Karnataka startups bag $868M in Q1 2026; retail second-largest sector at $275M

Bengaluru captured 98% of Karnataka's $868M Q1 haul across 117 deals. Retail/D2C drew $275M, led by Marico's $24.9M buyout of nutrition brand Cosmix and Shadowfax's IPO at $782M mcap. Seed funding rose 51% QoQ to $137M, while late-stage slipped 43% to $317M.

Karnataka startups raised $868M across 117 deals in Q1 2026, with retail/D2C drawing $275M as the second-largest sector behind Bengaluru's 98% share.

The Hindu BusinessLine · 5/19/2026, 1:33:31 PM · Ask about this →

Karnataka startup ecosystem + Cosmix + Cult.fit + Marico + Porter + Ultrahuman + Zetwerk +