Startup news and updates: daily roundup (September 25, 2026)

In the latest startup news, Akamai Technologies has inked a massive $11.6 billion cloud computing deal with AI developer Anthropic, with the potential to expand to $20 billion. Meanwhile, Dextr AI, a hospitality-focused AI startup, secured $6.7 million in seed funding to expand its products and team, with a focus on growing its presence in the Indian hospitality market.

Additionally, mPokket, a digital lender, has onboarded over 6.5 million first-time borrowers, with a majority of these customers coming from rural and semi-urban India. Lastly, IIT Kanpur launched UpStart 2026, a national startup competition offering a prize pool of up to Rs 18 lakh and mentorship opportunities for early-stage startups across diverse sectors.

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