Startup news and updates: Daily roundup (November 18, 2025)

From PhysicsWallah's market debut to major funding news, YourStory brings the latest developments across sectors. 

Featured stories

PhysicsWallah makes its market debut at 33% premium

One of the most anticipated IPOs of the year has reached its milestone as edtech unicorn PhysicsWallah (PW) listed on the stock exchanges on November 18.

The stock opened at Rs 143 on BSE and at Rs 145 on NSE, reflecting a listing movement of 31.3% and 33%, respectively, as trading began.

The IPO drew a firm response, particularly on the final day of bidding on November 13. Overall subscription reached about 1.8 times, helped by qualified institutional buyers (QIB) who entered the book after a quiet start. The QIB quota was subscribed around 2.7 times.

Read more

Funding news

Circle raises Rs 3.4 Cr in pre-seed round led by Titan Capital

Circle, a Bengaluru-based full-stack platform for buying and selling pre-owned goods, has raised Rs 3.4 crore in a pre-seed funding round led by early-stage venture firm Titan Capital. Raveen Sastry, Co-founder of Myntra, also participated in the round.

Founded in 2025 by Ankit Misra and Chirag Kataruka, Circle operates a customer-to-customer (C2C) marketplace aimed at making second-hand transactions safer and more predictable. The platform offers AI-verified listings, managed doorstep logistics, and secure payment flows, features the company says help eliminate the uncertainty and risk typically associated with C2C buying and selling.

Pype AI raises $1.2M in pre-seed round led by Kalaari Capital

Pype AI, an AI-powered front desk platform that automates patient communication for hospitals and clinics, has raised $1.2 million in pre-seed funding. The round was led by Kalaari Capital, with participation from Wyser Capital and Tenity.

The company plans to use the capital to accelerate the development of its research-backed healthcare communication platform and support expansion into the US, where care management represents a $50-billion-plus opportunity.

Founded in 2024 by Dhruv Mehra (ex-Meta) and Ashish Tripathy (ex-LinkedIn), Pype AI strives to build speciality-trained, out-of-the-box voice AI agents tailored for healthcare workflows.

Axirium Aerospace raises $3.5M seed round led by Shastra VC and BEENEXT

Axirium Aerospace has raised $3.5 million in a seed funding round led by Shastra VC and BEENEXT. The round also saw participation from angel investors including Ashish Gupta (former MD & Co-founder, Helion Advisors) and PVS Raju (Vice Chairman, AIG Hospitals).

The company plans to use the investment to build advanced precision-manufacturing capabilities, expand engineering talent, and set up its first state-of-the-art production facility.

The startup was founded by Nishant Khurana (CEO), Neeraj Agarwal (CBO), and Piyush Agarwal (CCO). Its leadership team brings decades of experience across aerospace programmes, multi-billion-dollar order books, and large-scale operations. The trio had earlier played key roles in scaling Tata Advanced Systems Limited into one of India’s leading private-sector aerospace companies.

Axirium aims to use this expertise, spanning precision manufacturing, global supply chain requirements, and customer-focused programme execution—to build a globally trusted aerospace partner out of India.

Unlimitr raises $1.1M from Texas-based investor consortium to scale wellness platform

Unlimitr, an AI-powered global wellness platform, has raised $1.1 million from a Texas-based consortium of investors.

Founded by couple Dr Ruchika Gupta and Gaurav Agarwal, Unlimitr aims to build what it calls the “Amazon of wellness”—a one-stop marketplace for holistic wellbeing that blends technology with human-centric care. The platform strives to offer culturally relevant, personalised wellness solutions tailored to diverse global users. It is also focused on making personalised health and fitness accessible and affordable,

The startup’s origins trace back to Dr Gupta's near-fatal delivery and challenging postpartum recovery in the United States, an experience that exposed the gaps in accessible, culturally aligned wellness support.

Other news

BharatPe appoints Anil Kishora as non-executive director on Unity Small Finance Bank board

BharatPe has appointed Anil Kishora as a non-executive, non-independent director on the board of Unity Small Finance Bank (Unity Bank), where BharatPe and Centrum Financial Services are joint shareholders.

Kishora, a banking industry veteran, brings more than 40 years of experience across domestic and international financial services.

BharatPe had earlier nominated Sumeet Singh, its chief legal and corporate affairs officer, to Unity’s board. With the induction of Kishora, both executives will represent BharatPe at Unity and will work closely with the bank’s board and management.

Vaidam Health signs MoU with Vanuatu’s Ministry of Health to boost cross-border medical access

Vaidam Health has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Health, Vanuatu, marking a significant step in expanding cross-border healthcare collaboration and improving access to advanced medical treatment for citizens of the Pacific island nation.

Under the partnership, patients from Vanuatu will be able to access specialised, affordable and world-class medical care in India with greater ease and transparency. The MoU aims to strengthen the full patient journey, from consultations and documentation to treatment planning and post-care support, ensuring a seamless experience for those seeking medical services abroad.

ZILO opens second dark store in Mumbai, expands into accessories and lifestyle categories

ZILO, the fashion-focused quick commerce platform, has opened its second dark store just three months after launch. It has also broadened its catalogue to include accessories, footwear, bags, watches and fashion jewellery.

This brings a slew of premium brands onto the platform, including Titan, Timex, Guess, Lavie, Caprese, Baggit, Zouk, Tommy Hilfiger, Puma, Neemans, Carlton London, Giva, Zaveri Pearls, Accessorize London, Palmonas, Van Heusen, and Allen Solly.

The new facility strengthens ZILO’s hybrid supply model, supporting both apparel and the newly added non-apparel categories, while extending its quick-delivery coverage to several additional pincodes across Mumbai, ZILO said in a statement. The expansion will also improve inventory availability and speed, enabling faster and more reliable fulfilment for customers seeking last-minute fashion and lifestyle essentials, it added.

ZILO offers delivery starting from 60 minutes, along with at-home trials for select products.

Musashi India completes second phase of expansion of Bengaluru manufacturing facility

Musashi India, the wholly owned subsidiary of Japan’s Musashi Seimitsu Industries and a major manufacturer of two-wheeler and four-wheeler transmission components, has completed the second phase of expansion of its Bengaluru manufacturing facility.

The company said the milestone underscores its commitment to strengthening India’s automotive and electric mobility ecosystem through advanced manufacturing, innovation and sustainability.

The expanded facility, set to become fully operational by December this year, has been built to increase production capacity for both new and existing customers. With added capabilities in forging, machining and heat treatment, the plant now covers 32,000 sq m, including 11,000 sq m of newly developed space.