Venture capital news

In plain words: How much money is moving and at what prices: the mood of the market.

When people talk about technology infrastructure, they usually mean semiconductors, data centres, and AI models. But the layer that decides how well these technologies work is the data underneath them, and India still has to build it. At a panel discussion on 'The invisible infrastructure of the new tech order' at TechSparks 2026, moderated by Chhavi Mahajan, Chief Content Officer, YourStory, the panellists said India’s advantage will come from owning trusted, context-rich data in fields ranging from language AI to biotech. Arvind Pani, Founder, CoreMantle, an AI data intelligence startup, said data is the one part of the technology stack that cannot be swapped out. “You can continue to replace compute. You can continue to replace the application, but you cannot replace the data,” he said. Ankit Bagaria, Co-founder and CEO, Loopworm, an insect biotechnology company, said the gap is especially wide in biopharma, where too much work still happens through trial and error. Better data, he said, could cut the time it takes to bring a product to market. Bagaria said biotech deserves the same attention as AI, quantum and chips, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic. He noted that India still imports about 73% of its key materials, including active pharmaceutical ingredients and reagents, from China.

Read the full story at YourStory (opens in a new tab)Published 19 Oct 2026. This is the publisher’s own feed excerpt.

In plain words: How much money is moving and at what prices: the mood of the market.

D2C skincare brand Deconstruct grew its operating revenue 25-fold in three years to Rs 165 crore in FY26, with revenue growing 30% year-on-year. The firm continued to expand its business while keeping losses marginal, reporting a net loss of Rs 5.4 crore in the last fiscal year. The Bengaluru-based startup’s revenue from operations grew 30% YoY to Rs 165 crore in FY26, compared to Rs 127 crore in FY25, according to its financial statements sourced from the Registrar of Companies (RoC). Founded by Malini Adapureddy, Deconstruct offers products for different skin types, including sensitive ones. Its portfolio spans face, body, lip and hair care products for men and women. Deconstruct’s growth has also been accompanied by higher spending on marketing and ops as it scales. Advertising and promotional expenses rose 72.5% to Rs 69 crore in FY26, accounting for 40% of its overall costs. Its procurement costs increased 39.3% to Rs 39 crore during the fiscal year ended March 2026, in line with the expansion of its business. Transportation, freight, legal and other overheads also added to the burn. Deconstruct’s total expenses grew 48.7% to Rs 174 crore in FY26 from Rs 117 crore in FY25, outpacing its revenue growth during the year. As a result, the company reported a net loss of Rs 5.4 crore in FY26, compared to a net profit of Rs 10 crore in FY25.

Read the full story at Entrackr (opens in a new tab)Published 19 Oct 2026. This is the publisher’s own feed excerpt.

In plain words: A startup raised money. It shows which kinds of company investors are backing right now.

Bengaluru-based managed care startup Even Healthcare has raised $50 Mn (about ₹475 Cr) in a Series B funding round led by existing investor Khosla Ventures, with participation from Alpha Wave. The all-equity primary round takes its total funding to over $120 Mn, the startup said in a statement. Even will use the proceeds primarily to expand its hospital network in Bengaluru. It plans to open another hospital by the end of 2026, followed by three more by the end of FY27. It currently operates two multispeciality hospitals on Race Course Road and in HBR Layout. The startup plans to enter other cities after strengthening its Bengaluru presence. “We want to make sure that Bengaluru patients and members are pretty well served,” cofounder Mayank Banerjee told Inc42. Even said its valuation had tripled since its previous fundraise 18 months ago, without disclosing its latest valuation. The startup last raised $20 Mn earlier this year to expand its hospital network and launch new facilities. Founded in 2020 by Banerjee, Matilde Giglio, and Alessandro Ialongo, Even offers an integrated managed care model combining preventive care, outpatient consultations, diagnostics, insurance access, hospitalisation, and post-discharge recovery. The startup aims to reduce healthcare costs by managing patients’ health beyond individual hospital visits.

Read the full story at Inc42 (opens in a new tab)Published 19 Oct 2026. This is the publisher’s own feed excerpt.

In plain words: A company was bought or listed. Investors get money back and often fund new startups with it.

MakeMyTrip is in talks to acquire car and bike pooling platform Quick Ride, sources familiar with the matter told Entrackr. “The deal is currently at the due diligence stage, with both sides examining the business and working through the details of the proposed transaction,” one of the sources said on condition of anonymity. According to sources, the acquisition is being explored through redBus, with the transaction expected to involve a mix of cash and equity. The potential acquisition could help MakeMyTrip expand its presence in urban mobility and strengthen its corporate commute offerings. redBus already operates rPool, a carpooling platform that connects verified working professionals travelling along similar routes and allows them to offer or find rides for daily commutes. “Acquiring Quick Ride would help MakeMyTrip expand its presence in the carpooling segment and strengthen its commuter network,” said another source who also wished not to be named. The timeline for the deal’s completion could not be ascertained, and the terms of the transaction may change as discussions progress. Founded in 2015 by KNM Rao, Bengaluru based Quick Ride connects commuters travelling along similar routes for car and bike pooling. The platform also caters to corporate employees and offers daily office commute solutions.

Read the full story at Entrackr (opens in a new tab)Published 19 Oct 2026. This is the publisher’s own feed excerpt.

In plain words: A startup raised money. It shows which kinds of company investors are backing right now.

Hiring thousands of frontline workers (employees who directly provide goods and services to communities) across multiple cities is a coordination-heavy cumbersome task for HR managers. Recruiters have to call prospective employees, follow up on applications, schedule interviews and keep workers informed through onboarding and training. When hiring volumes spike during festive seasons or business expansion, these tasks can quickly become more difficult to solve manually. Bengaluru-based conversational AI startup Hunar.AI is building AI agents to automate these HR workflows. The startup today announced the raise of ₹40 Cr ($4.2 Mn) in its Series A funding round led by Blume Ventures. Other investors like Hyderabad Angels Fund, Together Fund, Seedstars, AVNM Ventures, PhysicsWallah cofounders Prateek Maheshwari and Alakh Pandey, and MediaMint cofounder Aditya Vuchi also participated in the round. Founded in 2022 by Krishna Khandelwal and Shantanu Bhattacharyya, Hunar.AI automates frontline workforce management via its conversational AI agents. These agents help ease various frontline workforce management issues — including hiring, onboarding, training and retention. It is targeting businesses that need to recruit and manage large numbers of workers, often across several locations and regional languages.

Read the full story at Inc42 (opens in a new tab)Published 19 Oct 2026. This is the publisher’s own feed excerpt.

In plain words: How much money is moving and at what prices: the mood of the market.

A continued boom in late-stage and growth funding combined with a surge in seed-stage funding helped buoy venture investment in Latin America for the third quarter of 2026, Crunchbase data shows. All told, startups in Latin America raised a combined $1.3 billion across seed- and growth-stage deals in the three-month period ending Sept. 30. That was up 26% year over year but down 9% from the second quarter. For perspective, we charted out total investment, color-coded by stage, for the past 12 quarters below. Of the quarterly total, $757 million went into late-stage and growth deals, up 74% compared to the $435 million that flowed into such deals in the third quarter of 2025. However, that is down 21.3% from the $962 million in late-stage and growth rounds raised by LatAm startups in the second quarter. (Although it’s worth noting that Q2 2026 represented the most raised at that stage since the second quarter of 2022.) Mexico startups have raised $1.52 billion in venture funding during the first three quarters of 2026, per Crunchbase data. Notably, that’s about 40.7% more than the $1.08 billion Brazil’s startups raised in the same period. This is unusual as Brazil has historically been the largest recipient of venture funding in Latin America. Still, Brazil continues to attract a broad range of investors.

Read the full story at Crunchbase News (opens in a new tab)Published 19 Oct 2026. This is the publisher’s own feed excerpt.

In plain words: How much money is moving and at what prices: the mood of the market.

By Anurag Gurtu Congratulations to the enterprise AI company that just raised another nine-figure round to solve a problem software is supposed to solve by itself: getting humans to use the product. You know the one. Won’t name it. Don’t have to. You’ve read the press release — “autonomous,” “agentic,” “category-defining” in paragraph one, and then, a few paragraphs down, where the money is actually going: hiring an army of engineers to sit inside customer offices and manually make the “autonomous” thing behave. Nothing says “we’ve built the future of work” quite like raising half a billion dollars to hire more people to do the work. The business model, decoded Anurag Gurtu, co-founder and CEO of Airrived. Here’s how it works, in case the deck was too artfully vague: Sell the customer an “AI platform.” Discover the platform doesn’t actually do the thing on its own. Send in the forward deployed engineers: sharp young people with CS degrees who now spend six months hand-building the workflow the website implied already existed. Bill the customer for “software.” Book it as ARR. Raise a bigger round because “ARR go up.” Repeat, forever, with an increasingly large and increasingly expensive engineering org standing between the product and the promise it made. This is not a flywheel. This is a payroll with a pitch deck.

Read the full story at Crunchbase News (opens in a new tab)Published 19 Oct 2026. This is the publisher’s own feed excerpt.

In plain words: A startup raised money. It shows which kinds of company investors are backing right now.

The Pant Project, a premium menswear label specialising in trousers and other bottomwear, has raised Rs 109 crore in a Series B funding round led by Mirae Asset Venture Investments. Existing investor Sorin Investments also participated, alongside family offices and angel investors including Anisha Saraf, B&K Securities, MGA Ventures and B2V Ventures. The company has also secured venture debt from Alteria Capital, with IndigoEdge advising on the equity transaction. Founded by brothers Dhruv and Udit Toshniwal, The Pant Project began as a digital-first business focused on fit, fabric performance and comfort for Indian men. Its products include Malai Pants and Inklock No Fade Black Jeans, and it sells through its website, Myntra, Amazon and physical stores. Sorin partner Mandar Dandekar said revenue had grown “more than 5x” since its Series A, alongside what he described as “industry-leading repeat rates.” The new capital will help the company expand from 25 exclusive stores to more than 150 over the next two to three years. It also plans to widen its range to jeans, athleisure, meaning clothing suited to exercise and everyday use, and casualwear, while investing in retail technology to connect online and in-store shopping.

Read the full story at YourStory (opens in a new tab)Published 19 Oct 2026. This is the publisher’s own feed excerpt.

In plain words: A startup raised money. It shows which kinds of company investors are backing right now.

Menswear brand The Pant Project has raised ₹109 Cr (about $11.5 Mn) in a Series B funding round led by Mirae Asset Venture Investments (India) to expand its offline presence and broaden its apparel portfolio. Existing investor Sorin Investments also participated in the round, alongside family offices and angel investors, including Anisha Saraf, B&K Securities, MGA Ventures, and B2V Ventures. The latest round takes the startup’s total funding to over $15.75 Mn. It previously raised $4.25 Mn in a Series A round led by Sorin Investments in 2024, following four years of bootstrapping. Separately, The Pant Project secured venture debt financing from Alteria Capital for an undisclosed amount. The startup plans to increase its exclusive brand store network from 25 to 150 over the next two to three years. It will also deploy the fresh capital to broaden its menswear portfolio, with a focus on jeans, athleisure, and casualwear. While it already sells jeans and products such as sweatpants, joggers, and shorts, the startup said it intends to build a broader menswear business beyond its core bottomwear offering. Founded in 2020 by brothers Dhruv Toshniwal and Udit Toshniwal, The Pant Project started as a digital-first brand specialising in bottomwear for Indian men. Its portfolio includes products such as Malai Pants and Inklock No Fade Black Jeans.

Read the full story at Inc42 (opens in a new tab)Published 19 Oct 2026. This is the publisher’s own feed excerpt.

In plain words: A startup raised money. It shows which kinds of company investors are backing right now.

Premium menswear brand The Pant Project has raised Rs 109 crore in a Series B funding round led by Mirae Asset Venture Investments (India), with participation from existing investor Sorin Investments and new investors Hyperscale Ventures, B&K Securities, MGA Ventures and B2V Ventures, as per the company’s press release. The company plans to use the fresh capital to expand its offline retail network, enter new product categories and strengthen its omnichannel presence. Founded by brothers Dhruv and Udit Toshniwal, The Pant Project started as a digital-first brand focused on bottomwear for Indian men. Its product portfolio includes Malai Pants and Inklock No Fade Black Jeans. The company currently operates 25 exclusive brand stores across India and plans to increase the count to over 150 in the next two to three years. It also plans to expand into adjacent menswear categories, including jeans, athleisure and casualwear. Commenting on the fundraise, Dhruv Toshniwal, founder and CEO of The Pant Project, said the company is now looking to expand its offline presence after building its business as a digital-first brand. He said its stores allow customers to experience the fabric and fit of its products in person, helping the company build stronger relationships with customers. The latest fundraising follows its $4.25 million Series A round in 2024, led by Sorin Investments.

Read the full story at Entrackr (opens in a new tab)Published 19 Oct 2026. This is the publisher’s own feed excerpt.

In plain words: How much money is moving and at what prices: the mood of the market.

Update| October 19, 17:48 Shares of Urban Company ended today’s trading session 9.92% lower at ₹142.6 apiece on the BSE. Original| October 19, 12:28 IST Shares of home services company Urban Company slumped 9.5% to ₹143.30 apiece on the BSE during early trading today, following its Q2 FY27 results and board approval for a fundraise of up to ₹2,500 Cr. At 12:10 IST, the stock was trading 8.56% lower at ₹144.75 on the BSE. The company’s market capitalisation stood at ₹22,323 Cr (about $2.7 Bn) at the time. Urban Company reported a consolidated net loss of ₹182.5 Cr for Q2 FY27 on Friday (October 16) as against a loss of ₹59.3 Cr a year earlier and ₹92.1 Cr in the preceding quarter. Operating revenue rose 41% to ₹537.3 Cr from ₹380 Cr in Q2 FY26. However, total expenses increased 61.5% to ₹745.7 Cr, driven largely by higher spending on its quick household help business, InstaHelp. The company reported an adjusted EBITDA loss of ₹144 Cr, including what it described as a “deliberate” ₹174 Cr investment in InstaHelp. Excluding the vertical, adjusted EBITDA stood at ₹30 Cr. The company’s board also approved a proposal to raise up to ₹2,500 Cr through equity shares and/or convertible securities via preferential allotment or private placement.

Read the full story at Inc42 (opens in a new tab)Published 19 Oct 2026. This is the publisher’s own feed excerpt.

In plain words: How much money is moving and at what prices: the mood of the market.

Restaurant chain Burma Burma’s parent entity, Hunger Pangs Limited, saw its net loss skyrocket nearly 31X to ₹15.4 Cr in the fiscal year 2025-26 (FY26) compared to ₹50 Lakh in the previous fiscal year. According to its draft red herring prospectus (DRHP), the restaurant chain’s revenue from operations also zoomed 46.6% to ₹155.5 Cr in the fiscal under review from ₹106.1 Cr in FY25. Including other income of ₹1.5 Cr, Burma Burma’s total income stood at ₹157 Cr in FY26. On the operational front, the restaurant chain’s EBITDA also climbed 20.2% to ₹25.7 Cr in FY26 from ₹21.4 Cr in the year ago fiscal. Besides its FY26 financials, the DRHP also shed light on the company’s Q1 FY27 numbers. Burma Burma’s parent reported a net profit of ₹1.1 Cr in the quarter under review against an operating revenue of ₹53.7 Cr. Given total expenses of ₹55.2 Cr during the quarter, what helped the company mint a profit in Q1 FY27 was ₹1.98 Cr in deferred tax credits. Burma Burma also reported an EBITDA profit of ₹11.4 Cr in the quarter ended June 2026, while the EBITDA margin stood at 21.3%. Founded in 2013 by Ankit Gupta and Chirag Chhajer, Hunger Pangs operates premium casual restaurant chain Burma Burma, which serves vegetarian Burmese cuisine. It competes with the likes of brands such as Mainland China, Mamagoto, Yum Yum Cha, and Berco’s.

Read the full story at Inc42 (opens in a new tab)Published 17 Oct 2026. This is the publisher’s own feed excerpt.

In plain words: How much money is moving and at what prices: the mood of the market.

Flipkart-owned travel platform Cleartrip’s net loss widened 28.1% YoY to ₹805 Cr in FY26 from ₹628.4 Cr in FY25, as its expenses continued to outpace revenue growth. The online travel aggregator’s operating revenue grew 20.8% to ₹198.3 Cr during the year from ₹164.1 Cr in the previous fiscal. Including other income, Cleartrip reported total income of around ₹241.3 Cr, compared with ₹366.7 Cr in FY25. Other income declined 34.2% YoY to ₹43 Cr. Meanwhile, spending on cashbacks and discounts rose 47.5% to ₹897.5 Cr in FY26 from ₹608.2 Cr a year earlier, outpacing top line growth. Cleartrip generated ₹702.2 Cr from service charges and ₹378.4 Cr from commissions and incentives before accounting for cashbacks and discounts, taking the combined figure to around ₹1,095.7 Cr. These figures should be distinguished from the operating revenue reported in its financial statements. Founded in 2006 by Hrush Bhatt, Matthew Spacie and Stuart Crighton, Cleartrip enables users to book flights, hotels, trains, buses and local activities through its website and app. Ecommerce major Flipkart acquired the company in 2021. Cleartrip’s accumulated losses rose to ₹3,828 Cr as of March 31, 2026, from ₹3,023 Cr a year earlier. Its negative net worth also widened to ₹3,066 Cr from ₹2,262 Cr in FY25.

Read the full story at Inc42 (opens in a new tab)Published 17 Oct 2026. This is the publisher’s own feed excerpt.

In plain words: How much money is moving and at what prices: the mood of the market.

Listed home services major Urban Company’s board approved a proposal to raise up to ₹2,500 Cr yesterday, seeking to shore up its war chest at a critical juncture. On one hand, Urban Company’s instant home services business, InstaHelp, is facing stiff competition. Fighting rivals Snabbit and Pronto for a slice of the market has turned out to be an expensive affair , with spending on InstaHelp contributing to Urban Company’s widening losses. At the same time, the company is looking to expand its product lineup under the Native brand by entering the residential air conditioner market. Meanwhile, its bread and butter consumer services continue to generate stable results. Urban Company’s financials reflect these pressures. The company reported an adjusted EBITDA loss of ₹144 Cr in Q2 FY27, driven by a ₹174 Cr investment in InstaHelp. Excluding InstaHelp, it reported an adjusted EBITDA profit of ₹30 Cr. During the quarter, consolidated revenue from operations grew 41.4% YoY to ₹537.3 Cr , while total expenses increased 61.5% to ₹745.7 Cr. Consequently, the company’s consolidated net loss more than tripled to ₹182.5 Cr from ₹59.3 Cr in the year-ago period.

Read the full story at Inc42 (opens in a new tab)Published 17 Oct 2026. This is the publisher’s own feed excerpt.

In plain words: A startup raised money. It shows which kinds of company investors are backing right now.

Battery-swapping startup Battery Smart has raised close to Rs 100 crore from an existing investor as it looks to expand its network for electric two- and three-wheelers. The fresh capital will support the company’s expansion plans as it continues to scale its battery-swapping network. According to its regulatory filings accessed by Entrackr , the company allotted 18,000 compulsorily convertible preference shares (CCPS) at an issue price of Rs 54,407 per share, aggregating to approximately Rs 98 crore from Ecosystem Integrity Fund. The round appears to be ongoing, with the Gurugram-based company likely to raise additional capital in tranches. In August 2026, Battery Smart had raised Rs 185.5 crore ($19.5 million) in a Series C funding round led by existing investor Rising Tide Ventures, with participation from Ecosystem Integrity Fund and Blume Ventures. As per Entrackr’s the company is valued around Rs 4170 crore or $440 million post money valuation. Battery Smart plans to use fresh proceeds to support business expansion, capital expenditure, working capital requirements and other general corporate purposes, the filings added. Founded in 2020, Battery Smart operates a battery-swapping network for electric two- and three-wheelers.

Read the full story at Entrackr (opens in a new tab)Published 17 Oct 2026. This is the publisher’s own feed excerpt.

In plain words: How much money is moving and at what prices: the mood of the market.

This week, 28 Indian startups raised $302.85 million across 8 growth-stage deals, 21 early-stage deals, and 1 undisclosed round. The week also saw 5 key appointments, 1 departure and a fund launch. In contrast, 28 startups had collectively secured about $113.35 million in the previous week. [ Growth-stage deals ] Growth-stage startups raised $220.37 million across eight deals this week, led by Tessolve Semiconductor, a Hero Electronix company, which secured $75 million from US-based Vector Line Capital. Homegrown sports brand Boldfit raised over Rs 400 crore in a Series B round led by Bharat Value Fund, while AI agent startup RapidCanvas secured $29 million from Vertex Ventures. Bengaluru-based Scimplify raised $25 million in a strategic round led by Hitachi Ventures. Construction robotics startup Origin raised $20 million in a round co-led by Accel and Zacua Ventures. Meanwhile, D2C personal care brand Nat Habit is raising Rs 142.6 crore ($15 million) in a fresh round led by Trident Growth Partners. Toothsi's parent MakeO raised Rs 90 crore from Singularity AMC, while B2B manufacturing startup CapGrid secured Rs 46.28 crore ($4.87 million) in a pre-Series B round led by Hero Enterprise Partner Ventures.

Read the full story at Entrackr (opens in a new tab)Published 17 Oct 2026. This is the publisher’s own feed excerpt.

In plain words: How much money is moving and at what prices: the mood of the market.

The Indian startup ecosystem continued to mature in FY26, with 22 new-age tech companies making their public market debut as against 13 in FY25. At the same time, a growing number of startups turned profitable or moved closer to profitability after years of cost rationalisation to adjust to the new funding realities. Despite a tough Q4 for many startups due to geopolitical uncertainties, Indian startups are expected to improve their top and bottom line numbers in FY26. Of the 102 startups in the tracker, 65, or about 63.7%, reported profits in FY26. However, the profitability picture remained uneven. Together, these 65 startups generated a net profit of ₹14,511.8 Cr, while the remaining 37 posted a cumulative loss of ₹30,950.8 Cr, underscoring that sustainable profitability remains a work in progress for a section of the ecosystem. Even so, the scale of India’s startup ecosystem continued to expand. The 102 companies generated ₹4.75 Lakh Cr in operating revenue in FY26, a sharp 34.62% increase from ₹3.53 Lakh Cr in FY25. To help you track the financial health of new-age tech companies, Inc42 has launched the FY26 Financial Tracker , bringing together key financial metrics in one place. The tracker will be updated periodically with the latest financial disclosures and deeper insights into the performance of India’s startup ecosystem.

Read the full story at Inc42 (opens in a new tab)Published 17 Oct 2026. This is the publisher’s own feed excerpt.

In plain words: How much money is moving and at what prices: the mood of the market.

Leverage Edu, which helps Indian students secure admissions to overseas universities, more than doubled its operating revenue in FY26 as it expanded its international presence. The Delhi-based company also turned EBITDA-positive during the year, while its net losses narrowed 82% year-on-year to Rs 19 crore. The edtech startup’s operating revenue more than doubled to Rs 364.4 crore in FY26 from Rs 173.3 crore in FY25, according to its consolidated financial statements filed with the Registrar of Companies (RoC). Founded by Akshay Chaturvedi in 2017, Leverage Edu helps students navigate the overseas education process, from university selection and admissions to education financing. The platform caters to students across India and international markets, with access to universities in the UK, US, Canada, Germany, Japan and Dubai. Student placement services remained Leverage Edu’s largest revenue stream in FY26, contributing 77% of operating revenue as the segment grew 2.3 times year-on-year to Rs 281.8 crore, supported by the company’s expansion into new markets. Its Fly business, launched in late 2022 to provide financial services to students going abroad, also gained traction, with revenue doubling to Rs 59.6 crore. The segment earns commissions from education loans, foreign exchange and student accommodation services.

Read the full story at Entrackr (opens in a new tab)Published 17 Oct 2026. This is the publisher’s own feed excerpt.

In plain words: How much money is moving and at what prices: the mood of the market.

Asia’s startup funding held up at the second-highest level in years in the third quarter, even as investment fell slightly from Q2 totals. Overall, investors put $38.5 billion into reported seed- through growth-stage financings for countries in the region in Q3, per Crunchbase data. Of that, a majority went to AI-focused companies, echoing the trends we’ve seen globally . Deal counts, meanwhile, were relatively flat. That indicates concentration of capital into favored startups remains pronounced but is not intensifying. Table of contents An AI-driven quarter China leads by far in country-by-country breakdown Late stage Early stage Seed A big quarter for China Methodology Glossary of funding terms An AI-driven quarter Around 55% of investment — an estimated $21 billion — went to AI-focused companies. Total funding is down substantially from the prior quarter, which was boosted by a $7.4 billion financing for China’s DeepSeek , but still the second-highest tally on record. For Q3, a couple of extra-large rounds bolstered the AI investment tally. The largest went to Beijing-based foundational model company Moonshot AI , which secured $3.5 billion in July at a reported $35 billion valuation. Kling AI , the AI spinout of China-based short video platform Kuaishou Technology , was the second-biggest fundraiser.

Read the full story at Crunchbase News (opens in a new tab)Published 16 Oct 2026. This is the publisher’s own feed excerpt.

In plain words: A startup raised money. It shows which kinds of company investors are backing right now.

B2B manufacturing startup CapGrid has raised Rs 46.28 crore, or $4.87 million, in a pre-Series B funding round led by new investor Hero Enterprise Partner Ventures, with participation from existing investors Nexus Venture Partners, Anicut Capital, and others. The board at CapGrid passed a special resolution to issue 2,888 compulsorily convertible preference shares (CCPS) at an issue price of Rs 1,60,263 per share to raise fresh capital, according to its regulatory filings accessed by Entrackr . Hero Enterprise Partner Ventures led the round with an investment of Rs 38.30 crore, while Axilor Technology Fund and Anicut Capital are investing Rs 3 crore each. Nexus Venture Partners and Amit Jain will contribute Rs 1 crore each. As per Entrackr’s estimates, the company’s post-money valuation surged over 50% to Rs 430 crore ($46 million), compared with its previous Series A round of $5 million led by Anicut Capital in February 2025. Following the pre-Series B allotment, Nexus Venture Partners remained the largest external shareholder, with an 18.08% stake, followed by Anicut Capital with 16.40% and Axilor Ventures with 11.94%. Co-founders Dheeraj Kumar Tiwari and Himanshu Singh Raghuvanshi each hold an 18.63% stake in the company. According to the filings, CapGrid will use the funds for expansion and growth, as well as to meet its additional capital requirements.

Read the full story at Entrackr (opens in a new tab)Published 16 Oct 2026. This is the publisher’s own feed excerpt.

In plain words: An investment firm raised or launched a fund. More money for them to invest, so a good moment to approach them.

Bid to Boost RupeeThis is part of a series of recent measures taken since last Saturday to arrest the rupee's slide. The currency, which remains among the worst performers against the dollar in Asia this year, ended higher Thursday at ₹95.15, in line with the near 2% surge in benchmark stock gauges.

Read the full story at ET Startups (opens in a new tab)Published 16 Oct 2026. This is the publisher’s own feed excerpt.

In plain words: How much money is moving and at what prices: the mood of the market.

Want to keep track of the largest startup funding deals in 2026 with our curated list of $100 million-plus venture deals to U.S.-based companies? Check out The Crunchbase Megadeals Board . This is a weekly feature that runs down the week’s Top 10 announced funding rounds in the U.S. Check out last week’s biggest funding deal roundup here . Startup investors aren’t exactly hitting pause, but they did scale back on giant rounds this past week, with just two startup financings in the multiple hundreds of millions. The biggest round went to AI infrastructure provider Modal Labs , which picked up $750 million, followed by construction automation unicorn Icon , which secured $200 million. Other sectors that attracted larger rounds this past week included biotech, insurance and AI. 1. Modal Labs , $750M, AI infrastructure: Modal Labs, a provider of cloud infrastructure for AI inference and other applications, secured $750 million in a Series D funding round led by Accel at a $15.75 billion valuation. The New York-headquartered company said it recently exceeded an annual revenue run rate of $1 billion. 2. Icon , $200M, construction tech: Austin-based Icon, a developer of robotic construction systems known for its 3D-printed homes, closed on $200 million in Series D funding led by Baillie Gifford and BlackRock . The company says it is on pace for 4x revenue growth in 2026. 3.

Read the full story at Crunchbase News (opens in a new tab)Published 16 Oct 2026. This is the publisher’s own feed excerpt.

In plain words: A startup raised money. It shows which kinds of company investors are backing right now.

Sifted shares only the headline in its public feed. The full story is on its site.

Read the full story at Sifted (opens in a new tab)Published 15 Oct 2026. This is the publisher’s own feed excerpt.

In plain words: How much money is moving and at what prices: the mood of the market.

It’s an insecure world out there, and investors are responding by scaling up their cybersecurity spending. For the third quarter of 2026, global cybersecurity- and privacy-focused startups pulled in a total of $6.8 billion, per Crunchbase data. That’s up about 50% from the prior quarter and tied for the highest quarterly tally in years, as charted below. The funding bump was due to larger rounds, not more of them. Round counts actually declined sequentially across all stages last quarter, Crunchbase data shows. Biggest cybersecurity fundraisers AI startups accounted for the overwhelming majority of cybersecurity funding, with a particular focus on identity security. Overall, at least 18 companies at the intersection of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity closed rounds of $100 million or more this past quarter. Of those, the largest funding recipient by far was enterprise identity security provider Keyfactor , which picked up $1 billion in a July growth round led by Summit Partners . Founded in 2001, the Ohio company isn’t exactly a startup, but it has attracted the bulk of its venture funding in the past 10 years and its pivot to AI is also of a more recent vintage. Dallas-based Island tied for second place with a $400 million September Series F led by Evolution Equity Partners .

Read the full story at Crunchbase News (opens in a new tab)Published 15 Oct 2026. This is the publisher’s own feed excerpt.

In plain words: How much money is moving and at what prices: the mood of the market.

Sifted shares only the headline in its public feed. The full story is on its site.

Read the full story at Sifted (opens in a new tab)Published 15 Oct 2026. This is the publisher’s own feed excerpt.

In plain words: A startup raised money. It shows which kinds of company investors are backing right now.

While helping another founder build an app that collected information about class-action settlements, Zim Hang came to learn how challenging it can be for consumers to seek compensation from companies they believe wronged them. He also discovered mass arbitration, a way to pursue individual claims when companies’ contracts prevent customers from joining class actions. At the same time, he also realized that relatively few law firms were set up to manage thousands of those claims at once. Zim Hang, founder and CEO of Chariot Claims. (Courtesy photo) That gap became the basis for Chariot Claims , which has raised $10 million in Series A funding led by Silverton Partners to help consumers pursue claims over alleged privacy violations, hidden fees and subscriptions that are difficult to cancel. Indicator Ventures , Lightbank , Neon Fund , ZVC , Rosecliff Ventures , Alumni Ventures , FJ Labs , Graph Ventures and Vermilion Ventures also participated in the financing. The New York-based startup works with law firms to identify potential cases, find affected consumers and gather information needed to pursue compensation. The round brings its total funding to $15.7 million, which includes a $3.6 million seed investment in April 2025 and an earlier pre-seed round. Chariot’s latest round comes amid a surge in investment across legal tech.

Read the full story at Crunchbase News (opens in a new tab)Published 15 Oct 2026. This is the publisher’s own feed excerpt.

In plain words: How much money is moving and at what prices: the mood of the market.

The funding comes as Ramp's annualized revenue crosses $2B, and its customer count reaches 85,000.

Read the full story at TechCrunch (opens in a new tab)Published 15 Oct 2026. This is the publisher’s own feed excerpt.

In plain words: How much money is moving and at what prices: the mood of the market.

Sifted shares only the headline in its public feed. The full story is on its site.

Read the full story at Sifted (opens in a new tab)Published 14 Oct 2026. This is the publisher’s own feed excerpt.

In plain words: A startup raised money. It shows which kinds of company investors are backing right now.

Jessica Herrin was pregnant with her first child and working at Dell when she began testing jewelry trunk shows in Austin on nights and weekends. The venture became Stella & Dot , a business that sold more than $2 billion in products through a network of independent sellers. Two decades later, Herrin is building a business around the marketing problems she encountered along the way. She started Marklo in 2025 to help consumer brands decide which products to promote and prepare their campaigns. The startup has now raised $5 million in seed funding, it tells Crunchbase News exclusively. Jessica Herrin, CEO and founder of Marklo AI. (Courtesy photo) Forerunner led the round, joined by Freestyle Capital and angel investors including former Klaviyo and current Shopify leaders. Marklo helps consumer brands plan marketing campaigns using their sales, inventory and past marketing data. Its software shows which promotions drove sales, suggests what products to promote next and uses AI to draft campaign briefs and organize tasks. While Marklo is still pre-revenue, more than 100 brands are already using its software in a pilot, according to Herrin. Those brands include Away , Clare V. , Monica + Andy , Maya Brenner and Latico Leathers . The Burlingame, California-based company is now opening its software to the public ahead of the holiday shopping season.

Read the full story at Crunchbase News (opens in a new tab)Published 14 Oct 2026. This is the publisher’s own feed excerpt.

In plain words: How much money is moving and at what prices: the mood of the market.

By Daniel Kjellén A first venture usually follows a well-worn playbook: a gap in the market, obsessive refinement of concept and pitch, eventual conviction that the solution is as bulletproof as it is revolutionary. Then, the dreaded phase of product-market fit. Instead of building the future of an entire industry, you find yourself forced to focus on a narrow use case and spend the first invaluable years proving that your idea can make money and scale. The grand vision gets put on pause. For most founders, this journey is the only one available. After all, investors are betting on someone who has never built a company before, so a small check and a narrow product limit what everyone stands to lose. But some ambitions need total commitment from the start, and having built a company before helps when taking them on. Lessons from the front line Daniel Kjellén, CEO and co-founder of Freda. After selling my first venture, Tink , to Visa for €1.8 billion (about $1.9 billion USD) in 2022, I found myself in a new position — and it wasn’t horizontal on a sun lounger. My co-founder Fredrik Hedberg and I had a real war chest of our own, and a brand-new entrepreneurial bug. For the first time in our lives, we had the experience and the resources to undertake something truly world-changing. Compliance is a gauntlet that any founder will be painfully familiar with.

Read the full story at Crunchbase News (opens in a new tab)Published 14 Oct 2026. This is the publisher’s own feed excerpt.