Redstart Labs Research
Investment Thesis
Redstart Labs is an early-stage deep tech venture capital fund founded in December 2020 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Info Edge (India) Ltd. The firm's guiding thesis is: "The next era of value is built on atoms, not apps." While software dominated the previous wave of value creation, Redstart believes the most consequential companies of the next decade will begin not with a product roadmap, but with a research paper, a patent, or a scientific discovery.
Redstart backs founders who start in the laboratory — those whose competitive advantage is a genuine scientific breakthrough, not merely a clever business model. The firm provides patient capital, recognizing that deep tech development cycles are fundamentally longer and more capital-intensive than software, requiring unwavering conviction through periods where progress is invisible to conventional investors.
The firm differentiates through three principles:
- Science-First: Backing founders whose competitive moats derive from genuine scientific breakthroughs
- Hands-On: Going deep alongside founders on engineering, product strategy, business thinking, execution discipline, and scaling — not just writing checks
- Patient Capital: Holding conviction through the long development cycles that breakthrough science demands
Sector Focus
Redstart focuses on six core sectors, each representing a domain where science-driven companies can build deeply defensible businesses:
Robotics and Automation: Machines that perceive, decide, and act in the physical world. Autonomous systems tackling logistics, manufacturing, and industrial environments, from AI-powered dexterity to universal visual intelligence for perception. Portfolio examples include Unbox Robotics (AI-powered vertical robotic sortation for e-commerce warehouses) and CynLr (universal visual intelligence platform for industrial robots).
Drones and Aerospace: Autonomous aerial systems, in-space propulsion, and electric aviation. Hardware-software stacks operating in unstructured, high-stakes environments. Portfolio examples include Skylark Drones (enterprise drone intelligence for survey and inspection), ePlaneCo (India's first e-VTOL electric aircraft), and SkyServe (edge computing and AI deployed onboard satellites for near-real-time geospatial insights).
AI and Computer Vision: Applied intelligence in genuinely hard domains. BrainSight AI applies AI to interpret brain MRIs for neurologists and psychiatrists. Attentive AI turns drone and satellite imagery into actionable intelligence for landscaping and agriculture. Anthriq decodes brain and body biosignals to translate human intent into digital action.
Biotech and Life Sciences: Biology as an engineering substrate. StringBio develops alternative proteins and bio-stimulants for sustainable agriculture at the intersection of biotech and climate. RayIoT applies IoT to respiratory monitoring for clinical and home care settings.
Deep Tech Infrastructure: The foundational layers on which the science economy runs — intelligent sensors connecting devices for edge AI (Bharat Semi), enterprise data infrastructure for financial services (Lumiq), and new hardware interfaces for the AI era (Project Mirage / Aina).
Energy and Mobility: Next-generation electric aviation and the reimagination of how the world moves. ePlaneCo exemplifies this focus with compact electric planes for urban air mobility.
Stage Focus
Redstart invests primarily at the earliest stages of the deep tech lifecycle. Of 19 first investments through July 2026, 14 were at Seed stage, with 3 at Series A and 1 at a later stage (WSO2, a legacy Series E investment). The firm is willing to enter before most institutional capital, recognizing that science-driven companies need institutional support long before traditional product-market fit signals emerge.
Check Size
Typical check sizes at Seed range from approximately $400K to $3M, with an average Seed check of roughly $2M. At Series A follow-ons, the average check is approximately $3.2M. The firm co-led Aina's $5.5M seed in July 2026, demonstrating capacity for larger checks when conviction is high.
Lead Tendency
Redstart regularly leads or co-leads rounds at Seed stage. They co-led Aina Computers' $5.5M seed with 360 ONE Asset (July 2026), co-led Anthriq's seed round (April 2025), and co-led Unbox Robotics' $28M Series B with ICICI Venture (January 2026). At later stages, they typically participate as followers in portfolio company follow-on rounds.
Recent Portfolio Activity
2026 has been the most active recent year:
- July 2026: Co-led Aina Computers' $5.5M seed round. The startup (which had operated in stealth as Project Mirage) is building AI-native hardware interfaces for the age of AI, founded by Apoorv Shankar, former VP of Hardware at Ultrahuman.
- June 2026: Participated in Lumiq's Rs 50 Cr (~$5.9M) Series B led by Bajaj Finserv Ventures, valuing the firm at approximately Rs 440 Cr.
- January 2026: Co-led Unbox Robotics' $28M Series B alongside ICICI Venture.
2025 activity:
- July 2025: Participated in Bharat Semi's Series A for intelligent edge AI sensors.
- April 2025: Led Anthriq's seed round for biosignal EEG infrastructure.
- November 2025: Info Edge's board approved a Rs 100 Cr ($12M) capital injection into Redstart Labs to support ongoing deployment.
Portfolio Highlights and Notable Exits
Exit — WSO2: Acquired by EQT's BPEA Fund VIII in May 2024 for $600M+. Redstart had invested in WSO2's 2022 Series E round. WSO2 is a global provider of API management, integration, and identity and access management software headquartered in Santa Clara, CA.
Unbox Robotics: $28.2M total raised through Series B (January 2026). AI-powered vertical robotic sortation for e-commerce warehouses. One of India's leading supply chain robotics companies.
ePlaneCo: $21.5M total raised through Series B (October 2024). India's first electric VTOL aircraft for intra-city transport, targeting congestion in urban corridors.
Lumiq: Series B at approximately Rs 440 Cr valuation (June 2026). AI-native data infrastructure platform for financial services with 40+ global implementations and strong BFSI focus.
SkyServe: Deploys geo-AI models directly in space for near-real-time environmental intelligence — detecting dark ships, illegal mining, oil spills, and crop stress without requiring ground downlinks.
BrainSight AI: AI-driven interpretation of brain MRIs for neurologists and psychiatrists. Creates personalized brain maps through connectomics to enable precision neurological and psychiatric investigation.
Anthriq: Foundational biosignal infrastructure including a 13-channel wireless EEG headset with C++ and Python SDKs, targeting neurotech developers, researchers, and ultimately consumer brain-computer interfaces.
Team
- Vibhore Sharma, General Partner and Head of Deep Tech Investing. Former CTO at Info Edge, where he played a pivotal role in building and evolving the group's technology. Has made 30+ investments across deep tech sectors. Goes deep alongside founders on engineering, product, execution, and scaling. Personal site: droninghead.com.
- Sanjeev Bikhchandani, Founder and Chairman. Founded Info Edge (India) Ltd, home to Naukri.com, 99acres, Jeevansathi, and Shiksha — one of India's most successful internet companies. Was among the earliest believers in Zomato and Policybazaar. Core belief: good ideas and founders need patient capital, exactly the thesis Redstart Labs was built around.
Decision Process and Involvement
The firm operates as a small partnership. Vibhore Sharma leads deal sourcing and evaluation with Sanjeev Bikhchandani providing strategic oversight. Redstart typically takes active board involvement — Vibhore is known for going deep on engineering, product strategy, and execution alongside portfolio founders. This hands-on approach is a core differentiator versus larger institutional funds.
Founder Preferences
Redstart's portfolio pattern reveals a clear founder profile: scientists, engineers, and technical founders with deep domain expertise building companies rooted in proprietary scientific breakthroughs. The firm explicitly favors companies where the core competitive advantage would take years to replicate — not distribution-led businesses or business model innovations. Founders often come from research institutions, top technical universities, or deep R&D roles at established companies.
Geographic Focus
India-first (approximately 16 of 19 investments based in India) with selective investments in Indian-founded companies that have established US or international operations. Three portfolio companies are primarily US-based or have significant US operations. Co-investors include Info Edge Ventures, 3one4 Capital, ICICI Venture, 360 ONE Asset, Bajaj Finserv Ventures, and Infinyte Club.