Nova Spectral AI raises Rs 21.15 crore seed led by Shastra VC
Nova Spectral AI has raised Rs 21.15 crore (about $2.25 million) in a seed funding round led by Shastra VC. Equirus InnovateX Fund and angel investors also participated.
The money will go toward building a team and developing a field-ready prototype within 18 months, the company said.
Nova Spectral AI was founded this year by Anish Priyadarshi and Sanjeev Kumar and is based in Bengaluru.
It is developing image sensor chips that let cameras capture images in short-wave infrared light, which helps in conditions where conventional cameras may struggle, such as low light, haze and smoke.
The chips use lead-free colloidal quantum dots built on standard silicon CMOS. The company is targeting defence intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, along with physical AI uses in drones, surveillance systems, robots and autonomous vehicles.
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It is also targeting smartphones, wearables and automobiles.
Nova Spectral AI uses indium arsenide quantum dots and CMOS-compatible manufacturing processes. The company aims to reduce sensor costs by up to 100 times compared with conventional indium gallium arsenide technology.
In defence, the technology could expand the use of short-wave infrared imaging across drones and reconnaissance platforms while reducing dependence on imported sensors.
Another player in the space, SpectraGaze Systems, raised Rs 3.7 crore in seed funding led by GVFL to develop indigenous infrared detectors, optical imaging sensors and electro-optical payloads for space and defence applications.
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