Fabless semiconductor startup optoML has raised $1.8 million in a Pre-Series A funding round led by Bluehill.VC and A99. The investment, subject to regulatory approvals, will support talent expansion and development of next-generation AI chips following the company’s recent 12nm tapeout milestone with TSMC.
The funding marks a key execution phase for optoML as it transitions from silicon validation to scalable manufacturing and product readiness.
12nm Tapeout and AI In-Memory Compute Breakthrough
optoML has successfully completed a 12nm TSMC tapeout, realizing its core Analog-in-Memory Compute (AiMC) architecture along with its system-on-chip (SoC) integration pathway. The company’s patented in-memory compute architecture is designed to deliver up to 50× higher energy efficiency compared to traditional digital AI accelerators.
By combining analog compute with optical interconnects, optoML aims to reduce latency, lower silicon area requirements, and significantly cut power consumption. The platform is built to scale from edge AI deployments to enterprise infrastructure and hyperscale data centers, addressing growing energy constraints in AI workloads.
Manufacturing and Testing Partnership with Kaynes
As part of its commercialization roadmap, optoML has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Kaynes Semiconductor to support assembly and testing once wafers arrive from TSMC. The partnership is expected to accelerate the company’s journey from silicon fabrication to scalable packaging and manufacturing.
This integrated approach positions optoML to move efficiently from prototype validation to production-grade platforms, a critical step in the competitive semiconductor ecosystem.
Targeting Edge to Hyperscale AI Markets
With AI workloads expanding rapidly across industries, energy-efficient compute solutions are becoming essential. optoML’s architecture is engineered to support ultra-low-latency processing with significantly improved power efficiency, making it suitable for edge deployments, enterprise systems, and data center environments.
The company’s scalable approach aligns with global demand for next-generation AI accelerators capable of handling intensive workloads while minimizing energy consumption and operating costs.
Leadership with Global Semiconductor Expertise
optoML was founded by Saravana Maruthamuthu, who brings 17 years of semiconductor and systems experience, including nearly a decade in Germany. His background includes roles at Intel, Qualcomm, Continental, and Isar Aerospace, spanning advanced semiconductor nodes, analog mixed-signal systems, and production-grade platforms.
With fresh capital and a completed 12nm tapeout, optoML is positioning itself as a deep-tech innovator in energy-efficient AI compute, aiming to compete in the rapidly evolving global semiconductor landscape.
Leadership Quotes
Speaking on the investment, Manu Iyer, General Partner, Bluehill.VC, says, “India’s deep-tech ecosystem is really coming into its own and semiconductors is an area where we are seeing fantastic progress. optoML, a fabless semicon company, sits at the intersection of two irreversible shifts in compute – analog in-memory compute architectures and optical interconnects. As AI workloads scale from the edge to hyperscalers, energy efficiency, latency, and bandwidth are becoming first-order constraints. optoML’s 12nm tapeout with TSMC and its partnership with Kaynes Semicon mark a critical transition from research to real silicon and scalable production. We believe this is the kind of deep-tech platform that can meaningfully reshape the cost and efficiency curve of AI infrastructure. And these frugal innovations with a clear commercial use case will define India’s global AI dominance.”
Vignesh S, General Partner of a99 says “We at a99 are thrilled to invest and be a part of the optoML juggernaut. As AI workloads move to the edge, power efficiency becomes the real constraint. optoML’s analog-in-memory approach is designed to address exactly that shifting how AI inference can be delivered at lower energy and cost. We believe foundational semiconductor IP in AI infrastructure will matter a lot over the next decade, and this is a step in that direction for our investment thesis at a99.”
Saravana M, Founder & CEO, optoML adds “We are excited to have Manu Iyer partnering closely with us, bringing deep experience in successful early stage deep tech investments and helping guide our path from test chip success to commercial viability, customer deployments, and scaled production. Bluehill and a99’s conviction will put us on a path to clear productization, qualification, and real world impact, turning efficient AI compute into deployable systems.”
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