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Top News of the day: 1. Nearly 40% of start-up founders are turning to debt financing at the pre-IPO level, with around 49% of venture debt occurring in series B and beyond. 2. Lifestyle luggage brand Fur Jaden has picked up Rs 9.5 crore (about $1.1 million) in pre-Series A funding round led by Gruhas Collective Consumer Fund (GCCF). 3. Meesho’s co-founders, Vidit Aatrey and Sanjeev Kumar, have exercised equity shares under the company’s 2024 ESOP plan—a move that comes as Meesho gears up for its Initial Public Offering (IPO). 4. Somerset Indus Capital Partners, a private equity firm focusing on healthcare investments, has increased its stake in a medical technology company. 5. Gen Z-focused direct-to-consumer brand Freakins is raising Rs 25 crore (approximately $3 million) in its Series A round from existing investors Matrix Partners India and Blume Ventures. 6. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has appointed Sohini Rajola as Executive Director of Growth. 7. Biofortified food brand Better Nutrition has raised Rs 10 crore in a seed funding round from family offices, high-net-worth individuals (HNIs), and angel investors such as Namita Thapar, Shantanu Deshpande, PV Sindhu, Aclr8.vc, Apurva Chamaria, Karan Jindal, and Akshay Ghulati. 8. Beams Fintech Fund has invested in Infinity Fincorp Solutions Pvt Ltd as part of the company’s extended Series A funding round, which totals $40 million. 9. Indian luxury watch brand Argos Watches has raised Rs 6.5 crore (around $780K) in an angel funding round, valuing the company at Rs 45 crore ($5.4 million) from a group of high-net-worth Indian investors. 10. Transit retail chain Yatrikart has secured a strategic investment as a part of Series A funding round from MMG Group, the Indian partner of global giants McDonald's and Coca-Cola, acquiring a stake at a valuation of Rs 100 crore. 11. Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions reached a record high of Rs 24.77 lakh crore in March, marking a 12.7% increase from February and a significant 25% year-on-year rise. 12. Venture debt backers of building material marketplace Infra.Market are looking to sell a stake worth up to $30 million in a secondary transaction prior to an IPO, according to reports. 13. Indian private equity firm Ascent Capital is exiting a decade-old portfolio company as it shifts focus towards mid-stage venture capital-style transactions. 14. Fittr, a leading community-based fitness marketplace, reported ₹134 crore revenue and ₹12 crore PBT for the financial year. 15. The Bear House, a popular men’s fashion brand, has raised Rs 50 crore ($5.84 million) in its Series A round led by JM Financial India Growth Fund III. 16. Atomberg Technology, a consumer appliances brand, achieved over Rs 1,000 crore in revenue for the financial year 2024–25. 17. Alibaba is set to launch Qwen 3, its advanced AI model, in April amid escalating global competition in artificial intelligence. 18. Visa has reportedly offered Apple around $100 million to take over its credit card partnership from Mastercard, seeking to secure the Apple Card with an upfront payment usually reserved for major card programs. 19. Stance Health, a Bengaluru-based healthtech startup, secured $1 million in pre-seed funding led by General Catalyst, with participation from Antler and angel investors. 20. Ayurvedic wellness brand Kapiva, operated by Adret Retail Pvt Ltd, is seeking Series D funding. Stay Updated. Stay Informed. Stay Ahead. Share the Medial App with your network, colleagues, and friends. Let's brainstorm, discuss together and help each other achieve our goals. And don't forget to rate us on the iOS App Store and Google Play Store to help us reach even more amazing people like you.