India approves $12 billion R&D and I fund, Loopworm’s insect protein tech, Aureka’s sustainable diamonds get Peak XV sparkle, and more

Google signs landmark deal with Commonwealth Fusion Systems to commercialise fusion energy

Google has entered its first commercial fusion energy agreement, committing to purchase 200 megawatts of clean power from Commonwealth Fusion Systems’ (CFS) inaugural ARC (affordable, robust and compact) plant in Virginia, expected to go online in the early 2030s.

Omnisent secures $3 million to pioneer acoustic AI for industrial intelligence

Omnisent, a sound technologies and AI startup in Munich, Germany, has raised $3 million in a pre-seed round led by Atlantic Labs, Tech Funding News reports.

The fresh funds will support R&D, team growth, and a commercial launch in Q4 2025, as Omnisent aims to expand into energy, defence, and smart cities.

CIMware raises $2.3 million to tackle data center scalability with sustainable smart switch

CIMware, a data centre infrastructure venture in Bengaluru, has raised $2.3 million in Pre-Series-A funding led by Transition VC, the company said in a press release. CIMware was founded in 2019 by Rajiv Ganth, a veteran in distributed systems and data centre engineering.

Loopworm raises $3.25 million to commercialize silkworm-based protein platform

Loopworm, a biomanufacturing startup in Bengaluru, has raised $3.25 million in a pre-Series-A round led by WaterBridge Ventures and Japan’s Enrission India Capital, Entrackr reports.

Aukera raises $15 million led by Peak XV Partners to expand lab-grown diamond retail

Aureka, a lab-grown diamond jewellery startup, has raised $15 million in growth capital led by Peak XV Partners, with participation from Fireside Ventures, Sparrow Capital, Prath Ventures, and Alteria Capital.

India’s Cabinet approves $12 billion R&D and innovation fund to boost private R&D in strategic sectors 

India’s Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved an R&D and Innovation (RDI) Scheme, establishing a Rs. 1 lakh crore ($12 billion) fund to catalyze private sector investment in research, development, and innovation across strategic and sunrise sectors.

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