Cashfree backs 'One of a Kind' awards

Startup awards are usually built for companies that already look successful. Big rounds. Big headlines. Big founder brands. But the actual news here is the opposite: Cashfree Payments and The Economic Times have launched the inaugural One Of A Kind Startup Awards for startups that are still early — specifically Series A and below. That makes this less like a victory lap and more like a customer-acquisition move wrapped in ecosystem language. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) ### What is this award actually for? The pitch is pretty clear. One Of A Kind is meant to identify “breakout” internet-first startups in India while they are still in the messy part of company-building — before they become household names, and before large fundraising rounds becom(economictimes.indiatimes.com)ion, not just valuation. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) ### Why does “Series A and below” matter? Because that is the whole point. Cashfree and ET are not pretending this is for the entire startup market. They are carving out a slice that often gets ignored in splashy founder events — companies that may have product traction but not pr(economictimes.indiatimes.com)otes a concrete timeline: entries close on May 28, 2026, and winners are set for July 20. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) ### Why is a payments company doing this? Because payments companies do not just sell payments anymore. They sell access, trust, and embedded relationships with founders. Cashfree already markets itself directly to startups with a bundle that includes payment gateway services, pay(economictimes.indiatimes.com) become the default infrastructure layer while they are still choosing vendors. (cashfree.com) ### Is this branding, or is it business? Basically both. The branding part is obvious — Cashfree gets to present itself as a builder of the startup ecosystem, not just a checkout button. But the business angle is stronger than it first looks. Early-stage startups are exactly the customers that later grow into heavier users of payouts, cross-border collections, subscriptions, fraud tools, and banking rails. If Cashf(cashfree.com) companies mature. That is a much longer game than sponsoring a generic industry event. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) ### Why now? Cashfree has been leaning hard into expansion mode. In February 2025, the company announced a $53 million funding round led by KRAFTON and Apis Growth Fund II, saying the capital would go toward product innovation and market outreach. More recently, its newsroom has highlighted pushes into AI-app payments, cross-border growth, and broader platform positioning. An(economictimes.indiatimes.com)uchpoints, more reasons to be in startup conversations before procurement teams show up. (cashfree.com) ### What does ET get out of it? A cleaner lane into startup coverage and community-building. The Economic Times already runs startup reporting, founder interviews, and ecosystem events. An awards property focused on underexposed startups gives it a way to surface new companies earlier in their life cycle, while Cashfree brings category relevance and commercial support. That combination is why the awards are being framed as “co-created,” not just sponsored. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) ### So what is the real takeaway? The interesting part is not that an awards program exists. India has plenty of those. The interesting part is who this one excludes — later-stage winners by default — and what that says about Cashfree’s strategy. The company is trying to be presen(economictimes.indiatimes.com)able than logo placement — early trust. (economictimes.indiatimes.com)