India-focused early-stage venture fund Zeropearl VC has announced the final close of its maiden fund at Rs 159 crore (~$18 million), oversubscribed 3.5x against its original Rs 80 crore target. Founded by veteran investor Bipin Shah, the fund aims to back pre-seed and seed-stage startups with high conviction and selectivity. About the Fund Zeropearl VC’s Fund I attracted commitments exceeding Rs 280 crore before being capped at Rs 159 crore. Over 52% of the capital comes from 31 successful founders, including 19 unicorn leaders and multiple IPO-linked entrepreneurs. The fund also counts global funds-of-funds and family offices among its limited…
Author: Aman Atulya
Recove, a B2B startup digitising India’s plastics recycling supply chain, has raised ₹5.3 crore in a pre-seed funding round led by Momentum Capital. The round also saw participation from industry veterans including Ganesh Natarajan (ex-CEO, Aptech & Zensar), Ashish Goel (Co-founder, Urban Ladder), Chaitanya Kejriwal, and Shruti Deorah. The capital will help Recove scale its digital marketplace across India, establish pre-processing hubs, and deepen its network of recycling partners. Solving a Broken Recycling Chain Founded in 2024 by Viral Chhajer, Nirja Bhatt, and Sharan Subaiah, Recove is building a tech-enabled B2B marketplace for plastic recyclables. Its platform connects suppliers of…
Electric vehicle startup Simple Energy has secured $10 million in a fresh funding round. The capital will be used primarily to scale its store and experience center network across India, aiming to strengthen customer touchpoints and drive adoption. Simple Energy’s models, such as the Mark 2 electric motorcycle, already enjoy a presence in multiple cities through its direct sales and partner outlets. With the new funding, the company plans to significantly broaden its retail ecosystem, ensuring deeper penetration in key markets and smoother customer journeys from discovery to delivery. The investment comes at a time when Indian EV startups are…
AI-first app development platform Emergent has raised $23 million in a Series A round led by Lightspeed, with participation from Together Fund, Y Combinator, Prosus Ventures, and angel investors including Jeff Dean, Devendra Chaplot, and Balaji Srinivasan. The funding brings Emergent’s total capital raised to $30 million, following a $7 million seed round earlier this year. Building Without Developers Founded in 2025 by Mukund Jha and his brother, Emergent enables users to create, launch, and scale apps instantly without technical expertise or large engineering teams. Its subscription-based platform handles everything—UI, logins, payments, backend servers, and scaling—powered by autonomous AI agents…
Fintech startup Oolka has raised $7 million in a seed funding round co-led by Lightspeed India Partners and Z47, with participation from 8i Ventures and several angel investors. This comes after Oolka had previously raised $6.9 million in the same round from Lightspeed Venture Partners and others. Funding Snapshot Solving the Credit Gap India’s young population is increasingly turning to digital platforms to manage finances, yet credit health remains opaque and confusing. From tracking CIBIL scores to managing EMIs, many face challenges that restrict access to affordable credit. Oolka addresses this by offering an AI-powered platform that delivers personalized insights,…
Early-stage venture capital firm Good Capital, known for backing breakout names like Meesho, Orange Health, and LEAD School, has announced the final close of its second fund at $30 million (₹260 crore). The fund, launched in 2023 with a target of $35 million, saw strong commitments from family offices across Asia and Europe. Fund Focus & Portfolio With Fund 2.0, Good Capital will continue its thesis of supporting technology-first and AI-driven startups, betting on companies building scalable solutions with global ambitions. The firm has already backed ventures such as: Strategy & Vision “With Fund 2.0, we doubled down on high-conviction…
Deep-tech startup Xbattery, focused on advanced energy storage solutions, has raised $2.3 million in a Seed funding round led by the Bipin Patel Family Office, with participation from Jhaveri Credits. The capital will be deployed towards R&D, hardware sourcing, hiring, and scaling prototypes for commercialization and early orders. Indigenous Battery Innovation Founded in 2024 by Satish Reddy, Sonu Mishra, and Varshith Rao, Xbattery is developing high-voltage Battery Management Systems (BMS) and advanced battery packs for both electric vehicles (EVs) and grid-scale storage applications. Its flagship product, the BharatBMS, is capable of managing up to 800V systems, offering a critical alternative…
Rushu, India’s newest luxury handloom house, was officially unveiled today, founded by Shuchi Kulshreshtha and her mother. The brand positions itself not merely as a fashion label but as a custodian of India’s weaving heritage, blending tradition with contemporary elegance. Rushu is built on the philosophy of “Preserving Craft. Reclaiming Prestige.” It emphasizes three pillars: Authenticity, Legacy, and Excellence, ensuring that each creation is a testament to India’s timeless artistry. The brand transforms heirloom handlooms into modern luxury products, where every weave reflects meticulous craftsmanship and thoughtful design. Empowering Artisans and CommunitiesBeyond luxury, Rushu is deeply committed to social impact.…
Premium kitchenware brand P-Tal (Punjab Thathera Art Legacy) has raised $3 million in a funding round led by VC Grid and Nithin Kamath’s Rainmatter, with participation from Connecticut Innovations, Anicut Capital, Zeropearl VC, and a group of angel investors. What P-Tal Does Founded by Aditya Agrawal, P-Tal blends traditional Indian craftsmanship with modern design, offering handcrafted copper, brass, and bronze kitchenware. Its product range includes cooking utensils, tableware, dinnerware, and daily essentials starting at Rs 1,500. The company works with 110 artisan families across Chandigarh and Moradabad, ensuring legacy crafts are preserved while catering to modern tastes. P-Tal sells through…
Gullak, a SaaS-driven digital gold savings platform, has raised $7.5 million in a funding round led by Chiratae Ventures, with participation from White Venture Capital and Samved Ventures. The fresh capital will be used to strengthen partnerships with jewellery brands and expand the platform into tier II and III cities. Founded in 2022 by former JusPay executives Manthan Shah, Dilip Jain, and Naimisha Rao, Gullak enables users to automate savings by converting spare change or UPI round-ups into digital gold investments. Users can also start gold SIPs from ₹100 per day and redeem accumulated gold in various forms, including home…