Startup Spotlights

The first week of November 2025 has delivered a powerful snapshot of the Indian startup ecosystem’s vitality and strategic direction. Between November 3 and November 7, the market witnessed a dynamic $238 million flow into startups across 20 deals, reinforcing India’s position as a global innovation powerhouse. This activity isn’t just about the capital; it’s a clear indicator of where investors are placing their bets for the future, with Artificial Intelligence (AI) emerging as the undisputed champion.

The final frontier is about to get a new gateway, and it’s being built not just by a nation, but by a new generation of pioneers. Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace, a spacetech unicorn, is in the final stages of preparation for the maiden launch of Vikram-I—a mission that will mark a monumental first: India’s first privately developed commercial orbital rocket.

In a significant leap for India’s private space sector, Bengaluru-based ULOOK Technologies has secured ₹19 crore (approximately $2.3 million) in a seed funding round. The investment was co-led by prominent venture capital firms growX Ventures and InfoEdge Ventures, signaling strong investor confidence in a new frontier of spacetech: autonomous satellite swarms for radio-frequency (RF) intelligence.

In a move that signifies a quantum leap for the Indian innovation ecosystem, global AI behemoth NVIDIA has joined the India Deep Tech Alliance, a powerhouse coalition of top-tier investors. This landmark partnership comes as the alliance announces a monumental war chest of over $850 million in capital commitments, strategically designed to solve the chronic funding gap that has long plagued research-heavy, high-risk Indian startups.

In a strategic move that signals the maturation of India’s real estate technology sector, India Accelerator has joined forces with leading real estate developer V S Fortune to launch the LeapFWD programme—a targeted, high-impact initiative with a war chest of ₹100 crore. Designed exclusively for PropTech startups, this programme aims to identify and turbocharge 10 of the most promising ventures poised to revolutionize the way Indians buy, build, and manage property.