Seedwatch: Over $930 million raised by early-stage startups in January

Startup Name: Pod

Industry: Blockchain / Web3 Infrastructure

Region: Global

Amount (USD): $10 million

The problem it is solving: Pod aims to eliminate the inefficiencies of traditional blockchains that rely on consensus mechanisms, which can cause delays in transaction processing. Pod allows transactions to be streamed directly to validators for attestation and timestamping, reducing confirmation times to approximately 200 milliseconds—comparable to a Google search.

What the Funds Will Be Spent On: Development of Pod’s EVMx framework, enabling Solidity-based smart contracts. Hiring a founding engineer and developer relations lead.

Startup Name: Cedar Money

Industry: Fintech

Region: Global

Amount (USD): $9.9 million

The problem it is solving: Cedar Money aims to solve the inefficiencies of the outdated correspondent banking network, which makes cross-border transactions slow, costly, and complex. By leveraging stablecoins, Cedar Money provides businesses with a faster, cheaper, and more reliable way to move money across borders while maintaining a fiat-friendly and compliant interface. This is particularly valuable in regions where traditional payment systems are cumbersome, expensive, or inaccessible.

What the Funds Will Be Spent On: Accelerating product development of Cedar Money’s payment infrastructure. Expanding global operations to serve more businesses in both developed and emerging markets. Strengthening regulatory compliance to ensure secure and legally compliant stablecoin transactions.

Startup Name: Voltup

Industry: Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS)

Region: India

Amount (USD): $8 million

The problem it is solving: VoltUp is addressing the challenges of EV adoption, particularly for two- and three-wheeler vehicles, by making battery swapping as seamless and accessible as traditional refuelling.

What the Funds Will Be Spent On: Expanding its battery swapping network by setting up 1,000 new stations across 20 urban centres. Investing in EV assets worth over $85 million, including battery swapping stations and batteries. Enhancing Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) integration across multiple EV platforms. Strengthening its business model ahead of a Series A fundraise later this year.