• Startup Pulse
    altM raises $10.3 million in a Series A round led by Rainmatter by Zerodha and Mela Ventures, with Omnivore, Theia Ventures, Aureolis Ventures, Spectrum Impact and strategic angel investors participating. 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. altM raises $10.3 million in a Series A round led by Rainmatter by Zerodha and Mela Ventures, with Omnivore, Theia Ventures, Aureolis Ventures, Spectrum Impact and strategic angel investors participating. 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.
  • SheBuilds 2025: VLIV Hosts Women-Only Hackathon Powered by HackCulture and GitHub

    SheBuilds 2025 women-only hackathon

    Greater Noida: VLIV, a purpose-built managed living platform, hosted SheBuilds 2025, a pan-India, women-only hackathon powered by HackCulture and supported by GitHub.

    Held at VLIV’s flagship women’s residence in Knowledge Park, Greater Noida, the 24-hour live-in event SheBuilds 2025 served as a dynamic platform for India’s brightest female tech minds to engage with real-world AI challenges and co-create impactful solutions.

    The event drew over 1,500 individual registrations and 530 all-women tech teams from across 23 states and 25+ cities. After a rigorous national screening process, 45 finalist teams were invited to VLIV to build, stay, and pitch alongside mentors, jury members, and ecosystem partners.

    Also Read: NeoGrowth Impact Report: INR 1680 Crore Disbursed to 9000 Women Entrepreneurs in 3 Years

    Why Knowledge Park, and Why VLIV?

    VLIV is located in Knowledge Park, Greater Noida, one of India’s most concentrated student zones, with over 200,000+ students across a 5km+ radius. Hosting SheBuilds here placed the event at the heart of where India’s next-generation talent lives and learns.

    “At VLIV, we’re committed to creating real opportunities for women, not just symbolic gestures,” said Vivek Raj, Chief Operating Officer, VLIV. “SheBuilds 2025 was powered by purpose. It brought together young women from across the country to solve real-world challenges in a space where they could live, build, and thrive while feeling safe, supported, and heard.”

    VLIV Hosts SheBuilds 2025
    Key Highlights of SheBuilds 2025
    • Pan-India Reach: Entries from over 25 cities including Chennai, Mumbai, Gwalior, Dehradun, and Nagpur, with participation from 23 states including Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Delhi.
    • High Engagement: 1,500+ women applied ranging from students to working professionals highlighting the strong demand for women-led innovation platforms.
    • Elite Selection: 45 teams selected through a national multi-stage process travelled to Greater Noida and received hands-on mentorship during the 24-hour hackathon.
    • Academic Excellence: Finalists represented top institutions including IIT Madras, IIIT Kota, IIIT Gwalior, IGDTUW, NSUT, and University of Delhi.
    • Innovation-Focused: Cutting-edge projects centered on real-world AI and tech-driven problem statements.
    • Ecosystem Collaboration: Hosted by VLIV in partnership with HackCulture and supported by GitHub, with contributions from communities including OmniDimension, Plaksha University, TestMySkills, GeekRoom, SheBuilds, and Women in Tech.

    Also Read: Gender Budgets, Startups, and MSMEs Fuel Women Empowerment in India’s Growth Story

    SheBuilds 2025 Winners

    • 1st Place – Pixie Chicks: Vivekananda Institute of Professional Studies (VIPS), Pritampura, New Delhi
    • 2nd Place – CodeSync: Bhagwan Parshuram Institute of Technology, Rohini, New Delhi
    • 3rd Place – 404 Error: Boys Not Found: Maharaja Agrasen Institute of Technology (MAIT), Rohini, New Delhi

    Each team presented innovative, purpose-driven solutions aligned with real-world AI and tech challenges making their mark as future leaders in India’s digital journey. The winning teams exemplify the spirit of SheBuilds—bold, brilliant, and built to lead. Each brought forth a unique lens to technology and created prototypes that hold promise to drive real change.

    Real Stories, Real Impact

    Dozens of participants described the experience as “safe,” “empowering,” and even a “core memory.” Across LinkedIn, many shared reflections praising the community, mentorship, and the warmth of the VLIV environment. “This hackathon goes beyond open innovation—it’s a rare chance to work on real-world AI challenges that can positively impact lives,” shared one participant.

    Organic Buzz & Reach

    VLIV’s teaser video from SheBuilds 2025 garnered 45,000+ views within 24 hours on Instagram—becoming its most engaging content to date. The resulting wave of organic stories, participant posts, and tags reflected how deeply the experience resonated with India’s next-gen innovators.

    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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