Top Startup News Today: Funding, Scale, and Global Ambitions

Some days in the startup ecosystem quietly pass by. Others capture a deeper shift—where capital moves with conviction, new sectors show signs of maturity, and founders reveal how they are thinking about scale, credibility, and long-term impact.

Across climate tech, logistics, healthtech, consumer brands, and even space technoltogy, Indian startups are building with sharper focus and bigger ambition. From carbon removal companies seeking global validation to logistics platforms investing heavily in AI, and from preventive healthcare reaching smaller towns to satellites designed to speed up data access, the ecosystem is clearly entering a more decisive phase.

This roundup brings together the most important developments across India’s startup landscape—stories that reflect not just activity, but direction. Together, they offer a clear view of how Indian startups are evolving, where capital is flowing, and what the next chapter of innovation may look like.

Top Startup News Today

India’s Carbon Removal Startups Are Chasing Global Trust, Not Just Scale

India’s carbon removal ecosystem is growing fast—but growth alone is no longer enough.

Over the past few years, a new wave of startups has begun building carbon removal projects across the country, positioning India as a key supplier in the global carbon credit market. Today, India accounts for around 17% of all carbon credits issued annually worldwide, making it one of the most important exporters of these credits.

But as demand grows, so does scrutiny.

For carbon removal startups, the real challenge now lies in verification and credibility. Carbon credits only hold value if buyers trust that emissions have genuinely been removed or offset. This trust hinges on approvals from third-party verification agencies and registrations with recognised global carbon registries.

Startups such as Alt Carbon and Varaha have managed to clear this credibility hurdle. Their projects have gone on to secure offtake agreements with global tech giants like Microsoft and Google, signalling growing international confidence in India’s carbon removal capabilities.

As more climate-focused startups enter this space, industry experts say the next phase will be defined less by the number of projects—and more by standardisation, audit transparency, and long-term environmental impact.

D4NP: Bringing Enterprise-Grade Tech to India’s Non-Profits

While much of the startup spotlight stays fixed on venture-backed scaleups, some founders are quietly building for impact.

D4NP is one such story.

Founded by Abhinav Chetan—who spent over a decade at Google LLC during India’s early digital boom—the New Delhi-based startup is focused on a simple idea: non-profits deserve the same quality of technology as for-profit companies.

Chetan describes D4NP as an “exponential leverage enabler.” The startup helps non-profit organisations access technology grants, modern digital tools, and increasingly, GenAI capabilities to improve efficiency, fundraising, and reporting.

However, D4NP is selective. Not every organisation qualifies. The focus remains on non-profits that demonstrate readiness to scale their impact using technology—not just adopt tools for the sake of it.

As philanthropy and social impact move toward data-driven decision-making, platforms like D4NP are positioning themselves at the intersection of technology, trust, and purpose.

Velocity Bets Rs 100 Crore on AI-Driven Logistics

Logistics continues to be one of the most competitive battlegrounds in Indian ecommerce—and Velocity is doubling down.

The company has committed Rs 100 crore to expand its logistics arm, Velocity Shipping, over the next two years. The investment will be funded entirely through internal accruals and revenue from Velocity’s core businesses—a signal of strong underlying cash flows.

Formerly known as Shipfast, Velocity Shipping was launched in 2025 and has already onboarded over 900 brands, with nearly 60% coming from Velocity’s existing partner ecosystem.

What stands out is growth velocity. The logistics vertical now contributes around 40% of the company’s total revenue and has been recording 70% month-on-month growth in order volumes. The fresh capital will be used to expand shipping aggregation capabilities and deploy AI-led tools across the logistics chain, from routing to delivery optimisation.

In a sector defined by thin margins, Velocity’s AI-first approach could prove decisive.

Elevate Now Raises Rs 18 Crore to Build Medical-Grade Weight Loss Solutions

Healthcare startups in India are increasingly shifting away from generic wellness narratives—and Elevate Now is a clear example of that trend.

The Bengaluru-based startup has raised Rs 18 crore in seed funding, led by Physis Capital, with participation from Inflection Point Ventures and Titan Capital.

Founded in November 2022 by former Swiggy and Snapdeal executive Suryansh Kumar, Elevate Now operates a clinically supervised weight loss platform, distancing itself from lifestyle-only programs.

The company plans to use the capital to strengthen its tech platform, expand clinical research, and develop proprietary medicinal and nutritional supplements. It is also backed by strategic investors including W Health Ventures, Narayana Health, and Swiggy co-founder Sriharsha Majety.

With medical-grade weight loss solutions gaining mainstream acceptance in India, Elevate Now is positioning itself early in a fast-evolving category.

Shark Tank Spotlight: Truth & Hair Secures Rs 2.5 Crore

Consumer brands continue to use television platforms to accelerate scale.

Hair beauty and styling brand Truth & Hair raised Rs 2.5 crore from Varun Alagh on Shark Tank India.

Founded by certified trichologist Saumya Alagh and Shailesh Singh, the brand focuses on hair makeup and texture-specific styling solutions, including root touch-up hair mascaras and specialised cleansing ranges.

The fresh capital will be used to expand product lines, invest in scalp-first formulations, and strengthen both marketing and retail distribution across India.

Satlabs Raises $1 Million to Cut Satellite Data Delays

India’s space-tech ecosystem continues to attract early-stage capital.

Satlabs Space Systems has raised $1 million (around Rs 9 crore) in seed funding from Finvolve and India Accelerator.

Founded in November 2022 by Sooraj Gopakumar and Saisree Eega, the Bengaluru-based startup is building a constellation of low-cost data relay satellites designed to act as “floating ground stations.”

The goal: reduce satellite data transmission latency from hours to minutes—a shift that could unlock new applications in defence, agriculture, disaster response, and industrial IoT.

The company is currently working toward a proof-of-concept launch, with funds allocated toward R&D and satellite deployment.

Preventify Takes Preventive Healthcare to Smaller Towns

Preventive healthcare is no longer just an urban story.

Kerala-based startup Preventify raised Rs 2 crore in pre-seed funding, led by accelerator PedalStart.

The round also saw participation from angel investors including Viren Shetty and Jatin Kakrani, along with founders of Supertails and Agrizy.

Preventify plans to open its first cluster of 10 branded clinics in Tier II and III cities, focusing on preventive and chronic care. The funds will also strengthen diagnostics, pharmacy integration, and clinical teams—an essential foundation for delivering outcomes at scale.

Pascal AI Enters Institutional Investing with Kotak AMC

AI adoption in financial services is moving beyond pilots.

Pascal AI has partnered with Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company to deploy its agentic AI research platform for institutional investment workflows.

The platform automates time-intensive tasks such as analysing regulatory filings and earnings transcripts, while operating within a sovereign Virtual Private Cloud for data security. Pascal AI previously raised $3.1 million in seed funding led by Kalaari Capital in September 2025.

MakeMyTrip Expands International Hotel Portfolio

Travel-tech major MakeMyTrip has partnered with global hospitality group Minor Hotels to list over 560 international properties on its platform.

Minor Hotels operates brands such as Anantara, Avani, and NH Collection across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Currently, 60 properties are live, with several tagged as “Loved by Indians” for catering to Indian traveller preferences.

MakeMyTrip sold 77,900 unique hotels across 192 countries last year, with hotel sales growing 17% in 2025—nearly one-third of bookings coming from the premium segment.

Taken together, today’s updates tell a clear story: Indian startups are no longer just chasing growth—they are chasing credibility, depth, and long-term relevance.

Whether it’s climate-tech firms earning global trust, logistics players embedding AI at scale, or healthcare startups redefining care delivery, the ecosystem is steadily maturing.

And that, perhaps, is the most important signal of all.