Startup news and updates: Daily roundup (May 22, 2025)

YourStory presents the daily news roundup from the Indian startup ecosystem and beyond. Here's the roundup for Thursday, May 22, 2025.

May 22, 2025 - 12:10

Startup news and updates: Daily roundup (May 22, 2025)

From Mr White Gloves’ impact on India’s car care industry to OpenAI’s $6.4 billion acquisition of Jony Ive’s AI hardware startup, YourStory brings you today’s headlines with the latest developments across sectors.

Featured stories

How Mr White Gloves is driving change in India’s car care industry

With back-to-back meetings and long working hours, finding time for a simple car wash can feel like a luxury. Ever wish someone could just show up and get it done? That feeling led to Kunal Divyanshu’s entrepreneurial journey.

“As a car owner, I faced a lot of difficulties related to car care. I wanted professionals to take care of my car, be it washing, detailing, polishing, and regular maintenance, but there were no reliable services nearby,” recalls the 32-year-old founder.

That moment of frustration pushed Divyanshu, a former Director of Sales at BYJU’S, to make a bold move. After a successful stint at WhiteHat Jr. and witnessing its $300 million acquisition, he had seen firsthand how rapidly startups could scale. Armed with this insight, he launched Mr White Gloves in August 2021 in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand. Read more.

Latest news

OpenAI buys Jony Ive’s AI hardware startup io Products in $6.4B deal

ChatGPT-maker OpenAI has acquired io Products, the AI hardware startup co-founded by former Apple design chief Jony Ive and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, in a $6.4 billion all-equity deal.

The acquisition is by far OpenAI’s largest to date and signals the AI firm's entry into the AI-enabled consumer hardware market. It already owns 23% of io Products and is paying $5 billion for the remaining stake in the company.

The deal follows OpenAI’s recent acquisitions of Windsurf, an AI-assisted coding tool, for $3 billion, and analytics startup Rockset last year. Read more.

Jony Ive, Co-founder of io Products, and Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI.

360 ONE Asset launches early-stage venture capital strategy

360 ONE Asset, a subsidiary of 360 ONE WAM, launched an early-stage venture capital strategy to support startups from their first institutional funding rounds.

According to a company statement, this new strategy will focus on high-growth sectors, including consumer technology, fintech infrastructure, generative AI, spacetech, defence, and precision manufacturing. Besides capital, 360 ONE Asset will provide strategic guidance, governance support, and access to late-stage growth funding through its larger investment ecosystem.

The strategy is part of the firm’s broader lifecycle investment model and is anchored by its Rs 25,000 crore ($3 billion) private equity platform. Read more.

Funding news

Data Sutram bags $9M series A funding led by B Capital, Lightspeed

Regulatory technology startup Data Sutram raised $9 million in a Series A funding round co-led by global venture firms B Capital and Lightspeed. The company seeks to expand its AI-powered fraud detection and compliance platform across new verticals and international markets.

The funding will help Data Sutram expand its fraud detection capabilities beyond banking into sectors like insurance, gaming, and crypto, while scaling its team and operations for international growth, it said in a statement. Read more.

Other news

ThunderPlus collaborates with Ather Energy

Electric two-wheeler manufacturer Ather Energy partnered with EV charging infrastructure company ThunderPlus to address range anxiety among electric vehicle users.

The collaboration aims to significantly increase the availability of EV charging points nationwide.

As part of the partnership, Ather customers will now have access to all 140 ThunderPlus charging hubs across 15 states and 40 cities, providing access to a reliable and fast charging network.

Boba Bhai enters multi-channel model

Boba Bhai has entered the multi-channel with the launch of its ready-to-drink (RTD) canned bubble teas.

Building on its presence through QSR outlets and third-party food aggregators such as Swiggy and Zomato, the brand is now extending its reach to modern retail and quick commerce platforms to meet the needs of India’s fast-paced, convenience-driven consumers.

The newly launched canned teas are now available on Blinkit and Zepto, with availability on Instamart expected soon. Currently distributed across 70 cities, the products are introduced in high-performing urban centres.

Looking ahead, the product pipeline includes new milk teas, seasonal variants, functional beverages, and a K-Coffee range.

Eka Care, AWS announce Ekathon 2025

Eka Care and Amazon Web Services (AWS) will hold Ekathon 2025, a hackathon focused on innovation and advancing digital transformation in India’s healthcare sector.

The event, taking place on June 5 and 6 at the Amazon premises in Bengaluru, invites early-stage startups, independent developers, and innovators to develop solutions using Eka Care’s open healthtech developer platform, which is supported by a comprehensive set of application programming interfaces (APIs).

The event provides participants with access to real-world APIs already used by leading companies, offering an opportunity to develop practical, impactful solutions. Teams will receive mentorship from product and engineering experts at Eka Care and AWS, offering support throughout the process.

Participants will also present their solutions to prominent healthcare venture capitalists and strategic partners, creating potential opportunities for collaboration and funding.

(This article will be updated with the latest news throughout the day.)

Edited by Suman Singh