8chili, Infinx, NoPo Nanotechnologies, and SuperKalam Raise Early Stage Funding Here are the Indian startups that announced early-stage funding rounds.

Deep-tech Startup 8chili Gets Funding from Karna D Shinde

8chili, a deep tech company based in San Ramon, California, and Bangalore, India, has announced a significant investment from strategic investor and mentor Karna D Shinde.

The funding is anticipated to quicken 8chili's market expansion, collaborations, and research.

Aravind Upadhyaya, Founder and CEO of 8chili, said, "We are thrilled to have Karna D Shinde's support as we continue to push the boundaries of immersive training. His strategic insight and financial backing will enable us to accelerate our research and development efforts, expand our market reach and forge key partnerships within the healthcare industry."

8chili specialises in immersive training for the healthcare and life sciences sectors.

It claims to have partnered with customers in the healthcare and life science industries, like Strides Pharma and Apollo Hospitals.

Karna D Shinde commented, "I am particularly excited about 8chili's ability to revolutionise traditional training methods and enhance time to skill mastery for workers. With their strong track record and clear focus on delivering impactful solutions, I see great potential for 8chili to make a significant mark in the workforce training industry."

KKR Acquires Minority Stake in Healthcare Revenue Solutions Provider Infinx

Global investment firm KKR announced that it has acquired a significant minority stake in Mumbai-based Infinx Services through its Asian Fund IV for an undisclosed sum.

Norwest Venture Partners was an additional participant in the funding round.

Through this investment, KKR will leverage its extensive experience in the global healthcare and technology sectors to accelerate Infinx's growth, expand the company's network, and support bolt-on acquisitions.

Jaideep Tandon, CEO of Infinx, added, "With KKR's support, network, and differentiated expertise, we are even better positioned to accelerate our growth and continue our investment in innovative solutions to help improve the financial health of healthcare providers."

Co-founded in 2012 by Sandeep Tandon and Jaideep Tandon, Infinx is a provider of innovative, data-driven revenue cycle management solutions for the healthcare sector, with a particular focus on the US market.

Its cloud platform supports end-to-end revenue cycle business functions utilising AI, automation, payer integration, and workforce management.

Today, the platform supports 1.72 lakh healthcare professionals across 400 healthcare provider organisations including hospitals, health systems, and outpatient healthcare providers.

Akshay Tanna, Partner and Head of India Private Equity, KKR, said, "Digital transformation will play an increasingly important role in helping companies to streamline complex processes and improve productivity. Considering this tailwind, we are pleased to invest in Infinx given its comprehensive suite of flexible, tech-enabled offerings, strong management team and proven ability to serve healthcare providers."

NoPo Nanotechnologies Raises USD 3 Mn in Pre-Series A Round

Bengaluru-based startup NoPo Nanotechnologies has secured USD 3 million in a pre-series A round co-led by deep tech funds Axilor's Micelio Fund and Inflexor Ventures. The round was also subscribed by other climate-focused funds, Spectrum Impact, Aureolis, and other Angel investors.

The startup plans to deploy the funds to scale up production, enhance engineering capabilities, and execute a global go-to-market strategy.

With the latest funding, NoPo aims to expand its production capacity to service global battery manufacturers as well as further develop its offerings for electronics/semiconductor customers.

"Our investment in NoPo through Micelio Technology Fund is rooted in our philosophy of backing deep-science advancements to catalyse the transition to clean mobility. We believe material innovation has the potential to transform many industries and applications," said Alok Chauhan, Principal, Axilor's Micelio Fund.

Founded by Gadhadar Reddy, Arunima Patel and Kelley Bradley, NoPo has pioneered cutting-edge technology for producing high-quality single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs).

SWCNTs are an advanced material that holds promise across various applications, ranging from usage by EV battery manufacturers, where the material can improve energy density, to usage by researchers in the design of semiconductors to make quantum computing a reality.

NoPo claims that it is the only player in India and one of the few globally to have developed the technology to produce SWCNTs using a proprietary patented method. The company has been manufacturing the material consistently for the last five years and is now focusing on expanding capacity for global customers working in high-energy-density batteries and advanced electronics.

Gadadhar Reddy, Founder and CEO of NoPo, said, "There are 100+ applications that are being developed across the world using SWCNTs, ranging from desalination to cancer treatment. NoPo is excited to be a pioneer in driving the development of this material and its associated applications. We are happy to partner with Micelio and Inflexor, as they bring with them a wealth of knowledge and expertise in deep-tech and climate space."

SuperKalam Secures USD 2 Mn in Seed Round led by Y Combinator and Others

SuperKalam, an AI-led personal mentor for students preparing for competitive exams, has announced the raising of USD 2 million in its seed round led by Y Combinator and Fundersclub.

Notable investors also participated in the round, including Pareto Ventures, GoodWater Capital, Nurture Ventures, SuperCapital, and YC Partner Puneet Kumar.

The fresh funding will be used to further enrich SuperKalam's AI-led educational platform, expand its reach, enhance the user experience, and foster continuous innovation in personalised learning services.

Co-founder and CEO, Vimal Singh Rathore at SuperKalam, stated, "We are excited to have iconic investors join us in our mission to rethink learning in an AI-first world. At SuperKalam, we are committed to leading this change by transitioning from unilateral content broadcasts to delivering personalised learning that adapts to each student's unique needs."

Founded in July 2023 by Vimal Singh Rathore and Aseem Gupta, SuperKalam provides personalised guidance and support for competitive exams.

By utilising AI-driven analytics, the platform adapts to each student's unique needs, offering tailored learning paths, instant doubt resolution, and progress tracking.

Since its inception, the Bengaluru-based platform claims to have over 60,000 students, and it continues to provide students with tailored mentorship and support through its AI technology.

After Coursavy, which Unacademy acquired in September 2020, this is co-founder Vimal's second edtech startup.