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🚀 Strategic Move | Info EdgeInfo Edge has approved key strategic transactions, including a stake swap deal and a ₹250 cr...
01/04/2026

🚀 Strategic Move | Info Edge

Info Edge has approved key strategic transactions, including a stake swap deal and a ₹250 crore fund commitment to boost its investment portfolio.

📊 Deal Highlights:
• Selling 26.14% stake in Shopkirana for $32.97M
• Acquiring ~2.13% stake in Trustroot (Singapore-based)
• Additional $1.72M investment in Trustroot
This move allows Info Edge to exit direct ownership in Shopkirana while maintaining indirect exposure via Trustroot.

📈 Company Snapshot:
• Shopkirana FY25 revenue: ₹469 Cr
• Trustroot revenue: ₹4,561 Cr+ (loss-making)

💰 New Investment Focus:
• Committing ₹250 Cr to A88 Fund I
• Fund targets early-stage deeptech startups
• Managed by Info Edge’s subsidiary

📌 Strategic Intent:
• Portfolio restructuring
• Focus on long-term deeptech investments
• Diversify exposure via global structures
This matters because large startup investors like Info Edge are shifting toward structured, long-term bets in deeptech and global platforms.

💡 Startup Funda (Founder Lesson):
• Strategic exits can unlock new growth opportunities.
• Smart capital allocation is key to long-term value creation.

👉 Follow: .in for daily startup news, founder stories & real business lessons.

Bengaluru-based Wint Wealth delivered strong growth in FY25 — scaling revenue while sharply reducing losses.📈 Operating ...
10/03/2026

Bengaluru-based Wint Wealth delivered strong growth in FY25 — scaling revenue while sharply reducing losses.
📈 Operating revenue jumped 2.6X to ₹44.5 crore
📉 Net loss narrowed 60% to ₹8.2 crore
💰 Total income stood at ₹46.8 crore
The platform, founded in 2020, allows retail investors to invest in fixed-income products like corporate bonds and NCDs, while also offering B2B lending via Wint Capital.

Revenue mix:
• ₹30.8 crore from interest income (69% of revenue, up 3.9X)
• ₹9 crore from fee-based services
• ₹4.7 crore from trading gains
Costs rose to ₹54.7 crore, mainly due to:
👥 Employee expenses: ₹27 crore (49% of total cost)
🏦 Interest expense: ₹18.6 crore (up 4.4X)
On a unit level, Wint Wealth spent ₹1.23 to earn ₹1 — but improving scale is clearly helping.

Backed by investors like Vertex Ventures, Rainmatter, and 3one4 Capital, the company has raised ~$60M so far.
In a competitive wealthtech market, sustainable growth is becoming the real differentiator.

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Construction projects often face delays and cost overruns — not because of poor ex*****on, but because of early planning...
10/03/2026

Construction projects often face delays and cost overruns — not because of poor ex*****on, but because of early planning decisions made under uncertainty.
That’s what MeltPlan wants to fix.
The pre-construction AI startup has raised $10M in seed funding, led by Bessemer Venture Partners, taking total funding to $14M.
Founded in 2025 by Kanav Hasija and Tanmaya Kala, MeltPlan is building a construction-native AI system that understands:
🏗️ Building codes
💰 Cost trade-offs
📅 Scheduling scenarios
📊 Value optimization
Its system has already scored 95%+ on building inspector exams and is being used by enterprise contractors like DPR Construction (California) and Innovo Group (UAE).
The goal?
Surface constraints early, align stakeholders before plans are frozen, and reduce costly rework later.
In short: make construction “boring” — by making planning smarter.

👉 Follow: .in for daily startup news, founder stories & real business lessons.

Startup life often looks glamorous on social media — big funding rounds, success stories, and freedom.But the real journ...
09/03/2026

Startup life often looks glamorous on social media —

big funding rounds, success stories, and freedom.

But the real journey behind building a startup is very different.

What startup life usually involves:

⏳ Long working hours

Most founders work 12–16 hours a day, and weekends often feel like regular workdays.

🧠 High mental pressure

There is constant stress about money, growth, and survival, and every decision carries responsibility.

💰 Uncertain income

In the early stages, salary is not fixed, and some months can be financially tight.

📉 Slow success journey

Growth takes time, patience, and many failures before real results appear.

Startup life can be incredibly rewarding —

but the reality behind it is hard work, resilience, and persistence.

Real journey.

Real struggles.

Real growth.

👉 Follow Startup Funda for valuable startup insights, founder stories & business lessons.

Mumbai-based Infra.Market is strengthening its balance sheet ahead of its IPO journey.After filing confidential IPO pape...
06/03/2026

Mumbai-based Infra.Market is strengthening its balance sheet ahead of its IPO journey.

After filing confidential IPO papers and getting approval from Securities and Exchange Board of India, the company is now raising ₹1,250 crore in debt.

💰 What’s happening?

• Board approved issuance of 1,25,000 NCDs (₹1 lakh each)
• ₹700 crore already raised from Singapore-based Ascertis Credit
• Remaining amount to be raised via private placement

🔒 What’s pledged as collateral?

• Company assets
• Promoter shares (including CEO Souvik Sengupta & COO Aaditya Sharda)
• Shares of group firms like RDC Concrete India and subsidiaries

📊 Financial Snapshot (FY25)

📈 GMV up 27% to ₹18,472 crore
📉 Profit down 42% to ₹220 crore

Infra.Market previously raised $83M in a Series G round backed by investors like Tiger Global and Accel.

Big picture:
The company is clearly preparing for public markets — balancing growth, capital needs, and investor confidence before its IPO debut.

👉 Follow: Startup Funda for daily startup news, founder stories & real business lessons

India’s skilling giant upGrad has acquired Internshala in a deal valuing the platform at around ₹100 crore — with 90% of...
05/03/2026

India’s skilling giant upGrad has acquired Internshala in a deal valuing the platform at around ₹100 crore — with 90% of the consideration structured as a stock swap.

Why this matters 👇

Internshala, founded in 2011, connects students with internships and fresher jobs.

📊 34M+ registered users
🏢 4.5 lakh employers
📍 40% users from Tier II & III cities

Now, upGrad plans to:

🤖 Build AI-led talent matching
🏢 Shift toward enterprise hiring models
📈 Scale revenue from ₹45 Cr to ₹100 Cr+ in 18–24 months

Internshala will continue operating independently under founder Sarvesh Agrawal, while leveraging upGrad’s scale and tech infrastructure.

This move connects learning → internships → jobs in one ecosystem.

India’s skilling-to-employment pipeline just got stronger.

👉 Follow: Startup Funda for daily startup news, founder stories & real business lessons

India’s personal debt problem is growing — and so is the need for structured solutions.Debt relief platform FREED has ra...
05/03/2026

India’s personal debt problem is growing — and so is the need for structured solutions.

Debt relief platform FREED has raised ₹60 crore (~$6.5M) led by Aavishkaar Capital, with participation from Sorin Investments, Piper Serica and Sattva Ventures.

Founded in 2020, FREED helps stressed but repayment-capable borrowers through:

💬 Financial counselling
🤝 Negotiated settlements
📑 Structured repayment plans
🏦 Consolidation loans via regulated partners

Impact so far:

👥 20 lakh+ customers counselled
📂 1.2 lakh+ active accounts
💰 ₹3,200+ crore debt under management

Now, the company plans to expand geographically, strengthen underwriting, and deepen institutional partnerships — targeting $1 billion in stressed debt enrollment over the next 18 months.

With improving unit economics and steady growth, FREED is positioning itself as a key player in India’s structured debt resolution space.

👉 Follow: Startup Funda for daily startup news, founder stories & real business lessons

While many fintechs struggled with profitability, Progcap quietly delivered a strong FY25.📈 Revenue jumped 93% to ₹268 c...
26/02/2026

While many fintechs struggled with profitability, Progcap quietly delivered a strong FY25.

📈 Revenue jumped 93% to ₹268 crore
💰 Total income reached ₹278 crore
📉 Losses reduced 87% to just ₹6 crore
📊 Positive EBITDA of ₹75 crore (28% margin)

Progcap helps micro and small retailers — especially in Tier 2 & Tier 3 cities — get access to debt capital by digitising supply chains.
Earlier, it operated as a capital-light marketplace.
Now, with its own NBFC, it lends directly — a bold but well-managed shift.
Costs did rise:

👩‍💼 Employee expenses: ₹126 crore (45% of total costs)
🏦 Finance costs: Jumped to ₹91 crore
🧾 Write-offs & legal expenses also increased
Yet, revenue grew faster than expenses.

📌 Unit economics improved significantly:
Spent ₹1.04 to earn ₹1 (vs ₹1.46 last year)
Backed by Tiger Global Management, Peak XV Partners, and others, Progcap has raised $111M so far.
Its competitor FlexiLoans also grew 47% in FY25 — showing strong demand in MSME lending.
With ₹207 crore cash in hand and improving margins, Progcap looks positioned for a profitable FY26 — and possibly an IPO in the future.

📌 Big takeaway:
Focused ex*****on in underserved markets can build a real moat.

💡 .in : Focus on long-term tech bets; deep-tech valuations take time but can create category leaders.

👉 Follow: .in for daily startup news, founder stories & real business lessons.

S:

While most OTT platforms chase metro audiences, Stage focused on Bharat.Haryanvi. Rajasthani. Bhojpuri.Stories in region...
26/02/2026

While most OTT platforms chase metro audiences, Stage focused on Bharat.
Haryanvi. Rajasthani. Bhojpuri.
Stories in regional languages — for regional audiences.
And in FY25, that bet paid off… at least in scale.

📈 Revenue jumped 6.2X to ₹111 crore
👥 20 million users
💳 4.4 million paying subscribers
💰 99% revenue from subscriptions
But growth came at a cost.

📢 Advertising expenses surged 4X to ₹115 crore
💸 Total expenses rose to ₹141 crore
📉 Net loss widened 27% to ₹28 crore
Still, there’s progress beneath the surface:
📊 Spent ₹1.27 to earn ₹1 (improved from ₹2.28 last year)
💵 ₹69 crore cash in hand
Backed by Goodwater Capital and Blume Ventures, Stage is trying to become the “Netflix for Bharat.”

The big question now:
Can regional OTT scale sustainably without burning heavily on ads?
Stage has proven there’s demand.
Now it needs to prove profitability.

💡 .in : Focus on long-term tech bets; deep-tech valuations take time but can create category leaders.

👉 Follow: .in for daily startup news, founder stories & real business lessons.

India’s digital payments space is heating up — and AvenuesAI (formerly Infibeam) just delivered strong Q3 numbers.For th...
25/02/2026

India’s digital payments space is heating up — and AvenuesAI (formerly Infibeam) just delivered strong Q3 numbers.

For the quarter ending December 2025:
📈 Gross revenue surged 122% to ₹2,381 crore
💰 Profit rose 25% to ₹80 crore
📊 Total revenue touched ₹2,397 crore
The real engine? 🚀
Its payments business, which contributed 97.5% of total collections and grew 130% to ₹2,323 crore.
Meanwhile, the e-commerce platform segment saw a slight 3.3% dip to ₹58 crore.

Expenses also rose sharply:
💸 Total costs jumped 128% to ₹2,307 crore
👩‍💼 Employee costs fell 32% to ₹27 crore
📉 Depreciation costs reduced 3%
For the nine months ending December 2025, profit stood at ₹206 crore — up 14% year-on-year.
During the quarter, the company also officially approved its rebranding to AvenuesAI Limited.
Listed on the National Stock Exchange, the company closed today at ₹18.80 per share, with a market cap of ₹6,537 crore (~$721M).

📌 Big picture?
Payments infrastructure continues to power India’s fintech growth story — and AvenuesAI is riding that wave strongly.

💡:.in Focus on long-term tech bets; deep-tech valuations take time but can create category leaders.

👉 Follow: .in for daily startup news, founder stories & real business lessons.

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