Week in Review🪁 (Jan 13 - Jan 18)
Catch up on the week's biggest tech advances and funding milestones – your ultimate guide to what’s new and noteworthy!
Hey, Rise & Shine family!
Get set to dive into this week’s tech marvels and funding triumphs.
Let’s explore the latest breakthroughs and celebrate our shared passion for innovation and progress!
Let's dive into the tech marvels that dominated the headlines:
Quick Recap of the Week
Ather sees $2.4 billion valuation in IPO
Swiggy’s Snacc app partners with Blue Tokai Coffee for fast deliveries
PhonePe enters quick commerce via Pincode
Stockbroking startup Groww in talks for IPO at $6-8 billion valuation
Paytm launches new QR for merchant partners, soundbox at Maha Kumbh Mela
Google Cloud India and Campus Fund launch FutureX
Dunzo app, website go offline post cofounder Kabeer Biswas exit to Flipkart
Pixxel launches Fireflies, India’s first private satellite constellation
TikTok preparing for US shutdown on Sunday: reports
Swiggy incorporates sports subsidiary to go beyond food and grocery delivery
National Startup Day 2025: Union minister Piyush Goyal reflects on nine years of ‘Startup India’
Amazon to acquire fintech startup Axio for $200 million
India to cross 900 million internet users this year: IAMAI report
Let’s move on to the top funding deals from the week.
Funding Deals
Contract research, development and manufacturing organization Aragen has secured $100 million investment from private equity fund Quadria Capital.
Netradyne, a SaaS provider of artificial intelligence (AI) and edge computing, has raised a $90 million Series D round led by Point72 Private Investments, with participation from Qualcomm Ventures and Pavilion Capital.
WeWork India, a flexible workspace operator in India, has raised Rs 500 crore (around $57.8 million) via a rights issue. The proceeds will be used for the repayment of debt, strengthening the company’s pathway to being debt-free, and reducing our cost of capital.
Foxtale, a direct-to-consumer (D2C) skincare brand, has secured $30 million (approximately Rs 250 crore) in a funding round led by Japanese beauty products company Kose Corporation. Existing investors Z47 (formerly Matrix Partners India), Kae Capital, and Panthera Growth Partners also participated in this round.
Climate-focused deeptech startup Ecozen has raised over $23 million in debt funding from responsAbility Investments AG, Northern Arc Capital Limited, Maanaveeya Development & Finance Private Limited, and others.
Electric two-wheeler manufacturer BGauss has raised Rs 161 crore in funding from Bharat Value Fund (BVF).
MicroMitti, a proptech firm, has raised Rs 90 crore in a funding round from prominent local HNIs, family offices, and influential business leaders from Indore.
Aerospace startup Sarla Aviation, which specializes in building electric flying taxis, has raised $10 million in a funding round led by Accel.
Astro-tech startup AstroSure.ai has secured $6 million in a seed funding round led by Pradeep Dadha and a clutch of other investors.
Third-party logistics and warehousing company Emiza Supply Chain Services has raised Rs 50 crore (approximately $6 million), led by Evolvence India, with the participation of Mirabilis Investment.
Eccentric Engine (now Eccentric), a 3D tech partner for automotive players, has raised $5 million in its pre-Series A round, which was co-led by Exfinity Venture Partners and Arkam Ventures.
Waste management startup WeVOIS has raised Rs 36 crore ($4.2 million) in its Series A round led by Negen Capital and Vyom Wealth (the Polycab family office), with additional participation from Venture Catalysts, SN Capital, Warmup Ventures, Marsshot Ventures (Razorpay Founders’ Fund), and other angel investors.
Boba Bhai, a quick service restaurant (QSR) brand specialising in bubble tea and other food items, has raised Rs 30 crore in a funding round led by early-stage venture capital firm 8i Ventures.
Defense-focused deep tech startup Constelli has raised $3 Mn in its pre-Series A funding round led by Pravega Ventures.
As we wrap up this edition, let's reaffirm our commitment to positivity, resilience, and seizing every opportunity.
In the vast canvas of the tech world, let's pick up our brushes and paint a masterpiece of optimism and innovation together.
Here's to Rising & Shining Together! 💡
