Deccan Founders

Gamepoint India a Hyderabad-based sports tech startup, has raised ₹7 crore in a pre-Series A funding round co-led by Zaggle founder Raj P Narayanam and Aditya Vuchi. The funds will fuel the expansion of its multi-sport center network and enhance its tech capabilities. Co-founded by Aditya and Siddharth Reddy, Gamepoint aims to provide accessible sports learning and engagement. It operates multi-sport centers with coaching, memberships, and event management. Gamepoint plans to expand to 300 centers, targeting 1 crore users. To date, it has trained 12,000+ students and organized 700+ events. Competitors include KheloMore and Huddl. #SportsTech #Funding #Gamepoint #DeccanFounders #Zaggle

1.5 Degree (VeganFun) an alternative dairy startup, secured $1 million in pre-Series A funding led by 35North Ventures Ventures to scale production and expand across major Indian cities. Operating as Natturz Bio Kontrol Pvt Ltd, they target the institutional food service market with plant-based milk, yogurt, and desserts, partnering with Compass Group and Sodexo. Founded by Vedansh Goyal and ANAGH GOYAL, their proprietary technology addresses taste challenges in vegan dairy, reducing emissions and water usage. With 80% of revenue from B2B contracts, they're also entering the D2C market via retail outlets and delivery platforms. Currently, they operate in Bengaluru, Pune, and NCR. #PlantBased #DairyAlternatives #Funding #DeccanFounders #Natturz #35NorthVentures #1.5Degree

Google will pay $68 million to settle claims its voice assistant secretly recorded conversations without consent. The lawsuit alleged ‘false accepts’ led to unintentional recordings shared with third parties. Google denies wrongdoing, settling similarly to Apple’s $95 million Siri payout. Reports from January 2026 highlighted risks to sensitive discussions. Increased scrutiny of voice technology privacy is expected at tech companies. Read Full Article: https://lnkd.in/grt7nUdQ #DeccanFounders #Google #Lawsuit #VoiceAssistant

The Whole Truth Foods Whole Truth founded by Shashank Mehta and Rachna Aggarwal, has raised $51 million in Series D primary and secondary capital, led by Sofina and Sauce.vc, with participation from Peak XV Partners, Rainmatter by Zerodha, and AYRA Ventures. The company, backed early by Z47, will use the funds to scale in-house manufacturing, strengthen working capital, and upgrade systems as it prepares for eventual IPO readiness. Read Full Article: https://lnkd.in/gJVawRYb #TheWholeTruth #DeccanFounders #Sofina #SauceVC #FMCG #India

India’s Supreme Court sharply warned Meta and WhatsApp to “exit India” if they fail to comply with data privacy laws, criticizing WhatsApp’s 2021 privacy policy as exploitative. The remarks came while hearing appeals against a ₹213.14 crore CCI penalty for abusing market dominance through forced data sharing. The court sought affidavits and stressed strict protection of user metadata. Read Full Article: https://lnkd.in/gduQ5nnM #India #SupremeCourt #DeccanFounders #MarkZuckerberg #WhatsApp #DataSharing #MetaPlatforms #ExitIndia

India is exploring integrating Unified Payments Interface (UPI) with Ant International’s Alipay+. Government sources told Reuters discussions involve the finance ministry, Reserve Bank of India (RBI), and National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). This could enable Indian travelers to use UPI at Alipay+ merchants. Neither officials nor Ant International have commented. In fiscal year 2024, UPI processed 186 billion transactions. Read Full Article: https://lnkd.in/gyvE-Cmj #DeccanFounders #India #UPI #NPCI #Alipay #NPCI #CrossBorderPayments #AntGroup #DigitalPayments #Fintech

Loop AI , an enterprise AI platform for restaurant and retail operations, raised $14M in Series A led by Nyca Partners , with participation from prominent investors Gokul Rajaram, Base10 Partners , Afore Capital, Converge, Alumni Ventures , Data Tech Fund , John Pepper, 9Yards Capital and Operators Studio. As a part with Osama Bedier joining its board. The funds will expand its product suite and teams across major cities. Backed by key investors, Loop AI founded by Anand T. and Sundar Annamalai, helps restaurants boost delivery profitability through agentic workflows, supporting brands like Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar and Starbird amid the industry’s delivery-driven growth. Lazy Dog's CFO, Robert L., credits Loop AI for delivery segment growth. Aaron N., Starbird’s CEO, emphasizes Loop AI’s impact on understanding customer behavior. The U.S. delivery market is projected to hit $1T by 2035. Read Full Article: https://lnkd.in/gPurtUJ6 #AI #RestaurantTech #Delivery #LoopAI #NycaPartners #DeccanFounders

SpaceX has acquired AI startup xAI forming a $1.25 trillion entity merging rockets, satellites, and AI tech. Musk plans space-based data centers to bypass Earth’s power limits and boost AI scalability. The merger links Starlink’s 9M users with xAI’s Grok and X platform. SpaceX seeks approval for 1M satellites and may IPO in June 2026, becoming the world’s most valuable private firm. Read Full Article: https://lnkd.in/g8BV6y8K #SpaceX #xAI #Merger #SpaceDataCenters #ElonMusk #DeccanFounders

HORIBA acquired Pristine Deeptech Private Limited, taking 100% stake to establish an Indian R&D hub. Pristine Deeptech specializes in lab-grown diamond research for semiconductors. The merger combines Pristine Deeptech's vacuum technology with HORIBA India’s analytical tools, creating synergy for the Semiconductor Woven Value Chain. This aligns with India’s 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' vision, enhancing HORIBA's R&D for advanced materials. Rajeev Gautam Read Full Article: https://lnkd.in/g7bGsGrb #DeccanFounders #HoribaGroup #Deeptech #India #Semiconductors

Indian markets rallied after a US-India trade deal, slashing US tariffs on Indian exports from 25% to 18%. Sensex climbed 4-5%, Nifty 50 surged nearly 5%, and market capitalization rose by ₹13 lakh crore. Export-oriented sectors, like textiles, shrimp, and gems, led the gains. Trump Claims that India commits to $500B in US purchases, boosting investor confidence and market stability. However, Indian officials are yet to confirm this commitment. Read Full Article: https://lnkd.in/gQXMXt7i #DeccanFounders #India #USA #TradeDeal #Tariffs #StockMarkets