ASIA BUSINESS OUTLOOK9NOVEMBERNEWSROOMPIDGE SECURES MAJOR FUNDING TO ACCELERATE INDIA'S LOGISTICS GROWTHKaaj, an emerging AI-fintech startup specializing in credit intelligence for small and medium-sized borrowers, has raised $3.8 million in seed funding led by Kindred Ventures, alongside Better Tomorrow Ventures and additional investors.With this new capital, the company plans to accelerate product development, expand its module suite, and grow its customer base of lenders and brokers serving the SME financing market.Kaaj enters the market with a platform designed to automate underwriting workflows for lenders managing small business loans.According to published information, its technology can extract, verify, and organise borrower documents and financial data within minutes--significantly reducing timelines that traditionally take days.The platform integrates seamlessly with existing loan origination systems and CRM tools, enabling lenders to streamline operations without major infrastructure changes.The company reports that its system has already processed over $5 billion in loan applications, demonstrating strong market readiness and adoption.The cost of underwriting smaller loans has historically been too high for lenders to maintain profitability, creating structural challenges within SME lending. By automating tedious and resource-heavy workflows, Kaaj aims to shift this dynamic and enable lenders to underwrite efficiently at scale.Through its focus on AI-powered underwriting, SME lending automation, and credit intelligence platforms, Kaaj is positioning itself as a key enabler in the future of digital lending. Its innovation aligns with broader industry demand for fintech automation tools, AI lending solutions, and small business finance technology, helping reshape the economics of underwriting for modern lenders. Pidge, a rapidly expanding AI-powered logistics platform, has secured Rs. 120 crore (US$13.56 million) in a new funding round led by La Vida es Chula (LVEC), with strong support from its existing investors.This infusion of capital marks a pivotal moment for the company as it gears up to deepen its presence across India and explore opportunities beyond national borders.Currently, Pidge operates at an impressive annualized run rate of Rs. 250 crore (US$28.25 million), reflecting a robust 10x year-on-year growth trajectory.This exceptional expansion showcases the company's ability to scale efficiently within the highly competitive logistics technology space--an industry increasingly driven by intelligent automation, demand forecasting, and hyper local delivery needs.With the new funding, Pidge is set to broaden its footprint in India by targeting tier-2 and tier-3 cities, where digital commerce adoption is accelerating and reliable last-mile delivery solutions are in high demand.At the same time, the company aims to initiate pilot programs in select international markets, positioning itself as a global contender in next-generation logistics innovation.Pidge currently partners with over 20,000 brands across more than 50 cities, leveraging its smart delivery optimization system to provide high-accuracy routing, real-time tracking, and seamless supply-chain orchestration. A key focus for the company going forward is strengthening its supply-side logistics network, ensuring efficient capacity utilization while improving reliability for enterprise clients.In addition to geographic expansion, Pidge plans to continue innovating its technology infrastructure, particularly in areas such as predictive logistics, AI-driven efficiency mapping, and scalable cloud architecture. These enhancements will enable the company to better support the rapidly evolving needs of modern commerce and position itself as a go-to logistics partner across sectors.Pidge's latest funding round underscores growing investor confidence in India's logistics transformation and highlights the company's potential to become a major force in shaping the future of delivery technology. KAAJ SECURES $3.8M TO TRANSFORM SME LENDING WITH AI AUTOMATION
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