Navi Technologies, an Indian fintech company preparing for an IPO, has secured $100 million from Prosus in its first institutional funding round during the third quarter of 2026. This investment is part of a broader trend of large funding rounds making a comeback in India's startup ecosystem.
During Q3 2026, Indian startups raised a total of $2.2 billion, marking a 5% increase from the same period last year. However, the number of deals decreased by 13% to 210, compared to 240 in Q3 2025. Despite the drop in deal volume, the quarter was notable for four mega deals, each exceeding $100 million, compared to just one in the previous year.
The funding environment in India has become more selective, with investors focusing on high-conviction bets amid macroeconomic challenges. The median ticket size for deals remained flat at $3 million year-on-year. However, the number of active investors fell by 24% to 511, reflecting a cautious approach to capital deployment.
Growth stage startups were the primary drivers of funding, with Series A and B rounds attracting $1.1 billion across 90 deals, a 38% increase from the previous year. In contrast, late-stage funding saw a 10% decline to $994 million across 27 deals, and early-stage funding dropped by 18% to $164 million over 93 deals.
Among the notable deals, Emergent, an AI startup, raised $130 million, entering the unicorn club. River, an electric vehicle maker, secured $120 million, while Pixxel, a spacetech company, also raised $100 million. These investments highlight a diversification of investor interest beyond traditional consumer internet businesses.
Artificial intelligence emerged as a dominant sector, attracting $438 million across 35 deals, a 265% year-on-year increase. However, concerns over high valuations persist, with 63% of investors indicating that AI valuations have become uncomfortable. Despite this, the focus remains on application-layer AI startups, which are seen as more promising than base infrastructure or sovereign AI models.
Cleantech also saw significant growth, with $433 million raised across 23 deals, driven largely by electric vehicle startups. Deeptech funding increased by 176% to $290 million, though deal volume remained stable. Spacetech accounted for a significant portion of deeptech investments.
Bengaluru solidified its position as India's leading startup hub, with startups in the city raising over $1.4 billion across 80 deals, a 157% increase from the previous year. The city accounted for 64% of total startup funding in Q3 2026, driven by large rounds from companies like Emergent, River, and Pixxel.
The quarter also saw a surge in mergers and acquisitions, with 22 deals completed, a 69% increase from the previous year. Notable transactions included upGrad's acquisition of Unacademy for $200 million and Imarticus Learning's purchase of BELLS for $84 million. Additionally, six new-age tech companies made their public market debuts, providing lucrative exit opportunities for early investors.
