Bengaluru-based semiconductor startup HrdWyr has raised $13 million in a Series A funding round led by Ideaspring Capital, as the company looks to expand development of its AI-native chips designed for edge computing and “Physical AI” applications. 

The fabless chipmaker said the round also saw participation from Singularity AMC, Avatar Growth Capital and existing investor Persistent Systems.  

The funding comes as India pushes to strengthen its domestic semiconductor ecosystem and reduce dependence on imported chips, while startups seek to tap growing demand for AI-focused computing hardware.

HrdWyr said the fresh capital would be used to accelerate development of its AI-native System-on-Chip (AISoC) products and expand customer engagements globally. 

“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,” founder and CEO Ramamurthy Sivakumar said.

“This inflection point demands a fundamental rethinking of how computing systems are conceived, architected, and deployed,” Sivakumar added. 

The startup said its chips are designed for industry-specific edge AI workloads, focusing on power efficiency, low latency and real-time intelligent processing. In August last year, the company also announced a strategic collaboration with consumer electronics brand boAt. 

“HrdWyr is building a family of AI chips addressing power management and efficiency across multiple sectors, including white goods, EVs and data centres,” said Naganand Doraswamy, Managing Partner and Founder, Ideaspring Capital. 

Persistent Systems Chairman and Managing Director Anand Deshpande said innovations in chip design would play a “critical role” in enabling next-generation enterprise and industrial AI applications.