The new year has begun with great hopes for the Indian startup ecosystem as both founders and investors bet their bottom dollar on advancements in artificial intelligence. They are also keeping an eye on the stock market as many startups are hoping for a successful public debut.
At YourStory, we will bring you stories from across sectors—from emerging sectors like space tech and drone tech, to understanding the reasons behind edtech’s decline and the fintech boom. Stay tuned!
Featured stories
What’s next for AI in 2025?
Artificial intelligence has unlocked a new era of growth for India’s software-as-a-service (SaaS) industry, unleashing a whole new generation of AI-enabled services and opportunities, proving once and for all that those who get on board early are the ones who soar the highest.
As the year progressed, the SaaS industry witnessed a nuanced version of potential opportunities and challenges—which shaped the sector as a whole. As we move forward to 2025, the landscape is set to be disrupted once more—forcing businesses to adapt to AI and push the boundaries of what’s possible in AI-driven ecosystems.
This startup transforms raw footage into engaging instructional videos
Prajwal Prakash, Akash Anand, and Neel Balar set out to build Clueso, a startup that creates videos and documentation for SaaS companies. The Bengaluru-based startup was part of YourStory’s Tech30 2024, which is an annual list of 30 most promising Indian startups that are poised to become major disruptors across fields.
The startup helps companies create instructional videos from raw footage. “A user records a base stream recording of your product feature demo and Clueso converts it into a studio quality video with your company branding, Zoom effects, good animations and an AI-generated audio track that syncs perfectly with your video,” explains Prakash.
Latest news
Bajaj Auto overtakes Ola Electric in December
According to VAHAN data, Bajaj Auto led the December EV sales with 18,276 units sold, capturing a market share of 24.93%. In comparison, Ola Electric sold 13,769 units, holding a market share of 18.78%.
Ola Electric saw a decline in its market share from 24.7% in November to 18.78% in December, with sales dropping from 29,196 units in November to 13,769 units in December.
Funding
CargoFL raises Rs 6.75 Cr in seed round led by YourNest Venture Capital
CargoFL, a B2B technology platform for logistics, has raised Rs 6.75 crore in its seed round, led by YourNest Venture Capital.
The funding round includes Rs 4.7 crore from YourNest, Rs 50 lakh each from Real Time Angel Fund and Peaceful Progress Angel Fund, Rs 25 lakh from Sanchi Connect Accelerator, and Rs 80 lakh from prominent angel investors. Notable contributors among the angel investors are Dinesh Chandra Agarwal (MD & CEO of IndiaMART), Dinesh Gulati (COO of IndiaMART), Murugavel Janakiraman (Founder & MD of Bharat Matrimony), and Rajesh Sawhney (Founder of GSF Accelerator).
The Pune-based startup plans to allocate 40% of the funds towards building a sales engine to drive growth in India, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, and North America. Another 40% will be dedicated to enhancing product capabilities, including logistics and supply chain automation. The remaining 20% will be used for client onboarding and implementation across various regions.
Founded in 2017 by Deepesh Kuruppath and Wasim Khan, CargoFL has transitioned from offering transport management software for fleet owners to an AI-driven platform serving enterprises in retail, pharma, and manufacturing. Its clients include over 25 major companies, such as Puma, Godrej, Schaeffler, Metro Brands, and Decathlon.
CargoFL aims to achieve a $3 million ARR within 18–24 months by adding over 25 customers in India and expanding internationally.
Klassroom Edutech secures undisclosed growth capital in latest funding round
Klassroom Edutech, an education-focused OTT platform, has secured undisclosed growth capital in its latest funding round.
The round was led by ah! Ventures, with additional participation from LetsVenture, Hem Securities, Meteor Ventures, and Growth Sense Fund.
Bollywood actor and entrepreneur Suniel Shetty has been an investor in Klassroom since 2023.
The app provides a comprehensive learning ecosystem, offering content that includes academics, skill-based training for industry jobs, career courses, and language learning. Since its launch, Klassroom’s OTT app has attracted over 50,000 subscribers within its first year.
Founded by Alka Javeri, Dhruv Javeri, and Dhumil Javeri, the startup combines an AI-driven education OTT platform with over 200 offline learning centres, reaching more than 500,000 students across 600 cities.
“Klassroom’s innovative hybrid model, combining education OTT platform with offline learning centres, addresses critical challenges of accessibility, affordability, and accountability in education,” said Pranav Mahajani, President at Trica Capital, a LetsVenture company.
Other news
Xiaomi India names Sandeep Singh Arora as CBO
Xiaomi India has named Sandeep Singh Arora as its chief business officer.
In this role, Singh will lead the business development initiatives, driving revenue growth, cultivating new strategic partnerships, and expanding market presence.
Singh has over 30 years of experience in managing and growing consumer brands. Most recently, he led Samsung India’s online business unit and marketing communications in the consumer electronics division. He has also held senior roles as VP of marketing at Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd., category director and EVP of marketing at PepsiCo India, and at Unilever.
His expertise in product marketing, category management, retail operations, and brand strategy is expected to greatly strengthen the organisation’s ability to navigate the evolving market landscape, the company said.
IIT Madras to collaborate with Agriculture Ministry on Project VISTAAR
Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) is collaborating with the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare, Government of India, on Project VISTAAR, which seeks to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the agricultural extension system through digitalisation.
The Pilot Project VISTAAR (Virtually Integrated System to Access Agricultural Resources) seeks to further strengthen the agricultural extension system.
The recent MoU between the Agriculture Ministry and IIT Madras will enhance the VISTAAR platform with information about startups in agriculture and allied sectors. This will help farmers and other stakeholders easily access and learn about the capabilities and offerings of these startups.
(This article will be updated with the latest news throughout the day.)
