Business

Funds will be used to enhance technology, talent, and strategic acquisitions to offer plug-and-play solutions for financial advisors and single-family offices Centricity, a Gurugram-based B2B2C wealthtech startup, has secured $20 million in seed funding led by Lightspeed, a venture capital firm. This significant investment brings the company's valuation to $125 million, a sixfold increase from its pre-seed funding of $20 million in September 2022. Joining Lightspeed as investors in this round are existing backers Burman Family Office, Shantanu Agarwal, and angel investors Ritesh Agarwal, Vishal Dhupar, and the MS Dhoni Family Office. Key Highlights: Centricity aims to use the fresh capital to scale its platforms, Invictus and One Digital, by investing in technology and talent...

Mumbai, India - Futwork, a sales outreach platform that enables businesses to build and expand their outbound calling teams with zero fixed costs, has secured Rs 20.9 crore (approximately $2.5 million) in its Series A funding round led by the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation. This significant investment was achieved through the issuance of 50 equity and 8,820 preference shares at an issue price of Rs 23,650 each, as per the recent regulatory filing accessed from the Registrar of Companies (RoC). The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation led the investment with Rs 14.17 crore, with Artha Ventures, Simile Capital, SCI Bureaux, D2C Insider Angels, and angel investor Abhishek Goyal participating in the remainder of the funding. Post-funding, the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation will...

D2C Insider, a leading community for direct-to-consumer (D2C) entrepreneurs, has announced the launch of its third cohort of the Elevate Program. This highly anticipated growth accelerator is designed specifically for early-stage consumer brands with up to Rs 25 lakh monthly revenue, aiming to scale rapidly and secure institutional capital. The Elevate Program is an investment-backed 12-week boot camp that offers a structured approach to growth, guidance from industry experts, and access to a powerful network of successful entrepreneurs and investors. Notable mentors, such as Aditya Sharma (The Souled Store), Karthik Reddy (Blume Ventures), and Gaurav Khatri (Noise), will share their insights and expertise with participants. The program's benefits include: Structured playbooks a...

New Delhi, India - Dharaksha Ecosolutions, a biotech-driven R&D start-up, has secured $2.95 million in seed funding led by Avaana Capital, the company announced in a press release. This latest funding round brings the total funding secured by the company to over $2.5 million. The company plans to utilize the proceeds from the funding round to expand its production capabilities, intensify research and development practices, and strengthen its market presence. Dharaksha Ecosolutions, co-founded by Anand Bodh and Arpit Dhupar in 2020, aims to replace conventional plastic and petroleum-based packaging with sustainable alternatives made from agricultural waste. Dharaksha's innovative approach utilizes agricultural waste as a feedstock to develop mycelium-based packaging materials...

Mumbai-based digital therapeutics startup, Wundrsight, has raised $400,000 in its seed funding round led by Inflection Point Ventures, with participation from Social Alpha and several angel investors. The latest investment will enable the startup to strengthen its hospital and clinic partnerships network across India and advance its Virtual Reality (VR) based mental health solutions. Co-founded by Raunak Swarnkar, Wundrsight is focused on leveraging the immersive capabilities of VR to digitize and standardize mental health therapy. Backed by prominent investors including Meta (Facebook parent), DLabs at the Indian School of Business, IIT Mandi Catalyst, and NASSCOM, the startup has established itself as a pioneer in the digital mental health space. Key Highlights: Wundrsight has...

Consumer lending platform Moneyview has reached the unicorn status after securing substantial investment from its existing investors, Accel India and Nexus Ventures. This new round of funding has valued the company at around ₹10,086 crore or $1.2 billion (post-allotment). As per regulatory filings, Moneyview has issued 60,23,382 equity shares at an issue price of ₹64.15 each, raising approximately ₹38.64 crore ($4.65 million) in the ongoing funding round. Accel India has invested ₹29 crore, while Nexus Ventures has pumped in ₹19 crore. Notably, this is not the only recent development at Moneyview. Earlier this week, the company announced the acquisition of Jify.co, a platform that enables employees to access their earnings on demand. This strategic move is expected to strengthen Mon...

Mumbai, India - July 11, 2022 - GameEon, a leading game development studio, has announced that it has secured $1 million in its latest funding round. The investment was co-led by a group of prominent investors including SucSEED Indovation Fund, ICE VC, IAN, CD EQUIFINANCE, Nexus Global Opportunities Fund, Vivek Goel, Patni Family, and Tal64. This fresh funding round is a significant boost to the company, which had earlier raised $500,000 for product prototyping and market testing. GameEon has conducted trials in 12 countries and gathered insights from over 5,000 gamers globally, showcasing the company's dedication to creating high-quality gaming experiences. The new funding will be utilized to accelerate the development of AA and AAA games for PC and console, as well as the launch o...

Gurugram-based jewelry startup Trisu has secured an undisclosed amount of investment in a pre-seed funding round, co-led by All In Capital, JK Tyres, and Amaanta Group, with participation from angel investors Himanshu Aggarwal and Sumer Sethi. The funds, which will be primarily used to enhance customer acquisition, drive product innovation, and support market expansion, are expected to propel the company's growth plans. Trisu, founded by Saloni Chopra in 2023, specializes in gold vermeil jewelry with 18-karat gold plating that is five times thicker than standard gold plating, using silver as the base metal. The company aims to provide affordable gold alternatives to Indian consumers, particularly those aged 30-60, who can enjoy high-quality jewelry at a fraction of the cost of solid...

Growth capital firm Playbook Partners has reached a milestone with a first close, securing over $130 million in funding from investors from across the globe, including Europe, the US, the Middle East, and India. The fund has an option to grow up to $250 million, leaving room for further investments. Growth Stage Investments Playbook's primary focus is on partnering with growth-stage, tech-enabled businesses in large addressable markets. The firm, led by Vikas Choudhury, targets companies with positive unit economics and the potential to scale sustainably to market leadership. By merging capital with expertise, Playbook aims to provide a unique value proposition to its portfolio companies, utilizing a data-driven and strategic approach. Diversified Investing Experience Choudhur...