Founders Venture

Isha Ambani-led Reliance Retail Venture ted (RRVL) has announced a major expansion of JioMart’s quick-delivery service, now operational in over 1,000 cities and covering 5,000+ pincodes across India. The announcement came alongside the company’s Q2 FY26 financial results, underscoring Reliance Retail’s aggressive push in India’s fast-growing quick commerce sector. Unlike competitors such as Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart, and Zepto, which primarily focus on 10-minute deliveries, JioMart’s model emphasizes a more sustainable 30-minute delivery approach aimed at optimizing logistics while maintaining a wide product assortment. The expansion has significantly boosted business performance, with JioMart reporting a 42% quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) rise and an impressive 200%+ year-on-year (YoY) growth in average daily orders for its quick-delivery segment. The company’s strategy leverages Reliance Retail’s extensive supply chain infrastructure, local sourcing, and integration with JioMart Digital stores to ensure rapid fulfillment across both urban and semi-urban regions. Industry experts see this as a strong move to position JioMart as a formidable player in India’s booming $5 billion quick commerce market, expected to grow exponentially over the next few years. #jiomart #reliance #retail #ishaambani #mukeshambani #quickcommerce #ecommerce #indiaretail #onlinedelivery #digitalindia #startupnews #businessnews

Every morning, from his Patna office, Chandrashekhar Mandal would watch men gather at the local chowk tiffins in hand, tools by their side, and hope in their eyes. Waiting for work that might never come. One rainy morning changed everything. As the skies opened up, he saw those men run for cover, clutching their lunchboxes tight, their tools soaked another day’s wage washed away. That image reminded him of his hometown, Darbhanga, and of his own chacha and tau, who once waited the same way not for opportunity, but for luck. During the COVID-19 lockdown, when he saw migrant workers walking hundreds of kilometres back home, that haunting image resurfaced. So in 2020, at just 27, Chandrashekhar Mandal quit his stable banking job, took ₹40,000 from his savings, and decided to solve the problem in the only way he knew by building something of his own. That’s how Digital Labour Chowk (DLC) was born a platform connecting daily-wage and blue-collar workers with verified contractors and real jobs. Chandrashekhar built a virtual “chowk” a digital meeting point where workers don’t have to wait on the roadside for work. Instead, they can register profiles at local kiosks, verified by field teams, and access job postings through the DLC app or SMS. Contractors can browse verified workers, post opportunities, and pay digitally ensuring transparency, trust, and dignity. Today, DLC hosts over 1 lakh registered workers and facilitates more than 1,000 job matches daily across Bihar, Delhi, and Noida. The platform is now valued at around ₹50 crore, and has been recognized under Startup Bihar and Startup India initiatives. For decades, India’s 450+ million informal workers have lived in economic uncertainty, no fixed wages, no records, no recognition. DLC changes that. By giving every worker a digital ID, verified skill set, and payment record, Chandrashekhar’s platform helps ensure fair wages, reduce exploitation, and build employment history for future opportunities. “If platforms like LinkedIn exist for white-collar professionals, why can’t there be one for blue-collar workers?” Chandrashekhar Mandal, Founder, Digital Labour Chowk. The company is now expanding into manufacturing, logistics, and industrial sectors, while partnering with government skill missions and social security schemes. DLC also plans to integrate features for experience-based wage differentiation rewarding long-term workers fairly. #startups #bihar #digitalindia #dailywageworkers #labourtech #socialimpact #employment #bluecollarjobs #makeinindia #digitallabourchowk

Deel, the $1B+ ARR global payroll powerhouse, has just dropped AnyTime Pay,a feature that basically says: “Why wait till the 30th when you’ve already earned it?” Now, employees can cash out their earnings anytime, rent on the 10th, groceries on the 20th, a little self-care on the weekend, you earned it, you get it. No more counting days till payday or surviving on instant noodles by week three. Behind the magic? Deel’s real-time global tax infrastructure across 160 countries. What used to take payroll providers 10+ days, Deel’s rails now do in seconds calculating taxes faster than you can refresh your bank app. CEO Alex Bouaziz calls it a turning point: “Once you experience that freedom, waiting 30 days to get paid feels ancient.” For 500M+ paycheck-to-paycheck workers, this isn’t just a perk, it’s a power shift. Payroll just went from monthly chore to on-demand freedom. Shuo Wang Dan Westgarth Yaron Lavi Harish Sharma Philippe Bouaziz #deel #anytimepay #fintech #payroll #futureofwork #innovation #startupnews #financialfreedom #worktech #getpaid

What began as a viral meme a robot clicking “I’m not a robot” has now become a striking symbol of our era. Recent advancements in artificial intelligence and robotics have blurred the boundaries between human cognition and machine automation. This week, researchers at MIT and OpenAI showcased a new class of autonomous agents capable of self-verification systems that can assess their own operational status and decision logic without human input. The demonstration sparked a wave of philosophical debate online: when a machine affirms its own identity, is it simply executing code, or is it crossing into self-awareness? Experts suggest that while we’re far from creating machines with consciousness, these developments mark a turning point in how AI perceives, interacts with, and interprets the world. The question is no longer just about capability it’s about comprehension. We are entering an age where tools are no longer extensions of human will, but reflections of it. And that demands not fear, but deep reflection and ethical foresight. #artificialintelligence #aiethics #robotics #automation #machinelearning #futureofai #technologynews #innovation

Mrinal Mohit, the former India CEO of BYJU'S, has announced the launch of his new EdTech venture, UPRIO, a platform aiming to revolutionize India’s after-school learning ecosystem through a blend of AI-driven personalization and school-aligned content. India’s current education system faces two persistent challenges large classroom sizes that limit individual attention, and generic tuition classes that fail to align with school curricula. UPRIO aims to bridge this gap by offering AI-powered, personalized learning that mirrors the exact syllabus and pace of each student’s school. “We’re solving two of the biggest problems in education misalignment with school teaching and lack of individual attention,” said Mrinal Mohit, Founder & CEO of UPRIO. “Our AI finds and fixes learning gaps in real-time, while ensuring students stay perfectly in sync with their classroom progress.” UPRIO combines live, small-batch online classes (limited to six students) with a real-time AI learning engine that diagnoses concept-level gaps and suggests corrective learning paths. The platform fully synchronizes lessons with the student’s own school syllabus, enabling them to prepare, revise, and reinforce the exact topics taught in class. The startup currently caters to Grades 5–9 students following the CBSE curriculum, with plans to expand to other boards in the coming months. Classes are presently available in Bengaluru and Delhi, where early pilot programs have recorded exceptionally high renewal rates, according to the company. Breaking from long-term tuition contracts, UPRIO operates on a flexible monthly subscription model with no lock-ins, allowing parents to continue or discontinue based on visible learning outcomes. This pay-as-you-go model reflects a growing trend of outcome-driven education technology. With India’s EdTech sector entering a new growth phase after a period of consolidation, UPRIO positions itself as part of what Mohit calls “EdTech 2.0”, a generation of companies focused on tangible academic results, efficient learning models, and human-AI collaboration. Early traction from parents and students has been “overwhelmingly positive,” says Mohit, adding that UPRIO’s focus on school alignment, personal attention, and AI precision gives it a strong edge in the crowded after-school segment. As the company expands, UPRIO aims to partner with more schools and extend its coverage beyond the CBSE board, while continuing to refine its adaptive learning engine to serve a broader base of Indian students. #edtech #aiineducation #upio #personalizedlearning #schoolalignment #afterSchoolLearning #educationnews

The Coca-Cola Company is reportedly preparing to list its Indian bottling subsidiary, Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages (HCCB), in what could become one of the largest IPOs in India’s consumer and FMCG sector. The beverage giant is expected to raise around $1 billion, valuing HCCB at approximately $10 billion, with the listing targeted for 2026. The proposed IPO highlights Coca-Cola’s growing focus on India as a key growth market, driven by rising consumer demand for packaged beverages across both metropolitan and rural regions. India is now among Coca-Cola’s top five global markets, with strong sales momentum in sparkling, fruit-based, and hydration segments. Coca-Cola has reportedly begun early discussions with global investment banks and financial institutions to explore possible structures for the offering including a fresh issue of shares, a partial stake sale by the parent company, or a combination of both. Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages, which manages Coca-Cola’s bottling, packaging, logistics, and distribution operations across India, plays a crucial role in the company’s local supply chain. The listing could help Coca-Cola unlock value, attract Indian investors, and enhance transparency in its fast-growing India business. Industry analysts note that the move aligns with a broader trend of multinational corporations listing local units in India, as seen with companies like Hyundai, LG, and Suzuki, who are exploring similar plans amid India’s strong equity market performance. If successful, the HCCB IPO could significantly boost investor interest in India’s FMCG and beverage sectors, while underscoring the country’s importance in global corporate growth strategies. #cocacolaipo #indiaipo #cocacolaindia #fmcgstocks #investinindia #ipoalert #cocacolanews #indianmarkets #beverageindustry #startuppedia #ipo2026

Perplexity AI CEO Aravind Srinivas has redefined what it means to pitch investors in the age of artificial intelligence. Speaking at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, Srinivas revealed that after the company’s Series A round, he completely ditched traditional pitch decks. Instead, he used what he built Perplexity AI itself to answer investor questions, crunch data, and close deals. “After the Series A, I just wrote a memo and invited investors to ask anything they wanted,” Srinivas told the audience. “If they wanted deeper data, they could just ask Perplexity it already knows everything.” The bold approach didn’t just impress it worked. During one round, Srinivas said an investor sent him a long email filled with complex queries. He copied the entire message into Perplexity, typed “Answer it like Aravind,” and sent the AI-generated link back. The next day, the funds arrived. Founded in 2022, Perplexity AI has grown at breakneck speed, raising $25.6 million in Series A and $73.6 million in Series B, and now reportedly valued at around $20 billion. The company’s “answer engine” is widely seen as a rising challenger to Google Search, combining conversational intelligence with verified sourcing. Why make a deck,” Srinivas quipped, “when your product can explain you better than you can?” As investors increasingly demand authenticity and proof of performance, Srinivas’s no-deck approach may mark the beginning of a new era in startup storytelling where AI isn’t just the product, it’s the pitch. #ai #startup #fundraising #innovation #perplexityai #pitchdeck #venturecapital #founders #technology #aravindsrinivas #futureofwork

YourStory Media founder Shradha Sharma’s dinner outing at the iconic Taj Hotels’s House of Ming has ignited a storm online after she revealed being asked by a manager to “sit properly” and “wear shoes” during her meal. Sharma, who was dining with her sister to celebrate Diwali, shared a video detailing how a restaurant manager approached her mid-dinner, citing a guest’s complaint about her cross-legged sitting posture. The manager allegedly added that the restaurant was a “finedining” space where “very rich people come,” implying that her sitting style and open footwear Kolhapuri slippers were inappropriate. “I was just sitting cross-legged in my Kolhapuris that I bought with my own hard-earned money. I pay for my own meals. What’s the issue?” Sharma said in her video. “I’ve always respected the Taj deeply. Ratan Tata Ji was an investor in my company. I’m disappointed.” Her post quickly went viral, drawing widespread support from netizens and industry voices. Many criticized the hotel’s response as an example of elitism and class bias embedded in India’s luxury dining culture. Some, however, defended the restaurant’s position, suggesting that fine dining spaces often maintain certain decorum standards. The debate has since evolved into a discussion about cultural inclusivity particularly the labeling of traditional Indian postures or footwear as “inappropriate.” #shradhasharma #tajhotel #houseofming #finedining #classbias #kolhapuris #hospitality #culture #inclusivity #indiastartups #luxuryetiquette

SaaS unicorn Zoho is preparing to launch its consumer payments app, "Zoho Pay". The app is currently under internal testing and is expected to roll out over the coming months. While a formal launch date is yet to be finalized, the company has confirmed that the app will be available as a standalone platform as well as embedded within its secure messaging app, Arattai. According to Sivaramakrishnan Iswaran, CEO of Zoho Payments Tech, the new application will allow users to send and receive money, make secure digital payments, and carry out seamless peer-to-peer and merchant transactions all aimed at making financial interactions simpler and safer for Indian consumers. The Arattai integration enables users to make payments without leaving the chat interface, mirroring the trend of conversational commerce and payments seen in apps like WhatsApp and WeChat. This positions Zoho Pay as a strong competitor in the burgeoning digital payments ecosystem. Earlier this month, Zoho cofounder and chief scientist Sridhar Vembu showcased the company's fintech ambitions by unveiling Zoho’s first suite of payment hardware including an all-in-one Point-of-Sale (PoS) device, a smart PoS terminal, and a static QR code system with soundbox support. These tools are expected to help merchants process transactions more efficiently while deepening Zoho's presence in the MSME and retail segments. Zoho Pay is expected to leverage the company's existing ecosystem and user base, which spans across enterprise SaaS, communication tools, and now, fintech potentially creating a powerful network effect in both B2B and B2C payments. As Zoho prepares for its next big leap in digital finance, industry watchers are keen to see how it navigates a highly competitive market dominated by players like PhonePe, Google Pay, Paytm, and BharatPe. #zoho #zohopay #fintech #digitalpayments #indianstartups #arattai #upipayments #mobilepayments #posdevice #soundbox #smbtech #saasnews #sridharvembu

Bengaluru-based quick-commerce unicorn Zepto has expanded its employee stock option (ESOP) pool by $170 million (₹1,495 crore), taking the total pool size to over $500 million (₹4,637 crore), according to recent filings with the Registrar of Companies (RoC). The company has allotted an additional 39.4 lakh stock options, increasing the total ESOP pool to 1.2 crore options. With this expansion, the overall value of the pool now stands at approximately $527 million, marking one of the largest ESOP pools among late-stage Indian consumer internet startups. To further empower its workforce, Zepto has also approved an interest-free loan of ₹700 crore ($84 million) to its employee welfare trust, enabling team members to exercise and purchase vested shares without upfront financial strain. This initiative reflects Zepto’s strategy to reward long-term contributors and foster a sense of ownership across all levels of the organisation. Founded by Aadit Palicha and Kaivalya Vohra, Zepto has been on a rapid growth trajectory, recently achieving a $7 billion valuation after its latest funding round. The company continues to dominate India’s quick-commerce market, competing with major players like Blinkit and Swiggy Instamart. Industry experts view this ESOP expansion as a strategic move to retain key talent amid rising competition and to prepare for Zepto’s next phase of growth, which could include international expansion or a future IPO. Roshan Shaikh Chandan Mendiratta #zepto #esop #quickcommerce #indiastartups #startupnews #fundingnews #bengalurustartups