Bob Karr

Big moves in food automation: Chef Robotics just raised $43.1M in Series A funding led by Avataar Venture Partners! Chef is building AI-powered robotic systems to streamline meal assembly—already producing over 44 million meals for brands like Amy’s Kitchen, Sunbasket, and Chef Bombay. With this new capital (including $22.5M in equipment financing), they’re doubling down on scaling via Robotics-as-a-Service (RaaS), making automation accessible without the upfront CapEx. As AI and robotics continue to transform the restaurant and food production landscape, Chef is proving what’s possible when smart systems meet real-world scale. Excited to watch where this momentum leads next. Read More: https://lnkd.in/gYDvsi-f Salvatore Candido Carl Vause Nicolas De Keijser Amar Hanspal #Food #Tech #AI #Robotics #RestaurantInnovation #Automation Branded Hospitality Hospitality Headline Newsletter Rajat Bhageria

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At Accion Venture Lab we're big believers in vertical plays. Which is why Kalaari Capital's latest article on the Verticalization of Quick Commerce caught my attention. While it is a bit concerning that we "urban Indians" are becoming so impatient that our spending behaviors reflect a clear shift towards 10-min deliveries ("quick commerce platforms have already captured two-thirds of online grocery orders and 10% of all e-retail spending in 2024") , it seems that speed is getting "commoditized". Price competitiveness and smart SKU management are the reason Quick Commerce is winning. In the future AI based personalization, curated assortment and cultural relevance will be critical. What else do you think is needed as brands navigate this rapidly evolving customer behavior? And do you agree that verticalization is the next frontier for Quick Commerce? Sebastian Molina Gasman, CFA Mazen Nadim Devraj Hom Roy Ananth Gudipati Matt Schaar Akhil Gupta https://lnkd.in/dVk5mMdn

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From our PearX S25 cohort, meet Pravāh, the AI-native operating system for the electric grid When Mohak Mangal, Dhruv Suri, and Aman Gupta looked at the strain on the U.S. electric grid, they saw a system pushed to its limits. Exploding demand and unpredictable supply have made blackouts increasingly common. This costs the economy more than $150B a year, a number that could 10x in the next five years. Mohak Mangal and team founded Pravāh to help fix it. Their platform helps utilities and grid operators make real-time decisions on load, generation, and congestion, reducing blackout risks, optimizing power procurement, and bringing much-needed stability to the backbone of modern life. We’re proud to support the Pravāh team as they take on one of the toughest and most important infrastructure challenges of our time.

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🚨 RBI’s New Co-Lending Directions, 2025 – Effective Jan 1, 2026 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued new Co-Lending Arrangements Directions, 2025, which will come into effect on January 1, 2026. These guidelines will likely broaden the scope of co-lending 1️⃣ Mandatory Skin in the Game – Each Regulated Entity (RE) must retain minimum 10% of every loan (no shadow partnerships) 2️⃣ Blended Interest Rate – Final rate to borrower = weighted average of each lender’s rate. All fees to be factored into APR & Key Facts Statement 3️⃣ 15-Day Transfer Rule – Partner RE must book its share within 15 days of disbursement. Else, loan stays with originator 4️⃣ Default Loss Guarantee Cap – Max 5% of outstanding loans allowed 5️⃣ Borrower-Level Asset Classification – If one lender marks SMA/NPA, the other must follow 6️⃣ Escrow Account Mandate – All transactions to flow through an escrow, ensuring clear fund appropriation 7️⃣ Full Disclosure – Public list of co-lending partners + detailed reporting in financials Bottom line: Clearer rules, stronger consumer protection, tighter operational discipline >> co-lending just got a lot more transparent. #RBI #CoLending #NBFC #Fintech #Credit https://lnkd.in/gKxrz_hC

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Sat down with Saurav Shroff, co-founder & CEO of Starpath to talk about what it takes to build a self-sustaining city on Mars, creating rocket propellent production plants, and selling solar panels to satellite companies. Interview is up on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/g5xdkK3C

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A founder who has spent 32 Years building IP-Owned Tech in India's Defense Sector. Ashok Atluri, Founder of Zen Technologies Limited shares a growth story bootstrapped from Hyderabad: -Revenue: ₹60 Cr (FY21) → ₹930 Cr(FY24) -Market cap: 40 Cr (2012-13) → 13000 Cr today -Growth: 400X in 12 years Takeaways from our conversation: 1. India historically imported 65–70% of its defense equipment. Today, defense exports have grown more than 30× over the past decade, with the private sector contributing around 60% of exports. Domestic defense production has increased to ₹1.27 lakh crore, a 174% rise since FY 2014–15. 2. For over two decades, Zen built advanced simulators but struggled to sell them in India because single-vendor bids weren’t accepted. The IDDM policy in 2015 gave preference to IP-owning Indian companies and allocated 75% of the capital acquisition budget to local sourcing. And decades of R&D became a real market worth ₹200 billion. 3. Defense tech startups in India have raised $184 million in VC funding since 2020. Zen’s journey shows that IP-owned Tech built with self-funded R&D can build the most defensible advantage, similar to how Apple captures value through IP rather than manufacturing. 4. Zen’s anti-drone systems were proven in field operations, leading to export inquiries from over 20 countries. This mirrors the broader trend of India’s defense exports growing from ₹1,940 crore (FY14) to ₹21,083 crore (FY24). Field-tested solutions build trust far faster than lab demos or pilot projects. 5. Government fundings are rewarding innovation over manufacturing. Programs like iDEX provide up to ₹10 crore for proven concepts, while DRDO offers ₹50 crore per system under the Technology Development Fund. This shift allows companies to reinvest profits into next-generation R&D. 6. Ashok believes that not all technologies should be patented. Highly secretive or complex innovations can be reverse-engineered if patented. Instead, patent what is obvious to outsiders to protect your competitive edge. 7. Build with a focused approach on Pareto technologies with maximum impact. Instead of chasing every opportunity, Zen concentrated on the 20% of technologies delivering 80% of results, anti-drone systems and simulators. Prioritizing high-leverage areas compounds impact effectively. 8. Time market entry around overlooked gaps: In 2018, drones were a hot topic, but there was little attention on anti-drone systems. Zen entered this gap and was ready when the need became urgent, from regional conflicts to domestic security. Opportunities often lie where others are silent. 9. Create policies around your innovation: Self-funded R&D firms face unique risks that conventional procurement rules often overlook. Zen advocated for new categories rather than adapting breakthrough technologies to unsuitable frameworks, ensuring their innovations could be evaluated on merit. Full Episode https://lnkd.in/gnAFEj3f

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🚀 Funding Update in the Indian Startup Ecosystem Mumbai-based Luma fertility, a tech-enabled fertility care startup, has successfully raised $4 million in seed funding, led by Peak XV Partners (via its Surge program), along with participation from notable investors like Ameera Shah (Metropolis Healthcare) and Vijay Taparia (B2V Ventures). Founded by Neha K Motwani, Luma Fertility is building a patient-first platform to offer end-to-end reproductive care—covering IVF, fertility assessments, egg freezing, at-home diagnostics, and more. The startup is leveraging technology and empathy to modernize fertility services in India. 📍 With a flagship clinic in Bandra West, Mumbai, Luma now aims to expand across multiple cities over the next two years. This is yet another sign of rising investor confidence in healthtech and femtech sectors in India. As a funding consultant, I closely track such movements and assist businesses in navigating their own equity and debt funding journeys. 📩 If you're a startup or growing company looking to raise capital or explore funding options, feel free to connect. #FundingNews #StartupFunding #SeedFunding #LumaFertility #PeakXV #HealthTech #FemTech #IndianStartups #Linkedin #techindia #healthcare

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🚀 Powering India's Tech Product Innovation: iDO Devices Private Limited Raises $4M (~₹34Cr) iDO Devices (Fund V) has raised $4M in funding co-led by us at Blume Ventures and Merak Ventures. Founded by Shalabh Srivastava (CEO) and Ashita Gupta (Chief Business Officer), iDO Devices is building India's first full-stack technology product ODM (Original Design Manufacturer). The company develops end-to-end hardware and software solutions for connected devices, specializing in Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and Wi-Fi technologies. The fresh capital will accelerate customer acquisition, boost technology and IP development, and expand their geographical presence. With a team of over 100 engineers across India and China, iDO Devices is advancing its 'Single-Window Fulfillment Vision' to develop a comprehensive technology value chain in India. "What we are trying to create at iDO is a set of capabilities ranging from chipset design through hardware layout, firmware, and systems software, which, along with investment and control of critical component technologies, will position iDO as a Global leader in tech product design across technology segments," says Shalabh Srivastava, Founder and CEO. Arpit Agarwal, Partner at Blume remarks, "India has the engineering depth to become a global leader in product design and fulfillment. iDO Devices' integrated approach positions the country as a preferred destination for technology solutions." As the global product design and fulfillment market approaches $15 billion by 2025, iDO Devices is leading the charge in positioning India as a global hub for technology product design and manufacturing. Read the full announcement here: https://lnkd.in/dHgzdPKu Karthik B. Reddy, Ashish Fafadia, Sanjay Nath, Arpit Agarwal, Sajith Pai, Rohit Kaul, Ria Shroff Desai, Mitul Mehta, Alok Mehta, Deepika Jain, Sarita Raichura, Gautham Sivaramakrishnan, Vikram Gawande, Elton C.

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Startups are like roller coaster rides. And culture is the safety belt that keeps people secure and committed through every twist, turn, and drop. Today on the focal podcast, Abhi Sharma, co-founder/CEO of Relyance AI (>$60M raised by Menlo, Unusual), shares how he's building a very strong culture very intentionally from Day 1, being a 2nd time founder. With his first startup, Abhi learned that culture can't be an afterthought. When things get chaotic - and they will - culture is what keeps your best people engaged, your product decisions aligned, and your teams moving in the same direction. In this episode, Abhi reveals the culture frameworks he's implemented at Relyance AI, from defining your company's "invariant" to embedding tactical excellence across every department. Listen to learn how Abhi is building a culture DNA at Relyance AI that "won't need to change in 100 years" and how you can be proactive about culture before the inevitable startup challenges arise.

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𝗦𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗯𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 $𝟯𝟬 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗖 𝗥𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱! • Snabbit is planning to raise $30 million at a valuation of $172 million in the Series C round led by Bertelsmann India Investments along with Lightspeed Venture Partners, Elevation Capital and Nexus Venture Partners . • Recently, Snabbit raised $19 million at an $80 million valuation in the Series B round and achieved 92 crores in revenue as of October 2025 which 48000x revenue growth. • Snabbit connects households with trained professionals for services like cleaning, dishwashing and laundry in 10 minutes and is competing directly with Pronto, Urban Company. • These companies operate on a quick commerce model just like Zepto, Blinkit, Instamart and the raised funds will be utilized for training professionals and working capital. 𝗧𝗼 𝗕𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲𝗱... Entrackr Inc42 Media The Economic Times The Times Of India Indian Startup News Aayush Agarwal Flipkart Amazon #Snabbit #Pronto #QuickCommerce #Zepto #Blinkit #Flipkart

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#Global #StartupEcosystemIndex 2025 #Impressive and #Curious to learn many things from San Francisco Bay Area #Learning based on my observation: 🔹 Capital Concentration and Risk Appetite : SF attracted nearly 50% of global VC funding in Q1 2025. India should push easier access to capital, especially in Tier II & III cities, and incentivize high-risk, deep-tech ventures. #VentureCapital #DeepTech #StartupIndia #Tier2Cities #FundingIndia 🔹 Academic-Industry Nexus : SF thrives due to #Stanford, #Berkeley, and other institutes fostering IP, research, and entrepreneurial talent. India needs to boost more and more college university-led incubators, IP transfer cells, and stronger industry-academia innovation pipelines. #InnovationEcosystem #UniversityIncubators #ResearchToStartup #IPIndia #Edupreneurship 🔹 Exit Readiness : SF has frequent startup exits via IPOs and acquisitions. India must strengthen acquisition culture, IPO-readiness support, and policy support for exits to attract larger capital cycles. VC and policy makers will play key role for same. #StartupExits #IPOReady #MAndA #ExitSupport #ScaleupIndia 🔹 City-Based Innovation Hubs: SF is a city-led ecosystem, while India has startup missions at the city/state level. #StartupCities #CityInnovation #DecentralizedGrowth #BuildForBharat #UrbanStartups #JustForKnowledge

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New Investment | Venture Catalysts++ | India's 1st Multi-Stage VC & 100Unicorns backs Rotoris in the premium D2C Luxury Watch Segment Pleased to share that Venture Catalysts, along with 100Unicorns, has invested in Rotoris, a premium analogue watch startup that has raised $3 Mn (₹27 Cr) in seed funding. The round also saw participation from Nikhil Kamath, Vivek Anand Oberoi along with several leading founders and operators including Varun Alagh and Tanmay Bhat Founded by Aakash Anand (Founder, Bella Vita) alongside Prerna Gupta (Founding Partner, Wolfpack Labs) and Anant Narula & Kunal Kapania(Co-founders, Drink Free Advertising Media), Rotoris is entering the ultra-premium analogue watch market with the ambition of building India’s first global watch brand. The capital will be deployed towards strengthening manufacturing, advancing product engineering, and preparing for the brand’s upcoming launch. With India’s premium consumption and D2C ecosystem continuing to scale rapidly, Rotoris is well-positioned to address a clear whitespace in the luxury analogue watch category. Congratulations to the founding team on this milestone. Wishing them the very best for the journey ahead. Onwards & Upwards 💯 Read more: https://lnkd.in/gkYF2heH

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🚨 𝐃𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐩𝐡𝐥𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐛𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐬 $𝟓𝐌 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐀 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐨𝐫 𝐕𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬. Deeptech startup Morphle Labs Inc. has raised $5M in a Series A round led by Inflexor Ventures to scale globally and expand manufacturing for its cancer-diagnostics platforms, RoboTome and MorphoLens. Founded by Rohit Hiwale in 2017, the Bengaluru-based company is automating histopathology using robotics, optics, and computer vision to ease lab backlogs and improve diagnostic speed. With over 80 patents and rising traction in the US and Europe, Morphle aims to become a global leader in tissue-diagnostics automation. Read more: https://lnkd.in/dmmFmuHa By Trisha Medhi #MorphleLabs #Deeptech #Healthtech #CancerDiagnostics #StartupFunding #UKEnglish #Innovation

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