What They Build
Aheesa designs RISC-V-based broadband networking SoCs for optical fibre access networks, including GPON and EPON last-mile connectivity.
Why They Matter
Telecom access silicon is a national infrastructure layer hiding inside boxes that most users never see. Aheesa matters because VIHAAN-I crossed the tape-out threshold on 28nm and targets a merchant-silicon gap in Indian fibre deployments. Commercial adoption will determine whether the technical milestone becomes market leverage.
Founders
Sridharan Mani, Sukha Ghosh, Swaroop Adusumilli, Anilraj Nair, Saket Singh, Anantharaman Jayachandran
Recent Milestones
- Founded in 2021 by semiconductor, firmware, and telecom veterans
- DLI approval and MeitY/ISM support secured
- VIHAAN-I 28nm tape-out announced in February 2026, fabricated by UMC around the C-DAC Vega RISC-V core
- Rs 20 crore investment from Tamil Nadu's TNIFMC emerging-sector seed fund signed in March 2026
- Pre-silicon validation completed by June 2026, including FPGA testing and interoperability trials with industry-standard OLTs; commercial availability targeted for early 2027