Startup news and updates: Daily roundup (February 5, 2026)

From artificial intelligence reshaping retail investing and global tech giants doubling down on AI infrastructure, to founders spotting cultural trends early and startups raising fresh capital across deeptech, food, and sustainability, today’s roundup captures key shifts shaping business and innovation.

Featured Stories

This startup is bringing the benefits of AI to retail stock market investors

For years, making money in the stock market using artificial intelligence (AI) has largely been an area dominated by the well-funded investment houses. A Mumbai-based startup wants to break that monopoly by bringing AI-driven investing to retail investors.

As financial institutions increasingly look at deep computing power to identify stocks to invest in, InvestorAi believes the benefits of AI can be made available to ordinary retail investors with a clear focus on outcomes rather than just glorifying this technology.

Founded in 2018 by Bruce Keith, Akshaya Bhargava, and Sarthak Behura, InvestorAi has built an AI platform that selects stocks on behalf of retail investors and offers them access to a level of market intelligence that is out of reach.

Read more here.

Amazon expands Amit Agarwal’s role to lead global selling partner services

Amazon has expanded the responsibilities of long-time executive Amit Agarwal, placing him in charge of the company’s Worldwide Selling Partner Services (SPS) organisation—a core business that manages Amazon’s global third-party seller ecosystem.

The move follows the transition of Dharmesh Mehta, who led SPS for more than a decade, into a technical advisor role reporting directly to Amazon CEO Andy Jassy.

Agarwal, currently Senior Vice President for International Emerging Stores, will continue to oversee Amazon’s marketplace operations across a group of high-growth countries while taking on leadership of SPS. He will report to Doug Herrington, CEO of Worldwide Amazon Stores.

Read more here.

Alphabet caps 2025 with revenue milestone, doubles down on AI spending

Google parent Alphabet delivered a “tremendous quarter” as it closed 2025, chief executive Sundar Pichai said, with its fiscal revenue surging past $400 billion for the first time, and the company doubling its capital investment in 2026 to drive its AI advancements.

The company’s capital expenditure (capex) forecast for 2026 jumped to between $175 billion and $185 billion, up from $91.4 billion in 2025, largely to support AI computing, technical infrastructure and cloud expansion.

“We have been supply-constrained even as we have been ramping up our capacity. Obviously, CapEx spend this year is an eye towards the future,” Pichai explained during the fourth-quarter earnings call.

Read more here.

AI is infrastructure, and India will have its own,” says NVIDIA's Jensen Huang

Artificial intelligence is no longer just a technology trend—it is becoming national infrastructure, and India will be a key part of that build-out. That was the message from Jensen Huang, chief executive of NVIDIA, as he spoke to reporters in Houston after signing a partnership with Dassault Systèmes.

“Artificial intelligence is infrastructure,” Huang said. “Every company needs it, every country needs it, everybody needs it.” He compared AI to utilities such as water, electricity and the internet, arguing that no nation could afford to be left out. “There is no question in my mind there will be artificial intelligence infrastructure in India,” he added. “Of course, you need to have your own AI.”

Huang said India’s diversity makes local AI development even more important. With hundreds of languages and dialects, AI systems will need to reflect “the culture, the values, the knowledge” of the people using them. 

Read more here.

From K-dramas to coffee culture: How Monika Alcobev is betting on trends before the hype

In India’s premium alcobev market, consumption trends are no longer shaped solely by price points or bar menus. Increasingly, they are driven by travel, pop culture, and global exposure. 

For Monika Alcobev, an importer and distributor of premium alcohol brands, this cultural shift is its growth strategy.

Two of Monika Alcobev’s recent additions—Korean soju ‘Jinro’ and Spanish liqueur ‘Licor 43’, offer a clear view into how the company thinks about growth. Neither brand is positioned merely as a new SKU; both are anchored in broader cultural movements already playing out in India.

Read more here.

Funding News

EyeROV raises Rs 13 Cr in pre-Series A round led by AWE Funds and Unicorn India Ventures

EyeROV, a deeptech marine robotics startup, has raised Rs 13 crore in a pre-Series A funding round co-invested by AWE Funds and Unicorn India Ventures.

The funds will be used to accelerate research and development, drive new product innovation, and support market expansion across India and international markets. Founded in 2017, EyeROV works in marine robotics, underwater infrastructure inspection, and defence technology. The company has executed over 150 projects for more than 80 clients across sectors including power, oil and gas, ports, shipping, infrastructure, and defence.

EyeROV recently secured a Rs 47 crore order from the Indian Navy, strengthening its presence in defence and government-led projects.

Good Monk raises Rs 33 Cr at Rs 175 Cr valuation in pre-Series A round

Good Monk, the flagship brand of SuperFoods Valley Pvt. Ltd., has raised Rs 33 crore in a pre-Series A funding round at a valuation of Rs 175 crore. The round was led by RPSG Capital Ventures, with participation from Sharrp Ventures and Hyperscale Ventures, the family fund of Dot & Key founder Suyash Saraf. The founders’ families also participated in the round.

The company said the fresh capital will be used to strengthen research and development, build a science-backed product pipeline, expand distribution in Tier 2 and Tier 3 online markets, and scale brand awareness.

“This fundraise marks a significant milestone for Good Monk, as we are building a preventive nutrition movement rather than just another supplement brand,” said Amarpreet Singh Anand, founder and chief executive officer of Good Monk.

1.5 Degree raises $1M in pre-Series A round led by 35North Ventures’ India Discovery Fund-II

1.5 Degree, an alternative dairy platform operated by Natturz Bio Kontrol Pvt. Ltd., has raised $1 million in a pre-Series A funding round led by 35North Ventures through its India Discovery Fund-II.

The company said the funding will be used to scale manufacturing, strengthen institutional partnerships, and expand operations across key markets including Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Delhi. Nearly 80% of 1.5 Degree’s revenue comes from long-term institutional contracts, serving corporate cafeterias, hotels, and large dining operations with plant-based dairy, nutrition products, and frozen desserts.

“We founded 1.5 Degree to bring sustainability and intent into India’s institutional food system,” said Vedansh Goyal, co-founder and chief executive officer. The company said its plant-based offerings deliver up to 72% lower greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional dairy.

Octobotics raises Rs 10 Cr in series seed round led by Navam Capital

Octobotics Tech Pvt. Ltd., an AI-enabled non-destructive testing (NDT) robotics startup, has raised around Rs 10 crore in a series seed funding round led by Navam Capital, with participation from BYT Capital.

The company said the funds will be used to accelerate product development, strengthen field validation, and support international expansion across markets, including India, Singapore, and the Middle East. Founded in 2020, Octobotics builds AI-driven robotics platforms for hazardous inspection environments across oil and gas, chemicals, rail, and heavy industry.

“This capital will support deeper R&D and global certifications while expanding our operations,” said co-founders Ishan Bhatnagar and Gulshan Kumar. Octobotics currently works with clients including the Indian Navy, IOCL, BPCL, HPCL, Aarti Industries, and GSFC, and reported Rs 2 crore in revenue in the last financial year.

Dr. Doodley raises $3.3M in pre-Series A round led by V3 Ventures

Dr. Doodley, a Bengaluru-based pet healthcare startup, has raised $3.3 million (around Rs 30 crore) in a pre-Series A funding round to scale its hospital-backed veterinary-at-home and 24/7 pet hospital model. The round includes Rs 20 crore in equity and Rs 10 crore in debt, with the equity led by V3 Ventures. Campus Fund and Thackersey Family Office also participated, along with angel investors including Yatin Shah, Karan Bhagat, and Gautam Dalmia.

The company said the funds will be used to expand from three to seven multispecialty pet hospitals in Bengaluru over the next year, roll out a 30-minute vet-at-home service, and grow its veterinary team.

Founded in 2023, Dr. Doodley plans to treat over 1,00,000 pets in the next 12 months and enter other Tier I cities later this year.

Digital Striker raises $1M from Foxhog Ventures to expand optical fiber tools manufacturing

Digital Striker Private Limited, an optical fiber tools and equipment company, has raised $1 million (around Rs 8.5 crore) from Foxhog Ventures, a US-based venture capital firm led by Tarun Poddar. The funding will be used to set up India’s first local manufacturing unit for optical fiber tools, a segment that is majorly dependent on imports from China.

The company said Rs 5–6 crore will be used to establish the manufacturing facility, hire talent, and open offices in major metro cities, while the remaining capital will support imports as local production scales up.

Founded by Priyanka, Digital Striker plans to begin with 5–7 products and expand its portfolio over time.

The bootstrapped company has built a network of over 450 resellers and end users across India and reported Rs 8.85 crore in turnover over the last 40 months.

Chini Kum raises Rs 1 Cr in funding

Chini Kum, a D2C beverage brand, has raised Rs 1 crore in a pre-seed round of funding from angel investors and the founder. This startup plans to utilise this capital to strengthen product innovation, expand flavours, and scale distribution nationally.

Chini Kum has launched a range of carbonated and non-carbonated beverages, which it said are zero sugar, pre-biotic and low-calorie. The product is priced at Rs 30 for 160ml.

Other News

Nitro Commerce, GetVantage launch Rs 100 Cr embedded capital programme for MSMEs

Nitro Commerce, in partnership with GetVantage, has launched a Rs 100 crore Embedded Growth Capital Programme aimed at accelerating growth for emerging digital-first MSMEs. Under the programme, GetVantage will provide Rs 100 crore in non-dilutive, cash-flow–based funding to businesses brought in through Nitro Commerce.

The partnership combines Nitro Commerce’s AI-driven marketing tools with GetVantage’s financing model, allowing brands to access working capital more quickly for marketing, inventory, and expansion. The companies said early pilots showed better returns on advertising spend, helping participating brands secure funding faster.

The programme is designed to address funding constraints faced by D2C brands during scale-up phases, particularly around high-growth sales cycles, while allowing founders to grow without equity dilution.

Suryakumar Yadav comes on board as investor and partner in D2C fragrance brand EM5

EM5, a homegrown D2C fragrance company, has announced Indian cricketer Suryakumar Yadav as an investor and partner, the company said on February 5.

Founded in 2022, EM5 operates in the affordable fragrance segment and focuses on making everyday scents accessible to Indian consumers. The company said Yadav’s role is a strategic partnership rather than a brand endorsement, aimed at supporting the brand’s growth and visibility.

“Having someone like SKY show confidence in what we’re building at EM5 is a big deal. We wanted to kick off the partnership with a light ode to his off-field personality, which people genuinely connect with. This is just the beginning-there’s much more coming," said Shashank Chourey, Founder, EM5.

Nasscom US CEO Forum brings together Indian technology business leaders, US policymakers

The Nasscom US CEO Forum held its third meeting in Washington DC on February 4–5. Convened at Capitol Hill, the Forum brought together leading Indian technology business leaders and senior US policymakers to advance a shared agenda focused on enhancing innovation, AI, trusted supply chains, workforce development and local job creation across the United States.

Indian technology companies affiliated with Nasscom contribute $103 billion to the US GDP and support more than half a million jobs nationwide across more than 25 US states. India Inc. plays a critical role in strengthening regional economies, enabling US Fortune 500 enterprises to innovate, scale and remain globally competitive.

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