Startup news and updates: daily roundup (August 25, 2026)

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

Featured stories

After deciding not to seek another term as Tata Sons chairman when his tenure ends in February 2027, N Chandrasekaran could have several options for his next chapter. YourStory explores five plausible paths: public service or institution-building, backing startups, leading a national AI mission, becoming a private-equity operating partner, or leading another large company.

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Funding news

EV startup MATTER raises $25M

Ahmedabad-based EV startup MATTER Motor Works has raised $25 million (around Rs 240 crore) in growth capital from existing investors to scale its electric motorcycle business. The funding will support manufacturing and supplier expansion, distribution and brand-building, and the launch of four new motorcycles over the next 12–24 months.

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Nexedge Capital raises $20 M in funding

New Delhi-based wealth management firm Nexedge Capital has raised $20 million in its maiden funding round, led by Mirae Asset Venture Investment and Elev8 Venture Partners. The company will use the capital to strengthen its technology platform, expand its senior banker network and grow into Tier-II and Tier-III cities across India.

Founded in February 2025 by former 360 ONE Wealth co-founder Anirudha Taparia, Nexedge says it has already built $3 billion in assets under management across more than 1,300 clients. It plans to add offerings for NRIs and launch an NBFC business, while expanding its team of senior bankers; more than 150 senior leaders have also invested their own capital in the firm.

Staywell.Health raises investment led by Equanimity Investments

AI-native health insurance platform Staywell.Health has raised an investment led by Equanimity Investments, alongside a select group of investors. Founded by Arun Ramamurthy, Arup Chatterjee and Atul Mehta, the company focuses on retail health insurance distribution in India, combining artificial intelligence with human advisors across the customer journey.

The fresh capital will help Staywell.Health accelerate development of its AI platform, expand its distribution network and strengthen its advisory and customer engagement capabilities. The company will also scale ClaimsKavach, its claims-first offering designed to help customers navigate the health insurance claims process with greater support and confidence.

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IAN Angel Fund co-leads Rs 12.5 Cr investment in climate-tech startup CarbonStrong

IAN Angel Fund, the evergreen fund of IAN Group, has co-led a Rs 12.5 crore investment round in Bengaluru-based climate-tech startup CarbonStrong, with participation from Rainmatter, Social Alpha, Spectrum Impact and Full Circle Ventures. The seed funding will fund the startup’s first production facility, expand its team, develop and test products, and move from customer trials to commercial-scale production.

Founded in 2022 by Harsh Jain and Vikramaditya Singh, CarbonStrong develops low-carbon cement substitutes using industrial waste. Its materials can replace up to 50% of cement used in concrete, while the company claims they are around 30% cheaper than cement and can improve concrete durability. CarbonStrong plans to build production capacity of up to 100,000 tonnes annually over the next two years.

Anirudh Ravichander invests in hospitality group Ironhill

Composer and cultural entrepreneur Anirudh Ravichander has invested an undisclosed amount in hospitality group Ironhill through his venture Albuquerque Records. The investment comes as Ironhill, formed through the merger of Ironhill India and Ironhill US, prepares to expand its presence internationally.

This marks Ravichander’s second investment in the global hospitality and F&B sector, following Loca Loka Tequila. The company said his association will add cultural and strategic value as Ironhill seeks to build a hospitality brand with appeal across international markets while strengthening its presence in India.

Utsav raises Rs 36 Cr in Series A led by Atomic Capital

Religion-tech and puja booking platform Utsav has raised Rs 36 crore in a Series A round led by Atomic Capital, with existing investors India Quotient and Equanimity Investments also participating. The funding will be used to expand the company’s product, technology and team, as it builds a digital platform connecting devotees, temples and rituals across India and the diaspora.

Utsav said its revenue has grown eightfold since its Rs 6.35 crore funding round in February 2025, while the platform now fulfils around 2.5 lakh orders a month. Founded by Sourajit Basu, Ankita De and Prajata Samanta, the startup offers services including puja bookings, pujari consultations, prasad delivery and personalised rituals, enabling devotees to access temple services remotely.

Other news

GobbleCube launches free incubator programme

GobbleCube has launched a free Incubator programme for early-stage D2C brands, offering dark-store-level insights into product availability, pricing and search visibility across quick-commerce platforms. The programme targets founder-led and lean teams, helping them track stockouts, pricing discrepancies, listing status, and search performance without a dedicated analytics team.

The platform currently supports more than 600 enterprise and D2C brands with unified commerce intelligence spanning visibility, performance marketing, supply chain and growth strategy. Under the programme, participating brands will also receive automatic upgrades as they scale.

PwC India, SAP India launch 18-month career readiness programme for engineering students

PwC India and SAP India have launched an 18-month career readiness programme for engineering students, aimed at equipping them with industry-relevant skills, SAP certifications and practical experience. The initiative was launched through an MoU with Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Bhubaneswar, the first institution to partner under the companies’ University Alliances initiative in India.

The programme is open to BTech students specialising in Computer Science, Electronics & Communication, Information Technology and AI/ML. Alongside SAP-certified learning and skill-building sessions, high-performing students will be eligible for six-month internships at PwC India, with potential opportunities for full-time employment. The initiative will later expand to other universities across India.

Tiger Analytics appoints Prakash Arunachalam as Global Head of Operations

AI and advanced analytics consulting firm Tiger Analytics has appointed Prakash Arunachalam as its Global Head of Operations, with a mandate equivalent to Chief Operating Officer. He will focus on improving operational efficiency and agility, strengthening profitability and supporting the company’s growth as it expands as a full-stack AI firm.

Arunachalam joins Tiger Analytics from Servion, where he served as President and COO and was also a board member. He has previously held leadership roles at Virtusa and Polaris, overseeing large global teams, P&Ls, sales organisations, delivery operations and hyperscaler partnerships. His experience spans digital customer experience, automation, data and AI, with a focus on the BFSI sector.

Healthify and Berry Street merge to create AI-powered metabolic health platform

Bengaluru-based health and wellness platform Healthify has merged with US-based nutrition care company Berry Street, creating an insurance-covered AI metabolic health platform in the US. Noah Kotlove and Tushar Vashisht will lead the combined company as co-CEOs, with the Berry Street brand continuing in the US and Healthify retaining its brand in India and other markets.

The merger brings together Healthify’s AI-powered nutrition technology and Berry Street’s insurance-covered dietitian and GLP-1 care platform. The companies aim to offer metabolic health support that combines AI with clinical expertise and insurance coverage, as demand for diet, weight management and GLP-1-related care continues to grow in the US.

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