Speciale Invest closes Fund III at Rs 600 crore to double down on deep tech in India
Speciale Invest has closed its third fund at Rs 600 crore, exceeding the Chennai-based early-stage deep-tech VC firm’s initial target, according to multiple media reports. With Fund III, the VC firm will invest Rs 7-10 crore in 18-20 early-stage startups focused on AI, space tech, climate tech, quantum systems, advanced manufacturing, and dual-use strategic tech, with flexibility for larger cheques.
The fund emphasises scaling ‘sovereign-edge’ technologies and globally competitive IP from India, with half set aside for follow-up investments. Ownership stakes are targeted to increase to 15 percent.
Lavni Ventures launches Rs 200 crore fund to back deep-tech impact startups
Lavni Ventures, in Bengaluru, has announced the first close of its Rs 200 crore deep-tech impact fund to support science-driven startups tackling climate, healthcare, energy, and education challenges, Entrackr reports. The fund will invest Rs 2-8 crore at Seed to Series A stages and Rs 8-15 crore for follow-ons, focusing on scalable solutions and measurable impact.
Lavni’s Fund I portfolio enabled millions of student learning hours, thousands of healthcare interventions, and significant CO₂ savings, according to the report.
Neuralzome Cybernetics raises $2.4 million to advance autonomous robotics tech
Neuralzome Cybernetics, in Bengaluru, has raised $2.4 million in pre-seed funding led by 8X Ventures and others to accelerate its autonomous robotics technology across sectors like agriculture, mining, and manufacturing, Economic Times reports.
Founded in 2023, the startup develops teachable, no-code AI agents, targeting Robot-as-a-Service for labour-intensive markets. Its NeuralPilot platform, integrated with RedPill simulation, drastically reduces robot training time and costs. The new investment will support operations expansion in North America and Europe.
Manastu Space raises $3 million for green propulsion and in-orbit refuelling tech
Manastu Space, in Mumbai, has raised $3 million in an extended Series A round led by the VC firm Capital-A, to advance its green propulsion and in-orbit refuelling tech, the company said in a press release. Existing investors, including Capital 2B and IAN, also participated in this round which marks Capital A’s first space-tech investment, according to the release.
The funding will accelerate the commercial rollout of Manastu’s green propulsion and debris-avoidance systems, and advance in-orbit refuelling technologies. Founded by IIT Bombay alumni, the startup aims to expand its U.S., Europe, and Asia presence, tapping into the growing $40B Indian private space economy.
Colruyt boosts grocery order fulfilment productivity with autonomous mobile robots
Colruyt Group, a large supermarket chain in Europe, partnered with TCS to automate order picking in its Collect & Go centres using autonomous self-driving vehicle (SDV) robots. These robots guide staff, optimise routes, and display items to pick, raising picking productivity by 20 percent and reducing costs. This innovation streamlines warehouse operations, handles rising demand, and sets the foundation for further automation across Colruyt's distribution network.
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