The first half of 2026 has seen the early-stage startup ecosystem in India full of energy as more and more AI-powered and deep-tech startups have received their seed, pre-seed, and Series A funding. Investors remained supportive of technology-led start-ups developing solutions in enterprise software, industrial automation, cyber security, logistics, climate and energy, healthcare and education, indicating increased trust in the next generation of tech-led start-ups in India.

Venture capital firms, institutional investors, family offices and angel investors led the way in early stage funding, with capital being injected into startups focused on real-world business challenges such as AI, machine learning, automation and advanced technologies. In addition to investment, these deals underscore the growing demand for scalable AI solutions and India's rise as a global epicenter for deep tech entrepreneurship.

The shared characteristic of these funds was a belief in companies with clearly differentiated technologies, established leadership teams, and commercial appeal. The majority of the proceeds will be dedicated to advancing product development, building engineering capabilities, developing go-to market strategies and expanding operations both domestically and internationally.

Here's a look at 10 AI-powered early-stage Indian startups that raised funding in the first half of 2026 and how they plan to use the fresh capital to fuel their next phase of growth.

1. Aivar Raises INR 41 Crore in Seed Funding

Founder: Kousik Rajendran, Praveen Jayakumar, Ashwin Ram Ravichandran, and Aadharsh Ayappan
Sector: AI Services

Key Investor: Sorin Investments

Coimbatore-based AI services startup Aivar was founded in 2024 by Kousik Rajendran, Praveen Jayakumar, Ashwin Ram Ravichandran, and Aadharsh Ayappan. The company collaborates with start-ups, technology-driven companies, and enterprises on AI projects. It serves as an end-to-end AI studio, providing strategy consulting, tailor-made AI solution development, and managed AI operations.

The company has raised $4.6 million (INR 41 Cr) in a Seed funding round led by Sorin Investments, with participation from Bessemer Venture Partners, in January 2026. The company will utilize the fresh investment to increase its footprint in the Indian market, the U.S. and Middle East, investing in AI accelerators, senior talent and global delivery capabilities.

2. Hexalog Raises INR 34 Crore in Seed Funding

Founder: Dibyanshu Tripathi, Utkarsh Tripathi, Vineet Malik, and Shobhit Singh
Sector: Logistics Technology

Key Investor: Enrission India Capital

Gurugram-based logistics technology startup Hexalog was founded in 2024 by Dibyanshu Tripathi, Utkarsh Tripathi, Vineet Malik, and Shobhit Singh. The company is a cloud-based, AI-driven supply chain solution that helps businesses to manage their trade across the globe. It streamlines freight transportation, customs clearance, warehousing and last mile delivery.

The company has also secured $4M (INR 34 Cr) via a Seed funding round led by ENRISSION INDIA CAPITAL and further participated by Mount Judi Ventures, Action TESA Family Office, Nandan Growth Fund, and other investors in January, 2026. The new capital will be put into developing the company's technology platform and global logistics network.

3. Aule Space Raises INR 17 Crore in Pre-Seed
Funding
Founder: Jay Panchal, Nithyaa Giri, and Hrishit Tambi
Sector: Space Technology

Key Investor: pi Ventures

Bengaluru-based deep-tech startup Aule Space was founded in 2024 by Jay Panchal, Nithyaa Giri, and Hrishit Tambi. The company's work centers around the development of autonomous satellites for docking and servicing other satellites in orbit. With its technology, it will increase the life of satellites, monitor space assets and dispose of satellites at the end of their service life in an environmentally friendly and economically viable manner, thereby paving the way for more sustainable and cost-effective space operations.

The company raised $2 million (INR 17 Cr) in a Pre-Seed funding round led by pi Ventures, with participation from angel investors including Eash Sundaram and Arvind Lakshmi kumar, in January 2026. The new funding will be allocated to growing its engineering workforce, constructing ground infrastructure for docking tests and further developing the development of its first demonstration satellites.

4. Enerzolve Raises INR 45 Crore in Seed Funding
Founder: Abhay Adya and Anupam Kumar Bhatt
Sector: Clean Energy Technology

Key Investor: Jungle Ventures and Kae Capital Bengaluru-based clean energy startup Enerzolve was founded by Abhay Adya and Anupam Kumar Bhatt. The company is specialized in the development of embedded systems and power electronics based on semiconductors for smart grids, renewable energy infrastructure and battery storage. It offers a range of smart meters, protection relays, power quality analysers, battery management systems, inverters and energy management solutions for the Indian market.

The company raised $5.1 million (INR 45 Cr) in a Seed funding round co-led by Jungle Ventures and Kae Capital, with participation from several angel investors, in January 2026. The new money will be deployed to support the company's core technology, grow engineering and product capabilities, and ramp up pilot production of smart grid and energy storage products.

5. ThirdAI Raises INR 26 Crore in Seed Funding
Founder: Vivek Vishwakarma and Sainyam Galhotra
Sector: Semiconductor AI

Key Investor: Endiya Partners and Capria Ventures

India-US-based deep-tech startup ThirdAI was founded by Vivek Vishwakarma and Sainyam Galhotra. The company builds a causal AI platform to assist equipment manufacturers and FABs in determining the root cause of production problems in semiconductors. It integrates operational data and AI into its platform, boosting troubleshooting, minimizing downtime and optimizing manufacturing efficiency.

The company had a Seed round of funding led by Endiya Partners and Capria Ventures, in which it raised $3 million (INR 26 Cr) in February 2026. The new investment will go towards increasing the scope of product development, building a capable engineering capability, and expediting deployments with semiconductor manufacturers.

6. DATOMS Raises INR 25 Crore in Series A Funding

Founder: Amiya Samantaray, Asish Sahoo, Nataraj Sahoo, and Amrit Biswal
Sector: Industrial IoT

Key Investor: Big Capital JSC

Bhubaneswar-based industrial IoT startup DATOMS was founded in 2021 by Amiya Samantaray, Asish Sahoo, Nataraj Sahoo, and Amrit Biswal. The company is developing an industrial IoT platform for enterprises and OEMs to enable them to connect physical machines and monitor their performance in real time. The platform can help companies anticipate equipment failures, minimize energy consumption, and optimize service operations in various industries.

The company raised INR 25 crore in a Series A funding round led by Big Capital JSC, with participation from IvyCap Ventures and follow-on investment from YourNest Venture Capital, in February 2026. The fresh capital will be allocated to bolstering its product and technology, growing into new markets and developing teams in the fields of engineering, data science and enterprise sales.

7. VerbaFlo Raises INR 60 Crore in Seed Funding

Founder: Sayantan Biswas, Abhishek Garg, VP Singh, and Dan Smith
Sector: Conversational AI

Key Investor: Pi Labs

VerbaFlo is an AI startup that was established in October 2024 by the team of Sayantan Biswas, Abhishek Garg, VP Singh, and Dan Smith of London. The company offers a communications platform for residential real estate that empowers property owners and operators to automate the leasing, operations, and resident engagement processes using AI. It has a platform that allows conversations to be held in more than 200 languages, and is used by more than 200,000 residential units around the world.

In March 2026, it completed its Seed funding round, led by investment by Pi Labs, along with Haatch, Navigate Ventures, Old College Capital, and family offices around the world, with $7 million (INR 60 Cr) of investment.

8. ANSCER Robotics Raises USD 5.4 Million in Series A Funding

Founders: Ribin Mathew, Ebin Sunny, Raghu V, and Raj Mohan
Sector: Industrial Robotics, AI Automation

Key Investor: IAN Alpha Fund ANSCER Robotics is an industrial robotics startup founded in 2020 by its four founders – Ribin Mathew, Ebin Sunny, Raghu V and Raj Mohan – from Bengaluru. It's a company that creates artificial intelligence-based factory and warehouse automation solutions, such as autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), intelligent fleet management software, and industrial automation systems that enhance material handling, productivity, safety, and overall operational efficiency. It features intelligent mobility, advanced vision systems, Vision Language Models (VLMs), and enterprise-grade software, all of which provide real-time analytics and a seamless integration with enterprise AI systems.

Founders: Ribin Mathew, Ebin Sunny, Raghu V, and Raj Mohan (approx.₹45 crore) along with other angel investors and Info Edge.

9. Satark AI Raises Pre-Seed Funding at USD 4 Million Valuation
Founder: Rutvij Vora, Hitaishu Vora, and Kaivashin Sethna
Sector: Cybersecurity AI

Key Investor: Angel Investors
Satark AI is a cybersecurity startup based in Ahmedabad, founded in June 2025 by Rutvij Vora, Hitaishu Vora and Kaivashin Sethna. The company has built an AI-powered cyber risk intelligence platform to enable enterprises to turn security alerts into business insights. Its platform is designed to connect with the existing security tool set to enhance governance, compliance and risk management, and lower the noise in the security environment.

The company raised an undisclosed amount in a Pre-Seed funding round through convertible notes at a $4 million valuation cap from angel investors in April 2026.

10.ProLearn Raises INR 30 Crore in Pre-Seed Funding

Founder: Vishal Sanghavi, Vivek Raj, and Pratik Sharma
Sector: EdTech

Key Investor: BEENEXT

Vishal Sanghavi, Vivek Raj and Pratik Sharma are the founders of Bengaluru based edtech startup, ProLearn, which was established in 2025. It is a company that provides and promotes an AI-based learning platform for upskilling engineering students and early professionals. It offers a customized learning journey, practical tasks and industry mentorship to develop skills for the workplace.

In May 2026, the company secured a Pre-Seed round of funding, led by BEENEXT and involving several prominent angel investors, with an investment amount of INR 30 crore.

Conclusion

There is a growing sense of optimism in India's startup landscape, with investors eager to support AI-driven and deep-tech startups tackling real-world problems in various sectors. These startups are leading the charge in technological innovation, from enterprise software to logistics clean energy and cybersecurity to semiconductors and space technology.