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Category: News

  • Otto Money Raises $1.3 Mn Pre-Seed Round Led by Pravega Ventures

    Otto Money Raises $1.3 Mn Pre-Seed Round Led by Pravega Ventures

    Otto Money, a wealthtech venture, has secured $1.3 million (approximately ₹11.8 crore) in a pre-seed financing round anchored by Pravega Ventures.

    The round also included backing from angel investors such as Rishi Kohli of Jio BlackRock AMC, Amit Gupta, Amit Agarwal, and Mohit Aron, in addition to existing supporters.

    The startup plans to utilize the capital over the next 12 to 18 months to advance its artificial intelligence capabilities, improve user-level personalization, broaden its goal-oriented advisory features, and scale its engineering and data science workforce.

    It also intends to step up its market entry efforts across India’s Tier I cities.

    Established in 2025 by Apurv Gupta and Ankur Lahoti, Bengaluru-headquartered Otto Money is developing an AI-driven wealth guidance platform tailored for retail investors.

    Rather than selling financial products, the platform focuses on delivering unbiased, data-backed insights across multiple asset classes to support informed investment decision-making.

    https://app.ceotrail.com/e-trnl-energy-raises-rs-27-4-cr-seed-funding-led-by-ian-group/

    Operating at the intersection of artificial intelligence and wealth management, Otto Money targets digitally active investors seeking structured and unbiased financial decision support. The platform aims to address challenges such as fragmented portfolio visibility, information asymmetry, and reactive investment behaviour through institutional-grade investment models.

    Currently in early deployment, Otto Money plans to gradually expand its footprint across major Indian cities in the coming years as it scales its technology and advisory capabilities.

  • LocalHost Raises $2.5 Million in Angel Funding

    LocalHost Raises $2.5 Million in Angel Funding

    LocalHost, a global fellowship and startup launch platform, has raised $2.5 million in an angel round from investors including InVideo, RedBull India, Anthropic, and Eros International.

    The funding will support the expansion of its international founder labs and early-stage programs.

    According to the company, the proceeds will be deployed toward building additional infrastructure, upgrading hardware resources, expanding cross-border operational teams, and onboarding more founder cohorts across geographies.

    Launched in 2023 by Kei Hayashi, Suhas Sumukh, and Hardeep Gambhir, LocalHost is designed as an in-person innovation hub for young builders, typically between 18 and 30 years old.

    The platform brings together technical and creative talent working across media, software, and hardware through immersive residential lab programs.

    https://app.ceotrail.com/sleep-tech-startup-dusq-raises-rs-24-crore-in-seed-funding/

    In India, the organization operates a flagship 50-day lab in Bengaluru, where selected founders collaborate intensively on ideas ranging from artificial intelligence agents and robotics systems to India-first language models and experimental media ventures. Each cohort admits a limited number of participants to ensure focused mentorship and peer collaboration.

    Internationally, LocalHost has established labs in Tokyo and Cluj-Napoca, with plans to launch operations in San Francisco. The company is also preparing to introduce hardware-centric labs in Japan and France.

  • Culture-Tech Platform MeMeraki Secures Rs 1 Crore Deal on Shark Tank India

    Culture-Tech Platform MeMeraki Secures Rs 1 Crore Deal on Shark Tank India

    India’s leading culture-tech platform MeMeraki featured on Shark Tank India, where founder Yosha Gupta shared how she is building a technology-led market access for traditional Indian arts and crafts designed specifically to empower master artisans as contemporary digital creators.

    During the pitch, the founder explained that MeMeraki focuses on democratizing the heritage arts economy by connecting rural master artisans with global audiences. Unlike traditional handicraft marketplaces, the platform operates a “dual model” combining a premium e-commerce marketplace for authentic products with a dynamic ed-tech platform offering live and recorded masterclasses. These venues for cultural learning allow anyone to explore an authentic connection with their heritage through artists who have inherited generational knowledge.

    Entering the Tank, the founder sought ₹50 lakh for 1.67% equity, valuing the company at ₹30 crore.

    The founder shared that the business is built on a disciplined and impact-led model. Since its inception in 2019, MeMeraki has scaled through content-led discovery and deep artisan partnerships. A major driver of their scalability is the diversified revenue stream, with a mix of 60% consumer (B2C) and 40% enterprise (B2B) services, the latter of which delivers large-scale art installations and murals for organizations like GMR Hyderabad Airport and the Ministry of Culture.

    Operationally, MeMeraki currently connects over 500 master artisans across 300+ traditional art forms and has reached customers in more than 40 countries. The founder highlighted strong momentum, demonstrating consistent year-on-year growth and achieving profitability in the current financial year.

    https://app.ceotrail.com/the-binge-town-secures-rs-2-crore-deal-on-shark-tank-india/

    The platform is managed via a tech-enabled infrastructure that supports 10,000+ handcrafted products and immersive learning experiences. Use cases range from high-value corporate advisory projects and public installations to individual patrons purchasing original artworks like ₹1,05,000 Kalamkari paintings or attending digital workshops.

    After negotiations, the founder closed a deal with Varun Alagh, Namita Thapar, Kunal Bahl, and Viraj Bahl, who collectively invested ₹1 crore for 4% equity. The deal values MeMeraki at ₹25 crore.

  • e-TRNL Energy Raises Rs 27.4 Cr Seed Funding Led by IAN Group

    e-TRNL Energy Raises Rs 27.4 Cr Seed Funding Led by IAN Group

    Battery cell technology startup e-TRNL Energy has raised ₹27.4 crore (around $3 million) in a Seed funding round led by the IAN Group through its IAN Alpha Fund.

    The round also saw participation from Navam Capital and Speciale Invest, among other investors.

    The fresh capital will be used to complete product development, validate performance and safety standards, and demonstrate manufacturing capability in India.

    Established in 2021 by Apoorv Shaligram and Dr. Uttam Kumar Sen, e-TRNL Energy is a Bengaluru-headquartered deep-tech venture focused on reengineering battery cell design to overcome key electric vehicle pain points, including excessive heat buildup and long charging durations.

    The company’s core innovation lies in its proprietary 3D Electrode Architecture (3DEA), designed to reduce internal resistance within battery cells. This approach minimizes heat generation at the source and enables significantly faster charging without compromising battery lifespan.

    e-TRNL claims its technology can enable a full charge in as little as 15 minutes, deliver up to four times longer cycle life compared to standard cells, and improve storage capacity by up to 50 percent.

    The architecture is chemistry-agnostic, compatible with Lithium-ion (Li-ion), Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP), Lithium Manganese Iron Phosphate (LMFP), and Sodium-ion (Na-ion) chemistries. Its first product will use LFP chemistry, with LMFP and sodium-ion batteries planned for future development.

    https://app.ceotrail.com/digitory-raises-500k-in-pre-series-a-funding/

    The startup operates a 20,000 sq. ft. R&D and early manufacturing facility in Bengaluru and has been granted two patents, with additional patent applications filed.

    As part of its scale-up roadmap, e-TRNL plans to establish a 250 MWh pilot manufacturing facility by 2027, with ambitions to expand capacity to 2 GWh in subsequent phases. The company follows a full-stack manufacturing strategy, designing both battery cells and proprietary production machinery in-house to reduce India’s reliance on imported equipment.

  • Apparel Brand Warrior World Secures Rs 75 Lakh Deal on Shark Tank India

    Apparel Brand Warrior World Secures Rs 75 Lakh Deal on Shark Tank India

    Army-inspired apparel brand Warrior World featured on Shark Tank India, where founders Keyur, Uday, Dharmin, Kapil, and Jigar shared how they are building a mass-market clothing label aimed at taking military-inspired fashion to every corner of the country.

    During the pitch, the founders explained that Warrior World is focused on democratising patriotic fashion through durable, high-quality streetwear. Unlike fast-fashion players, the brand operates with a large catalogue, with 82% of sales coming from army-inspired designs. Each product is engineered for longevity, featuring high-density prints tested to last up to 50 washes. Printing is handled in-house through a DTF setup, while fabric sourcing is outsourced to keep operations lean.

    Entering the Tank, the founders sought ₹75 lakh for 1% equity, valuing the company at ₹75 crore.

    The team shared that Warrior World is built on a highly efficient, bootstrapped model. After running women’s ethnic wear ventures like Bahuji between 2015 and 2023, the founders pivoted to launch Warrior World. A key driver of profitability has been sharp operational optimisation—RTO rates dropped from 42–43% in the early days to just 2.5%, while shipping costs were brought down dramatically from ₹215 per order to ₹50.

    Growth has been rapid. The founders stated that sales jumped from ₹92,000 in FY23–24 to ₹6.4 crore in FY24–25, with projections of ₹30 crore in FY25–26. The brand currently operates at 15% EBITDA (YTD) and reports a 24% repeat rate. Its pricing strategy keeps products accessible, with single t-shirts at ₹399, packs of three at ₹999, and packs of five at ₹1,499.

    Warrior World runs on an in-house tech-enabled order management system, with 98% of sales coming directly from its website. Its made-to-order manufacturing model ensures zero finished-goods inventory, allowing for efficient dispatch through a ready pick-list system.

    https://app.ceotrail.com/the-binge-town-secures-rs-2-crore-deal-on-shark-tank-india/

    After negotiations, the founders closed a deal with Vineeta Singh, who invested ₹75 lakh for 1% equity, along with a 1.5% royalty until ₹1.25 crore is recouped, valuing the company at ₹75 crore.

    Prior to Shark Tank, Warrior World was entirely bootstrapped and had already achieved lifetime sales of ₹20 crore. With fresh capital and strategic backing, the founders plan to scale further by improving their customer lifetime value of ₹2,100 and average order value of ₹940, as they work toward standardising military-style streetwear across India.

  • Sleep-Tech Startup DUSQ Raises Rs 24 Crore in Seed Funding

    Sleep-Tech Startup DUSQ Raises Rs 24 Crore in Seed Funding

    Emerging sleep science venture DUSQ has closed a ₹24 crore seed funding round led by Fireside Ventures.

    The round also saw participation from Antler India, Climber Capital, Startup Sherpas, Vaishav Investments, along with prominent angel investors including Avnish Anand (Founder, CaratLane) and Shivam Puri.

    The company will channel the fresh capital into advancing its proprietary sleep regulation ecosystem, hiring across neuroscience and hardware engineering, accelerating intellectual property creation, upgrading its in-house sleep laboratories, and laying the groundwork for an expansion into the United States. 

    Established in 2023 by Dr. Siddhant Bhargava, Shalmali Kadu, and Mitansh Khurana, DUSQ operates at the intersection of neuroscience and applied hardware. Over a two-year research cycle, the founding team examined more than 50 million physiological data points to construct a biological regulation framework aimed at improving human recovery.

    Unlike mainstream consumer sleep brands that center around analytics dashboards and sleep scores, DUSQ is building what it describes as a regulation-driven intervention platform. The company’s approach is based on the premise that persistent sleep disruption is rooted in brain–body misalignment, requiring active modulation of biological systems rather than passive monitoring.

    https://app.ceotrail.com/elixiir-foods-raises-9-mn-seed-funding-led-by-3one4-capital/

    Over the last year, the startup has conducted controlled studies within its proprietary sleep lab, focusing on autonomic nervous system pathways linked to recovery. Early trial outcomes, according to the company, indicate measurable improvements in sustained recovery cycles and the stabilization of uninterrupted sleep phases.

    Previously operating under the name InnerGize, DUSQ positions itself as a deep-science health-tech company developing “infrastructure for recovery.” With the newly raised funds, it aims to scale its platform globally while reinforcing its scientific and hardware capabilities.

  • Digitory Raises $500K in Pre-Series A Funding

    Digitory Raises $500K in Pre-Series A Funding

    Bengaluru-based food-tech SaaS company Digitory has secured $500,000 in pre-Series A funding.

    Round led by  angel investor Tejas Paresh Lodaya, marking its first institutional capital infusion after years of bootstrapped growth.

    The newly raised funds will be deployed to expand Digitory’s market footprint, accelerate onboarding of enterprise restaurant chains, invest further in automation and operational intelligence R&D, and strengthen the scalability and reliability of its platform infrastructure, the company said.

    Founded in 2016 by Shivaprakash S. Mogali, Digitory builds AI- and ML-powered operational software for restaurants, cafes, breweries, and cloud kitchens.

    The startup positions its platform as foundational infrastructure for modern F&B businesses, combining local execution with centralized, cloud-driven intelligence to enable consistent operations across multiple locations.

    Digitory offers a comprehensive, full-stack restaurant management system that spans cloud-based POS, inventory intelligence, recipe-level costing, kitchen display systems, QR-enabled ordering, workflow automation, and performance analytics. The platform also integrates with food delivery and commerce channels such as Swiggy, Zomato, and ONDC, helping operators manage both in-store and online demand.

    https://app.ceotrail.com/ukhi-raises-rs-10-5-cr-seed-round-led-by-venture-catalysts/

    Prior to raising external capital, Digitory says its platform was already supporting over 1.8 million end customers, reflecting strong organic adoption across India’s hospitality sector.

    The company claims its solutions are currently used by several well-known restaurant and brewery chains including Toit, Bier Library, Biergarten, Pumphouse, BLR Brewing Co., 1522, Byg Brewski, Zero40, and Effingut Breweries, particularly for managing complex, multi-location setups.

  • Elixiir Foods Raises $9 Mn Seed Funding Led by 3one4 Capital

    Elixiir Foods Raises $9 Mn Seed Funding Led by 3one4 Capital

    Newly launched omnichannel grocery startup Elixiir Foods has raised $9 million in a seed funding round led by 3one4 Capital, with Incubate Fund Asia also participating in the round.

    The capital infusion will be used to kick-start Elixiir Foods’ operations, deepen its farm-led sourcing and private label capabilities, scale wholesale and distribution infrastructure, and develop a robust technology backbone to support city-by-city expansion.

    Founded by Arvind Mediratta and Ambuj Narayan, Elixiir Foods is building an integrated grocery platform that combines direct sourcing from farms, a private label portfolio, and a centralized wholesale supply chain. The company aims to serve urban consumers with a wide assortment of fresh and daily-need food products through both physical and digital channels.

    The platform will focus on core categories such as fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy, meat, poultry, seafood, and daily essentials, while also expanding into flours, rice, spices, grains, condiments, snacks, beverages, ready-to-eat meals, and frozen foods. Elixiir Foods positions itself as an “affordable premium” brand catering to quality-conscious households.

    Elixiir Foods plans to operate an omnichannel model, blending neighborhood-format stores of around 3,000 sq ft, some featuring a central kitchen, bakery, and café with a digital layer offering 1-2 hour deliveries. Its integrated supply chain is designed to ensure freshness, consistency, and competitive pricing across channels.

    https://app.ceotrail.com/semiconductor-ai-startup-thirdai-raises-3-mn-seed-funding/

    The Bengaluru-based startup enters a competitive landscape that includes players such as BigBasket, Grofers, Spencer’s Retail, Nature’s Basket, and DMart Ready, which also operate across online and offline grocery retail.

    Both founders bring deep experience in retail and FMCG, having previously worked with organizations including Walmart, Metro AG, P&G, and Titan Company. With the fresh funding, Elixiir Foods plans to begin its rollout with a focus on Delhi NCR, starting from Gurugram, before expanding to other urban markets.

  • UKHI Raises Rs 10.5 Cr Seed Round Led by Venture Catalysts

    UKHI Raises Rs 10.5 Cr Seed Round Led by Venture Catalysts

    Faridabad-based sustainable materials startup UKHI has raised ₹10.5 crore in a seed funding round led by Venture Catalysts, with participation from 100 Unicorns, 888 VC, and strategic industrial partner DCG Pack.

    The fresh capital will be deployed to scale production of EcoGran™, UKHI’s flagship compostable biopolymer, strengthen formulation and process-related IP, and deepen partnerships across the packaging value chain.

    Founded in 2019 by Vishal Vivek, Priyanka Chauhan, and Sandeep Kumar Tyagi, UKHI is an IP-led material science company focused on replacing petroleum-based plastics with high-performance, compostable alternatives derived from agricultural residues and lignocellulosic biomass.

    Within six months of commercialization, UKHI claims to have built a commercially viable biopolymer platform, achieved early market adoption across India’s packaging ecosystem, and generated revenues from large anchor clients. The company has sold over 2 lakh kg of biopolymer material to early customers and recorded a 90%+ trial-to-commercial conversion rate, indicating strong product-market fit.

    UKHI plans to replace up to 24 lakh kg of single-use plastic over the next 12 months. Its patent-pending technology is designed to be scalable, cost-effective, and drop-in compatible with existing plastic manufacturing infrastructure, enabling adoption without major capex changes.

    https://app.ceotrail.com/etherealx-raises-20-5-mn-in-series-a-funding/

    The company operates a dual business model, licensing its EcoGran technology to manufacturers while also offering turnkey packaging solutions through its sister venture, Murth. It has partnered with DCGpac, India’s largest B2B packaging platform, and signed MoUs with IIT Guwahati and the Indian Institute of Packaging (IIP) to advance R&D and deploy compostable solutions.

    As of 2025, UKHI reports a monthly production capacity of 140 tonnes, with plans to scale significantly by 2030. The startup has been incubated by IIT Mandi Catalyst, NSRCEL (IIM Bangalore), and supported by the Department of Science & Technology (DST), and has previously been featured in Forbes’ Top 100 Startups to Watch.

  • The Binge Town Secures Rs 2 Crore Deal on Shark Tank India

    The Binge Town Secures Rs 2 Crore Deal on Shark Tank India

    Private celebration venue platform The Binge Town stepped into the Shark Tank India with founders Soumay , Sanketh , Yash , Chetan , and Bishnu , pitching a high-margin, “hospitality-first” alternative to traditional banquet halls, designed specifically for intimate group celebrations.

    At its core, The Binge Town is all about democratizing luxury celebrations. By converting urban spaces into private mini-theatres, the startup allows users to book exclusive venues for birthdays, anniversaries, and romantic dates. Unlike public cinemas or restaurants, every booking comes with “celebration-locked” features including customizable LED décor, Sony 5.1 surround sound, gourmet F&B menus, and professional photography “reel” captures.

    In the Tank, the founders asked for ₹2 crore for 2% equity, valuing the company at ₹100 crore.

    The founders explained that the business is built on a highly profitable bootstrapped model. Having started with just ₹60 lakhs in 2022, operational income ₹3 crores from internal profits back into the business. Their unit economics are fueled by high-margin add-ons; while the entry price for a venue is affordable, most customers opt for premium decoration and food packages, pushing the average ticket size significantly higher.

    The Binge Town currently operates 64 private theatres across  in 7 major cities and has already crossed the milestone of 100,000 bookings. Their revenue growth has been aggressive, jumping from ₹5.7 crores in FY24 to a projected ₹27+ crores in FY26 with a steady 11% Profit Before Tax (PBT).

    https://app.ceotrail.com/meat-marinade-brand-kilrr-bags-rs-1-cr-investment-on-shark-tank-india/

    The product is managed via a tech-enabled booking platform where users can customize every detail of their event in real-time. Key use cases range from romantic proposals and 2-seater “couple dates” to 20-seater family birthday parties.

    They closed a deal with Varun Alagh for ₹1 crore for 2.5% equity plus ₹1 crore debt at 15% interest, valuing the company at ₹40 crore.

    Before Shark Tank, The Binge Town was entirely bootstrapped and profitable since day one. The fresh capital and Varun Alagh’s expertise will be used to scale to 200+ venues by the end of 2026, focusing heavily on FOFO (Franchise Owned, Franchise Operated) expansion into Tier II and Tier III markets.