Startup news and updates: Daily roundup (February 14, 2025)
YourStory presents the daily news roundup from the Indian startup ecosystem and beyond. Here's the roundup for Friday, February 14, 2025.
From Marico's gameplan to create soonicorns to a video intelligence platform, YourStory brings today’s headlines with the latest developments across sectors.
Featured stories
Marico Innovation Foundation’s Scale-Up accelerator on track to produce six soonicorns
Marico Innovation Foundation, the CSR-arm of consumer goods company Marico, plans to accelerate six startups from its mentorship programme and help them achieve the soonicorn tag soon.
The foundation’s Scale-Up acceleration programme, which offers bespoke mentorship to startups, has identified key areas of innovation across clean technology, plastic waste management, and agritech, in line with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Meet VOGIC AI, which turns raw CCTV footage into searchable, actionable intelligence
Video intelligence platform VOGIC AI enables corporates and government agencies to index massive volumes of CCTV and drone footage to offer real-time insights.
Founded by Arijit Biswas (CEO), Rahul Singh Thakur (CTO), and Nikhil Mehta (Co-founder), the Gurugram-headquartered startup transforms raw video into a structured, searchable knowledge base, allowing users to retrieve contextual insights instantly by leveraging vision language models.
Funding news
Cherrapunji Craft Gin makers bag $1.2M funding from Japanese investors
Raincheck Earth Co., the company behind Cherrapunji Craft Gin, has raised $1.2 million in a pre-Series A round led by two prominent Japanese investors.
The round also witnessed participation from AngelList India Syndicate, who doubled down on their previous investments.
The company plans to use the capital to fast-track its domestic and global expansion, enhancing distribution and visibility for Cherrapunji Craft Gin in key markets. It also aims to scale production while innovating new products based on the culture of Northeast India.
"We see enormous potential in Cherrapunji Craft Gin due to its unique approach in a crowded market. The team’s deep understanding of today’s global consumer, combined with a strong Indian market presence, makes us confident that this company can become a leading global player in the alco-bev industry," noted Yasuhiro Seo, Partner at TRTL Ventures, one of the Japanese investors in this round.
Other News
Ashoka University partners with Axis Bank to support research programme
Ashoka University and Axis Bank have signed an MoU to commit Rs 104 crore to support PhD, Post-Doctoral and Research programmes at the educational institute.
The initiative is titled “Co-building Interdisciplinary Sciences and Research at Ashoka University,” and will facilitate the development of advanced scientific facilities through a CSR grant of Rs 104 crore over four years of the programme.
QSR player Rebel Foods launches 15-min food delivery app, QuickiES
Rebel Foods on Friday launched a 15-minute food delivery under the name, QuickiES in Mumbai, with a ‘15-minute or Free’ promise.
The platform is expected to feature a curated menu that from brands like Faasos Wraps, Ovenstory Pizza, Wendy’s Burgers, Lunchbox meals, Behrouz Biryani, Sweet Truth desserts, and The Good Bowl among others.
The app would also feature café-style snacks such as samosas, pakoras, poha, puffs, instant noodles, sandwiches, and hot beverages.
(This article will be updated with the latest news throughout the day.)
Edited by Swetha Kannan
