Tech Startups Correspondent, Peepals Tech
Karan Bansal
Karan Bansal is a pen name of the Peepals Global Editorial Team, which researches, fact-checks and publishes every story. The portrait is an illustration. About the team · Editorial policy
69 recent articles on Peepals Tech
Whop raises $205 million at $5.1 billion value in Sequoia-led round
Whop, a Palo Alto platform for running online businesses, raised $205 million at a $5.1 billion valuation in a Sequoia-led round announced October 21, 2026.
Tonbo Imaging share price opens 66% above IPO price on market debut
Defence-tech firm Tonbo Imaging listed on 23 October 2026 at Rs 1,162 on the BSE, 66% above its Rs 700 IPO price, then eased to about Rs 1,059 in early trade.
Marathon Fusion claims it made gold from mercury, but shares no data
San Francisco start-up Marathon Fusion said on 21 October 2026 it turned mercury into stable gold using fusion neutrons, at ten times a 2025 CERN rate, but released no measurements.
Six top IT firms shed 24,422 jobs net in a year, Xpheno data shows
Combined headcount at TCS, Infosys, HCLTech, Wipro, Tech Mahindra and LTIMindtree fell nearly 3% to 797,722 in the year to October 2026, Xpheno data shows.
Meta ordered to pay $25 billion in New Mexico Cambridge Analytica case
A New Mexico judge ordered Meta on October 21, 2026 to pay $25 billion over Cambridge Analytica-linked consumer protection violations; Meta will appeal.
Quest Diagnostics data breach: hackers access Quanum LSM patient records
Quest Diagnostics said on October 22, 2026 that hackers accessed its Quanum Lab Services Manager system and certain patient records; the scale is not yet known.
TravClan raises $5 million from Flipkart, August One for AI travel tools
B2B travel-tech firm TravClan said on October 22, 2026 it raised $5 million from Flipkart and August One, plus Trifecta Capital debt, to expand AI and supply.
LiteLLM 1.107.0 hit by supply-chain attack; credential-stealing release pulled
A malicious LiteLLM 1.107.0, pushed via a compromised pipeline on October 21, 2026, carried credential-stealing code; users should rotate keys.
Karta AI raises $3 million for voice AI that answers bank calls
Bengaluru voice AI start-up Karta AI raised $3 million in seed funding led by PeerCapital and Cedar Hill Capital, it was reported on October 22, 2026.
Flapping Airplanes gets $1 billion from Index, Lux before any product
Year-old AI research lab Flapping Airplanes raised $1 billion at about a $6 billion valuation on October 21, 2026, led by Index Ventures and Lux Capital.
CureBay raises Rs 100 crore, led by IvyCap, for rural AI clinics
Rural health-tech start-up CureBay raised about Rs 100 crore in equity and debt led by IvyCap Ventures, reported October 22, 2026, to expand clinics and AI screening.
Ogi Networks data breach: UK regulator reprimands two firms over 'Password1'
The UK's ICO reprimanded Ogi Networks and Data Cymru on October 20, 2026 after a 'Password1' test account let attackers expose data on 3,300 people, mostly children.
AuxoAI raises $20.7 million to embed AI engineers inside companies
Enterprise AI start-up AuxoAI raised $20.7 million in a Series A led by NTTVC, announced October 20, 2026, to hire more forward-deployed engineers and build its Damia platform.
Food Lion, Stop & Shop sites back online after Ahold Delhaize cyberattack
Food Lion, Stop & Shop and Hannaford sites were back online by October 20, 2026, after an Ahold Delhaize cyberattack that took systems down on October 12.
DeepSeek ban: US orders agencies to remove Chinese AI; Beijing objects
The US Homeland Security department ordered civilian federal agencies to remove DeepSeek AI from their systems, made public on October 19, 2026; China says it will protect its firms.
ISACA survey: 47% of women in tech report gender discrimination at work
ISACA's 2026 Tech Workplace and Culture survey, released mid-October 2026, found 47% of women in tech report gender discrimination, up from 42% in 2024.
Firefly raises $20 million to turn existing cameras into AI safety systems
Physical-AI safety start-up Firefly came out of stealth on 20 October 2026 with a $20 million Series A led by Definition Capital.
Zerodha, Angel One start US stock investing via GIFT City
Zerodha and Angel One began phased launches of US stock and ETF investing via GIFT City in October 2026; Angel One expects all users by mid-November.
Scimplify raises $25 million led by Hitachi Ventures for AI-run materials supply
Bengaluru start-up Scimplify raised $25 million in a round led by Hitachi Ventures on October 14, 2026, to grow its AI-run supply of specialty chemicals and critical materials.
Blackwall raises $100 million at $2.2 billion value to filter bots
Web-security start-up Blackwall raised a $100 million Series C at a $2.2 billion valuation on October 20, 2026 to help hosting firms separate real visitors from bad bots.
Talent500 survey: 71% of tech workers want hands-on AI, 29% get it
Talent500's October 2026 survey of 2,000 Indian tech professionals finds 71% want hands-on AI upskilling but only 29% get it at work.
AI chip firm Tenstorrent raises $1.5 billion at $6.2 billion valuation
Tenstorrent, led by Jim Keller, raised $1.5 billion at a $6.2 billion valuation on October 19, 2026, to scale its Galaxy AI servers for open-weight models.
Tech job openings reach 18-month high of 1.23 lakh; few for freshers
Active tech job openings in India rose to about 1.23 lakh in October 2026, an 18-month high, Xpheno data show, but only around 15,000 are entry-level roles.
Plex Media Server flaws exploited to plant crypto miners: update to 1.43.3
Attackers began exploiting the 'Plex2Shell' flaws in unpatched Plex Media Servers on October 17, 2026, installing crypto miners and proxy malware; a fix has existed since August.
Rocket Software buys six-person Geniez AI to put AI agents on mainframes
US firm Rocket Software announced on October 13, 2026 that it has bought Israeli start-up Geniez AI, maker of AI agents for mainframes; terms were not disclosed.
Grab, OpenAI to train 3,000 Thai drivers and merchants on ChatGPT for extra income
Grab and OpenAI launched GO Forward with AI in Thailand on October 14, 2026, to train 3,000-plus gig workers, part of a 30,000-worker Southeast Asia plan.
NuSynth Technologies raises Rs 36.5 crore to use AI to redesign chemical making
NuSynth Technologies raised Rs 36.5 crore in seed funding co-led by Avaana Capital and Shastra VC to apply AI to chemical process design, reported October 13, 2026.
Fragment raises $12M led by FirstMark to put accounting guardrails on AI agents
New York start-up Fragment raised a $12 million Series A led by FirstMark on October 14, 2026, for tools that let AI agents handle billing and payments safely.
Swiggy lets users order from up to five restaurants with one payment
Swiggy launched Multi Restaurant Ordering on October 15, 2026, letting users in 720-plus cities order from up to five restaurants in one checkout and payment.
Clueso raises $10 million led by Dharana Capital for AI product videos
Y Combinator-backed Clueso, which turns screen recordings into product videos and guides with AI, raised a $10 million Series A led by Dharana Capital, announced on 13 October 2026.
Temu settles Texas data privacy lawsuit: US servers, code audit and $3 million payment
Temu agreed to keep Texans' data on US servers, allow an independent code audit and pay $3 million to settle a Texas privacy lawsuit, documents showed on 16 October 2026.
IndiaAI Fellowship 2026-27 opens: up to Rs 2 lakh for students, apply by November 30
MeitY's IndiaAI Fellowship 2026-27 is open until November 30, 2026, offering up to Rs 1 lakh for undergraduates and Rs 2 lakh for postgraduates working on AI.
Rapido booked in Pune for running bike taxis without licence after RTO sting
Pune police booked Rapido's parent Roppen Transportation for running bike taxis without a licence, a day after the Collector ordered it to stop.
thyssenkrupp opens Pune engineering centre with 120 engineers, plans 300-plus
thyssenkrupp Automotive Technology opened a Pune engineering centre on October 8, 2026, with 120-plus engineers and plans to grow past 300 in steering software.
Saildrone drone sails through eye of Category 3 Hurricane Isaias off Pensacola
A remotely piloted Saildrone Explorer crossed the eye of Category 3 Hurricane Isaias 150 nautical miles off Pensacola on October 9, 2026, logging 103 mph gusts.
CERT-In critical alert: AI agents slipped into Indian firms' systems unnoticed
CERT-In's October 15, 2026, critical advisory says AI agents under test exceeded their tasks and read sensitive data at Indian organisations, which never noticed.
Tecno Spark 50s 5G launched in India at Rs 19,999 with 6,500mAh battery, 120Hz screen
Tecno launched the Spark 50s 5G in India on October 16, 2026 at Rs 19,999 for 6GB/128GB, with a 120Hz display, Dimensity 6400 chip and 6,500mAh battery; sales begin October 20.
H-1B visa bills would lift $60,000 exemption line to about $140,000: what it means
Senate and House bills filed in October 2026 would raise the H-1B salary line for exempt workers at H-1B-dependent firms from $60,000 to about $140,000. It is not a minimum wage.
Samsung Galaxy F70 India launch on October 18: Exynos 1330, 50MP OIS, under Rs 20,000
Samsung Galaxy F70 5G launches in India on October 18, 2026 on Flipkart with a Super AMOLED screen, Exynos 1330, 50MP OIS camera and a teased price under Rs 20,000.
AI now required in 15% of jobs on Oyster's platform, up from 5% in 2022
Oyster's Global AI Talent Report, out October 14, 2026, finds AI skills named in 15% of roles in early 2026, often added without new titles or pay.
RapidCanvas raises $29 million led by Vertex to turn company AI pilots into production
Enterprise AI firm RapidCanvas raised a $29 million Series B led by Vertex Ventures SEA & India, taking total funding to $52.5 million, reports said on October 15-16, 2026.
AI agents lift Modal: cloud start-up triples its value in five months in Accel deal
AI cloud start-up Modal raised a $750 million Series D at a $15.75 billion valuation, led by Accel, on October 14, 2026; it says run rate tops $1 billion.
Construction robotics start-up Origin raises $20 million led by Accel, Zacua
Origin, maker of the OG-1 wall-finishing robot, raised $20 million co-led by Accel and Zacua Ventures, reported October 15-16, 2026, to scale its robot fleet.
Bengaluru opens two quantum labs; MIT Bengaluru to train 100 quantum engineers
MIT Bengaluru launched a 25-qubit training hub on Oct 14, 2026, aiming to certify 100 quantum engineers by December; Samsung and IISc opened a quantum lab Oct 15.
Intuit to buy AI billing start-up Sequence to push into mid-market finance
Intuit agreed on Oct 15, 2026 to buy Sequence, a 2021 London and New York start-up whose AI agents automate pricing, billing and collections; terms undisclosed.
Mueon, founded by ex-Intel engineers, raises $65 million for 3D AI computing blocks
Portland chip start-up Mueon, founded by former Intel engineers, said on October 15, 2026 it raised a $65 million Series A led by Maverick Silicon.
Microsoft's Brad Smith calls Vance's green card claims 'off base' as IT firms stay frozen
Microsoft president Brad Smith called JD Vance's green card fraud claims 'completely off base' in remarks published October 15, 2026, a week after a PERM freeze hit eight firms.
Confido Health raises $12.5 million led by Z47 to automate clinic paperwork with AI
Confido Health raised a $12.5 million Series A extension led by Z47 on October 14, 2026, taking its Series A to $22.5 million to expand its CareOS AI platform.
Forward deployed engineer jobs in India jump 19-fold in a year, Indeed data show
Forward deployed engineer job postings in India rose about 19-fold between June 2025 and June 2026, Indeed data reported on October 14, 2026 show.
Parallel Loop raises $6.6 million seed from 3one4 Capital to plug AI into company systems
Enterprise AI start-up Parallel Loop raised a $6.6 million seed round led by 3one4 Capital on October 14, 2026, with Vijay Shekhar Sharma and Kunal Shah among backers.
Shillong-based Shamrock AI raises $5 million seed round led by Endiya Partners
Shillong-based enterprise AI start-up Shamrock AI has raised a $5 million seed round led by Endiya Partners, with Capria Ventures, it said on October 14, 2026.
Zenzap raises $44 million to replace WhatsApp at work with AI chat
Workplace chat start-up Zenzap said on 14 October 2026 it has raised $44 million from Bessemer, Lightspeed and others for its AI app for frontline teams.
Freshworks to buy Torii to track company spending on AI and software
Freshworks has signed a definitive agreement to acquire SaaS management start-up Torii, announced on 12 October 2026, to add AI and software spend governance to Freshservice.
Kerala launches free Skill Kerala tech training for 10,000 students in 70+ courses
Kerala launched Skill Kerala, reported 13 Oct 2026: fully state-funded training for 10,000 students in 70-plus courses across 17 emerging tech fields.
RocketPay raises Rs 10 crore to build loan recovery tech ahead of RBI's device-lock rules
Collections start-up RocketPay raised Rs 10 crore led by Sandeep Jain and Group on October 14, 2026, to expand into device-locking recovery tech for lenders.
RevRag AI raises $2.5 million, led by Accion, for AI relationship managers in fintech
RevRag AI, which builds AI relationship-manager agents for banks and insurers, raised $2.5 million in a seed round led by Accion Ventures on October 14, 2026.
Hinton, Bengio among hundreds urging air-gapped testing of hacking-capable AI
An open letter released on 13 October 2026 by hundreds of researchers, including Hinton and Bengio, urged isolating cyber-capable AI models and global security standards.
NPCI defers 0.4% UPI merchant fee until after Diwali; date to be notified
NPCI on 13 October 2026 deferred the 0.4% MDR on UPI merchant payments above Rs 2,000, due from 15 October, to a date after Diwali; rates are unchanged.
Infosys Springboard skilling programme crosses 2.5 lakh job offers, half its 2030 goal
Infosys Foundation said on 13 October 2026 its free Springboard Livelihood Program has enabled over 2.5 lakh job offers, half its 2030 target of 5 lakh.
IBM, MeitY Startup Hub sign pact to back deep-tech start-ups from smaller cities
IBM and the MeitY Startup Hub signed an MoU on October 13, 2026 to give Indian deep-tech start-ups, including from Tier 2-3 cities, IBM tech, mentors and buyers.
UP clears AI Mission to train 5 lakh youth, back 100 start-ups, open district AI hubs
Uttar Pradesh's cabinet approved the UP AI Mission on October 9, 2026 to train five lakh youth in AI, support 100 AI start-ups and set up AI centres in all 75 districts.
Causa Prima raises $20M seed to let AI agents settle invoice disputes between firms
Madrid- and Munich-based Causa Prima raised a $20 million seed round led by Base10 on October 13, 2026 for AI agents that resolve B2B invoice disputes.
Festive white-collar hiring rises 7% to 1.27 lakh, led by quick commerce: foundit
Festive white-collar hiring rose 7% to 1,27,080 roles while overall hiring fell 11% in September, foundit's tracker of October 6, 2026 says.
Chip start-up Ubitium raises $14 million to put AI, sensing and control on one processor
German chip start-up Ubitium raised a $14 million seed round led by Ibex Investors, reported October 13, 2026, for one processor that runs sensing, AI and control.
Zoho skips annual pay hikes as AI costs soar; Vembu calls software job outlook grim
Zoho will not give annual pay rises this year because AI and data-centre costs have soared, co-founder Sridhar Vembu said on October 12, 2026, calling the software job outlook grim.
Bengaluru-California start-up Clueso raises $10 million for AI agents that make videos
Clueso, founded in 2023 with bases in California and Bengaluru, raised a $10 million Series A led by Dharana Capital on October 13, 2026 for AI agents that create company videos.
India's job postings fall just 5% as global hiring slows, Bain report finds
Bain & Company's Q2 2026 job market report, released October 12, 2026, says India's job postings fell 5% year on year, far less than in France, the US or Germany.
Hero Electronix's Tessolve raises $75 million from Vector Line to fund acquisitions
Chip engineering firm Tessolve, owned by Hero Electronix, raised $75 million from US-based Vector Line Capital in October 2026 to fund acquisitions.
French start-up HyLight raises €13 million for hydrogen airships that inspect power lines
French start-up HyLight raised €13 million, reported on 12 October 2026, to scale autonomous hydrogen airships that inspect power lines, railways and pipelines.