Startup News Today - 6 December 2025: Top Funding, Launches, Failures, Mergers, IPO Updates & Market Highlights

A quick and simple roundup of startup news for 06 Dec 2025. See today’s funding deals, new launches, and important updates.

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I am Aadi tracks the venture capital beat. a MBA graduate, looks past the headlines to audit deal flow and capital efficiency. my 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

1. Identity verification leader Socure has snapped up Qlarifi (Effectiv) for $136 million; the deal unifies fraud prevention with payments orchestration. 
2. German AI customer service platform Parloa bagged $66 million in a Series B round led by Altimeter Capital. 
3. London-based analytics firm Coremont picked up €30 million ($37 million) to scale its institutional platform. 
4. Satellite tech player Iceye secured $93 million from Solidium Oy to expand its SAR constellation. 
5. Ripple strategically invested in Singapore-based OpenEden to bring tokenized T-Bills to the XRP Ledger. 
6. Restaurant fintech Sunday locked in strategic capital to push QR code adoption in the US.

Early-stage deals

1. Pune-based fintech Phi Commerce secured $10 million in a Series A1 round led by RTP Global. 
2. Insurtech startup Ondo raised £3 million ($3.8 million) via a public placement to accelerate LeakBot in the USA. 
3. Cloud aggregator Fluidstack bagged $1.3 million in seed funding from Sunstone Global Ventures. 
4. AI gaming studio Aaru closed a seed round to build on-chain strategy games. 
5. 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, and Atlanta.

Fintech and AI dominated the flow. Identity Verification and Insurtech followed with significant ticket sizes. Capital also moved into Space Tech, Cloud Infrastructure, and Gaming.

Mergers and Acquisitions

1. Paribu has acquired CoinMENA to expand its Turkish crypto footprint into the MENA region. 
2. Meta is reportedly closing in on AI hardware startups to bolster its smart glasses division. 
3. Sunny Day Fund bought SecureSave, merging two key players in the ESA space.

Financial result this week

1. Phi Commerce projects Rs 100 Cr revenue run rate; losses narrowing post-funding.
2. Yulu revenue crosses Rs 100 Cr; EBITDA margins remain negative but improving.
3. Wakefit revenue hits Rs 900 Cr in FY24; eyeing IPO valuation benchmarks.
4. SoFi Technologies initiates $750 million convertible notes offering to manage debt.

Key Hirings / Departures

1. Evercore appointed Mike Gaito as Head of Healthcare Investment Banking. 
2. LPL Financial named Matthew Morningstar as Executive VP and General Counsel.

New Launches and Partnerships

1. Revolut Business launched "Titan" metal cards for executive spend.
2. Circle tapped Visa to integrate stablecoin payments in Asia.
3. Ramp Network secured a VASP license from the Central Bank of Ireland.
4. 1Money launched a stablecoin pilot on localized payment rails.
5. Waymo recalled 600 vehicles for software updates following a safety incident.

News flash this week

1. Zepto converts to Public Limited Company; moves domicile to India for IPO.
2. RBI prohibits OneCard partner banks from issuing new co-branded cards.
3. Nigeria Senate amends BOFIA Act to tighten fintech compliance.
4. CCPA issues guidelines on dark patterns; fines ride-hailing apps.
5. HashKey plans token listing or IPO in Hong Kong.
6. Petco hit by credential stuffing attack exposing customer points.
7. Coupang faces scrutiny over cross-border data handling.
8. Do Kwon sentencing moves forward in Montenegro extradition case.
9. 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.