Azimuth AI, an AI startup specializing in custom silicon products, has secured an undisclosed amount of seed funding from AUM Ventures, a venture capital firm based in the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) with a focus on Indian startups. The funding injection is earmarked for the advancement of Azimuth AI’s inaugural system on chip (SoC), meticulously crafted for a leading global original equipment manufacturer (OEM) at the forefront of pioneering smart city solutions.
Currently in the developmental stages, the SoC pledges unparalleled performance metrics, feature enhancements, and efficiency upgrades, poised to outshine existing market offerings. Founded in 2022 by Praveen Yasarapu and Sridevi Badiga, Azimuth AI is steadfast in its pursuit to fashion cutting-edge SoCs that champion environmental sustainability while ensuring accessible computing solutions, particularly in economically constrained markets.
The startup’s vision encompasses the crafting of purpose-built SoCs for a spectrum of applications, spanning smart cities, electric vehicles (EVs), two and three-wheeler vehicles, and other edge computing domains. “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,” remarked Yasarapu.
Azimuth AI asserts a track record of designing and delivering over 30 silicon products to the market, fostering collaborations with premier semiconductor entities in Silicon Valley. With a cumulative experience of 100 years in technological product development, the startup’s team operates out of California, USA, and Hyderabad, India, epitomizing a global footprint in its operations.
AUM Ventures, which unveiled its inaugural VC fund for Indian startups in 2022, endeavors to usher its Indian portfolio companies into the UAE fold, extending support in establishing regional bases at ADGM. This strategic investment in Azimuth AI underscores AUM Ventures’ dedication to nurturing innovative solutions catering to the dynamic demands of diverse markets and applications.
Chetan Mehta, founding partner of AUM Ventures, underscored, “The Semiconductor industry is poised to grow rapidly in India over the next decade, and custom silicon chips represent an innovative paradigm for creating specialized solutions.” The investment in Azimuth AI arrives amidst a burgeoning phase for the Indian semiconductor ecosystem, buoyed by governmental initiatives aimed at fostering fabless chip manufacturing startups, semiconductor design entities, and packaging firms.
The recent green light from the Union Cabinet for the establishment of the nation’s premier semiconductor fab, to be spearheaded by the Tata Group in collaboration with Taiwan’s Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp (PSMC), further underscores the escalating interest and investment inflow into this burgeoning sector.