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Retail advisory platform Univest raises $10 Mn in Series A

EntrackrEntrackr · 1y ago
Retail advisory platform Univest raises $10 Mn in Series A
Medial

Retail advisory platform Univest has raised $10 million in a Series A funding round led by Bertelsmann India Investments (BII). The startup had previously raised $1.5 million in a seed funding round from Trinity Media Group, Akash Anand, Deep Bajaj, and others. The fresh funds will be deployed towards accelerating its aim to democratize access to high-quality research and providing a full-stack brokerage offering, Univest said in a press release. Co-founded in 2022 by Pranit Arora, Avneet Dhamija, and Vikash Agarwal, Univest is a retail advisory platform, offering general recommendations through its SEBI-registered RA entity, Uniresearch. It provides expert trading advice across stocks, derivatives, and commodities. The platform aspires to become India's most trusted, research-first stock market super app, solving all retail investor challenges from selecting the right picks to timely exits on a single platform. “Our focus will remain on delivering seamless, personalized, and actionable insights that simplify the investment journey for our users. We look forward to leveraging this partnership to redefine the brokerage model and establish Univest as the go-to platform for retail investors in India,” said Pranit Arora, co-founder & CEO of Univest. According to the Gurugram-based company, it combines human expertise with advanced algorithms and real-time stock screening and delivers timely & reliable trading recommendations. The company offers flexible subscription plans across equity, futures, options, and commodities for 3, 6, and 12 months, and 5-year plans. Investors receive entry and exit signals from SEBI-registered analysts during live market hours, ensuring timely and accurate decision-making. Univest has been selected for the prestigious Google for Startups Accelerator Cohort 2024, recognized among the top 20 startups in India for its impactful solutions and immense growth potential. The platform claims that since inception, it has attracted over 3 million sign-ups and more than 150,000 paying subscribers, driven by an impressive success rate of 85% on profitable calls, with 60% of calls reaching their target prices. It competes with other startups in this space, such as Liquide, Waya, Tejimandi, Stoxbox, Gapup Club, and INDmoney.

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Univest concludes first ESOP buyback worth Rs 1.61 Cr

EntrackrEntrackr · 8m ago
Univest concludes first ESOP buyback worth Rs 1.61 Cr
Medial

Univest concludes first ESOP buyback worth Rs 1.61 Cr Retail advisory platform Univest has concluded its first Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) buyback worth Rs 1.61 crore. The program enabled early employees to liquidate a portion of their ESOPs, offering financial returns based on their equity holdings. The initiative aimed to reward employees who contributed during the company’s foundational years, particularly those across product, technology, marketing, and customer support. Employees participating in the scheme had joined during its seed and pre-Series A stages. According to Univest, the buyback is intended to align long-term incentives with the company’s growth trajectory. This development follows the introduction of its ESOP policy in late 2024 and is positioned as part of a broader strategy to retain skilled talent in the fintech sector. “The decision to offer early liquidity was based on recognizing the role of employee ownership in shaping organizational stability. Other co-founders echoed the importance of acknowledging contributions beyond salaries and bonuses, especially in areas like engineering and product development, where innovation cycles are fast-paced,” said Pranit Arora, CEO and co-founder of Univest. The Gurugram-based startup plans to explore future buyback opportunities in line with upcoming fundraising events. The company currently offers a technology-enabled trading and investment platform with a focus on research-backed tools for retail investors. Co-founded in 2022 by Arora, Avneet Dhamija, and Vikash Agarwal, Univest is a retail advisory platform offering general recommendations through its SEBI-registered RA entity, Uniresearch. It provides expert trading advice across stocks, derivatives, and commodities. In December last year, it raised $10 million in a Series A funding round led by Bertelsmann India Investments (BII). The startup competes with other companies in this space, such as Liquide, Waya, Tejimandi, Stoxbox, Gapup Club, and INDmoney.

PowerUp Money raises $12 Mn in Series A round led by Peak XV

EntrackrEntrackr · 2m ago
PowerUp Money raises $12 Mn in Series A round led by Peak XV
Medial

PowerUp Money raises $12 Mn in Series A round led by Peak XV PowerUp Money, a mutual fund advisory wealthtech platform, has raised $12 million in a Series A funding round led by Peak XV with participation from existing investors Accel, Blume Ventures, and Kae Capital. The round also saw continued backing from 8i Ventures and DevC, and came just six months after the company raised $7.2 million in seed funding. The proceeds will be utilized to strengthen its research and advisory capabilities, scale PowerUp Elite, launch PowerUp Infinite, and invest in financial literacy and investor education initiatives, PowerUp Money said in a press release. Founded in 2024 by Prateek Jindal, PowerUp Money aims to build a research-led, zero-commission mutual fund advisory platform to make high-quality, unbiased investment advice accessible to millions of Indians at a fraction of traditional costs. As a SEBI-registered Registered Investment Advisor (RIA), the platform ensures that recommendations remain fully aligned with investors’ long-term wealth creation goals. According to the Bengaluru-based startup, its app enables users to review their mutual fund portfolios free of cost and assess portfolio health and performance. The startup’s flagship offering PowerUp Elite delivers personalized mutual fund advisory directly through the app for an annual fee of Rs 999. The subscription covers fund selection, portfolio reviews, rebalancing, asset allocation, and end-to-end portfolio guidance backed by institution-grade research. The company plans to launch PowerUp Infinite, a fully managed investment advisory product offering dedicated 1:1 advisory, goal planning, and personalized investment strategies delivered in a transparent and unbiased manner. Together, PowerUp Elite and PowerUp Infinite will form a comprehensive advisory stack, spanning app-first personalized guidance to fully managed wealth solutions led by expert advisors. Within eight months of launch, PowerUp claims to have onboarded over 5 lakh users and is currently tracking more than Rs 65,000 crore in assets, indicating strong early user engagement with the platform. PowerUp Elite has also onboarded over 25,000 paid members. Over the next three years, it aims to onboard 10 million users, deepening its role in shaping the future of retail wealth management in India.

Exclusive: StockGro set to raise $15 Mn led by Tawuniya

EntrackrEntrackr · 2d ago
Exclusive: StockGro set to raise $15 Mn led by Tawuniya
Medial

Exclusive: StockGro set to raise $15 Mn led by Tawuniya Social investing and stock market advisory platform StockGro is in advanced discussions to raise up to $15 million in its pre-Series C round, two sources aware of the development told Entrackr. Tawuniya, Saudi Arabia’s largest insurance company, will lead the round in the Bengaluru-based firm, said one of the sources, requesting anonymity. The terms of the deal are almost final. The investment is expected to be in the range of $10–15 million, the source added. Founded in 2020 by Ajay Lakhotia, StockGro offers a platform for trading and investing with expert insights and AI-based research in a community-driven format. It recently launched Stoxo, a research platform that gives its 35 million-plus users ready-to-use investment analysis. This fresh investment comes shortly after the company closed its Series B1 round in January 2026, raising $13 million from Bitkraft Ventures. Before that, it had secured $17 million in a Series B round led by ace investor Mukul Agrawal’s Param Capital. StockGro did not respond to queries on the new fundraise. To date, StockGro has raised a total of $97 million through a mix of equity and debt from investors including General Catalyst, SBI Holdings, and a subsidiary of SoftBank. The company is yet to file its FY25 financial statements. In FY24, its revenue from operations declined 34% to Rs 86.5 crore from Rs 131 crore in FY23, while losses widened 84% to Rs 101 crore during FY24. StockGro operates in India’s retail investment market and competes with Groww, Zerodha, Upstox, INDmoney, and Angel One. These firms provide stockbroking, advisory, and investment products to retail users across equity and derivatives segments. It focuses on social investing and research-led tools as it looks to scale its presence in the segment.

Nitro Commerce raises $5 Mn in Series A led by Cornerstone Ventures

EntrackrEntrackr · 1m ago
Nitro Commerce raises $5 Mn in Series A led by Cornerstone Ventures
Medial

New Delhi-based Nitro Commerce, an AI-powered growth platform for India’s digital consumer economy, has raised $5 million in a full-equity Series A funding round. The round was led by Cornerstone Ventures, with participation from India Accelerator & Finvolve, Equentis Wealth Advisory Services, Grand Anicut Angel Fund, Razorpay Ventures, Rukum Sitara Fund, and Ankurit Capital. Nitro Commerce plans to deploy the fresh capital toward platform-led growth, team expansion, strengthening AI and agentic capabilities, and scaling its international footprint. Founded by Umair Mohammad, Shamail Tayyab, and Pratik Anand, Nitro Commerce is building an AI-led growth operating layer for consumer brands across D2C, quick commerce, marketplaces, and retail. The company said the funding comes amid strong traction, with its revenue growing 10x year-on-year, reaching $5 million ARR within 12 months, and targeting $10 million ARR over the next six months. Nitro aims to address rising customer acquisition costs and fragmented attribution in India’s rapidly expanding consumer economy by unifying identity, intent, engagement, and attribution into a single growth layer. Its platform includes NitroX, a commerce identity network that converts anonymous users into identifiable customers; Nitro Ads, an intent-led alternative advertising platform activating audiences beyond traditional ad ecosystems; and Nitro Pulse, an AI-driven sales and engagement engine focused on improving conversions and recovering demand. The platform is currently used by more than 2,500 brands, including Imagine Online, Rare Rabbit, Dot & Key, Pepperfry, Blue Tokai, VIP Industries, and Neeman’s.

StockGro raises $13 Mn in Series B1 funding from BITKRAFT Ventures

EntrackrEntrackr · 2m ago
StockGro raises $13 Mn in Series B1 funding from BITKRAFT Ventures
Medial

StockGro raises $13 Mn in Series B1 funding from BITKRAFT Ventures Social investment and stock market advisory platform StockGro has raised $13 million from BITKRAFT Ventures, as part of its Series B1 round. The new funding comes soon after StockGro’s $17 million Series B round from ace investor Mukul Agarwal’s Param Capital. Entrackr had exclusively reported this development. The fresh capital will be deployed towards geographic expansion, strengthening its advisory and research stack, and deepening its presence across multiple asset classes, the company said in a press release. Founded in 2020 by former venture capitalist Ajay Lakhotia, StockGro is building a full-stack ecosystem for smarter trading and investing through expert-driven insights and AI-powered research, delivered via its social-first, community-led platform. When StockGro began operations in 2020, India had around 4 crore demat accounts. By 2025, this figure had increased to over 20 crore accounts, a nearly fivefold rise over a few years and a broader shift in household participation in capital markets. To date, the company has raised about $90 million in a mix of debt and equity, per data from TheKredible. Its notable backers include SBI Ventures, Root Ventures, and General Catalyst. StockGro has yet to file its FY25 financials. In FY24, the company’s revenue from operations declined 34% to Rs 86.5 crore from Rs 131 crore in FY23, while its losses widened 84% to Rs 101 crore over the same period.

Consulting startup Kayess Square raises Rs 10 Cr in pre-Series A

EntrackrEntrackr · 1m ago
Consulting startup Kayess Square raises Rs 10 Cr in pre-Series A
Medial

Kayess Square, a finance, risk, governance, and transaction advisory firm, has raised Rs 10 crore in a pre-Series A funding round led by Vakil Housing, with participation from Parthasarathy NS, Ramakrishna, Umashankar, Raveen Sastry, Vadiraj Katti, Suresh Pillay, Anand Narayanan, and others. The proceeds will be used to strengthen its core practice areas and enhance the quality of its advisory services, the company said in a press release. Co-founded in 2017 by Sathya Pramod and Shivadutt Bannanje, the Bengaluru-based firm operates at the intersection of finance, governance, transactions, and law. Kayess Square provides CFO advisory, M&A and transaction advisory, due diligence, valuation, risk management, tax advisory, and secretarial services to enterprises across stages and sectors. It supports businesses from early institutionalisation and capital raising to scaling operations. The firm primarily works with startups, growth-stage companies, and investors, offering transaction and M&A advisory, due diligence, and strategic investment support. These services are complemented by a fractional CFO platform and expertise in tax structuring, valuation, corporate and secretarial compliance, risk advisory, and legal contract management. In 2025, Kayess Square acquired the tax compliance and tax advisory division of Consark Advisory Services LLP, strengthening its direct and indirect tax capabilities. According to its website, it has executed more than 4,000 projects and served over 100 clients. Going ahead, Kayess Square plans to attract top-tier talent, deepen domain expertise, and selectively expand into key business geographies. The company aims to build a scaled, institution-led advisory platform to support investors and businesses navigating growth, capital, and governance in an increasingly complex regulatory environment.

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