Top Startup News of the Week: Fintech, Deeptech and Policy Push Lead the Week

After a few quiet weeks, India’s startup ecosystem saw renewed activity on multiple fronts — from a rebound in funding and new unicorns to government-led ecosystem boosts and global tech shifts. The week spanning October 5 to 12, 2025, marked a return of investor confidence in select sectors like fintech, deeptech, and AI, while state governments ramped up efforts to create a more structured support system for young ventures.

According to industry trackers, Indian startups raised around $284.6 million across 26 deals, representing a sharp 78% jump over the previous week — signalling cautious optimism in the ecosystem.

Top Startup News of the Week

Fintech Dominates with Dhan’s Unicorn Moment

The standout of the week was Dhan, a Mumbai-based fintech platform, which raised $120 million, entering the coveted unicorn club. The round was led by existing backers and new global investors, underlining the sustained investor appetite for wealth management and trading platforms amid market volatility.

The Dhan deal alone accounted for nearly half of the week’s total funding, helping the fintech sector retain its position as the top-performing vertical in India’s startup landscape.

Big Bets on B2B and Media Startups

B2B commerce and content-led startups also made notable gains this week.

• JSW One Platforms, the enterprise e-commerce arm of the JSW Group, raised ₹575 crore (~$70 million) to expand its procurement and supply chain platform for small manufacturers and construction players.

• Rusk Media, a homegrown digital entertainment startup, raised around ₹103 crore, led by IvyCap Ventures, reaffirming investor belief in youth-centric content and IP-driven storytelling.

Meanwhile, early-stage activity remained healthy. AI SaaS startup Mentium secured $3.2 million in seed funding, showing that investors are still backing technically differentiated products despite broader funding caution.

Policy Push: Tamil Nadu Leads from the Front

The Tamil Nadu Global Startup Summit (TNGSS 2025), held in Coimbatore on October 9–10, brought together more than 30,000 founders, investors, and policymakers. The state government announced fresh grants for incubators and pre-incubation centres, alongside data-sharing initiatives aimed at deeptech and AI startups.

Speaking at the event, Madanagopal Paneerselvam, CEO of MeitY Startup Hub, emphasized that India’s next phase of startup growth must focus on “deep, differentiated technologies” rather than imitation-based models. His remarks align with the national narrative encouraging indigenous tech innovation and hardware-led entrepreneurship.

Deeptech & Space Tech Take Flight

While fintech grabbed the headlines, deeptech and spacetech made quieter but equally significant strides.

Chennai-based OrbitAID won the Indo-Australian MAITRI grant to deploy India’s first in-orbit refuelling interface (SIDRP) — a major milestone for the country’s private space ecosystem. The development further strengthens India’s position as an emerging hub for space innovation and satellite infrastructure.

Meanwhile, AI research leader Anthropic announced plans to set up its first India office in Bengaluru by early 2026, marking its formal entry into one of its fastest-growing markets. The move underscores how India’s AI adoption wave is attracting global players to build deeper local roots.

Global Trends: AI Gold Rush and VC Recalibration

Beyond India, global startup dynamics reflected a cautious yet steady recalibration. In San Francisco, the annual Tech Week (Oct 6–12) spotlighted how the “AI gold rush” continues to dominate investor conversations, with founders debating whether to build proprietary AI systems or license existing platforms — a theme that also echoed in Anthropic’s own India-focused event on October 11.

Meanwhile, reports from global VC trackers suggest renewed investor interest in China and Europe, with energy tech, climate tech, and robotics attracting significant funding.

The week’s developments highlight three clear shifts in India’s startup momentum:

1. Selective but strong funding — investors are prioritizing quality over quantity, with larger rounds going to proven business models.

2. Deeptech and AI gaining government backing — state-level initiatives like those from Tamil Nadu are formalizing support structures.

3. Global alignment — India is increasingly syncing with global tech trends, especially in AI and space innovation.

With the festive season approaching and macro indicators stabilizing, industry watchers believe the coming weeks could see more growth-stage deals and policy updates, setting the tone for a stronger Q4 in India’s startup ecosystem.