Qualcomm to invest up to $150 million in India-focused AI venture fund

qualcomm

• Qualcomm to invest up to $150M in India's AI startup ecosystem
• AI innovation in automotive, IoT, robotics, and mobile technology
• Investment aims to boost edge AI and support Indian founders

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US chipmaker Qualcomm Incorporated will invest up to $150 million (around Rs 1,359 crore) to back India’s fast-growing technology and artificial intelligence startup ecosystem through a new Strategic AI Venture Fund.

The capital will be deployed via Qualcomm Ventures and target startups across stages, with a sharp focus on AI-led innovation in automotive, IoT, robotics and mobile technologies.

“Through our new Strategic AI Venture Fund, Qualcomm is investing in companies that are advancing the next chapter of AI in India,” Qualcomm Incorporated president and CEO Cristiano Amon said on February 18.

The move reinforces Qualcomm’s long-standing bet on India and aligns with its global push to advance edge AI, where intelligence is embedded directly into devices and systems.

“AI is entering a new phase where intelligence is built directly into the devices and systems people rely on every day — from smartphones and PCs to cars, industrial machines and robots. This shift will reshape entire industries, and India’s startup ecosystem has a critical role to play as edge AI drives innovation across sectors," Amon said in a statement.

With India emerging as a dynamic innovation hub, Qualcomm sees a strong opportunity to help startups build scalable, market-leading AI solutions.

The company is positioning itself as a key enabler of efficient, secure and powerful edge AI, backing founders building technologies with real-world industrial impact.

“India has become one of the world’s most vibrant centres of innovation, and we’re proud to deepen our long-standing commitment to its startup ecosystem,” said Quinn Li, senior vice president, Qualcomm Technologies, and global head of Qualcomm Ventures.

“This additional investment expands our support for founders building the next generation of transformative technologies.”

Qualcomm Ventures, the investment arm of Qualcomm Incorporated, has been investing globally since 2000. In India, Qualcomm has backed more than 40 startups since 2007, providing not just capital but access to its deep technology expertise and global ecosystem.

Its India portfolio, past and present, includes telecom major Jio, digital mapping firm MapMyIndia, drone maker ideaForge, logistics platform Shadowfax, Cavli Wireless, contract lifecycle management platform SpotDraft and AI-powered payments firm Tonetag.

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