Various entities including DPDzero, Gladful, Hylenr, Cautio, CodeKarma, and others successfully secure initial funding rounds
In a significant development in the Indian startup ecosystem, Bengaluru-based DPDzero, an AI-driven debt collection startup, has raised a $7 million Series A round. This investment, led by Japanese fintech-focused venture capital firm GMO Venture Partners, marks a notable stride in the company's mission to revolutionize ethical debt collection in India.
DPDzero's innovative approach combines behavioral data, AI agents, and human operations to provide a comprehensive debt collection service. The funds will be utilized to develop a multilingual AI collection agent and launch a network of professional field collection agents, aiming to improve ethical debt collection practices across the country.
The Series A round also saw participation from SMBC Asia Rising Fund and Blume Ventures, with the latter doubling down on its investment, demonstrating increased confidence in DPDzo's potential. Other participants included India Quotient and Sinarmas Group.
Other notable funding developments in August 2025 include:
- Gladful, a food brand focusing on child nutrition, secured approximately INR 8 crore (~$0.9 million) in a funding round led by Eternal Capital. The brand offers products with 5-8 grams of protein per serving, primarily sourced from plant-based sources.
- Hylenr, a nuclear energy firm, raised an unspecified early-stage funding round, joining a group of startups including DPDzero, Gladful, Cautio, and CodeKarma. However, specific funding amount details were not disclosed.
- Cautio, a dashcam manufacturer, also raised early-stage funding, though exact figures were not provided. The round was led by Amal Parikh, with participation from 8i Ventures, AU Small Finance Bank, Vibha Chetan, Venture Catalysts, Multiply Ventures founding partner Raveen Sastry, Bounce co-founder Vivekananda Hallekere, and JAR co-founder Nishchay AG. Cautio has raised an additional $1.8 million in seed funding, bringing the total seed round to $3 million.
- CodeKarma, a software development platform, also raised an early-stage funding round, but no precise investment amount was noted in the sources. The funds will be used to create autonomous, self-improving software systems, advance AI-driven capabilities, expand into new enterprise verticals, and strengthen its global presence, particularly in the US.
- TPlusA India Pvt Ltd, a furniture company, secured 5 million euros ($5.8 million) in strategic investment from home furnishing firm Livspace and Kedaara Capital's managing partner Nishant Sharma. The company, founded by Anil Goel about 15 months ago, plans to set up a manufacturing unit in Madhya Pradesh to optimize efficiency and cost across both businesses.
- Qbeast, a data optimization platform, has secured $7.6 million in a seed round, led by Peak XV's Surge, with participation from HWK Tech Investment and Elaia Partners.
As GMO Venture Partners takes a leading role in DPDzero's funding, its active fintech investment focus in 2025 is evident. Similarly, SMBC Asia Rising Fund's participation underscores its interest in Asian fintech startups. These investments highlight the growing potential and interest in the Indian startup scene, particularly in the fintech and AI sectors.
- The funds raised by DPDzero will be used to develop a multilingual AI collection agent and launch a network of professional field collection agents, demonstrating the growing potential and interest in the Indian startup scene, particularly in the fintech and AI sectors.
- As various venture capital firms, such as GMO Venture Partners and SMBC Asia Rising Fund, show interest in Asian fintech startups like DPDzero, it indicates a growing focus on technology and fintech industries across the continent.
