Top Startup News Today: SoftBank Offloads Billions, Indian Startups Raise Fresh Capital | 13th Nov

On a Wednesday that crackled with financial activity, strategic pivots, and bold early-stage bets, India’s startup landscape remained as restless and ambitious as ever. From global giants like SoftBank reshaping their portfolios to homegrown companies securing fresh capital for scale, November 12 brought a series of developments that reflect the increasingly intertwined nature of global capital, Indian innovation, and sector-wide transformation.

This is your long-form, immersive roundup of everything that shaped the ecosystem today.

Top Startup News Today

SoftBank Converts Legacy Assets into an AI Future

Few global investors move with the scale—or audacity—of SoftBank, and the past few months have shown Masayoshi Son doubling down on the future he believes in: AI.

Between June and September, SoftBank sold T-Mobile shares worth $9.17 billion along with $2.37 billion in Deutsche Telekom stock. The total value of the liquidation is almost equal to the market cap of Vodafone Idea, one of India’s largest telecom operators—showing just how aggressively SoftBank is freeing up cash.

During its Q2 earnings call, the company revealed it had fully exited Nvidia, cashing out $5.83 billion, even as it expanded a margin loan against UK chipmaker Arm to $20 billion, creating an estimated $11.5 billion in deployable capital.

Piece by piece, SoftBank is monetising some of its most prized holdings and leveraging others—all to assemble a financial war chest for what Son believes is the next epoch-defining bet: a deep, expansive push into AI, aided by its close relationship with OpenAI and Sam Altman.

Solving India’s Traffic: Mobility Startups and STCs Look Toward Collaboration

Urban mobility in India remains a stubborn challenge, especially in megacities where snarled traffic eats into productivity and urban well-being. At a recent panel discussion in Bengaluru on first- and last-mile transportation, industry leaders suggested that smart partnerships between state transport corporations (STCs) and new-age mobility startups might offer the most realistic solution to congestion.

The idea sounds straightforward—leveraging public infrastructure with private innovation—but both sides come with their own concerns. STCs worry about competition, usage reliability, and sensitive operational data. Startups, meanwhile, must navigate regulatory hurdles and unpredictable policy environments.

Despite these challenges, experts believe that thoughtfully structured collaborations can reshape how millions commute in India’s densest urban zones.

FUNDING ROUNDUP

Waaree Group’s Battery Arm Raises ₹325 Cr for Energy Storage Scale-Up

Waaree Energy Storage Systems—the battery division of Waaree Group—secured ₹325 crore in a funding round led by Niveshaay with participation from several industry leaders, including Vivek Jain (Action Tesa & GrowthSphere) and Saket Agarwal (formerly Apollo Pipes & Tricoat).

The capital will fuel expansion of manufacturing capacities for cells and battery packs, strengthen engineering and validation capabilities, and scale its containerised Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) across India and targeted international markets. As India steps up renewable adoption, energy storage players like Waaree are becoming mission-critical to grid stability and decentralised power solutions.

DOCO Raises ₹4.5 Cr to Expand Rural Distribution Network

Rural distribution-as-a-service startup DOCO raised ₹4.5 crore in a pre-seed round led by GVFL and Malpani Ventures, along with participation from existing investor Kunwar Asheesh Saxena (Ex-CTO, RedDoorz) and other angels.

The company plans to boost its tech platform, widen its network of dark stores, and enhance operational capabilities to reach more rural retailers and FMCG brands. Over the next year, DOCO aims to operate 25 dark stores and serve over 25,000 retailers.

Its tech-enabled rural DaaS model is bridging one of India’s toughest gaps—the last-mile FMCG supply chain in semi-urban and rural pockets.

FES Cafe Secures $1M to Fuel Delhi-NCR Expansion

Eggless dessert and café brand FES Cafe closed a $1 million pre-Series A round led by 12 Flags, the consumer fund established by former Reckitt Benckiser Global CEO Rakesh Kapoor. Existing investor Wolfpack Labs also doubled down in this round.

The funding will strengthen the café chain’s expansion in the Delhi-NCR region and enhance its central production kitchen for more efficient delivery operations. FES Cafe has also onboarded Amit Nagpal, former CFO of Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters, as Strategic & Financial Advisor to shape its growth blueprint.

The company intends to use this momentum to elevate operations, talent acquisition, and footprint in premium urban markets.

Nyayanidhi Raises $2M to Build India’s Litigation Infrastructure Layer

Legal-tech startup Nyayanidhi raised $2 million in a seed round led by 3one4 Capital, with participation from DeVC, PeerCheque, Force Ventures, and angels including Jar’s co-founder Nishchay Ag.

The company aims to expand its advocate partner network, strengthen its AI backbone, deepen government collaborations, and scale operations across more Indian states.

Nyayanidhi is building a digital infrastructure layer for litigation—focused on reducing time, cost, and opacity in India’s legal system, one of the world’s most backlogged.

Coratia Technologies Secures ₹5 Cr for Deep-Tech Manufacturing

Deep-tech startup Coratia Technologies raised ₹5 crore from Piper Serica Angel Fund to reinforce its R&D, expand manufacturing capabilities, upgrade product lines, and widen its global footprint.

The company has already executed high-impact projects with Indian Railways and IOCL Paradip, and now plans to build further into advanced industrial and infrastructure technology solutions.

Haircare Brand & Done Raises ₹6.5 Cr for Product and Team Expansion

Premium haircare brand & Done raised ₹6.5 crore in a pre-seed round led by All In Capital, with participation from M.G. Investments and multiple angels.

The company aims to scale its team strength, accelerate product development, and build further into both Indian and international markets.

Founded with a focus on salon-grade formulations, & Done has already partnered with 1,500 stylists across 300+ premium salons, creating a hybrid salon-distribution-plus-D2C model.

UrbanKisaan Achieves Second Consecutive Year of Profitability

Hydroponics and agri-tech innovator UrbanKisaan reported strong FY25 numbers, marking its second consecutive profitable year. The company crossed ₹31 crore in revenue, a 67% YoY jump, and tripled its net profit to ₹6.4 crore.

At the centre of this performance is Gene Rush, UrbanKisaan’s AI-led seed development engine, which reduces traditional breeding timelines from 7–15 years to just 2–3 years.

Co-founder & CEO Vihari Kanukollu emphasised that India doesn't need another hype cycle—it needs a faster invention cycle in agriculture. GeneRush, he said, converts seed breeding into a repeatable, data-driven process that scales profitability while creating high-value IP for the future.