Tag: pi Ventures

Armatrix, a Bengaluru-based deep-tech robotics startup, has raised $2.1 million in a pre-seed funding round led by pi Ventures.

The round also saw participation from Inuka Capital, Boundless Ventures, Boost VC, Turbostart, and returning investor gradCapital.

The company plans to deploy the capital toward completing the development of its proprietary snake-like flexible robotic arm, strengthening its engineering and R&D teams, and accelerating pilot deployments with industrial customers across high-risk environments.

Founded in 2024 by Vishrant Dave, Prateesh Awasthi, and Ayush Ranjan, Armatrix builds hyper-redundant robotic manipulators designed for inspection and maintenance in hazardous and confined industrial spaces. The founding team, which met during their time at IIT Kanpur, is focused on reducing human exposure in environments where manual inspection remains dangerous and costly.

Armatrix’s technology targets sectors such as shipbuilding, nuclear, oil and gas, and aviation, where inspection of storage tanks, fuel systems, hulls, and reactors often requires human entry into confined spaces. The startup’s robotic arm features high flexibility, modular end-effectors, and AI-based navigation that enables real-time adaptability in complex, unmapped environments.

Bengaluru-based deep-tech startup Aule Space has raised $2 million (around ₹18 crore) in a pre-seed funding round led by pi Ventures.

The round also saw participation from angel investors including Eash Sundaram, Arvind Lakshmikumar, and others.

Aule Space plans to use the capital to expand its engineering team, set up ground infrastructure for docking tests, and speed up the development of its first demonstration satellites, which are expected to launch next year.

The startup has also been part of the Entrepreneurs First accelerator programme and is backed by the Transpose Platform.

Founded in 2024 by Jay Panchal, Nithyaa Giri, and Hrishit Tambi, Aule Space is working on solving a common challenge in space operations, satellites that stop functioning not because of hardware failure, but because they run out of fuel.

The company is developing autonomous “jetpack” satellites that can dock with ageing geostationary satellites in orbit and take over propulsion and station-keeping. This can extend a satellite’s operational life by up to six years and help operators avoid early retirement of high-value assets.

Since most existing satellites were not designed for servicing, Aule Space is building AI-powered RPOD (Rendezvous, Proximity Operations, and Docking) systems along with a satellite-agnostic docking mechanism that can attach safely to non-cooperative spacecraft.

Its upcoming in-orbit demonstration missions will validate this docking technology and support future commercial deployments. Over time, the company aims to build a robotic workforce in space for satellite life extension, inspection, and retirement missions.

Aule Space is targeting the geostationary satellite market, where assets are often retired early due to fuel limitations. The company is also exploring opportunities in space debris management and space security as part of its long-term roadmap.

EV tractor manufacturer Moonrider has raised $6 million in a Series A round led by pi Ventures. Singularity AMC also joined the round, along with existing investors Advantedge Founders and Micelio Fund. The company last secured $2.2 million in seed funding in January 2025.

The funding will help Moonrider move from pilot deployments to full-scale commercial rollout. The company plans to strengthen its powertrain and battery systems while preparing manufacturing for larger market expansion.

Founded in 2023 by Anoop Srikantaswamy and Ravi Kulkarni, the Bengaluru-based company builds heavy-duty electric tractors designed as cost-efficient alternatives to diesel models. The lineup includes 27 HP, 50 HP, and 75 HP tractors capable of supporting core farm operations including deep plowing and tilling.

Moonrider says its tractors can reduce operating expenses by up to 80% while maintaining price parity with diesel machinery. The company currently has 27 HP and 50 HP loaders in the market featuring a seven-hour runtime and 30-minute charging capability. It also reports having secured complete homologation for road-ready use as it prepares for commercial expansion.

LightSpeed Photonics has raised $6.5 million in a pre-Series A round led by pi Ventures, with participation from 500 Global, Indian Accelerator, 8X Ventures, Java Capital and Bay Area angel investors. The latest round brings the company’s total funding to $8.5 million, including grants.

The funds will be used to advance LightSpeed’s R&D capabilities, shorten product development cycles and strengthen collaboration with OEM, EMS and ODM partners. The company is working toward commercial deployment of its optical interconnect systems designed for modern data-centre workloads.

Founded in 2021 by Rohin Y and Ramana Pamidighantam, LightSpeed Photonics develops compact optical interconnect solutions that support high-speed data movement for AI and high-performance computing environments. Its laser-based technology aims to provide improved throughput, lower energy usage and smaller hardware footprints.

The company’s short-wavelength optical platform is built to deliver up to four times faster data transfer while consuming half the power of traditional alternatives. It also claims a significantly lower carbon footprint.

LightSpeed addresses sectors that depend on large-scale computational infrastructure, including AI, HPC, edge networks, telecom, aerospace, satellites and precision manufacturing.

Hyderabad-based therapeutics startup Helex has raised $3.5 million in a seed round led by pi Ventures, with participation from Bluehill Capital, SOSV, and a syndicate of global investors.

The company plans to use the funds to accelerate its lead program targeting Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD) and strengthen its AI-driven platform focused on developing next-generation precision treatments for genetic kidney disorders.

Founded in 2021 by Poulami Chaudhuri, Rohini Kalvakuntla, and Anirudh Nishtala, Helex operates at the intersection of gene therapy, artificial intelligence, and precision medicine.

The company was incubated at ASPIRE-BioNEST, University of Hyderabad, and has raised more than $6 million in total funding.

Helex’s proprietary platform combines a lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-based drug delivery system with AI-powered drug design, enabling the creation of programmable, non-viral genetic therapeutics that deliver disease-specific payloads directly to kidney cells.

Powered by deep learning models and genomic data, Helex integrates bioinformatics, high-throughput sequencing, and gene-edited target cell data to design and validate precise gRNA for renal conditions.

The company’s lead candidate focuses on ADPKD, a progressive hereditary disorder that affects over 12 million individuals globally and around 5% of chronic kidney disease patients in India.

Helex aims to develop a single-dose, gene-editing-based therapy that could potentially halt or significantly slow disease progression.

Deep tech startup Green Aero has raised $1.6 million in its seed funding round, led by pi Ventures with additional participation from Antler.

This follows an earlier infusion of $240K in September 2024, led by Rebalance and others, bringing the total round to nearly $1.84 million. 

The Delhi-based company will use the funds to ramp up its product development, grow its engineering and operations team, establish a cutting-edge testing facility, and fast-track the go-to-market strategy for its flagship engine, according to a company statement. 

Founded in 2023 by Prithwish Kundu, Green Aero is pioneering core propulsion technologies for aerospace, naval, and hydrogen-powered platforms — a first-of-its-kind in India, particularly in the civilian aircraft space.

The startup is entirely focused on in-house R&D and rigorous iterative testing, building proprietary technologies from the ground up.

Green Aero’s engines are designed to be 2X more efficient than current global alternatives. This leap in performance is enabled by a proprietary turbine design — a global first in aero engine engineering — which forms the heart of its next-gen propulsion system.

Beyond conventional engines, the company is also innovating in supersonic propulsion with a high-thrust engine architecture. In parallel, Green Aero is developing a green hydrogen-powered aero engine as a zero-emission alternative to traditional aircraft systems.

In a key milestone, the company recently achieved successful test firing of ‘The Blue Dragon’ — India’s first hydrogen-powered aero engine core. Green Aero aims to commercialize its first small-category engine within the next 12 months, pushing India’s aerospace innovation forward with a strong focus on sustainability and performance.