Funding
Little Internet And Nearby To Merge, Paytm Gets Majority Stake
Paytm, India’s largest digital payments platform announced the acquisition of discovery and deals platforms for local merchants Nearby and Little Internet. According to the official statement, Paytm has arranged a merger of these two well funded startups.
Speaking about the acquisition and the subsequent merger, Paytm’s founder and CEO Vijay Sekhar Sharma said, “This combination of Nearby and Little marks a great opportunity for us to reinforce our commitment to support small and large retailers in the new age of mobile commerce and payments.”
Paytm, which has been attempting to expand its offline merchant base, became the majority shareholder of the merged entity through this strategic investment. Currently, Nearbuy and Little together have a network of 40,000 small and large merchants across food, beauty, travel and other categories. With a $ 25 million capital infusion from Paytm, the merged entity is expected to be valued at $ 100 million.
The online payments and ecommerce company initially acquired 100% equity in Little and gained majority shareholding in the merged entity through a share swap with Nearbuy. Along with Paytm, Sequoia India and the founders of Nearbuy Ankur Warikoo, Ravi Shankar and Snehesh Mitra have a minority stake in the merged firm.
Founded by SoSasta, Nearby was acquired by NASDAQ listed Groupon Inc., in 2011 and was renamed as Groupon India in 2013. Without giving out any details regarding the transaction, Nearby’s CEO Ankur Waikoo said, “In the local commerce space, Little Internet and Nearbuy combined will own 88% of the market share. There are around half a million merchants in the organized retail space, which we would like to bring on our platform.”
Launched in 2015, Little was backed by Paytm since the beginning with a $50 million investment along with SAIF Partners and Tiger Global Management. It is still unclear if Paytm bought out SAIF and Tiger’s stake in Little. Paytm has been aggressively expanding its services in categories which use digital payments services. The company also raised $ 1.4 billion in fresh funding from Japan’s SoftBank Group Corp., in May this 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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