US-based VC firm Golden Sparrow Ventures, which primarily invests in the early-stage deeptech sector in India, has marked the first close of its $20 Mn (INR 180.8 Cr) Fund II. The VC firm said in a statement that over half of the fund has already been committed, where more than 60% of its Fund I limited partners have participated in the ongoing fund.  With its second fund, the VC firm plans to invest in around 22 Indian startups at the pre-seed and seed stages, writing cheques of about $650,000 on average. The fund will split its bets evenly, with 50% of the capital earmarked for deeptech startups and the rest for enterprise AI ventures. In addition, around 12% of the corpus has been set aside for follow-on investments in portfolio companies that show strong early traction. The firm mentioned that it has already made its first investment in an enterprise data platform, without disclosing its details. This is the second fund for the firm, which was founded by Rishaad Currimjee in 2023, after its $8 Mn maiden fund. Between 2023 to 2025, the firm invested in 18 deeptech startups like Ethereal, Theranautilus and Morphing Machines, among others. Describing the broader…  ​Read MoreInc42 Media

Dylan Scandinaro, a member of the Anthropic technical team, has been named Head of Preparedness at ChatGPT developer OpenAI. This recent development was announced by CEO Sam Altman on 4 February. The firm will soon be dealing with very strong models, according to Altman, and they will need corresponding protections.Announcement Made Through XIn a post on X, Altman wrote, “Things are about to move quite fast and we will be working with extremely powerful models soon. This will require commensurate safeguards to ensure we can continue to deliver tremendous benefits.” Altman went on to say that OpenAI will be spearheading preparations for the mitigation of these serious dangers, with Dylan serving as its leader. Among all the candidates Altman has encountered, he is the most qualified for the position. Without a doubt, he has a lot of work ahead of him, “but I will sleep better tonight.” Altman added.In order to implement the adjustments, Altman is excited to collaborate closely with Dylan. Separately, Scandinaro announced his joining OpenAI in an update he posted on X. He wrote an article criticising the catastrophic and unfixable damage caused by AI models that are developing at an alarming rate.I’m joining OpenAI as Head…  ​Read MoreStartupTalky- Business News, Insights and Stories

Google’s parent company, Alphabet, is planning to take up a huge office block in Bengaluru in order to expand its operations in India. This might result in the creation of as many as 20,000 new jobs. This decision is made in light of the fact that American businesses are finding it more difficult to recruit foreign talent. This is mainly due to tighter visa regulations, especially in relation to the H-1B programme. Thus, India is quickly becoming a major hub for tech talent from around the world.How Alphabet is Executing its Bengaluru Expansion?One Alembic City office tower is leased by Alphabet, while two more are available as possibilities. Located in Whitefield, a significant IT area in east Bengaluru, Alembic City is a massive commercial development. The total floor area of the three skyscrapers is close to 2.4 million square feet. Soon, staff will be able to move into the first tower, which has already been rented.Next year should see the completion of the final two towers. Up to 20,000 wAnthrorkers might be housed on the property if Alphabet ultimately takes up all three towers. The current headcount in India is about 14,000, so this would more than quadruple that number.…  ​Read MoreStartupTalky- Business News, Insights and Stories

Nila Spaces Limited, one of Gujarat’s most trusted and design-led real estate developers, has announced a strategic investment of ₹6 crores to acquire an approximately 1.40% minority stake in Alt DRX, a fintech start-up at the forefront of asset and real estate tokenization in India.The investment signals a decisive step in accelerating the transition of real estate tokenization from early adoption to scaled growth. The current funding round has also seen participation from marquee global institutions and leading Indian family offices, underlining growing confidence in the convergence of consumer demand, regulatory clarity, and asset-owner readiness for tokenized real estate in India. Talking about the investment, Deep Vadodaria, Managing Director, Nila Spaces, said, “At Nila Spaces, we have always built with the future in mind through thoughtful design, technology-led innovation, and inclusive ownership models. We strongly believe that real estate tokenization will redefine how India participates in property ownership. Our investment in Alt DRX is a strategic move towards making housing more accessible to Middle India one square foot at a time.”With landmark developments across Ahmedabad and GIFT City, Nila Spaces has consistently championed progressive, tech-integrated real estate. The partnership with Alt DRX reinforces the company’s commitment to financial innovation that expands access,…  ​Read MoreStartupTalky- Business News, Insights and Stories

Marine Robotics start-up EyeROV (IROV Technologies Pvt. Ltd.) has raised Rs 13 crore in a pre-Series A round co-invested by AWE Funds and Unicorn India Ventures.Funds raised will be used to accelerate research and development, drive new product innovation, and support market expansion across India and global markets.Founded in 2017, EyeROV operates at the intersection of marine robotics, infrastructure inspection, and defence technology. The company has successfully executed over 150 projects for more than 80 clients, including Tata Power, NHPC, Adani, ONGC, BPCL and Maersk along with engagements with defence and government organizations such as Indian Navy, DRDO,  Indian Coast Guard, and leading research institutions including NCPOR and CSIR-SERC.     EyeROV develops advanced Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) and Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs) for complex underwater inspections, featuring a proprietary long-tunnel inspection capability of up to 10 km, placing it among a select few companies globally with this level of expertise. The company integrates advanced NDT payloads, including ultrasonic testing, sonar imaging, and AI-based defect detection, enabling high-accuracy inspections, real-time reporting, and digital twin creation. EyeROV serves sectors such as power, oil & gas, ports, shipping, infrastructure (dams & bridges), disaster management, marine research, and defence. EyeROV sells products and offers Robotics-as-a-Service (RaaS)…  ​Read MoreStartupTalky- Business News, Insights and Stories

From PAC Cosmetics eyeing global expansion to HORIBA setting up research and development hub in India, YourStory brings you today’s headlines with the latest developments across sectors. Featured news These organisations are leading the fight against human trafficking The fight against human trafficking has transformed over the past decade, with organisations expanding beyond rescue operations to address root causes. Prevention, rehabilitation, and economic empowerment now form the core of anti-trafficking interventions, supported by legal aid, counselling, education, and livelihood programmes. Survivors are increasingly leading these efforts as peer mentors and change advocates.Social Story lists five organisations that stand at the forefront, integrating frontline response with long-term rehabilitation strategies.Read here. PAC Cosmetics eyes global expansion after building a bootstrapped beauty brand Founded in 2006, PAC Cosmetics started as a professional makeup tools supplier, later transforming into an omnichannel beauty brand expecting Rs 140-150 crore GMV in FY25 with 20-25% EBITDA margins.Director Bonish Jain, who joined in 2014, shifted the family-run company from professional-only to mass-premium consumer focus. The brand now operates across 140 retail locations with balanced online-offline sales.”We want to build a brand that goes global from India,” said Jain, announcing plans to enter Dubai, Nepal, and Sri Lanka markets.The bootstrapped company offers 350 SKUs…  ​Read More​YourStory RSS Feed

In Bharat’s e-commerce landscape, growth is unpredictable. An artisan in Jaipur may receive unexpected orders from Kerala, while a skincare brand in Indore can jump from 50 to 500 orders in a week. As online demand rises, the real challenges begin: managing inventory, navigating cash-on-delivery risks, handling returns, and engaging customers in tier II and III cities, just as in metros. That moment of transition, when ambition outpaces systems, is where many stories of Indian entrepreneurship are truly written.Shiprocket, India’s leading end-to-end commerce enablement platform, has partnered with YourStory to launch ‘A Brand New India: Powered by Shiprocket’, a multi-episode series that goes deep into the journeys of entrepreneurs who are scaling fearlessly, failing forward, and building the future of Indian commerce from every corner of the country.Defining “A Brand New India”This isn’t the India of metro-first startups or English-speaking boardrooms. The ‘New Bharat’ in this series represents founders building from tier II and tier III cities, where culture-rooted brands are finding national audiences. It includes enterprise operators managing thousands of daily orders across fragmented courier networks. And crucially, it’s about the technology stack working behind the scenes: the checkout flows, the engagement automation, the ads platforms, and the shipping…  ​Read More​YourStory RSS Feed

Citizens and Infosys, a consulting and digital services firm for the future, have just announced their partnership. The Citizens Bank is among the most ancient and massive American financial organisations.With the help of Infosys, the bank’s AI-first Innovation Hub will be launched in Bengaluru, India. Accelerating AI-driven transformation throughout Citizens’ banking operations, product development, and customer experience is the goal of this industry-first project.Specifics of the DealCitizens’ AI-first operating model will be advanced with the assistance of Infosys’ cloud, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence knowledge. It will help fund the creation of agent-ready capabilities that can scale, which will streamline and quicken the rollout of new digital financial services and products. Fast modernisation and providing outstanding customer experiences are two of the greatest challenges that financial institutions confront today, according to Dennis Gada, executive vice president and worldwide head of banking and financial services at Infosys.Citizens has taken a giant leap forward in its expansion plans thanks to Infosys’ partnership. Citizens can now implement an AI-first operating model and get ready for the future. Plus, the collaboration is happening right when multinational banks are building up their Global Capability Centre (GCCs) in India to scale up their artificial intelligence (AI), talent,…  ​Read MoreStartupTalky- Business News, Insights and Stories

Zomato Founder Deepinder Goyal, who recently stepped down as Group CEO and MD of parent entity Eternal, made a strong appeal to former employees Tuesday to rejoin the company, promising a “more organised” and “less chaotic” workplace.Eternal, renamed from Zomato last year, owns the Zomato and Blinkit brands. Blinkit CEO Albinder Dhindsa has succeeded Goyal as Eternal Group CEO.In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Goyal acknowledged past shortcomings while reaching out to those who left the company.”I know that for many of you, Zomato didn’t have the environment, or the leadership you needed at the time. But I know for sure, that you loved being at Zomato, and it is quite possible that you never felt like home anywhere else since you left,” he said.Goyal revealed over 400 people at Eternal are currently in their second or third stints with the company.If you used to work at Zomato, whether you chose to move on, or I was the one who asked you to leave, this is for you.I know that for many of you, Zomato didn’t have the environment, or the leadership you needed at the time. But I know for sure, that you loved being at Zomato,…— Deepinder…  ​Read More​YourStory RSS Feed

India’s online pharmacy market was valued at $3.71 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $14.08 billion by 2034, growing at a CAGR of 15.98% from 2026 to 2034.Truemeds is an Indian e‑pharmacy and telehealth platform focused on making essential medicines affordable and accessible, especially for patients with chronic conditions. The platform lists a wide range of 2.5 lakh+ products, including prescription (Rx) and over-the-counter (OTC) medicines. It provides clinically approved, high-quality branded substitute medicines at lower costs, empowering users to opt for same-salt or equivalent substitutes prescribed by their doctors.Doctors and pharmacists on Truemeds ensure patients clearly understand the concept of medicine substitution. They educate users about generic alternatives, explaining how these substitutes have the same active ingredient, safety, and effectiveness as the original medicine, but at a lower cost. Through transparent communication, the platform builds trust and empowers users to choose the same salt or an equivalent substitute prescribed by their doctor, if they prefer.Truemeds has helped millions of patients across urban and rural India save on their monthly medicine expenses.In this article, explore more about Truemeds’ founders, business and revenue model, funding, challenges, growth, and more. Company Name Truemeds Headquarters Mumbai, Maharashtra, India Sector E-Pharmacy, Telehealth, Digital Healthcare…  ​Read MoreStartupTalky- Business News, Insights and Stories