.png "A quick and simple roundup of startup news for December 14, 2025. See today’s funding deals, new launches, and important updates.")
A quick and simple roundup of startup news for December 14, 2025. See today’s funding deals, new launches, and important updates.
Today only 4 startups raised a total of $92 million, comprising 3 growth-stage and 1 early-stage deals, while 0 startups kept their funding undisclosed.
In contrast, 25 startups had collectively secured about $169.28 million in the mean time.
Growth-stage deals
Growth and late-stage funding reached $89 million across three deals this week. The activity was spearheaded by the Mumbai-based joint venture between Jio Financial Services and BlackRock, which received a capital infusion of Rs 229.5 crore ($27.5 million) from each partner.
The total $55 million injection will capitalize their entry into the wealth management and brokerage sectors. Berlin-based crypto infrastructure protocol LI.FI secured $17.5 million in a Series A round led by CoinFund and Superscrypt, aiming to accelerate its cross-chain aggregation tool.
Fintech platform Zed also tapped the market for $16.5 million in a Series A round backed by Accel to expand its credit card services in the Philippines.
On the sovereign front, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a massive $108 million loan to the state of Mizoram. The funds will upgrade public healthcare infrastructure.
Early-stage deals
Early-stage activity was muted this week, with only one disclosed deal. Drone tech and logistics startup Vimano bagged Rs 25 crore ($3 million) in a seed round led by Ankur Capital. The Bangalore-based firm plans to use the capital for product development and scaling manufacturing capabilities.
Fund Launches
Neon Fund has closed its fourth fund at $25 million to double down on investments in early-stage B2B SaaS startups. India Accelerator is expanding its footprint to Saudi Arabia with a $15 million fund allocation to support cross-border ventures. Meanwhile, BYT Capital kicked off a new Rs 180 crore ($21.6 million) fund to back deeptech and sustainable technology enterprises.
Mergers and Acquisitions
Rumors regarding used car platform Spinny acquiring GoMechanic have surfaced but appear unsubstantiated by public records, which indicate Servizzy previously acquired the latter. In a strategic cross-border move, the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) has partnered with Bain Capital to expand the firm's presence in the UAE.
New Launches and Partnerships
- Singapore Gulf Bank launches zero-fee stablecoin minting on Solana.
- Coinbase prepares to launch CFTC-regulated prediction markets.
- Phantom Wallet integrates Kalshi to bring betting markets to 20 million users.
- YouTube adds PayPal PYUSD stablecoin as payout option for creators.
- Rep. Andy Barr introduces Bank-Fintech Partnership Enhancement Act.
- Latvia issues first MiCA licenses to crypto service providers.
- US freezes Russian assets under REPO Act implementation.
- Australia introduces mandatory code to curb grocery price gouging.
- Punjab Government announces new industry policy launch for next month.
- Delhi Government to transition 11 hospitals to PPP model.
- US Veterans Affairs plans 35,000 job cuts via attrition.
Financial result
- Godrej Properties clocks Rs 2,600 Cr sales booking in Hyderabad; marks strong market entry.
- IRCTC daily new accounts drop to 5,000 following crackdown on fake IDs.
- Ola Electric commences Hyperdelivery for 4680 Bharat Cell vehicles.
- Foreign Institutional Investors sold Rs 152 Cr of Indian shares every trading hour in 2025.
Key Hirings / Departures
Nestle India has appointed Nitu Bhushan as its new Chief Human Resources Officer; she previously held the same role at Pernod Ricard India. Jeff Bezos and his team have launched a new healthcare business.
Summary
On a weekly basis, startup funding volume remained concentrated in high-value strategic rounds.
The convergence of traditional finance and crypto assets accelerated sharply this week. Jio Financial Services and BlackRock formalized their aggressive market entry with a $55 million capital injection into their wealth management JV, signaling a long-term play for India’s asset management sector. Simultaneously, YouTube’s integration of PayPal’s PYUSD for creator payouts validates stablecoins as a mainstream settlement layer.
Regulatory arbitrage continues to define the global crypto landscape. While Latvia issued its first licenses under the EU’s clear MiCA framework, the US market remains in flux. Representative Andy Barr introduced the Bank-Fintech Partnership Enhancement Act to clarify oversight, yet the sector relies heavily on court victories and rumored approvals, such as the unconfirmed report of Ripple securing an OCC nod.
Coinbase and Phantom Wallet are pivoting toward "gamified finance" to capture retail volume. By launching prediction markets and integrating platforms like Kalshi, these entities are moving beyond simple token trading to tap into the high-frequency derivatives market.