Bengaluru-Based Maieutic Semiconductor Raises $4.15 mn to Build GenAI Copilot for Chip Design

Bengaluru-based deeptech startup Maieutic Semiconductor has secured $4.15 million in seed funding.

The round will support the company’s mission to develop the world’s first GenAI copilot for analogue chip design, a breakthrough aimed at modernising one of the most resistant domains in hardware engineering.

According to the startup, funding will be used to expand the engineering team and speed up platform development.

Founded by Gireesh Rajendran, Ashish Lachhwani, Rakesh Kumar, and Krishna Sankar, Maieutic’s platform is designed to accelerate early chip development, detect bugs automatically, and assist designers in making smarter trade-offs—all using AI tailored specifically for circuit design.

CEO Gireesh Rajendran said that semiconductor design has long resisted the adoption of modern productivity tools. He noted that Maieutic’s copilot can shorten the design cycle from weeks to days and automatically detect inconsistencies without the need for expert intervention.

Chip development often involves repetitive manual tasks such as drawing circuits and creating test benches. He stated that Maieutic’s agentic workflow is designed to automate these non-creative processes, allowing designers to concentrate on innovation.

CTO Krishna Sankar highlighted the critical importance of accuracy, noting that the tool incorporates built-in safeguards to minimize AI hallucinations and ensure reliable outputs.

While deployment is yet to begin, Maieutic is positioning itself to transform analogue workflows in a space long overdue for automation.

The funding round was co-led by Endiya Partners and Exfinity Venture Partners.