• Startup Pulse
    Docterz raises ₹5 crore in funding from Vineeta Singh, Avnish Anand and around 20 doctors who use the platform. AceBlend raises $9.91 million in a Series A2 round led by 3one4 Capital, with Fireside Ventures participating. Jagruti Rehabilitation Centre raises ₹28 crore in a Series A round led by Alkemi Growth Capital. Carbelim raises ₹10 crore from the IIT Madras Unicorn Frontier Fund. Viridian Ingni Propulsion raises ₹1.47 crore in a pre-seed round led by Inflection Point Ventures. Venttup raises $3 million in a pre-Series A round led by Rainmatter and Unicorn India Ventures. ISLAND Beauty raises ₹2.58 crore in funding from AJVC and angel investors. Sridhar Vembu warns of painful economic rebalancing as AI reshapes computer-based jobs. GomatiRoots raises ₹1 lakh in funding through YourStory's Shuru Kar initiative. Bijnis rebrands as Zorit and raises nearly ₹27 crore in funding led by Sparrow Capital, with Info Edge, WaterBridge, Better Capital and other investors participating. Docterz raises ₹5 crore in funding from Vineeta Singh, Avnish Anand and around 20 doctors who use the platform. AceBlend raises $9.91 million in a Series A2 round led by 3one4 Capital, with Fireside Ventures participating. Jagruti Rehabilitation Centre raises ₹28 crore in a Series A round led by Alkemi Growth Capital. Carbelim raises ₹10 crore from the IIT Madras Unicorn Frontier Fund. Viridian Ingni Propulsion raises ₹1.47 crore in a pre-seed round led by Inflection Point Ventures. Venttup raises $3 million in a pre-Series A round led by Rainmatter and Unicorn India Ventures. ISLAND Beauty raises ₹2.58 crore in funding from AJVC and angel investors. Sridhar Vembu warns of painful economic rebalancing as AI reshapes computer-based jobs. GomatiRoots raises ₹1 lakh in funding through YourStory's Shuru Kar initiative. Bijnis rebrands as Zorit and raises nearly ₹27 crore in funding led by Sparrow Capital, with Info Edge, WaterBridge, Better Capital and other investors participating.
  • Poonawalla Fincorp Advances AI-Driven Transformation in Marketing and Compliance

    Poonawalla Fincorp

    Mumbai: Poonawalla Fincorp Limited, a leading non-banking financial company (NBFC) backed by the Cyrus Poonawalla Group, has announced a significant leap in its digital strategy by deploying AI-powered solutions across marketing and compliance operations.

    These initiatives mark a milestone in Poonawalla Fincorp’s commitment to responsible, tech-enabled lending with enhanced customer experiences and regulatory agility.

    AI in Marketing: Redefining Customer Engagement

    To build a data-driven and scalable marketing ecosystem, Poonawalla Fincorp has rolled out several AI-powered initiatives aimed at personalizing customer interactions, reducing acquisition costs, and improving engagement quality.

    Over 100 borrower personas have been created using AI models, allowing for precision targeting and persona-based performance marketing.

    The company launched 80–100 automated retargeting campaigns across web and mobile apps, using real-time data to deliver location, language, and behavior-specific communication strategies.

    Poonawalla Fincorp has transformed its digital presence with an upgraded website that includes self-service customer portals, QR-based referral journeys, and credit score checks.

    In the next phase, Poonawalla Fincorp will roll out:

    • 24/7 AI-powered customer support
    • Multilingual interfaces in 5 additional languages
    • Gen AI-powered content engines to deliver customized messaging at 10x scale

    AI in Compliance: Enhancing Speed, Accuracy, and Governance

    In parallel, PFL has internally developed an AI-based compliance solution to streamline regulatory responses. The tool scans new RBI advisories, maps them to company policies, identifies impacted areas, and recommends immediate actions. This enables faster closure of compliance requirements while maintaining quality through human validation.

    Future upgrades will enable the platform to automatically generate full compliance reports, cutting documentation turnaround times from days to hours, while still ensuring human oversight at every step.

    “We see AI not just as a tool, but as a responsible innovation driver,” said Arvind Kapil, Managing Director & CEO, Poonawalla Fincorp. “By blending predictive intelligence with human control, we’re building transparent, agile, and future-ready business models. This transformation is designed to scale with trust, accuracy, and accountability.”

    Poonawalla Fincorp: Laying the Foundation for a Future-Ready NBFC

    PFL’s AI initiatives extend beyond marketing and compliance to areas such as underwriting, debt management, HR, audit, and governance—a holistic approach aligned with its risk-first lending philosophy.

    With customer experience and operational integrity at the forefront, Poonawalla Fincorp’s AI-led transformation reaffirms its positioning as a next-generation NBFC that delivers value and trust at scale.

    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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