Startup news and updates: Daily roundup (April 23, 2026)
YourStory presents the daily news roundup from the Indian startup ecosystem and beyond. Here’s the roundup for Thursday, April 23, 2026
YourStory brings you today’s headlines with the latest developments across sectors.
Featured stories
How FRHS India is advancing women’s reproductive rights and healthcare access
The reproductive health landscape in India reflects a paradox: strong policy progress but unequal access.
Over the past decade, the maternal mortality rate in India has decreased and institutional deliveries have increased, driven by public health programmes and a more progressive legal framework, such as the amendment of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act 1971.
However, the situation on the ground remains uneven. There are limited informed choices surrounding contraception. Access to safe abortion, though legal, is often constrained by stigma, provider shortages and low awareness, especially in rural and underserved regions.
Young women continue to face significant barriers when it comes to reproductive health information and services, leading to systemic and social inequities.
Bettrlabs is building an AI-powered R&D platform for consumer product innovation
When JP Mohanty first saw how long it takes consumer goods companies to develop a new product, he was stunned.
It took months of experimentation across multiple laboratories, along with significant investment in infrastructure. In an era increasingly shaped by digital tools and artificial intelligence, the timeframe seemed absurd.
This realisation led him to launch Bettrlabs last year with Ravinkumar S, Prathap Raj and Beena Rai.
The deeptech startup is building an AI-powered R&D operating system for physical consumer goods. The platform aims to streamline one of the most fragmented processes in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and consumer packaged goods (CPG) industries: product development.
Latest news
Red Balloon Aerospace to launch super pressure balloon for telecom coverage
Hyderabad-based Red Balloon Aerospace will soon launch a super pressure balloon (SPB) to provide a host of services, including telecommunications coverage across underserved and rural regions, the company said.
SPBs are high-altitude balloons designed to maintain internal pressure greater than the outside atmospheric pressure, helping them to carry payloads for extended durations, usually for about 100 days.
The Red Balloon Aerospace's SPB will carry a high-resolution imaging payload, delivering between 25 and 75 centimetre resolution, among a broader suite of sensor capabilities.
Funding news
Textile tech startup STCH raises $5.5M in pre-Series A round led by Omnivore
STCH, a tech startup focused on the textile segment, has raised $5.5 million in a pre-Series A round of funding led by Omnivore. The round also saw participation from Kae Capital and WVC.
Bengaluru-headquartered STCH will use the capital to expand its AI capabilities, R&D, and partnerships with textile mills and global fashion brands. The startup operates under the contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO) model.
Founded in 2025 by Narahari Payala and Aseem Chitkara, STCH is building AI-driven fabric R&D and a manufacturing platform to help global fashion brands develop and deliver trend-aligned, high-performing, sustainable fabrics at scale.
Other news
Swiggy to Launch Builders Club for AI Commerce Developers
Swiggy has announced the upcoming launch of Builders Club, a new ecosystem for developers, startups, and enterprises building AI-native commerce solutions on its platform.
Built on Amazon Web Services infrastructure, the initiative uses Amazon Bedrock, AWS Trainium, and Bedrock AgentCore to enable builders to create AI agents, copilots, and integrations.
At launch, members will get access to three MCP servers and over 18 API tools across Food, Instamart, and Dineout. Swiggy said the programme aims to expand partnerships and accelerate innovation in agentic commerce across India.
Prashanth R Menon joins MaaS startup Venttup as Strategic Advisor
Venttup has announced the appointment of Former Tesla India Director, Prashanth R Menon, as its Strategic Advisor. He will play a key role in driving the company’s scale-up strategy, global expansion plans, and long-term growth roadmap, with a strong focus on profitability.
Menon has over 20 years of experience in strategy, operations, and business transformation,
In his previous role as Director at Tesla India, he led the company’s India entry and operations, and also chaired its India board.
L&T Semiconductor Technologies, Larsen & Toubro-Vyoma, and BharatGen Technology Foundation Sign MoU
L&T Semiconductor Technologies Limited (LTSCT), Larsen & Toubro-Vyoma, L&T's Data Centre and cloud services business unit , and BharatGen Technology foundation (BTF) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly design, build, and deploy an end-to-end Sovereign AI compute platform for India.
The project aims to support domestic AI capabilities and reduce reliance on foreign infrastructure, with initial work focused on defining architecture, benchmarks, and a phased implementation plan.