Startup news and updates: Daily updates (December 22, 2025)

From startups that raised big from VCs this year, to H Sraiyanti’s Auto Queens documentary on the members of Veera Pengal Munnetra Sangam (VPMS) in Chennai, YourStory brings you today’s headlines with the latest developments across sectors.

Featured stories 

Year in Review: startups that raised big from VCs in 2025 

In 2025, venture capital (VC) firms were loading up ammunition, with major players like Accel and Nexus Venture Partners closing new funds. However, the overall funding activity remained subdued during the year, weighed down by a slowdown in growth and late-stage investments. Despite the dip, 22 companies managed to raise funding above $100 million this year, data from Tracxn shows.

Quick commerce company Zepto, electric vehicle maker Erisha e-Mobility, and newly-listed investment platform Groww are a few of the companies that attracted large capital from VC firms. Read here. 

This startup is building AI agents that think like finance teams 

New York and Bengaluru-based Hyperbots automates complex finance workflows like finance professionals by providing reasoning, with the help of agentic, AI-native co-pilots. Founded in 2023 by Rajeev Pathak, Niyati Chhaya and Ram Jayaraman, Hyperbots focuses on automating core functions like procure-to-pay, order-to-cash, expense management, analytics, and other finance processes. 

The platform has been pre-trained on over 30 million finance documents and delivers high accuracy in production. Its early adoption is strongest in invoice processing and accruals use cases, with deployments across global enterprises, including NASDAQ-listed healthcare and companies in semiconductors, EV infrastructure, and marketing services. Read here.

Auto Queens captures life beyond the spectacle of women’s empowerment 

Auto Queens, a documentary by H Sraiyanti, follows members of Veera Pengal Munnetra Sangam (VPMS), the first registered union of women autorickshaw drivers in Chennai. Rather than framing their lives as typical inspirational success stories, the film focuses on the everyday realities of these women, including friendship, humour, care, routine struggles, and systemic challenges in a male-dominated field. 

It highlights how VPMS evolved from a WhatsApp support group into a formal union that provides community, low-interest loans, legal support, and solidarity when women face harassment or exclusion. The narrative foregrounds ordinary life and community solidarity over exceptionalism. Read here. 

Funding news 

MagicDecor raises strategic investment from Pidilite Ventures 

Home decor brand MagicDecor, operated by Printpanda India, secured an undisclosed strategic investment from Pidilite Ventures, the VC arm of Pidilite Industries, to accelerate its next phase of growth across manufacturing, technology and distribution.

The company will expand its production footprint and upgrade print and finishing lines. It also plans to deepen its investment in AI, enhancing design recommendation engines, visualisation tools and workflow automation. 

Alongside digital expansion, MagicDecor will build a network of experience centres and partner studios across major Indian cities and explore international markets where demand for fast custom decor is rising. 

E-mobility startup Entuple raises Rs 13 Cr 

Entuple E-Mobility, a deeptech electric powertrain and technology company, raised Rs 13 crore in its latest funding round led by Varanium Capital, with participation from existing investor Blue Ashva Capital, alongside a group of high-net-worth individuals (HNIs) and family offices, including Mohit Oswal (Founder of Roop Automotives).

Building on its proven portfolio of indigenous EV motors and motor controllers, complemented by fully in-house control algorithms and firmware developed without reliance on external licenses or partnerships, Entuple operates a dedicated manufacturing facility at its 25,000 sq ft Bengaluru plant for hub motor powertrains and mid-motor powertrains geared towards two- and three-wheelers. 

The company will deploy this capital towards developing next-generation high-voltage motors, strengthening its power electronics R&D, and building new-generation intelligent motor controllers for EV applications across its existing two- and three-wheeler portfolio, while developing powertrains for four-wheelers, buses, and trucks in the commercial vehicle segment.

Others news 

BharatPe and YES Bank launch ‘Pay Later with BharatPe’ to offer instant UPI credit 

Fintech company BharatPe, in partnership with YES Bank, has announced the launch of ‘Pay Later with BharatPe’ credit on UPI, powered by NPCI. The product is designed to democratise access to credit across India, enabling both consumers and merchants to manage their financial needs with ease.

‘Pay Later with BharatPe’ consumers can now make payments using a credit line

across all merchant touchpoints. This includes scanning any UPI QR code, shopping

online, or paying for recharges, or bill payments on the BharatPe app. 

‘Pay Later With BharatPe’ offers instant UPI credit with zero paperwork or delays, allowing users to spend daily and repay monthly either in full or via flexible three to 12 month EMIs. The interest free credit facility provides up to 45 days of interest-free usage, with limits refreshed upon repayment. Users can track usage, limits, and repayments seamlessly within the app, manage EMIs, and pay securely via UPI, all in one place. 

Uber partners with Bangalore Police to enhance safety for riders and drivers

Uber announced a technology integration with the Bangalore City Police (BCP) to enhance safety on rides for riders and drivers by strengthening emergency response in the city. Through this integration, riders and drivers seeking emergency assistance will be able to share their real-time location data, trip details, and contact information with the police directly from the Uber app. The feature enables faster access to critical information, supporting quicker and potentially life-saving intervention by first responders.

Uber has previously implemented similar safety integrations with law enforcement authorities in Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, and Mumbai.

HCLSoftware to acquire Belgium-based AI startup Wobby

HCLSoftware, the enterprise software division of HCLTech, has announced its intent to acquire Antwerp-based early-stage startup Wobby, which builds AI Data Analyst agents for data warehouses. The acquisition will strengthen HCLSoftware’s Data & AI division, Actian, by adding agentic AI-driven natural language analytics capabilities. Wobby’s platform allows users to query complex datasets using natural language, powered by a proprietary semantic layer and agentic architecture. The deal is expected to close by February 2026.

Supply6 onboards Kriti Sanon as brand ambassador and investor

Bengaluru-based D2C nutrition startup Supply6 has appointed actor and entrepreneur Kriti Sanon as its brand ambassador and investor. The partnership follows Sanon’s organic journey with the brand as a consumer and aligns with Supply6’s focus on science-backed, everyday nutrition. Founded in 2019, Supply6 offers products including daily nutrition drinks, zero-sugar electrolytes, and protein-based snacks. The announcement comes after the company raised Rs 9.1 crore in seed funding led by Zeropearl VC, and as it expands into international markets, including the US.

Helium AI launches Mantis and Prism to streamline presentations and marketing

Neural Arc’s Helium AI has launched two new AI systems—Mantis and Prism—to automate presentation creation and marketing campaign execution. Mantis is an AI-powered presentation intelligence system that generates fully designed decks from brief inputs, while Prism enables end-to-end creation of multi-channel marketing campaigns. Together, the tools aim to eliminate fragmented workflows across research, design, and execution, positioning Helium AI as an enterprise-grade execution platform for go-to-market teams.

Samsung becomes title sponsor of College Rivals Season 3

Ampverse DMI has announced Samsung as the Official Title Sponsor of College Rivals Season 3, with the Galaxy S25 Ultra powering all on-ground gameplay. The collegiate esports tournament will expand to over 70 colleges across 20 cities this season. Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Ultra features the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy processor and advanced display and thermal technologies designed for high-performance mobile gaming. The partnership aims to strengthen grassroots esports talent development across Indian campuses.

IG Drones rebrands as IG Defence, expands defence tech portfolio

IG Drones has rebranded as IG Defence, marking its transition from a drone-focused company into a full-spectrum defence technology firm. The move reflects the company’s expanded focus on building indigenous, battle-ready systems across air, land, sea, space and cyber domains. IG Defence is broadening its portfolio to include integrated defence platforms, autonomous systems, secure communications and AI-enabled command technologies. The company has also onboarded senior retired military leaders into its leadership to align technology development with operational requirements under the Atmanirbhar Bharat vision.

(The article will be updated with latest news and updates throughout the day)