Startup news and updates: daily roundup (September 25, 2026)
YourStory presents the daily news roundup from the Indian startup ecosystem and beyond. Here’s the roundup for Friday, September 25, 2026.
From Akamai’s massive $11.6B cloud deal with Anthropic to Dextr AI’s $6.7M seed round, YourStory brings you today’s headlines with the latest developments across sectors.
Latest news
Akamai lands $11.6B cloud computing deal with Anthropic
Akamai Technologies has signed an $11.6-billion seven-year cloud computing deal with AI developer Anthropic. The agreement, which could expand by another $9 billion to reach $20 billion, points to the growing demand for heavy-duty computing power as artificial intelligence tools scale globally.
Funding news
Dextr AI secures $6.7M to scale AI agents
Dextr AI, a hospitality-focused artificial intelligence startup, has raised $6.7 million in seed funding, led by venture capital firm Elevation Capital with participation from US-based Foundation Capital, which backs enterprise technology.
Dextr said it plans to use the funding to develop its products, expand its team and increase deployments across global hospitality markets, with India specifically identified as an expansion market.
Other news
mPokket crosses 6.5M first-time borrowers
Digital lender mPokket has onboarded more than 6.5 million New-to-Credit customers into formal finance, with NTC acquisition growing about 20% annually over the past three years. Nearly 79% of these customers were under 25 when they first accessed formal credit, while 83% of mPokket's lifetime NTC portfolio comes from rural and semi-urban India.
The company expects lifetime disbursals to exceed $5.5 billion in FY26. It plans to target annual disbursals above Rs 25,000 crore and a loan book exceeding Rs 20,000 crore within three years, supported by alternative-data underwriting and technology investments.
IIT Kanpur launches UpStart 2026 startup competition
Entrepreneurship Cell, IIT Kanpur has launched UpStart 2026, a national startup competition featuring screening, mentoring and business model refinement rather than short-format pitching alone. Regional rounds will be held in Delhi on October 10, Bengaluru and Hyderabad on October 24, and Mumbai on December 5, with applications closing between September 30 and November 26.
The competition offers a prize pool of up to Rs 18 lakh, alongside potential funding, incubation and industry access. Early-stage startups across sectors including fintech, healthtech, deeptech, Web3 and cybersecurity can apply. Selected finalists will receive multi-week mentorship before the national finale on January 23, 2027, at IIT Kanpur.
Prozo opens 30,000 sq ft fulfilment centre in Kolkata
Supply chain company Prozo has opened a 30,000 sq ft fulfilment centre at Serampore, West Bengal, taking its Kolkata network to three facilities. The centre is connected to Kolkata Port, NH-16, NH-19 and the Dankuni logistics hub, supporting distribution across eastern India and the north-east. The facility will serve sectors including FMCG, fashion, beauty, healthcare and consumer electronics.
It uses Prozo's technology platform for inventory visibility, order management and operational monitoring. The expansion is aimed at increasing regional fulfilment capacity and supporting brands seeking faster distribution across West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and the north-eastern states.
Fidelitus GCC Nexus appoints Ankita Gupta as chief business officer
Fidelitus GCC Nexus has appointed Dr Ankita Gupta as Chief Business Officer, bringing more than 18 years of experience across business strategy, marketing, market entry and growth in four global markets. Gupta has worked across sectors including construction technology, healthcare, luxury retail, FMCG and EdTech, with previous roles at Global Construction Tech and Lilac Insights.
At Global Construction Tech, she supported an $180 million sales pipeline across three international markets. At Fidelitus GCC Nexus, she will work with organisations in Europe, Germany and the Nordics on establishing and scaling Global Capability Centres in India, particularly across technology, semiconductors, aerospace, healthcare and FMCG.
(This article will be updated with the latest news throughout the day.)