Juspay becomes the first Indian Unicorn of 2025, marked by a $60 million Series D funding round, highlighting the company’s leap in AI innovation, dominance in fintech, expansion of open-source platforms, and aggressive global expansion strategy. The unicorn milestone for Juspay sets the tone for 2025 in India’s thriving fintech landscape. The $60 million Series D funding round, led by Kedaara Capital, with continued backing from SoftBank and Accel, reaffirms the company’s strategy focused on AI innovation, building open-source platforms, and pursuing global expansion. “Juspay aims to use the funds...

Travel fintech startup Scapia has raised $40 million in Series B funding led by Peak XV Partners to expand its credit card offerings, enhance travel rewards, and integrate cutting-edge AI solutions into its platform. This investment aims to enhance Scapia’s credit card offerings, integrate advanced AI solutions, and expand its travel rewards program, solidifying its position in the fintech sector. Led by Peak XV Partners, the Series B funding saw participation from existing backers such as Elevation Capital, Z47, and 3State Ventures, contributing to this growth push. The company plans...

Parent company of Bare Anatomy, Innovist has secured Series B funding worth $15.8 million to reshape the beauty and personal care landscape through science-backed product development, rapid market expansion, and deeper penetration into India’s booming D2C ecosystem. The round, led by ICICI Venture’s IVen Amplifi fund, included a mix of primary and secondary components. With this Series B funding, Innovist plans to elevate its science-backed haircare and skincare products portfolio, which has already made a strong mark in India’s D2C space. The funding also saw participation from Sauce.vc, Mirabilis Investment...

Digital storytelling platform Pratilipi has secured $20 million in Series E funding to accelerate its international expansion, strengthen its online literature offerings, and bring Indian languages to a global audience. Pratilipi revealed that digital storytelling now drives monthly free cash flows of INR 3 crore, reflecting a profitable, cash-flow-positive core online literature business. This robust performance caught the attention of Singapore-based Jungle Ventures, which led the Series E funding round—comprising $12 million in primary capital and $8 million in secondary transactions. Qiming Venture Partners reduced its stake by nearly 80...

Spinny funding headlines a pivotal shift in the used car market India, as the full-stack auto platform secures $131 million to redefine car ownership trends and reinforce its position in the ever-evolving Indian startup ecosystem. Spinny funding marks a bold new chapter in India’s automotive retail story. The company raised $131 million in its latest round, led by Accel Leaders Fund. Existing investors such as Elevation Capital, Tiger Global, and Fundamentum Partnership also returned with conviction. The raise includes $110 million in primary capital and $21 million in secondary share...

Chef Robotics has raised $43.1 million in new Series A funding for redefining the future of the food service industry through groundbreaking AI-driven robotics, robotic automation, and robotics-as-a-service that streamline complex meal assembly operations with intelligent machines that boost efficiency and accuracy. As labor shortages plague food production facilities, the robotics startup secured $43.1 million in fresh funding—$20.6 million in equity led by Avataar Ventures and $22.5 million in equipment financing—to build and deploy its intelligent robotic arms at scale. CEO Rajat Bhageria and his team launched the company in...

Bengaluru-based Smallcase, a wealth tech startup, has successfully secured Series D funding from Elev8 Venture Partners, reinforcing its investment product offerings and strengthening its model portfolios to attract more retail investors. The round also saw State Street Global Advisors, Niveshaay AIF, Faering Capital, and Arkam Ventures participation. With this latest investment, Smallcase aims to expand its investment product offerings across asset classes and strengthen its relationship with retail investors and financial ecosystem partners. “The new funding will enable the company to integrate asset classes like mutual funds and fixed income...

Jumbotail, a leading B2B marketplace, is set to achieve unicorn status with a $120 million investment from SC Ventures, strengthening its position as a dominant B2B e-commerce platform serving kiranas across India. This fresh capital injection will push Jumbotail’s valuation to $1 billion, marking a significant milestone in India’s B2B marketplace landscape. Founded in 2015 by Karthik Venkateswaran and Ashish Jhina, Jumbotail connects small retailers (kiranas) with suppliers through its tech-driven B2B e-commerce platform. The company recently acquired Solv India, a startup incubated by SC Ventures, to expand its reach...

Cross-border payments fintech platform Abound, a financial platform catering to the Indian diaspora, has raised $14 million in seed funding, leveraging NEAR blockchain to enhance remittances and redefine financial services for Indian expats in the US. The funding round was led by NEAR Foundation, with participation from Circle Ventures and Times Internet, marking Abound’s first external investment since its incubation at Times Internet, the digital arm of The Times of India Group. Founded by Nishkaam Mehta, Abound differentiates itself from traditional banking solutions by providing an all-in-one digital ecosystem where...

Jindal Stainless, India’s largest stainless steel manufacturer, has acquired a 9.62 percent stake in M1Xchange, reinforcing its commitment to supply chain financing. This investment will drive digital supply chain financing for MSMEs, corporates, and financiers, ensuring improved liquidity access and streamlined financial operations. By leveraging M1Xchange’s platform, Jindal Stainless aims to digitize financing, optimize cash flow, and enhance its supply chain ecosystem. The investment, totaling approximately INR 154 crore ($18 million), includes primary capital infusion and a secondary share purchase from existing shareholders. According to Jindal Stainless, the cost of...