Azimuth AI Raises Seed Funding To Offer Sustainable And Affordable SoCs

Custom silicon products startup Azimuth AI has raised an undisclosed seed funding from AUM Ventures, an Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) based India-focused VC fund.

The startup will use the fresh capital to develop its first-generation system on chip (SoC) for a leading global original equipment manufacturer (OEM) specialising in smart city solutions.

This first-generation SoC is currently under development, featuring a differentiated IP and methodology aimed at delivering substantial performance, feature enhancements and improved efficiency compared to existing solutions.

Founded in 2022 by Praveen Yasarapu and Sridevi Badiga, Azimuth AI is a silicon product company developing highly differentiated SoC products for Embedded Computing applications. It is focused on developing purpose-built SoCs for smart city, EVs, 2/3-wheeler vehicles and other edge computing applications.

“Our mission is to develop cutting-edge SoCs that not only champion environmental sustainability but also facilitate affordable access to computing solutions in cost-challenged markets, with a focus on embedded computing silicon products,” Yasarapu said.

Azimuth claims to have designed and delivered 30+ silicon products to markets working at leading semiconductor companies in the Silicon Valley.

Chetan Mehta, founding partner of AUM Ventures said, “Semiconductor industry is poised to grow rapidly in India over the next decade and custom silicon chips represent an innovative paradigm to create specialised solutions that address the evolving needs of diverse markets and applications.”

Back in 2022, AUM Ventures launched its maiden VC fund for Indian startups to bring its Indian portfolio companies to the UAE and further help them set up their regional base at ADGM. It will also invest in nascent sectors that have gained investors’ interest.

The Indian semiconductor ecosystem has seen notable growth lately, driven by governmental support for fabless chip manufacturing startups, semiconductor design companies, and packaging firms.

The Union Cabinet on February 29 approved the country’s first semiconductor fab to be set up by the Tata Group in partnership with Taiwan’s Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp (PSMC).