Catch up on India’s top business and startup developments for 25 September 2025. From Ather Energy’s INR 70 crore ESOP grant and PhysicsWallah’s INR 460 crore offline expansion to Flipspaces’ 9× exit and Virat Kohli-backed WROGN’s FY25 results, here’s your daily roundup of funding, exits, and key business news shaping the Indian market.
| Company | Sector | Amount Raised | Round | Lead Investor(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simple Energy | Electric Vehicles | $10 million | Bridge Round | Dr. Arokiaswamy Velumani, Balamurugan Arumugam, Haran Family Office |
| Samaaro | Event Marketing | $500k | Pre-Series A | Inflection Point Ventures, Silver Needle Ventures, LetsVenture, SucSEED Indovation Fund, Sagar Narola, Suryansh Jalan, Gautam Kumar |
| Handpickd | Fresh Commerce | $15 million | Series A | Bertelsmann India Investments, Titan Capital Winners Fund |
| KisanKonnect | Agritech | ₹72 crore | Pre-Series B | Bajaj Finserv Ventures, Mistry Ventures, Desai Foods, Dhanuka Agritech, Action Tessa Family Office |
| Akashalabdhi | Space Tech | $1.2 million | Pre-Seed | Uday Chatterjee, Romesh Sobti, Suraj Nalin, LVX, 1Crowd, Riceberg Ventures |
| Bharat Intelligence | Agritech | ₹7 crore | Pre-Seed | Sahyadri Farms |
| Cosmoserve Space | Space Tech | $3.17 million | Pre-Seed | Alan Rutledge, AUM Ventures, Shakti VC |
| Recove | Health Tech | ₹5.3 crore | Pre-Seed | Momentum Capital |
| Zappfresh | Food Tech | ₹16.8 crore | Pre-IPO | Anchor Investors |
Simple Energy Raises $10 Million in Bridge Round
Simple Energy, a Bengaluru-based electric two-wheeler manufacturer, has secured $10 million in a bridge funding round. The investment was led by existing investors Dr. Arokiaswamy Velumani, founder of Thyrocare, Balamurugan Arumugam, and the Haran Family Office. The funds will primarily be used to expand the company’s retail and service network across India, with a portion allocated to research and development. Founded in 2019, Simple Energy has pioneered high-performance electric two-wheelers and aims to become one of the top three players in the Indian EV market by 2030.
Samaaro Raises $500,000 in Pre-Series A
Samaaro, an AI-powered event marketing platform, has raised $500,000 in a pre-Series A round led by Inflection Point Ventures, with participation from Silver Needle Ventures, LetsVenture, SucSEED Indovation Fund, and angel investors Sagar Narola, Suryansh Jalan, and Gautam Kumar. The funds will be used to strengthen Samaaro’s brand presence in India and the Middle East, focusing on acquiring mid- and enterprise-level clients that host events as a core part of their marketing strategy.
Handpickd Raises $15 Million in Series A
Handpickd, India’s first zero-stock fresh commerce startup, has raised $15 million in a Series A round led by Bertelsmann India Investments, with participation from Titan Capital Winners Fund and existing investors. The funds will be used to strengthen its talent pool, expand serviceability in existing geographies, and create technology for further optimizing its supply chain. Founded in 2024, Handpickd operates as a zero inventory platform without warehouses or dark stores, sourcing directly from farmers and delivering fresh produce to customers within hours.
KisanKonnect Raises INR 72 Crore in Pre-Series B
Farm-to-fork company KisanKonnect has raised INR 72 crore in a pre-Series B funding round led by Bajaj Finserv Ventures, with participation from Mistry Ventures, Desai Foods, Dhanuka Agritech, and Action Tessa Family Office. The fresh proceeds will be used to scale its fresh produce supply chain intelligence and omni-channel D2C model. Founded in 2020, KisanKonnect sources directly from farmers and delivers to over 100,000 customers in Mumbai and Pune through its app and farm stores.
Akashalabdhi Raises $1.2 Million in Pre-Seed Round
Space tech startup Akashalabdhi has raised $1.2 million in a pre-seed funding round from investors including Uday Chatterjee, Romesh Sobti, Suraj Nalin, LVX, 1Crowd, and Riceberg Ventures. The proceeds will be used to develop ANTARIKSHAB, an expandable space habitat designed for orbital logistics, microgravity experiments, space habitation, and defence applications. Akashalabdhi is building dual-use aerospace and defence technologies that serve both national security and space exploration.
Bharat Intelligence Raises INR 7 Crore in Pre-Seed Round
Agritech startup Bharat Intelligence has secured INR 7 crore in a pre-seed funding round led by Sahyadri Farms. The funds will be used to enhance Bharat Intelligence’s offerings in the agritech sector. Founded in 2024, Bharat Intelligence focuses on addressing the farm labour crisis by using advanced AI to organise rural labour markets, giving farmers timely access to skilled crews and providing workers with steady, dignified jobs.
Cosmoserve Space Raises $3.17 Million in Pre-Seed Round
Spacetech startup Cosmoserve Space has raised $3.17 million in a pre-seed funding round led by angel investor Alan Rutledge, with additional participation from AUM Ventures and Shakti VC. The investment will support Cosmoserve Space’s growth and technological development in the space technology sector.
Recove Raises INR 5.3 Crore in Pre-Seed Round
Health tech startup Recove has raised INR 5.3 crore in a pre-seed funding round led by Momentum Capital. The funds will be used to support Recove’s growth and development in the health tech sector.
Zappfresh Raises INR 16.8 Crore from Anchor Investors Ahead of IPO
Zappfresh, a leading fresh meat and seafood delivery platform, has raised INR 16.8 crore from anchor investors ahead of its initial public offering (IPO). The funds will be used to support Zappfresh’s expansion and growth initiatives.
Key Business News for 25 September 2025
Ather Energy Grants INR 70 Crore Worth of ESOPs to Employees and Senior Leadership
Ather Energy, the Bengaluru-based electric scooter manufacturer, has approved the issuance of 12.74 lakh stock options under its ESOP 2025 plan. Of these, 9.79 lakh options are allocated to eligible employees, while 2.95 lakh are designated for key managerial personnel and senior leadership. At the current share price of INR 555, the total value of these options is approximately INR 70.6 crore. This move aims to retain and motivate talent as the company continues its expansion.
PhysicsWallah to Invest INR 460.55 Crore in Offline and Hybrid Centres
Edtech unicorn PhysicsWallah plans to allocate INR 460.55 crore from its upcoming IPO proceeds to establish new offline and hybrid learning centres across India. The investment will be distributed among three formats: INR 234.37 crore for Vidyapeeth centres focusing on JEE, NEET, and foundation courses; INR 49.89 crore for Pathshala centres offering live-streamed online classes with on-site faculty support; and INR 176.29 crore for Other Centres catering to defence, chartered accountancy, government exams, and vocational skills. This expansion underscores the company’s strategy to strengthen its presence in both digital and physical education sectors.
Carpediem Capital Exits Flipspaces with 9× Returns
Venture capital firm Carpediem Capital has fully exited its investment in Flipspaces, an interior design and technology startup, delivering a 9× multiple on invested capital and an internal rate of return (IRR) of approximately 40%. The exit occurred through a secondary sale during Flipspaces’ $50 million Series C funding round, which valued the company at around $120 million. This successful exit adds to Carpediem Capital’s track record of profitable investments.
Zeropearl VC Closes ₹159 Crore Solo GP Fund for Pre-Seed Startups
Zeropearl VC, led by veteran investor Bipin Shah, has closed its maiden solo general partner (GP) fund at INR 159 crore, oversubscribed 3.5 times its original INR 80 crore target. The fund aims to invest in pre-seed startups across sectors such as AI, climate tech, and healthtech, with a focus on founders from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. Shah, formerly a partner at Titan Capital, brings over 14 years of experience and a record of evaluating more than 50,000 startups. The fund’s selective investment approach and founder-led backing reflect confidence in India’s startup ecosystem despite the global venture capital slowdown.
Virat Kohli-Backed WROGN Faces 32% Increase in FY25 Losses
Fashion brand co-owned by cricketer Virat Kohli, WROGN, reported a 32% increase in its losses for the financial year 2025, reaching INR 76 crore. The company attributes the rise in losses to increased marketing expenditures and expansion costs. Despite the financial challenges, WROGN continues to focus on brand growth and market presence.
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