Boosting India’s DLI‑backed semiconductor ambitions, chip design startup Vervesemi secures $10M funding, with projects spanning defence, energy, EVs and global supply chain integration.
Vervesemi Microelectronics, a semiconductor design startup backed by India’s Design Linked Incentive (DLI) Scheme, has raised $10 million (around ₹900 million) in a Series A funding round. The investment was led by Ashish Kacholia and Unicorn India Ventures, with participation from Roots Ventures, Caperize Fina and MAIQ Growth Scheme.
The company, founded in 2017, is the first to be approved under the DLI Scheme and also benefits from support through the Chips to Startup (C2S) programme. Vervesemi has built a portfolio comprising over 140 IPs, 25 integrated circuit products, 10 patents, and five trade secrets, with applications spanning the space, defence, industrial, and smart energy sectors.
The fresh capital will be deployed across three areas. First, Vervesemi plans to accelerate the commercialisation of its machine-learning-enhanced analogue signal-chain chips, including advanced data converters and intelligent power solutions.
Second, the funding will support production readiness and qualification of existing silicon, alongside expansion of engineering and applications teams to serve international customers.
Third, the company will strengthen its R&D in next-generation precision analogue architectures and expand its market presence in Asia, the United States and other key semiconductor regions.
Among its ongoing projects are chips for avionics, drones, electric vehicles, industrial automation and energy metering. For instance, a data acquisition chip for space applications is currently undergoing customer evaluation, while a BLDC controller chipset, incorporating indigenous RISC‑V microprocessor technology, is scheduled for targeted production in late 2026.
The DLI Scheme, part of the Semicon India Programme, has approved 24 domestic semiconductor design projects to date. More than 400 organisations, including over 100 startups and 300 academic institutions, have accessed advanced chip design tools hosted at C‑DAC Bengaluru, collectively logging 22.5 million hours of usage.
Industry observers note that Vervesemi’s funding round reflects growing investor confidence in India’s design-led semiconductor ecosystem, which aims to reduce import dependence, strengthen supply chains and position the country as a credible global supplier.
