A Kerala-based startup backed by Zoho, Netrasemi, has test-run its flagship A2000 AI system-on-chip and declared it production-ready as it begins early trials with three customers in surveillance and automotive, aiming for a commercial launch mid-2027.

The company will share designs with select OEMs for joint R&D to develop additional commercial use cases, with commercial production planned next year at TSMC in Taiwan.

Future manufacturing is envisaged to shift to Tata Electronics’ facility in Gujarat, India, after initial production at TSMC.

Government support through MeitY’s DLI and DIS programs helped Netrasemi, which was among the first four startups to receive 15 crore INR DLI funding in 2023.

Netrasemi is pursuing co-development with leading OEMs to explore commercial use cases and accelerate adoption in smart cameras, Edge AI boxes, and intelligent video gateways.

The A2000 uses TSMC’s 12-nanometer process, and its chip size is smaller than the earlier Indian plan for the Dholera facility.

The 12 nm A2000 chip targets on-device AI for smart cameras and edge platforms, delivering high-TOPS performance for computer vision and video streaming, with secure boot and substantial IO including PCIe, powered by Netrasemi’s own NPU, VPUs, ISP, crypto engines and other IP cores.

CEO Jyothis Indirabhai notes the architecture is optimized for compact, power- and cost-sensitive edge devices and that collaborations with several leading OEMs are underway for samples and co-development.

The A2000 is designed for real-time video analytics and smart vision in applications like surveillance drones, robotics, and industrial automation, emphasizing power-efficient edge computing with hardware acceleration.

Fabrication is currently at TSMC in Taiwan using a 12-nanometer process, with commercial production planned after successful silicon bring-up; initial plans had considered Tata Electronics’ Dholera facility in Gujarat.