Semiconductor startup Sensesemi has secured INR 25 Cr ($2.7 Mn) in a seed funding round led by deeptech-focussed VC firmPiper Serica, with participation from LetsVenture Angel Fund, Sun Icon Ventures, MyAsiaVC, Whitepine Investments, Jain Oncor, along with other angel investors.
The startup’s founder and CEO Vijay Muktamath told Inc42 that the fresh capital will be used to tape out and validate the first two test chips in 2026, along with building a core engineering team to develop the production-grade version. A key focus will also be on field testing, allowing potential customers to run real-world applications on the chip.
He added that the startup will work on the production version of the first generation of the chip by 2027.
Founded in 2014, Sensemi designs mixed-signal and power-efficient chips for sensing and edge applications. The startup focuses on integrating sensors, signal processing and intelligence on silicon to enable high-performance solutions for various use cases.
In parallel, Sensesemi is also building an analog AI inference processor aimed at significantly lowering power consumption in battery-operated and implantable devices. Its cofounder and head of engineering Namit Varma noted that applications of semiconductors in use cases like medical implants and industrial sensors face tighter constraints on power, size and cost.
In this, analog-domain AI inferencing enables substantial gains in energy efficiency, allowing multi-year battery life without compromising performance or reliability.
The startup is positioning itself to tap a fast-growing market, with the global edge-AI chipset market expected to reach 5–7 Bn units annually by 2030, driven by large-scale industrial adoption and increasing use in medical point-of-care and implantable systems.
Sensesemi’s integrated edge-AI chips target high-growth sectors including industrial IoT, automotive and medical devices, spanning use cases from predictive maintenance and ADAS to cardiac monitoring and smart drug delivery.
The funding round comes amid growing attention on India’s semiconductor sector, as both startups and policymakers sharpen their focus on building domestic chip capabilities. Over the past year, the Centre has intensified efforts to create a self-reliant semiconductor ecosystem, aligning policy, incentives and long-term infrastructure planning to reduce dependence on imports.
Electronics and IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had earlier said that the government is working towards establishing a commercial-scale silicon fabrication facility with capacity exceeding 50,000 wafer starts per month
To support the policy direction, the Centre has also approved four new semiconductor projects involving a combined investment of INR 4,584 Cr under the India Semiconductor Mission. These facilities, planned across Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Punjab, signal a geographically diversified approach to semiconductor manufacturing.
Despite this momentum, startup funding in the sector remains relatively muted. Indian semiconductor startups raised about $50 Mn in 2025, according to Inc42 data, an 89% jump from $28 Mn in 2024, but still modest when compared with other deeptech and technology segments.
Since the start of this year, Raana Semiconductors raised $3 Mn in its seed funding round led by Equirus Innovatex Fund and Artha Venture Fund to focus on its product development and boost its R&D.
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