In the high-stakes world of startups, one challenge looms larger than funding, talent, or even product-market fit: finding the first customer. For deep-tech ventures building one-of-a-kind technologies, the barrier is even steeper—conventional government tenders require prior experience, established turnover, and competitor benchmarks that simply do not exist for novel innovations.
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In a world where talent is abundant but meaningful connections are scarce, two of India’s most experienced product and technology leaders are building a solution. Former Swiggy executive Anuj Rathi and former Zomato CTO Prashant Parashar have launched Profound, an AI-native platform that gives every professional their own AI representative. The company has raised $1.5 million in seed funding from a stellar roster of technology founders and institutional investors, and opened early access to its first cohort.
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On a humid July morning in Lucknow, a team of scientists at Biotech Park watched their phones light up with notifications from investors across the country. The news spread fast: Arboreal Bioinnovations, the specialty food and nutraceutical ingredients startup they had built from scratch, had just closed one of the largest Series A rounds in India’s specialty food ingredients sector. The ₹230 crore ($24.09 million) investment, co-led by EAAA Alternatives (the alternatives arm of Edelweiss) and Omnivore, with continued backing from existing investor Rainmatter by Zerodha, wasn’t just a funding milestone—it was a signal.
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India’s next wave of app innovation is being built with AI at its centre—and Google is placing its biggest bet yet on the founders leading that charge. On August 3, 2026, the tech giant unveiled the 2026 cohort of its Google Play Accelerator India, selecting 20 AI-powered startups for a three-month, equity-free programme designed to help them scale from domestic success stories to globally competitive products.
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The story of India’s startup ecosystem has been one of exponential growth. From a mere 350-400 ventures a decade ago, the country’s innovation landscape has expanded to nearly 2.3 lakh DPIIT-recognised startups, making it the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem. But for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this is merely the foundation upon which a greater edifice must be built. In recent months, he has articulated a decisive shift: India’s next decade must be defined not by incremental gains, but by deep-tech leadership in artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and space technology.
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In a significant move for India’s artificial intelligence landscape, IBM and homegrown AI startup Sarvam have announced a strategic collaboration to advance the development and adoption of sovereign AI technologies across the country . The partnership, formalised on July 31, 2026, aims to build secure, India-first AI solutions tailored for government bodies, public sector organisations, and regulated industries .
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Edtech startup Klassroom has secured ₹11.08 crore from anchor investors, just ahead of its SME IPO opening today . This marks a significant milestone for the Mumbai-based company, founded in 2016 by Alka Javeri and her two sons as a family-led venture to make education more accessible .
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Zepto, India’s quick-commerce giant, has put its IPO plans on hold and is instead raising a ₹1,000 crore pre-IPO round—a strategic pivot that reflects the widening gap between how founders value their company and what public market investors are willing to pay.
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Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has made a strong case for placing innovation, startups, and MSMEs at the centre of India’s economic future. Addressing the 22nd JRD Tata Memorial Lecture, he outlined a vision where deep technology, entrepreneurship, and globally competitive manufacturing converge to power the country’s next phase of growth .
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In an era where most consumer internet startups in India are still burning cash to acquire users, Primetrace, the parent company of social-tech platform Kutumb, is quietly delivering a rare profitability story. The Bengaluru-based consumer AI startup is now in advanced talks to raise $50 million (around ₹475 crore)** at a valuation of **$500 million—a significant jump from its $150 million valuation in 2021 .
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