Funding alert: Tech startups that raked in moolah this month

The Tech Panda takes a look at recent funding events in the tech ecosystem, seeking to know where the cash is flowing.

Startup: Abound

Sector: Fintech

Amount: US$14 M

Led by: NEAR Foundation

Abound, the financial super-app designed for Indians in the US, has raised $14 million in seed funding to accelerate its mission of creating a seamless financial bridge between the non-resident Indians (NRIs) and India. Led by NEAR Foundation, with participation from Circle Ventures, Times Internet and others, this round marks Abound’s first external investment since its incubation at Times Internet, the digital arm of The Times of India Group.

The company has already processed over $150 million in remittances and facilitated $87 million in rewards GMV, demonstrating significant traction. Abound has seen 50% month-on-month revenue growth over the past 6 months, with over 500,000 users. Abound is reshaping financial services for one of the world’s most dynamic and financially sophisticated diaspora communities.

“Indians in America have a unique financial reality—one that spans two countries, two economies, and two currencies. Yet, the financial services available today weren’t designed for their needs,” said Nishkaam Mehta, CEO of Abound. “We’re building a unified platform where our community can earn rewards, seamlessly send money home, and ultimately send, spend, save, invest, and borrow across borders—all in one app. We selected NEAR as our blockchain foundation for its industry leading scalability, efficiency, and resilience, which enables us to deliver a seamless experience while maintaining the security and transparency our users deserve.”

Startup: Expertia AI

Sector: Hiring automation

Amount: Undisclosed

Led by: Chiratae Ventures & Endiya Partners

Expertia AI, an AI recruitment platform offering an end-to-end hiring automation solution, raised a Pre-Series A funding round. Expertia is in HR-tech SaaS for business users with their proprietary AI-powered Recruiter. The round had existing investors Chiratae Ventures and Endiya Partners doubling down on their investment in the company along with Rockstud Capital and Flipkart joining the round.

The HRTech SaaS platform plans to use the funds to assemble a team of AI researchers and software engineers, growth hackers to create a stronger brand and product footprint in the Indian market, and expand its operations in the US market, as per a statement from the founders. 

“At Expertia, we’re building an agentic AI Recruiter to eliminate time, cost, and bias in enterprise hiring—making recruitment real-time, fair, and opportunity-rich for professionals worldwide. Our mission is to revolutionize the next decade of hiring by leveraging cutting-edge AI and becoming the global destination for talent and recruitment.” said Akshay Gugnani, Founder of Expertia AI, he further added, “We are thrilled to welcome our new investor and appreciate the continued support of Chiratae Ventures and Endiya Partners,”. 

Startup: Credit Saison India

Sector: NBFC

Amount: US$300 M

Led by: External Commercial Borrowings

Credit Saison India, a non-banking financial company (NBFC), has secured USD 300 million through its maiden syndicated & bilateral External Commercial Borrowings (ECB) to drive growth. This milestone marks Credit Saison India’s first external fund-raise to expand business operations, drive digital transformation, and enhance customer acquisition.

Presha Paragash, Whole Time Director & CEO of Credit Saison India, said, “The successful ECB syndication highlights our robust growth and marks a pivotal step in our expansion journey. The capital will accelerate our India-focused strategy, driving growth in wholesale lending, co-lending partnerships, and direct lending products. We’re doubling down on our presence by expanding beyond our 60+ branches to serve more customers nationwide, growing our secured lending portfolio for sustainable diversification and strengthening partnerships with fintechs and NBFCs. As a trusted lender, we remain committed to financial inclusion through innovation and responsible growth, reinforcing our position as a leading NBFC in India’s underserved credit markets.”

The ECB funding is aimed to bolster Credit Saison India$B!G(Bs ability to scale the assets under management and further its mission of enhancing credit accessibility for underserved segments. This capital infusion aligns with the company$B!G(Bs long-term vision of becoming a leading, diversified lending franchise in India.

Startup: Tvasta Manufacturing Solutions Pvt. Ltd.

Sector: 3D printing

Amount: Undisclosed

Led by: EKI Energy Services Ltd.

EKI Energy Services Ltd. (EKI), a global developer and supplier of carbon credits in international carbon markets, announced a strategic investment in Chennai-based Tvasta Manufacturing Solutions Pvt. Ltd. Tvasta is a pioneering company specializing in research, design, and manufacturing through additive manufacturing (3D printing) technology, with applications across multiple industries.

The investment and partnership, aimed exclusively at generating a favourable return on EKI’s surplus funds, will see EKI closely working with Tvasta and working with 3D Printing technology, with the with the partnership being finalized by April 30, 2025.

Manish Dabkara, Chairman & MD of EKI Energy Services Ltd. (EKI), said, “At EKI, we are always looking for opportunities to support innovative solutions that align with our commitment to sustainability and technological advancements. Tvasta’s expertise in 3D printing has the potential to revolutionize industries by making processes more efficient and reducing material wastage. This partnership is a strategic step towards diversifying our portfolio while ensuring sustainable returns on our surplus funds.”

Startup: Calligo Technologies

Sector: Semiconductor

Amount: Us$1.1 M

Led by: Seafund and Artha Venture Fund

Calligo Technologies, a semiconductor startup, raised $1.1 million in a pre-series A round led by Seafund and Artha Venture Fund.

The funds raised will be used for R&D expenses for developing the ver2.0 Silicon chip and platform. In addition to the previous breakthrough with the POSIT-based ver1.0 silicon semiconductor chip, the company is also planning to further increase its engineering talent and tech capabilities to build va er2.0 Semiconductor products and establish partnerships with System-Integrators and OEMs/ODMs.

Narendra Bhandari, General Partner, Seafund, says, “Compute requirement is growing exponentially across the globe. CalligoTech chips and platform improves performance and reduces data power consumption with their innovative approach. They have completed the full chip cycle from design to products in v1.0 and are accelerating to tapeout the nextgen silicon.”

Startup: DaveAI

Sector: AI conversation

Amount: Undisclosed

Led by: Inflection Point Ventures & SucSEED Indovation Fund

DaveAI, a patented cutting-edge AI conversation experience cloud, announced a growth investment round led by Inflection Point Ventures and SucSEED Indovation Fund. This growth investment round had a strategic mix of equity and debt with participation from Soonicorn Ventures, Yes Bank and Mohan Kumar, Founder at Crestere Technologies LLP. Funds will be used for developing technology leadership, expanding its partner ecosystem, and fast-track global market penetration.

“DaveAI will use this investment to build its proprietary domain-specific Small Language Models focused on industries like Automobile, aiming for a leadership position in AI software for the industry and scaling into new markets such as North America,” said Sriram PH, CEO & Co-Founder, DaveAI.

Startup: Electrotech Pvt Ltd (OEPL)

Sector: DeepTech

Amount: US$ 6 M

Led by: Blume Ventures & Mela Ventures

Electrotech Pvt Ltd (OEPL), a deep-tech company specialising in imaging surveillance technology, successfully closed a US$ 6 million Series A funding round led by Blume Ventures and Mela Ventures. This milestone reinforces OEPL’s position as one of India’s most promising startups in critical sectors like defence and space, driving innovation in AI-powered imaging payloads.

“We’re really excited to back Optimized Electrotech, a company that’s pushing boundaries in defence and deep-tech innovation. Their expertise in AI-driven surveillance and electro-optic solutions fits right into India’s push for self-reliance in critical sectors. This investment isn’t just about funding—it’s about our belief in their ability to lead the way in technology and make a real impact in defence and space,” said Arpit Agarwal, Blume Ventures.

The round saw participation from 9Unicorns and existing investors, including Rajiv Dadlani Group and Venture Catalysts. Their continued support underscores confidence in OEPL’s mission and technology leadership. The round also saw participation from OEPL’s own leadership, with Co-founder and MD Sandeep Shah reaffirming his strong belief in the company’s long-term vision.

Startup: JetSynthesys

Sector: Digital entertainment

Amount: Undisclosed

Led by: Krafton

JetSynthesys, a digital entertainment and technology company specializing in video gaming, esports, and different forms of entertainment using the creator ecosystem, announced an investment led by global gaming giant Krafton, with participation from NAFA Private Equity and existing investors Pratithi Investments, Serum Institute, and the Jetline Group. This milestone marks a pivotal evolution in JetSynthesys’ journey — from being supported by legacy Indian family offices to now attracting strategic and institutional capital from marquee global players.

This investment aligns with JetSynthesys’ ambitious 20x revenue growth plan over the next six years as it prepares to scale across high-potential international markets and deepen its footprint in India. With a proven track record of creating innovative IPs, building cutting-edge platforms, and nurturing vibrant digital communities, JetSynthesys is increasingly becoming the partner of choice for global Media & Entertainment companies entering or scaling in India.

Rajan Navani, Founder and CEO, said: “This is a defining moment in JetSynthesys’ journey. We’re expanding from being a new age family office led company to an India first global platform, now open to world-class strategic and financial partners. With Krafton’s trust and shared vision, we’re accelerating our ambition to scale 20x over the next six years. This investment further fuels our mission to build culturally rooted, globally relevant digital experiences—deepening our leadership in India and expanding into key international markets through IP-led innovation, local partnerships, and strategic acquisitions.”

Startup: Uniqus Consultech

Sector: Consulting

Amount: Us$20 M

Led by: Nexus Venture Partners

Uniqus Consultech, a tech-enabled global platform that offers consulting solutions in the accounting & reporting, finance operations, governance, risk, ESG, and technology domains, announced that it has secured $20 million in Series C funding. The round was led by Nexus Venture Partners, with participation from Sorin Investments. Nexus and Sorin are existing investors in Uniqus. The funds will be used to accelerate the company’s rapid growth trajectory, launch adjacent services, and expand its geographical footprint across the globe. Uniqus also plans substantial R&D investments in AI-driven solutions for the reporting and risk management challenges faced by its clients.

“Uniqus represents the future of consulting,” said Anup Gupta, Managing Director of Nexus Venture Partners. “While traditional consulting firms struggle to adapt to changing market needs, Uniqus takes a fundamentally different approach that delivers superior results. The company’s strategic use of technology and AI, coupled with its global cloud delivery model, unlocks an enormous opportunity to transform client outcomes and redefine consulting economics. We are thrilled to reinforce our partnership with Team Uniqus in this exciting journey.”

Startup: Primebook

Sector: Android laptop

Amount: US$2 M

Led by: Inflection Point Ventures, Auxano Capital & NexG Devices

Primebook- a first-of-its-kind Android laptop brand, announced a successful Pre-Series A fundraise of USD 2 million in a mix of equity and debt. The round saw participation from Inflection Point Ventures, Auxano Capital, and NexG Devices, along with high-net-worth individual investors such as Rikant Pittie, CEO and Co-founder, EaseMyTrip, and Bhavesh Gupta, Ex COO, Paytm.

Chitranshu Mahant, CEO of Primebook, said, ”We’re excited about the new chapter in our journey, and we are extremely thankful to our investors for their faith and backing. Furthermore, this investment enables us to put more resources toward product development, scale our operations, and reach millions more households in India. Thanks to our proprietary blend of affordable innovation and advanced technology, Primebook is on its way to becoming the preferred brand for students, professionals, and families.’’