Startup News Today - 29 November 2025: Top Funding, Launches, Failures, Mergers, IPO Updates & Market Highlights

A quick and simple roundup of startup news for 29 Nov 2025. See today’s funding deals, new launches, and important updates.

Follow us on WhatsApp

Follow Now

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 14 startups raised a total of $804.75 million, comprising 10 growth-stage and 4 early-stage deals, while multiple firms kept funding undisclosed.

This marks a significant spike in volume driven by mega climate and fintech rounds.

Growth-stage deals

Climate-focused investment firm Just Climate led the day, deploying $375 million into industrial decarbonization solutions. Saudi fintech Erad secured a $125 million debt facility from Partners for Growth to fuel lending in the MENA region. 

Zomato parent Eternal pumped Rs 600 crore ($72 million) into Blinkit; the capital fortifies dark store infrastructure. Four ANZ-based startups collectively bagged $52.1 million, signaling strong regional angel activity. 

Insurtech player Roojai locked in $42 million via a Series B round led by HDI International. Proptech player Square Yards secured Rs 300 crore ($35 million) to deleverage its balance sheet. Telecom infra provider CloudExtel bagged Rs 200 crore ($24 million) from NIIF to build AI-ready fiber networks. 

Uzbekistan’s fintech unicorn Uzum tapped the bond market for 300 billion soums ($23.5 million). Swiss industrial automation firm Gravis Robotics picked up $23 million in a Series A round. Tola Capital backed Codenotary with a $16.5 million Series B check.

Early-stage deals

Info Edge doubled down on subsidiary Smartweb Internet Services with a Rs 70 crore ($8.3 million) injection. D2C furniture brand Wakefit picked up Rs 55 crore ($6.7 million) in debt capital from Alteria. Cleantech player BatteryPool closed a Rs 8 crore ($950,000) pre-Series A round led by Eamerge Ventures. Wellness label Yuvrit Ayurveda announced a seed raise of $800,000.

City and segment-wise deals

London and Riyadh topped the value charts driven by climate and fintech deals. Gurugram and Bengaluru remained the busiest Indian hubs. Deals were also recorded in Zurich, Tashkent, and Houston.

Fintech and Climate Tech dominated the flow. Proptech and Telecom Infra followed with significant ticket sizes. Capital also moved into D2C, Industrial Automation, and Cybersecurity.

Mergers and Acquisitions

Vyapar has snapped up automation platform Suvit to integrate data entry tech. Co-living operator myAbode acquired FirstList; the move consolidates inventory in the Bengaluru market. FinFan formed a remittance alliance with Thunes, signaling consolidation in cross-border payments.

Financial result this week

1. Blue Tokai top-line jumps 70% to Rs 127 Cr; losses stood at Rs 42 Cr.
2. HungerBox revenue climbed 12% to Rs 82 Cr; losses narrowed to Rs 11 Cr.
3. Adven remains resilient despite tariff pressure; payment volumes steady.
4. PayPal BNPL volume surged, capturing market share from legacy banks.
5. Payoneer valuation jumped following an earnings beat.
6. Global Payments saw stock recovery on renewed investor appetite.
7. Frontier Lithium released financials; CapEx spending aligns with battery sector trends.

Fund Launches

Africa launched a $3.9 billion fund to boost insurance access across the continent. 6 Degrees Capital closed a €154 million fund targeting European Series A founders. VentureSoul closed a Rs 300 crore debt fund for Indian startups. FSD Africa rolled out an insurtech fund focused on risk reduction technologies.

Key Hirings / Departures

Samsung initiated a plan to hire 60,000 staff globally to boost chip manufacturing. Julius Baer expanded its Abu Dhabi desk to target angel investors. Revolut chair Martin Gilbert issued a call for UK stamp duty relief to boost fintech IPOs.

New Launches and Partnerships

1. Reliance earmarked $1.3 billion for a massive AI center in Gujarat.
2. OpenAI is negotiating a $38 billion debt facility for data center expansion.
3. Alibaba rolled out Quark AI glasses to pivot into consumer hardware.
4. Mastercard partnered with FAB and McLaren for a premium lifestyle card.
5. Allianz Commercial launched a Miami hub to scout LatAm insurtechs.
6. Visa tied up with Aquanow for stablecoin settlement; EastWest partnered with Foodpanda.
7. GoTyme enabled crypto trading; Loanova launched a fractional mortgage platform.
8. Huumans and Zenbooks rolled out automated finance tools for SMBs.
9. Eccuity unveiled a wealth platform for digital assets; Humbrela launched AI underwriting tools.
10. HDI Global released "Cyquins" cyber scan; Oobit expanded crypto payments to South Africa.
11. Wemade formed a KRW stablecoin alliance; Dcbel partnered with Volvo for EV charging.
12. Baidu expanded its Kunlun AI chip business; Revolut partnered with Nasdaq AxiomSL.
13. SnappyPay rolled out SMB payment solutions; Wallester landed a spot in Deloitte Fast 50.
14. Thredd completed the migration for BigPay; SelecTrucks launched a veteran savings program.

News flash this week

1. Zetwerk initiates $1 billion IPO process; eyes $6-7 billion valuation tag.
2. Paytm PPSL gets final RBI greenlight for Payment Aggregator license.
3. Quantum Systems hits $3.5 billion valuation; Polymarket targets $15 billion.
4. Pentagon adds Alibaba, Baidu, and BYD to restricted investment list.
5. Ghana launches unified cybersecurity framework; South Africa approves fintech fibre deals.
6. UK Budget boosts mortgage rates; Autumn Budget creates fintech incentives.
7. Moneywave fined RM 14,000 by Malaysia regulator; Kalshi sued over gambling claims.
8. ByteDance hit with Nvidia chip block; KCS crackdown affects supply chains.
9. Wise cracks Japan’s Zengin clearing system; US Bank tests custom stablecoin.
10. Soul files for HK IPO; India opens nuclear sector to private players.
11. Standard Chartered announces buyback; Fiinu shares gain momentum.
12. Policybazaar earns Great Place to Work status; Swachhata cohort launched.
13. Chennai prepares to unveil Fintech Tower; Doers Summit kicks off in Dubai.
14. US job market crisis deepens; Goldman flags weakness.
15. Ireland GDP stays strong; India Q2 GDP firm on demand.
16. Cadillac Fairview sues Hudson’s Bay; Byju Raveendran faces legal dispute.
17. Mexico and Israel sign cybersecurity partnership; Animoca pivots to stablecoins.

Summary

Manufacturing unicorn Zetwerk has kicked off groundwork for a potential Initial Public Offering (IPO). Bankers have been engaged for an issue size pegged between $750 million and $1 billion. The development suggests a thaw in late-stage exits as mature startups eye public markets.

Valuation expectations hover at $6-7 billion. This marks a premium over is last private valuation. Investors will now scrutinize revenue efficiency over pure growth metrics.

Paytm finally secured regulatory relief. The RBI granted its subsidiary, PPSL, the final license to operate as a Payment Aggregator. The nod ends a long freeze, allowing the fintech major to onboard new merchants.