1. Unconventional AI

Location: USA

News:

Naveen Rao’s new venture, Unconventional AI, raised a $475M seed round at a $4.5B valuation. The startup aims to overhaul foundational challenges in large-scale AI infrastructure.

Why It’s Interesting:

  • Led by industry veteran Naveen Rao (Intel, Databricks), Unconventional AI is leveraging its founder’s software-hardware expertise to solve LLM scaling bottlenecks. Its record-breaking seed round underscores a massive market bet on infrastructure-first AI solutions.

Potential:

  • Unconventional AI’s historic seed round positions it to compete with top global labs, marking a major milestone for Indian-origin leadership in AI infrastructure. The firm is set to be a defining force in the next phase of global AI evolution.

2. Kompact AI

Location: USA / India

News:

Hrishikesh Dewan’s Kompact AI enables GPU-class performance on standard CPUs, bypassing the need for expensive hardware. The Palo Alto and Bengaluru-based platform aims to makeadvanced AI accessible and cost-effective.

Why It’s Interesting:

  • Kompact AI tackles AI adoption bottlenecks by allowing enterprises to deploy sophisticated models on standard hardware at a significantly lower cost. Its collaboration with IIT Madras highlights a powerful synergy between deep academic research and global market execution.

Potential:

  • By democratizing high-performance AI on standard hardware, Kompact AI is poised to decentralize global intelligence and lower the barriers to entry for scalable infrastructure. This innovation further cements India’s position as a powerhouse for world-class deep-tech solutions.

3. Runpod

Location: USA

News:

Founded by Pardeep Singh and Zhen Lu, RunPod has reached $120M ARR by offering a streamlined alternative to cloud hyperscalers. The 2021 pivot from crypto mining to AI hosting successfully filled a critical gap in efficient GPU utilization.

Why It’s Interesting:

  • RunPod achieved $1M in revenue through organic, community-led growth before securing a $20M seed round from Dell and Intel. Today, the platform supports over 500,000 developers, proving the power of high-performance, cost-effective GPU computers.

Potential:

  • As GPU demand outpaces supply, RunPod is challenging the cloud duopoly by providing a developer-first infrastructure layer for the global AI economy. This success underscores the “Global Indian Alpha” shift, with Indian-origin founders building the foundational engines of next-gen AI.