Qualcomm to invest $150 Mn in Indian AI and tech startups

Qualcomm, a US-based semiconductor and telecommunications firm, plans to invest up to $150 million in Indian startups through its venture arm, Qualcomm Ventures. The investments will be made via its Strategic AI Venture Fund, with a focus on artificial intelligence and deep technology startups.

The announcement coincides with its participation in the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi.

The fund will back companies across stages, with a focus on sectors such as automotive, IoT, robotics, mobile technologies, and edge computing. Qualcomm is looking to support startups building AI and edge-AI applications for devices, industrial systems, and connected platforms that run on on-device processing.

Through this initiative, Qualcomm plans to strengthen the development of AI-native products built for both domestic consumption and export markets.

Qualcomm Ventures has previously invested in Indian startups across sectors including mobility, enterprise SaaS, consumer internet, and hardware. With this new capital, the firm plans to expand its portfolio in deeptech and semiconductor-linked innovation.

The investment also comes amid increasing policy support for semiconductor manufacturing and AI development in India. Qualcomm expects to work closely with founders on product development, go-to-market strategies, and global partnerships, beyond just capital deployment.