India Tech Report

Daily brief on deep tech and climate tech news from India and around the world.

AI generated illustrative image: An EV charging station in rural India.

DRDO successfully tests Pralay indigenous quasi-ballistic missile
Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), India’s top defense R&D agency, conducted two consecutive successful flight tests of the Pralay missile off Odisha’s coast, according to a government press release. The solid-propellant, quasi-ballistic missile — developed by multiple DRDO labs and industry partners — demonstrated precise targeting and robust system performance. The trials validate the missile’s range capabilities and pave the way for its induction into the Indian Armed Forces, enhancing India’s technological edge in missile systems.

India’s DRDO conducted two successful tests of the Pralay solid propellant quasi ballistic missile. Image courtesy MoD press release. 

India expands EV charging stations in Tier-2 cities under PM E-DRIVE
The Ministry of Heavy Industries, Government of India, reports that there are 4,625 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations are operational in Tier-2 cities as of April 2025. With a ₹2,000 crore allocation from the PM E-DRIVE Scheme, the government allows private entrepreneurs to install charging stations – no license needed – and offers policy incentives to accelerate infrastructure growth, reflecting a broader push towards electrification beyond India’s metros.

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DPIIT and Ather Energy join forces to boost India’s EV manufacturing
India’s Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has signed an MoU with Ather Energy Limited, one of India’s top electric vehicle makers, in Bengaluru. Under the Build in Bharat initiative, the partnership will provide mentorship, infrastructure support, and talent programs aimed at advancing India’s EV and clean mobility sector. The collaboration seeks to strengthen the startup ecosystem and drive the nation’s transition towards sustainable transportation.

Hyundai Motor India unveils hydrogen innovation hub with IIT Madras
Hyundai Motor India Limited has set up the Hyundai HTWO Innovation Centre in partnership with IIT Madras and the Government of Tamil Nadu. The Chennai-based 65,000 sq. ft. research hub aims to accelerate green hydrogen technology through advanced labs, digital twins, and pilot-scale testing for electrolyzers and fuel cells, according to a post on the IITM website. Hyundai pledged Rs. 100 crore to foster indigenous hydrogen innovation and workforce development, supporting India’s net-zero and energy independence goals.

Aeva, LG Innotek in $50 million lidar chip manufacturing pact
Aeva Technologies, a US-based developer of 4D lidar sensing systems in Mountain View, California, has struck a major chip manufacturing partnership with LG Innotek, the components subsidiary of Seoul-based LG Group, TechCrunch reports. LG Innotek will invest up to $50 million and manufacture Aeva’s Atlas Ultra 4D lidar sensor for automotive customers, with plans to expand into consumer electronics and industrial applications. The collaboration aims to accelerate production and adoption of silicon photonics-based FMCW lidar technology, which uniquely measures both distance and object velocity in real time.

Meta unveils wrist-based human-computer interface that uses hand gestures
Meta Platforms, parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has unveiled a breakthrough non-invasive wristband that translates hand gestures and subtle finger movements into digital commands. Using surface electromyography (sEMG) and AI trained on thousands of users, the device generalizes out-of-the-box, letting wearers control computers, type in the air, and interact with devices by intention alone. Focused on both mainstream and accessibility use—including for those with paralysis—the technology could be commercially available within a few years, marking a potential paradigm shift in human-computer interaction.

MIT unveils transmitter chip that boosts wireless device efficiency
Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), in the US, have unveiled a transmitter chip that significantly improves the energy efficiency and reliability of wireless communications, MIT News reports. Designed for integration into existing and next-generation devices, the chip uses an innovative modulation scheme and a GRAND-inspired decoding algorithm to reduce signal errors, extending battery life and range for connected devices. The breakthrough, presented at a major industry symposium, could expedite advances in 6G and Internet of Things applications.

Quantum researchers propose scalable path for photonic option
An international scientific team has proposed a scalable path for photonic quantum computing by leveraging semiconductor quantum dots, Quantum Insider reports. These nanostructures can generate high-purity, indistinguishable single photons on demand—essential for building large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum processors. The study emphasizes integration with current chip fabrication techniques and highlights potential breakthroughs in modular design and hybrid system networking, bringing practical, scalable quantum photonic computers closer to realization.

Australia’s launch vehicle Eris from Gilmour Space crashes on test
Gilmour Space Technologies, a launch vehicle and satellite manufacturer headquartered on Australia’s Gold Coast, saw its Eris rocket crash just 14 seconds after liftoff during its historic debut at the Bowen Orbital Space...

Rishabh Agarwal, co-founder and CEO, Peer Robotics is building autonmous collaborative robots for industrial use.

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Daily brief on deep tech and climate tech news from India and around the world.

The drone from Skydweller Aero is designed to stay in the sky for as long as three months. Image courtesy company website.

Wipro Infrastructure Engineering launches new division with $60 million plan
Wipro Infrastructure Engineering, part of billionaire Azim Premji’s Wipro Enterprises in Bengaluru, has inaugurated a new printed circuit board (PCB) materials division, with plans to invest Rs. 500 crore (about $60 million) in a new copper clad laminate facility, the company said in a press release. The move enhances India’s electronics manufacturing ecosystem and supports growth in domestic and export PCB markets.

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1Komma5 secures €150M pre-IPO to fuel AI energy platform
1Komma5, a German home electrification company headquartered in Hamburg that specializes in home solar, energy storage, and EV charging, has raised €150 million to expand across Europe and Australia and accelerate AI-based energy management, Tech Funding News reports. The funding, co-led by G2 Venture Partners and CalSTRS, positions the company for a potential 2026 IPO, supporting residential clean energy transitions.

Reka gains $110 million to scale enterprise adoption
Reka, an AI venture in Sunnyvale, California, known for its advanced multimodal AI platforms and products, including Reka Flash and Reka Vision, has raised secured $110 million from investors like NVIDIA and Snowflake, aiinvest.com reports. The funding will drive global expansion and faster tech development, positioning Reka as a top AI provider for business applications.

Zenobē secures €325 million to scale European electric vehicles
Zenobē, a London-based fleet electrification provider, has raised €325 million in debt funding to expand its electric bus, truck, and charger offerings across Europe, Electrive reports. The investment will support up to 1,000 new electric vehicles, covering markets including Spain, Germany, and the UK, reinforcing Zenobē’s position in clean fleet transition.

Sanofi acquires UK’s ViceBio for up to $1.6 bln to boost vaccine portfolio
Sanofi, a Paris-based pharmaceuticals giant, has agreed to purchase ViceBio, a biotech company focused on respiratory viral vaccines, for up to $1.6 billion, the company said in a press release last week. The deal will add ViceBio’s molecular clamp technology and strengthen Sanofi’s next-gen vaccine development efforts, with closure expected in Q4 2025.

Oxford Quantum Circuits, appoints Gerald Mullally as CEO to lead global growth
Oxford Quantum Circuits, a UK quantum tech venture headquartered in Reading, has named Gerald Mullally its permanent CEO after a successful interim term, Business Cloud reports. Mullally, with a background in government and consulting, steered US expansion and key tech milestones, now tasked with scaling and commercializing the UK’s leading quantum platform.

IonQ appoints Marco Pistoia as SVP of industry relations
IonQ, a Maryland-based startup that’s a frontrunner in trapped-ion quantum computers, has named former JPMorgan Chase quantum lead Marco Pistoia as Senior Vice President, Industry Relations, The Quantum Insider reports. The hire highlights IonQ’s push to bridge next-gen quantum tech with industry partners for broader adoption.

Apera AI closes Series A to expand machine vision, adds to leadership
Apera AI, a Vancouver-based industrial AI company specializing in 3D machine vision for manufacturing, has closed a Series A round and added four new executives to its leadership team, according to The Robot Report. The funding will help accelerate development of its AI vision software, advancing automation across industrial sectors.

Satellite data shows Earth’s continents are drying out at record pace
Long-term satellite monitoring, in a study led by Arizona State University, reveals unprecedented continental freshwater loss since 2002, forming four “mega-drying” zones in the Northern Hemisphere, Earth.com reports. Groundwater overuse and climate change are primary drivers, with 75 percent of people in countries experiencing freshwater declines—posing threats to agriculture and global water security.

Physicists make progress on negative capacitance and the Schottky limit in next-gen electronics
Recent research by scientists in the universities of California at Santa Barbara and Berkeley, and University of Stanford, advances understanding of negative capacitance and the Schottky limit, paving the way for ultra-efficient, low-power semiconductors, IEEE Spectrum reports. Breakthroughs in transistor design could help sustain Moore’s Law and drive innovations in nanoscale electronics.

Solar drone with jumbo-jet wingspan aims for months-long flights
A new solar-powered drone, boasting a wingspan wider than a Boeing 747, could remain airborne for months, New Scientist reports. The design of the drone, developed by the US-based venture Skydweller Aero, paves the way for persistent stratospheric monitoring, offering a sustainable alternative to satellites for Earth observation and communications.

Anvesh Ramineni, joins Endiya Partners as Venture Partner to focus on AI, SaaS, Security, Deep Tech and Healthcare.

Rishabh Agarwal, co-founder and CEO, Peer Robotics is building autonmous collaborative robots for industrial use.

In today’s episode, Rishabh Agarwal, Co-founder and CEO of PeerRobotics, gives us a sense of how automation is changing for small and mid-sized manufacturers and outlines his vision for collaborative robotics. Rishabh shares his experience and perspective on the factory floor transition to advanced robotics.

With a background in manufacturing and technical training from IIT Delhi and the University of Maryland, Agarwal built PeerRobotics with the aim of simplifying human-robot interaction and making automation intuitive for even non-technical users. The six-year-old company’s systems are designed for practical deployment in diverse industrial settings, where robots learn routes through human demonstration and adapt to existing workflows.

Agarwal also describes how PeerRobotics approaches product development, aiming to own the whole stack. The company takes advantage of doing much of its engineering and development at its centres in India, while also tapping advanced R&D experience in the US in certain areas like computer vision.

Daily brief on deep tech and climate tech news from India and around the world.

Illustrative image: African women cooking in the open. The IEA reports sub Saharan Africa is off track in providing clean cooking energy by at least a decade.

India’s rollback of SO₂ norms related to clean air targets draws criticism
A recent rollback of sulphur dioxide (SO₂) emissions standards by the government of India, is being viewed as a setback for the country’s progress on clean air, undermining efforts to tackle pollution-related health and economic impacts, according to several media reports.

The changes were made by the government in a notification on July 11, which now exempts as much as 80 percent of all thermal power plants in the country from installing technologies such as flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) and scrubbers, according to the report. The government has defended its decision, stating it was based on scientific tests, including those from IIT Delhi and the Central Pollution Control Board, and extensive stakeholder consultations.

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Clean cooking for all by 2030 out of Africa’s reach, says IEA
In sub-Saharan Africa, meanwhile, nations are off-track to meet the UN’s 2030 clean cooking goal, with universal access realistically delayed to 2040 due to funding and population challenges, the International Energy Agency projects, according to Climate Change News. Only a small share of countries are set to provide clean cooking to all by 2050, underscoring the need for significantly increased investment and coordinated efforts.

EU and China reaffirm climate cooperation amidst US retreat
Meanwhile, the EU and China have released a joint statement renewing their commitment to climate action and green trade, Climate Change News reports. Despite global tensions and the US stepping back from international climate talks, both parties pledge deeper collaboration, aiming for more ambitious nationally determined contributions (NDCs) before COP30.

IDB launches $1bn Amazon bonds for conservation and green projects
And the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has initiated a $1b Amazon bond scheme to drive funding toward conservation and sustainable development projects in the Amazon region, Green Central Banking reports. The aim is to mobilize global investors for critical climate and biodiversity goals.

New net zero standard pushes banks to abandon fossil fuel finance
Staying with corporate finance for one more headline, a new standard released by Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), a leading evaluator of corporate climate targets, requires banks and investors to halt financing fossil fuel power projects, Climate Change News reports. This includes new coal projects now and for oil and gas expansion by 2030, in order to be aligned with a 1.5°C pathway. Over 130 financial institutions have signed up, signaling increased climate credibility requirements for the sector.

Avalanche Energy achieves key desktop fusion milestone
Avalanche Energy, a Seattle based nuclear fusion venture, recently operated its desktop fusion machine for hours at 300,000 volts, marking a leap toward practical, small-scale fusion, TechCrunch reports. The technology uses intense currents rather than powerful magnets, aiming for compact reactors generating up to several hundred kilowatts. Backed by a $10m grant for its FusionWERX facility, Avalanche targets profitability by 2028 through radioisotope sales and facility rentals.

Electra raises €433 million to boost EV charging network
Electra, an EV charging venture in Paris, secured up to €433m in green loans, surpassing €1b in total funding, the company said in a press release. This financing, led by top European banks, will accelerate the rollout of ultra-fast EV charging infrastructure across Europe, with a target of 2,200 stations by 2030. The loan demonstrates lender confidence in Electra’s business model and growth ambitions.

Northvolt attracts global bidders as 3,000 staff get comeback call
Northvolt, an advanced lithium-ion battery systems maker in Sweden, following its bankruptcy proceedings, is seeing interest from five international bidders to acquire the company, Norran reports. Over 3,000 former staff are being recalled as potential buyers evaluate assets in battery manufacturing and recycling, with the company pivotal to Europe’s clean-tech ambitions.

Makersite raises €60 million Series B for AI-powered product intelligence
Makersite, an AI-based supply chain tracking software provider in Stuttgart, Germany, has closed a €60m Series B round to scale its AI-driven product lifecycle platform, the company said in a press release. The funding will expand platform capabilities, deepen technology partnerships, and support global manufacturer clients in making supply chains safer, greener, and more efficient, with rapid adoption among top brands.

Sunsave secures $151 million to expand solar subscriptions
Sunsave, in the UK, raised $151m (£113m) in an oversubscribed round, split between debt and Series A equity, Mercom Capital reports. The funds will fuel the rollout of their subscription-based solar and battery solution, aiming to make clean home energy affordable without upfront costs for customers across England and Wales.

Energy Dome and Google partner for low-carbon storage breakthrough
And finally, Energy Dome, a CO2 battery tech venture in Milan, Italy, has teamed up with Google to advance low-carbon energy storage, focusing on scalable, cost-effective solutions, Renewable Energy Magazine reports. The collaboration aims to support renewable grid integration and help meet Google’s future clean energy and decarbonization targets.

Daily brief on deep tech and climate tech news from India and around the world.

NASA ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite to be launched onboard Isro’s GSLV-F16 rocket on July 30. Image courtesy ISRO.

AstraZeneca to build $50 billion US manufacturing facility
AstraZeneca is investing $50 billion in the US by 2030, with its largest drug manufacturing facility to be built in Virginia. This major project will create hundreds of skilled jobs, enhance the domestic supply chain, and leverage AI and automation for pharmaceutical production—focusing on treatments for cancer, respiratory, and rare diseases.

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LG to ship AI appliance with Furiosa chips
LG AI Research will soon commercialize an 8-chip AI appliance using FuriosaAI’s RNGD chips, following rigorous evaluation. Targeted at enterprise customers using LG’s ExaOne large language model, the system represents a key milestone for FuriosaAI and highlights increasing competition with Nvidia. LG’s adoption signals readiness for enterprise AI and broader applications in industry.

Infleqtion to build neutral atom quantum computer in the US
Infleqtion, a US startup in Colorado, aims to build the first utility-scale neutral atom quantum computer, backed by a $50 million public-private partnership. The four-year project partners with the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park and National Quantum Algorithms Center, aiming for 100 logical qubits and thousands of atom qubits, positioning Illinois at the forefront of quantum technology.

US research team demonstrates modular quantum computer architecture
Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have demonstrated a high-performance modular architecture for superconducting quantum processors. By connecting modules with coaxial cables, they achieved ~99% SWAP gate fidelity, enabling scalable, reconfigurable quantum systems. This modular approach addresses limits of monolithic designs, paving the way for fault-tolerant, large-scale quantum computers by allowing upgrades and hardware flexibility.

NASA ISRO satellite to launch July 30 onboard a GSLV-F16 rocket
NASA and ISRO will jointly launch the NISAR Earth-observation satellite on July 30 onboard Isro’s GSLV-F16 rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota. NISAR stands for Nasa Isro synthetic aperture radar. Equipped with dual-frequency synthetic aperture radars, it will provide high-resolution, global data every 12 days to support disaster monitoring and environmental research. This $1.5 billion mission aims to improve early warning for natural disasters and inform scientific understanding worldwide.

Inbound Aerospace raises $1 million seed funding
Inbound Aerospace, incubated at IIT Madras, has raised $1 million in seed funding led by Speciale Invest and Piper Serica. The startup is developing autonomous, reusable re-entry vehicles for microgravity research and space manufacturing. The funds will accelerate R&D and design milestones, with the first test launch targeted for late 2027 or early 2028.

Yali raises ₹893 crore deep tech fund, backed by Infosys, Tata, Qualcomm
Okay so let’s talk about Yali Capital, a deep-tech focused investment firm in Bangalore, founded by Ganapathy Subramaniam, a semiconductor industry veteran and technologist, along with Mathew Cyriac, a well-known figure in the world of finance in India.

Karthik Madathil, who is a partner at the firm, and Sunil Patil, CFO, make up the leadership.

They’ve just closed their first deep-tech fund at Rs. 893 crore, or about $104 million, well exceeding their original target of ₹500 crores and ₹310 crore greenshoe option.

The fund will invest in early stage (Seed, Series A) as well as late stage (Series D and beyond) startups, with a sharp focus on deep tech sectors including semiconductors, AI, robotics, genomics, aerospace/surveillance, and smart manufacturing, according to a press release.

“Two-thirds of the fund will be deployed in early-stage deep tech startups. We firmly believe in India’s deep tech potential and are committed to backing visionary founders with patient capital,” Ganapathy Subramaniam, Founding Managing Partner of Yali Capital, adds.

Yali operates through a dual structure comprising a SEBI-registered AIF and a GIFT City-based feeder vehicle to attract global investors. The firm has already made five investments, ranging from chip design to AI, and plans to expand its portfolio to eight companies by the end of the year.

“Nearly a third of our fund will be invested in late-stage deep tech companies,” Mathew Cyriac, General Partner at Yali Capital, says. “India has a real opportunity to build globally competitive public companies in this space. We are grateful to the global investor community for backing our vision.”

Yali’s investor base reflects the growing support for deep tech in India both from domestic LPs and global investors. Corporate investors in the new fund include Infosys, Qualcomm Ventures, and Tata AIG. Funds of Funds include the DPIIT Fund of Funds for Startups (managed by SIDBI), the Self-Reliant India Fund, Evolvence, and Singularity FOF.

Well-known industry leaders who’ve invested in the fund include Infosys Co-Founder Kris Gopalakrishnan, through his family office’s private investment arm Pratithi Investments, Gopal Srinivasan Founder of TVS Capital, Vallabh Bhansali of ENAM, Utpal Sheth, CEO, RARE Enterprises, Vishal Kampani, MD, JM Financial, Sanjay Nayak, Co-Founder, Tejas Networks, Nambi Seshadri, former CTO, Broadcom Wireless), and C. Srinivasan, Co-Founder, Cosmic Circuits.

“I strongly believe in India’s deep tech capabilities. It is heartening to see the government, global corporations, and successful entrepreneurs come together to back Yali’s deep tech thesis,” Lip-Bu Tan, CEO of Intel, veteran investor and advisor to Yali Capital, said in the press release.

Yali has announced investments in companies such as C2I Semiconductor, 4basecare, and Perceptyne, and plans to continue actively deploying capital over the next four years.

At Ati Motors’ annual Products Day, Founder and CEO Saurabh Chandra introduces Mecha, the company’s experimental humanoid prototype.

Today, I wanted to bring you one story that caught my imagination last week, about how Indian engineering could go global – not just in software, but in areas like robotics.

This past Saturday*, I got a chance to attend the annual Products Day at Ati Motors, which as I’ve mentioned in the recent past, is a startup that specialises in autonomous mobile robots for industrial applications. (*I said Friday in the audio podcast. It was Saturday, July 19.) 

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Ati held the event at the Indian Institute of Science’s JN Tata Auditorium. The eight-year-old company was in fact born at the institute and incubated there. Its flagship family of robots, the Sherpa, was on display at the event. Earlier in the day, Ati’s engineers demonstrated how the Sherpa Tug could pull a Mahindra Thar SUV and couple of other cars as well, all tethered one behind another.

Full stack, made-in-Bengaluru

To illustrate how far Ati has come, Founder and CEO Saurabh Chandra pointed out that this year, the Sherpa AMRs were on track to successfully execute a million autonomous missions per annum. The missions average 95 percent accuracy across challenging industrial environments worldwide.

For Chandra, this moment represented an important milestone marking the eight-year journey to prove that sophisticated, world-class robotics technology could emerge from Indian engineering talent and compete successfully in the most demanding global markets.

“Today’s Ati Motors is the realization of a dream begun eight years ago, to create a truly multi-disciplinary products company that pushes the boundaries of engineering, artificial intelligence, and industrial design,” he said, speaking at the Products Day event.

Ati stands out for its full-stack approach — developing every critical component of its AMRs in-house, from navigation algorithms to mechanical design and fleet management software.

The company’s engineering philosophy centres on solving real-world problems, instead of expecting customers to make significant modifications to their factory or warehouse environments. The Sherpas can function in conditions including uneven floors, outdoor environments, and areas with poor connectivity.

“For a customer in Michigan, we operated in them in snow,” CTO Arulselvan tells me in a recent interview.

As the operating environments get more challenging, “we like to say bring it on,” Chandra says. This approach has resulted in robots that can handle gradients, potholes, clutter, rain, and dust—conditions where traditional AGVs (automated guided vehicles) typically don’t do well.

The technical sophistication of Ati’s products demonstrates Indian engineering capabilities. The company is emerging as a leader in the use of 3D LiDAR-based navigation for industrial robots, enabling them to operate without infrastructure modifications such as magnetic strips or reflective markers. All autonomy processing occurs entirely onboard the robots, eliminating dependency on cloud connectivity or remote human operators.

“Our engineering team actually said if you do that, it will be a crutch that we will never get rid of,” Chandra looks back at the early decision to avoid teleoperation, in a recent interview with me. “So let us just not do it at all from the beginning. If it fails, let it be a failure that we need to fix,” rather than there being some human backup system.

This engineering discipline has paid dividends. The newly launched Sherpa 10K represents a significant technical achievement, featuring a 4.6-ton towing capacity with advanced sensor fusion combining 3D LiDAR and cameras, in-place turning for tight spaces, and the ability to operate on gradients up to 10 percent. The system integrates with existing enterprise resource planning and warehouse management systems while maintaining compliance with ISO 3691-4 safety standards.

“Our journey started with autonomous material movement, but our horizons have grown rapidly. Today, we go beyond movement: we track material, handle it and even transform it, through our AI platform: Ati Verse,” CTO Naveen Arulselvan says.

Chandra credits Bengaluru’s multidisciplinary talent pool and manufacturing ecosystem – including the emerging electric vehicle ecosystem in the country – as important factors that support rapid product iteration and real-world feedback. Very few other locations anywhere in the world have this, he says.

The city’s strong manufacturing industry, though overshadowed by its IT services reputation, provides immediate access to potential customers and an ecosystem of manufacturing expertise.

Ati has deployed robots at more than 50 customers globally, including Fortune 500 companies such as Bosch, Forvia, and Hyundai. The company operates in India, the United States, Mexico, Thailand, Singapore, and Vietnam, with plans to expand into Europe and Japan.

After raising $20 million in a Series B round in January 2025, led by Walden Catalyst Ventures and NGP Capital, total funding at Ati touched approximately $37 million. This investment supports the company’s expansion from deploying hundreds of robots to targeting thousands — a scaling challenge that Indian deep-tech companies like Ati will have to successfully navigate if they are to become truly global companies.

Customer confidence in Ati’s technology is reflected by the 27 percent increase in same-robot usage year-over-year, indicating not just adoption but deepening integration. This metric validates the engineering quality, as industrial customers demand high reliability before integrating automation into production processes.

Humanoid future

At the Products Day, a singular highlight was the surprise arrival of Mecha, Ati’s experimental humanoid robot prototype. It is now already available for research partnerships, signalling Ati’s ambitions beyond traditional material handling.

Mecha reflects a broader engineering philosophy at Ati Motors that emphasizes functionality and performance. Chandra explains that it’s less important for the humanoid to be a biped and have legs just for the sake of the form factor. In fact, Mecha came trundling out on to the stage on its own wheels.

With its arms “it doesn’t have fingers, it has tool changers,” Chandra points out.

The humanoid features best-in-class payload capabilities and carbon fibre construction with cable transmission systems, according to Ati. By offering the platform for research partnerships at $50,000, Ati aims to accelerate innovation through collaboration.

Mobile robots represent the first automation technology in manufacturing that operates without fixed boundaries — a fundamental shift that requires new operation...

Daily brief on deep tech and climate tech news from India and around the world.

Global warming and climate change concept. Hot weather thermometer with arrow on high temperature symbol on glass earth globe on red drought background with copy space. Increase hot degrees level.

India set to mandate climate risk disclosures for banks by 2028
India’s central bank, RBI, is finalizing rules to require banks and financial institutions to regularly disclose and manage climate-related financial risks, Reuters reports. The disclosures will be voluntary from fiscal 2027 and mandatory from 2028, covering exposure to climate risks, mitigation strategies, and scenario-based stress testing for extreme weather events. The move aims to boost transparency and align with global climate objectives.

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Singapore and China deepen cooperation on green finance
Singapore and China are advancing joint efforts in sustainable finance, focusing on aligning their green taxonomies and improving cross-border investment, Business Times reports. At their recent Green Finance Taskforce meeting, officials highlighted progress on interoperable standards, deployment of the Multi-Jurisdiction Common Ground Taxonomy, and leveraging technology for emissions monitoring. Initiatives also target green syndicated loans and increased collaboration in green bond issuance, biodiversity finance, and technology-driven solutions.

EU regulators propose including ESG risks in finance stress tests
EU financial watchdogs propose requiring national regulators to add environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risks to bank and insurance stress tests for more consistent supervision, Green Central Banking reports. The plan emphasizes climate and environmental factors initially, with social and governance risks added gradually. Experts question if current climate stress tests adequately capture financial losses, highlighting the need for actions beyond analysis.

European climate funding drops 71% in 2025 as big debt deals vanish
Climate tech investment in Europe fell sharply in the first half of 2025, plunging 71 percent year-on-year to €6.2 billion, Sifted reports. This decline follows a surge in 2024 caused by unusually large debt deals, like the €5bn Northvolt round. While late-stage deals disappeared, early-stage investing has stayed steadier. Industry insiders say the market is digesting previous investments and bracing for future opportunities.

Airlines warned of legal risks over greenwashing jet fuel
And UK NGO, Opportunity Green, has warned that airlines risk lawsuits for labelling all alternatives to kerosene as “sustainable” without robust proof, Climate Change News reports. Fraud and greenwashing claims are rising, especially with questionable sustainable aviation fuel supply chains. Regulators have already penalized airlines for misleading environmental claims, urging accurate terminology and transparency on fuel sources and true climate impact.

EV giant Rivian to open London hub focused on AI and autonomy
American electric vehicle maker Rivian is launching its first UK office in London to tap into the city’s “world-class” AI engineering talent, according to Sifted. The hub will accelerate development of autonomous driving and AI technologies for Rivian’s vehicles. This move signals Rivian’s commitment to advanced vehicle tech and expansion into the European market.

Apple to buy $500 million in rare earths from MP Materials
Apple has agreed to purchase $500 million worth of rare earth materials from MP Materials, a Pentagon-supported US producer, TechCrunch reports. The multi-year deal aims to secure key minerals used in iPhones and other devices while reducing reliance on Chinese supply chains. This partnership strengthens US domestic production of critical materials and supports Apple’s commitment to supply chain resilience and sustainability.

Microsoft, Vaulted Deep partner to bury biomass waste deep
Microsoft has struck a deal with Vaulted Deep, an Xprize winning startup, to transform biomass waste into long-term carbon storage as part of the cloud giant’s carbon removal efforts, Bioenergy Insight reports. The process involves safely injecting treated agricultural biomass deep underground, locking away carbon for centuries. This partnership advances scalable, verifiable carbon sequestration solutions and highlights increasing corporate investment in novel carbon removal technologies.

Transvolt raises $20 million from IFC as part of $50 million round
Transvolt Mobility has raised $20 million from the International Finance Corporation as part of its $50 million financing round to expand its electric vehicle (EV) fleet, according to an IFC press release. This is IFC’s first equity investment in an EV platform in India and globally. It will enable Transvolt to scale its electric fleet portfolio to 3,500 vehicles and create 8,200 jobs in the next five years. It will also support the company’s long-term goal of deploying 8,000 heavy commercial EVs such as buses and trucks across India. Transvolt operates an OEM-agnostic EV platform serving both public and private sectors.

Omspace Rocket raises $3 million to advance small satellite launches
Ahmedabad-based space-tech startup Omspace Rocket & Exploration Private Limited has raised $3 million in pre-seed funding led by a family office and angel investors. Funds will finalize and launch the firm’s Infinity One prototype, a modular vehicle for cost-effective satellite delivery to low Earth orbit. Omspace will expand R&D, manufacturing, and hiring.

Japan sees ...

Daily brief on deep tech and climate tech news from India and around the world.

Dr. Nagendra Nagaraja, founder and CEO, QpiAI, has just raised $32 million to develop his company’s Quantum computing tech.

One Biosciences raises €15 million to accelerate precision oncology
Paris-based One Biosciences has closed a €15 million Series A round led by Redmile Group and Blast, with contributions from Galion.exe, Invus, and Sofinnova Partners. The funds will be used to expedite clinical development of OneMap, an AI-driven single-cell transcriptomic platform, and to scale strategic partnerships. Founded in 2020, One Biosciences combines single-cell analysis with AI to transform cancer diagnosis and guide individualised treatment decisions.

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Q.ANT secures €62 million to advance photonic computing
Q.ANT, a German deep tech company, has raised €62 million in a Series A funding round led by Cherry Ventures, UVC Partners, and imec.xpand, with participation from L-Bank, Verve Ventures, TRUMPF, and others.

This investment will accelerate commercialization of Q.ANT’s energy-efficient photonic processors for AI and high-performance computing, according to a press release. The capital will drive production scale-up, product development, team expansion, and the company’s entry into the US market.

“Photonic computing will transform the future of data processing,” Michael Försch, founder and CEO of Q.ANT says in a press release.

QpiAI raises $32 million to accelerate global quantum computer rollout
Bengaluru-based QpiAI has raised Rs. 279 crore ($32 million) in a Series A round led by Avataar Ventures and India’s National Quantum Mission, according to a press release. Existing and new investors also joined the round.
QpiAI develops full-stack quantum computers and real-world quantum applications for industries like pharmaceuticals and automotive. The funds will speed up utility-scale quantum computer delivery and global expansion. The company, led by Dr. Nagendra Nagaraja, has teams in India, Finland, and the US.

Lovable lands $200 million from Accel to expand AI-powered app building
Lovable, an AI startup in Stockholm, has raised $200 million in a Series A round led by Accel, catapulting its valuation to $1.8 billion. Lovable, founded in 2023 by Anton Osika and Fabian Hedin, enables anyone to build apps without writing code.

With 2.3 million users already, the company’s “vibe coding” platform aims to make software creation accessible to all, not just developers. The funding will fuel product expansion and global growth.

Tech giants warn window to monitor AI reasoning is closing
Meanwhile, a coalition of AI leaders from Google DeepMind, OpenAI, Meta, and Anthropic has published a position paper that issues an urgent warning that the ability to monitor how advanced AI systems “think” could soon be lost.

Among the “Expert endorsers” of the paper are Geoffrey Hinton, widely referred to as the father of AI, and Ilya Sutskever, co-founder of OpenAI and founder of Safe Superintelligence Inc.

In the paper, which was published on July 15, they advocate for intensified focus on monitoring chain-of-thought (CoT) reasoning — a key method for glimpsing the decision – making of top AI models. The researchers call for new safety measures, stressing that without action, AI reasoning may become opaque and unmonitorable as technology advances.

The abstract of the paper reads as follows: “AI systems that ‘think’ in human language offer a unique opportunity for AI safety: we can monitor their chains of thought (CoT) for the intent to misbehave. Like all other known AI oversight methods, CoT monitoring is imperfect and allows some misbehavior to go unnoticed.”

“Nevertheless, it shows promise, and we recommend further research into CoT monitorability and investment in CoT monitoring alongside existing safety methods. Because CoT monitorability may be fragile, we recommend that frontier model developers consider the impact of development decisions on CoT monitorability.”

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India marks 10 years of Digital India, expands AI training for rural citizens
India’s Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, celebrated a decade of Digital India achievements – including the Common Service Centre (CSC) network – by announcing free AI training for 1 million citizens, with village-level entrepreneurs (VLEs) given priority.

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw emphasized CSC’s reach — serving nearly 90 percent of villages — and praised the digital empowerment of rural communities, especially women leaders. The event highlighted CSCs’ pivotal role in bridging the digital divide and delivering essential government and business services nationwide.

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Robots gain new autonomy with ‘robot metabolism’ and self-heal
Researchers at Columbia University have unveiled robots capable of self-growth and repair by absorbing parts from other machines or their environment—a process they call “Robot Metabolism.” Demonstrated using modular, magnet-link robots, these machines can physically adapt, heal damage, and enhance their abilities.

This breakthrough enables a new level of physical autonomy, potentially transforming applications in disaster recovery and space exploration. Experts see this as the first step towards robots capable of long-term, self-sustaining operations.

Former Waymo engineers’ venture Bedrock Robotics raises $80 million
Bedrock Robotics, founded by Waymo veterans, has emerged from stealth with $80 million in funding aimed at bringing cutting automation tech to the construction industry.

The company retrofits existing heavy equipment like excavators with AI, cameras, and lidar for 24/7 operation. Their solution addresses labor shortages and productivity in construction without requiring purchase of new machinery. Bedrock’s technology aims to speed up projects, cut labor costs, and enhance operational data insights while enabling human crews to focus on complex tasks.

Quadsat, Danish electronic warfare tech venture, raises €5 million
Quadsat, a Danish leader in spectrum intelligence and RF geolocation, has secured €5 million to advance its defense-grade electronic warfare solutions. Their drone-based technology rapidly detects, classifies, and pinpoints hostile signals, supporting military and commercial satellite operators amid rising threats of jamming and interference.

The new funding accelerates Quadsat’s growth in NATO markets and enhances its flexible, field-deployable systems, positioning the company to set new standards in spectrum awareness and multi-domain electronic warfare.

Zuppa, drone startup, raises $1.5 million bridge from operator-angels
Here in India, Zuppa Geo Navigation Technologies, a drone technologies venture, has secured $1.5 million in a bridge round led by operator-angels including Rahul Dewan and Ajay Gupta and the Mangwani Family Office, according to a press release.

The money and strategic backing will help Zuppa strengthen its proprietary drone platforms, which operate independently of GPS or strong internet, according to the release.

NASA will not publish key US climate report online
NASA has reversed plans to host the latest US National Climate Assessment online, citing no legal obligation, after the previous public website was shut down. This move contradicts earlier White House guidance and complicates public access to critical, peer-reviewed findings about climate change risks in the US, according to Space.com.

Experts warn the decision hinders transparent access to essential science used by officials, researchers, and communities to plan for climate resilience, Space.com notes.

Ati Motors’ product day this weekend: what you should know
In the world of industrial robots, pathbreaking work is being done not just in far away Denmark or Japan or South Korea, but right here in namma Bengaluru, by companies like Ati Motors and CynLr.

This Saturday in fact, Ati is holding its annual product day, where one can anticipate some cutting-edge innovations to be unveiled, at the Indian Institute of Science’s JN Tata Auditorium complex.

In industry, the reasons for automation usually the practical and pragmatic ones, in terms of improving productivity, efficiency and effectiveness. And at Ati’s unveil day, one can expect to see evidence that industrial automation will only accelerate in the future, even in the near future.