Inc42 names 30 early-stage startups to watch in deeptech, AI, and semiconductors
Inc42 has released the 71st edition of its 30 Startups To Watch list, powered by Peak XV Partners. The list highlights 30 early-stage startups in deeptech, semiconductors, and AI, reflecting a focus on sectors deemed critical for India’s innovation landscape. The selection comes as the broader startup ecosystem navigates a slower funding climate.
Editor, Lazyfounder
Focus of the list
The 71st edition of Inc42’s 30 Startups To Watch list, powered by Peak XV Partners, highlights 30 early-stage startups across deeptech, semiconductors, and AI. According to Inc42, these sectors were chosen for their potential to drive homegrown innovation in India’s startup ecosystem.
Market context
The list arrives amid a slower, more cautious funding environment for Indian startups. Inc42 reports that May 2026 saw the ecosystem adopt a defensive stance, with layoffs, controversies, and macroeconomic pressures affecting sentiment. Despite this, the month also marked India’s first spacetech unicorn, Skyroot, and new fund launches aimed at backing domestic innovation.
What this means
Lazyfounder analysis — our interpretation, not reported fact.
For founders and operators, this list signals where early-stage capital and attention are concentrating in India’s tech ecosystem. Deeptech, semiconductors, and AI are clearly areas where investors see long-term potential, even as broader funding slows. The inclusion of these startups may also serve as a benchmark for founders in these sectors to assess their own progress and positioning.
Sources
- inc42.com · 2026-06-02
30 Startups To Watch: Startups That Caught Our Eye In May 2026
This story is an original summary drafted with AI by Lazyfounder from the reporting listed above and checked by automated validation. Facts are attributed to their original publishers; sections marked as analysis are Lazyfounder's. Where a source is in another language, facts were machine-translated and quotations are reported, not reproduced. Read the original coverage via the links, and see our AI policy and corrections policy.
About the author
Editor, Lazyfounder
Tarun Mottlia edits LazyFounders, covering Indian startups, funding rounds, AI and product launches. Every story on the site is AI-assisted and checked against its cited sources before publication.
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