Top Startup News Today: AI, Deeptech and Capital, What's New In Startup Ecosystem

India’s startup ecosystem is often described in numbers — funding rounds, valuations, exits. But beneath the data lies something more powerful: conviction.

Conviction that AI can change how cancer is treated.
Conviction that Indian MSMEs can build globally compliant medical equipment.
Conviction that deeptech manufacturing deserves more capital.
Conviction that custom silicon and robotic systems built in India can compete globally.

From healthcare breakthroughs to robotics, manufacturing accelerators to semiconductor AI, today’s startup developments reflect a deeper transformation underway — one where India is no longer just building apps, but building the future.

Top Startup News Today

Using AI to Prevent Overtreatment in Breast Cancer

In a country where cancer treatment often follows a standardised protocol, one IISc scientist is questioning the system.

OncoStem Diagnostics, founded by IISc scientist Manjiri Bakre, has developed CanAssist Breast (CAB) — an AI-powered test designed to determine which early-stage breast cancer patients actually need chemotherapy and which do not.

The problem is stark.

Today, nearly 95% of patients with a two-centimetre tumour are given chemotherapy. But according to Bakre, the real benefit of chemotherapy applies only to patients at risk of metastasis — and that number is under 30% of those cases.

That means a majority of patients may be undergoing unnecessary chemotherapy — along with its emotional, physical and financial toll.

CanAssist Breast uses artificial intelligence to assess recurrence risk and help oncologists make more personalised decisions. In a healthcare system that often leans toward aggressive treatment, this represents a move toward precision, not excess.

And perhaps more importantly, it shows how Indian deeptech is stepping into life-critical spaces.

Pulse Raises $4 Million to Reimagine Medical Equipment Manufacturing

Bengaluru-based healthtech startup Pulse has raised $4 million in a seed round led by 3one4 Capital, with participation from Incubate Fund Asia and Stride Ventures. The round also saw backing from angel investors, including the founders of BlackBuck and Agrizy.

Pulse is not building another healthcare app. It is building hardware.

The startup aims to create what it calls a full-stack, asset-light medical equipment manufacturing brand. Instead of owning factories, Pulse will design products in-house and partner with Indian manufacturers for production.

The objective is clear:

• Lower manufacturing costs

• Improve speed to market

• Build affordable, globally compliant medical devices

• Compete with multinational incumbents

By working closely with India’s MSMEs, Pulse hopes to help domestic manufacturers scale and meet international quality standards — turning local capability into global competitiveness.

Armatrix Raises $2.1 Million to Build Snake-Like Robotic Arms

In another sign that deeptech is gaining momentum, Bengaluru-based robotics startup Armatrix has raised $2.1 million in a pre-seed round led by pi Ventures, with participation from Inuka Capital, Boundless Ventures, Boost VC, Turbostart and returning investor gradCapital.

Founded in 2024 by IIT Kanpur graduates Vishrant Dave, Prateesh Awasthi, and Ayush Ranjan, Armatrix is building hyper-redundant robotic systems inspired by biological snakes.

These flexible robotic arms are designed to operate in confined, complex environments — spaces where traditional rigid robots struggle.

Applications range from:

• Industrial inspection

• Maintenance in hard-to-reach areas

• Complex manufacturing environments

The newly raised capital will help the company:

• Complete development of its proprietary technology

• Expand engineering and research teams

• Accelerate pilot deployments with industrial customers

India’s robotics story is still early — but startups like Armatrix are pushing it forward.

₹27 Crore Commitment to Manufacturing Accelerator Maxcel

In a significant push for hardware and advanced manufacturing, Capital-A and SanchiConnect have committed ₹27 crore toward their manufacturing accelerator programme, Maxcel.

The commitment follows a nationwide evaluation of over 2,000 startups.

The focus? Early-stage startups building in advanced and capital-intensive manufacturing segments — an area investors say remains underfunded compared to software-led ventures.

The broader context makes this even more interesting.

According to NASSCOM and Boston Consulting Group:

• India is home to more than 3,000 deeptech startups

• Over $10 billion in cumulative funding has flowed into deeptech over the past decade

Yet much of that capital has largely gone to software-driven and later-stage companies. Deeptech manufacturing remains relatively nascent.

Maxcel aims to change that narrative.

Gut Clinic Raises $1 Million to Build Specialised Outpatient Care

Healthcare continues to draw investor interest, particularly in specialised care models.

Gut Clinic, a platform focused on integrated gastroenterology, liver and metabolic care, has raised $1 million in seed funding from a consortium of over 15 investors.

The round includes notable names such as:

• Dr. Amitoj Singh, Harvard-trained physician affiliated with the University of Arizona

• Dr. Aman Rajpal, fatty liver expert associated with the University of California San Francisco

• Ankur Kathuria of Alpha Wave Global

• Juhi Bhatnagar of Forj Capital

• Deepak Garg, Senior Executive Vice President at Reliance Industries

The investment signals growing interest in outpatient-led, specialised care models targeting chronic digestive and metabolic disorders — areas seeing rising incidence globally.

s2.dev Raises $3.85 Million as Data Infrastructure Demand Surges

Data infrastructure startup s2.dev has raised $3.85 million in a seed round led by Accel, with participation from Y Combinator and Uncorrelated Ventures.

The company had earlier secured $1.65 million in a previously undisclosed pre-seed round, taking total capital raised to $5.5 million.

As enterprises grapple with managing, processing and securing massive data workloads, demand for scalable infrastructure tools is rising.

The fresh capital will help s2.dev:

• Accelerate product development

• Scale go-to-market efforts

• Expand its data infrastructure offerings

With AI workloads increasing globally, backend infrastructure startups are becoming critical enablers of innovation.

Tattvam AI Raises $1.7 Million to Automate Custom Chip Design

Semiconductors remain at the centre of global tech conversations — and Indian startups are entering the arena.

Tattvam AI has raised $1.7 million in a pre-seed round led by Seedcamp, with participation from EWOR, Entropy Industrial Ventures, Concept Ventures and semiconductor industry angel Stan Boland.

The startup is building AI systems to automate semiconductor chip design.

It is targeting custom silicon — specialised processors engineered for defined workloads like AI training and inference.

Unlike general-purpose chips such as GPUs, custom silicon can deliver:

• Up to 100x performance gains in targeted applications

• Significantly lower power consumption

As global demand for AI accelerates, purpose-built chips are becoming increasingly important — and Tattvam AI is positioning itself at that intersection.

Ritz Media World Appoints Neeti Bhargava

In other developments, Ritz Media World has appointed Neeti Bhargava as Chief Content & Client Solutions Officer.

With over 18 years of experience across radio, media and content creation, Bhargava has previously worked with networks including:

• Red FM 93.5

• Reliance Big FM 92.7

• My FM

Her expertise spans storytelling, programming strategy, audience engagement and brand building — strengthening Ritz Media World’s leadership as brands increasingly invest in content-led, multi-platform communication strategies.

If there is one thread connecting today’s developments, it is this:

India’s startup ecosystem is moving deeper.

• Deeper into healthcare diagnostics.
• Deeper into robotics and semiconductor design.
• Deeper into manufacturing.
• Deeper into infrastructure.

The narrative is shifting from speed to substance.

From building fast to building fundamental.

And February 25, 2026, was not just another day of funding announcements — it was a reminder that India’s next wave may be driven not just by code, but by capital-intensive, science-led, globally ambitious innovation.