Quick Take
- Helium Smart Air raised $2 Mn in seed funding from India Quotient in April 2026.
- Its first AC is priced near Rs 16,990 and cools rooms up to 100 sq ft.
- The unit can run on a 1 kw solar panel, which Helium says is rare in the market.
Helium Smart Air is a Jaipur startup building small, smart air conditioners for Indian homes. It raised $2 million in seed funding from India Quotient in April 2026. The brand sells directly to buyers, skipping the usual dealer chain.
The company was founded in 2025. Its founders are Ashish Sharma and Aman Munka, both alumni of IIT Kanpur. The startup is based in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
The seed round was announced in the first week of April 2026. India Quotient, an early-stage venture capital firm, led it. Helium said the money would go into product development, research, and wider distribution.
What does Helium Smart Air make?
Helium Smart Air makes a compact air conditioner built for rooms up to 100 sq ft. The first product is called Helium Air. It is priced at about Rs 16,990, well below most traditional ACs.
The unit has a 2,700 watt capacity. It can run on a 1 kw solar panel, which Helium calls one of its kind in India. That solar link matters as power bills climb and grids stay patchy in many areas.
The AC uses app-led controls. It also has gas-leak detection and device health checks. Helium says these features cut needless refills and repair visits.
The pitch is simple. Sharma says most ACs are oversized, costly, and not built for how people actually live. Helium instead targets bedrooms, office cabins, and small shops where a large AC does not fit.
Who is behind the startup?
Ashish Sharma and Aman Munka founded Helium Smart Air in 2025. Both studied at IIT Kanpur. Sharma is the founder and public face of the brand.
The startup has a research tie with IIT Kanpur. In November 2025, Helium signed a strategic advisor agreement with the institute. Under it, Prof. Umesh Madanan advises on cooling technology and R&D.
Helium says it manufactures its units across several sites in India. That points to a focus on local production. The company has also partnered with Urban Company for installation and service.
How does Helium compare to rivals?
Helium enters a home appliance sector long ruled by legacy names. A wave of new D2C brands is now challenging them on size, price, and smart features. Helium is the newest entrant aimed squarely at cooling.
The table below places Helium next to three other new-age Indian appliance brands often named alongside it.
| Brand | Focus | Segment |
|---|---|---|
| Helium Smart Air | Compact solar-ready ACs | Cooling |
| Atomberg Technologies | Energy-efficient fans and appliances | Fans, appliances |
| Karban | New-age home appliances | Appliances |
| Nuuk | Smart home appliances | Appliances |
What this means for you: If you sell hardware direct to buyers, Helium shows a small, single-room product plus a solar hook can open a gap the big AC brands ignore.
StartupFeed Insight
Helium is making a narrow bet, and that is its strength. Legacy AC brands chase 1 to 2 tonne units for full rooms. Helium instead sells one small, cheap, solar-ready box for a 100 sq ft space. In a country where only about 1 in 10 homes has an AC, the untapped buyer is not the large living room. It is the single rented room, the shop, the cabin. Watch for a follow-on funding round or a first sales number before mid-2027. That figure will show whether the small-room thesis converts into real demand or stays a clever pitch.
— Avinash Mishra, Business Correspondent
