Startup news and updates: Daily roundup (January 7, 2026)
Featured Stories
Where India will spend next: Consumer trends that will define 2026
Rising purchasing power, greater willingness to trade up, and wider access to aspirational lifestyles are expanding the opportunity for consumer brands in India. This shift is supported by macro trends, with private consumption expected to drive GDP growth and per capita income projected to reach $3.5K–$4K by 2030.
As consumers steadily move from unbranded to branded products, branded goods are expected to account for about 45% of India’s retail market by FY30—representing a $730 billion opportunity, nearly double today’s size, according to Fireside Ventures.
Against this backdrop, YourStory examines the consumer trends shaping 2026, from rising spend on petcare and premium babycare to agentic AI in retail and the next phase of quick commerce beyond speed.
How a village craft became a livelihood for hundreds of women in West Bengal
In Nanoor, a small village near Santiniketan, kantha embroidery was once a domestic practice shaped by reuse and necessity. Tajkira Begum transformed it into a women-led enterprise carrying memory, dignity and income far beyond the household.
For Begum, the work also opened up a world she had never imagined. “At first, it was very difficult,” she says. “I had never travelled much before, even within India.” Through exhibitions and markets, she found herself travelling across the country, and then abroad to Paris and Japan. The journeys were new and daunting, but also exciting. Read more here
From Starbucks to Everest Spices: How LabelBlind is automating food labelling across India
For decades, labelling remained a slow and error-prone manual process, even as India’s packaged-food market boomed. That is, until 2018, when nutrition expert Rashida Vapiwala decided to start LabelBlind.
The startup began as a food-rating website that scored products based on their healthiness. However, real momentum came when the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) recognised its work, appointing LabelBlind as the principal investigator for a nutrient-threshold study that would later inform India’s front-of-pack labelling rules. Read more here
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Rashida Vapiwala, Founder & CEO
” align=”center”> Rashida Vapiwala, Founder & CEO
Funding news
Prop-tech Startup Flent raises Rs 21 Cr to scale premium, full-stack living
Flent, an Indian proptech startup focused on the urban rental market, has raised Rs 21 crore in a Pre-Series A round, comprising Rs 17 crore in equity and Rs 4 crore in debt. The round was led by Incubate Fund Asia, with participation from existing investor WEH Ventures, Twin & Bull Family Office, Stride Ventures, 91Ventures, Untitled VC, and a group of angel investors, including BlackBuck Co-founder and CEO Rajesh Yabaji. About 40 of Flent’s landlords and tenants also participated, investing a combined Rs 1 crore.
Founded to address inefficiencies in India’s rental housing market, Flent operates a full-stack model that offers fully furnished rental homes with flexible leasing options. The company manages property onboarding, design, and operations, aiming to reduce brokerage dependence and upfront deposits for tenants, while providing homeowners with predictable rental income and operational support.
Flent is currently focused on serving white-collar professionals across India’s major metros, targeting a segment it estimates at around 20 lakh potential renters. The company plans to use the capital to expand its housing inventory, strengthen operations, and scale across key urban markets.
White Whale invests in supply chain technology startup Stackbox
White Whale Venture Fund, an early- and growth-stage venture capital firm, has participated in Stackbox’s $4 million Series A funding round, which was led by Enrission India Capital.
Stackbox is a supply chain technology company that develops software for warehouse and transportation management, with a focus on supporting automated and complex logistics operations. Its platform includes an AI-enabled warehouse management system and a transportation management system used for planning and execution across supply chains.
The company works with FMCG clients and is expanding into food and beverage, manufacturing, and industrial logistics. Stackbox is also building its presence in Southeast Asia to support enterprises with regional and cross-border supply chain operations.
The funding will be used to develop the product further, expand its customer base, and support growth across India and selected international markets.
RoadGrid secures pre-Series A funding led by Venture Catalysts
RoadGrid, a company developing electric vehicle charging infrastructure, has raised Rs 12 crore in a pre-Series A funding round led by Venture Catalysts.
The round also saw participation from a group of strategic and angel investors, including Kamal Puri of Skyline Group, IPV, FAAD Network, LetsVenture, Vrinda Goyal of Pace Group, Haresh Patel of Arthanomics, and Maneesh Shrivastav of Alpha Value.
Founded to address gaps in EV charging accessibility, RoadGrid is working on universal charging solutions designed to support multiple vehicle types and use cases.
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Team RoadGrid
” align=”center”> Team RoadGrid
Be Clinical Raises Rs 6 Cr in seed funding led by Arjun Vaidya’s V3 Ventures
Be Clinical, a skincare brand focused on clinically tested products for ageing-related concerns, has raised Rs 6 crore in seed funding. The round was led by V3 Ventures, with participation from Titan Capital.
Founded by Hemangi Dhir, Be Clinical positions itself around science-led product development and clinical validation, targeting gaps in the Indian skincare market where many offerings rely on marketing-led claims or are limited to clinic-based treatments. The company develops its formulations through in-house research and manufacturing, with an emphasis on in-vivo testing and ingredient transparency.
The seed capital will be used to expand research and development, including clinical testing and new product development across face, body, and scalp categories. Funds will also support upgrades to manufacturing capacity and packaging, aimed at improving consistency, quality control, and product stability.
Mufin Green Finance invests Rs 17.5M in Dream Road Technologies
Mufin Green Finance Limited has invested Rs 17.5 million in Dream Road Technologies Private Limited as part of the company’s Pre-Series A4 funding round. The investment was made through the subscription of 10,340 compulsorily convertible preference shares (CCPS).
Dream Road Technologies operates in the electric mobility solutions space. Mufin Green Finance said the investment aligns with its focus on financial services linked to electric mobility and clean transportation.
The capital will be used to support Dream Road Technologies’ operations and expansion as it works to scale its technology-led mobility offerings.
Other news
Innovartan Technologies appoints Anwar Sheikh as Head of Operations
Innovartan Technologies has appointed Anwar Sheikh as Head of Operations as it scales its school-integrated, technology-led learning solutions across India’s K–12 segment.
<figure class="image embed" contenteditable="false" data-id="587701" data-url="https://images.yourstory.com/cs/2/e641e900925711e9926177f451727da9/Imagexuj1-1767773745119.jpg" data-alt="Anwar Sheikh – Head of Operation, Innovartan" data-caption="
Anwar Sheikh – Head of Operation, Innovartan
” style=”float: left; margin-right: 20px; width:50%; height:auto” align=”center”> Anwar Sheikh – Head of Operation, Innovartan
Sheikh brings over two decades of experience in EdTech and K–12 education and will oversee academic delivery, product execution, and operational scale. He was previously a founding team member at Embibe, where he led academic strategy and multiple functions during the company’s growth phase following its $180 million fundraising.
Anwar Sheikh said, “I am looking forward to building systems that combine academic rigour with scalable execution. Innovartan Technologies is addressing a core structural gap in school education, delivering competitive readiness without external dependencies. I’m excited to work on building robust operational and academic frameworks that help schools consistently improve learning outcomes.”
PayNearby digitises SHG cash withdrawals and deposits with dual authentication
PayNearby has introduced a dual-authentication-based system to digitise cash withdrawals and deposits for Self-Help Groups (SHGs) across its PayNearby and Digital Naari platforms.
The solution is aimed at addressing operational challenges in SHG–bank linkages by allowing compliant access to group funds without requiring multiple in-person visits to bank branches. According to the company, the service could be used by up to one crore SHG members.
Traditionally, SHG withdrawals require the physical presence of two authorised signatories at a bank branch, a process that often leads to delays and higher transaction costs. These constraints can limit participation and result in funds remaining unused or being held informally, affecting timely deployment for livelihood and micro-enterprise activities.
QuiD Cash appoints Paytm ex-president and COO Bhavesh Gupta as Senior Advisor and Chief Mentor
QuiD Cash has appointed Bhavesh Gupta, former President and Chief Operating Officer of Paytm, as Senior Advisor and Chief Mentor. In this role, Gupta will work with the company’s leadership team as it builds technology-led credit and payments solutions for MSMEs.
Gupta brings over two decades of experience across payments, lending, and financial services. During his tenure at Paytm, he oversaw operations across payments, lending, commerce, and other financial services businesses. His previous roles include CEO and founding member at Clix Capital, SME and Business Banking Head at IDFC Bank, and General Manager and Head of Business Banking at ICICI Bank.
QuiD Cash operates as a B2B fintech focused on supply-chain-linked payments and credit solutions for MSMEs. The company said Gupta’s experience in scaling financial platforms and navigating regulated environments will inform its product and operating strategy going forward.
(The article will be updated throughout the day with the latest developments and news)
Edited by Jyoti Narayan
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