Startup funding jumps 2.3 times to $357 million this week

This surge reflects growing investor confidence in India's innovation-driven growth story, especially after Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal recently credited startups as key drivers in the country's journey to becoming the third-largest global economy by 2027.

Of the total this week, six were growth-stage deals and 21 were early-stage. Three startups raised funds without disclosing the amount.

Among the biggest growth-stage deals, used car platform Spinny led the way with a $131 million infusion.

It was followed by Chef Robotics ($43 million), and travel fintech Scapia, which raised $40 million in a Series B round led by Peak XV Partners.

Other notable names include Infinity Fincorp, Pratilipi, and Tonbo Imaging. In the early-stage category, clean energy startup Aerem topped the chart with an $11.7 million raise.

Others like RapidClaims, Sweet Karam Coffee, The Bear House, Further AI, and CollegeDekho also attracted significant capital.

The weekly average funding over the past eight weeks now stands at $271.16 million across approximately 25 deals.

Bengaluru remained the top hub with 13 deals, followed by Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Chennai, and Indore. Sector-wise, healthtech was the most funded vertical with five deals, while foodtech and e-commerce followed closely.

Seed funding led this week's rounds with 10 deals, followed by Series A, Series D, and debt rounds.

Speaking at the 'Startup Mahakumbh' event earlier this week, Minister Goyal emphasised the importance of startups and innovation in realising the vision of 'Viksit Bharat 2047'.

"Currently the world's fifth-largest economy, India is on track to become the fourth-largest by the end of 2025 and the third-largest economy by 2027 -- surpassing Japan and Germany," Goyal said on April 3 while crediting this growth to the robust startup ecosystem.