Startup news and updates: daily roundup (July 7, 2026)

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

Featured stories

Why women are still missing from India's workforce

New data from the National Statistics Office (NSO) highlights a stark gender divide in the reasons why people remain outside the labour force. Among men, 53.5% said they were not working because they wanted to continue their studies, while 68.7% of women cited childcare and household responsibilities as the primary reason for staying out of the workforce.  

These numbers, released by NSO, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation for 46-million-plus cities (cities with a million-plus population as per Census 2011), are based on the Periodic Labour Force Survey 2025 and the Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises 2025.

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Funding news

Econovus Packaging raises Rs 40 Cr pre-Series A led by Rainmatter 

Econovus Packaging, a Pune-based sustainable packaging startup, has raised Rs 40 crore in its pre-Series A funding round led by Rainmatter by Zerodha, with participation from Rockstud Capital. The investment marks the company's first institutional funding after operating as a bootstrapped and profitable business since its launch in January 2019.

Econovus develops customised, end-to-end packaging and design solutions using its proprietary, IP-backed materials, space-optimisation techniques, and design-to-cost approach. Its solutions help businesses reduce packaging-related carbon emissions while lowering overall ownership costs.

Its portfolio spans UN-certified lithium-ion battery packaging, heavy-duty export packaging, returnable and expendable packaging and automotive packaging across CKD, SKD and CBU formats.

Mowito raises $3M in pre-seed funding round

Physical AI startup Mowito, which is developing foundation models for industrial robotic arms, has raised $3 million in a pre-seed funding round led by Version One Ventures.

The round also saw participation from All In Capital, Unisol, iSeed, and a group of angel investors, including Soumith Chintala (Thinking Machines Lab), Adarsh Kulkarni (Foundry Robotics), Ashish Kulkarni (Coformer.ai), and Vaibhav Domkundwar (Better Capital).

The fresh capital will be used to expand Mowito's presence in the US market, grow its engineering and go-to-market teams, and accelerate deployments with automotive and electronics manufacturers.

IIT-Madras alumni deeptech startup Blurgs AI raises $2.2M

AI startup Blurgs AI has raised $2.2 million in a funding round led by Pravega Ventures and Shastra VC to accelerate the global expansion of its intelligence platforms for defence, national security, and commercial maritime applications.

The round also saw participation from angel investors Suraj Nalin, Co-founder of PlaySimple Games, and Yashwanth Madhusudhan, Co-founder of Fyle.

The Chennai- and Bengaluru-based startup develops AI-powered intelligence platforms used by mission-critical organisations across defence, maritime, conservation, and the public sector. Its customers include the Indian Navy, the Indian Coast Guard, Bharat Electronics, DRDO Labs, Mumbai Port Authority, Dubai Maritime City, and The Nature Conservancy Group. The company said it built this customer base across multiple sectors and geographies before raising institutional capital.

Hydron secures Rs 20 Cr in growth capital

Functional hydration startup Hydron has secured Rs 20 crore in growth capital to accelerate scientific research, expand its product portfolio, and complete the acquisition of alkaline ionised water company Zoss Water.

The Bengaluru-based company said the funding will help strengthen its position in the preventive healthcare and functional hydration market. As part of the transaction, Hydron has acquired 100% of Zoss Water, one of India's early players in alkaline ionised water.

Hydron develops alkaline ionised water systems that use electrolysis to convert purified drinking water into functional hydration without adding chemicals. Its portfolio includes residential and under-sink hydration systems, workplace and institutional dispensers, industrial hydration platforms, and what it claims is India's first alkaline ionised water ATM network.

The company currently operates across more than 30 cities with over 300 installations, serving homes, workplaces, institutions, and government projects.

Kareena Kapoor Khan makes strategic investment in Fizzy Goblet

Footwear and accessories brand Fizzy Goblet on Tuesday announced a strategic investment by actor Kareena Kapoor Khan. This deepened partnership comes at a time when the brand is scaling its offline and online presence across India and sharpening its international ambitions.

Founded over 12 years ago by Laksheeta Govil with Rs 1 lakh borrowed from her parents and repaid after an early exhibition, the brand spent much of its journey bootstrapped and disciplined about growth before raising its first institutional capital from Accel. Today, Fizzy Goblet is tracking a revenue run-rate of roughly Rs 60 crore and is targeting Rs 100 crore+ in the next year.

Other news

Pocket FM appoints Abhilash Padival as Chief Financial Officer

Pocket FM, the audio series platform, has appointed Abhilash Padival as its Chief Financial Officer (CFO) as it ramps up global expansion and long-term growth.

In his new role, Padival will oversee the company's global finance function, including financial strategy, capital allocation, business planning, investor relations, compliance, and corporate governance.

He will also help strengthen Pocket FM's financial operations as the company expands internationally and invests in AI-driven storytelling.

Padival joins from Bank of America, where he spent over seven years, most recently leading its consumer internet investment banking practice. He advised several Indian startups on IPOs, private fundraising, and strategic M&A deals.

Before that, he held leadership roles in corporate strategy, investments, and M&A at Quess Corp, Altisource, Avendus Capital, and Cyient, bringing nearly two decades of experience in finance and corporate strategy.

Veranda PHIRE announces special scholarship for 2026 graduates 

Veranda PHIRE, the BFSI skilling and placement arm of Veranda Learning, has launched a scholarship initiative for 2026 graduates, offering steep fee concessions for its Banking Career Program to make industry-focused training more accessible.

Under the scheme, eligible graduates can enrol in the Live Online program for Rs 15,000 and the offline classroom program in Chennai for Rs 20,000, compared with the regular fees of Rs 60,000 and Rs 75,500, respectively. Developed in collaboration with industry experts, the program aims to equip learners with job-ready banking, communication, and domain skills for entry-level roles in banks and other BFSI organisations.

Veranda PHIRE said it has facilitated more than 600 placements through March 2026, in partnership with employers including Equitas Small Finance Bank, City Union Bank, HDB Financial Services, Jana Small Finance Bank, RBL Bank, and Axis Bank.

Scaler launches Forward Deployed Engineer Specialisation

AI-native tech education platform Scaler has launched a new Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) Specialisation and plans to train 10,000 engineers in the role over the next year, betting on surging demand for professionals who can bridge AI models with enterprise deployment.

The move comes as hiring for Forward Deployed Engineers has risen 729% year-on-year globally, with companies such as OpenAI, Google Cloud, Anthropic, Palantir, Databricks, McKinsey & Company and Boston Consulting Group expanding teams around the role.

The company will also invest Rs 25 crore to train 10,000 Forward Deployed Engineers over the next two years.

Lakons expands women's hygiene portfolio

FMCG startup Lakons has expanded its feminine hygiene portfolio with the launch of Ultra Slim Sanitary Napkins featuring Anion Technology, as it looks to strengthen its presence in the women's personal care segment.

The new sanitary napkins are designed to offer enhanced comfort, absorption and hygiene support through an ultra-slim design and an anion chip that releases negative ions to help reduce odour and provide antibacterial protection. The product is available in a 290 mm XL variant, offering wider coverage and higher absorbency for everyday use.

Lakons Ultra Slim Sanitary Napkins are available in packs of 18 and 36 pads and are targeted at teenagers and women across age groups.

Womancart partners with Just Organik 

Womancart, a women-oriented lifestyle ecommerce platform, has tied up with Just Organik, an organic food and wellness brands in India. This collaboration aims to enhance the platform’s presence in the rapidly growing organic grocery and wellness category.

Under the partnership, the customers will get access to a variety of certified organic products offered by Womancart, especially in segments like grains, pulses, spices, cold-pressed oils, super foods, herbal wellness products and healthy pantry essentials. Furthermore, eligible Just Organik products will also be available on Womancart through the 2-hour delivery service being provided by the company across Delhi NCR region.

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