Kris Gopalakrishnan

New Delhi–headquartered deeptech startup Chakr Innovation has raised $23 million (₹193.5 crore) in a Series C round led by Iron Pillar, with participation from SBI Cap Ventures, ONGC, IAN, and Inflexor. The funds will be used to expand manufacturing capacity, accelerate global growth, drive backward integration, and strengthen R&D, the company said. Founded by Kushagra Srivastava , Chakr Innovation develops material science technologies. Its products include Chakr Shield, India’s first certified retrofit emission control device (RECD) for diesel engines, an IoT-enabled remote DG monitoring system, and metal-air battery solutions. Srivastava said the funding will help establish India’s first dedicated materials science centre focused on critical materials, marking a key step in building world-class technologies from India. Team Chakr✅ Kushagra Srivastava | Bharti Singhla | Anmol Khandelwal | Pankkaj Dhakite | Neha Pandey | Vaishali Sharma | Akanksha Barnwal #chakrInnovation #deeptech #funding #manufacturingStartups #innovativeStartups #startupUpdates #startupro

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Eternal Capital (India), an early-stage VC fund started by former bharatpe COO Dhruv Dhanraj Bahl, has rebranded itself as Sadev Ventures. The firm said the new name aligns with its family office identity and values. With this change, Sadev Ventures will continue its India-first focus while also helping portfolio companies expand globally through support from international LPs and strategic partners. Read full article link in the commment 👇 #sadevventures #eternalcapital #vc #rebrand #startupnews

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Natasha Malpani, former partner at Kae Capital, has announced the launch of Boundless Ventures, a ₹200 crore early-stage fund focused on backing AI-native startups from India. The fund will invest at the pre-seed and seed stages, supporting companies across consumer AI applications, infrastructure, agent tooling, vertical use cases like healthcare and logistics, and even Make-in-India AI hardware. Raised entirely from Malpani’s personal network of friends and family, the fund has already made six investments. Its portfolio features SuperHealth in healthcare, Armatrix in robotics, Piersight in spacetech, Knot in quick fashion delivery, along with two stealth ventures in AI infrastructure and consumer AI. Sharing her vision, Malpani said, “Founders who can marry technical depth with cultural fluency will be the ones who set the terms of the next wave. Boundless exists to back those founders before the world catches on. I built Boundless as the fund I needed as a founder: sharp, fast, and rooted in trust.” Beyond capital, Boundless Ventures aims to empower founders with storytelling, market access, and network building. With her experience of founding Boundless Media and scaling Dice Media, Malpani brings both operational and creative expertise to fuel the next generation of AI-driven ventures.

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NRI-focused fintech startup Belong, co-founded by Ankur Choudhary, Sai Sankar M, Ayush Singh, and Savitri Bobde, has raised $5 million in seed funding led by Elevation Capital, with participation from Relentless Ventures and top angels like Abhiraj Bahl, Varun Khaitan, Akshant Goyal, and Varun Alagh. Built to serve the global Indian diaspora, Belong is the first fintech to offer USD Fixed Deposits through India’s GIFT City, starting with the UAE. With regulatory licenses under IFSCA, the platform aims to solve long-standing pain points in NRI banking, compliance, and investment—without the need for NRE/NRO accounts. This funding will accelerate their mission to become the trusted financial home for Global Indians, with plans to expand across GCC, the UK, and the US. As NRIs continue to contribute over $129 billion in annual remittances to India, Belong is bridging the gap with compliant, tech-first, and globally accessible financial tools. Read more at: https://lnkd.in/gdqJzdCK #fintech #nri #startups #gifcity #seedfunding #globalindians #crossborderfinance #indianstartups #remittances #wealthtech #fintechnews #nribanking #startupstory

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🚀How the New Economy Credit Ecosystem is Reshaping Startup Financing in India Catch our Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Vinod Murali, on Founder Thesis as he dives into the critical role of private credit in fueling India’s startup ecosystem. Attractive P&L and unit economics of companies will drive valuation; Balance Sheet health will determine survival. Traditional banks often can't meet the needs of high-growth startups. That's where private credit steps in - offering founders fast, flexible capital that preserves equity while fueling expansion. From bridging funding gaps to extending runways, these tailored debt solutions provide the strategic financing smart founders need to scale efficiently. 🎧 Listen to the full conversation here: https://lnkd.in/dKrcrXbf Vinod Murali Akshay Datt Alteria Capital Founder Thesis #PrivateCredit #VentureDebt #StartupFunding #Founders #Investors #AlteriaCapital

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Mudit Kumar Joins Ideabaaz as Co-Founder & COO Mumbai-based startup discovery and funding platform Ideabaaz has named Mudit Kumar as its Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer, marking a significant step forward in its mission to democratize access to startup capital and mentorship across India — especially in emerging cities. With nearly 20 years of experience in private banking, strategic investing, and startup mentorship, Mudit brings deep financial expertise and a founder-first mindset. His leadership journey includes key roles at LGT Wealth India, ICICI Securities, and Aditya Birla Group. At LGT Wealth India, he advised ultra-high-net-worth individuals, family offices, and startup founders — while actively investing in early-stage ventures across climate tech, spacetech, healthtech, legal tech, and fintech. https://lnkd.in/eCKwXTKU Raj Nayak | Jeet Wagh | Ashwin kumar | #StartupIndia #LeadershipNews #Ideabaaz #StartupFunding #Entrepreneurship #MuditKumar #FounderNews #StartupEcosystem #InclusiveInnovation #COOAppointment #WealthToWisdom #EarlyStageInvesting #IndianStartups #MediaUpdate

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🌍 Equilibrium raises $3M seed round to scale carbon removal projects across India Equilibrium, a digitally-enabled full-stack carbon project developer, has secured $3 million in seed funding from Kalaari Capital, Peak XV Partners, and Avaana Capital. The startup integrates carbon science, digital monitoring, and community-led execution to deliver high-quality, verifiable carbon removals while strengthening resilience in India’s food systems. Its portfolio spans agroforestry, regenerative agriculture, mangrove restoration, and biochar—solutions that sequester carbon, diversify farmer incomes, and convert agricultural and biomass waste into valuable products. The fresh capital will accelerate eight pipeline projects across nine states, covering 120,000 hectares and engaging 150,000+ smallholder farmers. Collectively, these initiatives are expected to generate 20M+ tonnes of high-quality carbon removal. 🚀 A big step forward for India’s climate-tech and sustainable agriculture ecosystem. 📩 For investment banking queries, reach us at 👉 [email protected] #ClimateTech #CarbonRemoval #Sustainability #AgriTech #CleanTech #ImpactInvesting #VC #Startups

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VC Firm a99 VC To Launch Third Fund With $100 Mn Corpus India’s venture capital ecosystem is buzzing with yet another major announcement. A99 Capital, one of the country’s emerging #VC firms, is set to roll out its third fund with a corpus of $100 million (~₹830 crore), strengthening its position as a growth enabler for Indian startups. https://lnkd.in/gpCUtcAA

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