• 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.
  • FUEL Future Skills Summit 2026 to Spotlight Industry 5.0, Employability and Youth Empowerment

    FUEL Future Skills Summit 2026

    Pune: The FUEL Education Institution Group will host its Annual Conclave & FUEL Future Skills Summit 2026 on Friday, February 6, at 11.00 am at the FUEL Campus in Bhugaon, Pune.

    The summit will be inaugurated by Kerala Governor Rajendra Arlekar, who will attend the event as the Chief Guest, while Maharashtra’s Minister for Higher and Technical Education Chandrakant Patil will be present as the Special Guest.

    This information was shared by Dr Ketan Deshpande, Founder and Chairman of the FUEL Education Institution Group, during a press conference. FUEL COO Mayuri Deshpande and Department Head Dr Prachi Ahirrao were also present on the occasion.

    Also Read: From Skills to Services: Education to Employment and Enterprise Committee Proposed in Budget 2026

    FUEL Future Skills Summit 2026 Brings Policymakers, Industry and Education Leaders Together

    The FUEL Future Skills Summit 2026 is a high-impact national platform that brings together policymakers, senior government officials, industry and HR leaders, CSR heads, education experts, and youth representatives.

    At the conclave, Governor Rajendra Arlekar will share his views on “Value-based leadership, collaborative governance, and strengthening the education and skills ecosystem.”

    Meanwhile, Minister Chandrakant Patil will highlight “the state government’s role in building a future-ready education system, skill development, and youth empowerment.”

    FUEL Future Skills Summit 2026 to Feature Roundtable Discussions and Expert Sessions

    The conclave will include roundtable discussions featuring senior leaders from the HR and CSR sectors across India. These discussions will focus on emerging hiring trends, workforce expectations, leadership skills, and industry–academia collaboration.

    Prominent participants include Gitanjali Katale Chakravarti, Shraddha Mehta, Neha Mukheja, Satish Konjeti, Tina R, Krishna Panda, Gauri Madhusudanan, Ashwin Kumar, Nidhin Hall, Pramod Pandey, Abhishek Ranjan, Kalyan Jodwe, and Khurram Nayab.

    Special sessions will be held on key themes such as Future Skills, Industry 5.0, Human-Centric Education, Employability, Leadership Readiness, and CSR-led Skill Development.

    Also Read: MSDE Signs MoU with World Economic Forum to Roll Out Skills Accelerator in India

    FUEL Future Skills Summit 2026 to Announce Key Social Stock Exchange Milestone

    The programme will include an inaugural session, keynote addresses, thematic discussions, and an Excellence Awards ceremony, recognising outstanding contributions in education, skill development, CSR, and youth empowerment.

    On this occasion, a significant milestone under India’s Social Stock Exchange framework will be officially announced by FUEL. This step aims to strengthen transparency, accountability, and social impact measurement, while enabling large-scale education and skill initiatives for women, first-generation learners, and underserved youth.

    “FUEL Annual Conclave & Future Skills Summit 2026 is a platform that brings policy, industry, and education together. This milestone under the Social Stock Exchange highlights our commitment to transparency, measurable outcomes, and large-scale social impact,” said Dr Ketan Deshpande.

    The FUEL Future Skills Summit 2026 is expected to further strengthen collaboration between government, industry, educational institutions, and civil society, reinforcing the shared goal of building a skilled, inclusive, and future-ready India.

    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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