Alt Carbon, a deep tech science and data company, has raised $12 million in seed funding led by Lachy Groom. In separate developments, Zoca has raised $6 million in a funding round led by Accel, while Data Sutram has raised $9 million in its Series A funding round.
Lachy Groom leads $12m funding in Alt Carbon
Alt Carbon, a deep tech science and data company, has raised $12 million in seed funding led by Lachy Groom, with participation from existing investors.
The investment will help the company accelerate carbon dioxide removal (CDR) in the global south and expand earth sciences R&D, advance hardware innovations, and scale-up operations for durable climate action in India, it said in a statement.
Alt Carbon uses a carbon removal method called enhanced rock weathering (ERW), which involves sourcing waste basalt rock dust from mines and spreading it across agricultural fields. This volcanic rock not only improves soil health and crop yields but also reacts naturally with rainwater to remove carbon dioxide.
“The climate crisis demands bold bets on science innovation, rethinking infrastructure, and deploying capital. Enhanced rock weathering is one of the most promising, permanent carbon removal pathways we have, and yet it’s vastly underbuilt. What sets us apart is our obsession with scientific depth: we’re building advanced labs and engineering the scientific backbone of a new era of climate action grounded in the Global South. Extraordinary crises require outsized ambition, and we now have the capital to kickstart a climate revolution and have a shot at gigaton-scale carbon removal,” said Alt Carbon, co-founder & CEO, Shrey Agarwal.
Zoca raises $6m led by Accel
Bengaluru-based AI startup Zoca has raised $6 million in a funding round led by Accel with participation from GTMfund, Elevation Capital and Better Capital.
Founded in 2024 by longtime friends and IIT Kharagpur classmates Ashish Verma and Robin Chauhan, Zoca uses AI to drive traffic, convert leads, and turn them into loyal customers. Zoca’s AI agents manage the entire growth funnel, automatically identifying what services are in demand in a specific neighbourhood, optimising for discovery, converting leads into bookings, and re-engaging clients at just the right time.
Looking ahead, Zoca plans to expand its agent architecture, deepen its platform integrations, and bring its system to more verticals.
“In the next decade, the top local businesses around us won’t be big chains. Instead, they’ll be local professionals — quietly supercharged by AI that helps them attract more clients, keep them coming back, and grow faster than ever. At Zoca, we are making it possible for independent businesses to thrive without all the tech headaches and focus on delivering exceptional experiences to their customers,” said Ashish Verma.
B Capital and Lightspeed co-lead funding in Data Sutram
B2B SaaS startup Data Sutram has raised $9 million in its Series A funding round co-led by B Capital and Lightspeed, per an announcement.
The funds will be used to expand the company’s fraud detection and risk intelligence platform into key sectors including cryptocurrency, real-time payments, gaming, e-commerce, and insurance. Additionally, the investment will enhance the company’s AI capabilities and support international growth, with a focus on the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
Founded by Rajit Bhattacharya, Sagnik Poddar, and Ankit Das, the startup helps financial institutions combat fraud, improve customer onboarding, and reduce risk across the lifecycle of lending, payments, and insurance.
