AGNIT Semiconductors, India’s only vertically integrated Gallium Nitride (GaN) semiconductor startup, has raised $3.5 Million in a seed round led by 3one4 Capital and Zephyr Peacock – marking their first investment in India’s semiconductor sector. Along with two new investors, the round also witnessed participation from Lakshmi Narayanan, the former CEO of Cognizant and noted angel investor.

The 5-year-old Bengaluru-based startup has raised $4.87 million in total so far and plans to utilise the fresh funds to scale its production and commercial operations. Additionally, the company is set to expand its offerings into new market segments, targeting consumer electronics and electric two-wheelers to cater to the evolving fast-changing needs. Eyeing a sale of 100,000 semiconductor chips in the next 12 months, AGNIT aims to contribute to India's push for innovation and self-reliance.

Commenting on the strategic investment, Pranav Pai, Founding Partner & CIO, 3one4 Capital, said, “Agnit Semiconductors is breaking new ground by advancing Gallium Nitride technology in India, a critical component for the future of global electronics and energy systems. Agnit represents the new wave of Indian deep tech startups - born from rigorous research, focused on critical technologies, and positioned for global impact. What sets Agnit apart is its end-to-end capability - from materials to ASICs. This vertical integration, combined with their patented technologies, gives them a unique advantage in a competitive global market. We are excited to partner with Agnit as they scale their operations and take Indian semiconductor technology to the global market”

Sharing insights on the investment, Pankaj Raina, Managing Director, Zephyr Peacock, said, “The demand for GaN semiconductors is growing worldwide as they enable improved performance and energy efficiency, supporting the development of smaller and more cost-effective devices. Agnit has developed extensive know-how and proprietary processes to develop high-quality GaN materials and devices. We believe that the company will become a key stakeholder in the semiconductor supply chain in India and globally, and we are excited to partner with them in their journey.”

Speaking on the fundraise, Hareesh Chandrasekar, CEO and Co-founder of AGNIT Semiconductor said, “As we close our seed round with 3one4 Capital and Zephyr Peacock, it marks an extraordinary five-year journey where we've pioneered Gallium Nitride (GaN) technology to revolutionize specialized applications, augmenting traditional silicon. GaN holds immense potential across sectors like 5G, fast charging, PV inverters, and beyond—its full impact is yet to be realized. Achieving this requires unwavering support, and we’ve been fortunate to have the backing of IISc and MeitY. As we scale our market presence, we’re also committed to strengthening our leadership team to steer the company towards greater success.”

AGNIT is one of the first startup incubated by the Gallium Nitride Ecosystem Enabling Centre and Incubator managed by the Foundation for Science Innovation and Development (FSID) located at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), funded by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeITY). The startup has also been awarded from the Government of Karnataka for their state-of-art GaN semiconductor technology. In line with the ‘Make in India’ initiative, AGNIT has also recently signed an MoU as part of the iDEX program with the Ministry of Defence to design and develop next-generation wireless transmitters for defence applications using GaN technology.