The Tech Panda takes a look at recent funding events in the tech ecosystem, seeking to know where the cash is flowing.
Startup: DrinkPrime
Sector: IoT
Amount: US$2.2 Million
Led by: Mirabilis Investment Trust & Artha Continuum Fund
DrinkPrime, an Indian IoT-enabled water purifier subscription platform, raised USD $2.2million (INR 20 crores), led by Mirabilis Investment Trust and Artha Continuum Fund. The newly raised capital will be deployed to fuel geographic expansion, strengthen its technology platform, and scale operations. Key areas of investment will include enhancing the company’s IoT and data capabilities to improve device monitoring, predictive servicing, and customer experience. Additionally, the company will expand its field service infrastructure to ensure faster service delivery and consistent service quality, and will invest in R&D and new product development aligned with evolving consumer lifestyle needs.
“The funding round will help us continue strengthening our product portfolio and innovation pipeline, so more households can access modern purification technologies tailored to evolving water conditions and lifestyle needs. Our mission has always been rooted in ‘Water for All,’ and this capital will help us move closer to that goal by making safe, reliable drinking water more accessible and affordable for urban households,” said Vijender Reddy, Co-founder and CEO of DrinkPrime.
Startup: Velmenni
Sector: DeepTech
Amount: INR30 Crore
Led by: pi Ventures
Velmenni, a deep-tech pioneer in light-based wireless communication, today announced a INR30 crore (approx. USD 3.3Mn) Pre-Series A funding round. The round was led by pi Ventures, with participation from other investors like MountTech Growth Fund-Kavachh and Apekso. Velmenni has developed high-capacity backhaul and alternative last-mile connectivity solutions for 4G-LTE, 5G, and FTTx broadband networks that enable faster rollouts and lower total cost of ownership compared to fiber, licensed spectrum, and millimeter-wave solutions.
“Velmenni aims to capture a sweet spot where fiber is too slow to deploy, RF is too interference-prone to trust, and licensed-band communication is too expensive to justify shorter distances,” said Deepak Solanki, Founder and CEO of Velmenni. “With an all-weather tested, 100% Made in India design, we offer 10Gbps+ seamless connectivity across ranges of 1-25km. Whether for a tactical defence setup or a dense urban telecom network, we are providing a reliable, secure, and scalable alternative.”
Startup: MeltPlan
Sector: Artificial Intelligence
Amount: US$10 Million
Led by: Bessemer Venture Partners
MeltPlan, a pre-construction AI platform founded in 2025 announced its $10 Mn Seed funding led by Bessemer Venture Partners, with participation from noa. This brings the total funds raised by the company to $14 Mn. The funds will be used to further develop what it calls the “planning engine” for the $14 Tn construction industry, an AI system designed specifically to optimize decisions before construction begins. The funding will accelerate MeltPlan’s product development across code, cost, schedule, and value decision systems.
“Construction doesn’t fail because teams are not skilled or execute poorly,” said Kanav Hasija, Co-founder and CEO of MeltPlan. “It fails because preconstruction teams are fragmented and commit too early with incomplete information. We’re building an AI system that allows teams to evaluate constraints, run scenarios, and align before plans are frozen.”
Startup: Varaha
Sector: CleanTech
Amount: ~US$45 Million
Led by: WestBridge Capital
Varaha, Asian developer of high-integrity carbon removal projects, announced its Series B financing round of ~$45M, and close of the initial tranche of $20M, led by WestBridge Capital. The new capital will accelerate Varaha’s geographic expansion, strengthen its scientific and MRV capabilities, and scale a new industrial partnership model that extends its capabilities to partners worldwide.
Sandeep Singhal, Co-founder and Managing Partner, WestBridge Capital said, “Varaha has built what very few companies globally have: deep scientific credibility in a nascent industry alongside a commercially viable business model. We believe Varaha is uniquely positioned to build a global carbon-removal platform from India, combining integrity, scale, and impact. This investment reflects our conviction in the team and their potential to shape the next phase of climate infrastructure worldwide.”
Startup: SBC LLP
Sector: Tax Consulting Platform
Amount: INR100 Crore
Led by: Raju Menon, Founder & Chairman, Kreston Menon Group (UAE) & Suresh Katamreddy, Founder & COO, Kastech Group
SBC LLP, a multi-disciplinary tax, consulting, and advisory firm, announced the successful closure of its pre-Series A funding round at a valuation of INR100 crore (approximately USD 11.2 million). The investment was led by Raju Menon, Founder and Chairman of Kreston Menon Group (UAE), and Suresh Katamreddy, Founder and COO of Kastech Group (USA). The capital will be deployed to accelerate international expansion across the India-UAE-US corridor, develop proprietary AI-enabled technology platforms, and strengthen specialized advisory capabilities.
“This investment validates our vision to build a globally relevant Indian advisory platform,” said Mithilesh Reddy, Founder and CEO of SBC LLP. “Over the past eight years, we have built a differentiated model combining deep technical expertise with technology-enabled scalability. This partnership will significantly enhance our ability to serve complex, cross-border client mandates.”
