Nova Spectral AI raises Rs 21.15 Cr to build an Indian infrared image sensor chip

Nova Spectral AI, a Bengaluru semiconductor startup, has raised Rs 21.15 Cr (about $2.25 Mn) in a seed round led by Shastra VC, with Equirus InnovateX Fund and a group of angel investors joining. The company was founded by IIT Kanpur alumni Anish Priyadarshi, who is CEO, and Sanjeev Kumar.

It is building a short-wave infrared (SWIR) image sensor chip. SWIR cameras can see at night by the faint glow of the night sky and through smoke, haze, dust and light fog, but today's sensors use indium gallium arsenide, which keeps them expensive. Nova Spectral's approach layers lead-free indium arsenide colloidal quantum dots directly onto standard silicon CMOS wafers. The Economic Times reports the founders aim to make these sensors up to 100 times cheaper than existing technology.

The first target is defence. According to PTI, the chip is designed to help drones and surveillance systems see at night and through smoke, and to cut India's reliance on imported sensors. The company's own site notes that most infrared detectors in Indian night sights, drone payloads and surveillance systems are imported and often subject to export controls. Longer term, it pitches the same chip for smartphones, wearables, robots and cars.

This is early science, not a product yet. The company's roadmap lists ink and photodiode development in 2026, quantum dot films on CMOS wafers in 2027 and a sensor chip prototype in 2028, followed by a pilot fab and field pilots. Priyadarshi told PTI the startup has an in-principle go-ahead to incubate at IISc Bengaluru and will use the money to build a team there and deliver a field-ready prototype within 18 months.