A blockbuster $900 million funding round in fintech major CRED, coupled with fresh capital flowing into sectors ranging from artificial intelligence, healthcare, consumer brands, and real estate, underscored investors’ continued appetite for businesses with strong growth potential.
While AI remained a key magnet for capital this week, companies across wellness, proptech and enterprise technology also attracted significant backing, reflecting the breadth of investor interest in India’s startup sector.
ETEntrepreneur brings a roundup of key deals below.
Meta infuses $900 mn in CRED, appoints Kunal Shah as WhatsApp Global CEO
Fintech unicorn CRED has secured $900 million (around ₹8,550 crore) in a fresh funding round led by Meta, making it one of the largest bets by the social media giant on an Indian startup. As part of the transaction, CRED founder and chief executive Kunal Shah will step down from his executive role and join Meta to lead WhatsApp globally. The investment, which includes a combination of primary and secondary capital, provides fresh growth capital for the fintech major while offering partial liquidity to some existing shareholders.
Read the whole story here.
Square Yards becomes Unicorn with ₹900 cr funding, plans IPO
Real estate consultant Square Yards has raised ₹900 crore from investors to grow its business and refinance debt. Sources said the ₹900 crore ($95 million) funding includes around one-third equity and two-thirds debt, at a valuation of more than $1 billion, thereby helping the company achieve unicorn status.
The company, primarily engaged in housing and home loan brokerage, has also announced plans to launch its maiden public issue. The latest round, anchored by EAAA Alternatives, saw participation from global corporate credit manager Muzinich & Co.
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Alienkind raises $3.2 mn pre-series A funding
Alienkind has raised $3.2 million in a pre-series A funding round from existing investors including Prakash Sikaria, founder of Super.money, Flipkart senior vice-president Ravi Iyer, Bain & Company’s global innovation head Arpan Sheth, among others.
Founded by Vikram Kakkireni, Alienkind is building a café and lifestyle brand positioned at the intersection of food, design and culture. The company says it focuses on immersive spaces, community-driven experiences and products designed for younger consumers who view brands as an extension of their identity.
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Prosper AI raises $30 mn in series A led by a16z
Prosper AI, a healthcare-focused artificial intelligence platform, has raised $30 million in a series A funding round led by venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, with participation from Base10 Partners and existing investors Emergence Capital, Y Combinator and Company Ventures.
The company plans to use the fresh capital to expand its engineering and customer-facing teams, deepen integrations with electronic health record (EHR) platforms.
Read the whole story here.
Vishal Sikka’s AI startup Hang Ten Systems raises $32 million led by Mayfield
Former Infosys CEO Vishal Sikka’s new venture Hang Ten Systems has raised $32 million in seed funding led by venture capital firm Mayfield, according to a LinkedIn post by Sikka on Wednesday. Based in Palo Alto, California, Hang Ten Systems is an enterprise-focused artificial intelligence (AI) startup that helps large corporations translate AI investments into measurable business outcomes. The startup has also secured backing from Saudi Aramco’s venture arm, Aramco Ventures, while entrepreneur Jerry Yang has joined its board.
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Zave raises ₹4.7 cr bridge funding led by Inflection Point Ventures
AI shopping assistant startup Zave has raised ₹4.7 crore in a bridge funding round led by Inflection Point Ventures (IPV) with participation from Mucker Capital. The fresh capital will be used to enhance Zave’s AI product, improve platform reliability and scalability, and advance its intelligence capabilities.
Founded by Hiren Patel and Ravi Kumar, Zave operates an AI-native commerce assistant that helps consumers compare products, discover alternatives and make purchase decisions across e-commerce platforms.
Read the whole story here.
SuperLiving raises $7 mn series A funding led by Lightspeed
SuperLiving has raised $7 million in a series A funding round led by Lightspeed with participation from existing investors Kae Capital and All In Capital.
The fresh capital will be used to strengthen the company’s AI infrastructure, expand its regional language content ecosystem, accelerate product development and scale user acquisition across Tier II and Tier III markets.
Founded by Manavdeep Singh Grover and Gurjot Kaur, the startup offers an AI-powered platform that combines wellness content, personalised wellness journeys and an AI companion focused on preventive health and lifestyle management.
Read the whole story here.
SanchiConnect raises bridge round led by Auxano
SanchiConnect has raised a bridge round led by Auxano with participation from existing investors Seafund, 8X Ventures and Arctic Invent. The company said the bridge financing will serve as a precursor to a larger fundraising round.
Founded in 2022 by Baring Private Equity Partners India and Dr. Sunil Shekhawat, SanchiConnect operates a platform that connects startups, investors, enterprises, universities and government bodies to support innovation and commercialisation.
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JustAI raises $17 mn series A funding led by Base10
JustAI has raised more than $17 million in a series A funding round led by Base10 with participation from Y Combinator, Peak XV Partners and several angel investors.
The company plans to use the fresh capital to expand its engineering and go-to-market teams, deepen its agentic infrastructure and extend the platform into e-commerce and B2B marketing use cases. It also intends to grow its engineering talent base and explore market opportunities in India.
Read the whole story here.
Bodycraft raises ₹120 crore funding from Singularity AMC
Bodycraft Clinic and Salon has raised ₹120 crore in a funding round from Singularity AMC. The fresh capital will be used to expand the company’s footprint by adding 30 new locations, invest in clinical technology and equipment, strengthen management and operations, improve efficiency through artificial intelligence, and enhance customer experience across its network.
Bodycraft operates an integrated network of 67 clinics and salons across India, spanning medical aesthetics, dermatology, wellness and beauty services. The company currently serves more than 350,000 customers through 33 clinics and 34 salons across over 10 cities.
Read the whole story here.
Ikin Global raises $2 mn funding
Ikin Global has raised $2 million in a pre-series A2 funding round led by Unicorn India Ventures, AWE Funds and Callapina Capital. The fresh capital will be used to support expansion into the US, Europe and West Asia, develop new products, expand the team and scale operations. The company also plans to build a comprehensive security platform for the oil and gas industry.
Founded by Nibu Alias under SectorQube Technolabs, Ikin Global develops IoT-enabled smart locks and bolt seals that help logistics operators monitor cargo movement, detect tampering and secure supply chains through real-time tracking and remote access controls.
Read the whole story here.
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