The Indian startup ecosystem has set a new record by bagging another round of funding in a few sectors like Wellness, Semiconductor Supply chain, Logistics-tech, Footwear & Beauty another win for the startupreneurs by raising funds and updating the growth probability and standardizing the products and services. The week went by successfully witnessing funds in every stage of funding from Seed, Pre-Series A, Pre-Series B & Series F.

Sector: Wellness

Funding Round: Seed round

Startup:  Lifechart  

Established Year: 2022

Funding News: Gut-focused Wellness Startup 'Lifechart' lifts $500K in Seed round

The gut wellness company Lifechart has raised $500,000 in an early investment round. 

Investors: Prajay Advisors LLP, Agility Ventures, angel investors that included Ahana Gautam, Nitish Mittersain, Sarath Sura, and Marwari Angels.

In 2022, Lifechart had previously raised $200,000 in a pre-seed round led by Nitish Mittersain of Nazara Technologies and Expert Dojo.

According to a press release from the company, the new money will be used to expand Lifechart's key AI capabilities, introduce exclusive diagnostic tools, and build a brand that caters to tier 1 cities.

Mukul Shah and Mansi Sharma co-founded Lifechart in 2022 with the goal of addressing the growing gut health problems in India by providing AI-driven prediction technologies and products made by BAMS and BHMS physicians. 

Mukul Shah, CEO and Co-Founder of Lifechart says, "We are proud to have attracted the trust of marquee investors, especially during a funding winter. The new capital will be used to enhance our AI capabilities, launch our proprietary diagnostic solutions, and build a new brand targeting Tier 1 cities”.

Sector: Semiconductor Supply Chain

Funding Round: Seed round

Startup:  AGNIT Semiconductors

Established Year: 2019

Funding News: AGNIT Semiconductors secures $3.5 million in Seed Funding round

AGNIT Semiconductors, India’s only vertically integrated Gallium Nitride (GaN) semiconductor startup, has raised $3.5 Million in a seed round.

Investors:  3one4 Capital and Zephyr Peacock

The 5-year-old Bengaluru-based startup has raised $4.87 million in total so far and plans to utilise the fresh funds to scale its production and commercial operations. Additionally, the company is set to expand its offerings into new market segments, targeting consumer electronics and electric two-wheelers to cater to the evolving fast-changing needs. 

Commenting on the strategic investment, Pranav Pai, Founding Partner & CIO, 3one4 Capital, said, “Agnit Semiconductors is breaking new ground by advancing Gallium Nitride technology in India, a critical component for the future of global electronics and energy systems. Agnit represents the new wave of Indian deep tech startups - born from rigorous research, focused on critical technologies, and positioned for global impact. What sets Agnit apart is its end-to-end capability - from materials to ASICs. This vertical integration, combined with their patented technologies, gives them a unique advantage in a competitive global market. We are excited to partner with Agnit as they scale their operations and take Indian semiconductor technology to the global market” 

Speaking on the fundraise, Hareesh Chandrasekar, CEO and Co-founder of AGNIT Semiconductor said, “As we close our seed round with 3one4 Capital and Zephyr Peacock, it marks an extraordinary five-year journey where we've pioneered Gallium Nitride (GaN) technology to revolutionize specialized applications, augmenting traditional silicon. GaN holds immense potential across sectors like 5G, fast charging, PV inverters, and beyond—its full impact is yet to be realized. Achieving this requires unwavering support, and we’ve been fortunate to have the backing of IISc and MeitY. As we scale our market presence, we’re also committed to strengthening our leadership team to steer the company towards greater success.”

Sector: Logistics-tech

Funding Round: Pre-Series A

Startup: Elixia Robotics

Established Year: 2022

Funding News: Logistics-tech Startup 'Elixia Robotics' nets $1 million in Pre-Series A

A firm for logistics automation Elixia Robotics led by Sanket Sheth raised $1 million pre-Series A fundraising round. 

Investors: JITO Incubation and Innovation Foundation (JIIF) included investors Motilal Oswal, Vimal Shah, Sparsh Jain, Vinod Dugar, Vimal Khinvasara, Ashok Shah, and Amit Chandwar. 

With the extra funding, Elixia intends to improve its standing in the Middle East and offer innovative logistics solutions that are tailored to the particular needs of regional businesses. The company's specialty is providing comprehensive software solutions to speed up supply chain procedures. Examples of these solutions include logistics control towers and transport management systems.

Elixia aims to enhance its product offerings with machine learning and generative artificial intelligence to boost multimodal visibility and operational efficiency. 

Speaking to this vital funding round, Rajat Mehta, Chairman of JITO Incubation and Innovation Foundation, says, “As AI drives the future, our investment in Elixia is part of our effort to harness its full potential and stay at the forefront of innovation. AI is transforming industries globally, and we are committed to contributing to its growth.”

Similarly, Sanket Sheth, Founder of Elixia, adds, “This new investment will enable us to expand our product portfolio with Generative AI capabilities and enhance multimodal visibility for our customers. In a world where time is money, we empower businesses to save both by streamlining their supply chains with data-driven solutions. The $1M investment is a testament to the belief our investors have in our vision to reshape logistics for the modern world.”

Sector: Footwear

Funded Round: Pre-Series B

Startup: Yoho

Established Year: 2020

Funding News: Online Footwear Startup 'Yoho' grabs 27 crore in Pre-Series B

D2C – Direct to consumer footwear brand Yoho has secured 27 crore (nearly $3.2 million) in a Pre-series B funding round. 

Investors: GII – Gulf Islamic Investments. Also, the funding round recorded participation from Rajeev Misra (CEO, SoftBank Investment Advisers), Vijay Shekhar Sharma (CEO, Paytm), Rukam Capital & Pankaj Chaddah (Founder, Shyft).

The funding raised in the round will be utilized to drive its innovation and development such as investment in research and development. From its launch, the footwear brand Yoho says that it has sold more than 1 lakh pairs of footwear. The startup sells its products on the key e-commerce platforms including its own website, Flipkart, Myntra, Amazon and Tata 1 mg.

Expressing to the company's journey & recent funding, Ahmad Hushsam and Prateek Singhal, Co-Founders of Yoho, says, “We are thrilled to have the support of our investors, and we're excited to leverage these partnerships to drive our next phase of growth. With this capital infusion, we are well-positioned to accelerate our product development, expand our market reach, and create an even more significant impact in the lives of consumers. Our mission has always been to provide high-quality, comfortable footwear at accessible prices, and this investment will enable us to bring this vision to a much wider audience, both in India and globally.”

Sector:  Beauty 

Funding Round: Series F

Startup: Purplle

Established Year: 2012

Funding News: Beauty platform 'Purplle' successfully closes Series F Funding round at $180 million

In a Series F fundraising round, the omnichannel cosmetics platform Purplle has closed at a cost of Rs 1,500 crore, or roughly $180 million.

Investors: Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), with notable contributions from current investors Blume Ventures and Premji Invest, both of which upped their investments. In this round, new investors Sharrp Ventures.

Purplle received the first finance tranche in July, totaling around $120 million (or Rs 1,000 crore). Sources claim that the Manish Taneja-led company is worth between $1.2-1.3 billion after this latest funding round. It reached a unicorn with a $1.1 billion valuation in June 2022 after raising $33 million from Paramark Ventures in South Korea in its Series E funding round.

Purplle's goal of enabling everyone to experience beauty will be aided by this investment round. According to a news release from the company, it intends to use technology to improve how customers find and buy beauty goods and services, reaching a wider audience.

A marketplace and its own brands, such as Faces Canada, Good Vibes, Alps Goodness, Carmesi, and DermDoc, are Purplle's two business strategies. The company was founded in 2012. 20,000 offline touchpoints and more than 10 million monthly consumers are reached by its web platform.