Bengaluru-based deeptech hardware startup Nova Spectral AI has secured ₹21.2 crore ($2.3 million) in a seed funding round led by early-stage venture firm Shastra VC. The round also saw backing from Equirus InnovateX Fund alongside individual angel investors, providing fresh momentum to India’s domestic semiconductor and optical sensing capabilities.
Founded earlier this year by IIT Kanpur alumnus Anish Priyadarshi and Sanjeev Kumar, the company is developing short-wave infrared (SWIR) image sensor chips. According to funding details reported by Inc42, Nova Spectral AI plans to allocate the capital toward expanding its engineering personnel and delivering a field-ready sensing prototype within the next 18 months.
Overcoming Conventional InGaAs Cost Hurdles
Modern infrared vision systems typically rely on indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) substrates. While InGaAs sensors deliver reliable optical detection in degraded visual conditions, they remain costly, complex to manufacture, and predominantly controlled by foreign suppliers subject to stringent export restrictions.
Nova Spectral AI addresses this bottleneck by pairing colloidal quantum dots (cQDs) with standard silicon complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) fabrication processes. Integrating quantum dot thin films directly onto commercial silicon wafers significantly compresses manufacturing costs and enables scalable production without requiring dedicated III-V semiconductor foundries.
Optical sensing systems running on SWIR frequencies allow autonomous vehicles, industrial robotics, tactical drones, and perimeter surveillance setups to maintain spatial visibility through dense smoke, haze, dust, and zero-lux darkness.
| Specification / Factor | Conventional InGaAs Sensors | Nova Spectral AI Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Core Material Base | Indium Gallium Arsenide (III-V) | Colloidal Quantum Dots (cQDs) |
| Manufacturing Method | Dedicated, low-yield specialized lines | Standard Silicon CMOS compatible |
| Supply Chain Origin | Heavily imported / Export restricted | Indigenously designed in India |
| Deployment Target | High-end aerospace & industrial setups | Commercial robotics, defense, and drones |
| Target Timeline | Established global inventory | Field-ready prototype in 18 months |
Strategic Alignment with Domestic Chip Manufacturing
Securing domestic access to high-grade optoelectronics has become a strategic priority for India's defense and aerospace establishments. Traditional thermal and infrared imaging units used across Indian military platforms have largely depended on international vendors.
"India’s armed forces should not have to rely on an imported sensor to see at night or through smoke. We design and build our chip in India, with a roadmap to make the quantum dot materials and readout chip here too," said Nova Spectral AI co-founder and CEO Anish Priyadarshi in a company statement. Priyadarshi previously developed working indium arsenide SWIR sensors and established a custom quantum dot fabrication laboratory.
To accelerate its hardware testing pipeline, the startup secured in-principle incubation approval from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru, where technical teams will conduct advanced characterization of the optical chips.
Nova Spectral AI’s fundraising reflects broader venture capital appetite for early-stage semiconductor design ventures in India. Backed by central initiatives such as the Design Linked Incentive (DLI) scheme and defense indigenization mandates, domestic engineering firms are increasingly targeting high-barrier hardware sectors traditionally dominated by legacy overseas suppliers.
