Funding
Bengaluru Based Startup HackerEarth Raised $ 4.5 Million In ‘Series-A’ Funding
Bengaluru-based startup technology company HackerEarth recently raised $4.5 million in Series A funding. Founded by Sachin Gupta and Vivek Prakash in 2012, HackerEarth is a competitive programming platform which supports over 32 programming languages.
Going deeper into the details, the current funding of $4.5 million has been led by strategic investor DHI Group Inc., which operates career based website Dice.com, followed by BEENEXT, Singapore-based early stage venture fund, Startup platform BEENOS and also from online marketing firm Digital Garage and BizReach.
Prime Venture Partners, HackerEarth’s current investor also participated in this funding round, which raised as much as $5 million till date. The funds raised till now will be used to strengthen its product team and expand its business internationally.
Sachin Gupta, CEO, and Co-Founder of HackerEarth said in an interview: “We see good potential in this space and want to invest in growing this business. This is in line with our efforts to build a large developer community across the globe and help companies do better talent management.”
There also news that HackerEarth has spread its presence overseas like in African and South American markets like in Mexico, Brazil, Bolivia, Kenya, Nigeria, and Venezuela. This firm basically focusses on evolving their SaaS product called Sprint.
The founders of HackerEarth, Sachin and Vivek said that their goal is to assess the talent of developers under objective parameters of quality (of code) and the problems they crack over time.
He also recalls saying: “Our anecdote to start up was in college, when we saw the best guy in our batch not getting placed. We realized that the way engineers or developers were evaluated is very subjective and riddled with biases. But the thing about developers is that their skill is so objective, and it wasn’t being objectively assessed.”
HackerEarth was founded in November 2012 and this startup secured $ 500,000 from startup incubator AngelPrime and GSF Accelerator in 2014. Basically, this organization helps recruiters in finding the right candidate for technical jobs and also in assessing candidates.
HackerEarth has two products:
1) Recruit, which is a candidate assessment platform that allows recruiters to create programming tests and evaluate candidates.
More than 500 companies including Amazon, Walmart, and Cognizant have used it for technical assessment. The annual subscription fee ranges from $5,000 -$30,000.
2) Sprint: An innovation management platform for businesses. This offers end to end management capabilities for hackathons. The annual subscription fee for Sprint will be $ 30,000-$ 50,000.
The company makes a revenue of about $ 350,000 in a month, which is expected to shoot up at least 75%in the next 12 months. With more than 700 customers, the company expects to double up its customer count by next year.
Bengaluru, January 13, 2026 Dazzl, the D2C beauty startup revolutionizing AI personalized skincare India, secured $3.2 million in seed funding led by OYO founder Ritesh Agarwal’s venture arm. Co-investors include Snapdeal’s Rohit Bansal and Fireside Ventures, valuing Dazzl at $15 million post-money. Founded in 2024 by IIT alumni Priya Singh and Arjun Mehta, the app uses smartphone scans for custom serums, boasting 50,000+ users and ₹5 crore ARR amid India’s $25 billion beauty market surge.
Ritesh Agarwal praised Dazzl’s tech: “Personalization is beauty’s future, like OYO’s guest model.” Funds target R&D for 100+ skin profiles, Gujarat manufacturing under PLI, Instagram/Nykaa campaigns, and 50 hires. In a 20% YoY growing sector (Redseer 2025), Dazzl edges Mamaearth and Plum with 95% AI precision, 90% natural formulas, ₹499 kits, 65% retention (vs. 40% avg), and viral TikTok traction in 10 cities.
D2C beauty startup Dazzl tackles regulations via FSSAI compliance, eyeing $10B e-commerce beauty by 2028 and MENA exports. Q2 haircare launches and Series A loom, with Agarwal’s backing signaling unicorn potential for sustainable beauty products India. Dazzl blends AI with clean beauty for 500M+ consumers.
Bangalore’s Yali Capital has closed its first deeptech-focused fund, raising a substantial ₹893 crore (about $104 million) and surpassing its initial ₹500 crore target. This major fundraising milestone highlights the growing appeal and investor confidence in India’s deeptech landscape, fueling innovation in pivotal sectors like semiconductors, artificial intelligence, robotics, aerospace, genomics, and smart manufacturing. The fund cements Yali Capital’s position as a key player driving progress in India’s burgeoning tech ecosystem.
Strategically, Yali Capital’s fund targets both early-stage (Seed, Series A) and later-stage (Series D and beyond) startups. Its diverse roster of Limited Partners (LPs) includes prominent corporations such as Infosys, Qualcomm Ventures, and Tata AIG, alongside government-backed organizations like the DPIIT Fund of Funds for Startups and the Self-Reliant India Fund. With heavyweight backers like Kris Gopalakrishnan (Infosys co-founder), Gopal Srinivasan (TVS Capital), and Utpal Sheth (RARE Enterprises), Yali Capital ensures robust strategic support. The firm’s dual structure—a SEBI-registered Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) and a GIFT City-based feeder vehicle—enables global investor participation, guided by tech luminary Lip-Bu Tan and managing partner Ganapathy Subramaniam.
Already, Yali Capital has invested in five breakthrough startups, including C2I Semiconductor, 4baseCare, and Perceptyne, focusing on chip design and AI. By devoting two-thirds of its fund to early-stage companies, Yali Capital underscores its commitment to nurturing next-generation Indian deeptech founders. This fundraising success aligns with a nationwide trend of surging investments in advanced technology and positions Yali Capital at the forefront of India’s drive toward self-reliance and global tech leadership.
- Gramik, a Lucknow-based agritech startup, has secured INR 17 crore in a bridge funding round ahead of its upcoming INR 56 crore Series A raise.
- The funding round included investments via Optionally Convertible Debentures (OCDs) and Compulsorily Convertible Debentures (CCDs).
- Key investors include Sammaan Global Ventures, Money Creeper Investment, and prominent angels such as Balram Yadav (MD & CEO, Godrej Agrovet), Gev Aryaton, Irfan Alam, Nikhil Bhagat, and Salvia Siddiqui.
Gramik’s Unique Peer Commerce Model
- Founded in 2021 by Raj Yadav, Gramik empowers over 120 million small and marginal farmers in India through a technology-driven rural commerce platform.
- The startup operates a dual-channel distribution network using Village-Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs) and rural retailers to deliver high-quality agri-inputs to remote areas.
- Gramik’s full-stack platform offers demand aggregation, logistics, embedded credit, and agronomy services, ensuring last-mile delivery and support for farmers.
Expansion Plans and Future Growth
- Gramik currently operates in 12 districts, with 1,200+ active VLEs and 250+ rural retail partners, and plans to expand to 3,000 VLEs and reach 1 million+ farmers across Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Jammu.
- The new funds will be used to expand Gramik’s private-label products, enhance agronomy-led farmer engagement, and scale operations in key states.
- With a strong focus on supply chain efficiency, technology, and farmer advisory services, Gramik aims to become a leader in India’s $50 billion agri-input and rural commerce market.
- Backed by previous seed funding of over INR 25 crore, Gramik is set to drive innovation and inclusive growth for rural communities.
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