Bengaluru: Fabless semiconductor startup optoML has raised $1.8 million in a Pre-Series A round led by Bluehill.VC and a99.
The transaction is subject to regulatory approval. The company will use the funds to expand hiring and begin work on its next-generation chips.
Advancing Analog-In-Memory Compute
optoML is building scalable Analog-in-Memory Compute with optical interconnects. Its architecture is designed to support deployments from edge devices to hyperscalers. The focus is on improving energy efficiency, reducing latency, and lowering silicon area to cut overall costs.
Investor Perspective
Manu Iyer, General Partner at Bluehill.VC stated that India’s deep-tech ecosystem is gaining strong momentum, especially in semiconductors. He noted that optoML operates at the intersection of analog in-memory compute and optical interconnects, two major shifts in AI infrastructure. He added that the company’s 12 nm tape-out and manufacturing partnership signals a move from research to scalable production and has the potential to reshape AI infrastructure economics.
Vignesh S, General Partner at a99, said the firm believes foundational semiconductor IP will play a key role in AI infrastructure over the next decade, especially as energy efficiency becomes critical for edge AI workloads.
Founded by Saravana Maruthamuthu, who brings 17 years of semiconductor experience across companies including Intel, Qualcomm, Continental, and Isar Aerospace, optoML aims to translate efficient AI compute into commercially deployable systems.
