India, Oct. 1 -- Startup Funding Up A Mere 5% YoY In Q3

Startup investors turned more selective in Q3 2026. While funding rose 5% YoY to $2.2 Bn in the quarter under review, deal count declined 13% YoY to 210. Beyond the headline numbers, India minted two new unicorns, while AI and cleantech sectors topped funding charts.

Growth Stage Mania: Venture deployment skewed heavily toward Series A and B rounds, where capital surged 38% YoY to $1.1 Bn. Conversely, late stage funding fell 10% YoY to $994 Mn as investors exercised greater caution. Meanwhile, early stage funding also declined in Q3, but median cheque size improved, showing that investors continue to back fewer but stronger seed bets.

AI On The Rise: AI emerged as the most funded ...