• 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.
  • DRDO Engages MSMEs and Startups to Drive UP Defence Industrial Corridor Growth

    UP Defence Industrial Corridor

    New Delhi: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), through its Defence Technology and Test Centre (DTTC), Lucknow, organised a conclave at Amausi Campus on September 6, 2025, with a focus on capacity building of MSMEs and startups for the advancement of the UP Defence Industrial Corridor.

    The conclave, attended by more than 100 representatives from MSMEs, startups, and Laghu Udhyog Bharti, provided a platform to deliberate on skill development, funding opportunities for R&D, technical consultancy, and technology development and transfer facilitated by DRDO.

    DRDO highlights opportunities for MSMEs in UP Defence Industrial Corridor

    In his inaugural address, the DRDO Chairman described the Defence Technology and Test Centre (DTTC) as the vision of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, which has now evolved into a strong support system for industries.

    He encouraged MSMEs to engage in defence research and development, noting that DRDO has rolled out several technologies and policies tailored for MSME participation. He assured that DRDO would extend full support to enable MSMEs to contribute to Aatmanirbhar Bharat and the long-term goal of achieving Viksit Bharat 2047.

    Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO and the MSMEs for organising the conclave, underlining their vital role in advancing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of self-reliant India. He emphasised that the UP Defence Industrial Corridor would become a key driver in strengthening India’s defence ecosystem.

    The conclave saw participation from senior DRDO officials, including Dr RV Hara Prasad, DG (Naval Systems & Materials); Dr LC Mangal, DG (Technology Management); and Dr Mayank Dwivedi, DG (Human Resources).

    Also Read: DRDO Technology Transfer: DMRL Hands Over Three Advanced Materials Technologies to Industry

    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.

    Back to top