Startup news and updates: Daily roundup (June 9, 2026)

YourStory brings you today’s headlines with the latest developments across sectors.

Featured stories

OpenAI initiates process for IPO

OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, has formally kicked off the process for an initial public offering (IPO) by confidentially filing a draft S-1 registration statement with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The confidential filing enables the AI giant to undergo regulatory review while keeping key financial information and strategic details out of public view during the early stages of the listing process.

The move comes just a week after rival Anthropic also submitted a confidential S-1 filing. With a valuation approaching $1 trillion, Anthropic is widely seen as leading the race among AI companies to reach the public markets.

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Zepto files updated IPO papers

Quick-commerce unicorn Zepto has filed its updated draft red herring prospectus, seeking to raise Rs 8,010 crore through a combination of a fresh issue of shares and an offer for sale of 113.47 million shares by existing investors.

The IPO is among the most anticipated public listings in India's startup ecosystem, coming at a time when Zepto is locked in an intense battle with Blinkit, owned by Eternal, and Swiggy's Instamart for dominance in the fast-growing quick-commerce market.

The shareholders selling in the planned IPO will be Nexus Venture Partners, Contrary ZEP Holdings, Razor Ventures Zepto, Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, and Kaiser Permanente Group Trust.

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Funding news

The Wedding Company raises $2.75M in seed round

TheWedding Company, the Bengaluru headquartered tech-driven wedding planning and fulfilment platform, has raised $2.75 million in a seed funding round led by Wellingdon Advisors with participation from LVX, Tremis Capital and angel investor Vivek Mathur (Elevation Capital ex-Partner), Rahul Garg (Premji Invest Senior ex-Partner) and Apurva Patel, Synergy Capital Partners.

The capital will be deployed to strengthen the company's wedding services catalogue, build a robust category management function, and expand its vendor partner network to standardise service delivery at scale.

Celebal Technologies raises Rs 50 Cr debt funding

Jaipur-based enterprise data and AI solutions provider Celebal Technologies has secured ₹50 crore in debt funding from BlackSoil Capital to strengthen its balance sheet and enhance financial flexibility. The funding is intended to provide a liquidity buffer, support the company’s continued global expansion, and help it navigate potential geopolitical and market uncertainties.

The capital raise follows the successful repayment of an earlier debt facility and is accompanied by improved profitability, reflecting the company’s disciplined financial management.

Founded in 2016 by Anupam Gupta and Anirudh Kala, Celebal specialises in data science, AI, cloud transformation, supply chain analytics, and automation solutions. The company has reported a revenue CAGR of approximately 81% between FY21 and FY26, supported by strategic partnerships with Microsoft and Databricks, which have expanded its global customer base and innovation capabilities.

Helionis Labs secures pre-seed funding from Transition VC

Deeptech materials startup Helionis Labs has raised an undisclosed pre-seed round of funding from Transition VC to advance its next-generation thermal management technologies for high-power electronics.

The company plans to use the proceeds to strengthen research and development, expand its engineering team, complete certifications and reliability testing, accelerate OEM prototyping efforts, and establish a pilot manufacturing facility. Helionis is developing proprietary printable dielectric materials and additive manufacturing processes to produce high-performance insulated metal substrates.

The startup claims its technology can deliver lower thermal resistance, thinner dielectric layers, and lower production costs compared with conventional metal core printed circuit boards.

The funding is expected to support commercialisation efforts and help the company scale its innovative thermal management solutions for electronics applications where efficient heat dissipation is critical to performance and reliability.

Other news

iD Fresh Food launches AI-led campaign

Fresh food brand iD Fresh Food has launched an AI-powered campaign in Telangana to spotlight the importance of hygiene, trust, and food safety in the batter category.

What sets the campaign apart is its extensive use of artificial intelligence: every visual, including the settings, scenarios, and narrative imagery, has been generated using AI, says the company. The technology enables iD Fresh Food to vividly depict the often-unseen differences in hygiene standards during batter preparation, making a critical but largely invisible aspect of food production more accessible to consumers.

Through the campaign, the company aims to encourage consumers to look beyond freshness and consider hygiene as a key factor in building trust and ensuring food safety.

Venture Catalysts++ makes 3.4x return through partial exit from Rentomojo

Venture Catalysts++, an early-stage VC firm, has exited partially from Rentomojo, a rental platform for furniture and appliances with a 3.4x return on the invested capital. The VC firm first invested in Rentomojo in 2019. Its latest gains are through a secondary transaction.

According to a statement, Rentomojo has evolved into a category leader, building a scalable, subscription-led business model anchored in recurring revenue, improving unit economics, and disciplined operations. The company says it has expanded across key metropolitan markets, strengthening its position within the furniture and appliance rental ecosystem.

Flipkart Group partners with Meta to expand creator-led commerce in India 

Flipkart Group, India’s homegrown ecommerce marketplace, through Flipkart and Myntra, has joined as a Meta affiliate partner to scale creator-led commerce in India by making product discovery and shopping more seamless for customers.

The partnership enables creators to discover and tag products from Flipkart and Myntra directly in their posts and Reels via affiliate integrations, making it easier for consumers to shop seamlessly. The partnership launches on Facebook, with Instagram as the next phase of a planned rollout across Meta’s platforms.

For shoppers, the experience works like this: they see a product in a creator’s post or Reel, tap the product tag, and complete the purchase on Flipkart or Myntra.

For creators, it provides a structured way to turn recommendations into income by earning commissions on sales generated by their posts. For brands and sellers, it opens a new route to reach high-intent audiences through more contextual, authentic, and culturally relevant content, the company said.

TechnoSport launches TechnoSport Express

Activewear brand TechnoSport has unveiled TechnoSport Express, a new retail format designed to accelerate its offline expansion and deepen its presence in India's rapidly growing non-metro markets.

As part of its expansion plans, the company aims to open 25 TechnoSport Express stores by the end of FY27, in addition to its target of operating around 130 exclusive brand outlets by the close of the current fiscal year.

Built on a smaller-format, asset-light model, TechnoSport Express is intended to enable faster market entry and broader geographic reach. The initiative marks a key step in the brand's retail strategy, allowing it to expand beyond major cities into smaller towns and district centres, where demand for branded activewear and improved shopping experiences continues to rise.

AirBrick appoints Gaurav Bansal as COO

AirBrick Infra has appointed Gaurav Bansal as chief operating officer (COO), India.

According to a press statement, this appointment is a defining step in fortifying AirBrick’s operational leadership as the company accelerates its technology-driven expansion across India and global markets, building on an unmatched track record of delivering enterprise-grade commercial spaces at scale.

Before joining AirBrick, he served as the business head of 91Squarefeet, where he led India operations and drove significant business expansion.

He previously held the position of business head at Flipspaces, spearheading Vizstore - a SaaS marketplace platform for retailers and scaling B2B transactions across India.

IIT-Madras to showcase at Bharat Innovates 2026

The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) will showcase a range of deep tech innovations, startups, and strategic research initiatives at Bharat Innovates 2026, an international technology exhibition organised by the Ministry of Education in Nice, France, from June 14-16.

IIT Madras will lead two of the 13 thematic areas at the event and present 15 startups incubated at the institute. Its showcase will also feature five flagship research projects spanning Hyperloop technology, 5G and 6G communications, port automation, lab-grown diamonds, and a domain-specific low-compute indigenous AI ecosystem.

IIT Kanpur’s Dhanavritti Ventures receives SEBI registration

Dhanavritti Ventures, a venture capital fund sponsored by IIT Kanpur and its alumni, has received registration as a Category I Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) from SEBI. The development makes it one of the first SEBI-registered venture capital funds directly backed by an IIT and the first of its kind in Uttar Pradesh. The fund will focus on investing in deeptech startups emerging from IIT Kanpur’s research ecosystem, particularly in advanced materials, defence technology, life sciences, artificial intelligence, and climate technology.

Along with early-stage funding, it will provide operational support and access to IIT Kanpur’s research infrastructure, faculty expertise, and alumni network. Managed by a professional investment team and overseen by an independent investment committee, the fund aims to bridge the gap between academic research and commercialisation through rigorous technical and market due diligence.

AGNIT Semiconductors opens testing lab at IISc

AGNIT Semiconductors has launched a new testing laboratory at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru. Backed by an investment of ₹3 crore, the 350-square-foot facility is designed to strengthen India’s indigenous semiconductor testing and validation ecosystem for high-power RF applications.

The lab will enable AGNIT to conduct rapid in-house validation, accelerate product commercialisation, reduce dependence on external testing facilities, and improve customer confidence. Equipped with advanced tools including environmental chambers, RF testing stations, automated PCB assembly systems, and load-pull testing equipment, the facility will support PCB assembly, reliability testing, power amplifier characterisation, and qualification processes.

AGNIT expects the laboratory to significantly reduce turnaround times and enhance readiness for defence, telecom, and next-generation RF technology markets.

Dent@Home attracts strategic investment

Healthcare startup Dent@Home has received a strategic investment from BizDateUp in partnership with actor Taher Shabbir and producer-director Ashutosh Shah, who have acquired a 25% stake in the company. Recently featured on Shark Tank India Season 5, Dent@Home provides portable and at-home dental care services for elderly, immobile, hospital-bound, and homebound patients.

The capital will support the company’s expansion plans, helping it scale its bedside dental care model across India. Dent@Home aims to improve access to professional oral healthcare by offering emergency and critical dental services directly at home and in hospital beds. The startup plans to strengthen its service network, improve the customer experience, and expand operations into key markets as demand for convenient, patient-centric healthcare solutions grows.

Salesforce pledges AI training for one million learners in India

Salesforce has announced a commitment to equip one million learners in India with AI-focused skills by 2030, coinciding with the 10th anniversary of its India Centre of Excellence. The initiative aims to prepare the country’s workforce for future jobs through training programs delivered via Trailhead, Salesforce’s free digital learning platform. The company will collaborate with academic institutions, industry partners, and government agencies to expand AI education.

Programs include partnerships with IndiaAI and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, a virtual internship initiative with AICTE, and academic Centres of Excellence with institutions such as Manipal Academy of Higher Education. Salesforce’s partner ecosystem, including Accenture, Deloitte, Infosys, PwC, Grant Thornton Bharat, and TCS, will contribute through structured training, mentorship, and project-based learning opportunities.

Vibely to shut down operations

Vibely, a social interaction experiment developed by Mohalla Tech, has announced that it will voluntarily discontinue operations across all channels, including the Google Play Store. The company said the platform remained an early-stage experiment that never scaled beyond its initial phase and contributed only a negligible share of the group’s overall business. Mohalla Tech stated that the decision reflects its commitment to maintaining high standards of digital safety for users and creators while continuing to work constructively with platform partners and stakeholders.

The company emphasised that Vibely’s underlying design and moderation systems met or exceeded industry benchmarks. As India’s digital ecosystem and regulatory landscape continue to evolve, the firm said it remains focused on responsible innovation and building trustworthy digital experiences.

CRED launches Cash by CRED

Fintech company CRED has launched Cash by CRED, a new app designed to help users build positive credit habits through greater transparency and financial awareness. Available to both CRED members and non-members, the platform combines credit score checks, loan affordability analysis, and EMI calculators within a single interface.

The app analyses users’ spending patterns to estimate monthly surplus and recommend manageable EMI levels, helping borrowers avoid financial stress. It also clearly outlines interest rates, fees, and charges before presenting loan options. CRED said the initiative aims to address concerns around opaque lending practices and encourage responsible borrowing. By improving users’ understanding of credit and repayment obligations, Cash by CRED seeks to help consumers strengthen their credit profiles and make more informed financial decisions.

Cashfree expands cross-border payments suite

Cashfree Payments has expanded its cross-border payments platform, enabling businesses across 40 countries to accept payments from Indian consumers without establishing a local entity in India. The company’s enhanced suite now supports businesses in North America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region through direct integrations and partnerships. Merchants can accept payments using popular Indian methods, including UPI, RuPay cards, debit and credit cards, and net banking.

The solution targets sectors such as ecommerce, SaaS, travel, and digital goods, where payment localisation plays a key role in improving conversion rates. Cashfree said the offering addresses a major challenge for international businesses seeking access to India’s growing digital consumer market, where shoppers strongly prefer familiar domestic payment options at checkout.

ShepHertz appoints Anuraag Kochhar as CTO

Applied AI platform company ShepHertz has appointed Anuraag Kochhar as Chief Technology Officer to lead its technology strategy, product innovation, platform engineering, and AI-driven transformation initiatives.

Kochhar brings nearly three decades of experience spanning software engineering, cloud architecture, enterprise AI, data science, and business leadership across global markets. He has previously worked with organisations including Motorola, Schlumberger, and STG, developing embedded systems and cryptographic solutions. At ShepHertz, he will oversee the development and expansion of the company’s sovereign AI and workforce intelligence platforms, including AgentAnywhere, wAnywhere, BrowseAnywhere, and TalentAnywhere.

The appointment comes as ShepHertz seeks to strengthen its presence in regulated industries and international markets while accelerating innovation in enterprise AI solutions.

(This article will be updated with the latest news throughout the day.)