• Startup Pulse
    altM raises $10.3 million in a Series A round led by Rainmatter by Zerodha and Mela Ventures, with Omnivore, Theia Ventures, Aureolis Ventures, Spectrum Impact and strategic angel investors participating. Venomics AI raises $2.7 million in a pre-seed round co-led by Speciale Invest and South Park Commons, with Operators Studio participating. EloElo Group raises $80 million in a Series C round led by Hornbill Capital and NBCUniversal, with MIT Investment Co. and existing investors participating. Peppermint Robotics raises ₹100 crore (approximately $10.5 million) in a Pre-Series B round led by pi Ventures and Crane Venture Partners, with Asiana Fund participating. Traversal raises $120 million in a Series B round at a $1 billion valuation, led by Kleiner Perkins, Redpoint and Khosla Ventures, with Sequoia Capital, Battery Ventures and Amex Ventures participating. GIVA raises over $100 million in a round led by Multiples Alternate Asset Management. The Croffle Guys raises ₹14 crore in a round led by V3 Ventures, with N.A.N Partners participating. Solgram raises over $1 million in a pre-seed round led by DSG Consumer Partners and Saama Capital, with Kapil Chopra participating. Sachin Tendulkar makes a strategic investment in Metasports Interactive, the company behind Hitwicket. The amount was not disclosed. Hyeglo Beauty raises ₹7 crore in a round led by Sauce, with Giga Capital, Consumer Collective, Reckitt's Arjun Purkayastha and The Patient Capital participating. altM raises $10.3 million in a Series A round led by Rainmatter by Zerodha and Mela Ventures, with Omnivore, Theia Ventures, Aureolis Ventures, Spectrum Impact and strategic angel investors participating. Venomics AI raises $2.7 million in a pre-seed round co-led by Speciale Invest and South Park Commons, with Operators Studio participating. EloElo Group raises $80 million in a Series C round led by Hornbill Capital and NBCUniversal, with MIT Investment Co. and existing investors participating. Peppermint Robotics raises ₹100 crore (approximately $10.5 million) in a Pre-Series B round led by pi Ventures and Crane Venture Partners, with Asiana Fund participating. Traversal raises $120 million in a Series B round at a $1 billion valuation, led by Kleiner Perkins, Redpoint and Khosla Ventures, with Sequoia Capital, Battery Ventures and Amex Ventures participating. GIVA raises over $100 million in a round led by Multiples Alternate Asset Management. The Croffle Guys raises ₹14 crore in a round led by V3 Ventures, with N.A.N Partners participating. Solgram raises over $1 million in a pre-seed round led by DSG Consumer Partners and Saama Capital, with Kapil Chopra participating. Sachin Tendulkar makes a strategic investment in Metasports Interactive, the company behind Hitwicket. The amount was not disclosed. Hyeglo Beauty raises ₹7 crore in a round led by Sauce, with Giga Capital, Consumer Collective, Reckitt's Arjun Purkayastha and The Patient Capital participating.
  • Seclore Expands Pune Innovation Center With Major Hiring and AI-Led Security Investments

    Seclore Expands Pune Innovation Center

    Pune: In an exclusive interview with Sahyadri Startups, Seclore CEO Vishal Gauri outlined the company’s global vision for data-centric security, its commitment to Made-in-India innovation, and its expansion plans for the Pune technology hub.

    During the discussion, Gauri explained that the company specializes in identifying, classifying, protecting and tracking critical data across enterprises.

    Unlike traditional perimeter-based cybersecurity tools, he noted, most firewalls, cloud security tools and application-level protections eventually experience breaches. This makes data-level protection essential.

    Vishal Gauri said, “The only real way to secure information is by protecting the data itself. That is exactly what we do at Seclore.”

    Vishal Gauri

    Also Read: Why ECU Tuning Could Be the Weakest Link in Automotive Cybersecurity

    Seclore Strengthens Global Presence With India at Its Core

    Vishal Gauri described Seclore as a “Make in India” intellectual property-driven company with teams and customers across North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. The organization continues to invest heavily in new-age technologies, including advanced service architectures and artificial intelligence.

    Gauri noted that the company’s innovation roadmap aims to develop highly intelligent, efficient and globally scalable data security products.

    Seclore Expands Pune Innovation Office With Major Hiring Plans

    Vishal highlighted Pune as a strategic innovation hub for Seclore, citing its strong academic ecosystem, rich cybertech talent and the region’s legacy in engineering and technology. The Pune office, currently comprising 60–75 employees, is expected to add nearly 100 new hires over the next two years.

    He clarified that the focus is not on scaling operations, but on strengthening innovation, R&D and product development from India.

    Serving Financial Services, Manufacturing, Public Sector and Automotive

    • Financial Services Compliance

    Vishal said Seclore plays an important role in enabling banks, insurers and financial institutions to comply with global data regulations, including India’s newly passed DPDP Act. The company protects sensitive, identifiable information and ensures safe data sharing within and outside organizations.

    • Safeguarding Manufacturing and Automotive IP

    In the manufacturing and automotive sectors – strongly represented in Pune – Seclore secures intellectual property such as engineering designs, drawings, formulas and other proprietary documents. Its technology ensures data remains protected even when shared with external vendors or third-party fabricators.

    • Supporting Governments and Public Agencies

    Globally, Seclore works with government bodies, regulatory authorities, armed forces, secret services and atomic energy institutions to secure critical information.

    Also Read: Part 3: How Firmware Vulnerability Noise Masks Real Security Risks in Embedded Systems

    Rising Cybersecurity Awareness and Reporting Challenges

    Vishal acknowledged that many organisations lack awareness regarding cyber threats and often avoid disclosing breaches. He pointed to U.S. regulations that mandate public companies to report material breaches within three days, noting that similar frameworks in India will improve transparency and security maturity.

    How Seclore Protects Data Even During Breaches

    Explaining the company’s core technology, Vishal said Seclore encrypts data and attaches persistent policies that control access, user permissions, geography and time limits. These policies remain inseparable from the file, preventing unauthorized access even if data is copied, shared or exfiltrated.

    This approach ensures that even if a breach occurs, sensitive information remains unusable for attackers.

    Cyber Incidents Occurring Daily Across Critical Sectors

    While exact numbers remain undisclosed due to limited reporting, Vishal Gauri said cyber incidents occur far more frequently than publicly known. Manufacturing units, production environments, banks and consumer platforms face continual threats from ransomware and data exfiltration.

    Talent War in Cybersecurity and Seclore’s Pune Advantage

    Vishal described a global “war for talent” in cybersecurity and AI. To accelerate innovation, Seclore is increasingly integrating automation and AI-driven tools across development, customer support and HR functions.

    He added that Pune remains crucial for sourcing high-quality cybersecurity professionals who can help scale Seclore’s global innovation roadmap.

    Author

    • Salil Urunkar

      Salil Urunkar is a senior journalist and the editorial mind behind Sahyadri Startups. With years of experience covering Pune’s entrepreneurial rise, he’s passionate about telling the real stories of founders, disruptors, and game-changers.

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