Welcome to Unbox 2.0 - a weekly series giving you an exclusive peek into what's shaping conversations at the Lightbox office.

But first, the money moves shaping business this week:

• Pilgrim, a D2C beauty and personal care brand, has raised Rs. 200 crore through a mix of primary and secondary funding.
• Slikk Club, a quick fashion delivery startup, secured $3.2 million (Rs. 27 crore) in a seed round led by Lightspeed.
• Your Space, a student housing startup, raised Rs. 70 crore ($8.2 million) in debt funding led by Shantanu Rastogi, MD, General Atlantic.
• Go Zero closed a Rs. 30 crore ($3.4 million) Series A round from DSG Consumer Partners, Saama Capital, and V3 Ventures, with participation from Namita Thapar. 

India’s Growing Cancer Burden: Challenges & Emerging Solutions 

According to government data, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Bihar, and Tamil Nadu report the highest incidence of cancer cases in the country.

 Key Challenges in Cancer Care

• Lack of Coordinated Care: Misdiagnosis and miscommunication between providers, patients, and caregivers often lead to inconsistent treatment outcomes.
• Variability in Diagnosis & Treatment: Studies indicate that diagnosis and treatment recommendations change in  12% to 69% of cases when reviewed, highlighting inconsistencies in cancer care.
• Insurance Gaps: 25% to 30% of cancer treatment costs are not covered by private insurance schemes (based on limited studies) (EY)

A New Approach: Everhope Oncology

Last week, Narayana Health launched Everhope Oncology, a chain of cancer care clinics focused on providing daycare treatment. The initiative, a joint venture with W Health Ventures and 2070 Health, is backed by a $10 million seed investment.

The new venture aims to establish medical and surgical cancer care facilities in Delhi and Mumbai, with plans to expand to 10 cities over the next three years. Each center will have 10-20 beds and offer diagnosis, treatment, and supportive care, including chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, and palliative care.

Cancer Care Investments: A Look at Recent Activity

• Feb 2025: Healthcare Global Enterprises (HCG), India’s largest specialized cancer care provider with 25 centers, saw KKR acquire a 54% stake from CVC for $400 million.
• Feb 2025: MOC Cancer Care & Research Centre raised $18 million in a Series B round led by Elevation Capital.
• 2022: Karkinos Healthcare secured funding from Endiya Partners (amount undisclosed).

With cancer cases on the rise, India’s healthcare sector is witnessing increased investments and innovation aimed at improving access to care. However, challenges in affordability and consistency in treatment remain critical issues to address

French Press

Some food for thought to pair with your  ?

New Amazon Ads research explores how major milestones can impact the relationship between consumers and brands 

In a recent study, Amazon Ads explored how major life events (graduating, starting a new job, moving, buying a home, getting married or expecting a child) impact the way consumers think, shop, and well consume.

• 68% consumers say their current life event has influenced the way they spend their money.
• 6 in 10 consumers say they are more likely to spend time researching the product.
• 6 in 10 consumers say they rely more on online sources (search, review, and retail websites) due to a life event.
• Go deeper

That's all for now. See you next week! 

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