Record Acquisitions of Young Startups in 2025: A New Era

𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮’𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽 𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗩𝗖𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁? If you a Founder / Co-Founder and planning to raise funds in India, start by knowing the investors who actually back your stage and sector. Here’s a curated list of India’s top Venture Capital and Accelerator firms, their investment focus, and key leaders you should know. 1. Peak XV Partners (formerly Sequoia Capital & SEA) - Growth and Early Stage - Consumer, Tech, Health-Tech, Marketplaces. 2. Blume Ventures - Seed and Pre-Series A - Fintech, Healthcare, Commerce, Deep Tech. 3. Venture Catalysts - Angel and Early stage - Consumer Tech, SaaS, Fintech. 4. Inflection Point Ventures - Seed and Early - B2B, SaaS, Consumer Brands. 5. Matrix Partners India - Early to Growth - Consumer, Fintech, B2B, Enterprise. 6. Kalaari Capital - Early Stage - Consumer Internet, SaaS, Web3. 7. Mumbai Angels - Angel and Seed - Cross Sector. 8. 100Unicorns - Accelerator and Seed - D2C, Fintech, Health-Tech. 9. Indian Angel Network - Angel and Seed - Tech-enabled Businesses. 10. Titan Capital - Early stage; D2C, Fintech, SaaS. 11. Elevation Capital - Growth and Mid Stage - Consumer, Fintech, SaaS. 12. 3one4 Capital - Early and Growth - SaaS, Fintech, Climate, Health. 13. Brand Capital, India - Strategic Media Investments. 14. InnoVen Capital India - Venture Debt and Growth Capital. 15.IndiaQuotientt - Early stage - Consumer Internet, Fintech. 16.Chiratae Venturess - Early to Growth - SaaS, Health-Tech, Deep Tech. 17.Trifecta Capitall - Growth and Venture Debt. 18.Alteria Capitall - Venture debt - Consumer, Fintech, B2B. 19.Axilor Venturess - Seed, Pre-Series A, Accelerator. 20.Kae Capitall - Early Stage - Consumer and B2B Tech. 21.100X.VCC - Micro VC, Pre-Seed and Seed. 22.ah! Ventures Fundd - Seed and Early Stage - Multi-Sector. 23.Fireside Venturess - Consumer Brands, D2C. 24.Lightspeed Indiaa - Seed to Growth - SaaS, Fintech, Consumer. 25.Orios Venture Partnerss - Early Stage - Consumer, Fintech, SaaS. Save this post if you’re planning to raise funds in 2025-26. Comment your startup domain, and I’ll tell you which 3 VCs from this list fit your stage and sector. Connect Debajyotii and Follow The StartUp Circle For more such deep dives into how Indian Startups are shaping the Global Story. 𝗗𝗠 me & 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 "Startup" to Feature your Startup for 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘.

𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮’𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽 𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗩𝗖𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁? If you a Founder / Co-Founder and planning to raise funds in India, start by knowing the investors who actually back your stage and sector. Here’s a curated list of India’s top Venture Capital and Accelerator firms, their investment focus, and key leaders you should know. 1. Peak XV Partners (formerly Sequoia Capital & SEA) - Growth and Early Stage - Consumer, Tech, Health-Tech, Marketplaces. 2. Blume Ventures - Seed and Pre-Series A - Fintech, Healthcare, Commerce, Deep Tech. 3. Venture Catalysts - Angel and Early stage - Consumer Tech, SaaS, Fintech. 4. Inflection Point Ventures - Seed and Early - B2B, SaaS, Consumer Brands. 5. Matrix Partners India - Early to Growth - Consumer, Fintech, B2B, Enterprise. 6. Kalaari Capital - Early Stage - Consumer Internet, SaaS, Web3. 7. Mumbai Angels - Angel and Seed - Cross Sector. 8. 100Unicorns - Accelerator and Seed - D2C, Fintech, Health-Tech. 9. Indian Angel Network - Angel and Seed - Tech-enabled Businesses. 10. Titan Capital - Early stage; D2C, Fintech, SaaS. 11. Elevation Capital - Growth and Mid Stage - Consumer, Fintech, SaaS. 12. 3one4 Capital - Early and Growth - SaaS, Fintech, Climate, Health. 13. Brand Capital, India - Strategic Media Investments. 14. InnoVen Capital India - Venture Debt and Growth Capital. 15.IndiaQuotientt - Early stage - Consumer Internet, Fintech. 16.Chiratae Venturess - Early to Growth - SaaS, Health-Tech, Deep Tech. 17.Trifecta Capitall - Growth and Venture Debt. 18.Alteria Capitall - Venture debt - Consumer, Fintech, B2B. 19.Axilor Venturess - Seed, Pre-Series A, Accelerator. 20.Kae Capitall - Early Stage - Consumer and B2B Tech. 21.100X.VCC - Micro VC, Pre-Seed and Seed. 22.ah! Ventures Fundd - Seed and Early Stage - Multi-Sector. 23.Fireside Venturess - Consumer Brands, D2C. 24.Lightspeed Indiaa - Seed to Growth - SaaS, Fintech, Consumer. 25.Orios Venture Partnerss - Early Stage - Consumer, Fintech, SaaS. Save this post if you’re planning to raise funds in 2025-26. Comment your startup domain, and I’ll tell you which 3 VCs from this list fit your stage and sector. Connect our Founder Debajyotii and Follow The StartUp Circle For more such deep dives into how Indian Startups are shaping the Global Story. 𝗗𝗠 me & 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 "Startup" to Feature your Startup for 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘.

#FMPG Modern #Startup Playbook 2025 — The Unsexy Billion $ Problems (Part 6): Fundraising reality check for boring startups If you have been following this series with boring billion $ business ideas, it is only logical to dissect how your fundraising will be: If you’re building in logistics, eldercare, waste, or water — your fundraising path won’t look like a hot AI startup. But here’s the secret: boring startups don’t need hype to raise. They need proof. And when you have it, money flows in more steadily than in hype cycles. 🚦 The Fundraising Reality for Unsexy Domains: $ VCs admit it quietly: boring startups are less risky. They scale slower, but churn less, and hit profitability earlier. $ The AI/consumer cycle = “growth at all costs.” $ Boring infra = “contracts before code.” $ Your valuation won’t ride headlines. It will ride unit economics + pilots + revenue predictability. 📊 Numbers Founders Must Know: > Infra, logistics, and healthcare ops startups often hit $10M+ ARR with < half the capital raised by consumer/AI peers. > Failure rates are lower: SaaS for ops/logistics sees ~30–40% failure, vs 80–90% in hype-driven consumer apps. > PE firms, corporates, and infra funds often enter earlier in boring verticals because outcomes are measurable. 💡 What Investors Actually Look For (Boring Startup Filter): > Revenue per contract — Is each deal meaningful ($100k+ annual)? > Sales cycles — Can you close in <6 months? (Infra buyers = slow, but not forever). > Retention — 90%+ retention in year 1 is the gold standard. > Margins — Show path to 50–60% gross margins with ops leverage. > Capital intensity — Prove you can fund infra-light with software/service layers. ✅ Founder’s Checklist Before Pitching : * Have 2–3 paying pilots with logos that validate your market. * Can show a clear ROI case study (saves $X, reduces waste by Y%). * Built a pipeline of repeatable demand (regulatory push, compliance deadlines, structural need). * Have a credible ops team (not just engineers). * CAC, payback, and LTV modeled with real data. If you can’t tick these boxes, fix the business before pitching. Founders — boring doesn’t mean un-fundable. It means funded differently. 👉 Comment "funding" and i will share a one page pitch framework for boring unsexy business. #UnsexyProblems #Fundraising #BoringGoldRush #StartupPlaybook #FMPG #VC #InfraStartups

Founders of several early-stage startups are diluting their stakes in the last few months, S Shanthi reports for Financial Express, citing data from TheKredible. While this trend has pushed up validation and increased survival, experts warn the effects of such a move might prove damaging in the longer run. Higher visibility, quicker access to markets, and backing from well-connected investors are some reasons founders are adopting this trend, the report says. "Excessive early dilution can limit a founder’s influence and control when critical decisions need to be made at later stages. It may also make subsequent rounds harder to structure, since investors want to see founders meaningfully invested in the company,” Jay Gandhi, Partner at Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co, told Financial Express. These startups are facing significant equity dilution as they raise capital across funding rounds. Founders of stock-trading platform Sahi, fintech firm DPDzero, and home services startup Pronto have each diluted over 40% of their stakes in two rounds, the report says further. For instance, Sahi raised $10.5 million in June at a $60.5 million valuation from Accel and Elevation Capital, leaving its co-founders with just 47.17% ownership. Similarly, semiconductor startup Netrasemi gave up over 40% equity by its Series A round, though its valuation rose 6.6X to $74 million after a $12.5 million fundraise. Analysts advise startups to go for non-dilutive funding, plan ownership across rounds, and raise capital with intent, focusing on sustainable growth rather than chasing funding headlines, the report adds. How will this trend shape startup funding in future? Share your thoughts in the comments section. Source: Financial Express (India) - https://lnkd.in/ghBuKPSh ✍: Novinston Lobo 📸: Getty Images #StartupsIndia #StartupFunding #Founders #VentureCapitalists

Why Women-Owned Startups Are Still the Smartest Bet in 2025 I keep hearing it weekly — usually from men: “It’s never been easier to be a woman founder. There’s so much funding out there now.” Wrong. Let’s break that down. 👇 A prominent piece by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Why Women-Owned Startups Are a Better Bet, showed that despite receiving significantly less investment than male-founded firms — often less than half per dollar invested — women-owned startups delivered more than twice the revenue per dollar invested. Fast forward to 2024–2025, and the headline remains: 👉 Women founders still face steep funding gaps — even as they continue to outperform. ⸻ Key Updated Data (2024–2025) • Globally, only 2.3% of VC funding went to all-female founding teams (~$6.7B of $289B). → Female Founders Report 2025 • At seed stage, female-only teams received ~3.2% of capital; Series A ~2.7%. → PitchBook x All Raise 2024 Report • In DACH (Germany/Austria/Switzerland), gender-diverse teams secured 22.8% of funding in 2024 — nearly double their prior share. → Female Founders: State of Fundraising 2024 • In the U.S., women-owned firms represented 39.2% of all businesses, employing 12.9M workers and generating $3.3 T in revenue, though only 6.2% of total firm revenue. → Wells Fargo: Impact of Women-Owned Businesses 2025 • Startups with at least one female founder generated ~63% higher ROI than all-male teams. → Sustainable Times 2025 • In the UK, women-founded startup teams have grown 45% since 2014, including 30% growth in the past five years. → DIGIT News 2024 ⸻ Why It Matters • For The Scale Foundry clients — founders, corporates, investors — this data underscores a strategic opportunity: women-led teams consistently deliver stronger outcomes despite structural bias. • For outreach workflows, women or co-founded teams represent a differentiated investment narrative — and a potential competitive advantage. • For corporate/VC partnerships, including women-led companies in portfolios isn’t just good ethics — it’s good strategy. • For ventures like EdgeVitals building gender-diverse leadership and inclusive networks directly correlates to higher innovation and ROI. ⸻ Implications • Investors: Re-examine pipeline filters (deal flow, stage, sector). Women-led teams are still underfunded — but deliver higher returns. • Accelerators / Corporates: Recruit intentionally more female or co-founded teams. DACH programs prove inclusion moves the funding needle. • Founders: Lead with the data — your higher performance is your edge. Prepare to counter structural bias, not apologize for it. • TSF: In masterclasses and advisory, we frame this simply: “Women-led = under-capitalised → higher return opportunity.” Funding women isn’t philanthropy. It’s smart portfolio strategy — and the market’s biggest inefficiency still hiding in plain sight. ⸻ Posted by The Scale Foundry | www.TheScaleFoundry.com Smarter Growth. Stronger Leadership. Real Results.

Women-led startups generate 35% higher ROI and deliver faster exits — yet still get a fraction of the funding. Let’s back the data, not the bias. An unmissable read for every investor, founder, and leader. #WomenInBusiness #WomenFounders #VentureCapital #Startups #Leadership #Innovation #DiversityInLeadership #Entrepreneurship #GrowthMindset” Encubay Deeksha Ahuja Avneet Kohli Ruchiraa Beri Khanna

Is it really easier to launch a startup today? What the numbers show: - One study found that 93% of today’s small business owners report using at least one technology platform to help run their business, and those using 6-plus platforms were more likely to see increased sales, profits and employment. - Researchers highlight that modern technologies such as cloud services, e-commerce platforms, and global digital networks have “significantly reduced entry barriers for entrepreneurs with limited resources.” - An analysis noted that today’s startups benefit from “powerful new technologies that have lowered barriers to entry while enabling small teams to achieve outsized impacts.” - Also: in one economic study, a one-percentage-point increase in local broadband speed was associated with a ~0.0574 pp increase in new business establishment growth, showing how basic tech infrastructure still matters. (https://lnkd.in/dVuDSZzQ) What I believe this means: In previous eras, launching a startup typically required heavy capital investment (hardware, physical infrastructure, large teams), and the path to market was slower. Today, thanks to technology: - You can test a business model using cloud services in hours rather than weeks. - You can reach global customers via digital channels without renting expensive office space abroad. - You can build or iterate a product with “as a service” tools, reducing up-front fixed costs. So yes; in practical terms, some parts of the startup journey are easier and more accessible than ever. But (and this is important), the “easier” label comes with caveats: - Easier access doesn’t guarantee success. Failure rates remain high (for example, one source shows only ~18-20% success rate among first-time founders). (https://lnkd.in/dWRM5ZYg) - Easier to start can mean more competition, more noise, and shorter windows of advantage. “Easier” doesn’t replace discipline, market-fit, execution and resilience. My takeaway: Startups today are more practical, meaning a smaller team, less upfront capital, and faster iteration can launch a viable enterprise. But “easier” doesn’t mean “simple” or “safe.” The bar has shifted: speed, agility and digital-savviness matter more than ever. What’s your view? Is starting up definitely easier now or just different in the difficulty? I’d love to hear your experiences. #Startups #Entrepreneurship #Technology #BusinessStrategy #Innovation

Daily Funding Highlights - October 9, 2025 Five companies raised $31.12 million across diverse sectors on October 9, 2025. Rusk Media - Raised ₹103 crore in Series B funding led by IvyCap Ventures with participation from LC Nueva, InfoEdge Ventures, and Woori Venture Partners. Founded by Mayank Yadav, Karanvir Sofat, and Shantanu Singh, this Gen-Z digital entertainment company produces web series like "Battleground" and "School Friends," generating 1 billion monthly views across platforms with ₹56.8 crore FY24 revenue. Pantherun Technologies  - Secured $12 million in Series A led bySahasrar Capitall Investors andLUCKY INVESTMENT MANAGERS PRIVATE LIMITEDD. Founded bySrinivas Shekarr andTiffany C.., this Bengaluru-based cybersecurity firm develops real-time data encryption solutions for high-volume, low-latency applications across enterprise environments. Reo.Devv - Raised $4 million in seed funding led byHeavybitt with participation fromIndiaQuotientt andFoster Venturess. Founded byAchintya Guptaa,Gaurav Jainn, andPiyush Agarwall, this AI-powered platform analyzes GitHub activity and documentation usage to provide sales intelligence for developer-first software companies serving 100+ clients. Hala Mobilityy - Secured ₹30 crore through its Hala+ FOCO model from green investors and HNIs. Founded bySrikanth Reddyy, this Hyderabad-based EV aggregator has deployed 2,400 electric vehicles across multiple cities, offering 25.1% IRR to investors while empowering SHGs and micro-entrepreneurs. Fastest Healthtech Pvt.Ltd.. - Raised ₹1.2 crore in pre-seed funding led byInflection Point Venturess. Founded byJayesh Kamatt,Sandeep K.., andMazhar Faruqii, this Mumbai-based healthtech startup provides 15-minute doorstep sample collection and 90-minute report delivery for diagnostic services. These investments reflect strong interest in entertainment content, cybersecurity infrastructure, developer tools, sustainable mobility, and healthcare delivery across India's diversified startup ecosystem. 🚀 Got a startup story to tell? 💡 Share your news, funding updates & interviews with us! 👉 Visit: startuptoday.in 📩 Email: contact@startuptoday.in #StartupFunding #VentureCapital #FundRaising #FundingNews #StartupNews #Founders #Entrepreneur #StartupIndia #StartupToday #Startup

"The Innovator's Dilemma" will give founders an edge over competitors Box's CEO says these are the 3 things startup founders should do — and it includes a reading list Founders have a limited window to leverage the AI boom and start a great company Aaron Levie, 40, cofounded the cloud-storage giant Box in 2005. Levie said reading books like "The Innovator's Dilemma" will give founders an edge over competitors. Founders have a limited window to leverage the AI boom and start a great company, he added. Aaron Levie, the cofounder and CEO of cloud-storage giant Box, said founders need to build strong teams and ride disruptive trends to launch successful startups. Levie was speaking to participants at startup incubator Y Combinator's AI Startup School, which ran from June 16 to 17, when he was asked for advice on building a startup. Levie's remarks were published on Y Combinator's YouTube channel on Tuesday. The 40-year-old said there were three things startup founders should do to be more effective. First, Levie recommended that founders read three books: "The Innovator's Dilemma" by Clayton Christensen, "Crossing the Chasm" by Geoffrey Moore, and "Blue Ocean Strategy" by Renée Mauborgne and W. Chan Kim. "If you do what's in those books, and you are going after the B2B market, I guarantee you, you will be 10 times better off than any other startup that is just starting from scratch," Levie said. "You will have a way to think about markets, disruption, what incumbents are vulnerable, and which ones aren't. If you really deeply internalize them, you will be so much better off," he added. Second, Levie said that founders should try to assemble an "incredible founding team" to deal with the challenges that come with running a new business. "I know solo founders, that will happen for sure, but just try and grab one friend. They could be the least technical friend of all time," Levie said. "Just be in the grind with somebody because you're going to have more fun. You're going to see through more difficult times together. So have a team that you really are excited to work with to kind of get through anything," he added. Third, Levie said it was important for founders to identify disruptive forces like AI and develop business ideas that can leverage them. "If your market is not truly transformed by AI, don't touch it. It's just not worth it because you're going to be fighting against a headwind that is just unnecessary to fight against," he said. Levie said founders have a limited opportunity to start a great company within "two or three years from now" amid the AI boom. "Be ambitious because these windows don't come for more than 10 to 20 years. So I would exploit that, take advantage of that," Levie said. "In five years from now, you can be less ambitious, but in the next four years, you've got to go big because there are these windows that give you that opportunity," he added.

"Our startups need more capital" is a lazy answer to a complex question. Here's why I think less VC money may be better and why 1,000 CHF per student might work better than giving money to unprepared founders: I've met quite a few people whose opinion basically was, "If we want our startups to succeed, we need to provide more capital." And while I don't disagree that good companies need capital to grow, I think capital is just one aspect of the puzzle. Switzerland's startup funding dropped about 15% in 2024, yet venture capital inflow and VC interest in the Swiss ecosystem appear greater than ever. The way I see it, the real problem isn't a lack of money per se; it's that we're financing the wrong type of businesses. In fact, one VC Partner I respect recently told me they've almost halted deploying capital. Not because the ecosystem isn't potent, but because there's way too much noise. Universities teach theoretical basics, but not how to: - develop products - validate with real customers - handle actual market dynamics Technical graduates build amazing technology, but generally don't know how to commercialize it. Business students understand frameworks but have never closed a deal or faced real market constraints. When everyone can access capital easily, more unprepared founders get funded. People who haven't proven themselves receive resources that others could utilize far more effectively. I've seen too many founders whose answer to every challenge is "we need more money;" usually for another hire, more marketing budget, or more product development. And the worst part? Sometime they even ask for money to do the job the CEO should actually be doing. My take: Early talent development addresses this. Instead of 100,000 CHF for equity in an unprepared team, invest 1,000 CHF per team per semester for three years in a program that enables them to be resource-efficient, validate with real customers, and understand unit economics before needing major capital. That's a core belief of our work at START Foundation (www.start-foundation.com).