Funding
Agrileaf bags Rs 16 Cr in growth funding led by Capital-A, Samarsh Capital
Co-founders of Agrileaf: Avinash Rao and Athishay Jain. | Image: Agrileaf
Agrileaf, a manufacturer and exporter of biodegradable dinnerware, has bagged Rs 16 crore in growth funding led by Capital-A and Samarsh Capital.
The round also saw participation from angel investors including Shaji Devekar, Siddharth Bafna (Co-founder of The Nutcracker), Family Office of Ved Prakash, Pritie Jain of Bling Mushrooms, Sumeet Bhalotia, Director at Vario Lounge, Dhruv Taneja (Founder – Matchlog), and Chiranth Patil- Beta Plus.
This investment will be used to expand Agrileaf’s operations in the US and Europe and to build a consumer-facing brand in India. It plans to expand its production capacity and enhance its biodegradable dinnerware and packaging line.
Agrileaf targets to produce up to 300,000 dinnerware products daily by the end of 2025.
“At Capital-A, manufacturing and materials innovation are key pillars of our investment philosophy. Agrileaf’s innovative use of Karnataka’s vast areca plantations has the potential to redefine sustainable tableware solutions,” said Ankit Kedia, Founder and Lead Investor at Capital-A.
GoodLives secures Rs 1.1 Cr in pre-seed funding
GoodLives, an AI-powered platform for mental health and wellness, has secured Rs 1.1 crore in pre-seed funding led by Build3, a social impact accelerator. IIM Lucknow, Rabindranath Tagore University, and industry veterans Anupreet Singh, Deepak Motwani, and Abhishek Hota participated in the round.
The money infusion will be strategically used to enhance platform features and functionality. GoodLives also aims to expand its activities and enter new markets to reach a broader audience.
Founded by IIT Kharagpur alumni Sakshi Shah and Lawrance Bamania, the platform bridges the gap between professional therapy and everyday well-being through a blend of AI-powered DIY exercises and expert-led interventions.
Through its programmes, GoodLives claims to have raised awareness of mental health issues among more than 5 million people.
Co-founders of GoodLives: Sakshi Shah and Lawrance Bamania. | Image: GoodLives
Bumboo raises undisclosed angel funding
Imaga Trade and Craft, operating under the brand name Bumboo, has raised undisclosed angel funding from industry leaders like Rohan Bhargava (Co-founder, CashKaro), Saurabh Gupta (CEO and Co-founder, UrbanPiper), Shashank Bijapur (Founder, SpotDraft), Rajneil Kamath (Former Google, NC Media), Harikrishnan M (DMart), Sridhar V (Microsoft), and Rajat Jain (Think Wealth).
The fresh capital will fuel Bumboo’s expansion in Indian and global markets.
Founded in 2019 by Anirudh Balakrishnan, Rohit Keshan, and Praveen Kumar, Bumboo tackles the $450 billion single-use waste opportunity by transforming agricultural waste like sugarcane bagasse and wheat straw into sustainable packaging solutions.
The company claims to serve over 3,500 businesses including names like Zomato, Swiggy, ITC, Blue Tokai, Curefoods, Chaayos, and Barbeque Nation. It operates across India with products shipped to 200 cities.
“The sustainable packaging industry is at an inflection point, and Bumboo stands out with its innovative approach to converting agricultural waste into practical solutions, effectively solving both packaging and pollution challenges. What impressed me most is their ability to scale sustainably while maintaining strong unit economics,” said CashKaro’s Bhargava.
Co-founders of Bumboo: Rohit Keshan, Praveen Kumar, and Anirudh Balakrishnan. | Image: Bumboo
Other news
MATH, Google for Startups partner to host AI Academy India Bootcamp
MATH (Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Technology Hub), a hub for AI and ML technologies and a collaborative effort between the Department of Science and Technology, has partnered with Google for Startups to host the AI Academy India Bootcamp in Hyderabad.
This three-day bootcamp will take place from December 4 to 6 and aims to empower early-stage startups leveraging AI to address critical challenges in healthcare, agriculture, climate, education, financial inclusion, cybersecurity, and public infrastructure.
The initiative will provide startups with the tools, knowledge, and mentorship needed to scale and create human-centred AI solutions.
The bootcamp is part of the Google for Startups AI Academy India programme, which seeks to equip 10,000 startups across the country with essential resources such as cloud and marketing credits, expert mentorship, and networking opportunities.
MATH will act as a knowledge partner, delivering resources and guidance to participating startups, while collaborating with Google to identify and onboard promising AI-focused startups for the bootcamp. Additionally, MATH will provide mentorship and support to startups exploring future pipeline opportunities.
Zypp Electric surpasses 20.5M zero-emission deliveries in a year
EV-as-a-service platform Zypp Electric has reached a key milestone in its sustainable logistics journey, completing over 20.5 million zero-emission deliveries in the past year.
Zypp caters to almost 15-20% of all quick commerce orders delivered in the Delhi-NCR region.
Through strategic partnerships with quick commerce players such as Zepto, Blinkit, Big Basket Now, and Instamart, Zypp Electric claims to have reduced 2.5 million kgs of carbon emissions.
Zypp Electric has completed approximately 10.4 million deliveries with Zepto, 7.19 million with Blinkit, 2.76 million with BBNow, and 2.15 lakh with Instamart.
Zypp Electric was founded in 2017 to drive zero-emission, sustainable last-mile logistics. Using IoT- and AI-enabled scooters with swappable batteries, Zypp delivers groceries, medicines, food, and ecommerce packages. It has over 22,000 EVs and delivery pilots.
Zypp Electric pilots. | Image: Zypp Electric
Kiko Live enables 5 lakh kirana orders on ONDC in under 11 months
Kiko Live, a SaaS platform for digitising neighbourhood stores and enabling quick commerce, has facilitated 5 lakh orders for kirana stores on the ONDC platform in under 11 months.
The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) is an initiative by the Indian government, aimed at creating an open ecommerce network that connects shoppers, platforms, and retailers.
Kiko Live claims to have helped over 1,000 neighbourhood stores in Delhi-NCR offer digital ordering and integrated logistics, with some processing over 100 orders daily. The platform is also onboarding stores in Bangalore for quick commerce.
Kiko Live is set to launch its Buyer App on the ONDC platform, enabling customers to order from local stores with a chat-based, AI-powered shopping experience. Initially targeting smaller and Tier II towns, the app aims to address areas where dark store-led quick commerce is impractical.
(This article will be updated with the latest news throughout the day.)
