April 2026 - Page 9 of 10

Krafton Doubles Down on India with ₹6,000 Crore Fund: 10 Startups to Get Backing in 2026

The company is doubling down on India not just as a market for its games, but as a strategic hub for technology investment. In late 2025, Krafton announced the launch of the Unicorn Growth Investment Fund, a ₹6,000 crore vehicle created in partnership with Korean internet giant Naver and financial services major Mirae Asset .

Now, fresh details have emerged. In an interview with The Times of India, Krafton India CEO Sean Sohn confirmed that the company plans to invest in about 10 startups in 2026, with deal activity set to begin this month . The fund will focus on growth-stage ventures and those preparing for public listings, with an average cheque size of $15 million to $30 million .

Gabify Raises $175,000 to Scale AI-Powered Early Detection for Autism and ADHD in Children

When Sahil Chopra lost a close friend to suicide after years of bullying due to a speech disorder, the grief stayed with him for years . Years later, his wife Prachi Sood—a senior speech therapist with over a decade of experience at Max Hospital, Fortis, and Mom’s Belief—began sharing stories of children waiting months for screenings and parents unaware that help was even needed . These converging experiences led the couple to found Gabify in 2024.

Flipkart-Backed NeuroPixel.AI Shuts Down After Six Years: A Cautionary Tale for India’s GenAI Startups

In a candid LinkedIn post that resonated across India’s startup community, Arvind Venugopal Nair, co-founder and CEO of Bengaluru-based NeuroPixel.AI, announced the closure of his venture after nearly six years of building generative AI solutions for the fashion e-commerce sector . The startup, backed by Flipkart Ventures and other prominent investors, had raised approximately $1.2 million and built proprietary technology across computer vision and image processing, securing patents in areas such as synthetic human generation and apparel rendering .

Garuda Aerospace Confidentially Files for ₹1,000 Crore IPO: Dhoni-Backed Drone Startup Targets Defence and Global Markets

Garuda Aerospace, the Chennai-based drone manufacturer supported by MS Dhoni, has pre-filed its draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) . The company aims to raise approximately ₹1,000 crore through the public offering, comprising a fresh issue of up to ₹750 crore and an offer-for-sale (OFS) component of an undisclosed amount .

Kerala’s Deep-Tech Startup Hub Faces Approval Delays, But Long-Term Vision Remains Powerful

The Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM), the state’s nodal agency for entrepreneurship, submitted a revised detailed project report (DPR) to the state government last month, incorporating updated design, cost estimates, and infrastructure components . However, with the model code of conduct currently in force due to upcoming elections, the approval process is expected to be deferred until the code is lifted, likely in May 2026 .

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Oracle’s 10,000 Layoffs in India Signal the AI-First Future: A Sudden Talent Surge for Startups

By the end of that day, reports confirmed that approximately 10,000 employees in India—roughly 37% of Oracle’s 27,000-strong domestic workforce—had been laid off . Globally, the restructuring impacted about 30,000 employees, representing 18% of Oracle’s total headcount of 162,000 as of May 2025 .

This was not a routine cost-cutting exercise. The company recorded a ₹4,500 crore (approximately $530 million) restructuring charge for the March quarter . This was a strategic realignment—a multi-billion-dollar pivot to position Oracle as a top-tier AI cloud provider, competing directly with Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud.

PhonePe and Fintechs Put IPO Plans on Hold as Geopolitical Turmoil Rattles Indian Markets

For India’s fintech ecosystem, 2026 was supposed to be a year of validation. After a prolonged reset phase marked by tighter capital and regulatory scrutiny, several late-stage platforms were preparing to tap public markets . Walmart-backed PhonePe, payments infrastructure leader Razorpay, digital lending platforms Moneyview and Kissht—all had their sights set on listings that would provide liquidity to early investors and signal the sector’s maturation .

Startup IPOs Delivered Nearly $2 Billion in VC Returns in 2025 as India’s Ecosystem Reaches New Maturity

For venture capital firms that backed these companies early, the returns were substantial. According to an Economic Times analysis, the busy IPO cycle of 2025 handed out some of the biggest returns that venture and growth investors have seen in India’s startup ecosystem . The six new-age companies that listed in 2025 alone—Urban Company, Lenskart, Groww, Ather Energy, Bluestone, and Pine Labs—collectively unlocked more than ₹15,000 crore (approximately $1.6 billion) in cash liquidity for their early- and late-stage shareholders . This marks a 30% increase from the previous year’s exit values .

Eutelsat in Talks with ISRO as India’s $44 Billion Space Economy Beckons Startups

In a development that underscores India’s rising stature in the global space economy, European satellite giant Eutelsat has confirmed it is in active talks with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for future satellite launches . The negotiations, confirmed by Eutelsat CEO Jean-François Fallacher, represent a significant vote of confidence in India’s launch capabilities and its broader vision of building a thriving commercial space sector .

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Oracle Lays Off 12,000 in India in Sweeping AI Pivot: What It Means for Startups and the Future of Tech Jobs

It began with an email. At 6 in the morning, employees across Oracle’s global offices—in India, the US, Canada, and Mexico—received a brief, chilling notification from “Oracle Leadership” . The message was stark: “After careful consideration of Oracle’s current business needs, we have made the decision to eliminate your role as a result of a broader organisational change. Today is your last working day” .

By the time the dust settled on March 31, 2026, reports confirmed that approximately 12,000 employees in India had been laid off—nearly 40% of the company’s 30,000-strong domestic workforce . Globally, the cuts impacted an estimated 30,000 workers, representing about 18% of Oracle’s total headcount of 162,000 as of May 2025 .