Cashfree FY26: Revenue Inches Closer To ₹1,000 Cr Mark, Loss Narrows

Source: inc42

Cashfree FY26: Revenue Inches Closer To ₹1,000 Cr Mark, Loss Narrows

Business

Cashfree Payments saw its operating revenue surge 51.1% to ₹967 crore in FY26, nearing the ₹1,000 crore mark. The fintech soonicorn reduced its net losses by 23.1% to ₹118.5 crore, driven by strong growth in payment gateway commissions. Despite rising total expenses of ₹1,090.9 crore, the company continues to diversify its offerings into cross-border payments and AI-driven agentic payments, serving over 20 lakh businesses globally.

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Sachin Bansal’s fintech Navi raises first outside capital with $100M Prosus investment

Startups

Indian fintech Navi, founded by former Flipkart co-founder Sachin Bansal, has raised $100 million from Prosus in its first institutional funding round. This investment values the company at approximately $1.3 billion. Navi offers various financial services, including lending and digital payments, and is currently preparing for an initial public offering to raise about $314 million. The startup recently reported consolidated profitability in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026.

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Amazon makes its AI-powered Alexa+ free on Fire TV, no Prime required

Startups

Amazon is making its AI assistant, Alexa+, free and automatic for all compatible Fire TV devices in the U.S., regardless of Prime membership. The update introduces conversational search, AI-powered recommendations, and smart home controls. This move aligns with industry trends from Google and Roku to integrate AI into consumer electronics. Amazon reports increased user engagement, allowing customers to search for content by theme, popularity, or specific characteristics.

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Amazon’s Prime Air is taking off in nearly 500 U.S. cities

Startups

Amazon is expanding its Prime Air drone delivery service to nearly 500 U.S. cities by 2026, increasing its current reach sixfold. The service, which delivers items under five pounds in as little as 30 minutes, will soon launch in 11 new locations. Despite past accidents, Amazon emphasizes safety through its Detect-and-Avoid system and FAA certification, competing with rival drone networks operated by Walmart and Alphabet's Wing.

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Calendly throws its hat into meeting note-taker circus

Startups

Calendly is entering the AI note-taking market with a tool that records, transcribes, and generates summaries and follow-up emails. The company is also introducing Callie, an AI assistant for scheduling and meeting context. Targeting sales and marketing professionals, Calendly aims to differentiate itself by automating post-meeting workflows. To address privacy concerns, the tool notifies participants of recording and allows them to remove the assistant.

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The founder’s secret weapon: Work at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 and learn how the pros do it

Startups

"TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 is seeking volunteers for its event from October 13-15 at San Francisco’s Moscone West. Participants gain insider access to startup culture, networking opportunities with founders and venture capitalists, and knowledge of event logistics. In exchange for committing at least 12 hours and attending a mandatory orientation on October 12, volunteers receive free general admission for all three days of the conference.".

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Sachin Bansal's Navi raises $100M from Prosus

Startups

Sachin Bansal's financial services company, Navi Limited, has raised $100 million from Prosus in its first institutional funding round. Founded in 2018, Navi provides loans, insurance, mutual funds, and UPI payments, with assets under management exceeding Rs 13,000 crore. The company reached consolidated profitability in the fourth quarter of FY26. This investment, pending regulatory approvals, reflects Prosus's confidence in Navi's technology-driven approach and scaling capabilities.

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D2C Brands Should Use Influencers Only After Finding PMF: Emami’s Dhruv Aggarwal

Business

D2C brands should scale influencer marketing only after establishing product-market fit, as creator-led campaigns cannot compensate for a weak product,.

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Home batteries are suddenly cheap and everywhere. Here’s why.

Startups

Tesla and startups like Base Power are competing in the home battery market, utilizing virtual power plants (VPPs) to lower consumer costs. VPPs aggregate distributed batteries to support the grid during peak demand, offering a faster, cheaper alternative to traditional peaker plants. Driven by AI data centers and electrification, the VPP market is projected to reach $30 billion by 2033, providing critical grid resiliency and speed.

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The Playbook Behind Agilitas’ Global Sportswear Ambition

Business

Agilitas, a three-year-old Indian sportswear startup led by former Puma executive Abhishek Ganguly, aims to compete globally with giants like Nike and Adidas. Having raised ₹225 crore, the company is building an integrated ecosystem of manufacturing, retail, and brands. Its portfolio includes Mochiko Shoes, a 40-year Lotto licence, and One8, co-created by investor Virat Kohli. Agilitas seeks to leverage supply-chain control to establish a global Indian brand.

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IPO-Bound Navi Raises $100 Mn From Prosus In Maiden Institutional Round

Business

"Global VC firm Prosus has invested $100 million in Sachin Bansal-led fintech startup Navi, marking the company's first institutional capital raise. This investment aims to scale Navi's lending and payments businesses, with the company reportedly reviving plans for a ₹3,000 crore IPO by December. The transaction remains subject to regulatory approvals, including clearance from the Competition Commission of India, as Navi continues expanding its financial services portfolio.".

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DevSparks Chennai returns: Explore AI for the physical world, manufacturing, and deeptech

Startups

"DevSparks 2026 arrives in Chennai on September 12 at the Hyatt Regency, gathering over 500 developers and technology leaders. The summit will focus on integrating AI into deeptech, manufacturing, and robotics, featuring experts from Zoho and other leading firms. This event leverages Chennai's unique position as a hub for both SaaS and industrial engineering, supported by the Tamil Nadu government's deeptech initiatives and IIT Madras.".

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CareCloud confirms 3.7M patients had their medical records stolen in data breach

Startups

<summary> Health data giant CareCloud confirmed hackers stole personal and medical records of over 3.75 million people. The March data

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Investcorp acquires 20Cube to expand its presence in India’s growing logistics market

Startups

Investcorp acquired 20Cube 3PL Solutions, India's contract logistics business, for Rs 500 crore, highlighting growing investor interest in the sector. Investcorp plans an additional Rs 500-750 crore investment to expand the platform and acquire complementary businesses. The founders will continue leading 20Cube, which aims to significantly increase its warehousing footprint from 7 million to over 20 million square feet amidst India's modernizing supply chains and rising demand.

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AI isn’t close to curing cancer. This startup says it knows what it will take.

Startups

AI isn’t close to curing cancer. This startup says it knows what it will take.

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You can Venmo your college tuition, for some reason

Startups

PayPal and its subsidiary Venmo are partnering with education payment platforms Illumia, Nelnet Campus Commerce, and TouchNet to allow students and families to pay college tuition through their apps. This integration aims to provide a more flexible and seamless payment experience for thousands of institutions. By offering these familiar digital payment options, the companies hope to reduce friction and make the tuition payment process more accessible.

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Zaggle Shares Surge Over 12% After Vijay Kedia’s Firm Buys 1.48% Stake

Business

Zaggle shares surged over 12% after Kedia Securities, led by Vijay Kedia, acquired a 1.48% stake for ₹32.94 crore. This recovery follows a recent slump triggered by a sharp decline in Q1 FY27 net profit to ₹17.5 crore and a dismissed ₹4.09 crore income-tax appeal. The company attributed lower profitability to acquisition costs for Dice Enterprises and Rio.Money, alongside increased employee expenses and capitalized costs.

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Butterfly Learnings raises Rs 65 Cr funding led by Inflexor Ventures

Startups

Butterfly Learnings, an Indian paediatric behavioural healthcare platform, has raised Rs 65 crore in a pre-Series B funding round led by Inflexor Ventures. The company, founded by Dr. Sonam Kothari and Dr. Abhishek Sen, aims to provide coordinated care for children with neurodevelopmental conditions. The capital will be used to expand its network of centres, enhance its technology platform, and commercialise a proprietary early autism screening solution.

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Why Dogsee Chew Refused A UK Distributor’s Demand To Drop ‘Made In India’

Business

Pet wellness brand Dogsee Chew rejected a UK distributor's request to remove "Made in India" labels, instead leveraging its Himalayan origins to build a global identity. Now operating in over 30 countries, the company generates 95% of its revenue from exports. This shift reflects a broader trend of Indian brands utilizing authenticity and craftsmanship to compete internationally, moving from simple exporting to establishing premium global brand recognition.

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How AI Helped The Bear House Grow Its Conversions 5X

Business

AI shopping agents are transforming ecommerce by shifting from product discovery to intent-led shopping. By leveraging consumer preferences and context, platforms like Glance enable brands to personalize recommendations and streamline the purchase journey. For example, The Bear House saw conversions increase fivefold and returns drop by 20% after implementing these tools. This shift encourages brands to prioritize solving customer intent over traditional website traffic strategies.

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