Startup news and updates: Daily roundup (January 20, 2025)

From how AI is offering hope to families frantically searching for their missing loved ones to how Bengaluru-based Dacio.ai is making Indian roads safer, YourStory brings today’s headlines that highlight significant developments across industries.

Here’s a roundup of the key stories today.

Featured news

How AI is bringing hope to families looking for missing children

When a child goes missing, their parents' world stops turning. In Delhi's Anand Vihar neighbourhood, a family lived through this horror when 12-year-old Aditya* didn't return home one evening last year. The boy, who was on the autism spectrum, had been playing outside his house—a routine activity that turned into every parent's worst nightmare. For 40 days, Aditya's family lived in a state of constant uncertainty. 

Their days were filled with putting up posters, filing police complaints, and searching every possible location for any sign of their child. “For days we knew nothing. It was just a time of panic and constant fear,” Aditya’s brother tells YourStory. Later, the family received a call from Delhi Police, informing them that the child had been found. 

The team got a lucky break; a colleague had put him in an orphanage and an official clicked his picture and uploaded it to Khoji.in—a centralised portal for missing persons and unidentified individuals. The portal’s intelligent face recognition algorithm searched its database of thousands of pictures, including one uploaded by Aditya’s family, and found a match. 

Thanks to artificial intelligence (AI), Aditya was reunited with his family.

Click to read more. 

Latest news

One97 Communications swings to Rs 208.5 Cr loss in Q3

One97 Communications, Paytm’s parent company, posted a Rs 208.5 crore net loss in the third quarter of FY25, marking a reversal from the profit of Rs 930 crore made in the previous quarter (Q2). 

However, the net loss decreased from the Rs 221.7 crore loss incurred in the third quarter of FY24. The fintech company reported a 35.87% year-on-year decline in revenue from operations for the third quarter of FY25, at Rs 1,827.8 crore, from Rs 2,850.5 crore in the same period last year. 

Sequentially, revenue grew 10.14% from Rs 1,659.5 crore in Q2 FY24, led by a rise in gross merchandise value (GMV) during the festive season and higher subscription revenues.

Click to read more.

Funding news

Krvvy bags Rs 6.1 Cr in funding round co-led by Titan Capital and All In Capital

D2C lingerie brand Krvvy has raised Rs 6.1 crore in a pre-seed funding round co-led by Titan Capitaland All In Capital. The round also saw participation from angel investors including Nikita Gupta (Co-founder, Housepital), Emmanuel Suraj (CEO, DefinEquity), Anuj Jain (VP, Investwell), and Anubhav Jain (Head of Credit, Metalbook).

Founded in May 2024 by engineering graduates Yash Goyal and Anant Bhardwaj, Krvvy (pronounced 'curvy') offers new-age innerwear and shapewear for women, focused on functionality and comfort.

Krvvy product portfolio features bras, underwear, and shapewear.

The funds raised will be used to expand the brand’s online and offline presence nationwide, primarily serving Indian women. Currently, Krvvy sells its products through its website and popular ecommerce marketplaces such as Amazon and Myntra.

"This funding will primarily be allocated to research and development, allowing Krvvy to expand its product range and introduce innovative functional innerwear products to the Indian market," said Yash Goyal, Krvvy's Co-founder and CEO and a former investment banker.

Procurement platform ProcureYard raises $1.72M in seed round led by Powerhouse Ventures

ProcureYard, a Gurugram and Bengaluru-based B2B commerce platform for raw material has raised a seed round of $1.72 million led by Powerhouse Ventures. The round also saw participation from Java Capital, 2am VC, well known angels Abhishek Goyal, Co-founder, Tracxn and Rajesh Sawhney, Founder, GSF.

The capital raised will be used for product development and working capital management. ProcureYard plans to leverage its custom-built conversational AI platform, which drove success in metals, and replicate it to other raw materials. The company plans to increase its market presence with its supply chain solutions.

The company says it has reached Rs 300 crore in annualised revenue run rate and achieved profitability while experiencing a sixfold growth.

Other news

ETO Motors and Uber partner to support Hyderabad’s electric 3-wheeler ecosystem

Hyderabad-based EV startup ETO Motors has entered into a partnership with Uber to launch the 'Drive to Own’ scheme—to increase electric 3-wheeler penetration in Hyderabad. This initiative, aimed at assisting drivers and promoting sustainability, is a driver-centric programme that allows participants to own their electric 3-wheelers over a 36-month period.

The programme strives to offer a hassle-free ownership model, which removes the need for traditional EMIs. Drivers will also benefit from support, including free vehicle maintenance and unlimited charging throughout their ownership period, according to a statement.  

Real estate tech solutions provider Relata expands into Dubai

Relata, a real estate tech solutions provider, has expanded its operations into Dubai through a joint venture with Cognilements International and Neeraj Srivastava. As part of the expansion, Srivastava has been appointed Chairman of Relata GCC and Africa. He brings with him his regional expertise to strengthen the company’s presence in the market. 

Neeraj Srivastava, Chairman, Relata GCC and Africa, said, “Our decision to partner with Relata stems from their visionary approach to revolutionising the real estate industry. Relata's innovative platform, blending advanced technology with customer-centric solutions, stood out as a game-changer.

"Their focus on digital-first strategies and seamless integration across the customer journey aligns perfectly with the growing demand for tech-enabled real estate solutions in dynamic markets like Dubai.”

Bharti Airtel partners with Bajaj Finance 

Telecom service provider Bharti Airtel and non-banking financial company Bajaj Finance have collaborated to create a digital platform for financial services and to transform last-mile delivery. 

This partnership will combine Airtel’s customer base of 370 million, its distribution network of over 1.2 million outlets, and Bajaj Finance’s portfolio of 27 product lines, supported by 5,000+ branches and 70,000 field agents.

Initially, Airtel will offer Bajaj Finance’s retail financial products through the Airtel Thanks App, ensuring secure customer experience. It has plans to expand availability through its nationwide network of stores.

By leveraging their combined digital assets, Airtel and Bajaj Finance aim to enhance the reach and penetration of financial products and services.

The ePlane Company secures DGCA nod for certification of eVTOL aircraft

The ePlane Company, a developer of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, has become the first private Indian firm to secure formal acceptance from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for type certification of its eVTOL aircraft, the e200X.

The aircraft maker will work closely with DGCA on further aspects of aircraft design and operations, ensuring to uphold safety standards while advancing the scalability of electric aviation in India.

“We are honoured by the DGCA’s acceptance of our type certification application. This marks a significant step forward for Indian aviation and highlights India’s commitment to fostering innovative, sustainable air mobility solutions. Together, we are paving the way for a cleaner, safer, and more connected future,” said Prof Satya Chakravarthy, Founder of The ePlane Company.