HrdWyr raises $13 mn to scale AI-native chips for edge devices globally

The Indian semiconductor startup is developing AI-native processors for appliances, EVs and industrial systems that process data closer to where it is generated

HrdWyr, a global fabless semiconductor product company, has raised a $13 million Series A funding round, led by Ideaspring Capital, with participation from Singularity AMC, Avatar Growth Capital, and Persistent Systems. The funding will accelerate the development of the company’s AI-native system-on-chip (AISoC) products and expand customer engagements across key global markets.

 

The company engineers proprietary AI-native chips from the ground up, built on the conviction that conventional general-purpose architectures can no longer meet today’s data-intensive demands at the edge. HrdWyr’s AISoCs are purpose-built for specific industries, enabling intelligent edge processing, superior power efficiency, minimal latency, and streamlined system design.

 

 

“The real power of AI will be unlocked as we enter the era of Physical AI, where advanced intelligence seamlessly integrates with real-world systems,” said Ramamurthy Sivakumar, founder and CEO of HrdWyr. “This inflection point demands a fundamental rethinking of how computing systems are conceived, architected, and deployed. We don't just build chips, we partner with our customers to solve domain-specific challenges and enable them to lead this transition to Physical AI, rather than simply adapt to it.”

 

Naganand Doraswamy, managing partner and founder of Ideaspring Capital, said HrdWyr is building a family of AI chips addressing power management and efficiency across multiple sectors, including white goods, EVs and data centres. “This is very important to Ideaspring’s thesis of building products from India for the world and also becoming self-reliant in semiconductors.”

 

Dr Anand Deshpande, founder, chairman, and managing director of Persistent Systems, said AI-led transformation is driving a fundamental shift in how the technology stack is built, with increasing convergence between semiconductors, data, and intelligent software systems. “Innovations in chip design will play a critical role in enabling next-generation enterprise and industrial applications,” said Deshpande.

 

Rajiv Gupta, partner at Avatar Growth Capital (AGC), said HrdWyr enables Indian OEMs to de-risk supply chains, shorten product launch cycles, strengthen data sovereignty, and unlock new usage intelligence.

 

HrdWyr operates as a full-stack fabless semiconductor product company, differentiated from traditional IP licensing or services-led models. By integrating AI directly into the chip architecture, HrdWyr enables intelligence to operate at the point of data generation, allowing devices to sense, learn, and respond in real time. This approach is particularly relevant for high-volume, cost-sensitive markets where efficiency and responsiveness matter more than raw compute performance. The company recently announced a strategic collaboration with boAt, marking an early validation of its approach in the consumer technology segment.