Space-tech startup Cosmoserve Space has secured $3.17 million (₹26.5 crore) in a heavily oversubscribed pre-seed round led by Alan Rutledge, with participation from AUM Ventures and Shakti VC. The round drew strong interest from global backers, including Ram Shriram, Google’s early investor and long-time board member. The fresh capital will enable Cosmoserve to ramp up its R&D efforts, expand its engineering team, and begin work on prototypes for its robotic spacecraft designed to tackle orbital debris. With thousands of satellites being launched each year and an increasing volume of junk in orbit, the risk to global space assets is accelerating.…
Author: Aman Atulya
Agritech startup Bharat Intelligence has raised ₹7 crore in pre-seed funding, led by Sahyadri Farms, to scale its operations across Western Maharashtra’s horticulture belts. The fresh capital will be used to expand its team, enhance product development, and embed AI-driven solutions into the value chains of grape, banana, tomato, and pomegranate farmers. Tackling Rural India’s Labour Gap Founded in 2024 by Azhaan Merchant and Gourav Sanghai, Bharat Intelligence is addressing one of Indian agriculture’s most pressing challenges—the farm labour crisis. Its platform uses advanced AI models to organise rural labour markets, ensuring farmers get timely access to skilled crews while…
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…
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.…