Observed Signal · Feb 16, 2026 · Funding · Source: techcrunch · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Peak XV Invests in C2i to Power AI Data Centers
Peak XV Partners led a $15 million Series A in C2i Semiconductors, an Indian startup building plug-and-play, system-level power solutions aimed at reducing energy losses inside AI data centers. Participants in the round include Yali Deeptech and TDK Ventures, bringing C2i’s total funding to $19 million. C2i — founded in 2024 by former Texas Instruments power executives — says its integrated "grid-to-GPU" approach can cut end-to-end power conversion losses by ~10%, improving cooling, GPU utilization and total cost of ownership. The Bengaluru firm has about 65 engineers, plans U.S. and Taiwan customer-facing operations, and expects its first two silicon designs to return from fabrication between April and June for validation with data-center operators and hyperscalers. The raise comes amid forecasts of sharply rising global data-center electricity demand.
Funding and progress in system-level power delivery for AI data centers could materially affect AI infrastructure economics and operational costs, but the technology and commercial validation are still pending forthcoming silicon and customer tests.
Track Peak Signals & Market Shifts in Real-Time
Polaris7 autonomous intelligence agents track regulatory filings, primary sources, executive changes, and deal flow 24/7. Create your free Explorer workspace to monitor these entities.
Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- C2i Semiconductors raised $15 million in a Series A round led by Peak XV Partners.
- Participation in the round included Yali Deeptech and TDK Ventures; C2i’s total funding is $19 million.
- C2i claims its integrated "grid-to-GPU" power-delivery system can cut end-to-end losses by around 10% (~100 kW saved per MW).
- C2i expects first two silicon designs to return from fabrication between April and June for customer validation.
- C2i is Bengaluru-based, was founded in 2024, and has a team of roughly 65 engineers with plans for U.S. and Taiwan operations.
Connected Companies & Entities
3 Entities mappedOntology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
Peak XV Secures $1.3B to Boost AI Investments in India
Peak XV announced a $1.3 billion raise across new India- and Asia-focused funds, increasing its assets under management to more than $10 billion. The capital will be deployed mainly into India seed and venture funds and an APAC vehicle, with the firm expecting to invest the pool over the next two to three years. Peak XV said it will prioritise investments in AI, fintech, consumer startups and emerging deep tech, and has made more than 80 AI investments to date. The firm split from Sequoia Capital in 2023 and now holds a portfolio of more than 450 companies across fintech, software and consumer internet. Managing director Shailendra Singh emphasised a returns-focused, selective approach and noted the firm is still building its U.S. presence. The raise was announced as New Delhi hosted the AI Impact Summit, where other investors and tech companies, including General Catalyst, OpenAI, Anthropic and Google, were present.
Niv-AI Launches to Optimize GPU Power in Data Centers
Niv-AI, a Tel Aviv-based startup, exited stealth with $12 million in seed funding to measure and manage GPU power usage in data centers. Founded last year by CEO Tomer Timor and CTO Edward Kizis, the company is deploying rack-level sensors that capture millisecond-scale GPU power profiles and plans to build AI models to predict and synchronize power loads — a “copilot” for data center engineers. Backers include Glilot Capital, Grove Ventures, Arc VC, Encoded VC, Leap Forward and Aurora. Niv-AI expects operational deployments in a handful of U.S. data centers within six to eight months and positions its product as an intelligence layer between data centers and the electrical grid.
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.
Track Real-Time Market Signals & Shifts
Set up custom watchlists to receive automated, evidence-grounded executive digests whenever material signals or shifts occur across your tracked landscape.