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Featured stories
How Bahula Naturals is transforming desert livelihoods in Rajasthan
Aakriti Srivastava founded Bahula Naturals after years of working with pastoralist communities in Rajasthan’s Thar Desert and witnessing the economic hardships faced by migrant and agro-pastoralist families. What began as research and documentation evolved into a community-owned enterprise focused on creating sustainable livelihoods.
Bahula now works with more than 4,000 households across Bikaner, Jaisalmer, and Jaipur, helping producers adopt chemical-free practices, access better inputs, and earn fair value for their products.
The company processes and markets camel milk, indigenous Rathi cow milk products, and desert-grown agricultural produce, creating a market for premium, sustainably sourced foods
Funding news
SolarSquare raises $53M in Series C round
Mumbai-based residential rooftop solar company SolarSquare has secured $53 million in a Series C funding round led by B Capital, a global investment firm focused on technology, climate, and growth-stage companies. Existing backers, including Lightspeed, Elevation Capital, Lowercarbon Capital, Rainmatter by Zerodha, and Good Capital, also participated, taking the company’s total funding raised to over $100 million.
The fresh capital will be used to accelerate SolarSquare’s expansion into new markets, enhance its technology platform, strengthen its team, and scale operations as it aims to establish itself as a leading home-energy brand in India.
Founded in 2015 by Neeraj Jain, Nikhil Nahar, and Shreya Mishra, SolarSquare offers end-to-end rooftop solar solutions for homeowners. Its services cover the entire customer journey, from consultation and system design to installation, financing support, and ongoing maintenance.
Gimi Michi raises $1M in seed round
Gimi Michi, India’s first dedicated Korean FMCG brand, has raised $1 million in a seed funding round led by IndiaQuotient, with participation from DeVC, Titan Capital, and IIMA Ventures.
Founded by IIM Ahmedabad alumni Nishank Goyal, Akhil Kumar, and Bodhi Rathor, whose professional backgrounds include stints at BCG, Mondelez, AB InBev, and Pluckk, Gimi Michi was born from a key market gap.
While Korean culture has gained immense popularity among young Indian consumers, access to authentic Korean food products has remained limited, with most options restricted to costly imports or niche offerings.
The company aims to bridge this gap by bringing authentic Korean flavours to Indian households through a dedicated product portfolio.
TrackerSuite.AI raises Rs 6 Cr in pre-Series A funding round
TrackerSuite.AI, an AI-powered business automation platform focused on helping small and medium enterprises (SMEs) digitise and optimise their operations, has raised Rs 6 crore in a Pre-Series A funding round.
The investment was led by a UAE-based family office and advised by Bestvantage Investments, with participation from Pontaq.VC, Shubhan Ventures, Candle Advisors, and a group of strategic angel investors.
The company plans to utilise the fresh capital to enhance its artificial intelligence capabilities, expand its enterprise-grade product offerings, accelerate customer acquisition, strengthen ecosystem integrations, and support its global growth ambitions.
Founded by entrepreneur and product leader Neha Chandra and technology expert Rishab Chandra, TrackerSuite.AI is a woman-led, revenue-generating technology company serving SMEs worldwide.
Other news
Grip Invest elevates Ankit Dokania as CFO
Ankit Dokania
Grip Invest has elevated Ankit Dokania as its Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Dokania joined the company in January 2023 as Vice President – Finance & Compliance and has played a key role in strengthening its financial and regulatory framework.
As CFO, he will lead the company’s financial strategy with a focus on three core areas: enhancing financial governance across Grip Invest’s multi-regulated and multi-entity structure, maintaining robust compliance standards to safeguard investor interests, and scaling the treasury function to support the company’s next phase of growth and expansion.
IIT Madras and IITM Global forge strategic partnerships at Bharat Innovates 2026
The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) and IITM Global marked the opening day of Bharat Innovates 2026 in Nice, France, with the exchange of seven commercial Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) between Indian deep-tech startups and their international partners, primarily from France. The event also witnessed the signing of two institutional MoUs focused on enhancing global market access, investment opportunities, and innovation-driven collaboration.
Together, these agreements are expected to generate nearly $100 million in value creation, reinforcing India’s growing stature as a global centre for deep-tech innovation and fostering stronger cross-border partnerships between Indian startups and international stakeholders.
The startup partnerships announced included:
• Agnikul Cosmos with ICEYE, Finland, and Safran, France
• Detect Technologies with TotalEnergies
• TuTr Hyperloop with thyssenkrupp
• iElectron Technologies with ALTEN
• Indian Angel Network announced a potential investment in The ePlane Company
Swiggy launches EatRight Exclusives in Bengaluru
Swiggy has launched EatRight Exclusives in Bengaluru, introducing a curated selection of healthier versions of the city’s most-loved dishes in collaboration with leading restaurant brands. The new offering focuses on meals that are high in protein, lower in calories, and designed to deliver both nutrition and taste.
The initiative brings together popular food brands such as Truffles, A2B – Adyar Ananda Bhavan, Lo! Foods, Truth Bowl, The Bowl Company, Biryani Blues, Potful – Claypot Biryanis, Millet Express, Caterspoint, and Saladspoint. Available exclusively on the Swiggy app, the menu features a wide range of macro-friendly options spanning salads, starters, burgers, South Indian specialities, North Indian favourites, and bowls. Customers can access the collection by selecting EatRight Exclusives under the EatRight section on the Swiggy app.
ContraVault AI raises $3.1 M led by Chiratae Ventures
Procurement intelligence startup ContraVault AI has secured $3.1 million in a pre-Series A funding round led by Chiratae Ventures, with participation from existing investor Titan Capital Winners Fund. The company plans to use the capital to accelerate product innovation, strengthen its AI capabilities, and expand into international markets, particularly the United States.
Founded in 2024 by Sayan Sen, Isha Juneja and Tanmay Juneja, ContraVault AI helps infrastructure companies analyse tenders and RFPs, identify risks, ensure compliance and improve bid management decisions. The platform has analysed over 1 million tenders for training and is already being used by the top 30% of India’s largest infrastructure companies. The startup aims to transform procurement and bidding through specialised AI-driven intelligence.
Speedioo raises Rs 10 Cr in seed funding led by Atomic Capital
Consumer-tech platform Speedioo has raised Rs 10 crore in a seed funding round led by Atomic Capital, marking its first institutional investment. The company will use the funds to develop its AI-native technology stack, expand distribution across key Indian markets, strengthen OEM partnerships, and scale its dealer and retail network.
Founded by former CredR and Rentomojo executives Sagar Potphode and Ajit Deshmukh, Speedioo plans to integrate AI across procurement, vehicle assessment, price discovery and sales processes. The startup also intends to expand into three to four major cities through a franchise-led retail model while strengthening its leadership team. Over the past year, Speedioo says it has achieved more than fivefold revenue growth while remaining EBITDA-positive and cash-flow positive.
Sharan Hegde invests in Madhouse Mafia
Finance content creator and entrepreneur Sharan Hegde has invested in creator-focused marketing and talent company Madhouse Mafia. Founded by Rachit Arora, Supriya Ullengala and Zeba Madni, the company specialises in creator incubation, influencer marketing, performance marketing, and AI-led advertising solutions.
Madhouse Mafia currently employs around 30 people and manages more than 40 creators across finance, technology and travel categories. Its creator roster includes popular names such as That Credit Card Guy, Finance with Sharan and CA Palak Rathi. The company has also worked with brands including Amazon, BMW and Motilal Oswal. Madhouse Mafia aims to scale its operations and reach over ₹150 crore in revenue within the next five years, supported by AI-driven content growth strategies.
NSRCEL appoints Rasika Prashant as CEO
NSRCEL, the startup incubator of IIM Bangalore, has appointed Rasika Prashant as its chief executive officer, effective June 8, 2026. The appointment marks a new phase for the incubator as it seeks to deepen its support for entrepreneurs, innovation and startup growth across sectors.
Rasika Prashant is widely recognised as the co-founder and former chief marketing officer of Tata Soulfull, where she played a key role in building the millet-based food brand before its acquisition and integration into Tata Consumer Products. As CEO, she will lead NSRCEL’s efforts in incubation, mentorship, capital access, and ecosystem partnerships.
The organisation believes her entrepreneurial experience and brand-building expertise will strengthen founder-centric programmes and strategic collaborations.
