Indian startups raise $194 million this week

New Delhi, May 17 (IANS) Indian startups collectively raised around $194.22 million this week across 28 deals.

The funding spanned nine growth and late-stage rounds and 18 early-stage deals, with one startup choosing not to disclose its funding amount.

Bengaluru continued to lead India’s startup ecosystem, recording 12 deals. Delhi-NCR followed with seven, while Mumbai, Jaipur, and Ahmedabad also saw funding activity.

Healthtech emerged as the most active sector this week with four deals, followed by foodtech and AI startups with three deals each.

Other sectors that drew investor interest included media and entertainment, logistics, and fintech.

Seed funding was the most common deal type, with 12 rounds, followed by Series B, Series A, and Series C investments.

Among the growth and late-stage deals, D2C snacking brand Farmley led with its Series C round backed by L Catterton.

Battery tech startup VFlowTech secured $20.5 million in a Series B round, while Nobel Hygiene raised $20 million through a combination of primary and secondary transactions.

Other funded companies included Celebal Technologies, Avammune Therapeutics, Hocco ice creams, M1xchange, Biryani Blues, and an omnichannel jewellery brand.

On the early-stage front, startups raised a total of $57 million. Complement1, an oncology-focused company, led this segment with a $16 million seed round.

Other funded startups included mixed reality platform Flam, AI ventures like Hyperbots and Adopt AI, and manufacturing firm TIEA Connectors. Analytics startup Cryptique also received funding.

The week also saw important business developments. Capillary Technologies, a loyalty management platform powered by AI, acquired Canada-based Kognitiv to strengthen its presence in North America.

Meanwhile, Curefoods acquired exclusive rights to bring Krispy Kreme to North India, marking the brand’s regional debut.

On the leadership front, cloud-based media SaaS company Amagi appointed two independent directors in line with the Companies Act as it moves toward an IPO.

Meanwhile, the average startup funding over the past eight weeks has been around $218.61 million, with approximately 25 deals each week.

--IANS

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