New Delhi, March 10 -- Climate tech startup Newtrace, toy manufacturer Aditi Toys, AI-driven bovine genetics startup Verdant Impact, spice brand ZOFF Foods, clean beverage retail startup Basil Health, edge AI company Latent AI and quick service restaurant startup Pink Adrak have raised early-stage funding.

Newtrace

Climate tech startup Newtrace has raised $6.3 million (around Rs 58 crore) in a pre-Series A funding round led by HDFC Bank Limited and Japan-headquartered Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Venture Capital.

The round also saw participation from Peak XV's Surge, Aavishkaar Capital, Speciale Invest, Micelio Technology Fund, and individual investors Manish Prataprai Gandhi and Renu Manish Gandhi.

The Bengaluru-based company plans to use the funds to scale up pilot manufacturing, to do customer validation, and to expand its engineering and manufacturing capabilities.

Founded in 2021 by Prasanta Sarkar and Rochan Sinha, Newtrace develops electrode technology for hydrogen electrolyzers used in green hydrogen production. Its proprietary electrode technology, Voltagen, is designed to improve energy efficiency, extend system life and lower the cost of producing green hydrogen.

The company expects to begin initial commercial deliveries of the electrodes within the next 12 months as it targets electrolyzer manufacturers, hydrogen project developers and industrial gas companies.

Aditi Toys

Aditi Toys Pvt. Ltd, a Rajkot-based toy manufacturer, has raised Rs 36 crore (close to $4 million) in a funding round led by venture capital firm GVFL. The round also saw participation from the founders' family and friends.

The company plans to use the funds for product innovation and geographical expansion in India and globally.

Founded in 2015 by Subhash Zala and Arvind Zala, Aditi Toys manufactures a wide range of toys, including plastic, diecast, electric, STEM, silicone, wooden and ride-on products.

The company sells through more than 150 distributors and about 15,000 retailers, along with e-commerce and direct-to-consumer channels under its brand Chanak - The Smartest Kid.

Verdant Impact

AI-driven bovine genetics startup Verdant Impact has raised $3 million (around Rs 28 crore) in a seed funding round led by Unicorn India Ventures. The round also saw participation from Infynyte Club, investors Yash Kotak and Alok Soni, and a-IDEA NAARM.

The company plans to use the funds to expand its team, strengthen market presence in North and North East India, and invest in research and development while upgrading its technology platform with blockchain integration.

Verdant Impact develops technology-led solutions for livestock management through its platforms Pashu AI and Bharat Pashudhan, which help farmers monitor animal health, manage herds and track genetic diversity.

The startup said it has served more than 600,000 farmers and reported eightfold revenue growth since its last funding round in March 2025. It aims to reach Rs 100 crore in revenue by FY26 while maintaining profitability.

ZOFF Foods

Raipur-based spice brand ZOFF Foods has raised $2 million (around Rs 18.4 crore) in a pre-Series B funding round led by JM Financial Private Equity through JM Financial India Growth Fund III. Existing investor Aman Gupta, co founder of boAt, also participated in the round.

The company plans to use the capital to expand its offline distribution, strengthen marketing and sales, and accelerate omnichannel growth across India.

ZOFF Foods, operated by Asquare Foods & Beverages Pvt. Ltd., will also increase its presence on quick commerce platforms and expand its general trade network to reach more consumers.

Basil Health

New Delhi-based clean beverage retail startup Basil Health has raised $1.5 million (around Rs 13.8 crore) in funding from Whiteboard Capital, Brigade REAP and the Barbershop Fund, along with participation from investors including Deep Bajaj and Siddharth Kothari.

The company plans to use the funds to expand its retail network, strengthen its supply chain, and invest in brand building.

Basil Health currently operates more than 70 kiosks and automated beverage machines across Delhi NCR, Bengaluru and Chandigarh.

The company offers juices, smoothies, shakes, and protein drinks through compact kiosks and IoT-enabled automated machines that prepare fresh beverages on demand.

It plans to scale to 1,000 touchpoints over the next three years by expanding into new cities and increasing deployments in offices, hospitals, universities, and malls.

Latent AI

Early-stage venture capital firm AUM Ventures has made an undisclosed investment in edge AI company Latent AI to support the development and global deployment of artificial intelligence systems that operate directly on devices rather than relying on cloud infrastructure.

The companies said the partnership will focus on expanding edge AI solutions for defense, industrial and enterprise environments where real-time decision making and secure operations are critical.

Latent AI develops technology that enables AI models to run directly on devices in the field, allowing organisations to process data and make decisions in environments with limited connectivity. The company has already formed partnerships in the region, including a collaboration with Inferigence Quotient Pvt to deliver edge AI solutions for Indian defense forces.

Pink Adrak

Quick service restaurant startup Pink Adrak has secured strategic backing from Shivam Mishra, founder of String Ventures, as it looks to scale its technology-driven food services platform. The funding includes Rs 12.25 crore (around $1.33 million) in a mix of equity capital and revenue support, which the company plans to use to expand across North India and strengthen its technology-led operations.

Founded by Ankur Gakkhar, Pink Adrak currently operates 12 outlets in Gurugram and Jaipur and has served more than 150,000 customers with over 500,000 orders.

The company plans to expand to 50 outlets and target Rs 55 crore in revenue by 2028 while also launching new formats such as fresh meal vending cafes and scaling its subscription offering, Pink Adrak Pass, alongside expansion into desserts, beverages and FMCG categories.

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