With August coming to an end, deeptech stole the funding spotlight, while AI, consumer, and faith-tech startups also kept investors busy.
ETEntrepreneur brings a roundup of key deals below.
WATER raises $2.5 mn funding led by Endiya Partners
Physical AI startup WATER has raised $2.5 million in a funding round led by Endiya Partners, as it looks to build an intelligence layer for adaptive physical surfaces that can sense, understand and respond to the human body in real time.
The round also saw participation from Pullela Gopichand, Rohit Chennamaneni, Nandan Reddy and other angel investors.
The fresh capital will support WATER’s technical validation, including testing whether its underlying model can transfer its understanding across different products and users.
Read the whole story here.
Nexedge Capital raises $20 mn in maiden funding round led by Mirae Asset Venture Investment, Elev8
Wealth management and multi-family office firm Nexedge Capital has raised $20 million in its maiden funding round, led by Mirae Asset Venture Investment and Elev8 Venture Partners.
The fresh capital will be used to strengthen its technology platform, expand its senior banker network and deepen its presence across India, including in tier II and tier III cities.
The firm also plans to build complementary offerings, including a dedicated proposition for NRIs and an NBFC business.
Read the whole story here.
InstaAstro raises $12 mn series A funding led by Singularity AMC and Artha Venture Fund
InstaAstro has raised $12 million in a series A funding round led by Singularity AMC and Artha Venture Fund, as the startup looks to scale its faith-tech platform after crossing ₹200 crore in annualised revenue run-rate.
The round also saw participation from the company’s founders.
The fresh capital will be used to strengthen InstaAstro’s AI-led product capabilities, expand its regional and international presence, and scale its Pooja Seva and spiritual commerce businesses.
Read the whole story here.
OORJAA raises ₹9.7 cr in series A first close led by Equentis Angel Fund
Logistics platform OORJAA has raised ₹9.7 crore in the first close of its series A funding round led by Equentis Angel Fund, with participation from Inflection Point Ventures (IPV).
The company said it is in advanced discussions with several VC funds for the larger round.
The fresh capital will go towards strengthening Datashastra, OORJAA’s proprietary AI/SaaS logistics stack, including its control-tower and automation capabilities.
Read the whole story here.
Biryani Bees raises $1 mn funding from Vivek Oberoi Family Office
Biryani and Indian meals brand Biryani Bees has raised $1 million from the Vivek Oberoi Family Office, as the company looks to expand from its current three outlets in Uttar Pradesh to 10 outlets across UP, Madhya Pradesh and other high-potential Tier II markets.
The investment will initially fund the expansion to 10 outlets, along with strengthening Biryani Bees’ central kitchen infrastructure, building its operating team and establishing a repeatable expansion playbook for Tier II markets.
Read the whole story here.
Scooby’s Club raises $250K pre-seed funding led by TDV Partners
Pet care startup Scooby’s Club has raised $250,000 in a pre-seed funding round led by TDV Partners, as it looks to build a network of premium, neighbourhood-based dog care hubs starting with Bengaluru.
The fresh capital will be used to open two new properties across Bengaluru over the next 6-12 months, while hiring and training canine coaches.
Scooby’s Club eventually plans to build a network of 100 properties across major Indian cities, using a neighbourhood-led model to bring dog care closer to pet parents.
Read the whole story here.
TrucksUp raises $8.2 mn in growth funding
Logistics technology platform TrucksUp has raised $8.2 million in its latest growth funding round, taking its post-money enterprise valuation to $42.3 million.
The round saw participation from institutional investors, family offices and TrucksUp cofounders Sarthak Shah Elwadhi and Aviraj Singh Chadha, who personally invested to increase their long-term equity holdings in the company.
The fresh capital will be used to deepen TrucksUp’s core technology capabilities, expand its engineering and data science teams, invest in deep-tech innovation and meet working capital requirements.
Read the whole story here.
Verlinvest, Mirchandani family increase stakes in Epigamia as Sauce joins shareholder group
Investment firm Verlinvest and the family of late Epigamia founder Rohan Mirchandani have increased their respective stakes in Epigamia through secondary purchases, while consumer-focused venture capital firm Sauce has joined the company’s shareholder group.
Verlinvest said the investment reflects its view that Indian consumers are increasingly moving towards healthy, calorie-conscious and high-protein foods.
Read the whole story here.
Rohit Sharma joins LightFury Games as investor ahead of game launch
Former Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma has joined Bengaluru-based gaming studio LightFury Games as an investor, expanding the roster of high-profile cricketers backing the company as it prepares to launch its flagship title, eCricket.
With the investment, Sharma joins MS Dhoni, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Tilak Varma and Sai Sudharsan, who participated as strategic investors in the company’s $11 million pre-series A round announced in April.
LightFury has not disclosed the size or terms of Sharma’s investment.
Read the whole story here.
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