A Junior VC, Arāya Ventures, M2P Fintech, Aescape, Nomagic, Prime Venture Partners, Leap Finance, and Beacon.li Secure Funding and Strategic Moves in AI and Tech
A Junior VC (AJVC), led by Aviral Bhatnagar, has successfully closed its inaugural fund at ₹100 crore, aimed at pre-seed investments in India. The fund has already invested in nine startups across various sectors, including five AI startups, two direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands, one business-to-business (B2B) company, and one consumer tech firm. AJVC plans to invest in 12-15 startups annually and has received over 5,500 applications for its oversubscribed fund, which is considering a green shoe option to capitalize on the interest. The fund's sector-agnostic approach aligns with India's growing tech landscape.
Arāya Ventures, a London-based venture capital firm, has secured €22 million for its debut fund, the Arāya Super Angel Fund, with a goal to back 60 innovative startups. The fund, led by a solo general partner, also features an angel academy focused on training women to become investors. Actress Charithra Chandran backs the fund, which has reached £18.2 million towards its £20 million target, aiming to support startups in healthtech, fintech, and other sectors.
M2P Fintech is in advanced talks to acquire AI startup Vue AI, also known as Mad Street Den, in a distress sale valued at $10-15 million. Vue AI, backed by Peak XV Partners and Alpha Wave Global, has raised over $50 million since its inception and offers automation solutions across retail, finance, and other sectors. The Chennai-based startup is being sold at a fraction of its previous valuation.
Aescape, a US-based startup that uses AI-powered robots for massages, has secured $83 million in funding led by Valor Equity Partners, with participation from Fifth Wall, Alumni Ventures, and NBA champion Kevin Love. The funds will be used to expand its partnership with luxury gym chain Equinox to 60 locations across the US, following an 80% reduction in support volume and a four-fold growth in user adoption among its customers.
Nomagic, a provider of AI-powered robotics for warehouses, has closed a $44 million investment round led by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, with participation from existing investors Khosla Ventures and Almaz Capital, and venture debt from the European Investment Bank. The funds will be used to expand operations across Europe and advance its technology in the early-stage robotics sector.
Prime Venture Partners has announced its fifth fund, raising $100 million to invest in 16-18 startups, focusing on fintech and artificial intelligence.
Leap Finance has raised $100 million in debt funding from HSBC under its ASEAN Growth Fund to extend its study abroad loan services to more US states, expand university partnerships, and strengthen its presence in India.
Beacon.li, an AI-powered product assistant startup, has raised $7 million in Series A funding from Sorin Investments, with participation from Athera Venture Partners, JAFCO Asia, Unicorn India Ventures, and angel investors including Aneesh Reddy, Kapil Bharati, and Aravind Sanka. Founded by Rakesh Vaddadi and Silus Reddy, Beacon.li aims to expand its AI capabilities, scale its global footprint, and enhance enterprise automation, serving customers like Darwinbox, Zluri, KekHR, and Planful. Subeer Monga of Sorin Investments highlighted the startup's potential to redefine the global enterprise software market.
Written with ChatGPT .
Moneycontrol
Young Turks
Economic Times
