Published: October 28, 2026
StartupFeed Quick Take
- Nova Spectral AI raised Rs 21.15 crore in a seed round led by Shastra VC, with Equirus InnovateX Fund and angel investors.
- The Bengaluru startup, founded in May 2026, is building a lead-free quantum dot SWIR sensor chip on standard silicon.
- It targets sensor costs up to 100 times lower than today’s imported infrared sensors, with a field-ready prototype due in 18 months.
Bengaluru-based deeptech startup Nova Spectral AI has raised Rs 21.15 crore in a seed round to build an Indian-made infrared vision chip.
Shastra VC led the round, with Equirus InnovateX Fund and angel investors joining. Nova Spectral AI announced the deal on October 27, 2026.
Most infrared sensors today use indium gallium arsenide, a costly material that India mostly imports. Nova Spectral AI lays lead-free quantum dots on standard silicon chips instead. That approach, it says, can cut sensor costs by up to 100 times.
What Nova Spectral AI Is Building
Nova Spectral AI makes short-wave infrared sensors, called SWIR. These let a camera see through smoke, haze, dust and light fog, and in the dark. Drones, border surveillance, robots and self-driving cars all need this kind of sight.
Nova Spectral has two founders. Dr. Anish Priyadarshi, an IIT Kanpur alumnus, is co-founder and chief executive, and built a quantum dot fabrication unit from scratch. Sanjeev Kumar is co-founder and chief business officer.
Nova Spectral AI has an in-principle approval to incubate at IISc Bengaluru. It plans to build its team there and deliver a field-ready prototype within 18 months. The seed money will pay for that work.
The founder frames it as a defence problem first.
“India’s armed forces should not have to rely on an imported sensor to see at night or through smoke.”
Dr. Anish Priyadarshi, co-founder and CEO, Nova Spectral AI. From the company statement, October 27, 2026.
Why Cheaper Infrared Sensors Matter
Shastra VC backs deep-science startups in defence and semiconductors, and writes cheques of about $500K to $3 Mn. This round sits near the top of that range. Equirus InnovateX Fund, an early-stage deeptech fund, joined in.
The timing fits a hot sector. Indian deeptech startups raised about $290 Mn in the September quarter, up from $105 Mn a year earlier, Inc42’s funding report shows.
Nova Spectral AI is the second Indian sensor startup in a week to raise seed money on a make-at-home pitch. SpectraGaze Systems closed a Rs 3.7 crore round three days earlier.
What this means for you: If you build drones, defence surveillance gear or robots in India, a home-grown SWIR sensor could cut your bill of materials in the next two years. Watch for Nova Spectral AI’s prototype, due by early 2028, before you design around it.
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