Bharat Innovation Fund Backs Software Startup A5G Networks

Software startup, A5G Networks has received an undisclosed amount of investment from deep tech-focussed venture capital fund Bharat Innovation Fund. 

The funds will be used to hire talents, boost customer engagement across the globe and accelerate A5G’s business.

The latest development comes after PM Narendra Modi launched a 5G Test Bed for startups to test mobile network use cases in India. 

Founded in 2020 by Kaitki Agarwal, Rajesh Mishra, Kartik Raval and Ravi Nathwani, A5G offers an autonomous mobile network infrastructure soultions for 4G and 5G networks, as well as wifi software. The startup’s IP helps trim down capital and operating expenditures, reduce energy requirements, and improve user experience, as shared by the startup. 

In February this year, A5G partnered with telecom operator Vodafone Idea to set up a pilot private network in Mumbai to utilise the existing 4G spectrum.

As per the startup, A5G is a member of Nephio and Intel® Network Builders.

On the other hand, Bharat Innovation Fund, which was set up in 2015 by Kunal Upadhyay,  invests in early and growth-stage companies. It primarily focuses on IP (intellectual property) driven deep-tech startups.

Launching India’s 5G Stack

The 5G protocol, which is quite similar to the 4G stack, will offer improved bandwidth, high speed, and low latency to mobile users. The much-awaited India’s 5G stack will be launched by September this year. 

It was also reported (by TRAI) that 5G services will be rolled out by the end of this year (2022). The launch of 5G services will create a ‘new realm in the quality of services as well as new types of services.’

During the same time frame, the Digital Communication Commission (DCC) reportedly approved TRAI’s base price for 5G airwaves. The body also gave a nod to TRAI for auctioning the 5G spectrum for 20 years.

As the auctioning date for the 5G spectrum is approaching near, Reliance Jio has begun experimenting with its 5G stack. Besides experimenting with retail experience, the telecom operator also tested a 5G stack on its virtual reality-enabled multiplayer cloud gaming segments recently. 

On this development, Aayush Bhatnagar, senior vice president, Jio said, “The future of buying is in the metaverse, and 5G opens up new opportunities for ecommerce 4.0. Jio’s 5G technology is best suited for delivering this experience for consumers and merchants.”