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Bengaluru-based cybersecurity startup Astra Security has secured funding in a round led by Emergent Ventures, with participation from Neon Fund, Blume Ventures, and PointOne Capital. Prior to this, the startup had raised $120K (₹10.4 Lakh) as part of the Techstars Accelerators programme. Expansion & AI-Powered Security Solutions Founder and CEO Shikhil Sharma stated that the fresh capital will be used to: Expand operations in the US, including hiring new teams. Enhance product offerings with AI-driven security solutions. Develop cloud security solutions within the next year. About Astra Security Founded in 2018 by Sharma and Ananda Krishna, Astra Security provides continuous and scalable pentesting—simulating cyberattacks to identify system vulnerabilities. Their AI-driven platform mimics hacker behavior and suggests fixes to security engineers. Key Milestones & Market Position 3,000+ tests conducted, uncovering 2M+ vulnerabilities (30,000+ per month). Clients include Mamaearth, Dream11, Muthoot Finance, and others. 45% of its client base is in the US, with a strong presence in healthcare, BFSI, and fintech. Team Astra Security👇 Shikhil Sharma | Priya Bhatt | Jinson Varghese | Ashish Khare| Team Emergent👇 Ankur Jain | Rishi Khullar | Aruneesh Salhotra |Anupam Rastogi |

Event-based trading platform Probo has recorded a 5.3X year-on-year (YoY) revenue growth, surpassing ₹450 crore in FY24, up from ₹86 crore in FY23 and just ₹2.6 crore in FY22. The Peak XV Partners-backed company also saw its net profit surge 25X YoY, reaching ₹92 crore in FY24. Key Financial Highlights Revenue from operations: ₹459 crore in FY24 (up from ₹86 crore in FY23). Net profit: ₹92 crore in FY24 (up from ₹3.7 crore in FY23). Platform fees: ₹449 crore (97.8% of total revenue). Total income: ₹474 crore in FY24. Advertising & promotion: ₹271 crore (77% of total expenses, up 5.2X YoY). Total expenses: ₹351 crore in FY24 (up 3.5X YoY). Scaling Profitability & Market Growth Founded in 2019 by Sachin Gupta and Ashish Garg, Probo enables users to trade opinions on future events across sports, finance, entertainment, and startups. Despite aggressive spending on influencer-driven marketing, the company remains profitable, spending ₹0.76 to earn ₹1. Probo’s EBITDA margin improved to 26.1%, while ROCE climbed to 42.6%. By the end of FY24, its current assets stood at ₹274 crore, including ₹169 crore in cash & bank balances. Future Outlook With a scalable business model and strong profitability, Probo appears well-positioned for continued growth. Industry analysts speculate that the company could hit ₹1,000 crore in revenue by 2026, potentially achieving unicorn status even earlier if momentum continues into FY25. Team Probo👇 Sachin Gupta | Ashish Garg | Ashish Garg | Shivam Munshi | Suneet Kumbhat | Aamir Sohail | Neha Bhandari |

Hospitality giant OYO has unveiled plans to invest £50 million (approx. ₹536.95 crore) in the UK over the next three years, aiming to expand its premium hotel portfolio through high-end acquisitions, long-term leases, and management contracts. The company is in advanced discussions with leading hotel chains and real estate firms for asset management deals, signaling a strategic shift towards premiumization in the UK market. According to a press release, this investment is expected to create 1,000 direct and indirect jobs while attracting more international travelers, contributing significantly to the local hospitality industry. This development follows OYO’s ₹650 crore (~$65M) fundraise last month from Redsprig Innovation Partners, an affiliate of founder Ritesh Agarwal. Earlier, in August last year, Agarwal’s Singapore-based fund, Patient Capital, led a $175 million round in the company. Expanding Premium Presence in the UK Since entering the UK market in 2018, OYO has grown to 200+ properties across 65 cities, initially catering to the budget segment. However, with a renewed focus on premium expansion, the company is now targeting leasehold and management contracts to strengthen its portfolio. "OYO has established a strong presence in the UK, and we are now focused on scaling our premium offerings by introducing renowned European brands to the market," said Puneet Y., OYO’s UK Country Head. The company has plans to launch 40+ premium self-operated hotels this financial year. 18 hotels have already been onboarded, with 22 more in the pipeline across major cities like London, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow, Bristol, Cardiff, and Edinburgh. Team Oyo👇 Abhinav Sinha | Dinesh Ramamurthi | Dinesh Reddy | Sandeep Singh | Aniket Jain | Avinash Kumar | Rakesh Kumar| Anshuman Gupta| Himanshu Gupta | Aayush Bagri | #oyo #oyouk #oyohotels #startupnews #oyoeurope #startupro

Swiggy, a leading player in foodtech and quick commerce, recorded a 31% year-on-year (YoY) growth in operating revenue, reaching ₹3,993 crore in Q3 FY25, up from ₹3,048 crore in Q3 FY24. Key Revenue Contributors Food Delivery: Contributed 34.23% of total revenue, growing 3% YoY to ₹1,367 crore (Q3 FY25) from ₹1,326 crore (Q3 FY24). Quick Commerce: Witnessed a 113% surge in revenue, climbing to ₹576 crore (Q3 FY25) from ₹270 crore (Q3 FY24), driven by higher order frequency and new dark stores. Scootsy Logistics: Accounted for 42% of Swiggy’s revenue, with a 23% QoQ increase to ₹1,692 crore (Q3 FY25) from ₹1,377 crore (Q3 FY24). Other Segments: Swiggy’s Dineout, Genie, Swiggy Mini, and non-operating income pushed total revenue to ₹4,096 crore in Q3 FY25. Rising Costs & Losses Swiggy’s total expenditure grew 32% YoY to ₹4,898 crore, leading to a 39% increase in net losses, which stood at ₹799 crore in Q3 FY25, up from ₹574 crore in Q3 FY24. The company spent ₹1.23 to earn a rupee during the quarter. Breakdown of Major Expenses: FMCG Procurement: ₹1,565 crore (32% of total costs, up 17.4%) Delivery Charges: ₹1,127 crore (up 30%) Employee Benefits: ₹657 crore Advertising & Marketing: ₹751 crore Legal, Infrastructure & Overheads: ₹4898 crore New Launch: SNACC – 15-Minute Food Delivery Swiggy recently introduced SNACC, a 15-minute food delivery app, offering breakfast, coffee, baked goods, beverages, eggs, and protein, sourced from third-party providers and brands like Blue Tokai and The Whole Truth.

Bengaluru-based drone battery solutions provider Dreamfly Innovations has raised $1.4 million (INR 12 Cr) in a seed funding round led by Avaana Capital, with participation from Sunicon Ventures and other existing investors. Fueling Innovation & Expansion The fresh capital will be used to: ✅ Scale up operations and expand production capabilities. ✅ Strengthen the team by hiring top talent. ✅ Advance R&D for sustainable, fire-resistant battery technologies tailored for drones and aerospace applications. India’s Drone Market Poised for Growth “With the global drone market projected to reach $54 billion by 2025, India is set to capture a substantial share, growing from $4.2 billion to $23 billion by 2030,” said Kajal Shah, co-founder & CEO of Dreamfly Innovations, citing an EY-FICCI report on making India the world’s drone hub. Pioneering Next-Gen Drone Battery Solutions Founded in 2022 by Kajal Shah and Dr. Saurabh Markandeya, Dreamfly Innovations develops cutting-edge energy solutions designed specifically for drones and the aerospace sector. With a strong focus on sustainability and safety, the startup aims to redefine drone battery technology for both commercial and defense applications. Team Avaana👇 Anjali Bansal | Vatsal Dusad | Shruti Srivastava | Sandeep Singhal | Team Sunicon👇 Saloni Jain |Darshan Jain | Niyam Bhushan | Aakansh Jain |

Mealawe - Homemade Food Delivery & More, a foodtech startup, has raised $1 million in funding from a mix of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), a network of Shark Tank founders, and angel investors from companies like Goldman Sachs and Oracle. Fueling Expansion & Innovation The fresh capital will be used to: ✅ Expand women-led kitchens, integrating home chefs into a structured model. ✅ Strengthen corporate cafeteria solutions for businesses of all sizes. ✅ Deepen partnerships for organic ingredient sourcing to maintain food quality and sustainability. From Home-Cooked Meals to Scalable Food Solutions Founded by Rupesh Kumar, along with co-founders Pratap Kumar and Nikhil Jain ↗️, Mealawe started as a platform connecting home chefs with customers to provide nutritious, homemade-style meals. As it scales, the company is creating economic opportunities for women while maintaining the authenticity of home-cooked food. To ensure premium-quality meals, Mealawe directly sources organic kitchen essentials like bilona ghee, wood-pressed oils, and organic masalas by partnering with farmers, ensuring both better nutrition and sustainable farming practices. Revolutionizing Corporate Cafeterias Beyond meal delivery, Mealawe has built a corporate cafeteria management platform, allowing businesses to offer high-quality meals without operational complexities. For smaller companies without cafeteria spaces, Mealawe provides a virtual cafeteria solution, ensuring seamless meal access for employees. Rapid Growth & Nationwide Expansion Plans Since launching in October 2022, Mealawe has grown rapidly, delivering over 30,000 meals monthly. Currently active in Pune, Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Kota, the company plans to expand to 14 cities within the next 10-12 months, aiming to deliver 1 million meals per month. Team Mealawe👇 Rupesh Kumar | Nikhil Jain ↗️ | Akshay Kendurkar | Pratap Kumar | Vivek Gajarmal |

Payments firm Cashfree Payments has raised $53 million (Rs 450 crore) in a funding round led by KRAFTON, the Korean digital entertainment giant, along with Apis Growth Fund II, a private equity fund managed by Apis Partners Group. The Bengaluru-based company stated that the fresh capital will help enhance its payment solutions, expand market reach, and foster synergies with KRAFTON to drive innovation across digital sectors. According to TheKredible, Cashfree has raised approximately $95 million over its nine-year journey from investors such as Y Combinator, Smilegate Investments, and the State Bank of India (SBI). This marks the company's first external funding round since June 2021. Empowering Businesses with Seamless Payment Solutions Cashfree Payments provides businesses with fast and efficient payment collection, seamless payouts, enhanced conversion rates, and advanced fraud detection during KYC and onboarding. The platform integrates with popular merchant solutions like Shopify, Wix, WordPress, WooCommerce, and WhatsApp, allowing businesses to start processing transactions within 24 hours. Led by Akash S., the company claims to handle up to 12,000 transactions per second during peak demand. It has also launched Embedded Payments, enabling platforms, ERPs, and SaaS businesses to seamlessly integrate payment features into their products while ensuring compliance. Team Cashfree👇 Akash S.| Reeju Datta | Vikas Guru | Arun Tikoo | Vaibhav Mehrotra | Chetan Y. | Nitin Pulyani | Shishir Shandilya | Sai Prasad | Sandeep Setty | RajKumar Maskalle |

D2C meat startup FreshToHome is stepping into the quick commerce space by launching a 10-20 minute delivery service in select regions across India. This move aligns with the rising demand for instant grocery and essentials delivery, pioneered by platforms like Zepto, Blinkit, and Swiggy Instamart. While FreshToHome has traditionally delivered fresh meat and seafood within 60 minutes, the new ultra-fast delivery option will be available based on a customer’s proximity to the nearest dark store. By leveraging a network of strategically located micro-fulfillment centers, FreshToHome aims to offer faster and more convenient access to high-quality, preservative-free meat and seafood. This expansion into quick commerce reflects #FreshToHome’s commitment to enhancing customer experience and staying competitive in India's rapidly evolving D2C food and grocery delivery market. As consumer expectations shift toward instant gratification, the startup is betting big on hyperlocal logistics and optimized inventory management to cater to this growing demand. Team FreshToHome👇 Shan Kadavil| Santosh Kumar | Rekha Raghavan | Arun Kumar Krishnan | Anu John |

D2C hair extensions and wig brand HairOriginals has bagged $5 million (INR 43.5 Cr) in its Series A funding round, co-led by Anicut Capital LLP Growth Fund and 12 Flags Consumer Holdings. The round also saw participation from Lenskart co-founder & CEO Peyush Bansal. With this fresh infusion of capital, the startup is gearing up to expand its on-demand “try-at-home” service to 40 cities and bolster its R&D capabilities. Additionally, a significant portion of the funds will be directed towards launching 25–30 company-owned experience centres over the next 12 months. Founded in 2019 by Jitendra Sharma and Piyush Wadhwani, HairOriginals offers high-quality hair extensions and DIY wigs crafted from ethically sourced human hair. With this latest funding, the company’s total capital raised stands at $7.2 million. Speaking on the investment, Rakesh Kapoor, Founder of 12 Flags Consumer Holdings, expressed confidence in HairOriginals’ vision, stating, "Jitendra and his team are deeply committed to making India the global hub for human hair products. We are thrilled to be part of this journey." Team 12 Flags👇 Rakesh Kapoor | Rajat Agarwal | Rishabh D. | Rishika Madan |

Virat Kohli Bought PUMA and Renamed It PVMA? 😮😮 That’s the buzz going around! But let’s be real—how can an athlete with a $127 million net worth acquire a $50 billion giant? This is just PUMA’s next-level marketing at play 🙌 Check out the short 👇 #puma #pvma #pumanamechange #pumacasestudy #businesscasestudy #trendingnews #startupnews #startupro