Winning $1.8 million, Chennai startup OptoML looks to increase hiring, semiconductor design, and partnerships, strengthening India’s AI infrastructure.
OptoML, a fabless semiconductor startup based in Chennai, has raised $1.8 million in a pre-Series A funding round led by deep tech venture capital firms Bluehill VC and A99.
The company announced on 24 February 2026 that the investment will support hiring and the development of next-generation chips, as it prepares for a final tape-out with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC).
OptoML specialises in scalable analogue-in-memory compute with optical interconnects, designed to operate across edge devices and hyperscale data centres. The technology aims to improve efficiency and performance in artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure.
Alongside the funding, OptoML has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Kaynes Semicon to provide assembly and testing support for its wafers. This partnership is expected to help the company move from prototype success to commercial deployment.
Bluehill VC’s General Partner, Manu Iyer, described OptoML’s platform as one with the potential to reshape the cost and efficiency curve of AI infrastructure. He said the company’s innovations offered clear commercial applications that could contribute to India’s position in global AI development.
OptoML’s founder and chief executive, Saravana Maruthamuthu, welcomed the investment and highlighted Iyer’s experience in early-stage deep tech ventures. He said the funding would help guide the company towards scaled production and customer adoption.
Maruthamuthu has more than 17 years of experience in semiconductors and systems, including a decade in Germany with roles at Intel, Qualcomm, Continental and Isar Aerospace.
