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Exclusive: Salesforce Venture to lead $15 Mn in app builder Rocket.new

EntrackrEntrackr · 1m ago
Exclusive: Salesforce Venture to lead $15 Mn in app builder Rocket.new
Medial

url: https://entrackr.com/exclusive/exclusive-salesforce-venture-to-lead-15-mn-in-app-builder-rocketnew-10068354 Content: Mobile app builder Rocket.new (formerly Dhiwise) is set to raise Rs 131.4 crore or $15 million in its extended Series A round led by Salesforce Ventures and existing investors Accel and Together Fund. This marks the first significant funding for the four-year-old company in three years since it raised $7 million in August 2022. According to its filing with the Registrar of Companies, Rocket.new’s board approved issuing 4,81,718 Series A1 CCPS at Rs 2,728 each to raise the specified amount. Salesforce Ventures will lead the round with an investment of Rs 74.46 crore ($8.46 million), with Accel and Together Fund also partaking in the funding. The company plans to utilize the proceeds for growth, expansion, and working capital needs. Entrackr estimates that the Surat-based company’s valuation will more than double to Rs 545 crore ($62 million) from its previous valuation of Rs 256 crore in its last funding round. Post allotment, Accel will become the largest external shareholder, holding an 18.87% stake, with Salesforce Ventures at 13.68% and Together Fund at 5.62%. Co-founders Vishal Virani and Rahul Shingala will maintain a collective 36% stake in the company. Founded in 2021 by Vishal Virani and Rahul Shingala, Rocket.new is an AI-powered no-code/low-code platform enabling users to build and launch apps, websites, and tools from simple prompts or designs. The company, according to startup data intelligence platform TheKredible, raised over $9.5 million previously from investors like Accel, India Quotient, Together Fund, and Dholakia Ventures. Rocket.new reported Rs 3.5 crore in revenue for FY24, with losses increasing by 46% to Rs 11 crore, as per its standalone financials filed with the RoC.

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Exclusive: Info Edge in talks to lead $2.5 Mn round in Ghar Mandir

EntrackrEntrackr · 2m ago
Exclusive: Info Edge in talks to lead $2.5 Mn round in Ghar Mandir
Medial

Exclusive: Info Edge in talks to lead $2.5 Mn round in Ghar Mandir Ghar Mandir, a digital devotional platform, is in late-stage talks to raise $2.5 million in its maiden funding round led by Info Edge, according to people familiar with the matter. The latest capital infusion is expected to help Ghar Mandir accelerate its product development and expand its reach, as competition intensifies within India’s burgeoning faith-tech sector. “Info Edge is expected to issue a term sheet as due diligence enters its final stage,” said one of the persons requesting anonymity. The round will mark Info Edge’s first lead investment in the temple-tech or devotion tech space this year. Ghar Mandir, founded by Samya Mittal and Apurva Shah in August 2023, lets users book temple offerings and devotional services online. Partnering with over 50 temples and priests, it delivers prasad, conducts rituals starting at Rs 101, and shares video recordings. The bootstrapped platform claims to have served over one lakh users to date. According to sources, the deal is expected to close in a few weeks, with Ghar Mandir targeting a valuation of $10–15 million, if all goes as planned. Queries sent to Ghar Mandir and Info Edge did not elicit an immediate response. The move comes on the heels of competitor AppsForBharat, parent of Sri Mandir, raising $20 million in a Series C round led by Susquehanna Asia Venture Capital last month. DevDham, Vama, Utsav App, Sutradhar, and 27 Mantra are also competing in the same space. According to a formal complaint against Ghar Mandir and others reviewed by Entrackr, the apps came under scrutiny following a spate of cyber frauds. A notice from the Ahmednagar Cyber Police warned about fake websites offering VIP passes for the Shirdi Sai Baba temple. The complaint added that fraudsters are deceiving people by collecting money and personal details through these sites.

Exclusive: SriMandir’s parent AppsForBharat in talks to raise $15-20 Mn

EntrackrEntrackr · 1y ago
Exclusive: SriMandir’s parent AppsForBharat in talks to raise $15-20 Mn
Medial

AppsForBharat, the parent company of devotional app SriMandir, is in talks to raise a new round from new and existing investors, according to three people aware of the development. “AppsForBharat is in late-stage discussion with three new investors to raise $15-20 million,” said one of the sources requesting anonymity. “An Indian growth stage fund and a Singapore-based investor are in the race to lead the round.” Sources outline that the Bengaluru-based growth stage fund has backed companies including Spinny, Pharmeasy, FarEye and Probo. The Bengaluru-based startup had scooped up $10 million Series A in September 2021 and $4 million Seed round in August. As per sources, AppsForBharat is seeking a valuation of close to $100 million. “Existing investors including Peak XV and Elevation will also join the round on a pro-rata basis. The contours of the deal are being chalked out and the deal is likely to materialize later this month,” said another source who also wished not to be named as discussions are private. Queries sent to AppsForBharat didn’t elicit any response. AppsForBharat’s flagship product SriMandir allows users to create their personalized shrines, consume devotional content, connect with prayer groups, and access a large library of spiritual texts, scriptures and videos. Users can also consult with astrologers and priests. It claims to have over 10 million downloads since its inception in 2021. AppsForBharat’s long list of investors includes Peak XV, BEENEXT, Matrix Partners and angels such as Scott Schleifer, Ankush Sachdeva, Farid Ahsan and Bhanu Pratap Singh, Utsav Somani, Vidit Aatrey and Sanjeev Barnwal, Kunal Shah and Sai Srinivas. AppsForBharat registered Rs 3.53 crore in revenue with Rs 45 crore loss in FY23, according to startup data intelligence platform TheKredible. The firm is expected to post a better result in the last fiscal year (FY24). It competes with DevDham, Utsav App, Sutradhar, and 27 Mantra. As per data compiled by TheKredible, astro and spiritual tech startups have raised around $25 million in the past 12 months. Besides Ustav App and DevDham, InstaAstro, AstroTalk, Vama, and Melooha also raised decent funding during the period.

Exclusive: Zetwerk raises $20 Mn from Wheelhouse Ventures

EntrackrEntrackr · 1y ago
Exclusive: Zetwerk raises $20 Mn from Wheelhouse Ventures
Medial

Business-to-business e-commerce unicorn Zetwerk has raised Rs 166 crore or $20 million from Wheelhouse Venture Capital in the ongoing Series F funding round. This is the maiden investment for Wheelhouse Venture in the Bengaluru-based firm. The board at Zetwerk has passed a special resolution to allot 40,81,593 Series F2 CPPS at an issue price of Rs 407.39 each to raise Rs 166.28 crore or $20 million, its regulatory filing sourced from the Registrar of Companies shows. As per startup data intelligence platform TheKredible, the firm has been valued at $2.8 billion in the new round, slightly higher than the $2.7 billion reported in its previous round of $120 million. Entrackr had exclusively reported the development in October 2023. Following the fresh proceeds, Wheelhouse got a little less than 1% stake in Zetwerk while Greenoaks remained the largest stakeholder with 21.63% followed by Peak XV partners and Lighspped. Its co-founders Srinath Ramakkrushnan and Amrit Acharya cumulatively command 15.56% of the company. Head to TheKredible for the complete cap table. Zetwerk partners with offline suppliers engaged in the fabrication, machining, casting, forging, and galvanizing of machine parts. Operational in over 15 countries, it claims to serve over 100 customers across more than 25 industries in India, North America, MEA, et al. Continuing its growth trajectory in the last fiscal year, Zetwerk’s GMV (gross revenue) surged 2.3X to Rs 11,448 crore while its losses grew 81% to Rs 109 crore in the same period (FY23).

Exclusive: Durlabh Darshan set to raise $2 Mn led by Prime VP

EntrackrEntrackr · 4m ago
Exclusive: Durlabh Darshan set to raise $2 Mn led by Prime VP
Medial

Exclusive: Durlabh Darshan set to raise $2 Mn led by Prime VP Spiritual startup Durlabh Darshan is set to raise $2 million in its first institutional funding round, according to sources familiar with the matter. The Bhopal-based company will join a growing list of startups in the spiritual tech space that have secured funding in recent years. “Prime Venture Partners is in late-stage talks to lead a new funding round in Durlabh Darshan,” said one of the sources, requesting anonymity. “The terms of the deal have been finalised.” Earlier in 2022, Durlabh Darshan had raised Rs 7.45 crore from individual investors, including Saurav Jindal, Deepak Garg, Gaurav Raizada, Jasvir Singh, and Nitesh Gupta, according to regulatory filings. Founded in 2024 by Prashan Kumar Mishra, Durlabh Darshan creates 3D 360° darshan journeys of major Hindu temples and rituals—such as Kashi Vishwanath in Varanasi, Mahakaleshwar in Ujjain, and Vaishno Devi in Katra. According to the company’s website, its journey began with a patent for a low-cost XR controller for smartphones. The company offers Durlabh Darshan Kendras—physical centers in temple towns—and online services that provide VR headset sessions and home-viewing kits, with bookings available for in-person VR shows like the Bhasma Aarti in Ujjain or home sessions starting at Rs 150–250. As per sources, Durlabh Darshan will be valued at under $10 million post money. Entrackr has reached out to Prime VP and Durlabh Darshan for comments. Its competitors include Temple 360, Who VR, and the Pilgrimage Tour app. Data from TheKredible reveals that startups in the astro and spiritual tech sector, including AstroTalk, Vama, Ustav App, DevDham, InstaAstro, and Melooha, have collectively raised more than $75 million over the past two and a half years. The sector also saw consolidation, as BrahmVeda acquired Vedvaani and Melooha took over Munitalks.

Exclusive: EV charging startup Statiq in talks to raise $15-18 Mn

EntrackrEntrackr · 4d ago
Exclusive: EV charging startup Statiq in talks to raise $15-18 Mn
Medial

Founded in 2020 by Akshit Bansal and Raghav Arora, Statiq builds and operates EV charging infrastructure and runs a consumer app for locating and booking charging points. EV charging network startup Statiq is in advanced talks to raise around $15 to 18 million in a new funding round from new and exiting investors, according to two people familiar with the potential deal. “Statiq was earlier exploring a much larger round, but the company has now decided to settle for a smaller cheque in the range of $15–18 million,” said one of the people cited above, requesting anonymity. “A new institutional investor is likely to lead the round, with participation from other new and existing investors.” Statiq last raised $25.7 million in a Series A round led by Shell Ventures in mid 2022. The firm was later reported to be in talks for a $50 million Series B last year but the round did not materialize at that scale. The startup offers a mix of hardware and software led services, with its hardware segment including chargers and related infrastructure contributing the majority of its revenue. Statiq also runs a financing program for EV charging stations in partnership with State Bank of India to accelerate infrastructure expansion. As per sources, Statiq’s valuation will remain flat in the Series B round, at around $100 million post-money. The flat valuation isn’t surprising, as Statiq’s Indian entity (Sharify Services Pvt Ltd) saw its revenue from operations decline 40% year-on-year to Rs 40.9 crore in FY24 from Rs 67.53 crore in FY23. At the same time, the company’s losses ballooned 3.1X to Rs 44.52 crore in FY25. It’s yet to disclose FY25 numbers. “The company is likely to deploy the fresh capital toward network expansion and product development to strengthen its position in the EV charging space,” said the source quoted above. Terms of the deal may change. Entrackr reached out to Statiq’s founders and Shell Ventures for comment but did not receive a response until the time of publication. In the EV charging infrastructure sector, Statiq faces competition from well-funded startups such as Charge Zone, ElectricPe, Bolt.Earth, and IPEC.

Exclusive: Elevation Capital to lead $5 Mn round in Rumik.ai

EntrackrEntrackr · 4m ago
Exclusive: Elevation Capital to lead $5 Mn round in Rumik.ai
Medial

Exclusive: Elevation Capital to lead $5 Mn round in Rumik.ai Rumik has developed Ira, an AI system built to analyze emotion, understand user intent, and converse in languages such as Hinglish, Bangla, and Marathi. Conversational AI platform Rumik.ai is raising a new round led by Elevation Capital with participation from existing investors, according to two people aware of the matter. "Rumik recently raised $1.5 million from Info Edge, and Elevation is now leading a fresh $5 million in a new round," said a person who requested anonymity, as the details of the deal aren’t public. Sources also indicated that Huddle Ventures and Info Edge invested in April and both are likely to participate in the new round as well. Incorporated in April 2024, Rumik AI focuses on providing its conversational AI platform to enterprises. It has developed Ira, an AI system built to analyze emotion, understand user intent, and converse in languages such as Hinglish, Bangla, and Marathi. The company emphasizes that Ira does more than just process data. It forms memories and experiences to develop human-like intelligence, aiming to bridge the gap between robotic responses and genuine understanding. “The term sheet has been signed, and the money is likely to move soon,” said a second source who requested anonymity. “Given the recent investor interest in conversational AI and speech recognition, Rumik may be targeting a valuation in the range of $25–30 million.” Queries sent to Elevation, Rumik, Info Edge and Huddle did not elicit a response by the time of publication. Last month, Elevation Capital led a $6 million seed funding round in Agentic AI startup Adopt AI, which also features a conversational AI interface that executes tasks using natural language. In December 2024, the venture capital firm appointed former Meta executive Krishna Mehra as a partner to lead investments in software-as-a-service (SaaS) and AI.

Exclusive: Accel to lead $8 Mn round in wedding service marketplace Meragi

EntrackrEntrackr · 1y ago
Exclusive: Accel to lead $8 Mn round in wedding service marketplace Meragi
Medial

Meragi, an online platform to discover, design and purchase all wedding related services and products, is all set to raise $8 million in a new round, according to two people aware of the development. “Accel will lead the round while existing backers Surge and Venture Highway may also participate. The deal is in the final stage as all paperwork has been completed,” said a source requesting anonymity. Meragi was part of the eighth cohort of Peak XV’s accelerator program Surge which also featured Arintra, AltWorld, Bifrost, Calyx Global, Diri Care, Masterchow, Metastable Materials, RedBrick AI, Requestly, Tentang Anak, and Vaaree. Launched in 2021, Meragi provides modern wedding-related services such as decoration, photography, videography, makeup, hairstyling, mehendi, catering, venue, entertainment, and invitations. The platform allows users to discover, design, and purchase these products and services for various lifestyle events. It also offers destination wedding packages in Goa, Coorg, Chikkamagaluru, Mysuru, and Bengaluru. Accel declined to comment on the story while queries sent to Meragi’s co-founders did not elicit any response until publication of the story. As per data sourced from the company’s regulatory filings, Meragi has raised around Rs 40 crore ($4.5 million) to date from Surge, Venture Highway and angels including Livspace’s co-founder Ramakant Sharma. Currently, Surge is the largest external stakeholder in Meragi with 25% stake, according to startup data intelligence platform TheKredible. Venture Highway controls 20% stake while three co-founders Mukund Mohan Raj, Lakshminarayan Balasubramaniam, and Abhinav Vinay Chandran hold 14.25% stake each in the company. Notably, all three co-founders were part of Livspace for around five years. ShaadiSaga, Wedmegood, Wedding Brigade, and Shaadilogy, among others also compete in the space.

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