• Startup Pulse
    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. Unify Foodworks raises ₹5 crore in seed funding through convertible debentures from Atrium Ventures, SailThru Ventures, Arjun Vaidya and Abhishek Goyal. OBSESS raises approximately ₹3 crore in an angel round from Pushpendra Singh, Amit Goel and Harshit Vij. 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. Unify Foodworks raises ₹5 crore in seed funding through convertible debentures from Atrium Ventures, SailThru Ventures, Arjun Vaidya and Abhishek Goyal. OBSESS raises approximately ₹3 crore in an angel round from Pushpendra Singh, Amit Goel and Harshit Vij.
  • Credit Awareness Initiative by TransUnion CIBIL and Sa-Dhan to Empower Over 230 MFIs

    Credit Awareness Initiative

    Mumbai: In a strategic effort to advance financial inclusion and promote responsible lending, TransUnion CIBIL, India’s leading credit information and insights company, has partnered with Sa-Dhan, the premier self-regulatory organization (SRO) for microfinance institutions, to launch a nationwide Credit Awareness Initiative.

    This large-scale initiative aims to enhance credit literacy among microfinance borrowers while equipping MFIs (Microfinance Institutions) with the knowledge, tools, and insights needed to improve credit assessment and underwriting practices.

    Empowering MFIs and Borrowers Across India

    The Credit Awareness Initiative will feature multilingual educational content, data-driven resources, and regionally tailored workshops.

    Through state-level training programs and digital outreach, the initiative will ensure that MFIs can engage directly with borrowers across India – including underserved and remote regions.

    With over 230 member organizations, Sa-Dhan represents a wide network of MFIs, NBFCs, and banks. In collaboration with TransUnion CIBIL, the initiative will conduct joint training sessions, build customized credit literacy modules, and foster a deeper understanding of how credit scores influence lending decisions and financial opportunities.

    Driving Financial Inclusion Through Credit Literacy

    Bhavesh Jain, Managing Director and CEO of TransUnion CIBIL, emphasized the growing relevance of credit awareness: “Credit literacy is about more than borrowing – it’s about enabling people to confidently participate in India’s financial ecosystem. With over 13 crore consumers having accessed their CIBIL report and score as of December 2024, this partnership will accelerate our mission of empowering both MFIs and borrowers with the knowledge to make informed financial decisions.”

    Jiji Mammen, Executive Director and CEO of Sa-Dhan, added: “Financial inclusion can only be meaningful when communities understand how to use credit responsibly. This initiative is designed to bring practical credit education to those who need it most, building both economic resilience and trust in formal financial systems.”

    Credit Awareness Initiative: A Shared Commitment to Responsible Lending

    The Credit Awareness Initiative will help bridge the knowledge gap for millions of first-time borrowers, enabling microfinance institutions to nurture financially responsible behavior and reduce risks. By promoting the use of credit reports and scores as decision-making tools, the initiative strengthens India’s broader effort toward inclusive and sustainable financial growth.

    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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