Fox Mandal & Associates, Chandhiok & Mahajan, Arth Legal, and LexStart Partners have advised on the BigEndian Semiconductors Pre-Series A fundraise, in which the Bengaluru-based fabless chip startup raised $6 million through a Compulsorily Convertible Preference Shares (CCPS) round. The transaction was led by IAN Alpha Fund, with participation from Vertex Ventures SEA and India, IvyCap Ventures, and angel investors.
Introduction
BigEndian Semiconductors Private Limited has raised $6 million in a Pre-Series A funding round led by IAN Alpha Fund, with participation from existing investors Vertex Ventures SEA and India, IvyCap Ventures, and strategic angel investors. The fundraise was structured as a CCPS issuance. The company was co-founded in March 2024 by Sunil Kumar, Renuka Prasad, Dinesh Annayya, Kanagaraju Ponnusamy, and Jansen Cheng.
Prior to this round, the Bengaluru-based startup had secured $3 million in a seed funding round from Vertex Ventures in August 2024. The Pre-Series A transaction marks a significant step forward in the company’s commercialisation journey. BigEndian Semiconductors is developing System-on-Chips (SoCs) focused on AI Vision applications, enabling machines to process and interpret visual data at the edge.
Deal Value
BigEndian Semiconductors raised $6 million (approximately ₹57.1 crore) in its Pre-Series A funding round led by IAN Alpha Fund. The startup indicated it may keep the round open and raise an additional $4 million if needed. The capital raised will assist the company in commencing its commercial operations and global expansion.
Legal Teams Involved
Four law firms advised various parties to the transaction. A breakdown of each team is set out below.
Fox Mandal & Associates — Advised BigEndian Semiconductors
Fox Mandal & Associates advised BigEndian Semiconductors on this fundraise, rendering comprehensive legal support throughout the transaction — including advising on transaction structure, drafting, reviewing and negotiating the definitive transaction documents, facilitating their execution, and assisting with the satisfaction of closing conditions and other ancillary matters.
The transaction team consisted of the following members, with the company’s secretarial matters managed separately:
- Shuva Mandal — Chairman & Managing Partner
- Rajesh Vellakkat — Senior Partner
- Pallavi KP — Group Head
- Rupal Chhaya — Associate
- CS Deepak Rai — Secretarial matters
Chandhiok & Mahajan — Advised IAN Alpha Fund
Chandhiok & Mahajan advised the lead investor IAN Alpha Fund on this fundraise. Further details of the advising team were not disclosed.
Arth Legal — Advised Vertex Ventures SEA and India
Arth Legal advised existing investor Vertex Ventures SEA and India on this fundraise. Further details of the advising team were not disclosed.
LexStart Partners — Advised IvyCap Ventures
LexStart Partners advised IvyCap Ventures Trust Fund III on this fundraise. Further details of the advising team were not disclosed.
Significance and Impact
This transaction is notable for its sectoral context: it is one of a growing number of early-stage fundraises in India’s fabless semiconductor design ecosystem. BigEndian Semiconductors has already completed tape-out of its first commercial chip — a significant execution milestone that reduces risk for customers and investors alike.
The proceeds will be used to commercialise the company’s first SoC, scale product engineering, and strengthen partnerships across foundries, IP ecosystems, and OEMs. The startup is focused on secure silicon for surveillance, telecom, IoT, and enterprise systems, applying a security-by-design approach, and is also working on next-generation secure Vision Edge AI architectures.
From a legal-market perspective, the transaction saw four firms advising across the investor and company sides, reflecting the increasingly structured approach to venture deals in India’s deeptech sector. The fundraise comes as the government launched India Semiconductor Mission 2.0 in the Union Budget 2026-27 and mandated that surveillance equipment comply with STQC norms — a move widely seen as promoting domestic chipmakers over Chinese competitors. The deal is tracked on Deal Meter.
The BigEndian Semiconductors Pre-Series A fundraise, involving four law firms across both company and investor sides, underscores the growing legal complexity of India’s deeptech venture transactions. For India’s startup ecosystem, this deal is a healthy indicator that deeptech is no longer only policy talk — it is becoming a funded, buildable pathway. With commercial operations and global expansion now on the horizon, the transaction sets a meaningful precedent for structured early-stage semiconductor fundraises in India.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. It is based on the details provided and publicly available sources.
