.png "A quick and simple roundup of startup news for 28 Nov 2025. See today’s funding deals, new launches, and important updates.")
A quick and simple roundup of startup news for 28 Nov 2025. See today’s funding deals, new launches, and important updates.
Aadi tracks the venture capital and private equity beat. An MBA graduate, he looks past the headlines to audit deal flow and capital efficiency. His work covers emerging market fintech trends and unit economics.
Today only 9 startups raised a total of $205.75 million, comprising 5 growth-stage and 4 early-stage deals, while 2 startups kept their funding undisclosed.
Growth-stage deals
Leading the growth stage was quick commerce major Blinkit with a Rs 600 crore ($72 million) infusion from parent Zomato. Close behind was insurtech player Roojai, securing $42 million in a Series B round led by HDI International. Proptech firm Square Yards secured Rs 300 crore ($35 million) via a mix of debt and equity to strengthen its balance sheet.
Meanwhile, Uzbekistan-based fintech Uzum bagged 300 billion soums ($23.5 million) through a bond issuance. AI cybersecurity venture Codenotary closed a $16.5 million Series B round led by Tola Capital.
Early-stage deals
Early-stage activity saw Info Edge infusing Rs 70 crore ($8.3 million) into its subsidiary Smartweb Internet Services. D2C home brand Wakefit secured Rs 55 crore ($6.7 million) via debt from Alteria Capital.
Cleantech startup BatteryPool bagged Rs 8 crore ($950,000) in a pre-Series A round led by Eamerge Ventures. Wellness brand Yuvrit Ayurveda closed a seed round of $800,000 from undisclosed investors.
City and segment-wise deals
By city-wise deal count, Gurugram and Bengaluru led with 3 deals each, followed by Noida and Pune. Tashkent and Houston also recorded deals during the day.
Segment-wise, Fintech and Insurtech startups led the day with 4 deals, followed by Consumer Tech and SaaS which secured 2 deals each. Proptech, Cleantech, and Quick Commerce also bagged funding.
Mergers and Acquisitions
Accounting software firm Vyapar has acquired automation platform Suvit for an undisclosed amount. The deal grants access to Suvit’s data entry automation tech. Co-living platform myAbode bought proptech startup FirstList to consolidate inventory in Bengaluru.
Financial result today
- Blue Tokai revenue jumps 70% to Rs 127 Cr; losses stand at Rs 42 Cr in FY23.
- HungerBox revenue rises 12% to Rs 82 Cr; narrows losses to Rs 11 Cr in FY24.
Key Hirings / Departures
Julius Baer has expanded its Abu Dhabi team to cater to angel investor demand. Revolut chair Martin Gilbert is advocating for UK stamp duty relief to aid fintech listings.
New Launches and Partnerships
- Reliance commits $1.3 billion to build an AI center in Gujarat.
- Alibaba soft-launches Quark AI glasses to enter consumer hardware.
- Mastercard ties up with FAB and McLaren to launch an exclusive access pass.
- Allianz Commercial opens a Miami hub to connect with LatAm insurtechs.
News flash today
- Zetwerk preps for $1 billion IPO; targets $6-7 billion valuation.
- Paytm PPSL receives final RBI nod to operate as Payment Aggregator.
- Moneywave fined RM 14,000 by Malaysian regulator for non-compliance.
- ByteDance faces Nvidia chip block due to US export controls.
- Wise becomes first non-bank to access Japan’s Zengin clearing system.
Summary
B2B manufacturing unicorn Zetwerk has reportedly initiated talks with investment bankers for an Initial Public Offering (IPO). The issue size is pegged between $750 million and $1 billion. The move aligns with the growing trend of mature startups seeking public market exits amid a stabilizing valuation environment.
Current discussions value the firm at approximately $6-7 billion. This represents a significant premium to its last private valuation. Despite raising substantial private capital, revenue efficiency remains a key metric for investors scrutiny.
Concurrently, Paytm received a major regulatory reprieve. The RBI granted its subsidiary, PPSL, the final authorization to operate as a Payment Aggregator. The license allows the firm to onboard new online merchants, ending a prolonged regulatory freeze.