Funding · AI & Deep Tech

AquaAirX raises Rs 12.5 crore seed round

By Startup Enthusiast · 31 January 2026

What they do

AquaAirX builds amphibious drones that transition from air to water for monitoring

The company raised Rs 12.5 crore led by Rainmatter with other investors

It plans manufacturing in 2027 and global expansion via Asia-Pacific partnerships

AquaAirX secured Rs 12.5 crore in a seed round of funding.
Rainmatter, the investment arm of Zerodha, led the investment round.
Investors included Prime Venture Partners, Wyser, and India Accelerator.
The Bengaluru-based startup focuses on deep-tech service robotics solutions.
It develops amphibious drones capable of transitioning between air and water environments.
The flagship product is a Hovering Autonomous Underwater Vehicle for inspections.
Target sectors include defence, energy, infrastructure, and commercial maritime operations.
Founders Jitendra Kumar Purnmal Saini and Gouthami TS co-founded the firm.

Manual underwater monitoring methods are often risky and expensive for operators.
Siloed platforms create intelligence gaps in air-water monitoring scenarios.
The technology addresses blind spots in critical infrastructure inspection tasks.
Previous grants supported prototype development before this equity funding.

The company operates as a deep-tech service robotics provider.
It targets defence, energy, and infrastructure sectors with its products.
Commercial maritime operations are also key target markets for deployment.
Technology Readiness Level reached 6 for the flagship platform recently.
An iDEX backing secured the first working prototype development phase.
International deployment occurred at a ConocoPhillips Malaysia offshore environment.
Parallel venture AEROGO generates revenue to support AquaAirX research efforts.
Manufacturing start and market entry are planned for 2027.
Global expansion aims for Asia-Pacific and Middle East partnerships.

Product: Amphibious aerial-to-underwater drones and hovering autonomous underwater vehicles (HAUVs).
Customers: Defense organizations, maritime security agencies, and high-value commercial marine infrastructure operators.
How it makes money: Direct equipment sales and contracts for autonomous robotic platforms, sensor payloads, and mission services.
What sets it apart: Proprietary design enabling seamless transitions between aerial flight and submerged operations alongside precision hovering AUVs.