New Delhi, July 9 -- Blue Tokai has begun discussions with private equity players for a larger round, BlackSoil Group's non-banking financial company (NBFC) arm has struck an acquisition in renewable energy financing, and startups Origin Fresh and Lissun are in talks to raise Series A funding, according to various media reports.

Blue Tokai

Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters has kicked off preliminary discussions with top private equity firms, including TPG, Temasek and ChrysCapital, to raise at least $100 million (around Rs 954 crore), according to a report in Mint.

The proposed funding round is expected to include a mix of both primary and secondary share sales, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter. If these discussions materialise, this will be Blue Tokai's largest capital raise to date.

BlackSoil

BlackSoil Group's non-banking financial company (NBFC) arm has acquired Credit Fair's solar financing business, marking its expansion into India's rapidly growing renewable energy sector, according to an interview in Mint with BlackSoil Group Managing Director Ankur Bansal.

The firm is initially targeting an average loan size of Rs 3-5 lakh through this acquisition, with plans to eventually scale up to larger clients and ticket sizes. The deal expands BlackSoil's presence in the B2B2C financing ecosystem while leveraging its structured credit expertise.

Climate-focussed investments are already a major priority for the firm, accounting for 17% of BlackSoil's portfolio. Mint said the acquisition will allow rooftop solar players to leverage BlackSoil's balance sheet to scale up further.

Origin Fresh

Bengaluru-based fresh produce startup Origin Fresh is in talks to raise $10 million (around Rs 95 crore) in a Series A funding round, its co-founder and CEO Prashanth Vasan stated in an interview with the website Inc42. The capital will be used to deepen the startup's supply chain, expand its retail footprint in metro and tier-II cities, and invest in brand building, Inc42 said.

The startup previously raised $3.5 million across seed and pre-Series A rounds from investors including Aeravti Ventures, Microlabs, and the Botnar Foundation.

Founded in 2020, Origin Fresh operates across both B2B and direct-to-consumer channels, sourcing from over 10,000 farmers across five collection centres. The produce is routed to distribution centres in Bengaluru and Chennai, then delivered via 15 company-operated stores that double as online fulfillment hubs.

Lissun

Gurugram-based mental wellness platform Lissun is in advanced talks to raise around Rs 45 crore ($4.7 million) in a Series A funding round led by Mumbai-based VC firm Colossa Ventures, with participation from existing investors including Rainmatter, IPV and RPSG, according to an Inc42 report.

The report, citing sources, said the funding round will value the startup at around Rs 140 crore (around $15 million).

This development comes nearly two years after Lissun raised $2.5 million in a pre Series A round led by RPSG Capital Ventures, which included backing from Multiply Ventures, Atrium Angels, IvyCap Ventures, and Zerodha's Rainmatter.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from VC Circle.