CRED fundraise helps VC inflow to cross $1B

Hello,

How early is too early for screen time? Just as countries around the world are tightening rules on children’s digital lives, with some considering a social media ban for kids under 16, a new study is turning the spotlight to an even younger age group. 

Researchers warn that regular screen time for babies and toddlers under two could have lasting effects on their development, sleep, language skills, and parent-child bonding. They argue that while the debate has largely focused on teenagers, infants have become the ‘baby blind spot’ in the digital conversation, and parents need clearer guidance in a world where screens are increasingly part of everyday life. 

In other news, new data from the UK shows that more women are choosing not to have children. With births falling to their lowest level in nearly 50 years, many women say the decision is shaped by more than just finances. 

While rising housing costs, expensive childcare, and career uncertainty matter, concerns about climate change, a desire to focus on work or travel, and the freedom to choose a different life are also playing a role. Online communities are helping normalise the choice, signalling a broader shift away from the idea that having children is the default path.

Meanwhile, the AI race is creating some unexpected rivalries. The Financial Times reports that Google has restricted Meta’s access to its Gemini AI models after the Facebook parent sought more computing capacity than Google could provide. 

Alphabet reportedly told Meta in March that it couldn't meet the full demand, delaying some of Meta’s internal AI projects, a reminder that in today’s AI boom, computing power has become just as valuable as the models themselves. 

In today’s newsletter, we will talk about 

• CRED fundraise helps VC inflow to cross $1B
• Olympian Ashwini Nachappa’s inspiring journey

Here’s your trivia for today: What was the first ever search engine called?

Funding

CRED fundraise helps VC inflow to cross $1B

After a prolonged funding slowdown, India’s startup ecosystem delivered its strongest week in over two years, with venture capital investments crossing the $1 billion mark for the first time since 2023. The surge, however, was driven by Meta’s $900 million investment in CRED, highlighting both renewed investor appetite for marquee startups and the ecosystem’s continued reliance on a handful of large-ticket deals to lift overall funding volumes. 

Key takeaways: 

• Indian startups raised $1.1 billion across 19 deals in the last week of June, up sharply from $393 million the previous week. The jump was almost entirely driven by Meta’s $900 million investment in CRED, the largest startup funding round in India since 2023.
• Easing geopolitical tensions, particularly between Iran and the United States, could help improve global risk appetite and encourage greater capital flows into emerging markets such as India.
• Despite the headline milestone, funding remains concentrated in a few mega-rounds. The ecosystem is yet to demonstrate a consistent recovery in broad-based venture funding, with overall investment levels still heavily dependent on occasional high-value transactions.

ICYMI

Olympian Ashwini Nachappa’s inspiring journey

Olympian and Arjuna awardee Ashwini Nachappa, famously known as India’s FloJo (after the US sprinter, Florence Griffith Joyner), was a dominant force in the sprint circuit in the 1980s and ‘90s. She reflects on her journey in athletics—from competing against the best, including defeating PT Usha, to mentoring and creating pathways for the next generation of athletes.

Breaking barriers:

• Ashwini Nachappa had a distinguished international athletics career, representing India at three South Asian Federation Games—winning two silver medals each in Nepal (1984) and Bangladesh (1986), followed by an impressive three gold medals in Pakistan (1988).
• “The first international championship that I took part in was the SAF Games in Nepal in ‘84. I think wearing the Indian colours is a different feeling. By the time I was 16-17 years old, I was already representing the country. Qualifying for the Olympic Games was an achievement in itself, given our very limited exposure,” says Nachappa. 
• An Arjuna Awardee, Nachappa did not end her tryst with sports with retirement. She went on to shape the next generation of athletes through Karaumbiah Academy for Learning and Sports and Ashwini’s Sports Foundation, building sustainable pathways for young talent, especially from rural India.

News & updates

• Uber: Ride-sharing company Uber has announced stricter background check requirements for drivers.
• Amazon Prime Day: US shoppers spent more than $26.4 billion on electronics, appliances, children's products, and everyday essentials during Amazon's Prime Day sale from June 23-26. 

What you should watch out for

• Wimbledon 2026: Wimbledon officially begins on Monday, June 29, and runs for 14 days until the finals on Sunday, July 12, 2026. The grass-court Grand Slam takes place at the All England Club in London, featuring top stars like Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, and Serena Williams in early-round action.

• NASA Spacewalk: NASA astronauts will venture outside the International Space Station on Tuesday, June 30, to replace a wrist joint on the orbital complex’s Canadarm2 robotic arm. The spacewalk is scheduled to begin at approximately 8:35 a.m. EDT.

What was the first ever search engine called?

Answer: Archie

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