The agricultural community is being viewed as a promising path to improving farmers' livelihoods, while Indian startups continue to attract investments. YourStory presents the main headlines of the day with the latest events across various sectors.
The agricultural community is being viewed as a promising path to improving farmers' livelihoods, while Indian startups continue to attract investments. YourStory presents the main headlines of the day with the latest events across various sectors.
An entrepreneur is helping small farmers increase their income by supporting the agricultural community. Spudnik Farms, founded by Sumit Kaur, uses a subscription model to connect urban consumers with local farmers. This company collaborates with 250 farmers in Karnataka, helping them earn higher incomes while promoting seasonal, local, and organic produce.
The fintech company BusinessNext has attracted $40 million from ServiceNow. ServiceNow, a workplace management software developer, announced a $40 million investment in BusinessNext, a Noida-headquartered tech firm specializing in the banking and financial industry. The Series C round valued BusinessNext at $700 million and is aimed at strengthening the company's efforts to implement autonomous operations and private AI solutions in the banking sector.
Startup CARPL.ai, an AI radiology marketplace and enterprise platform, raised $10 million in a Series A round led by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a private sector arm of the World Bank Group, with participation from Stellaris Venture Partners and other investors. CARPL.ai was part of the YourStory Tech30 2022 cohort.
Farm Watt Innovations raised ₹32.5 crore to expand its bioenergy network. This climate-focused agribusiness converts agricultural waste into biomass for Compressed Biogas (CBG) plants and other renewable energy sources, helping reduce straw burning and greenhouse gas emissions while creating rural jobs. The capital raised will be used to expand biomass collection networks, create additional aggregation nodes, invest in equipment, and strengthen the staff. The company plans to develop its own portfolio of CBG, bio-pellet, and biochar plants in the future, creating an integrated circular bioeconomy platform that delivers environmental, social, and economic benefits.
The home improvement service platform Wiffy raised $3 million in a Series A round led by Earth Fund, with participation from Japan's Persol Holdings and existing investor Capria Ventures. The company provides post-sale installation and maintenance services for over 100 brands, including IKEA, Panasonic, Godrej, Hettich, and Amazon. The funds will be used to enhance the technology platform, strengthen AI-based workforce management, expand enterprise partnerships, and enter new service categories. Wiffy operates through a network of over 5,000 certified technicians and has serviced more than one million homes in 100 cities, with its business model primarily based on large enterprise partnerships.
The AI-driven insurance startup NeuralKart raised ₹2.35 crore in a seed round led by Inflection Point Ventures. The Bengaluru-based company develops AI-powered decision-making tools that automate insurance underwriting, claims processing, and industrial safety assessment. The new capital will be directed towards strengthening product development, expanding AI and machine learning capabilities, and accelerating customer acquisition and market entry. NeuralKart has reported securing contracts with paying corporate clients and maintaining 100% customer retention. The company collaborates with leading insurance companies and industrial risk firms, and has entered into a co-development partnership for its FieldSense platform, targeting the growing markets of insurance automation and industrial safety technologies.
The AI-based supplementary education platform Upkraft raised ₹1.6 crore in a pre-seed funding round led by PedalStart, with participation from angel investors, entrepreneurs, and early ecosystem participants. Founded by Tejasvi Singh Kushwaha, Varun Mangal, and Kritika Varandani, the startup offers structured extracurricular programs for students at home, in schools, and in residential complexes. The company intends to use the funds to develop personalized AI-based learning tools, expand operations in Bengaluru and Gurugram, strengthen its technology platform, and build teams in product, engineering, sales, and tutoring. Over the next 12–18 months, Upkraft aims to increase student enrollment and deepen its presence in key markets.
Utho Cloud announced plans to deploy 10,000 Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) over the next seven to eight quarters to bolster India's sovereign AI infrastructure. These investments will include NVIDIA H200, H100, A100, RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell, and L4 GPUs, enabling enterprises, startups, researchers, and government organizations to access high-performance AI computing hosted entirely in India. The company stated that its platform will offer predictable pricing in Indian Rupees, guaranteed GPU availability, compliance with data residency requirements under the Personal Data Protection Act, and 24/7 support. With over 51,000 users, Utho aims to reduce dependence on foreign cloud infrastructure while providing secure AI capabilities for domestic organizations.
Google concluded a parliamentary demonstration of its 'Build with AI: Code for Communities' event. This initiative aims to connect AI innovations with public governance. The program, organized jointly with The Dialogue, presented 12 winning teams of AI solution developers to members of parliament. Over 7,000 developers from more than 18 Indian cities participated, creating over 1,000 open-source projects using Google's Gemini and Gemma AI models. The presented solutions covered civic governance, public health, agriculture, and environmental issues. Google reported that the selected projects will be piloted in parliamentary constituencies, demonstrating how AI can improve public service delivery and societal well-being across the country.
Cars24 Labs, the AI innovation unit of Cars24, partnered with the Startup Policy Forum (SPF) to support responsible AI adoption and policy development in India. Under this partnership, Cars24 Labs will participate in AI policy discussions, founder meetings, industry dialogues, and global immersion programs, sharing practical experience in implementing AI within its business. SPF represents over 75 new companies and works to strengthen India's startup ecosystem. The collaboration aims to bring together founders, policymakers, researchers, and technology leaders to exchange ideas and assist in shaping AI policy. Cars24 Labs noted that this initiative reflects its commitment to supporting India's ascent as a global leader in artificial intelligence.
Cashfree Payments introduced a limited-time offer waiving payment gateway fees for new businesses on the first ₹20 lakh of Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) processed through its platform until March 31, 2027. The goal of this initiative is to help small and growing businesses improve cash flow before the festive season. In addition to fee waivers, new sellers will gain access to registration in minutes, next-day settlements, and dedicated account managers during peak sales periods. Cashfree stated that this move will allow businesses to reinvest saved funds into inventory, marketing, and logistics, simplifying digital payments and reducing operational costs for SMEs.
Wipro Consumer Care & Lighting signed definitive agreements to acquire the brands Good Home and Eva from TTK Healthcare Ltd. for ₹256 crore. This acquisition strengthens Wipro's presence in the home goods and personal hygiene segments. Good Home offers products such as air fresheners, scrubs, and drain cleaners, while Eva is a well-known deodorant brand in India, offering body sprays, perfumes, roll-on deodorants, and talc. Together, the two brands generated revenue of ₹148 crore in FY26. Wipro stated that the acquisition aligns with its strategy to expand into trusted, fast-growing consumer categories driven by rising hygiene awareness, premiumization, and changing lifestyle preferences.
Campus Fund appointed Dr. Howard L. Morgan to its advisory board. Campus Fund, a venture fund focused on student-founded and dropout startups, invited experienced investor Dr. Howard L. Morgan to its Global Advisory Board. Morgan is the Chairman and General Partner of B Capital and a co-founder of First Round Capital, an early-stage investor in companies like Uber, Square, Roblox, and Notion. His appointment comes as Campus Fund deploys its third and largest fund—a $100 million corpus announced in June 2025—to support up to 60 startups over four years. The fund evaluates over 7,000 startups annually through a network of more than 100 student scouts, investing in deep tech, space tech, and climate tech.
Quest Global was recognized as a leader in the ISG Provider Lens Semiconductor Industry Services and Solutions 2026 report for the US market. The engineering services firm secured a leadership position in design, testing, and verification services, as well as manufacturing and engineering services. ISG highlighted Quest Global's capabilities in silicon engineering, custom SoC and ASIC development, embedded systems, and manufacturing engineering. The report also noted the company's 'silicon to system and cloud' approach and AI-driven engineering methodologies, which help semiconductor companies reduce design cycles, improve first-silicon success rates, and accelerate next-generation semiconductor development.
InCred Asset Management surpassed ₹1,000 crore in assets under management in the healthcare sector. The firm reached the ₹1,000 crore mark in investments in healthcare sector stocks through its portfolio management services, becoming one of the largest PMS providers specializing in healthcare in India. The healthcare strategy, launched in February 2021, demonstrated a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 18.97%, outpacing the BSE 500 TRI CAGR of 13.27%, according to the company. Portfolios invest in pharmaceuticals, hospitals, diagnostics, medical technology, and contract research organizations. InCred stated that this milestone reflects growing investor confidence in the Indian healthcare sector, supported by structural factors such as rising healthcare expenditure, expanding insurance coverage, favorable demographics, and increased medical service innovation.
Konnect Insights launched an AI Research Cloud. The client experience platform Konnect Insights introduced Konnect Research Cloud (KRC)—an intelligent AI-powered platform designed to help enterprises analyze customer data from multiple systems using natural language queries. The platform connects to existing customer-facing technology stacks and provides actionable insights in seconds to support business decision-making. KRC marks the first step toward the company's vision of creating a Front Office Operating System that unifies corporate technologies through AI. The solution is immediately available to corporate clients globally. Konnect Insights manages cloud infrastructure in India, UAE, Saudi Arabia, the US, the UK, and Germany to ensure compliance with regional data residency requirements.
YourStory presents a daily review of the latest events in the startup sphere, highlighting recent developments across various sectors.
OpenAI promoted Udai Radraraju to Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for computing power. This appointment is timely given the increasing importance of access to large-scale computing infrastructure in the race to create advanced artificial intelligence models. Competition among AI companies is intensifying due to the need to secure the computational power, network capabilities, and data center infrastructure required to train and deploy increasingly complex foundational models.
The technology startup Plazza, based in Bengaluru, secured $15 million in a Series A round. This round was co-led by Accel, Elevation Capital, and Nexus Venture Partners, with participation from existing investors All In Capital and Better Capital. Plazza develops a technology-based platform for retail pharmacy and rapid medicine delivery. The company stated that the raised capital will be used to strengthen its technology stack, improve AI-based inventory management, expand operational capabilities, and increase its pharmacy network in new regions.
The Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) SG Finserve entered into a partnership with BharatPe Money, BharatPe's credit services division, and fintech infrastructure company Succesship Technologies. The goal of this collaboration is to launch a digital lending solution for merchants. The partnership aims to improve access to formal credit for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in India by offering a fully digital and cashless borrowing experience. The solution is developed in accordance with the Reserve Bank of India's guidelines on digital lending, focusing on customer consent, transparency, responsible lending, and regulatory compliance. Eligible merchants can apply for loans through a simplified digital process with accelerated approval and minimal documentation.
In the aerospace sector, the Chennai-based startup The ePlane Company unveiled the first full-scale prototype of its electric aircraft, e200X (PT-01), at a new 60,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Chennai. This achievement marks a significant milestone for the startup, incubated by IIT Madras, which received Design Organization Approval (DOA) from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in 2023. Certified test flights of the aircraft are planned to begin by mid-next year. The eVTOL aircraft e200X (PT-01) is made entirely of carbon fiber, measures 8 by 11 meters, and weighs up to 2.2 tons. It is designed to operate within existing urban infrastructure, such as helipads and open spaces, eliminating the need for specialized landing sites.
The taxi platform Namma Yatri organized an event in Bengaluru aimed at encouraging greater participation of women in the mobility ecosystem. The activity invited women from various professional fields to experience a day in the life of a partner driver. This demonstrated professional driving as a career providing financial independence, flexible working hours, and dignity, while challenging stereotypes about women in the mobility sector. The event started at Kempegowda International Airport, where participants logged into the Namma Yatri app, accepted ride requests, and transported passengers around Bengaluru, simulating the daily routine of drivers. Throughout the day, participants interacted with passengers, navigated city roads, and gained firsthand insight into both the opportunities and challenges of professional driving.
MJ Digital Services Pvt Ltd, the parent company of the assisted fintech platform Ezeepay, introduced a new corporate identity. This is part of the company's strategy to position itself as a diversified provider of digital financial services. The rebranding reflects the company's long-term goal of building an inclusive, technology-driven financial ecosystem that bridges the gap between formal financial institutions and underserved communities across India. While Ezeepay will continue to operate as the flagship brand of the assisted fintech platform, MJ Digital Services will function as the parent technology company, driving innovation in digital payments, assisted banking, merchant enablement, Banking as a Service (BaaS), API-based financial infrastructure, SaaS platforms, embedded finance solutions, compliance technologies, and digital financial infrastructure.
YourStory presents a summary of the latest events across various sectors, highlighting key updates in the startup world.
Avendus Future Leaders Fund III (FLF), a private strategic fund of Avendus Group, executed a secondary transaction, investing approximately 140 crore rupees in Parag Parikh Financial Advisory Services (PPFAS). This investment was made through the acquisition of shares from promoters Neil Parag Parikh and Khushboo Joshi.
Founded in 1992, PPFAS is an equity-focused asset management company. FLF stated that this deal aligns with its strategy of supporting leading market enterprises with strong fundamentals and long-term growth potential. Furthermore, the fund announced plans to reach its final close at approximately 1,800 crore rupees by the end of July.
The futuristic footwear manufacturer BUILT secured $2 million in a seed round. The round was led by Tanglin Venture Partners, with participation from angel investor Bharat Kalia of Lifelong. The startup focuses on creating a footwear brand centered on natural movement in the Indian market. This segment is gaining global popularity due to brands like Vivobarefoot, Xero Shoes, and Lems, amid growing consumer interest in mobility, functional fitness, and foot health.
BUILT, co-founded by Vedant Lamba (also founder of Mainstreet Marketplace) and Vijayant Dhaka, aims to bring this category to the Indian market, where awareness remains limited, and traditional footwear continues to prioritize cushioning and aesthetics over natural foot movement.
The new terminal at JFK International Airport (JFK) has partnered with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to create one of the most advanced digital airport experiences globally. Serving as the strategic partner for technology and innovation at the terminal, TCS will assist in shaping an intelligent, digitized ecosystem. The goal of this work is to enhance passenger journeys, optimize airline operations, and improve the overall efficiency of the terminal.
The collaboration involves providing TCS with comprehensive technology services, including passenger processing systems, AI-based IT operations, infrastructure management, corporate application support, and cybersecurity. This is expected to help reduce operational costs for airlines and ensure a more comfortable travel experience for passengers.
IITM Pravartak Technologies Foundation has joined forces with Madhubun Educational Books and BodhBridge Education to ensure the accessibility of future-ready, industry-relevant educational programs for schoolchildren and teachers across India. This initiative will offer a range of online courses featuring live expert interactive sessions, learning materials, case studies, and access to recorded lectures. All educational programs and resources will be available free of charge.
Participants wishing to receive a certificate can register for an online certification exam for a small fee. Successful candidates will receive a certificate with a performance rating from IITM Pravartak. Registration is open at bodhbridge.iitmpravartak.org.in/madhubun. The first batch starts on August 7, with registration closing on August 3. The partnership will also facilitate programs in the form of on-site school training and immersive sessions at IIT Madras Pravartak, IITM Research Park, and other partner locations.
The startup Deeptech Meine Electric has developed, it claims, the world's first fast-charging iron-air battery for long-duration energy storage. The technology received independent verification from Customized Energy Solutions (CES). The battery utilizes the company's patented Fast Charge Long Discharge technology, allowing it to fully charge in six hours and continuously discharge for over 18 hours. According to the company, CES, an American energy services and technology provider and the parent organization of India Energy Storage Alliance, conducted the independent validation.
The verification was performed at the CES Battery Lab using a structured testing protocol to assess the battery's electrochemical performance, capacity retention, and operational stability.
Route Mobile Ltd, a Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) provider, and Proximus Global signed an agreement to transfer business through its subsidiary Route Connect Pvt Ltd. This agreement entails the acquisition of a specific business entity, Heltar Technologies Pvt Ltd. The acquisition, structured as a divestiture, integrates Heltar's AI-powered omnichannel customer engagement platform into Route Mobile's portfolio.
Agentic AI communications platform Fundamento AI appointed veteran BFSI executive Dhiraj Kalra as Chief Business Officer (CBO). His mandate is to lead business growth, strategic partnerships, and enterprise expansion in India and the US. Kalra possesses over 25 years of experience in banking, insurance, and fintech. He held leadership roles at Kotak, Aviva Life, MakeMyTrip, and Paisabazaar, including positions as Chief Operating Officer and Business Director.
At the time of his appointment, the company is expanding its presence in the financial services sector. Fundamento recently launched its agentic AI platform for creditors in the US and reported that it now processes over 10 million customer interactions monthly in banking, lending, and insurance domains.
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay has partnered with edtech platform Simplilearn to launch an online Master's diploma program in Digital Governance. This two-year program is designed for working professionals with experience in technology, management, and public policy. It aims to deepen the understanding of digital governance and its application in both public and private sectors. The program is open to candidates from various academic and professional backgrounds meeting eligibility criteria, including relevant work experience. Interested individuals can apply via the Simplilearn website.
Global fintech company Payoneer has opened a new innovation center in Gurugram to strengthen technology development and business operations, with a focus on artificial intelligence. The new center brings together teams in engineering, go-to-market, and workforce management, with plans to expand as the company's global operations scale. Payoneer stated that the Gurugram center will play a key role in advancing AI capabilities by uniting teams in engineering, product, data, AI, compliance technology, commerce, operations, and workforce management. The center will focus on building core platform functions and AI-driven customer experiences while improving payment solutions for the company's corporate marketplace. The company also noted that the center will support cross-border payments and business operational needs in India and globally.
