A lot is happening in Kerala’s startup sector, with many companies from the state garnering recognition within and outside the country. The recent acquisition of Kochi-based Inntot Technologies by Visteon, a subsidiary of Ford, the `107-crore investment in Netrasemi from Zoho Corporation, ChargeMod’s collaboration with Mercedes-Benz India, Fuselage Innovations soaring high on the wings of drone technology... These recent events showcase that the startup ecosystem in the state is in top gear.
Anoop Ambika, CEO of Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM), highlights the vibrancy of this ecosystem, which is not limited to the cloud.
“Conversations about the Indian startup boom almost always drift toward mobile apps, fintech, and SaaS platforms. But step away from the noise, look toward the south, and you will witness a different kind of revolution taking shape,” he says.
“In Kerala, the next wave of innovation is being forged in laboratories, hardware incubators, and manufacturing floors. Through my series MIKY (Made in Kerala for You), I’ve had a front-row seat to this transformation. Kerala is rapidly evolving into a powerhouse for hardcore scientific and engineering innovation, proving that deeptech is the state’s true calling.”
He is backed by Rajith Nair, co-founder of Inntot Technologies. “Deeptech or IP-driven companies are far more transformational and revolutionary than software as a service business, as it proves Kerala can build and export core technology, not just engineering bandwidth. Such a change would really charge up the Kerala ecosystem,” he says.
Anoop credits the ecosystem builders, and the research and development hubs for this leap.
According to him, unlike software, deeptech cannot be built in a dorm room with just a laptop and an internet connection.
“It requires capital-intensive infrastructure: cleanrooms, fabrication labs, testing facilities, and access to core scientific research. Kerala recognised this early and built a robust framework of institutions to bridge the gap between academia and commercial hardware.”
Listing the institutions, he says, “Maker Village in Kochi, TrEST Research Park in Thiruvananthapuram, TIMed at Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute, National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST), and the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) are acting as talent and research feeders, turning scientific breakthroughs into viable startup propositions.”
These are not overnight successes. They are the result of years of R&D, patient capital, and immense engineering grit, he adds.
The results are here to see, with several startups growing rapidly in this ecosystem. TNIE lists a few such trailblazers from the state.
Genrobotics
This much-talked-about startup is the brain behind Bandicoot robots. Based in Thiruvananthapuram, it was founded in 2017 by Arun George, Nikhil Puthiyaveettil Nettur, Rashid Karimbanakkal and Vimal Govind Manikandan Kondayath. It operates as a developer of robotics and AI solutions for sanitation and confined space cleaning. Genrobotics has raised $5.88m in funding from investors such as Unicorn India Ventures, Zoho and Edcite. The company’s products include robotic scavengers, confined space cleaning rovers, and vehicle-integrated robotic solutions for automated manhole cleaning. The firm’s annual revenue is Rs32.5 crore as of 2025. Bandicoot robots are now operational in 19 states and three Union Territories, bringing safer sanitation practices and empowering local communities.
NavAlt
This startup has been revolutionising marine transport. They are behind India’s first commercially viable solar-powered ferry, Aditya. With its boats, the startup has been proving that sustainable marine tech is possible and profitable. Aditya is recognised as the world’s best ferry boat in 2020 and was the recipient of the Gustave Trouvé Award. Founded in 2013, Navalt is an eco-marine tech company specialising in the manufacturing of solar electric and hybrid vessels. Srav, its solar fishing boat, won the award for the world’s best workboat in 2022. In 2023, the company launched India’s largest solar electric boat, Indra and India’s fastest electric boat, Barracuda. The startup had built over 72 vessels by the end of 2025. Navalt is also developing larger vessels, which are currently in the design stage.
Netrasemi
Pushing the boundaries of edge AI and semiconductor technology, Netrasemi is designing silicon solutions for advanced vision and AI workloads. Its energy-efficient neural processing unit (NPU) and in-house silicon IP enable optimal computing for complex workloads, such as video processing. Founded in 2020 by Jyothis Indirabhai, Sreejith Varma, and Deepa Geetha, the startup operates as a developer of system-on-chips and chiplet architectures for edge computing applications. Netrasemi had raised $14.6m in funding from Zoho and Medimicrochip Labs.
Fuselage Innovations
The firm has been taking aerospace engineering to the farmlands, building advanced drone tech and aerial solutions for farm use. The Kochi-based startup was founded by brother-sister duo Devika Chandrasekharan and Devan Chandrasekharan in 2020. Their drones offer solutions for crop monitoring, precision spraying, and data collection. The company also provides customised drone design services to meet specific industry needs. Additionally, they offer a drone fleet management system for asset protection. Recently, the startup won the Aspire Award at the National Startup Awards 5.0 (NSA).
Augsense Labs
This Thiruvananthapuram-based firm specialises in quantum-enhanced sensing and radar technologies to meet the advanced needs of defence, maritime, and aerospace. It was founded in 2019 by five technologists, including ex-Siemens engineers Kannan Kesavapillai and Sudheer Krishnankutty Nair, and Tokyo-based former Sony and QuEST engineer Naveen Francis Chittilapilly. As per Tracxn, AugSenseLab has raised a total funding of $500K in pre-seed funding. The funding will boost the development of space- and drone-based technologies, focusing on advanced ELINT (Electronic Intelligence) systems and high-precision atmospheric profilers for applications in weather forecasting, disaster response, and defence.