30 Startups To Watch: Startups That Caught Our Eye In April 2026

Posted On May 4, 2026 | From Akshit Pushkarna

A lot happened in India’s startup ecosystem in April. As tensions in West Asia dragged on, funding activity at home slowed sharply. In the penultimate week of the month, startups raised just $39 Mn — the lowest weekly total so far since January 2025.

The pressure showed elsewhere, too. Ecommerce-focused AI startup NeuroPixel.AI and insurtech startup Covrzy shut down due to a cash crunch. Insurtech unicorn Acko and SaaS startup SuperOps also laid off a large number of employees.

Meanwhile, policy moves by the Centre and the RBI across gaming and fintech kept startups on edge. But, it wasn’t all gloom. Inc42’s Q1 2026 data shows that while funding declined YoY, investors are still deploying capital — just in smaller, more cautious bets.

On the IPO front, despite market volatility, Kissht moved ahead with its public issue. Companies like Zetwerk, Razorpay, PlaySimple and Garuda Aerospace also continued to prepare for their listings.

The government’s announcement of the second ₹10,000 Cr Startup Fund of Funds added some momentum, with a focus on deeptech and manufacturing startups. Innovation, too, continued at a steady pace across sectors like robotics, AI and semiconductors.

Against this backdrop, Inc42 is back with the ‘30 Startups To Watch’ series. The 69th edition of Inc42’s flagship series, powered by Peak XV Partners, features emerging ventures across foodtech, quick commerce and spacetech.

With that said, here are the startups that caught our attention in April.

Editor’s Note: The list below is not a ranking of any kind. We have listed the startups alphabetically.

Acai Theory | Bringing Acai Bowls To India’s Everyday Diet

India’s healthy snack market is growing fast, but there’s a clear gap. Many so-called healthy options don’t taste great. Urban consumers currently want food that is both tasty and healthy, and fits easily into their busy, fast-paced lives. They don’t want to pay a “health tax” in the form of bland flavours.

Ex-BCG executives Rishav Ranjan and Akash Kyal spotted this gap and launched Acai Theory in 2025. The startup is a QSR chain focused on acai bowls, a popular global snack that has yet to fully enter the Indian market.

An acai bowl is made using frozen, mashed acai berries, served like a smoothie in a bowl and topped with ingredients like granola and banana. The idea is to offer a snack that is both nutritious and enjoyable.

The brand has positioned its bowls as an affordable, everyday option, with prices starting at ₹199. In its first six months, Acai Theory claims to have sold 10,000 bowls from its single store in Bengaluru’s Indiranagar.

Acai bowls have been popular globally since the 1980s, and the acai berry market continues to grow, with projections of crossing $3.5 Bn by 2034 at a CAGR of 12.2%. In India, the category is still new and largely untapped, giving early entrants a strong first-mover advantage.

The startup now plans to scale by opening 10-12 stores in the near term, aiming to make healthy eating more accessible and standardised across the country.

Clarity Labs | Functional Soaps For Skin Issues

India’s beauty and personal care market, expected to reach $40 Bn by 2030, has long been shaped by traditional products, but is now crowded with complex routines and global formulations that don’t always suit the local climate. Many consumers are looking for simple, effective products they can use daily, without following lengthy regimens or experimenting with multiple products.

To address this, ex-GlobalBees product development head Karan Dokras founded Clarity Labs in 2025. The startup focuses on simplifying skincare for everyday use.

Instead of launching a wide range of products, Clarity Labs is taking a focused approach to personal care, building depth in a few high-intent categories before widening its product stack.

It launched its flagship functional soap range, The BAR, in March 2026 and has since expanded distribution across its website and ecommerce marketplaces such as Amazon, Flipkart and Meesho. Priced between ₹350 and ₹450 for a pack of four, the soaps target specific use cases such as acne, tanning and muscle fatigue.

Rather than building a broad catalogue, Clarity Labs is using customer feedback and structured product testing to refine formulations and sharpen repeatability within the category. The near-term focus is on expanding the soap portfolio through new variants and formats, while gradually moving into adjacent categories such as hair wash, body wash and face wash.

The founding team has prior experience building and scaling profitable consumer brands, like Fresh Food Concepts, AKIVA, Global Bees, including taking brands past ₹40 Cr ARR and growing monthly revenue from ₹10 Lakh to ₹10 Cr in under two years while maintaining profitability.

CLUIX | Transforming Water Quality Management

As climate change, groundwater contamination and population growth put increasing pressure on water systems, access to safe drinking water remains a major challenge. Testing water quality is often slow or expensive, especially in remote or last-mile areas.

Founded in 2023 by Robin Singh, CLUIX is building portable, hardware-led solutions in India’s water purifier and testing market, projected to reach $7.72 Bn by 2032.

The startup has developed a portable digital water quality analyser that can instantly test drinking water across 12+ key parameters, including pH, turbidity, nitrate, fluoride and residual chlorine. The device delivers lab-grade accuracy on the field, geo-tags every test and sends results to a central dashboard for real-time monitoring.

The device also works without the internet and can run for 10 to 15 days on a single charge, making it suitable for remote deployments. Its software-led system also allows testing of arsenic and microbiological contaminants.

CLUIX operates at the intersection of water infrastructure, diagnostics and environmental monitoring. The startup has already conducted pilots across multiple Indian states and is now expanding into Europe, Africa and Southeast Asia.

Curious Cats | AI-Driven News Discovery

In today’s digital world, people are overwhelmed with information. Staying updated often means juggling multiple apps, newsletters and social media feeds. Yet you may miss out or fall behind. This is why there is a growing need to consume relevant, high-quality information quickly and without noise.

Founded in 2025 by the former CBO of Healthify, Anjan Bhojaraj, CuriousCats.ai is building what he calls the ‘Spotify for knowledge’. The idea came to Bhojaraj when he was working with Healthify. He often struggled to track updates across markets. He started working on a tool that could remove duplicate news, verify facts, reduce bias and provide personalised content. What was once a personal project has now evolved into a full product that aggregates data from over 1 Lakh global sources.

Users can consume information in multiple formats, including short summaries, timelines, videos, opinions and personalised audio through Curious FM. The platform aims to replace multiple apps with a single, ad-free knowledge layer.

As information consumption continues to rise, platforms that can simplify and personalise content are becoming increasingly valuable. CuriousCats is already live across India, the US, UK, Canada and Singapore, and operates on a B2C subscription model. With plans to reach 100K users by 2026, the startup is tapping into the AI-powered personalised news and intelligent content aggregation market, expected to become a $7.8 Bn opportunity by 2030, growing at a CAGR of around 27.9% from $1.7 Bn in 2024.

DamGoodFish | Bringing Fresh, Traceable Seafood To Urban India

India’s seafood industry is highly fragmented. Nearly 20% of the catch is lost due to poor cold chain infrastructure. To prevent spoilage, many suppliers use chemical preservatives, which raise serious health concerns. At the same time, urban consumers often end up buying seafood with little to no visibility into where it came from or how fresh it actually is.

To address this, Shobhit Gaur and Shailesh Patel founded DamGoodFish in 2023. The Gurugram-based startup delivers naturally raised, chemical-free seafood directly from dams and controlled water bodies.

At the core of its model is a proprietary AI-led system that predicts demand at a hyper-local pincode level, ensuring that fish are harvested only when demand is clear. This significantly reduces waste and removes the need for preservatives.

By managing the supply chain end-to-end, from sourcing to last-mile delivery, the startup is able to deliver seafood within 24 hours.

India’s seafood market, expected to reach $30 Bn by 2030, has room for tech-led, quality-focused players to stand out, as demand for clean, traceable seafood rises in tandem with growing consumer awareness of food safety and freshness.

Epik | Quick Commerce Gets A Facelift

Quick commerce is reshaping digital retail in India, but its impact is largely limited to small, repeat purchases. When it comes to big-ticket electronics like smartphones or other appliances, consumers are far more cautious. They prefer to see, compare and test products before buying, often choosing offline stores over online platforms.

To bridge this gap, Gotama Gowda (the former cofounder of Openapp Smart Locks), along with Varun Chopra and Shivam K, founded Epik in 2025.

The Bengaluru-based startup positions itself as an electronics-only quick commerce platform, delivering premium gadgets such as smartphones, headphones and smart home appliances within 60 minutes. What sets it apart is the addition of a trained product expert who accompanies the delivery and offers a live demo. The expert also helps customers compare different models in person before making a final decision.

Epik combines the convenience of quick commerce with the trust and experience of offline shopping, reducing return rates and improving customer confidence in India’s consumer electronics market, projected to reach $40 Bn by 2030.

By solving for trust and experience in high-value purchases, Epik is tapping into a segment that remains underserved by traditional ecommerce and quick commerce players. The startup is currently operational in Bengaluru and Gurugram and is expanding its fulfilment network across major metros.

Exosphere | Killing Agent Failures In Production

As companies start deploying AI agents in real-world use cases, reliability is becoming a major issue. During execution, these systems often face small but frequent failures like API errors, timeouts, rate limits or context overloads.

While each issue may seem minor, together they can break entire workflows, making AI agents unreliable for business-critical tasks. To solve this, Nivedit Jain and Nikita Agarwal founded Exosphere in 2025, after working with Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI division.

Its core product, Failproof AI, acts as a real-time monitoring and correction layer for AI agents. It observes how an agent is behaving during execution. When it detects issues like loops, drift or intent mismatch, it steps in instantly by injecting corrective context into the live session. This allows the agent to self-correct and continue running, instead of failing or requiring human intervention.

Exosphere is already working with US-based enterprise and vertical AI companies and plans to expand further, including into India. It is targeting over two dozen enterprise customers by the end of 2026. The startup operates in the AI agent infrastructure and autonomous operations market, which is expected to grow from $45.5 Bn in 2024 at a CAGR of 19% to 30% through 2030, driven by increasing adoption of AI-led workflows.

Fanon | Fan-Made Alternate Universe

While the creator economy is booming, the world of fandom and fan-created content remains largely underserved. Millions of fan-fiction writers and fans still rely on fragmented and outdated platforms that don’t offer strong communities or discovery.

As a result, niche content, especially alternate-universe (AU) stories, often gets buried under mainstream posts on traditional social media, limiting visibility, engagement and earning potential for these creators.

To solve this, Jatin Nayak, Nesar Rao and Arvindmani Satyanarayan founded Fanon in 2024. The Bengaluru-based startup is building a dedicated social platform for fandoms and interactive storytelling. Fanon allows users to create and host multi-genre stories, build communities around specific fictional universes and engage with other fans. The platform focuses heavily on discovery, using algorithms to connect readers with content tailored to their interests.

It also offers collaborative writing tools and community-led monetisation features, helping creators turn fan-fiction from a hobby into a more structured creative pursuit.

With the broader influencer and content platform market expected to reach $7.58 Bn by 2030, Fanon is tapping into India’s growing creator economy and digital publishing space, where demand for personalised and community-driven platforms is increasing.

Fraganote | High-Concentration Artisanal Fragrances

In India, fragrances have traditionally been seen as a basic hygiene product rather than a form of self-expression. At the same time, premium and niche perfumes are often expensive or not tailored to Indian preferences.

This creates a gap for high-quality, modern fragrances that feel premium but are still accessible and relevant to Indian consumers.

To address this, Garima Kakkar and Arjun Anand founded Fraganote in 2023. The Delhi-based startup is building a modern fragrance brand focused on self-expression.

Fraganote creates niche-inspired perfumes tailored for Indian users. It has popularised gourmand fragrances, which are scents based on edible notes like vanilla and desserts. The brand has also expanded into tropical and premium collections, while keeping its range gender-inclusive.

It operates on a B2C model, selling through its website, quick commerce platforms like Blinkit, Zepto and Swiggy Instamart, as well as Nykaa and offline retail. The startup has built a strong customer base of over 3 Lakh users, with a repeat purchase rate of 35%.

As Indian consumers increasingly explore personal care as a form of identity and lifestyle, demand for premium yet accessible fragrances is rising in India’s fine fragrance and personal care market, expected to reach $4.2 Bn by 2030.

Gabify Life | AI-Powered Early Screening For Autism

In India, neurodevelopmental conditions like autism (ASD), ADHD and speech delays are often diagnosed late in children. A key reason is the shortage of specialists, along with the high cost and intimidating nature of clinical screenings.

To address this gap, Vasyl Leshchuk, Prachi Soo and Sahiel Chopra founded Gabify in 2023. The Delhi NCR-based startup uses AI-powered video and speech analysis to enable early stage screening for developmental delays.

Parents can upload short videos of their child’s natural interactions, which are then analysed by clinically validated AI models to identify potential “red flags” in behaviour and communication. The platform generates instant, data-backed reports that can support more informed consultations with doctors.

By making early screening simple and non-invasive, Gabify aims to bridge the gap between parental concern and formal diagnosis. The startup partners with schools and paediatric networks to expand its reach.

India’s digital health and wellness space is growing rapidly, driven by rising awareness and demand for accessible healthcare solutions. By focusing on early detection and intervention, Gabify is tapping into a critical and underserved segment within the broader wellness services industry expected to reach $43.76 Bn by 2031.

H2LooP AI | Hardware Aware AI For Systems Engineering

Software that runs inside cars, drones, medical devices and electronics is complex and difficult to manage. Engineers often deal with legacy code, unclear documentation and hard-to-debug issues, especially in high-stakes industries where reliability is critical.

Traditional tools are not built for the unique challenges of embedded systems, making development slower and increasing the risk of errors.

To solve this, ex-YoBulk founder Sairanjan Mishra and ex-Pictogen founder Pulkit Agarwal founded H2LooP in 2025. The startup is building AI tools to help engineers develop and manage embedded software more efficiently.

Its platform analyses existing code to automatically generate documentation, making it easier for engineers to understand, write and debug software. It also offers specialised small language models (SLMs) designed for embedded systems, helping teams identify issues faster, improve system design and write more secure code.

The platform can process debug and crash logs, simplify complex legacy code and is also evolving into a broader data platform for hardware engineering. H2LooP is currently working with semiconductor companies, defence organisations and telecom firms for real-world deployments.

As industries such as automotive, aerospace and electronics become more software-driven, the need for reliable embedded systems is growing rapidly.

Operating in India’s semiconductor and system design market, projected to reach $110 Bn by 2030, H2LooP is targeting this high-value segment, where even small improvements in reliability and efficiency can have a major impact.

HandyPanda | Quick Commerce For Construction Materials

India’s home renovation and maintenance market relies heavily on traditional hardware stores. For small projects, which make up a large part of the market, this creates inefficiencies.

Contractors and homeowners often have to visit multiple shops to find the right materials, leading to delays, inconsistent pricing and concerns around product quality. The lack of reliable delivery options further slows down projects, increasing labour costs and downtime.

To address this, Abhishek Rao and Shaurya Jindal founded HandyPanda in 2025. The Gurugram-based startup is building a quick commerce platform for construction and renovation materials.

HandyPanda offers an online marketplace that delivers essential hardware and building supplies in under 60 minutes. By sourcing directly from authorised manufacturers and using a network of dark stores, it ensures consistent pricing and product authenticity.

Operating in India’s Building Materials Market, expected to become a $64.5 Bn market opportunity by 2034, the platform caters to both homeowners and contractors, offering a wide range of products, from adhesives to bath fittings.

Helium Homes | Fixing India’s Broken Rental Experience

In India, high-quality apartments in gated societies are often controlled by opaque broker networks that charge exorbitant fees while providing minimal value. Thus, the premium residential rental market suffers from a “transparency deficit.”

For homeowners, especially NRIs or multi-city owners, managing the full rental lifecycle — from finding tenants to handling security deposits and maintenance — is a constant logistical hurdle. Tenants, on the other hand, face high upfront security deposits and a lack of digitised, reliable management tools after they move in.

To disrupt this, Sahil Ludhani and Ashutosh Tandon founded Helium Homes in 2025. The proptech startup operates in India’s residential rental market, which is projected to grow to $4.1 Bn by 2030 as urbanisation and the demand for gated communities continue to rise.

The Bengaluru-based proptech startup manages the end-to-end rental lifecycle, specifically for premium gated societies. Helium uses a tech-first approach to list, vet, and manage properties, essentially eliminating the need for traditional brokers.

A standout feature is their “Deposit Saver” product, which helps tenants manage their security deposits more efficiently while ensuring the homeowner faces zero vacancy risk.

By providing a digitised platform for all interactions, including digital rental agreements and automated maintenance requests, Helium creates a seamless, professional experience for both parties.

Kikobot | Making Intelligent Robotics Accessible For SMEs

Automation is still out of reach for most small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in India. Traditional industrial robots are expensive, require specialised engineering and are often built for a single, repetitive task.

This lack of flexibility makes it hard for businesses to adapt robots to different needs like sorting, packaging or quality checks. As a result, many SMEs continue to rely on manual processes, limiting their ability to scale and stay competitive.

To solve this, mechatronics engineer Raghvendra Sutar founded Kikobot in 2023. The startup is building affordable and flexible 6-axis collaborative robots (cobots) for automation, education and AI/ML use cases.

Kikobot’s robots are designed in a modular, plug-and-play format. Businesses can easily switch components like sensors and end-effectors based on their specific needs, making the system adaptable to different tasks.

The platform also includes an easy-to-use software layer that allows even non-engineers to program and manage the robots. This reduces complexity, cuts downtime and lowers the overall cost of automation compared to traditional systems.

As Indian SMEs look to improve efficiency and productivity, demand for accessible automation solutions is rising. Kikobot is targeting this gap with a flexible and cost-effective approach in India’s industrial robotics and automation market, expected to reach $3.5 Bn by 2030.

Klydo | AI-Powered Fashion App For Gen Z

Fashion discovery is changing, especially for Gen Z. Instead of searching for products, younger consumers are increasingly influenced by trends, aesthetics and online communities. However, most ecommerce platforms still focus on large catalogues, making it hard for users to discover niche styles or emerging brands.

This creates a gap in how Gen Z finds and shops for fashion, often leading to decision fatigue and a disconnect from fast-moving trends.

To address this, ex-Udaan executives Ankit Agarwal and Pradeep Yadav founded Klydo in 2025. The Bengaluru-based startup is building a fashion discovery and retail platform tailored for Gen Z.

Klydo uses AI to create personalised ‘trend feeds’ that showcase styles from niche and emerging brands, aligned with specific aesthetics and subcultures. Instead of browsing endless listings, users get a curated, vibe-based shopping experience.

The platform also adds a social layer, allowing users to see what others in their community are engaging with. This helps simplify decision-making and makes fashion discovery more interactive and relevant.

India’s fashion ecommerce market is growing rapidly, driven by young, digital-first consumers. By focusing on discovery, personalisation and community, Klydo is targeting a segment that is still underserved by traditional platforms. With the market expected to cross $112 Bn by 2030, the startup is positioning itself as a go-to destination for the next generation of fashion shoppers.

KuhlTherm | Precision Liquid Cooling Solutions

As AI and data-heavy workloads grow, data centres are facing challenges related to heating. Traditional air-cooling systems are no longer efficient enough to handle high-density servers, especially for AI/ML and GPU-driven operations.

This leads to higher energy consumption, limits on server density and difficulty in meeting sustainability goals, making cooling a critical bottleneck for the next phase of data centre growth.

Founded in 2025 by Shailesh Bishnoi, Kishan Baravaliya and Vishant Gandhi, KuhlTherm is building high-efficiency liquid cooling systems for data centres and EV infrastructure.

The startup develops technologies like rear-door heat exchangers (RDHX), immersion cooling modules and advanced control systems. Its RDHX replaces the rear door of a server rack with a liquid-cooled panel that captures heat using coolant, allowing cooler air to flow out. This removes excess heat without changing the server itself.

KuhlTherm claims its system can handle up to 100 kW of heat per rack and support server densities of up to 200 kW, making it well-suited for high-performance AI workloads.

With global investments in data centres rising sharply to support AI growth, efficient cooling solutions are becoming essential infrastructure. KuhlTherm is targeting this fast-growing market, which was valued at around $21 Bn in 2026 and is expected to cross $54.2 Bn by 2034.

Monk9 Tech | Building India’s Semiconductor Ecosystem

India’s semiconductor push has largely focused on large-scale fabs and assembly, but there is a gap in early stage chip design and small-batch manufacturing.

Startups, researchers and MSMEs often struggle to access affordable fabrication services for prototyping or low-volume production. Global foundries typically prioritise large orders, leaving smaller players underserved, especially for applications like IoT, sensors and power electronics.

To address this, Marmik Bhatt founded Monk9 Tech in 2022. The Rajkot-based startup is building a domestic chip design and fabrication stack focused on early stage and small-batch needs. Monk9 Tech offers affordable chip manufacturing, prototyping and design services across 350 NM to 130 NM nodes. It focuses on mature-node applications such as IoT devices, sensors, analogue systems and power management.

Its foundry produces 6-inch wafers and supports use cases like Power ICs, display drivers and automotive electronics. By leveraging open-source tools and process design kits, the startup lowers entry barriers for chip development. It also works on specialised chips like MEMS and photonics, using advanced techniques to optimise cost and performance.

As India looks to build a full-stack semiconductor ecosystem, demand is rising not just for large fabs but also for flexible, local manufacturing options.

Monk9 Tech is targeting this underserved segment of small-batch, application-specific chipmaking, an area gaining importance as more startups build hardware-led products. By combining design, prototyping and fabrication support, the startup is positioning itself to play a key role in India’s growing semiconductor ambitions.

MumbaiSemi | Designing High-Performance ICs For Advanced Communications

As demand for advanced technologies like AI, 5G and autonomous systems grows, the need for high-performance chips is rising. However, designing such chips is complex and requires deep expertise, especially in areas like RF, mixed-signal and low-power systems.

India is still building its capabilities in semiconductor design, creating a gap for strong domestic players in this space. To address this, Vijaya Kumar Kanchetla and Rajesh Zele founded MumbaiSemi in 2024. The fabless semiconductor startup focuses on designing high-performance integrated circuits for next-generation applications.

MumbaiSemi works across RF, analogue, mixed-signal and digital chip design, targeting use cases like communications, AI/ML hardware, autonomous vehicles and IoT. Its flagship product, DhruvaPro, is a reconfigurable frequency IC that supports global navigation systems such as NavIC, GPS, Galileo and BeiDou.

The chip is silicon-verified and built for real-world deployment, with features like ESD protection, on-chip testing and the ability to operate in extreme conditions. The startup is also developing advanced transceivers for 5G and WiFi, high-speed data communication chips and solutions for autonomous driving systems in the Indian semiconductor market, expected to reach $110 Bn by 2030.

NudgeBee | AI Assistant For SRE & DevOps teams

As enterprises scale their cloud and AI deployments, managing these systems has become increasingly complex. Post-deployment challenges, including system failures, slow applications, rising cloud costs and frequent infrastructure upgrades, are common. Most teams lack unified visibility across their cloud environments, making it difficult to identify and fix issues quickly.

Managing these operations also requires significant manual effort and specialised expertise. To solve this, Rakesh Rajendran and Shiv Pratap Singh founded NudgeBee in 2024. The startup is building agentic AI solutions to simplify enterprise cloud operations.

NudgeBee’s platform sits on top of existing cloud or on-premise systems and creates a unified view by mapping applications, infrastructure and dependencies. It then deploys AI agents that can automatically detect issues and take corrective actions.

Operating in the fast-growing AIOps and Cloud FinOps automation space, projected to reach $32.4 Bn by 2028, the startup offers pre-built agents for use cases like site reliability, cloud cost optimisation and Kubernetes management.

It also allows companies to build custom automation workflows without having to manage underlying AI models.

NudgeBee is already working with enterprise customers like Rackspace and is seeing demand from US mid-market firms as well as global capability centres (GCCs) in India.

Panda Money | Simplifying Cross-Border Remittances

India receives billions in remittances every year, especially from the US. However, sending money home is still a costly and inefficient process. Users often face high fees, poor exchange rates and slow transfers.

Beyond transactions, there is also a lack of tailored financial tools for NRIs who need to manage money across two countries, making cross-border financial planning more complicated than it should be.

To address this, IIT-Bombay alumni Ranit Saha and Girish Nayak founded Panda Money in 2025. The startup is building a remittance and cross-border fintech platform for the NRI and Indian-American community. Panda Money enables low-cost, faster transfers from the US to India, while also offering financial planning and savings tools tailored to diaspora needs.

Operating in the growing cross-border remittance and stablecoin-powered fintech space, expected to reach $103.26 Bn by 2034, the platform aims to go beyond simple transactions and build a more integrated financial experience for users managing money across borders.

India remains the world’s largest recipient of remittances, with over $120 Bn flowing into the country annually. By focusing on this high-frequency, high-value user base, Panda Money has set its sights on this steadily expanding market.

Pramatra Space | Making Enterprises Resilient To Quantum Threats

As quantum computing advances, it poses a serious threat to current encryption systems. Sensitive data could become vulnerable to future quantum-powered cyberattacks.

Existing security systems are not designed for a post-quantum world, and current quantum-safe solutions, especially fibre-based ones, have limited range and scalability.

To address this, Vinay and Richa Hukumchand founded Pramatra Space in 2023. The startup is building satellite-based Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) technology to enable secure communication at a global scale.

Its approach uses integrated photonic chips in low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites to generate and transmit quantum encryption keys to ground stations. These keys are designed to be virtually unhackable and offer a new layer of security for enterprise data.

Pramatra also plans to offer Key Management Systems (KMS) to help secure digital assets and critical infrastructure. By moving QKD to space, the startup overcomes the distance limitations of terrestrial fibre-based systems, creating a wider and more reliable security network. It is also developing specialised chips for both satellite payloads and ground-based security modules.

As governments and enterprises prepare for a post-quantum future, demand for advanced cryptography solutions is rising rapidly. Pramatra Space is part of the global quantum cryptography market, which is expected to reach $4.6 Bn by 2030.

REPEAT GUD | Clean-Label Condiments For Healthy Living

India’s condiment market is largely dominated by mass-produced products that contain refined sugar, palm oil and artificial additives. For health-conscious consumers, finding everyday staples like ketchup or mayonnaise that are both clean and tasty is difficult.

Many “premium” options are either expensive imports or still include hidden sugars and processed oils, making it hard for consumers to make healthier choices without compromising on taste.

To address this, Isha Jhawar founded REPEAT GUD in 2022. The Raipur-based D2C brand offers clean-label, plant-based sauces, including products like mayonnaise, ketchup and specialty dips made using natural ingredients. Its key focus is label transparency, ensuring all products are free from refined sugar, palm oil and artificial chemicals.

By using whole ingredients and natural sweeteners, the brand aims to replicate the familiar taste of traditional condiments while making them healthier for everyday use.

As awareness around clean eating grows, consumers are increasingly looking for healthier alternatives in everyday food categories. This shift is driving India’s broader healthy snacks market, which is expected to reach $6.12 Bn by 2030.

Snoozy Panda | Crafted For Comfort

Bedding is often overlooked in India. The market is split between low-quality, mass-market products and expensive premium brands that feel out of reach for most consumers. This leaves a gap for good-quality bedding that offers both comfort and design at a reasonable price.

After speaking to consumers, ex-Tactic founder Parvez Dosani realised that people do value better bedding but don’t always have access to it. This led to the launch of Snoozy Panda in 2026. The brand designs its products in-house with a focus on comfort and aesthetics, while sourcing and manufacturing through partners.

Within two months of launch, the startup claims to have reached a ₹1.8 Cr run rate, with month-on-month growth of 50–70%. It also maintains strong control over its supply chain through backward integration.

As Indian consumers increasingly focus on home comfort and lifestyle upgrades, categories like bedding are seeing growing interest. Snoozy Panda is aiming to build a strong presence in India’s Mattress and Sleep Wellness Market, targeting an annual run rate of ₹10 Cr while positioning itself as a go-to brand for comfortable, well-designed bedding.

Spill Games | Merge Match Games For Mobile Phones

The mobile gaming industry mostly runs on a ‘hit-or-miss’ model. Studios spend a lot of money trying to build one viral game, but success is never guaranteed.

At the same time, building a game is only half the job. Teams also need to constantly update it, keep users engaged and fine-tune monetisation. This makes gaming expensive and risky, especially for new studios.

To solve this, Om Misra, Tapan Ranjan and Harsh Garg founded Spill Games in 2024. The Bengaluru-based startup is taking a more structured approach to building games.

It has created its own engine and tools to automate key tasks, such as analysing player behaviour, improving retention, and testing monetisation. This helps the team launch games faster and make better decisions.

Spill focuses on casual and puzzle games that appeal to a wide audience. Its portfolio includes titles like Cozy Finds, Sticker by Number, Zen Math Crossword, Bird Rescue Jam and Grill Master.

Spill Games is building a repeatable model in a large and growing market. The startup reported an ARR of $1.5 Mn as of February, with users across the US, Brazil and Japan. It earns revenue through ads and in-app purchases in the Indian gaming market, expected to reach $9.9 Bn by 2031.

Stroom | High-Protein Snacking Options For Indian Palate

The ‘high-protein’ trend is growing in urban India, but the snack options remain limited. Most products are either expensive imports or protein bars that taste bland and feel like supplements.

Indian consumers prefer familiar flavours and textures, but today they are forced to choose between healthy-but-tasteless snacks and tasty but unhealthy options. There is a clear gap for protein-rich snacks that are both nutritious and enjoyable to eat.

To address this, Shiven Chaturvedi, Darshan Gattani and Rohan Shah founded Stroom in 2022. The Ahmedabad-based startup is building a brand focused on high-protein snacks.

Stroom offers products like protein bars, protein-filled wafers and snack boxes. Its key focus is on taste and texture. The products use clean-label ingredients and aim to deliver 10–20g of protein per serving without the typical aftertaste.

The brand is currently online-first and is expanding its reach while also exploring retail partnerships. As more consumers focus on fitness and nutrition, demand for protein-rich foods is rising quickly. Stroom operates in India’s high-protein snack and functional food market, which is expected to grow at a CAGR of 18% through 2030.

ThirdAI Automation | Developing Agentic Framework For Knowledge Mining

In semiconductor manufacturing, even a small delay can be extremely costly. A single minute of unplanned downtime can result in damaged wafers and major financial losses.

Identifying the root cause of such failures is complex, as it involves analysing large amounts of equipment data, logs and system behaviour. Most existing tools are reactive and don’t provide clear answers on what went wrong or how to fix it.

To solve this, Sainyam Galhotra and Vivek Vishwakarma founded ThirdAI Automation in 2024. The Bengaluru-based startup is building AI-led tools for semiconductor manufacturing.

Its platform acts as a copilot for engineers, analysing equipment logs, sensor data, images and operational records to quickly identify the root cause of failures. The software integrates directly with fab equipment and performs root cause analysis whenever an alert is triggered.

ThirdAI uses “Causal AI” to map cause-and-effect relationships within the manufacturing process. This helps move from reactive fixes to prescriptive maintenance, where the system not only predicts a problem but also explains what needs to be fixed and why.

India’s semiconductor sector is growing rapidly, with new manufacturing facilities coming up across the country.

As fabs scale, the need for reliable and efficient operations will increase. ThirdAI is targeting this critical gap, positioning itself in the industrial AI market for semiconductor manufacturing operations, projected to become a massive ~$207 Bn opportunity by 2035.

Thread Factory | Helping India’s Unorganised Fashion Retailers Source Smarter

India’s apparel retail market is highly fragmented, especially at the small retailer level. Many store owners rely on traditional wholesale markets, which often lead to inconsistent pricing, limited access to trends and unreliable supply.

Smaller retailers also struggle with large minimum order quantities and lack the data needed to stock fast-moving styles, making it hard to compete with bigger brands.

To address this, Vivek Solanki and Paras Jindal founded Thread Factory in 2023. The startup is building a B2B fashion sourcing platform that connects retailers directly with manufacturers.

Thread Factory uses algorithms to help retailers identify trending styles and source them from a network of over 100 manufacturers. Its catalogue includes more than 10,000 designs across categories like kurtis, dresses and co-ord sets.

The platform offers low minimum order quantities, doorstep sampling, verified quality and dedicated support, making sourcing easier and more reliable for small retailers. Since launch, it has gone live with over 40 brands, listed 2,000+ products and onboarded more than 1,000 retailers.

Operating in the B2B apparel sourcing platform segment, valued at $4 Bn in 2025 and projected to grow at a CAGR of 10% through 2034, the startup is targeting a large but underserved market, given the strong need to formalise India’s unorganised apparel supply chain. By offering better access to inventory, pricing and demand insights, Thread Factory is positioning itself as a key infrastructure layer for small retailers.

VU Dynamics | Developing Advanced Aerial Platforms, UAV Launchers

India’s defence and drone ecosystem has long depended on imports for advanced aerial systems. While there is strong research happening in academic institutions, there is a gap in converting this into deployable, field-ready hardware.

This slows down the development of indigenous UAV systems needed for surveillance, mapping and defence operations.

To bridge this gap, Subrahmanyam Saderla and Sravanthi Saderla founded VU Dynamics in 2022. The IIT Kanpur-incubated startup is building next-generation unmanned aerial systems for both defence and civilian use.

VU Dynamics designs and manufactures UAV platforms, launch systems and simulation modules. Its products include drones for surveillance and battlefield use, portable launchers for quick deployment and simulator systems for training drone operators in real-world conditions.

By focusing on endurance, ease of use and cost efficiency, the startup aims to offer a strong domestic alternative. It is also working to convert academic R&D into practical systems. In 2025, VU Dynamics partnered with PATH Group to scale manufacturing and move towards production-grade deployment.

Operating in the defence UAV systems and autonomous aerial platforms market, expected to reach ~$1.4 Bn by 2030, the startup is targeting a strategic and fast-growing segment.

Water Robotics | India’s First Robot Bed

As people become more conscious about sleep, ergonomics and recovery, there is a growing need for furniture that can adjust to individual needs instead of forcing users to adjust themselves.

To address this, Teja Vinukollu and Haneesh Mourya Desu founded Water Robotics in 2024. The Hyderabad-based startup is building AI-powered, adaptive furniture that responds to the human body in real time.

Its flagship product, CAMA, is an adaptive sleep system that uses sensors, robotics and machine learning to adjust its shape based on how a person sleeps or moves. The idea is to create “smart” furniture that continuously adapts to improve comfort and support.

By combining hardware, software and material science, Water Robotics is rethinking furniture as a dynamic system rather than a fixed product. The demand for better sleep, ergonomic solutions and personalised wellness products is rising steadily. Water Robotics is building in the emerging category of adaptive furniture, which sits between traditional furniture and healthtech. Over time, this category could expand beyond sleep into areas like workspaces, mobility and assisted living, creating a new market for intelligent, responsive physical environments.

Watt Wave | The Future Of EV Charging

India’s EV adoption is growing fast, but charging remains a friction point. Most systems rely on cables, connectors and manual effort, making the experience inconvenient and slowing down mass adoption.

For commercial vehicles and high-usage segments, this dependency on plug-in charging adds operational inefficiencies. To solve this, Chinmay Goswami founded Watt Wave in 2024.

The Ahmedabad-based startup is building wireless EV charging systems that allow vehicles to charge simply by parking — no cables or manual intervention needed.

What started as a college project has evolved into a deeptech solution. After multiple design iterations, the team has achieved 86-88% charging efficiency at a coil-to-coil distance of 14.5 cm. Its current 1.2 kW prototype is designed for e-rickshaws and three-wheelers, with plans to scale to cars and electric buses.

Watt Wave is also working with Terra Motors for real-world testing and is exploring use cases beyond EVs, such as drone charging and warehouse automation.

As EV adoption increases, the need for simpler and more efficient charging solutions is growing. Watt Wave is targeting India’s wireless EV charging market, which is expected to reach $5.5 Bn by 2030.

Edited by Shishir Parasher

The post 30 Startups To Watch: Startups That Caught Our Eye In April 2026 appeared first on Inc42 Media.