Bengaluru-based semiconductor startup Nova Spectral AI has raised Rs 21.15 crore (about $2.25 million) in a seed funding round led by Shastra VC, with participation from Equirus InnovateX Fund and angel investors. The company plans to use the capital to develop an indigenous short-wave infrared (SWIR) image sensor chip for defence drones, surveillance systems and other emerging applications.
Founded in 2026 by Anish Priyadarshi and Sanjeev Kumar, Nova Spectral AI is developing sensors that can capture images in low-light conditions and through smoke, haze and dust. The technology could eventually find applications in robotics, autonomous vehicles and consumer electronics.
Anish Priyadarshi’s Plan to Make Infrared Sensing More Affordable
Nova Spectral AI is developing its sensor using colloidal quantum dots (cQDs) integrated with standard silicon complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) manufacturing processes.
Conventional SWIR sensors often rely on indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs), a technology used in specialised imaging applications but associated with high costs. Nova Spectral AI aims to offer a lower-cost, domestically developed alternative and reduce India’s reliance on imported infrared sensors.
The startup is targeting sensor costs up to 100 times lower than conventional InGaAs technology. This remains a company target, rather than an independently verified performance result.
Priyadarshi, the company’s co-founder and chief executive, has previously worked on quantum dot fabrication and indium arsenide sensors for SWIR imaging. Co-founder Sanjeev Kumar is the company’s chief business officer.
The company has also received an in-principle go-ahead to incubate at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru. According to Priyadarshi, the funding will help build the team and support the development of a field-ready prototype within 18 months.
Why the Funding Matters for India’s Deeptech Sector
The investment reflects growing investor interest in Indian deeptech businesses developing specialised hardware for strategic and industrial markets. Locally developed sensing technology could offer defence and surveillance applications an alternative to imported components, provided the startup can demonstrate the required performance, reliability and cost advantages.
Nova Spectral AI’s longer-term opportunity extends beyond defence. If its technology can deliver competitive performance at a substantially lower price, it could make SWIR imaging viable for a wider range of industrial systems, robots, vehicles and consumer devices.
However, the immediate milestone is technical validation. The company will need to demonstrate sensor performance and reliability before its cost ambitions can translate into commercial adoption.
For now, the Rs 21.15 crore seed round gives Priyadarshi, Kumar and their team the resources to move towards that prototype. The next 18 months will be important in determining how quickly the technology can progress from development to real world use.
