New Delhi, April 29 -- Shopping app Kult, climate-tech financing platform Metafin, sweets brand Scandalous Foods, student accommodation startup EZStays, digital health platform ekincare, and Android-based laptop-manufacturer Primebook have raised new capital in separate funding rounds, the companies said on Tuesday.

Kult Kult, a shopping platform focused on skincare and beauty products, has raised $20 million (Rs 170 crore) in a Series A funding round, led by Payal Kanodia and Aishwarya Bansal from the M3M family office. The round also saw participation from early-stage startup incubator and investor Venture Catalysts.

The Maharashtra-based company said it plans to scale operations by introducing 700 premium international products, and aims to process over 10,000 orders per day by the end of 2025. It also intends to expand its team to 200 members across sourcing, engineering, product development, and user experience functions. Founded by Karishma Singh and Ruchika Pallavi, Kult operates a beauty app that uses artificial intelligence to offer personalized skincare recommendations and an inclusive shopping experience. The platform claims its visual catalog displays products on a diverse range of Indian skin tones.

Metafin

Metafin, a solar financing platform for small rural businesses and households, has secured $10 million (Rs 85 crore) in a Series A funding round in a mix of equity and debt. The round was led by Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia & India, with participation from existing investors Prime Venture Partners and Varanium Capital, as well as financial institutions such as Northern Arc and AU Small Finance Bank.

The round follows the company's $5-million pre-Series A round raised a year ago from Prime Ventures and Varanium. The company plans to use the fresh capital to deepen its presence in core markets, expand into new states, and strengthen its technology, credit, and service infrastructure.

Founded in 2019 by Sandeep Chopra and Aditya Shah, the NBFC offers financing for solar power installations.

Scandalous Foods

Scandalous Foods has secured Rs 2 crore in an ongoing extended seed funding round led by New Age India Fund. The company is looking to expand production capacity and strengthen its distribution network targeting small and medium enterprises in the hospitality sector.

The startup said 50% of the funds raised will be utilized to scale production, while 30% will be allocated to building a distribution network targeting small restaurant chains with fewer than five outlets. The remaining 20% will be used for online and offline marketing initiatives.

Founded in 2022 by Sanket S and Pravesh Amin, the Maharashtra-based company specializes in preservative-free Indian sweets with a six-month shelf life, available in single-serve sizes. Originally a B2B business, it plans to expand into B2B2C and B2C models.

EZStays

Student housing startup EZStays has raised funding from multi-stage venture capital fund Finvolve as part of a larger Rs 8.5-crore round. Other strategic investors, including India Accelerator, also joined the round, which included both primary and secondary transactions.

The company plans to use the funds to expand its inventory of beds across current and new locations.

EZStays offers fully-furnished, hassle-free accommodation for students. It was founded by Vaibhav Khanna and Abhishek Kumar. In addition to housing, EZStays runs career development programs like EZ-Mentor and EZ-Connect, offering mentorship, leadership talks, mock interviews, sports tournaments, and cultural events.

ekincare

ekincare, a digital health platform, has raised an undisclosed amount in funding led by global healthcare major Merck's MSD IDEA Studio Asia Pacific, part of the MSD Global Health Innovation Fund. Existing investor HealthQuad also took part in the round.

"This investment round will empower ekincare to advance its mission of revolutionizing corporate primary and preventive healthcare through AI-driven, personalized outpatient department (OPD) solutions," the company said in a statement.

"With this investment, ekincare aims to expand its cashless OPD network and enhance AI-powered analytics to drive better preventive care, chronic disease management, and employee wellness outcomes." Founded in 2015 by Kiran Kalakuntla, Srikanth Samudrala, and Noel Coutinho, ekincare uses AI, data analytics, and telemedicine for personalized and accessible preventive healthcare. It has partnered with over 1,000 companies and built a network of more than 40,000 healthcare providers across India.

Primebook Android-based laptop-manufacturer Primebook has secured $2 million in pre-Series A funding in a mix of equity and debt from Inflection Point Ventures, Auxano Capital, and NexG Devices, along with investors such as EaseMyTrip co-founder Rikant Pittie, and former Paytm COO Bhavesh Gupta.

The company said it plans to invest in R&D and product innovation, strengthen its proprietary operating system with enhanced multitasking capabilities, robust features like AI and Cloud PC, and cross-platform integrations. It also aims to improve the device's efficiency, speed, and battery performance.

Founded by Chitranshu Mahant and Aman Verma, the startup makes affordable laptops for students. The laptops run on Primebook's proprietary Android-based operating system PrimeOS.

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