Startup News Review: Advancements at OpenAI, Funding Rounds, and New Projects

YourStory's daily startup news roundup presents the latest achievements across various sectors, including the transformation of corporate veteran well-being and leadership changes at ALLEN.

New Approaches to Well-being

Two experienced corporate-level leaders, Rahul Singhal and Anshul Hullar, decided to rethink the concept of well-being. After more than two decades working in senior roles within demanding corporations, they found that constant pressure and long working hours had become the norm, despite professional success.

These childhood friends began questioning whether their career peak was achieved at the cost of personal well-being. In response to these existential questions, they founded The Good Doll in Nilgiris, creating an Indian answer to Barbie. Today, the company employs over 100 women artisans, relying on local craftsmanship, culture, and purpose.

Corporate and Technology Updates

ALLEN has undergone a long-term leadership transition, appointing Aviral Maheshwari, Anand Maheshwari, and Keshav Maheshwari to its Board of Directors. These appointments bring the next generation of leaders alongside the founders and the professional management team. Aviral Maheshwari has led operational initiatives since 2014, Anand Maheshwari has focused on digital integration since 2019, and Keshav Maheshwari has overseen the company's international business. The goal of this move is to strengthen governance and support ALLEN's long-term institutional growth.

Emeritus Enterprise reported a significant surge in demand for AI and leadership training. For the fiscal year 26, the company conducted over 600 enterprise training programs, with more than 80% dedicated to Agentic AI and leadership development. Over 120,000 professionals globally have been trained, with India emerging as the largest market for role-based AI training. More than 80% of corporate clients are establishing AI training academies to support internal adoption. Demand has expanded beyond technical teams, encompassing functions such as sales, marketing, finance, HR, and operations. The company noted a 30% increase in female enrollment over the year, reflecting broader participation in corporate AI upskilling.

Innovations in Transport and Services

The Holidays.ai launched an AI-powered travel planning platform. This platform offers personalized destination recommendations, custom itineraries, and travel assistance via conversational AI. Founded by AxisRooms co-founder Ravi Taneydge, the platform builds trip plans based on user preferences, budget, travel style, and duration, covering everything from short weekends to international vacations. The company aims to simplify the planning process by integrating destination search, itinerary creation, and personalized recommendations into a single AI-powered platform, with plans to add further end-to-end service features.

Zelio E-Mobility opened a manufacturing facility in Coimbatore to strengthen its presence in South India. The 39,000 sq ft plant has an installed annual production capacity of 60,000 electric two-wheelers, with initial output expected to be between 24,000–30,000 units annually. This facility will serve the markets of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Southern Maharashtra. The expansion increases Zelio's total production capacity to 240,000 units per year and is expected to support dealer network expansion, supply chain efficiency, and regional growth.

BikeWo Green Tech entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with KlikAir to explore an integrated multimodal logistics and air freight platform. The partnership will conduct pilot operations for transporting urgent and high-value goods in sectors such as healthcare, pharmaceuticals, e-commerce, electronics, and automotive. The companies will evaluate air transport operations, airport logistics, cargo tracking, and last-mile delivery. Upon successful completion of pilots, they plan to establish a technologically equipped air freight network connecting megacities and second and third-tier cities through integrated road and air logistics.

Industry Collaborations

Renowned chef Vicky Ratnani presented an exclusive dinnerware collection in collaboration with FNS International at the 19th HGH India exhibition. This line complements the partners' premium tableware portfolio following the launch of the serving ware collection in 2025. The collection features WALES, cutlery designed using a heat-reaction process that sets patterns and color onto the steel surface for enhanced durability. The collection targets the premium home and lifestyle segment, blending Ratnani's design approach with FNS International's manufacturing expertise.

LTM partnered with Anthropic to assist enterprises in implementing Claude, Claude Code, and Claude Cowork across software development, application modernization, and business process areas. The collaboration will focus on integrating Anthropic's AI models into LTM's BlueVerse platform, expanding the AI1000 talent program to train Claude-certified specialists, and establishing a dedicated Claude Center of Excellence. The partnership targets industries such as banking, financial services, technology, consumer goods, and manufacturing, aiming to accelerate enterprise AI adoption and boost productivity through large-scale AI deployment.

Fulcrum Digital plans to hire 800 technical specialists over the next nine months following a major enterprise contract win. Recruitment spans India, Europe, and the US, covering software engineering, data engineering, DevOps, test automation, AI solution architecture, prompt engineering, MLOps, and technical program management. The company is also expanding its client-facing engineering team, combining technical expertise with client interaction and business strategy. This hiring reflects the growing demand for specialists capable of deploying AI solutions and integrating them into large-scale corporate operations.

Applications for Tech30 2026, YourStory's flagship program that highlights the most promising early-stage startups in India, have officially opened. Every year, Tech30 selects thirty early-stage startups developing breakthrough technologies in India.

Event and Summit Theme

The 2026 cohort will be featured at TechSparks 2026—YourStory's premier technology summit, which will take place in Bengaluru from October 13 to 15. This year's theme is 'The New Technological Order,' reflecting the transition of India's deep tech sector from initial potential to real global impact. Tech30 continues to serve as a key platform for identifying the founders driving this transition.

Program History and Achievements

Over many years, Tech30 has established itself as one of the most closely tracked startup lists in India. Its alumni include companies such as Freshworks, Chargebee, Juspay, Innovaccer, Capillary, Skyroot, Pixxel, Qure.ai, Addverb, Hasura, Digantara, Apna, Onsurity, and DeepSource. Collectively, previous Tech30 cohorts have contributed to the creation of two IPO companies, five unicorns, nine 'superunicorns,' and 45 'minicorns.' These companies have created over 35,000 jobs across 53 different locations.

Even more telling is the longevity of these companies: nearly two-thirds of all Tech30 alumni (64.3%) remain actively operating, demonstrating the program's ability to identify companies with long-term potential.

Benefits for Selected Startups

The thirty startups selected for Tech30 2026 will receive a dedicated exhibition booth at TechSparks 2026. This will allow them to showcase their products to investors, corporations, founders, operators, and the wider startup community over the three days of the event. Furthermore, inclusion in the list means the startups will be alongside a cohort that consistently identifies companies long before they become widely known.

Participant Requirements and Fields of Activity

Tech30 2026 seeks early-stage startups in deep technology that solve complex and defensible problems. The program is open to startups operating in various sectors, including space and defense, drones and unmanned systems, robotics and autonomous systems, artificial intelligence, advanced materials, and next-generation communications.

This year, the program places increased emphasis on startups operating outside major urban centers in India. Founders from Tier 2 cities and emerging startup hubs are strongly encouraged to apply, reflecting the growing depth of innovation across the country.

Selection Process and Application Submission

Applications undergo a two-stage evaluation process. Startups are assessed based on the strength and defensibility of their technology, the significance of the problem they solve, the capabilities of the founding team, product maturity, market opportunities, scalability, and overall business viability. The goal of the process is simple: to find 30 startups with the potential to shape the next phase of India's deep tech ecosystem.

Applications for Tech30 2026 are open and close on August 24. Founders can submit their applications through the Tech30 2026 registration form. For those building a deep tech startup in India, this is a chance to become part of one of the country's most sought-after early-stage startup cohorts.

The daily startup news roundup for July 8, 2026, covers the latest achievements across various sectors, including developments in food products and technology company financing.

New Brands and Products

Sisters Manvi Agnihotri and Shin Hitaiashi founded the brand The Sweet Change, which offers a natural monk fruit-based sweetener in powder and drop form. This product is intended to play a key role in maintaining health through nutrition.

Investment News

The educational platform Elevate Education, based in Gurugram and previously known as Sunstone, raised ₹170 crore in a Series D funding round from investment firm WestBridge Capital. The funds will be used to strengthen the technology platform, deepen the use of artificial intelligence across all services, and expand partnerships with colleges and universities across India.

Adage Automation, specializing in environmental monitoring systems and gas analysis, secured ₹230 crore in a growth round. The round was led by the fund InCred Growth Partners Fund, a private investment platform of InCred Alternative Investments.

The electric vehicle mobility platform Milo Drive received $2.4 million in a seed round, co-led by Caret Capital and Antler India. Founded by Monil Jayshkumar Khatri and Vishal Jevraike, the startup uses a low capital expenditure technological model to serve the taxi ecosystem in India. It integrates vehicle access management, smart charging, demand aggregation, and operator tools to improve fleet efficiency and driver income. Milo Drive has already facilitated over one million rides and plans to scale nationwide.

The dietary brand Doodhvale Farms attracted an additional $1 million from existing investor Atomic Capital Fund I. These funds will be used for market expansion, product innovation, and AI-driven initiatives such as demand forecasting and route optimization. Over the past year, Doodhvale Farms has shown revenue growth of approximately 65%, with its D2C business accounting for nearly 90% of total revenue. The company operates in Delhi-NCR, Chandigarh, Ambala, Karnal, and Meerut.

Health and Tech Investments

The science-oriented skincare startup Neothera raised ₹9 crore in a pre-seed round led by Blume Ventures. Founded by Radhika Agarwal, the company creates technology-based solutions for treating chronic skin diseases, combining diagnostics, behavioral interventions, physician-supervised protocols, and clinical formulations. The new funding will be used to enhance technological capabilities, expand R&D, grow the clinical team, and scale customer acquisition across India.

The tech startup eNLife Research from Bengaluru raised ₹6 crore in a seed round led by Piper Serica VC Fund. The company intends to use the capital to advance its blood-based biomarker platform, expand its research team, and conduct clinical validation of its first diagnostic assay. eNLife, incubated at the Indian Institute of Science's Science and Development Fund, develops AI-based diagnostic solutions for Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.

The women-led startup Avni Wellness secured ₹4 crore in a strategic funding round led by Proteus Partners. The company will use the funds to strengthen digital commerce operations, expand its cycle nutrition portfolio, and scale its network of women-led micro-entrepreneurs to 10,000 entrepreneurs across India. Digital channels, including direct-to-consumer sales and e-commerce, currently account for almost 75% of revenue.

Market Expansion and Retail

The direct eyewear brand Rawbare attracted new funding from Teamology Softech and Media Services, although the investment amount was not disclosed. The startup plans to use the funds to increase its retail network, accelerate product development, and strengthen its global presence. Rawbare emphasized that it focuses on building a differentiated eyewear brand rather than rapid expansion, prioritizing sustainable growth and customer loyalty.

Other Industry News

Swiggy expanded its Food on Train service to 180 cities across India, strengthening its railway food delivery network. The company reported that orders through this service grew threefold year-over-year in the first quarter of 2026. High usage of the 'Scan your Ticket' feature, which allows travelers to upload tickets for automatic PNR identification and seamless food ordering, was also noted. Multi-station orders increased by over 300% year-over-year, with such customers spending nearly 2.2 times more than passengers placing a single order.

Tech company UST entered into a strategic alliance with AI research firm Anthropic to assist Global 1000 enterprises in scaling AI adoption. Under the partnership, UST will integrate Anthropic's Claude AI models into engineering environments and enterprise workflows in sectors such as semiconductors, automotive, manufacturing, telecommunications, and IoT. The collaboration aims to help organizations move beyond isolated AI pilot projects and implement robust AI solutions into business operations.

TELUS Digital partnered with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) to promote cutting-edge research in artificial intelligence and strengthen India's digital talent ecosystem. The collaboration will focus on joint R&D projects, technological innovations, skill development programs, internships, and academic exchange. Ericsson launched the Ericsson Innovation Challenge, a national initiative to encourage startups, researchers, and technological innovators to create solutions using 5G, AI, cloud computing, and IoT technologies. The program is conducted jointly with IAN Mentoring and Incubation Services and TiE Delhi-NCR.

Flipkart extended its zero-commission policy to the entire fashion apparel category on its marketplace, which is expected to benefit nearly 90,000 fashion sellers, including SMEs and D2C brands.

HR platform Darwinbox is collaborating with global payroll provider Neeyamo to offer businesses a unified solution for human resources management and payroll processing. This partnership allows organizations to utilize payroll operations in international markets through Neeyamo while maintaining a single employee data system in Darwinbox.

Jio Haptik introduced SOLO, an AI-powered platform designed to automate marketing, sales, and customer support for individual entrepreneurs and small businesses.