Startup Originals Team
Netrasemi, a Kerala-based semiconductor startup, has raised ₹107 crore in a Series A funding round led by Zoho Corporation and Unicorn India Ventures. This investment aims to propel Netrasemi’s research, manufacturing, and market expansion efforts, positioning the young company as a pioneer in India’s edge AI semiconductor space.
Breakthrough in Edge AI Semiconductor Technology:
Building Next-Generation System-on-Chips:
Founded in 2020 by Jyothis Indirabhai, Sreejith Varma, and Deepa Geetha, Netrasemi focuses on developing innovative system-on-chips (SoCs) designed for smart Internet of Things (IoT) applications. These chips are built to manage complex workloads like advanced video analytics and AI-based processes directly on devices, removing the need to transmit data to external servers or the cloud. This on-device intelligence is made possible by Netrasemi’s energy-efficient deep neural AI acceleration core (NPU) and in-house silicon intellectual property.
Product Milestones and Partnerships:
Over the past year, Netrasemi completed development of two advanced Edge-AI chips, both currently at the tapeout stage and targeting TSMC’s 12nm technology node. The company has started developing an AI camera chip specifically for the Indian CCTV market and signed multiple memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with global partners regarding product development and sample releases. Strategic alliances have also been formed for creating evaluation boards and platform development.
Strategic Investment and Vision:
Zoho’s investment in Netrasemi underscores its commitment to supporting deep-tech ecosystems within India. Shailesh Davey, Co-founder and CEO of Zoho Corporation, highlighted that nurturing advanced technological capabilities domestically can foster long-term economic resilience and self-reliance. The new collaboration will also see R&D synergies between Netrasemi and Zoho’s latest R&D centre in Kottarakara, Kerala, reflecting Zoho’s mission to create tech opportunities in rural and tier 2/3 towns.
Unicorn India Ventures’ Managing Partner, Anil Joshi, emphasized that the global edge AI market is rapidly evolving, creating high demand for energy-efficient chips capable of running AI workloads in real time. Netrasemi is positioned at the forefront of this transformation.
Growth Plans and Expansion:
Doubling the Talent Pool:
With this fresh capital, Netrasemi plans to double its workforce from 83 to 166 chip engineering professionals. This expanded team will drive innovation across multiple sectors, including:
- Surveillance
- Industrial robotics
- Smart home devices
- Smart city infrastructure
- Retail technology
The startup aims to boost customer and partner engagement and further develop next-generation chips that offer even better performance and features.
Roadmap for Advanced SoCs:
In the next 12–18 months, Netrasemi targets completing full mask production for all three SoC product families and will begin researching next-generation, ultra-high-performance chips for edge servers and smart network video recorder (NVR) computing.
Industry Impact and Future Outlook:
Netrasemi’s chips are designed around application-specific requirements, ensuring both efficiency and cost-effectiveness. As the demand for domain-specific architectures and real-time on-device computing grows, Netrasemi’s solutions are set to meet the needs of OEMs pioneering smart infrastructure, surveillance, and AI-powered devices.
The investment from Zoho and Unicorn India Ventures signals a strong vote of confidence in India’s capability to innovate in semiconductors and positions Netrasemi as a potential leader in the sector.
