Lending tech startup KreditBee has raised $280 Mn (about ₹2,595 Cr) in its Series E round at a post-money valuation of $1.5 Bn, becoming the second startup to enter the unicorn club in 2026 after Juspay. 

KreditBee’s funding round was led by Motilal Oswal Alternates, Hornbill Capital, and MUFG-backed Dragon Funds, with participation from WhiteOak Capital, A.P. Moller Holding, and existing investors including Premji Invest and Advent International.

The fundraise comes at a time when the fintech startup is preparing for an IPO. Last year, it got approval from its board to convert into a public entity.

The Bengaluru-based startup plans to deploy the fresh capital to expand its lending portfolio, strengthen its presence in existing markets and boost its tech stack. It will also use the funds to scale its AI capabilities, resulting in enhanced risk assessment, more credit adoption, and personalised financial offerings.

Founded in 2016 by Madhusudan Ekambaram, Vivek Veda, and Karthikeyan Krishnaswamy, KreditBee provides personal loans, business loans, loans against property, and two-wheeler loans through its NBFC KrazyBee Services Pvt Ltd. It also offers value-added services like credit report and UPI-based offerings.

It claims to have 23 Cr app downloads and a registered base of over 20 Cr users. The startup has 1.8 Cr unique loan customers and disbursed 6 Cr loans to date,

Overall, the fintech startup has raised around $642 Mn to date from Mirae Asset Venture, NewQuest Capital Partners, among others.

With the funding, KreditBee has become the 128th Indian startup to enter the coveted unicorn club.

Notably, lending tech is a leading subcategory in India’s fintech landscape. As a result, investors are bullish on this segment. For instance, digital lending startup Fibe raised $35 Mn as a part of its Series F funding round in December last year.

Overall, fintech continues to be among the favourite sectors of investors. As per Inc42’s Q1 2026 funding report, fintech startups raised a total of $374 Mn across 24 deals during the quarter.

 

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