Chennai / Kochi, July 25, 2025 — In a strategic pivot from its own paused fab plans, Zoho Corporation, led by Sridhar Vembu, has co-led a ₹107 crore Series A funding round into Netrasemi, a promising semiconductor startup based in Kerala. Partnering with Unicorn India Ventures, this investment marks a bold step in Zoho’s deeper alignment with India’s semiconductor ecosystem. Source
About Netrasemi
Founded in 2020 by Jyothis Indirabhai, Sreejith Varma, and Deepa Geetha, Netrasemi is building system-on-chip (SoC) solutions for Edge AI—targeted at domains like surveillance, industrial robotics, smart infrastructure, and smart retail. Its chips perform real-time AI analytics on-device using a proprietary neural processing unit (NPU), significantly reducing cloud dependency.
Source
Its two SoC prototypes—codenamed A2000 and R1000—are currently in the tapeout phase, targeting TSMC’s 12 nm node. The startup is also developing a specialized CCTV-chip tailored for the Indian market.
Source
Use of Funds & Roadmap
The funding will support:
- Accelerated R&D efforts and full productization of four SoC variants.
- Scale-up of local chip manufacturing, marketing, and global OEM outreach.
- Doubling engineering headcount from ~83 to 166 engineers.
- Launching next-gen ultra-performance SoCs for smart NVR and edge servers by early 2026.
Source
Zoho’s Pivot: From Chip Manufacturing to Chip Investment
Zoho’s move comes after it shelved its own $700 million fab project in Karnataka—citing lack of viable technology partnerships and excessive capital risk. Instead, Zoho redirected its semiconductor ambitions toward nurturing startups like Netrasemi.
Source
Shailesh Davey, Co-founder & CEO of Zoho, commented:
“Supporting deep‑tech innovation is central to Zoho’s vision for a self‑reliant India… our partnership with Netrasemi aligns on R&D in robotics, AI and edge processing.”
🔍 Strategic Significance
- Technology & IP Leadership: Netrasemi owns domain-specific IP cores optimized for real-time, low-power edge processing.
- Make-in-India Push: Investment aligns with national efforts for domestic chip innovation, part of broader programs like Chips‑to‑Startup and DLI.
Source - Zoho’s Role Shift: From software pioneer to ecosystem builder—enabling Tier‑2/3 innovation hubs such as its Kerala R&D centre.
Source
Voicing the Founders & Investors
- Jyothis Indirabhai, CEO of Netrasemi: “Our energy‑efficient silk cores enable edge-efficient computing in smart IoT devices… performance and power optimization is no longer optional.”
Source - Anil Joshi, Managing Partner at Unicorn India Ventures: “Edge‑AI needs tailored chips—Netrasemi’s SoCs are designed for exactly that shift in real-time compute environments.”
Source
Larger Vision: India’s Semiconductor Trajectory
| Theme | Importance |
|---|---|
| IP-driven innovation | Domain-specific SoCs position India beyond commodity electronics |
| Deep-tech leadership | Nurtures high-value engineering ecosystem in hardware |
| Local manufacturing focus | Allocates capital to scaling production and prototyping in India |
| Strategic shift | Reflects Zoho’s decision to build via startups vs fab ownership |
🏁 Final Word
Zoho’s investment in Netrasemi signals a subtle—but powerful—strategic shift: from seeking to build its own chip plant to funding Indian semiconductor excellence through startups. As Netrasemi moves toward product launches and scaling, this collaboration may emerge as a flagship example of how software giants can support hardware innovation without taking on extreme manufacturing risk.
