Startup news and updates: daily roundup (January 21, 2026)
Features stories
How this deeptech startup is driving seaweed cultivation along the western coast of India
Mumbai-headquartered ClimaCrew is ramping up cultivation of seaweed, considered a powerhouse of nutrients, by engaging with the coastal communities of Gujarat and Maharashtra and end-user industries. Its AI-driven platform analyses satellite data to identify suitable spots for seaweed cultivation.
Founded by Devleena Bhattacharjee, Susanta Kundu, and Rahul Mehta, the startup has a seaweed processing plant in Chiplun, Maharashtra. “Our primary goal is to be the one-stop shop for global organisations that are using seaweed in any of their products,” says Bhattacharjee.
Read here.
<figure class="image embed" contenteditable="false" data-id="588454" data-url="https://images.yourstory.com/cs/2/727115006d2011f09259ebc21ca89457/Wealthy1600x900-1768916281093.jpg" data-alt="Wealthy Raises $14.5M to Help India's Financial Advisors Compete with Banks" data-caption="
Founded in 2015 in Bengaluru by IIT graduates Prashant Gupta and Aditya Agarwal, who previously worked at global financial institutions and consulting firms.
” align=”center”> Founded in 2015 in Bengaluru by IIT graduates Prashant Gupta and Aditya Agarwal, who previously worked at global financial institutions and consulting firms.
Wealthy is fuelling the next phase of growth for India’s mutual fund distributors through AI
Tech platform for independent financial advisors in India, Wealthy, was founded in 2015 by Prashant Gupta and Aditya Agarwal to empower advisors with AI-driven tools for compliance, portfolio analysis, and client management.
Based out of Bengaluru, Wealthy has raised Rs 130 crore in a round led by Bertelsmann India Investments. The startup plans to use the funds to scale its tech platform. Founded in 2015, it plans to expand to 15,000 distributors within 18 months, targeting Rs 1 lakh crore AUM.
Read here.
Funding news
Operating system for contract workforce management Arthum raises Rs 10 Cr
Arthum, an integrated operations system for contract workforce management, has raised Rs 10 crore in a seed investment round led by Caret Capital. Keynote Financial Services and JS Global also participated in the round.
Founded by Darpan Sharma and Vishal Mishra in 2023, Arthum is designed as a unified operating system to connect anchors, contractors, and workers on a single digital infrastructure, enabling transparent workforce management, standardised compliance, and accurate payouts. It automates operations for over 3 lakh labour contractors.
Other news
Speciale Invest elevates Vishnu Rajeev to Partner
Deeptech focused VC firm Speciale Invest has promoted Vishnu Rajeev as its investment partner as it strengthens leadership while deploying its third pre-seed and seed-stage fund.
The promotion coincides with active investments from Speciale Invest Fund III, closed in 2025, and preparations for launching Speciale Invest Growth Fund II in 2026, targeting Series A and later-stage deep-tech companies from India.
Founding Partner Vishesh Rajaram credited Rajeev’s contributions to thesis development, complex science risk assessment, and founder support, calling the elevation essential for building “long-term leadership continuity” across the firm’s expanding multi-stage investment platform.
Rajeev has been a part of the team for several years, closely involved in sourcing, evaluating and supporting deeptech startups across advanced manufacturing, space technology, climate and energy, health and biosciences, and AI-led platforms.
Pixxel-led consortium to build India’s first private national earth observation constellation
Pixxel has signed an agreement with IN-SPACe to lead a four-company consortium building India’s national earth observation satellite system under a public-private partnership—the country’s first privately-led national constellation.
The Rs 1,200-plus crore project will deploy 12 satellites over five years, providing optical, multispectral, SAR, and hyperspectral imaging for government users and global commercial markets.
“India will control its own earth intelligence infrastructure, designed by Indian companies, serving Indian needs first,” said Awais Ahmed, CEO, Pixxel.
The consortium includes Dhruva Space, PierSight, and Satsure, marking a fundamental shift from government-only systems to private-sector leadership in critical national space infrastructure.
SanchiConnect partners with Govt of TN and iTNT to accelerate deeptech startups’ growth
Deeptech enablement network SanchiConnect has partnered with the Government of Tamil Nadu and iTNT (Tamil Nadu Technology Hub) to accelerate the growth of deeptech startups across the state, with a strong focus on enabling innovation from Tier II and Tier cities.
The collaboration aims to create structured, long-term programmes for deeptech founders, offering access to curated mentorship, industry networks, markets, and investors from the SanchiConnect ecosystem. Beyond metro hubs, the initiative will focus on strengthening regional innovation capacity, supporting founders in technology validation, commercialisation readiness, and scalable growth.
The article will be updated throughout the day with the latest developments.
Discover more from News Link360
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
