Semiconductor Startup BigEndian Bags $3 Mn To Build SoC Solutions For Surveillance Cameras

Fabless semiconductor startup BigEndian Semiconductors has raised $3 Mn (about INR 25.2 Cr) in its seed funding round led by Vertex Ventures SEA & India, with participation from other strategic investors.

The funds will be used to accelerate BigEndian’s journey in building semiconductors from India to the world, which includes its upcoming surveillance system-on-chip (SoC) solution, the startup said.

Founded in early 2024 by Sunil Kumar, Renuka Prasad, Harpreet Wadhawan, Dinesh Annayya, Kanagaraju Ponnusamy, and Jansen Cheng, BigEndian is building semiconductor solutions in the surveillance vertical. Its first SoC is being built for surveillance cameras for enterprise and consumer applications.

Kumar, cofounder and CEO of BigEndian, told Inc42 that the startup is engaging with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and original design manufacturers (ODMs) in India to ensure that its chipsets are truly built as a ‘Make in India’ product for the globe.

“To ensure that our business model is successful, we are hoping to engage with specific electronics manufacturing services (EMS) partners, design partners, and software system integrators that can provide an end-to-end solution for application verticals of surveillance cameras – be it traffic, railways, defence, and other specific use cases within retail and non-retail,” said Kumar.

Bengaluru-based BigEndian’s founding team has decades of experience in semiconductor design and a track record of building multiple SoCs out of India. The founders claim to have experience of leading teams in the top global semiconductor firms, including ARM, Intel, and Broadcom.

Ben Mathias, managing partner at Vertex Ventures SEA & India, said in the statement that the realignment of electronics supply chains has provided a rare opportunity for India to become a global leader in semiconductors. 

“Their (BigEndian’s) approach to developing a surveillance SoC aligns perfectly with the growing demand for advanced security solutions globally and the founding team has all the elements that point to BigEndian becoming a future leader in the global semiconductor industry,” Mathias said.

The development comes at a time when a number of Indian startups, including Netrasemi, Sensesemi, and Cientra, among others, are trying to make a mark in the global semiconductor space with their SoCs. 

As per Inc42’s analysis, the Indian semiconductor market is expected to reach a size of $150 Bn by 2030, up from $33 Bn in 2023, while the global market opportunity is expected to be worth $1 Tn by the same time.