Startup Roundup: Dispatch, Cellegant Raise Funds; Taisho Ventures Wins DBS Award

Dispatch Network Raises INR 5 Crore in Pre-Seed Funding Led by Antler India

Dispatch, a Pune-based last-mile delivery network, has raised INR 5 crore in a pre-seed round led by Antler India. Angel investors Krishi Fagwani (founder of Thrive), Yashin Mahadevia, and Parth Modwadhia also participated. It is the company’s first public funding announcement.

Founded by Rajit Arya (CEO) and Navneeth Kannan (Co-founder, Product and AI), Dispatch builds a foundation AI model called the Large Logistics Spatio-Temporal Model (LLSTM).The company says this cuts empty miles, which it puts at up to 50% of a rider’s distance without an order.

The company reports two-thirds fewer empty miles, rider earnings about 55% higher than the industry average, and rider retention 80% better. It delivers for Zomato, Swiggy, Zepto, Instamart, and BigBasket through direct APIs and ONDC, and will launch in Mumbai in November.

The funds will go toward growing the AI team. Dispatch’s next target is 50,000 orders a day across five cities.

“Every idle minute we remove goes back into a rider’s earnings, and that’s how we win supply,” said Rajit Arya, Co-founder and CEO, Dispatch Network.

“Most of last-mile delivery has been optimised for the platform. Rajit and Navneeth started from the rider, and that’s what we backed,” said Nitin Sharma, Partner, Antler India.

Cellegant Raises INR 26.1 Million for Hydrogen-Powered Drones; GVFL Invests

Cellegant Energy Systems, a startup founded by IIT Gandhinagar professor Dr. Atul Bhargav, has raised INR 26.1 million (about INR 2.6 crore) from GVFL Prarambh Fund Trust, CoCreate Aarambh, and IIEC, IIT Gandhinagar’s incubator.

The startup is developing hybrid hydrogen fuel-cell electric drivetrain systems to keep drones and UAVs airborne longer and reduce reliance on batteries and imported technology. Its technology combines hybrid power management, passive hydrogen recirculation, and solid-state chemical hydrogen storage. It has demonstrated hydrogen fuel-cell systems for UAVs and a custom-designed drone for long-endurance power packs.

Cellegant’s immediate priority is to demonstrate a 35-kg hydrogen-powered drone. Over the next six to twelve months, it aims to advance the programme from technology readiness level three to six. It also plans to apply the technology to autonomous robots, high-altitude heavy-lift drones, and humanoid robots.

These remain prospective markets rather than confirmed commercial deployments. The funds will go toward technology development, intellectual property protection, and team building.

Bhargav drew on his earlier product-development experience at Ballard Power Systems.

“The challenge is not simply to develop a fuel cell, but to make the whole system work reliably outside the laboratory,” said Dr. Atul Bhargav, Founder, Cellegant Energy Systems.

Taisho Ventures (Khyaal) Receives SGD 1 Million DBS Foundation Impact Beyond Award

DBS Foundation has announced SGD 3 million (about INR 22 crore) in funding for four businesses across Asia working on ageing. India’s Taisho Ventures, which runs senior citizen platform Khyaal, will receive SGD 1 million (about INR 7.4 crore) under the Impact Beyond Award, now in its second year.

The award will help Khyaal scale its platform, reach seniors in tier-2 and tier-3 cities, and expand into Southeast Asia, according to Founder and CEO Hemanshu Jain.

A UNFPA India and Observer Research Foundation report from 2025 projects India’s elderly population will reach nearly 193 million by 2030.

The other winners are Hon Yang Healthcare (Taiwan, SGD 1 million), One Bite Design Studio (Hong Kong, SGD 500,000), and Shanghai Fuyuan Elderly Care Service (China, SGD 500,000). Hyderabad-based Life Circle Health Services won in 2025 with SGD 500,000 (about INR 3 crore).

Since 2014, DBS Foundation has committed over SGD 204 million across six Asian markets, reaching more than 13 million lives and supporting 52 programmes and 180 Businesses for Impact.

“We hope the award will enable these innovative businesses to enhance their ability to deliver impact and catalyse systemic change,” said Karen Ngui, Head of DBS Foundation.