Funding and acquisitions in Indian startups this week [July 27 - Aug 01]

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This week, 17 Indian startups raised nearly $82.2 million across 2 growth stage deals, 13 early stage deals, and 2 undisclosed deals. The week also witnessed 8 key hires, 4 fund launches, 1 M&A deal, and 1 ESOP buyback.
In contrast, 16 startups had collectively secured about $164 million in the previous week.
[Growth-stage deals]
Growth-stage startups raised a total of $21.1 million across two deals this week, led by Apna Mart, which raised Rs 120 crore (around $12.7 million) in its Series C round co-led by Accel India and Fundamentum, with participation from Peak XV Partners.
Hyderabad-based dairy brand Sid’s Farm followed with over Rs 81 crore (around $8.4 million) in a pre-Series B round led by Omnivore, NSFO, Dodla Dairy, Next Bharat Ventures, and LIO.
[Early-stage deals]
Early-stage startups raised $61.1 million across 13 deals this week, led by Arboreal Bioinnovations, which secured Rs 230 crore (over $24 million) in a Series A round co-led by EAAA and Omnivore.
Aham Housing Finance followed with Rs 100 crore in a follow-on funding round led by The Sanmar Group, while Omega Seiki Mobility raised Rs 50 crore from Securocorp Securities, Sangeeta Pareekh, Saket Aggarwal Family Office, and Vanshika Sharma.
Among the other notable deals, healthtech startup Fixxly, Bengaluru-based AI startup Revspot, agriculture drone startup SUIND, global student living technology company House of Student, and six other early-stage startups also raised funds this week.
[City and segment-wise deals]
Bengaluru continued to lead the funding charts with 7 startup deals during the week, followed by Delhi-NCR with five deals. Mumbai, Hyderabad and Chennai also recorded deals.
Segment-wise, fintech, edtech, e-commerce startups led the week with two deals each. Foodtech, FMCG, dairy tech, EV, Proptech, AI and others also bagged deals during the week.
[Series-wise deals]
Seed rounds led the week with 7 deals, followed by 6 Series A deals. Series C, and pre- Series B rounds also witnessed activity during the week.
[Week-on-week funding trend]
On a weekly basis, startup funding declined 50% to $82.2 million, compared to around $164 million raised during the previous week.
The average funding over the last eight weeks stands at around $316 million, with an average of 21 deals per week.
[Key Hirings]
This week, Instamart appointed former Myntra CEO Nandita Sinha as its Chief Executive Officer, while Nykaa named former Instamart COO Ankit Jain to lead its quick commerce arm, Nykaa Now. JITO Incubation and Innovation Foundation (JIIF) appointed Anshu Jain as its Chief Operating Officer, and Neo Group named Anirban Banerjee as Co-founder and Chief People and Transformation Officer. Separately, a company appointed Subhasis Chaudhuri, Suman Gopalan, and Anand Vora as independent directors.
[Fund Launches]
This week, Cactus Partners announced its second fund with a target corpus of Rs 1,600 crore, while Inflexor Ventures marked the first close of its third fund at Rs 400 crore against a target of Rs 1,250 crore. Anicut Capital launched a Rs 250 crore seed fund for early-stage startups, and Groww’s co-founders are planning a second fund with a target corpus of Rs 400 crore to Rs 500 crore.
[Mergers and Acquisitions]
D2C fashion brand Snitch has acquired women's fashion label Berrylush, marking its entry into the women's apparel segment as it expands beyond menswear.
[ESOP Buyback]
Healthtech startup Temple, founded by Deepinder Goyal, has doubled its valuation to $375 million through a secondary share sale and launched its first ESOP liquidity programme. The latest transaction values the company at nearly twice its previous $190 million valuation, at which it had raised $54 million earlier.
[Financial results this week]
[New launches and partnerships]
▪️PhonePe launches PulsePro for enterprise market intelligence
▪️Flipkart and Netflix Make World-Class Entertainment an Earned Shopping Benefit for Millions of Indians
▪️NYVO Launches India’s First Family Advisory Platform to Close the Investment Advisory Gap
▪️Avaana-Backed Dreamfly Launches 200 MWh Aviation Battery Facility
▪️Flipkart Launches Pay Later, Making Flexible Credit More Accessible for Millions of Indian Shoppers
▪️Xflow Launches India's First FX Forecast App on ChatGPT for Businesses Receiving Global Payments
[News flash this week]
▪️Zepto postpones IPO, may raise Rs 1,000 Cr in pre IPO round
▪️Indian Physical AI attracts $155 Mn in 2026 as robotics, real-world data gain traction: Entrackr Report
▪️Delhi HC halts Unity SFB’s share capital plan in BharatPe dispute
▪️Lemonn Reports Over 800% Revenue Growth Amid Rising Retail Investor Participation
▪️Stable Money’s AMFI Suspension Lifted Ahead of Schedule
▪️Fusion Klassroom Edutech Limited Raises ₹11.08 crore Among Anchor Investors Ahead of IPO
[Trend]
A report by high protein atta startup MILLD found that tier 2 and tier 3 cities are driving the adoption of protein enriched staples in India. Founded by Prashant Pitti and Sivaram Briyas, the startup said 62% of its customer orders now come from beyond the top five metros, while Mohali, Nagpur, Dehradun and Bhopal emerged as the fastest growing markets. The report also said nearly 47% of customers are repeat buyers, a sign of sustained demand for high protein atta across smaller cities.
[Summary]
On a weekly basis, startup funding declined 87% to $137 million, compared to around $1.1 billion raised during the previous week.
Flipkart and Netflix have partnered to offer Flipkart Plus members a Netflix Mobile Plan through their regular shopping, without requiring a separate subscription or bundled recharge. The benefit will go live on August 1, 2026, marking the first time in India that Netflix can be earned through everyday e-commerce purchases.
Lemonn (Nu Investors Technologies Pvt. Ltd), the stock broking platform of the PeepalCo Group, reported strong growth in May 2026, driven by rising retail participation in India's equity markets. Its revenue from operations surged over 800% year-on-year to Rs 8.97 crore from Rs 99 lakh in May 2025. During the period, retail order volumes grew 9.08X to 27.71 lakh, while the number of active retail traders increased 5.14X to 24,309.
Quick commerce major Zepto has reportedly postponed its IPO plans amid ongoing valuation discussions with investors and may raise over Rs 1,000 crore (around $105 million) through a pre-IPO round. Existing investors, including Glade Brook, General Catalyst, Goodwater Capital, and Nexus Venture Partners, are expected to participate.
NYVO has launched a fee-only financial planning platform for Indian households that combines investments, goals, and insurance into a single personalised financial plan, helping families assess their finances and plan their next steps.
Dreamfly Innovations, an Indian deep-tech startup focused on advanced aviation battery technologies, has announced plans to set up a 40,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility in North Bengaluru. The plant will have an initial annual production capacity of 100 MWh, scalable to 200 MWh, making it one of India's largest aviation battery facilities for the drone sector.
Stable Money’s AMFI suspension has been lifted nearly two months into the six-month suspension period. Its ARN (AMFI Registration Number) is now active, as reflected on the AMFI website. The platform has resumed mutual fund transactions for existing investors, with SIP and lump sum investments now open. Access for all users will be rolled out in phases.
Fusion Klassroom Edutech Limited has allotted 6,96,800 equity shares at Rs 151 to Rs 159 per share, including a premium of Rs 149 per share, aggregating approximately Rs 11.08 crore, to six anchor investors. The investors include Craft Emerging Market Fund PCC - Elite Capital Fund, Narnolia Velox Fund - Narnolia India Opportunity Fund, Subhkam Ventures (I) Private Limited, Kuber India Opportunity Fund, Ekamya Pragati Scheme-I, and Milltrust International Investment SPC - GIS Narnolia Emerging India Fund SP.
Flipkart Group, in partnership with PayU Finance, has launched Flipkart Pay Later, a credit offering that provides flexible repayment options across Flipkart, Myntra, and Flipkart Minutes. Customers can choose from up to 30 days' pay later, Pay in 3 instalments, or EMIs ranging from 3 to 12 months, covering both everyday purchases and higher-value products such as mobiles, electronics, appliances, and furniture.
Xflow has launched its app on ChatGPT, offering users real-time exchange rate data and AI-powered FX forecasts. The integration brings verified insights on foreign exchange and cross-border payments directly to ChatGPT users.

document fetched 2026-08-01 08:23