A quick and simple roundup of startup news for 12 Dec 2025. See today’s funding deals, new launches, and important updates.
Aadi tracks the venture capital 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 11 startups raised a total of $200.3 million, comprising 6 growth-stage and 5 early-stage deals, while multiple firms kept funding undisclosed.
Growth-stage deals
Identity verification leader Socure has snapped up Qlarifi (Effectiv) for $136 million; the deal unifies fraud prevention with payments orchestration. German AI customer service platform Parloa bagged $66 million in a Series B round led by Altimeter Capital. London-based analytics firm Coremont picked up €30 million ($37 million) to scale its institutional platform. Satellite tech player Iceye secured $93 million from Solidium Oy to expand its SAR constellation. Ripple strategically invested in Singapore-based OpenEden to bring tokenized T-Bills to the XRP Ledger. Restaurant fintech Sunday locked in strategic capital to push QR code adoption in the US.
Early-stage deals
Pune-based fintech Phi Commerce secured $10 million in a Series A1 round led by RTP Global. Insurtech startup Ondo raised £3 million ($3.8 million) via a public placement to accelerate LeakBot in the USA. Cloud aggregator Fluidstack bagged $1.3 million in seed funding from Sunstone Global Ventures. AI gaming studio Aaru closed a seed round to build on-chain strategy games. Sunny Day Fund acquired SecureSave to consolidate the employee emergency savings market.
City and segment-wise deals
London and New York topped the value charts driven by fintech M&A and growth equity. Pune and Berlin remained key hubs for early-stage innovation. Deals were also recorded in Singapore, Espoo, Atlanta, and Zurich.
Fintech and AI dominated the flow. Identity Verification and Insurtech followed with significant ticket sizes. Capital also moved into Space Tech, Cloud Infrastructure, Gaming, and Wealthtech.
Mergers and Acquisitions
Paribu has acquired CoinMENA to expand its Turkish crypto footprint into the MENA region. Meta is reportedly closing in on AI hardware startups to bolster its smart glasses division. Sunny Day Fund bought SecureSave, merging two key players in the ESA space. FinFan formed a remittance alliance with Thunes. Vyapar acquired Suvit for accounting automation. myAbode bought FirstList to consolidate proptech inventory.
Financial result
- Phi Commerce projects Rs 100 Cr revenue run rate; losses narrowing post-funding.
- Yulu revenue crosses Rs 100 Cr; EBITDA margins remain negative but improving.
- Wakefit revenue hits Rs 900 Cr in FY24; eyeing IPO valuation benchmarks.
- SoFi Technologies initiates $750 million convertible notes offering to manage debt.
- Vision Marine released FY2025 results; focusing on powertrain tech licensing.
- Tenet Fintech released Q3 results emphasizing strategic enhancements.
- Adyen showed resilient volume despite tariff pressures.
- Payoneer valuation updated following positive earnings signals.
- Global Payments stock reflected investor appetite for fintech turnarounds.
Key Hirings / Departures
Evercore appointed Mike Gaito as Head of Healthcare Investment Banking. LPL Financial named Matthew Morningstar as Executive VP and General Counsel. Standard Chartered announced a tech push and buyback. Samsung plans to hire 60,000 staff globally. Byju Raveendran faces ongoing legal disputes.
New Launches and Partnerships
- Revolut Business launched "Titan" metal cards; Circle tapped Visa for stablecoin payments.
- Ramp Network secured a VASP license in Ireland; 1Money launched a stablecoin pilot.
- Waymo recalled 600 vehicles for software updates; SnappyPay rolled out an SMB payment solution.
- Thredd completed the migration for BigPay; EastWest partnered with Foodpanda and Visa.
- GoTyme enabled crypto trading; Loanova launched a fractional mortgage platform.
- Huumans and Zenbooks rolled out SMB fintech tools; Eccuity launched a digital asset wealth platform.
- CloudExtel secured Rs 200 Cr for AI infra; Chennai prepares to unveil its Fintech Tower.
- Policybazaar earned "Great Place to Work" status; Ghana launched a unified cybersecurity framework.
- US Bank tested a custom stablecoin model; Fiinu shares gained momentum.
- Huddlestock registered a capital increase; Mastercard valuation tied to new partnerships.
- PayPal BNPL growth surged; Oobit expanded crypto payments to South Africa.
- Joe & The Juice expanded digital payments in LatAm; Africa launched a $3.9B insurance fund.
- Erad secured a $125M debt facility; FSD Africa launched an insurtech fund.
- HDI Global released "Cyquins" cyber scan; Humbrela rolled out AI insurance tools.
- Animoca Brands pivoted to stablecoins and RWA; Cardano ETF rumors attracted VC interest.
- Wemade formed a KRW stablecoin alliance; Banks discuss $38B loan for OpenAI data centers.
- Quantum Systems hit a $3.5B valuation; Anduril faced weapons tech setbacks.
- Leonardo unveiled the Michelangelo Dome; Pentagon added Alibaba and Baidu to restricted lists.
- KCS crackdown impacted supply chains; Gravis Robotics raised $23M for automation.
- Just Climate landed $375M; Polymarket targets $15B valuation.
- Four ANZ startups raised $52.1M; 6 Degrees Capital closed a €154M fund.
- VentureSoul closed a Rs 300 Cr debt fund; Xflow plans 10x volume growth.
- Swachhata waste tech cohort launched; Frontier Lithium released financials.
- Dcbel partnered with Volvo; US job market shows signs of crisis.
- Goldman Sachs flagged US job weakness; Ireland GDP remains strong.
- India Q2 GDP firm; UK Budget boosts mortgage rates.
- Modi jobs overhaul strengthens reforms; India opens nuclear sector to private players.
- Soul files for HK IPO; Cadillac Fairview sues Hudson's Bay.
- SelecTrucks launched a veteran savings program; Baidu expands AI chip business.
- Kalshi sued over gambling claims; Mexico-Israel cyber partnership signed.
News flash
- Zepto converts to Public Limited Company; moves domicile to India for IPO.
- RBI prohibits OneCard partner banks from issuing new co-branded cards.
- Nigeria Senate amends BOFIA Act to tighten fintech compliance.
- CCPA issues guidelines on dark patterns; fines ride-hailing apps.
- HashKey plans token listing or IPO in Hong Kong.
- Petco hit by credential stuffing attack exposing customer points.
- Coupang faces scrutiny over cross-border data handling.
- Do Kwon sentencing moves forward in Montenegro extradition case.
- Nigeria CAC sets strict deadlines for PoS agent registration.
Summary
Quick commerce unicorn Zepto has kicked off its formal transition to a public entity. The conversion to a Public Limited Company is a mandatory step for its planned Indian IPO. Moving its domicile back to India signals a broader "Reverse Flip" trend among unicorns seeking domestic listing premiums.
Valuation targets for the sector remain aggressive. Peers like Meesho are also adjusting structures, though profitability remains the key gatekeeper. Regulatory scrutiny is intensifying alongside these moves, with the CCPA cracking down on "dark patterns" in app interfaces.
The RBI has halted new issuances for OneCard's partner banks. Non-compliance with co-branding norms triggered the freeze. The move forces fintechs to rethink their reliance on bank partnerships for credit products.