Elevation Capital

Nvidia Boosts AI Startup Scene in India with Partnerships

Nvidia is intensifying outreach to India’s AI startup ecosystem through a series of partnerships designed to engage founders earlier in their lifecycle. The chipmaker partnered with early-stage VC Activate — which plans to back about 25–30 AI startups from a $75 million debut fund — to give portfolio companies preferential access to Nvidia’s technical expertise. Nvidia also announced collaborations with AI Grants India and several India-focused venture firms (including Accel, Peak XV, Z47, Elevation Capital and Nexus Venture Partners). The moves coincide with India’s AI Impact Summit; Nvidia executive Jay Puri attended after CEO Jensen Huang was unable to attend. Nvidia says earlier technical engagement helps it position for long-term compute demand as Indian AI startups scale.

Nvidia Boosts India's AI Startups with VC Partnerships

Nvidia is expanding its presence in India by partnering with several venture capital firms — including Peak XV, Z47, Elevation Capital, Nexus Venture Partners and Accel India — to identify and fund AI startups. The company says more than 4,000 Indian startups have joined its global startup program and that it is collaborating with government agencies, research institutions and local cloud providers (Yotta, Larsen & Toubro, E2E Networks) to build domestic data centers and provide AI chip clusters. Nvidia is also promoting its Nemotron family of models to help Indian firms train AI on local data and languages, aligning with New Delhi’s IndiaAI mission and broader sovereign-AI goals. The article notes large planned investments in India’s semiconductor and data‑center sectors, including government-approved semiconductor projects and industry commitments by Adani and major U.S. hyperscalers.

China Booming Despite Strict Crackdown; Twitter Receive Green Light from Nigeria - ExchangeWire.com

ExchangeWire's digest notes that China's tech sector continues to boom despite government crackdowns, with 2021 venture funding reaching about USD$131bn (£95.5bn) and H1 2021 ad tech and martech funding totaling USD$607m (£442.4m). Alibaba Group Holding faced a record USD$2.8bn antitrust fine in April, while China tightened penalties under the 2008 anti-monopoly law. The piece highlights China surpassing the US in several investment areas in 2021, including a rise of roughly USD£1.3bn (£947m) in VC funding for semiconductor makers, startups, and IC designers. It also covers regulatory pressure and Didi Chuxing’s NYSE delisting with talks of a Hong Kong listing, alongside President Xi Jinping’s stance against “irrational expansion of capital.” In Nigeria, Twitter’s seven-month ban was lifted on January 13, 2022 after government compliance steps. Separately, Turnip raised USD$12.5m in a Series A led by Greenoaks and Elevation Capital to expand in India, Southeast Asia, and Latin America.