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AU Small Finance Bank, in collaboration with Mastercard, launched the AU Multi-Currency Forex Card at Global Fintech Fest 2025. Designed for global travelers, it supports six currencies with locked-in exchange rates and worldwide acceptance. Features include Chip & PIN security, travel insurance, and 24/7 support. CEO Sanjay Agarwal calls it a “comprehensive travel companion,” while Mastercard’s Gautam Aggarwal highlights its role in connecting Indian travelers globally.

Theia Ventures, founded by Priya Shah, announced the first close of its $30 million fund focused on deeptech, energy transition, and decarbonization. Backed by British International Investment (BII) as anchor investor, the fund has secured over 50% of its target. It will invest $500K–$1M in early-stage startups in green hydrogen, sustainable fuels, and clean mobility, targeting final close by FY26.

Jaagruk Bharat, founded by Akshit and Abhishek Goel, raised ₹1.5 crore in pre-seed funding led by AJVC to simplify access to government services. The platform enhances welfare scheme navigation through a multilingual, citizen-first interface. Funds will support product development, government partnerships, and accessibility for marginalized groups. Jaagruk Bharat leverages automation and vernacular support for seamless governance delivery.

Fintech startup Niro, founded by Aditya Kumar and Sankalp Mathur, has shut down after raising $20 million from investors like Elevar Equity. The B2B2C platform helped internet firms offer loans between ₹50,000–₹7 lakh, reaching 170 million users and $100 million AUM. Regulatory pressure, credit issues, and limited capital led to closure. Niro reported ₹7.86 crore revenue and ₹48.7 crore loss in FY24.

Contrails AI, founded by Digvijay Singh and Amitabh Kumar, raised $1 million in pre-seed funding led by Huddle Ventures and IAN Group. The startup develops multimodal AI with forensic analysis for real-time threat detection, combating deepfakes and phishing. Funds will support US and EU pilot programs across media, finance, and marketplaces. Contrails AI addresses growing cyber risks in the GenAI era.

OpenAI has signed a multi-year chip supply deal with AMD, involving six gigawatts of GPUs to meet rising AI demand. Deployment starts in 2026 with AMD’s Instinct MI450 chips. The deal, potentially giving OpenAI up to 10% of AMD via warrants, follows a $100B Nvidia contract. AMD expects billions in revenue as it strengthens AI infrastructure and diversifies OpenAI’s supply chain.

Deloitte is refunding part of a $440,000 fee to the Australian government after AI-generated errors were found in a report on the “Future Made in Australia” initiative. The report contained fabricated citations created using Azure OpenAI GPT-4o. Deloitte said AI was used only in early drafts. The incident highlights ethical concerns over AI use in consulting, prompting stricter oversight rules.

Zoho Payments launched its POS device suite, entering the fintech hardware market. Devices support cards, UPI via QR, integrated billing, receipts, and barcode scanning. They integrate with Zoho’s accounting and CRM tools for B2B merchants. Following RBI authorization as a payment aggregator, Zoho plans local device production and expanded fintech services like salary payouts and UPI Autopay. Zoho also plans to Integrate with its Arattai App in Future.

Thrustworks Dynetics, founded by Manan Joshi, Kalyani Shinde, and Vinith Shenoy in 2023, raised ₹7 crore in seed funding led by Jamwant Ventures. The Pune-based startup develops the ANYA liquid rocket engine and a Mobile Rocket Engine Test Bed. Funds will expand their Integrated Rocket Facility, R&D, and testing. Incubated at SINE-IIT Bombay, Thrustworks collaborates with ISRO and Bharat Forge, aiming to build modular, high-performance engines.

ZillOut, founded by Gaurav Sharma and Nayan Mishra, raised INR 2.75 crore in seed funding from Jindagi Live Angel Fund and Anshul Jhawar. Funds will boost AI and automation. Operating in 20 cities, ZillOut optimizes nightlife with AI-driven guest intelligence across Infra, Data, and Distribution layers. Managing INR 80 crore in transactions and 600,000 entries, the platform plans expansion to Dubai and Southeast Asia.

The Medical Travel Company, founded by Ankit Mehrotra and Sahil Jain, raised $4.5M in seed funding led by Nexus Venture Partners, with Kriscore Capital and athlete Ben Stokes via 4CAST. The funds will expand India/UK operations, enhance digital patient management, and build clinical partnerships. Offering UK oversight, accredited care, and post-surgery insurance, it aims to make cross-border healthcare affordable and seamless.

Legal tech startup Lucio raised $5M led by DeVC, with participation from Ashish Kacholia and Lashit Sanghvi. The funds will enhance AI models, expand global reach, and integrate legal databases. Based in India, Lucio provides an AI-native workspace for lawyers, streamlining drafting, research, and compliance. Over 200 organizations and 3,000 lawyers across nine jurisdictions use its platform.

August AI, founded in 2022 by Anuruddh Mishra, raised $3M from Accel and Claypond Capital to enhance its AI health companion. The funds will expand its medical knowledge base and user reach. Serving 3.5M users across 160 countries, August AI interprets reports, manages treatments, and connects users with doctors for reliable, AI-driven healthcare insights.

Intangles raised $30M in Series B funding led by Avataar Venture Partners, with participation from Baring Private Equity India and Cactus Partners. Founded in 2016, the AI-IoT company enables predictive vehicle health monitoring. Managing 400,000 vehicles across global markets, Intangles helps fleets save up to $10,000 per vehicle annually. The funding will boost technology upgrades and international expansion.

TrusTerra, an AI-driven used EV marketplace, raised ₹9 crore in pre-seed funding led by Finvolve and India Accelerator. The funds will scale TruEV Score, expand to Tier-2 cities, and strengthen OEM and NBFC partnerships. Founded by Tanvir Singh, Saurabh Arora, Madhu Reddy, and Chanakya Agarwal, TrusTerra offers TruEV Score, TerraCash, and TerraBid to boost trust and liquidity.

OpenAI launched “Apps in ChatGPT”, enabling users to access services like Spotify, Canva, Coursera, Figma, Expedia, Booking.com, and Zillow directly within ChatGPT. Announced at DevDay 2025, it lets users perform actions like booking hotels or creating playlists via chat. Developers can build apps using the new Apps SDK powered by Model Context Protocol (MCP). Future plans include DoorDash, Uber, and Instant Checkout monetization.

KGeN (Kratos Gamified Engagement Network) raised $13.5M from Prosus Ventures, Jump Crypto, and Accel, taking total funding to $43.5M. Founded by Manish Agarwal, Ishank Gupta, and Ritesh Arora, KGeN provides a blockchain-based user verification layer for AI, DeFi, and gaming, serving 39M users with $48.3M annualized revenue. Its K-Store supports decentralized storefronts, enhancing user acquisition across 60+ countries. The platform targets bot-resistant ecosystems amid India’s $62.5B blockchain market by 2033.

Morphing Machines, a Bengaluru-based semiconductor IP startup, raised $4.32M Series A led by IAN Alpha Fund, with Speciale Invest and others participating. Founded by Deepak Shapeti, Dr. Ranjani Narayan, and Prof. S.K. Nandy, the company is developing REDEFINE, a manycore processor for AI, data analytics, and HPC. Funds will support their first chip, expand the engineering team to 90+, and launch data center pilots, targeting proof-of-silicon and customer growth in 12–24 months.

Affluense AI, co-founded by Sumit Sahu and Rishi Kumar, raised ₹3 crore pre-seed from Zeropearl VC, with Kunal Shah (CRED) and Pravin Jadhav participating. The funds will drive product development, market expansion, and talent acquisition. Affluense helps businesses connect with affluent customers via deep research enrichment, Connect AI, and AI-powered network graphs, transforming prospecting workflows in sectors like luxury goods, real estate, and wealth management.

BytePe, founded by Jayant Jha, launches a tech subscription platform to democratize premium smartphones. Users pay less than EMIs, upgrade yearly, and enjoy one-time damage protection with assured buybacks. Launching with the iPhone 17 series, upfront buyers get 50% buyback after 12–24 months. The “Pay for what you use” model offers up to 50% savings versus EMIs, with plans for bundled insurance and flexible upgrades.

EcoEx, founded by Nimit Aggarwal and Akshaya Rath in 2020, raised $4M in seed funding led by Dovetail Global Fund PCC, Navbharat Investment Fund, and Narnolia Velox Fund. The capital will enhance technology, expand operations, and scale the Waste Commodity App. EcoEx, focusing on waste collection, EPR services, and commodity trading, has enabled 1M+ MT of EPR credits and targets $20M+ transaction value by FY26.

DecorTwist, a D2C home decor brand founded by Anupam Rajey, raised $200K in a bridge pre-Series A round led by Tejas Paresh Lodaya. The funds will boost inventory, new product launches, and quick commerce expansion. With ₹12.5 Cr+ revenue and 1 lakh+ customers, DecorTwist offers stylish, affordable decor across Amazon, Myntra, and Flipkart, aiming to be India’s top D2C home decor brand.

A Flipkart user’s COD surcharge triggered public outrage and government scrutiny over hidden e-commerce fees. Minister Pralhad Joshi flagged these as “dark patterns,” prompting calls for transparency. While companies justify COD costs, users demand honesty over manipulation pushing digital payments. The incident underscores India’s tightening consumer protection framework, where trust and transparency now outweigh discounts in shaping e-commerce credibility.

Finarkein, a Pune-based fintech startup, raised $1.5M in an extended pre-Series A round led by DSP Group Family Office to strengthen data privacy and security. Founded by Nikhil Kurhe, Dheeraj Kumar, Aakash Agrawal, and Pradip Waghmare, it powers 100+ BFSI firms via Account Aggregator, OCEN, and ONDCFS. Its platform Flux—with OpenDataOS and Smart Collect—enables secure, DPI-driven data utilization.

Flipkart Investments plans to sell its 6% stake in Aditya Birla Lifestyle Brands for ₹950 Cr ($114M) via a block deal at ₹130/share. The move follows Flipkart’s ₹1,500 Cr investment in ABFRL (2020). With brands like Louis Philippe and Van Heusen, ABFRL is raising ₹437 Cr for its TMRW digital arm. The sale supports Flipkart’s IPO readiness and India HQ shift.

Raise Financial Services, the parent of Dhan, has entered the unicorn club after a $120M Series B led by Hornbill Capital and MUFG. CEO Pravin Jadhav plans to expand into AI-driven investment products. Founded in 2021, Dhan reported ₹900 Cr revenue and ₹400 Cr PAT in FY25. Competing with Groww and Zerodha, Dhan aims to redefine India’s investment tech space.

GreyLabs AI has raised ₹85 crore in Series A funding led by Elevation Capital, with participation from Z47 and angel investors, to enhance Voice AI in BFSI. Serving 50+ clients like RBL Bank and ICICI Prudential Life, its platform automates multilingual sales, service, and compliance. Funds will drive expansion to Bengaluru and Delhi, as CEO Aman Goel targets 300+ BFSI institutions.

A hacking group called Scattered LAPSUS$ Hunters claims to have stolen 1 billion records from companies using Salesforce cloud services, exploiting third-party integrations like Salesloft and Drift OAuth tokens. Victims reportedly include Google, Workday, Qantas, and FedEx. Salesforce confirmed no breach of its core platform, citing compromised credentials instead. Experts warn the leaked data could fuel further cyberattacks and supply chain risks.

Perplexity has acquired AI design startup Visual Electric, founded in 2022 by Colin Dunn, Adam Menges, and Zach Stiggelbout. Backed by $2.5M from Sequoia and others, Visual Electric will shut down its AI-powered design tool in 90 days, offering refunds and data exports. Known for its infinite creative canvas, the startup’s team will join Perplexity. Financial details remain undisclosed.