Silicon Surge: Kerala’s Netrasemi Powers Up with 107 Crore Series A Boost

Kerala-based semiconductor innovator Netrasemi has secured Rs 107 crore in a high-profile Series A funding round led by Zoho Corporation and Unicorn India Ventures. This injection of capital marks a significant leap for India’s homegrown chip ecosystem, amplifying ambitions to build world-class AI-enabled hardware for smart devices.

 

Key Highlights from the Funding Milestone

 

• The round was spearheaded by Zoho and included continued support from Unicorn India Ventures, echoing rising investor faith in India’s deep-tech startups.

• Funds will accelerate research and development, double the company’s chip engineering talent from 83 to 166, and expand manufacturing scale, positioning Netrasemi as a major player in advanced chipmaking from India.

• Focused on edge artificial intelligence, Netrasemi specialises in developing system-on-chip (SoC) solutions capable of running advanced AI analytics directly on devices—cutting out the need for data to leave the location for cloud processing.

• Four new SoC variants, tailored for use in surveillance, industrial robotics, smart city infrastructure, and retail, are set to enter production, with two products already in the tapeout stage, targeting cutting-edge 12nm fabrication.

• The funding positions Netrasemi to capture domestic and international markets at a time when governments and manufacturers are seeking homegrown hardware for secure IoT ecosystems.

 

Strategic Impact and Industry Context

 

• Netrasemi is a prominent beneficiary of India’s Design Linked Incentive (DLI) Scheme, which supports semiconductor R&D and manufacturing in the country.

• The startup’s energy-efficient neural processing core and proprietary silicon IP make its chips suitable for demanding AI and video workloads, responding to surging device-side computing needs.

• Zoho’s investment aligns with a broader industry push to develop indigenous IP and deepen India’s position in the global silicon value chain.

 

This funding not only propels Netrasemi’s next phase of innovation but also galvanizes India’s semiconductor ambitions as the nation aims for technological self-reliance.

 

Sources: The Hindu BusinessLine, Moneycontrol, Economic Times