Team Startupcity

• Bengaluru-based CIMware raised $2.3 Mn in a Pre-Series A round led by Transition VC to scale hardware production, expand its team, and support operations.
• Its proprietary CIM units promise up to 80% energy savings and 66% lower capital costs, targeting AI-centric data centres and enterprise cloud stacks.
• With government support and rising AI demand, CIMware aims for $175 Mn revenue by FY27, despite competing with global tech giants.

CIMware, a Bengaluru-based deeptech startup specialising in data centre infrastructure management (DCIM), has secured $2.3 million (approximately INR 20 crore) in a Pre-Series A funding round led by Transition VC. The startup plans to utilise the funds to boost hardware production, expand its software development team, and cover operational expenses as it scales up its AI-centric data centre solutions.

Founded in 2018 by industry veteran Rajiv Ganth, CIMware is on a mission to transform how data centres operate by introducing its proprietary Composable Infrastructure Modules (CIM). These modules allow for the pooling and software-based management of computing, storage, and networking resources optimising energy consumption and capital expenditure. According to the company, its CIM units can reduce energy usage by up to 80% and lower capital costs by as much as 66%.

CIMware’s innovation has already earned recognition from the Indian government. The startup previously received grants amounting to INR 1.5 crore from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) in 2022 and 2023, which facilitated the development of 20 pilot-stage CIM units for integration into Indian data centres.

Before founding CIMware, Rajiv Ganth served as the Managing Director of CloudSimple India, a company later acquired by Google in 2019. With over two decades of experience in data centre architecture, including leadership roles at Intel, EMC, and Digital Equipment Corporation, Ganth brings deep industry expertise to the startup.

CIMware plans to generate revenue through direct sales in India and the US, while also exploring white-labeled deployments in South Asia. For other international markets, the company intends to leverage affiliated partnerships. The focus is on servicing AI-centric data centres, telecom networks, and enterprise cloud platforms.

As India aggressively invests in AI infrastructure, including the INR 10,000 crore India AI Mission, demand for high-efficiency data centres is expected to surge. The mission aims to develop a domestic large language model (LLM), with startups like SarvamAI, Soket AI, and Gnani.ai already shortlisted. The rising need for AI training and inference workloads is fuelling demand for sustainable and scalable computing infrastructure—creating a significant opportunity for players like CIMware.

Globally, the data centre infrastructure market is projected to exceed $500 billion by 2032. CIMware has set ambitious goals to capture 25% of this market and achieve $175 million in revenue by FY27. However, the startup faces stiff competition from industry giants like Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Dell, Cisco, Huawei, and Lenovo.

Despite these challenges, CIMware is positioning itself as a next-gen infrastructure enabler, promising greener, smarter data centres for the AI era.