As artificial intelligence increasingly moves from cloud infrastructure to real-world devices, the ability to process data closer to where it is generated is becoming critical. Bengaluru-based fabless semiconductor company Sensesemi is building its technology around this shift, combining sensing and computing on a single chip to enable energy-efficient intelligence at the edge.
Founded around the idea of bringing sensing, semiconductor architecture and intelligence closer together, Sensesemi is working on chips designed to capture information from the physical world, process it locally and enable faster decision-making without continuously moving large volumes of raw data to separate processors or the cloud.
Speaking with Indian Startup Times, Sensesemi Founder Vijay Muktamath explained that the company’s name itself reflects its technology focus, combining “Sensing” and “Semiconductor.” According to him, most sensors are analog in nature, requiring a different architecture to efficiently bring sensor data and compute together.
“At the source of the data,” is where Sensesemi sees a significant opportunity to build more efficient intelligent systems. The company’s approach also focuses on vertical integration, which Muktamath believes can help optimise costs for customers while allowing new features to be incorporated into semiconductor products.
Bringing Sensing and Computing Together
Traditionally, sensors, processors and wireless communication components operate as separate elements. This means that information captured by a sensor often needs to travel between multiple chips before it can be processed and analysed.
Sensesemi is taking a different approach by bringing sensing and computing together on a single chip.
In practical terms, the company’s architecture is designed to capture information from sources such as cameras, microphones and RF signals, process that information close to the sensor and make decisions locally. This can reduce the need to continuously transmit raw data to a separate processor or cloud infrastructure.
The approach is intended to deliver faster decision-making, lower power consumption and potentially lower system costs.
Muktamath said the key difference lies in designing the architecture around the sensor and the data it generates rather than treating sensing, computing and connectivity as entirely separate functions.
This architecture is particularly relevant to the development of Edge AI, where intelligence needs to operate close to the source of data.
Targeting Industrial IoT and Medical Semiconductor Applications
Sensesemi is initially focusing on applications where low-power sensing, local intelligence and connectivity are particularly important.
The company is targeting Industrial IoT and medical semiconductor applications, with opportunities spanning energy meters, Power Distribution Units (PDUs), HVAC systems, robotics and drones.
In energy meters and PDUs, the company sees potential applications in anomaly detection, predictive diagnostics and energy optimisation. In HVAC systems, Edge AI could support predictive maintenance while improving energy efficiency.
Robotics and drones represent another emerging opportunity, particularly in applications where vision and non-vision sensing need to be combined with real-time processing and decision-making under tight power constraints.
The broader objective, according to Muktamath, is to bring intelligence closer to the sensor and make connected devices more autonomous, responsive and efficient.
Building Deep-Tech in a Talent- and Capital-Intensive Industry
Semiconductor development presents challenges that extend beyond chip design itself. According to Muktamath, building a semiconductor company requires a complete ecosystem covering multiple specialised areas of design and development.
Access to specialised talent remains one of the major challenges. He pointed to RF IC design as an area where India has comparatively limited experience, requiring companies to explore different approaches such as licensing, strategic collaborations or developing capabilities internally.
Capital requirements add another layer of complexity. Semiconductor companies need significant resources to develop technology, build specialised teams and manage the risks associated with bringing a chip to silicon.
For Sensesemi, collaborations in India and overseas have helped mitigate some of these risks. The company also emphasises careful feature selection, a strong IP ecosystem and a balanced approach to licensing.
The company has already raised seed funding and completed its first tape-out, marking a transition towards the next phase of development. It is now working with potential customers to evaluate and validate its chip in real-world applications.
Building IP Around Real Customer Problems
Sensesemi’s differentiation strategy centres on developing semiconductor IP that addresses practical customer requirements while maintaining an appropriate balance between power, performance and cost.
Muktamath said that technology alone is not sufficient. The final cost of the chip must also align with market requirements.
Analog and RF expertise is therefore central to Sensesemi’s long-term technology strategy. The company sees RF as an important area for IP development, particularly across medical and IoT applications.
Beyond individual products, the company’s longer-term ambition is to build Systems-on-Chip (SoCs) for global markets, with trust embedded into the technology itself.
For Sensesemi, this means developing reliable technology and robust IP that can consistently deliver on the capabilities promised by the product.
Gen 1 Chip Completes Tape-Out as Customer Validation Begins
Sensesemi is currently developing its Gen 1 chip, with tape-out already completed.
Before customers receive physical silicon samples, the company is enabling them through an FPGA platform. This allows potential customers to integrate and validate their software ahead of receiving the actual chip.
The approach is designed to accelerate customer evaluation and potentially shorten the customer acquisition cycle.
At present, Sensesemi is working with at least two to three customers across the medical and Industrial IoT sectors. The company also plans to engage with another two to three potential customers in the coming months once the chip has been tested and validated.
In parallel, Sensesemi has established three strategic partnerships across the IP and customer ecosystem, strengthening its technology and market access as it moves towards commercialisation.
$3 Million Seed Funding to Drive the Next Phase
Sensesemi has raised $3 million in seed funding in a round led by Piper Serica.
According to Muktamath, investors backed the company based on the experience of its team, including lessons learned from previous failures. He said these experiences have helped the entrepreneurs approach risks in a more balanced and calculated manner.
The funding has enabled Sensesemi to complete its first tape-out and build a semiconductor team with cumulative experience spanning at least 10 production chips.
The company is now working towards its second tape-out, which is intended to be production-ready, while simultaneously beginning development of its second-generation chip.
The Gen 2 platform is expected to expand Sensesemi’s capabilities into emerging applications including robotics, drones and other intelligent edge devices.
From One Chip to a Family of SoCs
Sensesemi’s commercialisation strategy is not limited to developing a single semiconductor product.
The company is already working with potential customers to validate its silicon samples while expanding its Analog and RF capabilities to develop a broader family of SoCs.
The objective is to build a sustainable semiconductor platform with reusable IP that can serve multiple products and applications.
By developing a portfolio of reusable IP, Sensesemi aims to create a technology foundation that can support multiple generations of products while building long-term relationships with customers.
The company expects revenue generation to come through SoC sales as it expands its customer pipeline and moves towards commercial deployments.
Why Patient Capital Matters for India’s Semiconductor Ambitions
Muktamath believes patient capital will remain essential for developing a strong Indian fabless semiconductor ecosystem.
Chip development requires substantial investment and longer development cycles compared with many conventional technology businesses. Alongside capital, he highlighted the importance of accelerating global IP collaboration.
He believes Indian fabless semiconductor companies can also consider inorganic growth by acquiring proven IP and integrating it into SoCs designed around customer problems.
Strategic partnerships, IP licensing and inorganic growth could help companies access specialised capabilities without having to develop every component internally.
Muktamath also pointed to the government’s push for Indian-designed and Indian-made semiconductor solutions as a potential catalyst for developing products in India for global markets.
Talent remains another important requirement. Instead of building every capability from scratch, semiconductor companies can potentially use partnerships, licensing and specialised expertise to accelerate development.
Lessons From Building a Deep-Tech Company
For Muktamath, one of the biggest lessons from building Sensesemi has been understanding the time and patience required to develop a DeepTech company.
Capital and time-to-market are critical, but so is having investors who understand the longer development journey associated with semiconductor businesses.
He also highlighted the importance of early customers. Even when an early customer does not immediately translate into revenue, real-world testing and collaboration can provide critical validation for a DeepTech company.
Muktamath believes investors also need to take a longer-term view, particularly as geopolitical developments increase the importance of self-reliance in critical sectors such as medical and industrial systems.
For founders, meanwhile, the challenge involves balancing multiple priorities simultaneously, including technology development, customer relationships, fundraising and talent retention.
For Sensesemi, the journey has required persistence, calculated risk-taking and long-term commitment.
Building the Semiconductor Layer for Physical AI
Looking ahead, Sensesemi aims to operate at the intersection of sensing, RF and Physical AI.
Muktamath believes the physical world is inherently analog, with information continuously generated through sound, motion, temperature, electrical signals and RF. Efficiently capturing and processing this information at the source could become increasingly important as intelligent devices become more capable.
The company’s roadmap includes developing a family of SoCs that bring sensing, RF and computation together to support the next generation of intelligent devices.
As machines increasingly interact with and respond to the physical world, Sensesemi aims to develop semiconductor technology capable of bridging real-world analog and RF data with intelligent computation.
For the company, the larger vision is not simply to build another semiconductor chip, but to develop the underlying technology that enables devices to sense their environment, process information locally, communicate and make decisions with greater efficiency.
