Pine Labs has expanded its presence in the Philippines through a partnership with GCash for Business, the merchant solutions arm of the country’s leading digital wallet platform. Under the collaboration, Pine Labs will provide merchant payment infrastructure for GCash, enabling businesses to access features such as installment payment plans, loyalty rewards, cashback programmes, and support for multiple payment methods including card and QR-based transactions. The partnership is also aimed at strengthening digital payment access for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the Philippines through Pine Labs’ commerce and point-of-sale technology stack. GCash for Business currently offers products such as…
Author: Adarsh Kumar
Adda247 has reportedly laid off more than 200 employees, representing nearly 20% of its workforce, as the Google backed edtech startup restructures operations ahead of its planned initial public offering (IPO). According to a report by Business Standard, the layoffs were part of a broader organisational restructuring exercise aimed at improving operational efficiency and preparing the company for public market scrutiny. The exercise reportedly affected teams across product, design, content, CUET, UPSC, judiciary preparation, and teaching functions. The layoffs were carried out at the company’s Gurugram office on April 30. In a statement, Adda247 said it periodically reviews its organisational…
Mekr has raised ₹67 crore (around $7 million) in a Series A funding round led by Avaana Capital, with participation from Titan Capital’s Winners Fund. The consumer electronics design and manufacturing startup said the fresh capital will be used to strengthen research and development capabilities, expand manufacturing automation, localise supplier networks, improve quality systems, and scale exports. Founded in 2022 by Anand Yadav and Gaurang Kuchhal, Mekr operates as a full stack product design and manufacturing platform for consumer appliance brands. The startup offers end-to-end solutions across product design, prototyping, tooling, certification, and mass manufacturing, enabling brands to outsource appliance…
Rozana’s in-house FMCG brand Samuh has crossed an annualised revenue run rate of ₹100 crore within just three months of launch, emerging as one of the fastest growing rural consumer brands in India’s FMCG sector. Launched at the end of February 2026, Samuh is now targeting ₹500 crore ARR by the end of this year and aims to scale to ₹1,000 crore by FY27 through rapid expansion across rural India. The company plans to enter 10 additional states, including Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir, and the National Capital Region. According to co-founder…
Fractal has reported its first quarterly earnings after listing on the stock exchanges, posting strong growth in both revenue and profitability for the fourth quarter of FY26. The AI and advanced analytics firm recorded a 17% year-on-year increase in operating revenue, which rose to ₹886.3 crore in Q4 FY26 from ₹757.5 crore in the corresponding quarter last year, according to disclosures filed with the National Stock Exchange of India (NSE). For the full fiscal year, Fractal’s revenue grew to ₹3,363 crore in FY26, compared to ₹2,816 crore in FY25. On the cost front, employee benefit expenses continued to remain the…
Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) is preparing to launch a new ₹200 crore startup fund focused on energy and AI-driven startups, while simultaneously opening applications for advisor roles to strengthen its startup investment operations. According to a document released by the company, the ONGC Startup Fund is hiring two Advisors on a contractual basis for an initial period of 12 months, with an option for extension by another year. ONGC had originally launched its ₹100 crore startup fund in 2016 under the Government of India’s Startup India programme to support startups operating in energy and technology related sectors. In…
Centricity is in discussions to raise around $30 million in a fresh funding round led by Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) and Susquehanna International Group (SIG), according to sources familiar with the matter. The proposed financing comes less than two years after the Gurugram based wealthtech startup raised its seed funding round. According to sources, the round is likely to value the company at approximately $250 million, nearly double its previous valuation. In September 2024, Centricity had raised $20 million in a seed funding round led by Lightspeed Venture Partners at a valuation of around $125 million. The earlier round…
Flo Mobility has raised $2.5 million in a pre-Series A funding round co-led by Mela Ventures and Arali Ventures. The Bengaluru based startup said the fresh capital will be used to scale manufacturing operations, strengthen its AI and autonomy capabilities, expand deployments across India, and enter international markets, particularly the Middle East. Founded in 2021 by Manesh Jain and Pratik Patel, Flo Mobility develops Physical AI and robotics solutions focused on the construction industry. The company builds autonomous robots designed to automate material movement and construction workflows across large infrastructure and real estate project sites. Its flagship product, Flo Hauler,…
Apple has released the second Release Candidate (RC 2) build of iOS 26.5 for eligible iPhones, indicating that the stable public rollout is likely imminent. The update is currently available to developers and public beta testers. Release Candidate builds are generally considered near-final versions before wider deployment, although Apple occasionally releases a second RC when last-minute bugs or stability issues are identified. Unlike the first RC build, iOS 26.5 RC 2 does not introduce major visual or feature changes. Instead, the update focuses largely on refinement and stability improvements ahead of the official launch. Key Features Expected in iOS 26.5…
Sindhuja Microcredit has raised $5 million (around ₹47 crore) in a pre-Series D funding round from existing investors including Abler Nordic, GAWA Capital through the Huruma Fund, and Oikocredit. The Noida based NBFC-MFI said the fresh capital will be used to strengthen its capital base, expand lending operations, and improve access to credit for underserved communities, particularly women entrepreneurs and MSMEs. Founded by Abhisheka Kumar and Malkit Singh Didyala, Sindhuja Microcredit provides financial services to self employed women entrepreneurs, traders, shopkeepers, and farmers across rural and semi urban markets. According to the company, it has served more than 5 lakh…