Startup Crunch

#Kolkata-based spiritual-tech startup Utsav App has raised ₹36 crore ($3.8 million) in Series A funding, led by Atomic Capital, with existing investors India Quotient and Equanimity Investments also participating. Founded in 2021 by Sourajit Basu, Ankita De and Prajata Samanta, Utsav operates a digital marketplace connecting devotees with temples, priests, spiritual scholars and acharyas. The platform offers services including puja bookings, personalised rituals, pujari consultations and e-prasad, while also helping devotees participate in rituals remotely. Utsav claims to fulfil around 2.5 lakh orders every month, with its revenue growing 8X since its previous funding round in January 2025. The fresh capital will be used to strengthen its product and technology stack, expand its temple network and grow its services for the Indian diaspora over the next 12–24 months. The funding comes as India's spiritual-tech sector continues to attract investor attention, with startups increasingly bringing traditional religious experiences online. Utsav's bigger bet is to build a digital layer connecting devotees, temples and rituals across India—making access to spiritual services easier without removing the authenticity behind them. #Utsav #SpiritualTech #StartupFunding #IndianStartups #TempleTech #News #StartupCrunch

Two Mothers Are Taking Mithila’s Forgotten Thekua to Homes Across India Neetu Yadav and Geeta Singh, co-founders of The Thekua Company, are bringing Mithila’s traditional thekua back as an everyday snack rather than something eaten only during festivals. The #Bengaluru-based, bootstrapped D2C startup was born from a simple observation: thekua, once a regular household snack with chai, has increasingly become associated with Chhath Puja, while packaged biscuits and ultra-processed snacks have taken over daily snacking. The founders, both in their mid-50s, have no formal business background. Instead, they bring more than 30 years of home-cooking experience and recipes rooted in Mithila's culinary heritage. The company tested its concept during Chhath Puja in November 2025, relying entirely on word-of-mouth. Orders soon came from customers outside their personal networks, with repeat purchases validating demand for the product as an everyday snack. The company was formally incorporated on 27 May 2026. Its thekua is made with whole wheat flour, jaggery, pure desi ghee and dry coconut, with four variants currently available. Now, The Thekua Company wants to take the taste of Mithila from home kitchens to households across India. #TheThekuaCompany #Thekua #Bihar #Mithila #IndianStartups #D2C #FMCG #HerStory #StartupCrunch #MadeInIndia

Science-first skincare brand Asaya has raised ₹88 crore in Series A funding at a valuation of ₹400 crore, marking another major milestone for the fast-growing D2C beauty brand. The funding round was led by RPSG Capital, with participation from OTP Ventures, Huddle Ventures, Hyperscale Ventures and 72 Ventures. Asaya plans to use the fresh capital to strengthen its product portfolio, expand distribution, enter new markets and build its team. Around 20% of the funds will be allocated towards research and development, highlighting the company's focus on science-led skincare. The Bengaluru-based startup is also preparing to expand beyond its online-first model by entering offline retail. It plans to strengthen its presence across multiple channels, including quick-commerce platforms. Asaya has reported strong growth since its previous funding round, with its revenue increasing 16X. The company is currently operating at an annualised revenue run rate of around ₹100 crore. The latest funding comes as India's skincare and beauty market continues to see strong interest from consumers, investors and new-age D2C brands. Asaya's next challenge: turning online momentum into a larger offline consumer brand. #Asaya #StartupNews #Funding #D2C #Skincare #IndianStartups #StartupIndia #News #D2CBrands

Shark Tank India Season 6 is calling aspiring entrepreneurs to take their businesses to the next level, with applications now open for the upcoming Delhi auditions. The show has urged founders who have been waiting for the “right time” to take action and submit their applications. The message is simple: don’t wait for your business to be perfect—apply. According to the announcement, Delhi auditions are scheduled for September 3, giving entrepreneurs an opportunity to present their businesses and potentially move closer to pitching in front of the Sharks. The application process is currently open, and aspiring founders are encouraged to complete their forms as soon as possible. The upcoming season could provide entrepreneurs with more than just potential funding. For startups, appearing on Shark Tank India can bring significant visibility, brand awareness and access to experienced investors. For founders who have been thinking, “I’ll do it this weekend” or “Maybe my business isn’t ready yet,” the show's latest message is clear: apply now and take the chance. Delhi entrepreneurs, this could be your opportunity to step into the Shark Tank. ( Link: https://lnkd.in/g57B2xPE ) #SharkTankIndia #SharkTankIndiaSeason6 #Entrepreneurship #Startups #StartupIndia #Business #Delhi #Entrepreneurs #Funding #IndianStartups

India's EV battery-swapping startup Battery Smart has raised $19.5 million (₹185.5 crore) in Series C funding, led by existing investor Rising Tide Ventures, with participation from Ecosystem Integrity Fund and Blume Ventures. The latest round values the company at an estimated $430 million, according to industry reports. Battery Smart has now raised more than $211 million in total funding. The company is building a battery-swapping network designed to help electric two- and three-wheeler drivers replace depleted batteries quickly instead of waiting for conventional charging. The latest funding comes as India's electric mobility ecosystem continues to expand, with battery-swapping emerging as an alternative to traditional charging infrastructure. Battery Smart's FY26 revenue reportedly reached ₹358 crore, representing 43.8% growth, according to investor disclosures. The new capital will support the company's continued expansion of its battery-swapping network and technology infrastructure. #BatterySmart #EV #ElectricVehicles #BatterySwapping #EVIndia #News #StartupFunding #IndianStartups #StartupCrunch

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has fined Amazon Seller Services ₹1 lakh over four misleading listings that sold ordinary sweets as “Shri Ram Mandir Ayodhya Prasad” without authorisation from the temple trust. The regulator also rejected Amazon’s safe-harbour defence, stating that e-commerce marketplaces have their own responsibility to prevent unfair trade practices and provide accessible seller information. Amazon has since removed the misleading listings. The CCPA has also directed the company to strengthen verification of claims involving religious offerings before such products are listed. The case highlights a growing challenge for online marketplaces: how much responsibility should platforms have for what third-party sellers claim about their products? For consumers, the bigger takeaway is simple—a product being listed on a major marketplace doesn't automatically mean every claim made by the seller has been verified. #Amazon #CCPA #RamMandir #Ecommerce #ConsumerRights #StartupCrunch #News #India

Bengaluru-based Peeko, a quick-commerce platform focused on baby and kids-care products, has raised ₹67.4 crore ($7M+) in Series A funding, led by Chiratae Ventures. Existing investor Stellaris Venture Partners and angel investors also participated. Peeko currently operates three dark stores in Bengaluru, covering around 55% of the city, and offers nearly 30,000 SKUs with deliveries in as little as 60 minutes. More than 1 lakh parents have reportedly shopped on the platform. The startup plans to use the fresh capital to expand its dark-store network, strengthen technology, hire talent and build a broader parenting-focused ecosystem. It plans to increase its Bengaluru dark stores to six by the end of 2026, before entering two more cities in 2027. Peeko was founded by Chetan Sharma, Vivek Khetan and Abhijit Gairola and previously raised $3.2 million in 2025. #Peeko #ChirataeVentures #StartupFunding #QuickCommerce #Babycare #IndianStartups #BengaluruStartups #StartupNews #StartupCrunch

Gurugram-based electronics manufacturer Amber Enterprises India Limited is set to enter smartphone manufacturing, with plans to produce devices for Oppo, OnePlus and Realme starting in 2027. The company expects trial production to begin in Q4 FY27, followed by commercial production in Q1 FY28, according to Executive Chairman and CEO Jasbir Singh. Amber is targeting around 8 million smartphones in its first year, with plans to nearly double production to 15–16 million units in the second year. The company has signed a manufacturing collaboration agreement with Oppo Mobiles India, covering all three brands. Amber has also appointed a COO for its mobile-phone business and is working with Oppo on execution milestones. While Amber is exploring opportunities to export smartphones, its immediate focus is on building its domestic manufacturing business before expanding internationally. The move marks a major expansion for Amber, which has traditionally been known for manufacturing electronics and components across categories. With India's smartphone manufacturing ecosystem becoming increasingly important to global supply chains, Amber's entry could add another major domestic player to the sector. The company now faces the challenge of scaling production rapidly while maintaining quality, cost efficiency and supply-chain reliability across three major smartphone brands. #AmberEnterprises #Oppo #OnePlus #Realme #Smartphone #ElectronicsManufacturing #MakeInIndia #India #News #StartupCrunch

The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended the licences of 14 food business establishments linked to quick-commerce platforms Blinkit, Zepto and Swiggy Instamart following a statewide food-safety inspection drive. The FDA inspected 86 establishments across Maharashtra on August 13. The action resulted in five Blinkit licences, five Zepto licences and two Instamart licences being suspended. Licences of two other establishments—Bhagwati Stores and Swinsta ENT Pvt Ltd—were also suspended. Authorities also issued 60 improvement notices and ordered the temporary stoppage of operations at one facility. The inspections reportedly uncovered hygiene and food-storage violations, including pest infestations, expired products and inadequate handling conditions at some locations. The crackdown comes amid increasing regulatory scrutiny of India's rapidly expanding quick-commerce industry, where dark stores are handling large volumes of food and grocery products every day. Maharashtra FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe has intensified inspections across the state, signalling that convenience and delivery speed cannot come at the expense of food safety. Importantly, the action involves specific food-business establishments and their licences, rather than a statewide ban on Blinkit, Zepto or Instamart. The latest crackdown highlights a growing challenge for quick-commerce companies: how to maintain food safety and quality while scaling thousands of dark stores at unprecedented speed. #StartupCrunch #Blinkit #Zepto #Instamart #QuickCommerce #FoodSafety #IndianStartups #News #India

Nikhil Kamath Is Thinking About Building An EV Or Battery Company 👀🔋 Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath is exploring India's next big opportunity in the EV space. While speaking with battery-industry experts, he asked a simple question: Should he build an electric car or a battery company? The answer? Build the battery. Experts believe India's bigger opportunity could be in the EV supply chain, especially sodium-ion batteries, which could reduce dependence on lithium and rare-earth materials. With India's massive two-wheeler and three-wheeler markets, battery technology could become a much bigger opportunity than building another EV brand. Could Nikhil Kamath's next big bet be batteries? 👀 #NikhilKamath #Zerodha #EV #Batteries #ElectricVehicles #IndianStartups #StartupNews #CleanTech