India’s semiconductor chip-design ecosystem continues to gain momentum, with C2i Semiconductors securing a $15 million Series A investment led by Peak XV Partners – marking the largest funding round by an Indian semiconductor startup to date.
C2i Semiconductors is among the startups supported under the Government of India’s Design Linked Incentive (DLI) Scheme, which aims to strengthen domestic chip-design capabilities by reducing early-stage risks and enabling access to advanced design infrastructure.
Semiconductor ventures traditionally involve long development cycles, substantial R&D investment, and higher technical risk before revenue generation.
C2i Semiconductors benefits from the DLI Scheme announced in 2022, which provides financial support, access to advanced EDA tools, IP cores, and ecosystem awareness.
Startups are onboarded through a rigorous screening process by expert committees comprising technical and industry specialists, improving investor confidence in deep-tech innovation.
Also Read: VLSID 2026: Maharashtra Can Catch Up in Semiconductors with 25% Project Funding, Says Satya Gupta
C2i Semiconductors: Company Background and Technology Vision
Founded in Bengaluru on 5 June 2024, C2i Semiconductors was established by a team with decades of experience at global semiconductor leaders such as Texas Instruments, National Semiconductor, and Maxim Integrated. The startup was approved for DLI Scheme support effective 1 November 2024.
With semiconductor industry veteran Ganapathy Subramanyam, Founding Managing Partner of Yali Capital, serving on its Board, C2i Semiconductors is building power-management semiconductor solutions designed for next-generation AI data centres and cloud infrastructure.
The company has rapidly scaled its engineering team to 65 engineers and has emerged as one of the top three users among nearly 100 companies accessing centralized EDA tools through the ChipIN Centre under the DLI Scheme. This milestone reflects growing technical progress by C2i Semiconductors in India’s chip-design ecosystem.
C2i Semiconductors: Addressing Power Challenges in AI Data Centres
As AI workloads expand, modern data centres require large and stable power supply systems. C2i Semiconductors is addressing challenges associated with older power architectures that were not designed for continuous high-density computing, which often leads to energy loss, excess heat, reliability concerns, and infrastructure-scaling limitations.
Through a “grid-to-core” approach, C2i Semiconductors is redesigning how electricity flows inside servers – from the incoming power source to the processor chip.
Instead of improving individual components, the company is developing a configurable power platform that automatically manages and optimizes power delivery in real time.
This innovation by C2i Semiconductors aims to provide stable power for heavy AI workloads, improve energy efficiency, reduce heat-related failures, extend equipment life, simplify server design, enable faster deployment, and support large-scale data-centre expansion. The company expects its first silicon designs to return from fabrication by mid-year for validation.
Also Read: Cyient Semiconductors Acquires Majority Stake in Kinetic Technologies for Up to USD 93 Million
Investor Confidence in Deep-Tech Semiconductor Innovation
The $15 million Series A investment led by Peak XV Partners will accelerate development of high-density and ultra-reliable system-level power delivery solutions at C2i Semiconductors.
This follows a $4 million funding round led by Yali Capital in 2024, bringing cumulative investment raised by C2i Semiconductors to approximately ₹170 crore, in addition to support received under the DLI Scheme.
Rajan Anandan, Managing Director at Peak XV, noted that C2i’s approach to power management can significantly extend GPU lifespan and unlock billions of dollars in industry savings.
Continued investor backing highlights the growing commercial confidence in C2i Semiconductors and India’s semiconductor-design ecosystem.
Policy Alignment with India’s Semiconductor Vision
The investment momentum around C2i Semiconductors aligns with the semiconductor-sector vision articulated by Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister for Electronics and IT.
He has emphasized that India’s semiconductor programme focuses on strengthening both chip design and manufacturing while creating domestic intellectual property and globally competitive product companies.
The Minister has highlighted that India already possesses a strong chip-design talent base, and government initiatives – including incentives, advanced design tools, IP access, and ecosystem support – aim to help startups such as C2i Semiconductors scale into global technology leaders and position India as a trusted semiconductor partner worldwide.
