• 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.
  • Strategic Bancassurance Partnership Announced Between Bharti AXA Life Insurance and Equitas SFB

    bancassurance partnership

    Chennai: Bharti AXA Life Insurance, a subsidiary of Bharti Life Ventures Private Limited (a Bharti Group company), has announced a strategic bancassurance partnership with Equitas Small Finance Bank, aimed at expanding access to life insurance solutions across India, particularly in semi-urban and rural markets.

    Under this bancassurance partnership, Bharti AXA Life Insurance will make its portfolio of protection, savings, and retirement solutions available to customers of Equitas Small Finance Bank.

    The collaboration enables individuals and families to access long-term financial security and wealth planning solutions through the bank’s extensive distribution network of more than 1,042 outlets across 18 states and Union Territories, with a strong presence in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, and Maharashtra.

    Also Read: Canara HSBC Life Insurance Partners with Equitas Small Finance Bank to Expand Insurance Access

    Through the bancassurance partnership, customers of Equitas Small Finance Bank will be able to seamlessly access Bharti AXA Life Insurance products via the bank’s integrated physical and digital (phygital) channels.

    The initiative is designed to improve life insurance penetration by leveraging Equitas SFB’s reach among underbanked and emerging customer segments.

    Bancassurance Partnership to Expand Insurance Access Across Semi-Urban and Rural India

    Commenting on the development, Nitin Mehta, Chief Distribution Officer – Partnership Distribution and Head of Marketing, Bharti AXA Life Insurance, said that Equitas Small Finance Bank has built a differentiated franchise with a strong focus on semi-urban and rural communities.

    He noted that the partnership strengthens Bharti AXA Life Insurance’s partnership distribution footprint and supports its objective of simplifying insurance access, while aligning with the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India’s vision of “Insurance for All” by 2047.

    Also Read: SBI Life Insurance Q3 FY26 Results: PAT at ₹1,666 Crores, AUM Crosses ₹5.11 Lakh Crores

    Murali Vaidyanathan, Senior President and Country Head – Liabilities, Wealth Management and Digital Banking at Equitas Small Finance Bank, said the collaboration enhances the bank’s product offerings by providing customers access to a comprehensive range of life insurance solutions.

    He added that the partnership complements customers’ banking needs and supports long-term financial planning objectives.

    By combining Equitas Small Finance Bank’s distribution capabilities with Bharti AXA Life Insurance’s expertise in life insurance, the bancassurance partnership aims to drive broader adoption of life insurance products and strengthen financial preparedness among customers across diverse geographies.

    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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