New Delhi, April 28 (IANS) India’s fintech sector raised $513 million in Q1 2026, marking a 2 per cent increase over Q1 2025 even as the number of funding rounds moderated to 45 from 99 a year earlier, a report said on Tuesday.

The report from data intelligence platform Tracxn Technologies Limited said the headline stability masks a structural shift of capital concentrating across half deals.

Average cheque sizes more than doubled as investors favour proven, later‑stage companies. Late‑stage funding surged to $273 million in Q1 2026, up 126 per cent from $121 million in Q4 2025, while seed funding contracted to $25.7 million from $72.3 million in Q1 2025.

Early‑stage activity stood at $214 million down 47 per cent versus Q4 2025 but still up 13 per cent versus Q1 2025.

The report highlighted that the online lending business model alone absorbed about 60 per cent of Q1 funding, reflecting investor preference for business models with demonstrated unit economics.

“The pattern is a classic barbell. Capital is accumulating at the ends of the funnel rather than the middle, with the seed end thinning out fastest. Late-stage concentration is being driven by companies that already have scale,” the report said.

Exit activity was muted as Q1 2026 saw only two acquisitions, with no IPOs or new unicorns.

Mumbai-based firms accounted for 61 per cent of fintech funding in the quarter at $311 million, up from 9 per cent in Q1 2025; Bengaluru followed at 30 per cent.

In the previous year, Mumbai held only 9 per cent share in Q1 2025, while Bengaluru commanded 51 per cent of quarterly capital.

The report noted the shift reflects the rise of lending and affordable-housing fintech, sectors where Mumbai’s proximity to banks, NBFCs, and insurance capital is a structural advantage.

—IANS

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