Startup news and updates: daily roundup (July 20, 2026)

YourStory brings you today’s headlines with the latest developments across sectors

Featured stories

OpenAI elevates Uday Ruddarraju as CTO for Compute

OpenAI has promoted Uday Ruddarraju to Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for Compute, as access to large-scale computing infrastructure becomes increasingly critical in the race to build advanced AI models.

The appointment comes amid growing competition among AI companies to secure the processing power, networking capabilities and data centre infrastructure required to train and deploy increasingly sophisticated foundation models.

Read more

Funding news

Plazza raises $15M in Series A round

Bengaluru-based healthtech startup Plazza has raised $15 million in a Series A funding round co-led by Accel, Elevation Capital, and Nexus Venture Partners, with participation from existing investors All In Capital and Better Capital.

The startup, which is building a technology-led pharmacy retail and rapid medicine-delivery platform, said it will use the fresh capital to strengthen its technology stack, enhance its AI-powered inventory intelligence, expand its operational capabilities, and grow its pharmacy network into new geographies.

Founded in 2024 by Aman Priyadarshi, Plazza aims to address medicine availability by ensuring patients can access doctor-prescribed medicines when they need them, using technology to improve pharmacy operations and inventory management.

Read more

Skin longevity brand LNGVTY raises Rs 5 Cr in seed round

Skin longevity beauty brand LNGVTY has raised Rs 5 crore in a seed funding round led by Rukam Capital, with participation from angel investors.

The startup said it will use the fresh capital to strengthen its direct-to-consumer (D2C) marketing and customer acquisition efforts, expand its product portfolio, invest in research and innovation, and build its founding team.

The funding will support LNGVTY's growth as it looks to scale its presence across India.

Other news

SG Finserve, BharatPe, and Succesship join hands to expand digital credit access

Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) SG Finserve has partnered with BharatPe Money, the lending service provider (LSP) arm of BharatPe, and fintech infrastructure company Succesship Technologies to launch a digital lending solution for merchants.

The partnership aims to improve access to formal credit for India's micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) by offering a fully digital, paperless borrowing experience.

Built in line with the Reserve Bank of India's Digital Lending Guidelines, the solution focuses on customer consent, transparency, responsible lending, and regulatory compliance.

Eligible merchants can apply for loans through a simplified digital process with faster approvals, minimal documentation, and a seamless onboarding experience.

ePlane Company unveils the e200X

Chennai-based deep-tech aerospace startup The ePlane Company has unveiled the first full-scale prototype of its electric aircraft, the e200X (PT-01), at its new 60,000-square-foot production facility in Chennai.

The unveiling marks a key milestone for the IIT Madras-incubated startup, which received Design Organisation Approval (DOA) from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in 2023. The company plans to begin certified flight testing of the aircraft by the middle of next year.

The e200X (PT-01) is an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft built entirely from carbon fibre. Measuring 8 metres by 11 metres and weighing up to 2.2 tonnes, the prototype is designed to operate from existing urban infrastructure, such as helipads and open spaces, eliminating the need for dedicated landing sites.

Namma Yatri organises experiential initiative to encourage women's participation

Ride-hailing platform Namma Yatri recently organised a one-day experiential initiative in Bengaluru aimed at encouraging greater participation of women in the mobility ecosystem.

The activation invited women from diverse professional backgrounds to experience a day in the life of a driver partner, showcasing professional driving as a career that offers financial independence, flexible work hours and dignity, while challenging stereotypes around women in mobility.

The experience began at Kempegowda International Airport, where participants logged in to the Namma Yatri app, accepted ride requests, and drove passengers across Bengaluru, mirroring the daily routines of driver partners on the platform.

During the day, participants interacted with riders, navigated the city's roads and gained first-hand insights into both the opportunities and challenges of professional driving. The company documented the journeys to capture authentic experiences and perspectives from the participants.

Ezeepay parent MJ Digital Services unveils new corporate identity

MJ Digital Services Pvt Ltd, the parent company of assisted fintech platform Ezeepay, has unveiled a new corporate identity as it looks to position itself as a diversified digital financial services company.

The rebranding reflects the company's long-term strategy of building an inclusive, technology-led financial ecosystem that bridges the gap between formal financial institutions and underserved communities across India.

While Ezeepay will continue to operate as the company's flagship assisted fintech brand, MJ Digital Services will function as the parent technology company, driving innovation across digital payments, assisted banking, merchant enablement, Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS), API-led financial infrastructure, SaaS platforms, embedded finance solutions, compliance technology, and digital financial infrastructure.

Salesforce, REVA University launch AI-powered student engagement platform REVAion

Salesforce has partnered with REVA University to launch REVAion, an AI-powered digital engagement platform designed to deliver personalised experiences across the student lifecycle.

Built using Salesforce's Agentforce for Education, Agentforce for Marketing, and Agentforce 360, the platform will support students from admissions and enrolment through academics and campus services as part of the university's push to build a connected, AI-powered digital ecosystem.

Beyond student engagement, the collaboration also strengthens the university's innovation ecosystem through its Salesforce Academia Centre of Excellence (CoE), powered by Agentforce for Education and Student Lifecycle Management (SLCM).

iD Fresh Food appoints India CEO Rajat Diwakar to Board of Directors

Fresh food brand iD Fresh Food has elevated its India CEO, Rajat Diwakar, to its Board of Directors as the company strengthens its leadership team ahead of its next phase of growth.

The appointment comes as iD Fresh Food focuses on expanding across markets and product categories, improving operational excellence, and advancing its long-term strategic priorities, including preparations for a potential initial public offering (IPO).

Diwakar joined the company in 2024 and has since led initiatives to strengthen its India business, improve cross-functional execution, and drive strategic priorities that the company said have laid the foundation for its next stage of growth.

SusCrunch 2026 awards Rs 31.4 lakh Big Pi Grant to climate startup Agropak

The Sustainability Mafia (SusMafia) hosted the third edition of SusCrunch 2026 in Bengaluru, bringing together more than 350 climate-tech founders, investors, corporates and ecosystem leaders.

The summit concluded with the announcement of Agropak as the winner of the Rs 31.4 lakh Big Pi Grant, which organisers describe as India's largest non-dilutive grant for early-stage climate startups. The event also saw participation from investors including Zerodha and 3one4 Capital, as well as corporates such as Reliance, Biocon, Zomato and Apollo Hospitals.

The Big Pi Grant, supported by SusMafia and the BITS Pilani PIEDS Accelerator, received more than 50 applications from startups across BITS Pilani, IIT, and the broader startup ecosystem through the SusVentures network. Five finalists were shortlisted across sectors including water and waste management, climate intelligence, sustainable materials and the built environment.

The winning startup, Agropak, develops plant-based circular materials that replace virgin fossil-plastic packaging with high-performance bio-composite alternatives.

Grahaa Space deploys SOLARAS nanosatellite aboard Skyroot's Vikram-1 mission

Spacetech startup Grahaa Space has successfully deployed SOLARAS, its technology demonstration nanosatellite, aboard Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-1 mission launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota.

The deployment marks the company's first in-orbit technology demonstration and a key milestone in its efforts to build indigenous, modular nanosatellite platforms for low Earth orbit (LEO) missions.

The mission, named SIDDHI, is designed to validate Grahaa Space's stackable nanosatellite bus and platform, communication systems, and hosted payload architecture. The company said the technology will support future Earth observation, commercial, scientific and institutional satellite missions.

The mission also carries VISWA-M, an academic research payload developed by VIT-AP University, Amaravati, demonstrating the flexibility of Grahaa Space's hosted payload architecture for research and technology demonstration missions.

(This article will be updated with the latest news throughout the day.)