About Native AI sector in India
The Native AI sector in India comprises 3.4K companies, including 616 funded companies having collectively raised $5.98B in venture capital money and private equity. Out of these, 127 are Series A+ funded, and 8 have achieved unicorn status.
Native AI sector in India has seen 39 acquisitions and 3 IPOs.
This sector includes companies building core technology platforms, AI models, and applications that are fundamentally architected using artificial intelligence rather than traditional procedural code.
Native AI sector is also known as AI-First Technology or Core Artificial Intelligence Systems.
It includes LLM creators, foundational neural network developers, native multi-modal model architectures, and software applications completely dependent on AI inference to function. It excludes legacy IT infrastructure, traditional software applications with basic algorithmic add-ons, and purely non-digital business models.
Top Native AI Companies in India
There are 3,399 Native AI startups in India which include Innovaccer, Sarvam, NextBillion AI, Netcore Cloud, KGeN. Out of these, 616 startups are funded, with 127 having secured Series A+ funding, and 8 achieving unicorn status.
2026 has seen the creation of 492 Native AI startups in India. Over the past 10 years, an average of 293 new companies have been launched annually. Notably, several of these startups have been founded by alumni of IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay and BITS Pilani.
Here is the list of top Native AI startups in India
1. Innovaccer
Developer of healthcare data platforms and artificial intelligence agent software. This technology unifies clinical, operational, and financial information from disparate systems to support decision-making. The platform provides tools for population health management, revenue cycle automation, and quality performance tracking. It enables the deployment of automated assistants to streamline administrative workflows, manage patient outreach, and facilitate care coordination across various healthcare settings. The system integrates non-electronic health record data to improve documentation accuracy and support value-based care initiatives.
Key facts about Innovaccer
- Founded Year: 2014
- Location: San Francisco (United States)
- Stage: Series F
- Total Funding till date: $675M
- Investors: WestBridge Capital, Mubadala and 36 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series F, Jan 09, 2025, $*****
- Tracxn Score: 78/100 What is this?
- Competitors Rank: 3 of 940 Competitors
2. Sarvam
Developer of artificial intelligence models for speech and document processing. This platform provides application programming interfaces for text to speech, speech to text, translation, and document digitization. It enables the integration of language processing capabilities into software products. The technology supports automated voice agents and content transformation workflows.
Key facts about Sarvam
- Founded Year: 2023
- Location: Bengaluru (India)
- Stage: Series B
- Total Funding till date: $350M
- Investors: Lightspeed Venture Partners, Avvanti Advisors and 16 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series B, Aug 04, 2026, $*****
- Tracxn Score: 75/100 What is this?
- Competitors Rank: 2 of 340 Competitors
Provider of an AI-powered mapping platform. It allows users to build custom maps for web and mobile applications. It provides geocoding APIs, search APIs, routing, navigation, matrix calculation, map data curation, and high footfall landmark solutions. It features multi-lingual text, data management, image classification, sentiment analytics, and video annotation capabilities. It has use cases in logistics, fleet management, ride-hailing, delivery, and e-commerce applications.
Key facts about NextBillion AI
- Founded Year: 2020
- Location: Singapore (Singapore)
- Stage: Acquired
- Total Funding till date: $34.2M
- Investors: Alpha Wave Global, Lightspeed Venture Partners and 26 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series B, May 23, 2022, $*****
- Tracxn Score: 75/100 What is this?
- Competitors Rank: 1 of 81 Competitors
Provider of an AI-powered platform for customer engagement and marketing. The platform offers tools for journey orchestration, personalization, and multi-channel messaging. It provides features such as A/B testing, user onboarding, and product recommendations. The platform also includes capabilities for email marketing, SMS, and push notifications.
Key facts about Netcore Cloud
- Founded Year: 1998
- Location: Mumbai (India)
- Stage: Early Stage
- Total Funding till date: $4.89M
- Investors: Suryatej Advisors, Meadow Ventures and 24 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Unattributed, Mar 26, 2012, $*****
- Tracxn Score: 73/100 What is this?
- Competitors Rank: 9 of 3,375 Competitors
5. KGeN
Operator of verified distribution protocol for AI gaming and DeFi users. The platform builds user identities and reputations through on-chain verification, gamified quests, and community engagement to enable targeted user acquisition, retention, and rewards. It supports AI training data labeling, model evaluation, loyalty programs, and e-commerce via the Proof of Gamer (PoG) engine. Users earn rKGEN tokens, participate in clans, and access leaderboards while businesses leverage verified user data for campaigns. The ecosystem focuses on real-user interactions across emerging markets.
Key facts about KGeN
Companies founded year-on-year in the Native AI sector in India
492 new startups have been founded so far in 2026 in the Native AI sector in India. 676 Native AI startups in India were founded in 2025 - this is the most number of startups founded in any year in the last 10 years.
- Total Number of Companies
Year | No. of companies |
|---|---|
2026 | 492 |
2025 | 676 |
2024 | 579 |
2023 | 419 |
2022 | 199 |
2021 | 153 |
2020 | 127 |
2019 | 130 |
2018 | 93 |
2017 | 70 |
Stage-wise distribution of Native AI sector companies in India
Out of the total 3,399 Native AI companies in India, 616 have secured funding. Among them, 127 have reached Series A or higher, and 69 to Series B or beyond.
Founded - 3,399
Funded - 616
Series A+ - 127
Series B+ - 69
Series C+ - 50
Company Stage | No. of companies |
|---|---|
Founded | 3,399 |
Funded | 616 |
Series A+ | 127 |
Series B+ | 69 |
Series C+ | 50 |
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Funding Trends in the Native AI sector in India
Total funding year-on-year in the Native AI sector in India
The Native AI sector in India saw a total funding of more than $5.89B in the last 10 years. The most amount of funding has been in 2026 at more than $1.38B till date.
- Total Funding
Year | Total Funding |
|---|---|
2026 | $1.38B |
2025 | $969M |
2024 | $667M |
2023 | $275M |
2022 | $882M |
2021 | $926M |
2020 | $370M |
2019 | $224M |
2018 | $160M |
2017 | $31.4M |
Recent Funding Rounds in Native AI in India
In the year 2026, till August 2026, Native AI companies in India have raised $1.38B in equity funding across 70 rounds.
In the same period last year (i.e. till August 2025), Native AI companies in India had raised $553M across 110 rounds.
So, 2026 has seen a 150.59% rise in funding in Native AI companies in India as compared to 2025.
Here are some recent, important funding rounds in Native AI companies in India:
Company | Round Raised | Amount Raised | Funding Date | Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Seed | 3577 | Aug 13, 2026 | ||
Series A | 3650 | Aug 06, 2026 | ||
Series A | 4602 | Aug 05, 2026 | ||
Seed | 5440 | Aug 04, 2026 | - | |
Seed | 9790 | Aug 04, 2026 |
Top Investors in Native AI in India
Accel is the top investor in Native AI companies in India based on number of companies invested.
Here are some top investors in Native AI companies in India:
Investor | Location | Top Portfolio Companies |
|---|---|---|
Palo Alto (United States) | ||
Menlo Park (United States) | ||
Cambridge (United States) | ||
Redwood City (United States) | ||
London (United Kingdom) |
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M&A activity in Native AI sector in India
In the year 2026, till August 2026, 8 acquisitions happened in Native AI sector in India. Last year, in 2025, a total of 7 acquisitions happened in Native AI sector in India.
Here are some recent, important acquisitions in Native AI sector in India:
Company | Acquisition Type | Acquisition Date | Acquirers |
|---|---|---|---|
Business Acquisition | Aug 24, 2026 | ||
Business Acquisition | Jul 09, 2026 | ||
Business Acquisition | Apr 23, 2026 | ||
Acqui-Hired | Apr 08, 2026 | ||
Business Acquisition | Mar 26, 2026 | - |
Acquisition trends in Native AI sector in India
Here are the acquisition trends in Native AI sector in India:
- Total Number of Acquisitions
Year | No. of companies |
|---|---|
2026 | 8 |
2025 | 7 |
2024 | 4 |
2023 | 5 |
2022 | 5 |
2021 | 3 |
2020 | - |
2019 | 7 |
2018 | - |
2017 | - |
IPOs in Native AI in India
In the year 2018, till May 2018, 1 IPO happened in Native AI sector in India.
Here are some recent, important IPOs in Native AI sector in India:
Company | IPO Date | Exchange Symbol |
|---|---|---|
May 15, 2018 | National Stock Exchange (NSE) |
Colleges which produce the most Native AI companies in India
Companies founded by alumni from top colleges in the Native AI in India
Most number of Native AI startups in India have been founded by alumni from IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay and BITS Pilani.
College | No. of companies |
|---|---|
IIT Delhi | 106 |
IIT Bombay | 89 |
BITS Pilani | 76 |
IIT Kharagpur | 69 |
IIT Kanpur | 61 |
IIT Madras | 39 |
Indian School of Business | 36 |
IIM Ahmedabad | 32 |
IIT Roorkee | 28 |
IIM Bangalore | 27 |
Total funding in Native AI companies founded by alumni from top colleges in India
In the last 10 years, IIT Delhi graduates' Native AI companies in India have raised the most funding among top colleges. IIT Bombay alumni are second, and IIT Kharagpur alumni are third.
College | Total Funding |
|---|---|
IIT Delhi | $1.17B |
IIT Bombay | $1.09B |
IIT Kharagpur | $863M |
IIM Ahmedabad | $585M |
University of California (Berkeley) | $408M |
ETH Zurich | $362M |
Carnegie Mellon University | $354M |
Wharton School | $268M |
University of Pennsylvania | $255M |
IIT BHU | $231M |
Top News in Native AI in India
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Jio Haptik Unveils SOLO, an AI Growth Team for India's Solopreneurs and Small BusinessesBusinessnewsthisweek•Jul 07, 2026•Haptik
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Movate and Leena AI Partner to Advance AI-Led Employee ExperienceMedia Bulletins•Jun 02, 2026•Movate, Leena AI
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Qure.ai Earns FDA OK for 6 New AI Chest X-ray IndicationsMedical Product Outsourcing•Feb 26, 2026•Qure.ai
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Voice AI startup Arrowhead bags $3 Mn in seed funding round led by StellarisEntrackr•Jan 07, 2026•Stellaris, Dazzl, Arrowhead
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Former Haptik Co-founder Launches AI-Focussed VC Fund ActivateViestories•Dec 04, 2025•Haptik, Together
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qXR from Qure.ai obtains regulatory clearance for paediatric TB screeningIndiaMedToday•Oct 17, 2025•Qure.ai
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