Semiconductor startup Netrasemi has raised INR 107 crore in a Series A funding round from Zoho Corporation Ltd and Unicorn India Ventures.
Before this, the company got INR 10 crore in a Pre-Series A round from Unicorn India Ventures and INR 8.3 crore in earlier seed funding rounds.
The startup will use the funding to improve research and development, increase manufacturing, and strengthen marketing. This will help the company grow in India and other countries.
They plan to launch four new types of system-on-chip (SoC) products that have advanced AI and video features. These chips will be used by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in areas like security cameras, industrial robots, and smart buildings.
The company has already completed developing two SoC products. These are now in the tapeout stage, which means they are ready to be made using TSMC’s 12nm manufacturing technology.
“Jyothis Indirabhai, Co-founder & CEO, Netrasemi, said, “In the new age of AI-based automation and next-generation smart devices, domain-specific optimization is no longer a nice-to-have feature—it’s a necessity. Netrasemi’s efficient Domain Specific Architecture (DSA) and optimal intellectual property silicon cores enable both performance and energy efficiency needed for real-time on-device, on-premise computing at the edge. Our chips are designed based on various end-customer application requirements and are both power-efficient and cost-effective.”
“Supporting the growth of a strong deep-tech ecosystem in India is a key focus for Zoho, and our investment in Netrasemi reflects that ongoing effort. Developing advanced technological capabilities and expertise within the country can drive long-term progress in critical sectors, ultimately contributing to economic resilience and self-reliance,” said Shailesh Davey, Co-founder and CEO, Zoho Corporation.
“Our interests with Netrasemi also align on the R&D front, especially in areas such as robotics, AI and edge processing. Through this investment, we are supporting the development of indigenous IP and innovation, paving the way for globally competitive products to be built in India,” Davey added.
Netrasemi was started in 2020 by Jyothis Indirabhai, Sreejith Varma, and Deepa Geetha. The company makes advanced system-on-chips (SoCs) for smart IoT devices, focusing on handling hard tasks like video processing.
Their chips can run AI analysis right on the device, so data doesn’t need to be sent to the cloud. This is possible because of Netrasemi’s energy-saving AI chip core (NPU) and other special technology they have built.
In the past year, the company has made big progress. They finished two AI chips with strong video features, started work on a CCTV AI camera chip for the Indian market, and formed partnerships to help develop and test their products.
They also signed agreements with global partners to share samples and work on product research. Both chips are now ready for manufacturing using TSMC’s 12nm technology.
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