EDTECH STARTUP
AI innovation in sports: Technology driving the next phase of sports development
Artificial intelligence is creating new opportunities across the sports ecosystem, from performance analysis and sports administration to technology development and wider participation. The ET AI Awards 2027 recognises organisations, technology providers and initiatives advancing the application of AI in sports through its AI Innovation in Sports category.
Unacademy founders plan AI fund; Flipkart’s premium push
Happy Monday! Unacademy’s founders are raising a fund focused on AI and deeptech. This and more in today’s ETtech Morning Dispatch.
Startup of the Year Groww bets on scale; Qcomm sparks festive credit surge
Happy Thursday! Groww is betting its newer businesses will take a bigger slice of its income. This and more in today’s ETtech Morning Dispatch.
Flipkart alumni seek Esop buyout; Local sourcing for ISM 2.0
Former Flipkart executives are seeking a full cash-out of vested Esops. This and more in today’s ETtech Top 5.
Payoneer India Cross-Border Excellence Awards 2026 closes with a blueprint for India’s next export leap
India’s exports hit a record $863.1 billion in FY26, yet the businesses driving that growth rarely share the spotlight. On September 25 in New Delhi, the Payoneer India Cross-Border Excellence Awards 2026, in association with The Economic Times, closed its 2026 cycle with a summit on market access, growth corridors and outbound compliance, and 16 category winners that show what Indian global enterprise looks like today.
Edtech firm ByteXL raises $9 million in Series B round led by Elevar Equity
Existing investors Kalaari Capital and the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation also participated in the round
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How startups are making AI useful for India’s aspirant generation
Artificial intelligence is now being used in learning, competitive interview preparation, and training millions of Indians irrespective of their socioeconomic background. Entri is taking coaching, employability-specific programs, and mentorship to the fingertips of aspirant Indians. Read on!
Ecommerce's festive push; Vertex's AI bets
Happy Wednesday! Ahead of the festive sales, ecommerce giants are building out their supply chains. This and more in today’s ETtech Morning Dispatch.
Arivihan raises $10 million from Prosus, Accel to expand AI tutoring
Cofounder and chief executive Ritesh Singh Chandel told ET that Arivihan will use the funds to cover almost all state boards by year-end, expand its CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) offering, and deepen its presence in medical entrance preparation.
ET AI Awards 2027: 40+ categories across Innovation, Functional Excellence, Leadership and Emerging AI
The ET AI Awards 2027 return for the second edition, recognising organisations, teams, and leaders driving measurable impact through applied AI. With 40+ categories across 4 tracks, the awards cover AI Innovation, Functional Excellence, Leadership and emerging applications across startups, SMEs and enterprises, evaluated through a structured, expert-led process.
Microsoft backs Kerala edtech startup Wayvida with Rs 3.25 crore support to accelerate AI innovation
Wayvida has successfully obtained Rs 3.25 crore in Microsoft cloud credits, which will significantly enhance its AI-driven educational technology platform. This investment is set to bolster the company's technological infrastructure, paving the way for international expansion. With over 20 years of expertise in the education field, founder Gireesh Neyyar aims to create an integrated tech ecosystem that streamlines operations and enriches learning experiences for various educational institutions and organizations.
UPI charges from October 15; Activate’s maiden fund
Happy Wednesday! The NPCI has announced charges on select UPI merchant payments. This and more in today's ETtech Morning Dispatch.
AI-focused VC firm Activate closes maiden fund at $105 million
The investment platform comprises an $85 million early-stage fund and $20 million deployed through dedicated growth-stage vehicles. The early-stage fund closed at 125% above its original target, Vaish told ET. The fund, founded in December 2025 by Vaish and former Together Fund investor Pratyush Choudhury, has made 10 investments since its first close in December 2025.
Voice AI startup Arrowhead eyes fresh funding to accelerate international expansion
Arrowhead is betting on BFSI-led international expansion as it scales voice agents across lending, insurance, collections and customer service.
Info Edge appoints former Adobe India MD to its board, Himanshu Agarwal as new CFO amid leadership reshuffle
Naresh Chand Gupta has been appointed by Info Edge as a non-executive director, while Himanshu Agarwal steps into the role of chief financial officer starting September 17. Gupta's tenure will commence on October 1, 2026. The company is also set to acquire the rest of the share in Coding Ninjas and has approved additional funding of up to Rs 180 crore for its startup fund.
From Mamaearth to Phool: Shilpa Shetty, MS Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar, Alia Bhatt among celebrity investors to back startups
Celebrity investments: Bollywood stars and cricket legends are increasingly backing Indian startups. A Tracxn report identifies 10 celebrities investing in 34 startups and 49 funding rounds worth $458 million collectively across diverse sectors.
India’s late-stage funding crunch shrinks cheques, cuts valuations
The squeeze in late-stage funding remains prevalent in India, showing no signs of reversing. Late-stage startup funding fell 38% year-on-year to $5.6 billion in 2025-26, according to Tracxn, while the number of rounds exceeding $100 million declined to 13 from 23.
Shilpa Shetty beats Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni: 10 celebrities with the highest number of startup investment rounds
Shilpa Shetty Kundra leads Tracxn’s ranking of celebrity startup investors with 10 disclosed funding rounds between 2021 and 2026 YTD. MS Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar follow with six each, while Virat Kohli has five. Their investments span food, fashion, mobility, technology, wellness and consumer brands, highlighting the growing role of Bollywood stars and cricketers in India’s startup ecosystem and beyond.
Udaan to buy Swiggy’s Lynk; India’s BRICS tech push
Udaan is set to acquire Swiggy-owned Lynk Logistics. This and more in today's ETtech Top 5.
IIT Madras' Bodhan AI launches four AI models for Indian languages in partnership with AI4Bharat
Bodhan AI has launched four foundational AI models for Indian languages. These models cover speech recognition, generation, translation, and optical character recognition. They are available as open-weight models and hosted APIs on sovereign digital infrastructure. This initiative aims to create a common technology layer for India's multilingual education ecosystem.
How consolidation is taking hold in fund-starved edtech sector
According to industry executives, the consolidation is being driven by the fact that smaller companies often offer unique propositions and specialisation in niche categories. Such companies could also be acquired at attractive valuations due to the prolonged funding winter. Funding in edtech sector plunged to $319 million in 2023.
Cash-rich edtech firms out to poach rivals in funding winter
Edtech startups that are sitting on cash piles such as PhysicsWallah, UpGrad, Lead are on the lookout for suitable deals that would enhance their offerings and help them expand their reach.
Edtech startup Udayy shuts down, lays off entire staff
Udayy raised around $10 million from US-based Norwest Venture Partners in February. It raised $2.5 million in seed funding a year ago. “We returned around $8-$8.5 million to the investors," said cofounder Saumya Yadav.
Tech-savvy teachers pick edtech startups over return to school
Students might enthusiastically be heading back to school for in-person classes but at least some of their teachers are choosing to continue with virtual classes, ditching the chalk and blackboard for edtech startups.
Edtech sector to consolidate in hiring, investments as schools, colleges open: Experts
The pandemic has drastically changed the way of teaching and learning, and the funding for edtech has remained bullish leading to the adoption of advanced technology, growth in both revenue as well as hiring, CIEL HR Services Director and CEO Aditya Mishra said.
Edtech startup Nalanda Learning Systems raises Rs 40 crore from Aavishkaar Capital
Nalanda Learning Systems, an edtech startup that operates 'Little Laureates' pre-schools across eastern India, plans to use the funds received from Aavishkaar Capital to expand operations nationally, CEO Tamal Mukherjee says.
EDUGILD launches 4th batch of its EdTech Business Accelerator Programme
The global edtech startup accelerator will create a customized ecosystem to scale up five edtech startups from September 2017.
Gaining traction with students & investors, edtech startups tell how at Leap EdTech
In the last couple of years, edtech startups have more than validated the need of their solutions in the market bringing the sector to the notice of big ticket investors.
Edugild collaborates wtih JMDedu China and Edtech Israel
Dr Yaki Dayan, founder of Edtech Israel has shared a comprehensive multilevel engagement plan for Edugild's startups to leverage the Israel market.
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