s first fundraise in over 2.5 years, following its ₹15 crore round in October 2023 led by Rukam Capital and DSG Consumer Partners. Earlier, it had raised $6.5 million in Series A funding in 2021. The company’s board has approved the issuance of 37,944 Series C2 preference shares at ₹3,162.55 per share to complete the round. Optiscape Network Holdings…
Amazon India has announced an investment of ₹2,800 crore (around $300 million) to strengthen its logistics network and quick commerce operations, as part of its broader $35 billion India investment commitment by 2030. A key portion of the investment will be used to expand its quick commerce vertical, Amazon Now, with plans to double its footprint. Currently, the service operates in Delhi NCR, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, supported by nearly 300 micro fulfilment centres. Alongside quick commerce, Amazon will continue expanding its pan India e-commerce infrastructure, including warehouses and last mile delivery stations, to improve delivery speed and reliability. This move…
Former Dunzo co-founder Kabeer Biswas is raising ₹102 crore (around $11 million) for his new consumer AI startup M, with Peak XV Partners leading the round. The funding round also sees participation from Blume Ventures and CRED (Dreamplug Technologies, led by Kunal Shah). Co-founded by Kabeer Biswas and Kartik Mishra, M is building a consumer AI platform aimed at reducing friction in managing everyday home operations by automating decisions, coordination, and services. Incorporated in 2025 as Curious Digital Pvt Ltd, the company has approved issuing 54,956 Series Seed CCPS at ₹18,577 each to raise the planned capital, as per regulatory…
Stock broking firm Zerodha has shut down its creator focused initiative Zero1, marking a quiet exit from its experimental content and media play. Launched as part of its broader education push, Zero1 was designed as a creator partnership program, supporting storytellers producing content across finance, health, and climate. The initiative ran for over a year and achieved notable reach. However, Zerodha cited regulatory uncertainty as the primary reason for winding down the program. “There was a lot of regulatory uncertainty around the entire initiative and we took a call to wind this down,” the company said. Zero1 stood out for…
Digital banking infrastructure company M2P Fintech has appointed Vivek Seshadri as its Group Chief Financial Officer (CFO), as the company strengthens its leadership for the next phase of growth. In his new role, Seshadri will lead the company’s global finance organization, overseeing finance, investor relations, capital strategy, and M&A initiatives. He is also expected to play a key role in preparing M2P Fintech for a potential public market debut in the coming years. Seshadri brings over 15 years of experience across strategic finance, capital markets, business leadership, and mergers & acquisitions, having worked with global technology and financial services firms.…
Wealth-tech platform PrimeInvestor has raised ₹19.5 crore (around $2 million) in its first external funding round, led by Rainmatter, the investment arm of Zerodha. The company clarified that Rainmatter’s participation is a purely financial investment, with no strategic involvement, ensuring that PrimeInvestor continues to operate independently. Founded in 2020 by the team behind FundsIndia, PrimeInvestor initially focused on research and curated portfolio insights. However, the firm identified a gap between advisory and execution, prompting it to expand into portfolio management. To address this, the startup has launched a discretionary Portfolio Management Services (PMS) offering for investors with a minimum investment…
Audio series platform Pocket FM has elevated Lalit Gangwar to the role of Chief Operating Officer (COO) as the company strengthens its leadership structure to support global expansion. In his new role, Gangwar will oversee the company’s global audio business, including market expansion, growth, monetisation, and execution. A founding member of Pocket FM, Gangwar played a key role in building its India growth playbook, helping scale the platform to 150 million users within its first year. He later led the company’s US expansion, setting up teams and driving growth in international markets. The appointment comes as Pocket FM focuses on…
South Korean tech giants KRAFTON Inc. and Naver Corporation have partnered with Mirae Asset Venture Investments to officially launch a ₹6,000 crore India focused Unicorn Growth Fund, marking one of the largest Asia backed capital pools for Indian startups. The launch follows a high level meeting attended by Piyush Goyal, Republic of Korea’s Trade Minister Jung Kwan Kim, and senior leadership from KRAFTON, Naver, and Mirae Asset. The fund will target growth stage Indian startups across four key sectors: The initiative aims to back category leading Indian startups with global ambitions, while leveraging KRAFTON and Naver’s expertise in gaming, platforms,…