Indian startups raised $13 billion in 2025: Here's the lowdown
Indian startups pulled in $13 billion in 2025—a 10% dip from last year, mostly because there were fewer big-ticket funding rounds.
Even so, 2025 set a new record with 18 IPOs, though more startups also shut down.
Most of the money ($9.86 billion) went to growth and late-stage companies, while early-stage startups brought in $3.2 billion across a whopping 831 deals.
Bengaluru leads the pack; fintech shines; RBI steps up
Bengaluru stayed on top for startup funding, landing $6.03 billion through 477 deals.
Fintech was the star sector with $2.89 billion raised, and big moves like Hindustan Unilever buying Minimalist for $350 million made headlines—though ESOP buybacks dropped off this year.
The RBI helped speed things up for fintechs like Paytm and Razorpay by fast-tracking payment licenses, but overall funding was a bit of a rollercoaster—starting strong in January at $1.76 billion and winding down to $870 million by December.