KRAFTON India’s Picks, Krutrim Denies Rumors, and PhonePe’s Medicine Delivery

KRAFTON cherry-picks six promising game studios from 350 hopefuls, hoping to script India’s next big play. PhonePe’s Pincode races into 10-minute medicine delivery in three cities, putting a timer on trust in quick commerce. Meanwhile, Ola’s AI arm Krutrim coolly denies any $300M funding buzz, claiming it’s running just fine on homegrown ambition. Besides, there’s Startup Spotlight to savor.

Grab your simmering cup of StartupChai.in and unwind with our hand-brewed memes.

“Aaiye Aapka Swagat Hai”: KRAFTON India Picks Six Startups For Second Cohort Of Incubation Programme

From a pool of 350 hopefuls, only six game studios made the cut for KRAFTON India's second incubation cohort.

The chosen ones—spanning cities from Madurai to Kolkata—now shoulder the heavy weight of promise in an industry still searching for its breakout moment in India. Whether these young teams can carry that burden into something enduring remains to be seen.

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“Ye Sab Afwa Kaun Phaila Raha Hai”: Ola’s AI Arm Krutrim Denies Report Of $300 Mn Fundraising Plan

Ola’s AI offshoot, Krutrim, has waved off reports of a $300 million fundraising round. The company insists it’s not courting fresh equity, leaning instead on existing backers and Bhavish Aggarwal’s wallet.

For now, the AI dream stays in-house—ambitious, self-financed, and tightly held.

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“Zara Sambhal Ke”: PhonePe’s Pincode Pilots 10-Minute Medicine Delivery

PhonePe’s Pincode is now promising meds at your doorstep in just 10 minutes—at least if you’re in Bengaluru, Pune, or Mumbai.

It’s a bold move into the quick commerce space, where speed often trumps trust. Whether local chemists can match that pace without cutting corners is the real question.

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1. Fresh off an RBI nod, Finodaya has secured $2.5 million to back small businesses with data-driven, secured loans. Led by ex-ICICI execs, the NBFC promises fairness and transparency in a sector often starved of both.
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2. Brain health startup Ivory has raised $1 million in a fresh round co-led by IIM-A Ventures and Capital-A, with support from a strong bench of angels and early backers. The funding adds momentum to its mission of making cognitive care accessible and data-smart.
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“Ye Toh Hona Hi Tha”: SuperBolter Empowers Homeowners with 3D Design Tools

SuperBolter lets you turn your floor plan into a 3D home makeover dream—but that wasn’t enough to impress the sharks on Season 4.

Despite its sleek interface and real-time pricing features, the Bengaluru-based startup walked away without a deal. With modest traction and no solid revenue model yet, the big question is whether good design alone can build a scalable business.

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