Naagin is a bold and flavour-first Indian hot sauce brand founded in 2019 by Mikhel Rajani, Arjun Rastogi, and Kshitij Neelakantan. The company fuses regional chilli heritage with chef-crafted sauces, oils, and spice blends, all designed for modern kitchens. Today it’s available in over 700 premium Indian retail outlets and on international platforms like Amazon, Walmart, and Carrefour, having served over one million customers to date . With a focus on sustainable, traceable sourcing using blockchain tools and operating a plastic-neutral business- Naagin is positioning itself as a global contender in the spicy condiment category. The company recently raised ₹18CR (c. $2.1M) in a pre‑Series A round led by 360 ONE Asset. Existing investor 8i Ventures participated for the third time, alongside 12 new and returning angel investors. The proceeds will fund factory scaling, team expansion, R&D, and marketing- fueling growth across B2B, D2C, quick commerce, and global exports. Mikhel Rajani, Co‑Founder & CEO, brings deep experience in F&B innovation from Francesco’s Pizzeria and Mandala; Arjun Rastogi, Co‑Founder & COO, is an alumnus of BlackRock and EY; Kshitij Neelakantan, Co‑Founder & Head of Operations, comes with a background in public policy and supply chain, holding a degree from SOAS London.

Pehle Jaisa is a Gurugram-based agritech startup that transforms village-level organic and agricultural waste into high-quality organic fertilizers and bio-stimulants. Using decentralized processing units integrated into local waste centers, it slashes the “first-mile” logistics cost and enables villages to produce their own fertilizers, gas, and electricity, empowering a circular rural economy. After selling over 1,500 MT of fertilizer and generating ₹2.5 crore in FY25, the company is targeting ₹100 crore in revenue in the coming years. $300K Pre-Series A. Founders: Pankaj Pandey previously founded Eggoz, CropCoin and KrishiGo; Ehtesham Farooqui has deep expertise in sustainable agriculture and climate-tech.

Kisah Apparels is a rapidly scaling ethnic wear brand for Gen Z and millennial men, headquartered in Kolkata. Since its inception in 2018, the company has evolved from a marketplace-first play to a digitally-native, omnichannel fashion label. Kisah seamlessly combines direct-to-consumer online strategies with physical retail presence—currently operating two stores and planning three more—while achieving a ₹25CR revenue in FY24 (a 42 percent YoY increase) and reaching a run‑rate of approximately ₹100CR in FY25, all while remaining cash-flow positive and profitable.The company recently raised ₹13CR in a pre‑Series A round, led by Sagar Daryani, founder of Wow Momo. Other investors in the round: Apoorv Salarpuria (Salarpuria Investments), Rahul Todi (Shrachi Group), Vinod Dugar (RDB Group), Inflection Point Ventures . Yash Sarawagi, Co‑Founder and CEO, previously worked as an investment banker, bringing a strong strategic and data-led mind to the business. Yashwi Sarawagi Ladsaria, Co‑founder & Director, was formerly a consultant at EY and manages Kisah’s design and operations . Recently, Saurav Kothari, an e-commerce specialist, joined the founding team to strengthen their digital retail engine.

Vecmocon Technologies is a Delhi-based deep-tech startup founded in 2016 by IIT and ISB alumni to drive the transition to smart, sustainable electric mobility. Its full-stack solutions include safety-compliant Battery Management Systems (BMS), smart chargers, motor controllers, vehicle intelligence modules, secure over-the-air update platforms, and AI-driven analytics. With deployments across 100K+ EVs- from two- and three-wheelers to light commercial vehicles, the company is enabling OEMs and fleet operators in India and globally to build connected, software-defined EVs tailored to Indian conditions. The company closed an $18M Series A round, with Ecosystem Integrity Fund (EIF) leading both the initial $10M tranche in November 2024 and the latest $8M segment in June 2025. Other participants in this round: Aavishkaar, British International Investment (BII), Blume Ventures (follow-on). This capital will fuel R&D in embedded EV systems, 5G-enabled connectivity, high-voltage platforms, and domestic manufacturing. The team comprises five tech-focused Co-Founders: Peeyush Asati, CEO and IIT Delhi alumnus; Adarshkumar Balaraman, Co‑founder; Shivam Wankhede, Co‑Founder & CTO; along with Akash Bansal and Nikesh Bisht, who hold board-level roles and drive engineering innovation for Ve­cmocon’s hardware-software stack.

Janitri is an India-based medtech startup developing smart, AI-enabled wearable tools for real-time monitoring of maternal and fetal health during the 1,000-day journey from pregnancy through postnatal care. Its flagship device, Keyar, enables continuous tracking of vital signs in labor and remote settings, aiming to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality across hospitals and homes. With deployment across 800+ hospitals and monitoring over 200,000 mothers monthly, Janitri recently posted revenue of ₹8.5 crore in FY24–25 and expects to double in Q1 FY26 . $1.4M pre‑Series A round. Other investors in the round: Prateek Maheshwari; Pradip Todi (O2 Angels); tal64 syndicate. Founders: CEO Arun Agarwal is a VIT graduate who, inspired by preventable maternal deaths in Rajasthan, built Janitri’s mission-driven device ecosystem; lead technologists and co-founders are documented on Janitri’s site and LinkedIn, leading R&D in wearable diagnostics

AI-native radio frequency satellite infrastructure, through a network of nanosatellites. The goal is to provide clients in industries across maritime, aviation, defence, oil and gas, and weather forecasting low-latency, high precision insights with 6x more data value per dollar, by capturing the entire radio spectrum compared to legacy satellites which are optical only (i.e. only capture images). Space trials are planned by end 2025, using ISRO's launch vehicle, with pilot customers next year. "Images cannot track moving assets like ships or aircraft. Today, companies take four to four-and-a-half hours to reach a decision. We bring that down to under ten minutes". $2.5M pre-seed round. Other investors in the round: Eaglewings Ventures. Founders: Ankit (Kurekshetra Univ.) and Raghav (NIT Jalandhar) started Xovian Research Tech in 2014, a space-tech consulting firm and ecosystem enabler in 2014. They started Xovian Aerospace in 2018.

BioTech startup focused on personalised cell-based regenerative therapies. Funding towards accelerating clinical trials for its diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) therapy and advance preclinical development of its osteoarthritis treatment platform. Anywhere between 5-25% of diabetes patients develop DFU, depending on the study. ₹3CR seed round. Founders: Senthill was a Research Fellow at John Hopkins, an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Human Virology (Univ. of Maryland) and is also the co-founder of Biomac Life Sciences, which continues to operate; Sanjoy (IIM-A) was the co-founder of Solace Care (sustainable alternatives for fuel-based chemicals). Founded in Jan 2021.

Clean label nutrition focused food brand for kids. The product range so far has been focused on 10 minute breakfast prep - dosas, idlis and pancakes - with 5-8 grams of protein per serve, free of palm oil and refined sugar. The company also recently launched NutraMilk, a sugar-free milk mix made from nuts, seed, jaggery and dates. "We’re here to redefine childhood nutrition and wellness in India. From breakfast to mid-morning snacks to lunchboxes, we’re building a future where clean, protein-packed meals are the default, not the exception. We understand how tough parenting is today and are continuously working towards solutions that make parenting easy." Targeting ₹60CR in revenue in three years. ₹8CR seed or Pre-A (?) round, led by new investor Eternal, existing investors Antler and Venture Catalysts, along with the participation of RWA Advisors, Arav Ventures and angels Aman Tekriwal and Sairam Krishnamurthy. The company raised a ₹7CR seed round in 2023. Founders: CEO Parul (Symbiosis, Pune) was with Mondelez for 14 years, most recently as Head of Modern Trade for India; co-founder Manu was with Veris and InstaCash. He was also part of Antler second India cohort. The founders are siblings. Founded in May 2021.

Observability tool for the AI age which provides real time production insights to developers. "Our mission is to redefine how software evolves, not after deployment but as it is being built". It helps devs eliminate unused code and improve software quality through a continuous feedback loop. The solution is targeted towards e-com, fintech and logistics firms, where fast-paced deployment and large codebases require greater visibility and automation. $2.5M pre-seed round. Other investors in the round: SenseAI Ventures, Stargazer Ventures. Founders: Anant (BITS Pilani) was the Principal Architect at Flipkart, with the firm for close to nine years; Priyanka was also an architect with Flipkart for close to ten years.

AI-powered dashcams for fleet operators that offer real-time safety alerts to prevent road accidents. Used by public transport, school bus and commercial fleet operators. It has 60 customers. $3M raised in a seed round - $1.2M was raised in April and $1.8M this August. Other investors in the round: Venture Catalysts, Vibha Chetan (Cheravi Ventures), Raveen Sastry (Multiply Ventures), Vivekananda Hallekere (Bounce), Nishchay AG (Jar). Founders: Ankit (NIFT, IIM Calcutta) was with Bounce and Bounce Infinity in a variety of roles (CEO's office; comms manager); Pranjal (Roorkee Institute of Tech.) was an EIR at Antler, and an engineer at Urban Company and Dream11. Founded in Oct 2023. Comps: Fleetx (Series C from IndiaMART and Beenext in May 2025); Safe Cams (bootstrapped).

AI robotics startup for manufacturing automation. The company has an AI vision platform that enables standard industrial robots to perform tasks without manual programming. Its first product, WeldT, uses computer vision to automate welding in manufacturing setups which produce a large variety of products. The tech is being adapted for other applications - painting, gluing, inspection and assembly. "Manufacturing as we know it is already fading. As AI evolves beyond the human form into Physical Intelligence, we are witnessing a once-in-a-century shift, where lean, adaptive, and precise automation will redefine how things are made." Aiming at 80 deployments across 20 customers within the next year. ₹6.5CR pre-seed round. Other investors in the round: Innovation Mission Punjab. Founders: CEO Anubhi (Masters in Automation Engineering from Newcastle University) was an automation specialist at Siemens in the UK for close to five years; CTO Amrit (IIT Delhi) ran his down dev firm prior to Terafac. Founded in 2023.

Fashion marketplace with a first of its kind try first, pay later model. i.e., customers can order up to ten items with no upfront cost, try them out and pay for the items they keep. “The idea for Tryo emerged when we noticed that even tech-savvy users were avoiding fashion shopping online. There was a clear trust gap around how clothes would actually feel and look. We want to give users the convenience of online shopping without compromising on the confidence they get from trying things on.” Operating through a dark-store model in Bangalore, it currently offers 25 brands through 60 minute express delivery as well as scheduled delivery. ₹3CR pre-seed round. Founders: CEO Meet (IIR Roorkee) managed growth at Uni Cards and PowerUp Money; co-founder Arjav (also IIT Roorkee) was a PM at Inkle (accounting SaaS) and briefly a co-founder of Rent-It (hyperlocal P2P renting); CTO Shiva (IIT Delhi) was a full stack dev at Wishlink. Founded in Jan 2025. Comps: KNOT (Kae, Sparrow), Slikk Club (Lightspeed, Nexus), Zilo (InfoEdge, Chiratae), Zulu Club (TDV Partners).

Pre-launch functional beverages brand. Zero calorie beverages made with natural ingredients will include nutrition shots and herb-infused carbonated drinks. ₹2CR pre-seed round funded by undisclosed angels. Founder & CEO Nidhi built contract research organization Karmic Lifesciences (Mumbai Angels, IAN) which was acquired by Cliantha Research, another CRO, for ~$2M. She subsequently built Zoctr (home and tele health), before joining Accenture. Founded in Mar 2025.

Conversational AI for call centres. Focused on clients in insurance, healthcare and debt collection. Has processed 3M minutes of calls, reducing the volume of calls handled by human agents by up to 70%. No information on clients. $1.1M seed round. Founders Sameer and Shubham are IIT Bombay alum; Sameer is from Thoucentric (data scientist at a management consulting firm) and Fitmint; Shubham is from Topmate (Head of Growth). Founded in Oct 2023.

EdTech platform for upskilling engineers. "We started Protrainy to address a critical skill gap in professional education across core sectors like construction, manufacturing, and energy." Taught via cohort-based classes, on-demand video courses and project-specific modules. 20K learners to date, with 70% claimed to have secured promotions, new roles or salary increases. Co-branded skilling programs with IIT Guwahati, IIT Roorkee and others. Undisclosed seed round. Other investors in the round: AIC Nalanda, Dhiraj Sinha (SucSEED), Suresh Reddy, Dr.Moti Vyas, Avantika Sahay. Founders: Biswajit (KIIT - Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology) was a Junior Manager at JSW Infrastructure for four years. Founded in Aug 2020.