Funding alert: Tech startups that raked in moolah this month

The Tech Panda takes a look at recent funding events in the tech ecosystem, seeking to know where the cash is flowing.

Startup: Entrepreneurs First

Sector: Entrepreneurship

Amount: US$200 M  

Led by: Veteran technology founders

Entrepreneurs First (EF), a global talent investor and company builder, raised $200m of fresh capital from a group of veteran technology founders and investors including investors like Reid Hoffman, John and Patrick Collison, Eric Schmidt, Claire Hughes Johnson, Charlie Songhurst, Sara Clemens, Danny Rimer, and Matt Cohler, alongside leading institutional investors including Greylock.

“We have raised this capital to double down on what we do best: identifying extraordinary individuals early and helping them build outlier companies from scratch,” said Alice Bentinck, co-founder and CEO of EF. “Once we have identified the talent, our role is to create the environments, peer groups and standards that push exceptional people to operate at the edge of their capabilities,” said Matt Clifford, co-founder and Chairman of EF.

Startup: NPrep

Sector: Digital Media

Amount: US$1.5 M

Led by: Lumikai

Lumikai, Indian venture capital fund focused on interactive media, digital platforms and games, announced it is leading a $1.5 million seed round in NPrep, an AI-powered, video-first learning platform revolutionizing preparation for high-stakes nursing entrance examinations and global healthcare careers.

Niyaz Laiq, Partner at Lumikai, said, “Our investment in NPrep aligns squarely with our thesis of backing founders building interactive platforms with AI-led learning paths to deliver real-world impact. NPrep sits at the powerful intersection of edtech, AI, and the use of interactive mechanics to drive superior learning outcomes. As India emerges as a critical supplier of global healthcare talent, outcome-linked preparation platforms cater to an uncapped, structural opportunity to generate high-value careers in the global economy. We are excited to partner with Prince, Utkarsh, and Gourav to accelerate this mission.”

Startup: Mozark

Sector: Digital Testing

Amount: US$40 M

Led by: by IFC (International Finance Corporation) &RMB Capitalworks

Mozark, a digital experience testing and measurement company that measures real-world digital performance across devices, networks, and geographies without encroaching user privacy, announced the close of its $40 million Series B funding round led by IFC (International Finance Corporation) and RMB Capitalworks, with continued participation from Kalaari Capital (an early-stage investor). This fresh infusion of capital will support Mozark’s global expansion and strategic acquisitions.

Farid Fezoua, Director for Equity, Funds and Venture Capital at International Finance Corporation – World Bank Group, said, “Reliable digital infrastructure is critical to productivity, inclusion, and growth in emerging markets. By strengthening the performance and reliability of the applications and networks that underpin essential services, our investment in Mozark will support innovation, skilled job creation, and broader access to digital services, helping emerging markets not only consume, but increasingly build and scale, digital solutions”.

Startup: Verdant Impact

Sector: Bovine Genetics

Amount: US$3 M

Led by: Unicorn India Ventures

AI-led Bovine Genetics startup Verdant Impact has raised $3 million in a seed round led by Unicorn India Ventures. The round also saw participation from Infynyte Club, Yash Kotak, Alok Soni and a-IDEA NAARM. Funds raised will be strategically deployed for team expansion and further market penetration in North and North-East India. They will also be directed towards R&D, enhancement of Pashu.AI platform capabilities and upgrading of existing tech infrastructure with Blockchain integration.

Anil Joshi, Managing Partner, Unicorn India Ventures, says, “Climate change is affecting every element of our food chain, and livestock is no different. To see deep tech and IoT capabilities being leveraged to improve the quality of livestock and monitoring their health is a groundbreaking move to enhance milk production. Verdant has demonstrated that social impact can be brought without losing focus on business growth. India’s agri and livestock sector needs AI and IoT enabled services to improve yield to healthier animals and much more on value added products. We believe that such innovations coming out of India for the world fits into our fund’s thesis quite well, which led us to back Verdant Impact.”

Startup: Reneonix

Sector: Deep Tech

Amount: INR1.70 Crore

Led by: Inflection Point Ventures

Deep Tech startup Reneonix raised INR1.70 Crore in Pre-seed round led by Inflection Point Ventures. The round saw participation from leading institutions, angel investors, and grant bodies, including the Department of Science and Technology (Government of India), NSRCEL-IIM Bangalore, SustainTN, and ITEL Foundation. The funds will be deployed towards Research and Development with a strong focus on hardware innovation and material science to advance commercial prototypes.

Mitesh Shah, Co-founder, IPV says “India’s transition to a circular economy will require more than intent it will require infrastructure. Reneonix is building exactly that. Their deep-tech approach combining AI-led sorting, material science, and traceability creates measurable circular outcomes for brands and manufacturers. We believe their execution-first model positions them strongly to become a critical infrastructure layer in India’s sustainable packaging ecosystem.”