Bengaluru-based deeptech startup Nova Spectral AI has raised Rs 21.15 crore (about $2.25 million) in a seed round led by Shastra VC, with participation from Equirus InnovateX Fund and angel investors.

The startup, which was founded in May 2026 by Anish Priyadarshi and Sanjeev Kumar, is building a short-wave infrared (SWIR) image sensor chip using quantum dots. 

The funding will be used to build a team and develop a field-ready prototype within 18 months.

Short-wave infrared cameras can capture images in conditions where ordinary cameras struggle, such as low light, haze, smoke and dust. That makes them useful for drones, surveillance systems, robots and autonomous vehicles.

Most SWIR sensors today are made from indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs), a material that is expensive and complex to manufacture. Nova Spectral AI is taking a different route. It uses lead-free indium arsenide (InAs) colloidal quantum dots, tiny crystals that can be tuned to absorb infrared light, deposited on standard silicon CMOS chips.

Because the process is compatible with the CMOS manufacturing used for regular camera sensors, the company aims to bring SWIR sensor costs down by up to 100 times compared with InGaAs technology. 

According to the startup,its first market is defence, specifically intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) platforms and drones, where it said cheaper sensors could widen the use of SWIR imaging and reduce dependence on imports. It is also targeting smartphones, wearables, robots and automobiles.

Shastra VC has deployed about $55 million across its first two funds in 30 startups, including Alt Carbon, Simplismart, Sisir Radar, Avammune and Sanlayan.

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