CIOInsider India Magazine

By Meriya Sabu, Writer
 

The Indian deep-tech ecosystem is one of the world's fastest-growing innovation hubs globally. With progress in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), semiconductors, robotics, space technology, biotechnology, climate technology, cyber security, quantum computing, defense technology and advanced manufacturing, India has become home to a large number of deep-tech startups. According to NASSCOM, India has one of the world's largest and fastest growing deep-tech ecosystems with over 4,000 deep-techs startups. Nearly $10 billion has been invested in the sector so far and investor faith in research and technology-based innovations has experienced a steady rise.

The first half of 2026 saw this trend continue, with strong investment activity in AI-powered and deep-tech startups in the early-stage startup ecosystem in India. VCs, institutional investors, family offices and angel investors invested in startups working on enterprise software, industrial automation, cyber security, logistics, climate & energy, healthcare & education.

A majority of the newly raised funds by early-stage deep-tech startups will be deployed to further product development, fortify engineering skills, expand go-to-market and scale operations in domestic and international markets. The funding activity also signals investors' interest in start-ups with differentiated technology, already experienced team of leaders, and good commercial potential.

Here's a look at 10 AI-powered Indian deep-tech startups that raised funding in the first half of 2026. Read more about these early-stage deep-tech startups that are championing innovation and growth in India.

1. Aivar

Founders: Kousik Rajendran, Praveen Jayakumar, Ashwin Ram Ravichandran, and Aadharsh Ayappan

Sector: AI Services

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.

Aivar has built unique accelerators for voice, data and AI/ML workloads. The startup has expanded to over 80 customers in under a year, to aid businesses in taking AI projects from experimentation to production.
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.

Going forward, Aivar aims to support wider adoption of AI across enterprise workflows, with a focus on automation and operational efficiency.

2. Hexalog

Founders: Dibyanshu Tripathi, Utkarsh Tripathi, Vineet Malik, and Shobhit Singh

Sector: Logistics Technology

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, and warehousing and last mile delivery.

Hexalog has expanded to over 80 countries, servicing more than 29,000 pin codes in India, and is supporting businesses in enhancing their efficiency and visibility in their global supply chain.

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.

Moving forward, Hexalog is focused on increasing its footprint in major global trade routes and improving its AI-driven logistics solutions.

3. Aule Space

Founder: Jay Panchal, Nithyaa Giri, and Hrishit Tambi

Sector: Space Technology

Bengaluru-based deep-tech startup Aule Space was founded in 2024 by Jay Panchal, Nithyaa Giri, and Hrishit Tambi. The company's work centers on 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.

Aule Space is working on to develop the docking technology for satellites using AI, with the aim of launching its first demonstration satellites next year to test its Rendezvous, Proximity Operations, and Docking (RPOD) capabilities.

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 Lakshmikumar, 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.

The investment will help Aule Space advance its in-orbit servicing technology and accelerate its path to market, ensuring the safety and sustainability of space operations.

Read more: IIT-Madras Launches US Hub to Back Deeptech Startups

4. Enerzolve

Founder: Abhay Adya and Anupam Kumar Bhatt

Sector: Clean Energy Technology

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 analyzers, battery management systems, inverters and energy management solutions for the Indian market.

The startup's mission is to develop proprietary silicon, firmware and power electronics to support utilities, EPC players and energy developers in the modernization of the power infrastructure.

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.

In its next phase of growth, Enerzolve will also invest in product certification and strengthen its go-to-market initiatives with energy storage developers, energy storage EPC contractors, private DISCOMs, and utilities.

5. ThirdAI

Founder: Vivek Vishwakarma and Sainyam Galhotra

Sector: Semiconductor AI

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 startup is focused on providing faster diagnostics using the AI-powered root because analysis to help semiconductor companies increase productivity and operational performance.

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.

The company will also look to further global semiconductor market penetration and further improve its AI platform.

6. DATOMS

Founder: Amiya Samantaray, Asish Sahoo, Nataraj Sahoo, and Amrit Biswal

Sector: Industrial IoT

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.

Currently DATOMS is monitoring 25,000 machines in manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, mining, cement and steel industry serving 100 customers all over the world.

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.

The startup also aims to further improve its AI-based predictive maintenance and energy management solutions as it expands the scale of industrial IoT solutions.

Read more: From Silos to Synergy: Building the Future With Agentic AI

7. VerbaFlo

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

Sector: Conversational AI

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.

The startup currently serves more than 40 real estate operators in the UK, Europe and the US, helping them to control their customer interactions with AI agents that are integrated into their systems.

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.

With the fresh capital it intends to use to expand into the US and other international markets, as well as investing in product development and expanding its global team.

8. ANSCER Robotics

Founders: Ribin Mathew, Ebin Sunny, Raghu V, and Raj Mohan

Sector: Industrial Robotics, AI Automation

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.

The startup has a manufacturing plant in Bengaluru, which will enable it to produce more than 1,000 robots per year, and has a global sales and support network that will cater to customers and partners in the United States, Europe and Asia-Pacific.

The company raised money in a series A round led by IAN alpha fund in May 2026 for $5.4 million (approx. ₹45 crore) along with other angel investors and Info Edge.

The fresh capital will help the company enhance its product platform, expand U.S. operations, speed product innovation and develop its global partner ecosystem for AI-driven industrial automation.

9. Satark AI

Founder: Rutvij Vora, Hitaishu Vora, and Kaivashin Sethna

Sector: Cyber security AI

Satark AI is a cyber-security 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 toolset to enhance governance, compliance and risk management, and lower the noise in the security environment.

Its partnerships and customer base have been established in the early stages in India, Spain, and the UK solidifying its presence in world markets.

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.

The investment will go towards enterprise pilots, bolstering AI research, and testing the platform with growth-stage enterprises.

10. ProLearn

Founder: Vishal Sanghavi, Vivek Raj, and Pratik Sharma

Sector: EdTech

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 up skilling engineering students and early professionals. It offers a customized learning journey, practical tasks and industry mentorship to develop skills for the workplace.

The start-up is very connected with the education institutes and industry partners to help them connect the gap between academia and industry requirement by providing practical oriented training, based on outcomes.
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.

The investment will be used to strengthen the product development, invest in its learning ecosystem, and add more colleges, mentors and industry partners to its program.

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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 cyber security to semiconductors and space technology.