Ayna and Wahter Raise Early-Stage Funding The Indian startups listed below have disclosed investment rounds.

Generative AI Startup Ayna Bags USD 1.5 Mn Funding Led by Inflexor Ventures

Bengauru-based generative AI startup Ayna announced that it has raised USD 1.5 million in a seed round led by Inflexor Ventures.

As per the official release, the raised funding will be used to expand Ayna's AI capabilities, scale its team, and accelerate its mission to make high-quality product photography accessible to businesses of all sizes.

"We are excited to partner with Inflexor Ventures to further our mission of transforming product photography for leading brands," said Aastha Rajpal, Co-founder of Ayna. "This investment will enable us to push the boundaries of generative AI and deliver unparalleled value to our customers."

Co-founded by Aastha Rajpal and Yash Bansal, Ayna is an AI-powered platform that enables businesses to create studio-quality product photoshoots at scale.

The Bengauru-based platform claims to empower brands like Reliance Retail's Clovia, Wakefit, WomanLikeU, and others to create studio-quality product photoshoots at scale without the need for physical photoshoots.

Unlike traditional methods or basic AI solutions, Ayna's proprietary compound foundational models (CFMs) give brands granular control over every detail of their product images.

"Ayna is pioneering the use of diffusion models within a unique Compound Foundational Model framework to create a paradigm shift in the product photography industry," added Yash Bansal, Co-founder of Ayna.

Wahter Raises INR 5 Cr Funding at INR 52 Cr Valuation

Advertising and packaged drinking water brand Wahter announced that it has raised INR 5 crore in pre-seed funding at a valuation of INR 52 crore.

With the new funding, Wahter aims to expand its distribution network and innovate its revenue model by increasing carts and kiosks in high-traffic areas, investing in advanced technology, and strengthening its team to ensure quality and streamline operations.

Amitt Nenwani, Co-founder of Wahter, said, "Wahter is bringing a significant change in the advertising and packaged drinking water sectors. We are encouraged by the positive response from both brands and consumers. The campaigns we have conducted for our brands have yielded surprisingly positive results, highlighting the effectiveness of our model."

Founded in December 2023 by Amitt Nenwani and Kashiish A Nenwani, Wahter aims to provide clean and affordable drinking water while offering an advertising platform for brands.

By leveraging the power of advertising, Wahter ensures that consumers can access bottled water for just INR 1 or INR 2.

Wahter claims to have deployed over 100 carts, strollers, and kiosks in high-footfall areas such as metro stations, malls, and public places, ensuring widespread availability of its bottled water.

The Gurugram-based startup has partnered with brands like boAt, Vijay Sales, and ACE Capitals.

Within the first month of its launch, the platform claims to have sold 2 lakh bottles of drinking water in the Delhi NCR region, demonstrating the strong demand for its affordable and accessible product.