Latest news with #IndianStartups
Entrepreneur
2 days ago
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Indian Gifting Startups Raise USD 115.9 Mn Since 2015 Amid Steady Sector Growth: Report
In 2025 so far, the sector saw only one deal, with Indigifts raising USD 57,600 in an angel round. Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. Indian gifting startups have raised a total of USD 115.9 million between 2015 and 2025 year-to-date, indicating a gradual yet consistent growth in the sector, according to a new report by Tracxn titled Gifting Platforms Wrap Report. Despite a subdued funding environment in recent years, the industry continues to attract selective investment, especially in personalisation, enterprise gifting, and curated digital experiences. According to the report, Indian gifting startups have collectively raised USD 159.4 million in all-time funding. In 2025 so far, the sector saw only one deal, with Indigifts raising USD 57,600 in an angel round. This marks a significant decline compared to previous years. In 2024, Indian startups secured USD 1.3 million, while 2023 and 2022 saw funding levels at USD 32.7 million and USD 63.9 million respectively. The steep drop signals an ongoing correction phase, as investors now prioritise sustainable growth and profitability over rapid scaling. Neha Singh, Co-founder of Tracxn, said, "The gifting and rewards sector has quietly evolved into a globally relevant, innovation-led category. Over the last decade, we've seen over USD 2.5 billion flow into gifting startups, not just to scale transactions, but to reimagine consumer experience, convenience, and loyalty." "India, while still maturing, has built a strong base of resilient, founder-led businesses that are defining new benchmarks in digital-first branding and operational efficiency," she added. On the global front, gifting startups raised USD 1.73 billion over the past decade, with USD 2.52 billion in all-time funding. In 2025 year-to-date, global players secured USD 66.2 million through four funding rounds. Top-funded international startups include Raise with USD 220 million, Floward with USD 190.2 million, and Bloom & Wild with USD 174.3 million. In contrast to India, three acquisitions were recorded globally in 2025, indicating ongoing consolidation in Western markets. The Indian market is currently led by seasoned companies that have established strong operational foundations. Xoxoday leads with USD 30.6 million in funding, followed by Ferns N Petals with USD 26.1 million and ZoomIn with USD 21 million. Bakingo and FlowerAura have each secured USD 16 million. These companies exemplify the increasing investor interest in personalised gifting, employee engagement solutions, and D2C platforms. While no Indian exits were reported in 2025 so far, historical acquisitions have included notable names like Xoxoday and ZoomIn. The sector's low exit volume continues to reflect a cautious approach among investors and founders, who are building for long-term value rather than quick returns. In India, investor activity in 2025 has been selective. Ritesh Agarwal and Vineeta Singh backed Indigifts, reflecting continued support for early-stage consumer brands. Globally, Raise's USD 63 million Series D round drew attention from both traditional venture capital firms and emerging tech-focused funds. The report concludes that the gifting sector may not command high volumes of funding, but it continues to evolve with specialised players attracting focused capital. The emphasis is shifting toward enterprise solutions, curated experiences, and digital innovation, setting the stage for deeper investment and long-term growth.
Entrepreneur
12-07-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Conversational AI Architect
"Conversational AI was still a nascent field when we started, and convincing businesses to adopt AI-driven solutions was challenging. Many were sceptical about the reliability and effectiveness of AI assistants," says Ankush Sabharwal, founder and CEO, CoRover You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. The Indian generative AI ecosystem is still in its nascence and has a long way to go. Leading the race– among a few– is Ankush Sabharwal and his human-centric conversational AI platform for enterprises, CoRover. "Our main inspiration was to revolutionize the human experience through Artificial Intelligence (AI). To harness the power of AI for the betterment of society, fostering a world where technology seamlessly integrates into daily life, amplifying happiness, and simplifying complexities for all," said Ankush Sabharwal, founder and CEO, CoRover. Founded in 2016, the start-up recently raised Series A funding and competes with Bhavish Aggarwal's Krutrim AI and Sarvam AI. Presently, CoRover boasts of having 1.3 billion users. Known for BharatGPT, its own indigenous LLM, one of the start-up's biggest challenges initially was building trust in Conversational AI. "Conversational AI was still a nascent field when we started, and convincing businesses to adopt AI-driven solutions was challenging. Many were sceptical about the reliability and effectiveness of AI assistants," he said. To address the issue, CoRover prioritized implementing pilot projects that showcased concrete outcomes, including enhanced user engagement, greater efficiency in customer support, and significant cost savings. "Real-world success stories helped build trust and confidence in our platform," he added. Its solutions are deployed by IRCTC, NPCI, SEBI, and Google to name a few. The start-up's three USPs are a human-centric Conversational AI platform with 10X faster implementation, enterprise-grade virtual assistants, and conversational (Video—voice) commerce. Its suite of Conversational AI products includes CoroBuilder, CoroAssist, CoroGrievance, CoroPayments, CoroNotifier, CoroOnboarding, CoroVoiceCommerce, CoroVideoCommerce, CoroForms, CoroAnalytics, CoroTranslate, and more. Having been profitable for the last four years, CoRover anchors on four pillars: Scientific Research, Technological Advancement, Growth Strategy, and Human-Centric Design. In August 2024, CoRover joined the NVIDIA Inception program to accelerate BharatGPT. "Our mission is to drive revenue acceleration, optimize operational efficiency, and elevate customer experience, ultimately redefining the future of AI-powered innovation and entrepreneurship," Sabharwal concluded.
Entrepreneur
10-07-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
India Accelerator Launches Two Flagship Programs to Build Future Startup Leaders
These flagship programs are tailored to cultivate entrepreneurial and venture capital talent—nurturing the builders, operators, and investors who will shape the next wave of Indian innovation. You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. India Accelerator (IA), a prominent multi-stage venture capital fund, has launched two key initiatives aimed at fostering the next generation of Indian entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. With a commitment of INR 20 crore, the organisation introduced IA School and IA Alpha, programs designed to equip young talent with practical startup and investment experience. IA School targets aspiring entrepreneurs by offering a hands-on curriculum that emphasises real-world learning over theory. Through case studies, startup failure analyses, and insights from seasoned founders and investors, the program aims to shape individuals into resilient startup leaders. Participants will receive structured support in areas such as go-to-market strategy, customer acquisition, and business model validation. IA plans to back five startups emerging from this program, helping them progress from concept to funding-ready. The second program, IA Alpha, is a six-month venture capital immersion tailored for high-performing students from India's top institutions, including IITs, IIMs, and BITS Pilani. Modeled after global initiatives like the Dorm Room Fund and Scout Program, IA Alpha places selected students in simulated fund manager roles. They will evaluate startups using a virtual INR 20 crore fund, participate in internal investment discussions, and recommend promising ventures. These students will not only gain behind-the-scenes exposure to the VC process but will also act as scouts within their college networks, helping IA discover emerging startups early in their journey. Ashish Bhatia, Founder of India Accelerator, said, "The entrepreneurs of tomorrow need more than ambition—they need clarity, resilience, and a builder's mindset. With IA School and IA Alpha, we're providing immersive platforms where future founders and investors can learn by doing, embrace failure, and build with purpose." With these programs, IA continues to extend its influence beyond funding, contributing to the development of a sustainable, founder-focused startup ecosystem where talent is cultivated from the ground up.
Entrepreneur
10-06-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Round-Up: Flick TV and Roomstory.ai Raise Capital to Disrupt Entertainment and Interior Design Sectors
You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. India's startup ecosystem continues to attract early-stage capital, recently Flick TV and Roomstory (.ai) announced fresh funding rounds to fuel growth in the OTT and interior design markets, respectively. Flick TV Raises USD 2.3 Million Flick TV, a mobile-first OTT platform specialising in vertically shot, under-five-minute drama episodes, has raised USD 2.3 million in a seed round led by Stellaris Venture Partners, with additional backing from Gemba Capital and Titan Capital. Founded by Kushal Singhal and Pratik Anand, the platform aims to redefine how short-form storytelling is consumed in India. With over 100 original titles in the pipeline across genres like romance, thrillers, and slice-of-life, the startup plans to expand into four regional languages and integrate generative AI tools for scripting, storyboarding, and visual planning. Flick TV will adopt a hybrid monetisation model, offering both micropayments per episode and subscription options. The team includes former ShareChat, Meesho, and Pocket FM professionals, bringing strong operational and tech expertise to the venture. "The micro-drama format taps into snackable time with compelling storytelling. We believe this could be a USD 5 billion market in India within the next five years," said Singhal. Raises INR 3 Crore In a parallel development, an AI-native interior shopping assistant, has secured INR 3 crore in a pre-seed round led by Rukam Sitara Fund. The capital will be used to advance AI capabilities, launch web and mobile platforms, and grow a community of design enthusiasts. Founded by architect-entrepreneurs Ekatva Jain, Sahil Lunia, and Punit Jain, bridges the gap between inspiration and action. Its platform allows users to browse styled rooms and instantly shop every product via direct retail links creating a seamless, Pinterest-like discovery and commerce experience. "Roomstory doesn't just show you a beautiful room, it hands you the exact tools to recreate it," said CEO Jain. The company aims to tap into India's USD 76 billion home and interior shopping opportunity, a sector growing at 30 per cent CAGR through 2027. Investors believe Roomstory's visual-first commerce approach, powered by AI, is poised to disrupt a space long underserved by technology. "This is a bold, intuitive idea rooted in deep design expertise," said Archana Jahagirdar, Founder and Managing Partner at Rukam Sitara Fund.
Entrepreneur
06-06-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Why Founders Gravitate Toward Operator-VCs: The Value of Experience Beyond Capital
In an ecosystem where product cycles are seemingly short and founder burnout is real, having a partner that has walked the same path can make all the difference, not just in raising another funding round, but in building sustainable businesses. Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. In the ever-evolving landscape of Indian startups, where capital is increasingly commoditized, founders are looking beyond just cheque sizes. Strategic partnerships have become more important, especially with VCs who've been in the trenches. Operator-VCs: former founders, ex-CXOs, or seasoned business builders who have previously lived the entrepreneurial journey, and now sit across the table as investors. The industry sees that the shift is not just anecdotal, but visible in the number of operator-led venture capital firms. Sandeep Murthy, Partner and Managing Director at Lightbox, feels that 'empathy' has a lot to do with this shift, and entrepreneurship being a lonely journey, with only a few people around who have gone through the hustle themselves. "An investor who shows up once a quarter and asks a couple of questions is not going to be able to relate enough to the journey of the founder. But if you're an investor who's going to sit at every turn of the journey, become an active part of solving problems, engage at every step, and understand the business almost as well as the founder, then the entrepreneur doesn't feel as lonely," said Murthy. The founder would much rather interact with an investor who's checking in day-to-day rather than one who just asks why revenues are down and why a certain target was not met, added Murthy. Over 40 per cent of emerging VCs globally now come from operational backgrounds, including former startup founders, tech executives, or product leads, according to an earlier report by INSEAD's Global Private Equity Initiative. In fact, Karthik Reddy, co-founder at Blume Ventures, emphasized the importance of pattern recognition in venture capital but cautions against rigidly applying past formulas "Our business is a business of matching patterns, but people mistake patterns for formulae. But the only stories worth telling are those built by exceptions," said Reddy in a blog Run by Sajith Pai, Partner at Blume Ventures. A 2024 report of SaaSBoomi's 2024 Founder Insight Survey, which took into account more than 250 Indian SaaS founders, 67 per cent preferred VCs with operational experience over those from purely financial backgrounds. The report cited that 73 per cent said that operator-VCs aided in faster decision-making support, 65 per cent voted because of better hiring and team building advice, and 58 per cent felt that the hands-on guidance during pivots and crises was a crucial factor. The biggest factor might be the experience that the operators bring, because they have lived through it. Understanding the emotional aspect of the founder's life becomes an important element with empathy coming into play, with a steady build of credibility and trust, especially when things go sideways. Tarun Davda, Managing Director at Matrix Partners India, said in a company blogpost, "There are examples of successful operator-VCs and non-operator-VCs. But the best operator-VCs often win trust faster because they've been there and made mistakes. Increasingly, even early-stage accelerators and angel syndicates in India are prioritizing operator involvement. The Indian Venture Capital Association (IVCA) reported that over 50 per cent of newly registered domestic funds between 2022 and 2024 have at least one partner with startup or tech-operational experience. In an ecosystem where product cycles are seemingly short and founder burnout is real, having a partner that has walked the same path can make all the difference, not just in raising another funding round, but in building sustainable businesses.
