Institutional Infrastructure
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Syndication & Co-Investment

India-based hospitality startup The Hosteller has raised ₹150 crore (approximately $18 million) in a Series B funding round, marking one of the largest institutional fundraises in India’s hostel and backpacker accommodation segment. The investment highlights growing confidence in India’s fast-expanding experience-led travel market.The round was led by PROMAFT Partners and V3 Ventures, with participation from ITI Growth Opportunities Fund, Merisis Wealth Trust, and prominent family offices. The financing reflects strong investor belief in branded budget hospitality models focused on young domestic travellers.Founded in 2014, The Hosteller has built one of India’s largest hostel networks, operating more than 75 properties across 13 states. The company says it has already hosted over 20 lakh travellers, benefiting from rising demand for affordable, community-driven stays among Gen Z and millennial travellers.Over the past 12 months, the startup added more than 30 new properties and increased capacity by nearly 70%, demonstrating rapid expansion momentum as domestic tourism rebounds strongly.The newly raised capital will be used to expand into key travel destinations, strengthen operational efficiency, and scale brand presence nationwide. The company is targeting 25,000 beds over the next 36 months, significantly expanding its national footprint.The Hosteller also plans to launch a travel super app integrating accommodation, food & beverage, mobility, and curated experiences into a single platform positioning itself beyond hostel stays into a broader youth travel ecosystem.As Indian travellers increasingly prioritize experiences over traditional hotel formats, The Hosteller is emerging as a category leader in organized budget travel and experiential hospitality.

US-based biotech startup Ray Therapeutics has raised an upsized and oversubscribed $125 million Series B funding round to accelerate development of its optogenetic gene therapies for blinding retinal diseases, reinforcing investor confidence in next-generation vision restoration technologies.The financing follows the company’s previously oversubscribed $100 million Series A and marks a major milestone as Ray Therapeutics moves toward later-stage clinical development of its lead ophthalmology programs.Founded in San Diego, Ray Therapeutics is developing optogenetic therapies that aim to restore vision by making surviving retinal cells responsive to light. Unlike mutation-specific treatments, the company’s platform is designed to work across multiple retinal degenerative diseases where photoreceptor cells have been lost.Its lead candidate targets conditions such as retinitis pigmentosa, while the broader pipeline includes programs for inherited retinal dystrophies and macular degeneration. These diseases currently have limited treatment options and affect millions globally, creating strong demand for durable restorative therapies.Optogenetics is considered one of the most promising frontiers in ophthalmology because it combines gene therapy with engineered light-sensitive proteins to potentially restore functional sight. Ray Therapeutics has focused on developing therapies that may not require external light-enhancing devices, improving real-world usability for patients.The newly raised capital is expected to support clinical trials, manufacturing scale-up, regulatory progress, and continued expansion of the company’s research platform. As gene therapy innovation accelerates, Ray Therapeutics is positioning itself as a leader in restorative vision medicine.With strong investor backing and growing momentum in precision ophthalmology, the company is now entering a critical phase where breakthrough science could translate into life-changing patient outcomes.

China-based robotics startup X Square Robot has raised RMB 2 billion (approximately $275 million) in a Series B funding round, marking one of the largest robotics financings of the year and highlighting rising investor confidence in next-generation intelligent automation.The fresh capital is expected to support large-scale commercialization, advanced robotics R&D, and expansion of manufacturing capacity as demand grows for AI-powered industrial robots across logistics, warehousing, manufacturing, and smart factory environments.Founded to modernize industrial operations through robotics and autonomous systems, X Square Robot develops intelligent robotic platforms designed to improve productivity, reduce labor dependency, and optimize complex workflows. The company is focused on integrating AI perception, machine learning, motion control, and real-time decision systems into scalable robotic solutions.China continues to be one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing robotics markets, driven by rising labor costs, aging demographics, supply chain modernization, and strong government support for advanced manufacturing. In this environment, companies like X Square Robot are emerging as strategic enablers of industrial transformation.The new funding round is expected to strengthen the company’s position in sectors such as smart logistics, precision manufacturing, and autonomous warehouse operations segments experiencing rapid demand from enterprises seeking higher efficiency and resilient supply chains.Beyond domestic opportunities, the raise may also help X Square Robot expand internationally as Chinese robotics firms increasingly compete in global markets with cost-efficient and technologically advanced solutions.As AI and robotics converge to reshape factories and infrastructure worldwide, X Square Robot is positioning itself as a major player in the future of intelligent automation and industrial productivity.

Nigeria’s Federal Government is set to invest $75 million in fintech giant Flutterwave as the company advances plans for a potential initial public offering (IPO), marking one of the most notable state-backed investments into Africa’s startup ecosystem.The investment was reportedly approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and is expected to be executed through the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MoFI), the government’s investment arm. The move reflects Nigeria’s growing ambition to support high-growth technology firms and deepen participation in the digital economy.Flutterwave is reportedly preparing a $250 million IPO raise, which could value the company above $3 billion and position it among Africa’s most prominent listed technology firms. Government participation is expected to strengthen investor confidence and act as an anchor commitment for broader institutional interest.Founded in 2016, Flutterwave has become one of Africa’s leading payments companies, providing payment infrastructure, cross-border transaction tools, merchant services, and remittance solutions across more than 30 countries. The startup has played a major role in enabling digital commerce across the continent.The proposed investment also follows earlier engagement between Flutterwave executives and Nigeria’s finance ministry on strategic collaboration around financial inclusion, SME growth, and digital transformation. This suggests the relationship extends beyond capital support into broader national fintech strategy.If completed, the deal would signal a new phase in African startup financing where governments move beyond regulation and policy into direct strategic investment in national tech champions. It may also encourage other African states to back high-potential innovation-led companies.As Flutterwave moves closer to public markets, the company is positioning itself not just as a fintech unicorn, but as a flagship example of Africa’s capacity to build globally competitive technology enterprises.

US-based AI startup GetWhys has raised $5.2 million in an oversubscribed funding round to accelerate growth of its insight-driven go-to-market platform, as enterprises increasingly seek smarter ways to turn customer intelligence into measurable revenue outcomes.The round was led by EPIC Ventures, with participation from CEAS Investments, Portland Seed Fund, and existing investors Next Frontier Capital, Tuesday Capital, and Capital Eleven. The latest raise brings GetWhys’ total funding to $8.5 million, reflecting strong investor confidence in AI-native GTM infrastructure.Founded in Boise, Idaho, GetWhys is building a platform that transforms verified buyer research into actionable outputs for product marketing, sales enablement, messaging, and campaign execution. Its proprietary dataset of in-depth B2B buyer interviews allows companies to ground go-to-market decisions in real customer evidence rather than assumptions.The company is addressing what it calls the “research-to-work gap,” where market insights are often generated too slowly or disconnected from teams responsible for execution. By combining AI workflows with proprietary customer intelligence, GetWhys enables faster and more effective GTM strategies.GetWhys has already gained traction with enterprise customers including Intel, Verizon, and CDW. Over the past year, the startup says it has doubled headcount, grown revenue more than 10x, and expanded its customer base over 20x.The newly raised capital will be used to accelerate go-to-market expansion, deepen product development, and further strengthen its proprietary data moat. As AI adoption grows across commercial teams, specialized platforms with differentiated datasets are becoming increasingly valuable.With this round, GetWhys is positioning itself at the intersection of enterprise AI, customer intelligence, and revenue operations helping B2B companies move faster with insight-backed execution.

Spain-based SaaS startup GuruSup has raised €1.3 million in a Seed funding round to accelerate development of its AI-powered customer support platform, as businesses increasingly adopt autonomous AI agents to improve service efficiency and scale operations.The round was led by 4Founders Capital, signaling investor confidence in the growing market for AI-native support infrastructure and workflow automation tools.Founded as GuruSup Tech S.L., the company is building a platform that orchestrates multiple AI agents capable of autonomously managing customer service interactions. Rather than relying solely on chatbots, GuruSup focuses on agent-based systems that can handle repetitive support workflows, resolve tickets faster, and assist human teams with more complex cases.As customer experience becomes a key differentiator for modern companies, support teams face rising pressure to respond faster while controlling costs. GuruSup aims to solve this challenge by combining automation, AI reasoning, and scalable workflows that reduce manual workload without compromising service quality.The newly raised capital will be used to strengthen product development, expand engineering capabilities, and accelerate go-to-market efforts across European markets. The company is positioning itself to serve startups, SaaS businesses, and digital-first enterprises looking to modernize support operations.The funding round also reflects a broader trend where investors are increasingly backing vertical AI startups focused on practical enterprise use cases such as customer service, sales operations, and back-office automation.As businesses move beyond basic chatbots toward intelligent autonomous systems, GuruSup is emerging as an early player in the next generation of AI-powered customer support platforms