Startup news and updates: daily roundup (June 16, 2026)
YourStory presents the daily news roundup from the Indian startup ecosystem and beyond. Here's the roundup for Tuesday, June 16, 2026
YourStory brings you today’s headlines with the latest developments across sectors.
Featured stories
How Bahula Naturals is transforming desert livelihoods in Rajasthan
Aakriti Srivastava founded Bahula Naturals after years of working with pastoralist communities in Rajasthan’s Thar Desert and witnessing the economic hardships faced by migrant and agro-pastoralist families. What began as research and documentation evolved into a community-owned enterprise focused on creating sustainable livelihoods.
Bahula now works with more than 4,000 households across Bikaner, Jaisalmer, and Jaipur, helping producers adopt chemical-free practices, access better inputs, and earn fair value for their products.
The company processes and markets camel milk, indigenous Rathi cow milk products, and desert-grown agricultural produce, creating a market for premium, sustainably sourced foods
Funding news
SolarSquare raises $53M in Series C round
Mumbai-based residential rooftop solar company SolarSquare has secured $53 million in a Series C funding round led by B Capital, a global investment firm focused on technology, climate, and growth-stage companies. Existing backers, including Lightspeed, Elevation Capital, Lowercarbon Capital, Rainmatter by Zerodha, and Good Capital, also participated, taking the company’s total funding raised to over $100 million.
The fresh capital will be used to accelerate SolarSquare’s expansion into new markets, enhance its technology platform, strengthen its team, and scale operations as it aims to establish itself as a leading home-energy brand in India.
Founded in 2015 by Neeraj Jain, Nikhil Nahar, and Shreya Mishra, SolarSquare offers end-to-end rooftop solar solutions for homeowners. Its services cover the entire customer journey, from consultation and system design to installation, financing support, and ongoing maintenance.
Gimi Michi raises $1 M in seed round
Gimi Michi, India’s first dedicated Korean FMCG brand, has raised $1 million in a seed funding round led by IndiaQuotient, with participation from DeVC, Titan Capital, and IIMA Ventures.
Founded by IIM Ahmedabad alumni Nishank Goyal, Akhil Kumar, and Bodhi Rathor, whose professional backgrounds include stints at BCG, Mondelez, AB InBev, and Pluckk, Gimi Michi was born from a key market gap.
While Korean culture has gained immense popularity among young Indian consumers, access to authentic Korean food products has remained limited, with most options restricted to costly imports or niche offerings.
The company aims to bridge this gap by bringing authentic Korean flavours to Indian households through a dedicated product portfolio.
Other news
Grip Invest elevates Ankit Dokania as CFO
Ankit Dokania
Grip Invest has elevated Ankit Dokania as its Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Dokania joined the company in January 2023 as Vice President – Finance & Compliance and has played a key role in strengthening its financial and regulatory framework.
As CFO, he will lead the company’s financial strategy with a focus on three core areas: enhancing financial governance across Grip Invest’s multi-regulated and multi-entity structure, maintaining robust compliance standards to safeguard investor interests, and scaling the treasury function to support the company’s next phase of growth and expansion.
IIT Madras and IITM Global forge strategic partnerships at Bharat Innovates 2026
The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) and IITM Global marked the opening day of Bharat Innovates 2026 in Nice, France, with the exchange of seven commercial Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) between Indian deep-tech startups and their international partners, primarily from France. The event also witnessed the signing of two institutional MoUs focused on enhancing global market access, investment opportunities, and innovation-driven collaboration.
Together, these agreements are expected to generate nearly $100 million in value creation, reinforcing India’s growing stature as a global centre for deep-tech innovation and fostering stronger cross-border partnerships between Indian startups and international stakeholders.
The startup partnerships announced included:
• Agnikul Cosmos with ICEYE, Finland, and Safran, France
• Detect Technologies with TotalEnergies
• TuTr Hyperloop with thyssenkrupp
• iElectron Technologies with ALTEN
• Indian Angel Network announced a potential investment in The ePlane Company