VerSe Innovation has appointed Prasanna Prasad as Chief Product and Technology Officer (CPTO), as the company sharpens its focus on AI-led growth across its platforms. In his new role, Prasad will lead engineering, product, and data science functions, driving innovation across VerSe’s ecosystem, including Dailyhunt, Josh, and other products. Driving AI-Led Product Innovation and Monetisation Prasad joins from Verve Group, where he served as Chief Technology Officer and Head of Product and AI. With over two decades of experience, he brings expertise in building cloud-native systems, large-scale platforms, and AI-driven products. At VerSe, he will focus on enhancing AI capabilities…
Author: Aman Atulya
KreditBee has raised $280 million in its Series E round at a $1.5 billion valuation, officially entering the unicorn club. The round was led by Motilal Oswal Alternates, Hornbill Capital, and MUFG-backed Dragon Funds, with participation from WhiteOak Capital, A.P. Moller Holding, Premji Invest, and Advent International. Capital to scale lending and AI-driven risk infrastructure The company will use the fresh capital to expand its lending portfolio, deepen market presence, and strengthen its technology stack. A key focus will be on scaling AI capabilities to enhance risk assessment, credit penetration, and personalised financial products. Built on NBFC + co-lending model…
Skincare brand ClayCo has raised Rs 34.59 crore (around $3.7 million) in a Series A funding round led by Twenty-Nine Capital Partners Ventures, with participation from ICMG Global Ventures. The round comes after its earlier $2 million investment from Unilever Ventures in October 2024, marking continued investor confidence in emerging D2C beauty brands. Capital to drive category expansion and product innovation The fresh funds will be used to accelerate product development, expand into new categories, and strengthen working capital. The company is preparing to deepen its presence across skincare while entering adjacent segments. Building a modern skincare brand with traditional…
Angoor AI has raised Rs 2 crore in a pre-seed funding round led by Venturizer, with participation from angel investors including Uday Sodhi, Tarun Billa, and Mayank Singh Tomar. The round reflects early-stage investor interest in AI-driven customer engagement infrastructure. Capital to fuel enterprise growth and product expansion The fresh funds will be used to build enterprise sales capabilities, expand product and engineering teams, and strengthen its product-led growth strategy, as the startup looks to scale across markets. Building unified, AI-powered customer interaction layer Founded in 2023 by Arpit Agrawal, Anuj Agrawal, and Rishabh Kumar, Angoor AI offers a platform…
Quick commerce platform Zepto is reportedly preparing for its initial public offering, with plans to raise $1.2–1.3 billion (₹10,000–12,000 crore), according to media reports. The offering is expected to include a mix of fresh issue and offer for sale. While reports have suggested progress on regulatory filings, the company has not made any official confirmation regarding approval from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). The IPO timeline is tentatively expected in the July–September 2026 window, subject to market conditions and regulatory developments. Growth Story Backed by Scale and Funding Momentum Founded in 2021 by Aadit Palicha and Kaivalya…
Agentic AI startup Xccelera has raised Rs 1.2 crore in a funding round backed by investors including Ramakant Sharma, Asad Khan, and Amiya Pathak. The fresh capital will be used to expand its engineering team, strengthen its AI systems, and scale enterprise deployments. Building a services-as-software automation platform Founded by Rohit Singh, Xccelera is developing a “services-as-software” platform that leverages AI agents to automate enterprise workflows. The platform replaces manual, service-led operations with autonomous systems capable of executing tasks end-to-end, improving efficiency and scalability. Multi-agent architecture for enterprise-grade execution The startup’s core offering includes a multi-agent orchestration system combined with…
Aman Gupta, co-founder of boAt, has raised Rs 100 crore in seed funding for his new venture Off Beat, in a round led by Bessemer Venture Partners. The startup is reportedly valued at around Rs 450 crore, highlighting strong investor confidence in Gupta’s track record of building scalable consumer brands. Building a creator-led, AI-driven content platform Off Beat is positioned as a content and creator-led venture, expected to leverage technology and AI to build its platform. While detailed business specifics remain undisclosed, the focus is likely on combining creator ecosystems with AI-driven distribution and engagement tools. Founder-first approach drives investor…
JITO Incubation and Innovation Foundation (JIIF) has announced plans to invest ₹80–100 crore in early-stage startups over the next 12–18 months, reinforcing its focus on pre-seed and seed-stage innovation. The platform has already deployed over ₹150 crore across more than 100 startups in the past two years and recorded over 15 exits, indicating strong portfolio traction and early liquidity outcomes. Expanding Capital Deployment and Investment Strategy JIIF plans to back 20–25 startups annually, with ticket sizes ranging between ₹1.5 crore and ₹2 crore depending on the stage and sector. The investment focus spans high-growth areas such as artificial intelligence, fintech,…
D2C nutrition startup BeastLife has raised Rs 20 crore in a pre-Series A funding round at a valuation of Rs 320 crore, led by GVFL and Equentis. The Gurugram-based company had earlier raised Rs 1.9 crore from cricketer Rinku Singh along with $479K in an angel round. The fresh capital will be used to scale operations, strengthen the team, and expand across online and offline channels. Building a digital-first fitness nutrition brand Co-founded in 2024 by Gaurav Taneja and Raj Vikram Gupta, BeastLife is a new-age sports nutrition brand offering products such as protein supplements, creatine, mass gainers, and multivitamins.…
Satellite RF intelligence startup Xovian Aerospace has raised $2 million (approximately Rs 16.6 crore) in a strategic funding round led by Ashish Kacholia. The Bengaluru-based company had previously raised $2.5 million in a pre-seed round in 2024. The fresh capital will be used for satellite development, expansion of engineering and AI teams, and strengthening commercial partnerships. Building AI-powered RF satellite intelligence infrastructure Co-founded in 2019 by Ankit Bhateja and Raghav Sharma, Xovian Aerospace is developing AI-powered radio frequency (RF) satellite infrastructure. Its platform captures and analyses RF signals from space to generate real-time, actionable intelligence across multiple sectors. Unlocking insights…