Tag: Inc42 Media

Infra.Market, a building materials platform, is set to raise ₹1,250 Cr ($137 Mn) in debt funding from Singapore-based private credit platform Ascertis Credit. This funding comes as the startup prepares for its upcoming initial public offering (IPO), having recently obtained approval from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) for the public issue. The capital will be raised through the hypothecation of assets and the pledging of promoter shares within the startup and its associated group companies.

Infra.Market plans to utilize the funds for various purposes, including refinancing debt, capital expenditure, and potential merger and acquisition activities. The startup, founded in 2016 by Souvik Sengupta and Aaditya Sharda, operates as a marketplace for construction materials, offering a range of products under its private label brands like RDC Concrete, Million Tiles, and Shalimar Paints. By leveraging technology to digitize procurement processes, Infra.Market serves both B2B and retail clients.

Having already raised significant funding from investors such as Tiger Global and Accel, Infra.Market is now preparing for its IPO, maintaining a valuation of $2.8 Bn as per its latest Series G funding round.

Source: Inc42 Media

Deepinder Goyal-backed aviation startup LAT Aerospace has made a strategic move by acquiring early-stage defence tech startup Sharang Shakti. This acquisition signifies LAT Aerospace’s expansion into the defence tech domain, aiming to integrate innovative technologies across both defence and civil aviation sectors.

Founder Deepinder Goyal stated that this acquisition marks LAT Aerospace’s initial step towards developing indigenous defence capabilities, aligning with the company’s overarching vision of establishing a robust civil aviation platform. Goyal emphasized the commonality in technology frameworks between civil aviation and defence, particularly in areas such as autonomy, perception, sensing, navigation, and control systems.

Sharang Shakti, founded in 2023, specializes in anti-drone air defense systems, focusing on radar development for micro-drone detection and interceptors to counter rogue drones effectively. The acquisition of Sharang Shakti enables LAT Aerospace to bolster its in-house technological expertise and expand its offerings to cater to the evolving needs of the defence and civil aviation sectors.

Source: Inc42 Media

Beauty and personal care startup Puresta has secured pre-seed funding of ₹34 Cr (approximately $3.7 Mn) led by Spring Marketing Capital. The funding will support the development of an AI-powered full-stack dermatology platform, bridging the beauty and health sectors.

Puresta, founded by Ashish Mishra and The Man Company’s Hitesh Dhingra and Bhisham Bhateja, is set to launch a comprehensive skincare solution this week. The platform will provide AI-based diagnostics, dermatologist-formulated products, clinical validation, and real-time progress monitoring.

Prior to its debut, Puresta acquired HealthQ Life Science, the parent company of SKINQ, a D2C skincare brand known for its dermatologist-formulated products. This acquisition is intended to enhance Puresta’s product offerings and technological capabilities.

Puresta aims to leverage SKINQ’s formulations within its AI platform to deliver personalized skincare regimens with quantifiable outcome tracking, focusing on result-driven skincare rather than marketing hype.

This initiative by Puresta aligns with the evolving trend in the beauty and personal care industry towards science-backed skincare solutions, emphasizing efficacy and ingredient transparency.

Source: Inc42 Media

Oncology startup Oncare has secured ₹27 Cr (approximately $3 Mn) in a Series A funding round to bolster its efforts in expanding its network of cancer care clinics. Led by Sky Impact Capital, the funding round also saw contributions from Huddle Ventures, Lotus Herbal Group, SteerX, and Tremis Capital. The startup’s primary focus with the new capital infusion is to broaden its presence in various metro cities and Tier-2 and Tier-3 markets across India. Additionally, Oncare aims to invest in technology solutions to enhance its clinical operations, care coordination, and overall patient experience.

Founded in 2023 by Amar Sneh and Deepak Kumar, Oncare operates a distributed oncology care model that emphasizes partnering with accredited hospitals to provide comprehensive medical, surgical, and radiation oncology services under one unified platform. Currently operating multiple centers in the Delhi NCR region, the startup is strategically positioning itself to establish a nationwide network dedicated to standardized and transparent cancer care.

The infusion of funds into Oncare aligns with the burgeoning growth of the Indian oncology market, which is expected to reach ₹43,000 Cr by FY28, growing at a rate of approximately 14% CAGR. This investment underscores a broader trend where investors are increasingly supporting specialized care models that target specific healthcare needs effectively.

The healthcare technology sector in India is witnessing substantial growth, with the overall healthtech market projected to achieve a 39% CAGR between 2025 and 2030, surpassing $37 Bn. Notably, Indian healthtech startups raised nearly $700 Mn in 2025, signifying sustained investor interest in innovative healthcare solutions.

Source: Inc42 Media

AI technology continues to transform the recruitment landscape as HR tech startup HireBound recently closed a $2 million Seed funding round to further develop its AI-powered recruitment platform. The funding, led by Kalaari Capital, with additional participation from Antler, Infinyte Club, and CareerNet, will enable HireBound to enhance its product portfolio, expand market operations, and increase its market presence.

Founded in 2024 by former LinkedIn executive Sharad Vij and Kumar Vikramaditya, HireBound’s platform leverages AI to automate candidate engagement processes, including sourcing, screening, and evaluation. The Bengaluru-based startup aims to deepen integrations with existing applicant tracking systems and HRMS platforms, while also expanding its team across sales, delivery, and engineering departments.

HireBound’s approach involves creating AI agents that interact with candidates through various channels, such as voice calls, WhatsApp updates, text messages, and emails, to determine candidate relevance for specific roles. With plans to achieve a 5X increase in annual recurring revenue over the next 12-18 months, HireBound is poised to make significant strides in the competitive recruitment technology sector.

Source: Inc42 Media

Anandamoy Roychowdhary, a former member of Peak XV Partners, has taken on a new role as a managing director at Crane Venture Partners, a UK-based early-stage investment firm. Roychowdhary, who left Peak XV in November 2024, will focus on overseeing investments in Indian artificial intelligence (AI) and deeptech startups.

Roychowdhary expressed his enthusiasm for investing in the emerging AI and deep-tech companies in India, Singapore, and Australia. Crane Venture Partners, founded in 2015, is known for its investments in B2B SaaS, deeptech, and AI startups, primarily in the Seed and Series A rounds. The firm’s recent $135 million Asia Pacific fund launch underscores its commitment to backing early-stage ventures in India and other APAC countries.

This move marks a significant step for Roychowdhary, who previously worked at Peak XV’s incubation arm Surge. His expertise in the Indian startup ecosystem could bring valuable insights to Crane Venture Partners’ investment strategy in the region.

Source: Inc42 Media

Enterprise tech company DATOMS has successfully raised ₹25 Cr ($2.8 Mn) in a Series A funding round led by Big Capital JSC, with IvyCap Ventures and YourNest Venture Capital also participating. The funding will be used to enhance product and technical capabilities, expand into new markets, and hire talent across various domains.

Founded in 2021, DATOMS offers an integrated operations cloud that enables real-time monitoring and management of people, processes, and machine operations on a unified platform. The company’s client base includes prominent names like Tata Steel, ONGC, ABB, and Dalmia Bharat Cement, and it aims to scale its machine monitoring from 25,000 to 100,000 units in the coming year.

Key areas for investment include enhancing AI and analytics functionalities, refining automation features, and developing solutions for predictive maintenance, performance optimization, and energy management. DATOMS primarily serves original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in the industrial IoT, energy tech, and enterprise software sectors, focusing on improving performance in asset-intensive industries.

Prior to this Series A round, DATOMS had secured ₹13.5 Cr in a pre-Series A funding round. The company has now raised over ₹20 Cr in total funding from investors like Yournest Venture Capital, Operators Studio, and APT Research, among others. This latest funding aligns with the increasing demand among enterprises for advanced solutions to optimize operational efficiency and asset performance.

Source: Inc42 Media

In the field of AI innovation, AIONOS is making strides with its unique approach to integrating accountability into enterprise models. Founded in 2024 by CP Gurnani and Rahul Bhatia, AIONOS aims to go beyond scalability in AI to create purposeful, ethically-driven technology tailored to the complexities of modern businesses.

While traditional AI models operate in isolation, AIONOS focuses on AI orchestration – the coordination and management of AI systems, integrations, and deployments for more effective decision-making. By unifying data, analytics, automation, and human expertise into orchestrated systems, AIONOS guides businesses towards meaningful transformation.

With a hybrid AI stack and a focus on industries like travel, transportation, logistics, and hospitality, AIONOS positions itself as an Enterprise AI Orchestration firm rather than a raw AI model builder. This strategic positioning allows AIONOS to play a crucial role in the rapidly growing AI orchestration market, projected to reach $82 billion by 2035 with a 22% annual growth rate.

This innovative approach underscores the importance of accountability and purpose in AI development, paving the way for a new era of AI integration in enterprises worldwide.

Source: Inc42 Media