Netrasemi, a Kerala-based fabless semiconductor startup, has secured ₹10 crore in a pre-Series A funding round led by Unicorn India Ventures. The capital will power the tape-out and commercialization of India’s first fully homegrown AI/ML-enabled System-on-Chips (SoCs) designed specifically for edge computing applications.
Founded in 2020 by Jyothis Indirabhai, Sreejith Varma, and Deepa Geetha, Netrasemi specializes in developing AI chips that enable on-device intelligence for smart infrastructure, robotics, industrial automation, and surveillance systems. The company’s current portfolio includes three SoC families—Netra-R1000 (AI microcontroller for smart sensors), Netra-A2000 (AI video analytics chip), and Netra-A4000 (high-performance ML chip)—all built on a proprietary Domain-Specific Architecture (DSA) and powered by graph-stream hardware acceleration.
The latest funding will support fabrication and validation of the Netra-A2000 and Netra-R1000 chips using TSMC’s 12nm process node, a critical step toward commercial readiness. Both chips are expected to play a key role in enabling edge AI use cases without reliance on cloud infrastructure.
“This round allows us to move aggressively toward productization while scaling our IP and engineering footprint,” said Jyothis Indirabhai, Co-founder and CEO of Netrasemi. “Owning our entire digital IP stack gives us an edge in performance, cost, and long-term innovation.”
Currently employing 61 engineers, the company plans to nearly double its team to 120 by next year, focusing on hiring talent across hardware architecture, ML optimization, and embedded systems. New investments will also bolster Netrasemi’s design and simulation facilities, along with physical lab upgrades to support silicon testing and customer engagements.
From a business standpoint, Netrasemi generated approximately $0.75 million in FY24 through chip design and porting services. With early access agreements already signed with multiple global OEMs, the company forecasts 150% revenue growth in FY25. A major shift toward product-led revenues is expected post-volume production, projected around FY27.
The startup is also backed by India’s Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) under its Design Linked Incentive (DLI) and Chips to Startup (C2S) programs. Incubation support from TrEST Park, KSUM, and IIM Kozhikode has helped Netrasemi strengthen its R&D and commercialization pipeline.
“Netrasemi is redefining edge computing in India by building deep IP and full-stack silicon solutions. This investment reinforces our confidence in their long-term vision,” said Anil Joshi, Managing Partner at Unicorn India Ventures.
