India, July 10 -- A year after raising $15 Mn in its Series B funding round, D2C lab-grown diamond startup Aukera has raised Rs.90 Cr (around $10 Mn) in a debt funding round led by Alteria Capital, with participation from InnoVen Capital, Lighthouse Canton, and an undisclosed bank to fuel expansion.

The Bengaluru-based startup said it would deploy the capital to open stores in existing and new markets, invest in design and product innovation, talent acquisition, and strengthen its omnichannel infrastructure.

Post its Series B funding round, which was led by Peak XV Partners, the startup expanded from 13 stores to 35 owned stores, entering cities such as Pune, Lucknow, Dehradun and Vizag after starting with markets such as Bengaluru, Hyd...