In a powerful signal of renewed investor confidence, Indian startups have raised approximately $1.2 billion in funding during February 2026, marking a 2.2x increase compared to the same month last year. According to data from market intelligence platform Tracxn, compiled in the ETtech Deals Digest, the funding secured between February 1 and 27 represents a 62.8% jump from January 2026, when startups raised around $777.2 million across 112 rounds . This surge comes even as the number of funding rounds declined slightly to 128, compared to 170 in February 2025, indicating a trend toward larger, more concentrated deals rather than fragmented small-ticket investments .

Temple, which is building a cutting-edge wearable to track cerebral blood flow and other biomarkers for elite athletes, is recruiting engineers with an unusual twist: candidates must meet specific physical fitness benchmarks, including body fat percentages, alongside strong coding skills . Those who don’t meet the fitness criteria can still join but will remain on probation until requirements are met. The move has ignited conversations about inclusivity, discrimination, corporate culture, and what it means to build products for high-performance users .