Startup Spotlights

In a historic collaboration that merges India’s digital payments leadership with cutting-edge AI, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), fintech leader Razorpay, and OpenAI have launched a private beta for Agentic Payments—India’s first AI-powered conversational commerce experience inside ChatGPT. Announced on October 9, 2025, at the Global Fintech Fest, this initiative allows users to browse, compare, and purchase products using UPI—all through a simple chat interface.

In an extraordinary demonstration of youth-led innovation, a 20-year-old Indian founder has successfully raised $3 million in seed funding for Supermemory, an artificial intelligence startup developing cutting-edge memory optimization technology. The funding round represents one of the largest early-stage investments in a solo youth founder in India’s AI ecosystem. The achievement challenges conventional notions about age and experience in the

Venture capital firm Together Fund has announced the launch of a specialized programme dedicated to identifying and nurturing early-stage AI startups, marking a significant commitment to fostering innovation in artificial intelligence. The initiative aims to provide comprehensive support to entrepreneurs building next-generation AI solutions across various domains.

In a significant development within India’s professional networking landscape, Leap.club—the exclusive community platform for women professionals—has officially shut down operations. The closure comes alongside news that cofounder Raghav Das has joined Google, marking the end of a three-year journey that sought to create a more inclusive professional networking space for women in India.

In a significant boost for India’s agritech and deep-tech ecosystem, TrusTerra, an innovative agricultural supply chain startup, has raised ₹9 crore in a pre-seed funding round. The investment will accelerate the development of its blockchain-powered platform designed to bring transparency, traceability, and fairness to India’s farming sector. This funding underscores growing investor interest in startups that leverage