Perceptyne, a deeptech AI and robotics startup, has secured pre-seed funding led by Venture Catalysts, India’s premier integrated incubator and early-stage investment leader. This investment round included participation from notable figures in the deeptech hardware startup community such as Tarun Mehta and Swapnil Jain of Ather, and Pawan Chandana and Bharat Daka of Skyroot Aerospace. Other notable investors included T-Hub, Z21 Ventures, Naveen (Founder of My Ally), Satya (Founder of Bluecopa), and Aditya Damani (Founder of Credit Fair).
Emerging from stealth mode, Perceptyne aims to revolutionize factory floor automation with its pioneering industrial humanoid robots. These robots are designed to perform tasks requiring human-like dexterity, such as product assembly, e-commerce packaging, and commercial kitchen operations—tasks where traditional robots typically underperform. The company is building a vertically integrated full-stack robotics platform centered around AI to address these needs.
Dr. Apoorva Ranjan Sharma, Co-founder and Managing Director of Venture Catalysts, expressed enthusiasm about the investment, stating, “Perceptyne’s groundbreaking approach to industrial automation with humanoid robots is set to transform the sector. Our investment reflects our belief in their vision to automate tasks with precision and their potential to scale rapidly in the EMS and Automotive industries. The expertise of Perceptyne’s founding team, their technological advancements, and their strategic business model align with our commitment to fostering disruptive technologies.”
Raviteja Chivukula, Co-Founder and CEO of Perceptyne, highlighted the significance of the funding, saying, “At Perceptyne, we are on a mission to redefine the automation landscape with our innovative industrial humanoid robots. This funding, led by Venture Catalysts, is a testament to the confidence in our vision and technology. Our robots are set to revolutionize industries that have long awaited such innovation. We are grateful for the support from industry stalwarts and our esteemed investors, which fuels our commitment to democratize automation. With this investment, we are poised to accelerate our product development and pilot deployments, particularly in the EMS and Automotive sectors.”
The global automation market, valued at USD 18 billion annually, is growing at a CAGR of 12.3%. In India, the manufacturing sector is poised for rapid growth, supported by the China+1 strategy and government initiatives such as Production-Linked Incentives (PLI). Perceptyne is well-positioned to meet the surging demand for automation both globally and domestically.
Perceptyne’s industrial humanoid robots feature dual arms with seven degrees of freedom each and five-fingered end effectors, equipped with tactile sensing and force feedback. These advancements are set to transform the EMS and automotive industries by significantly reducing automation implementation time by 90%, eliminating the need to pause production during implementation, and requiring minimal infrastructure and workflow restructuring.
The founders of Perceptyne, Raviteja Chivukula, Jagga Raju Nadimpalli, and Mrutyunjaya Nadiminti, bring extensive experience in deeptech product development, production, marketing, and sales across various industries, including aerospace, industrial automation, automotive, and electronics. Their backgrounds from prestigious institutions like IIT Madras and BITS Pilani further bolster the company’s credibility and innovative potential.