Delhi-based startup Velmenni raised ₹30 crore in a pre-Series A funding round, led by pi Ventures, which also saw participation from MountTech Growth Fund-Kavachh and Apekso. The company intends to use the raised capital to help commercialize its patented light-based wireless connectivity solutions, build customized solutions for defence and enterprise, and expand globally.
The startup specializes in Light Fidelity (Li-Fi): wireless tech that lets data be transmitted through light, typically for indoor use cases, and free space optics (FSO): using light to transmit data over long distances. It’s worth noting that neither is a complete replacement for conventional infrastructure, as both work best with line-of-sight and minimal interference. Fittingly, Founder and CEO Deepak Solanki said that the company aims to capture a sweet spot where fiber deployment can be slow, and RF is too interference-prone to trust. He also noted the cost intensity of licensed-band communication.
With multiple POC projects completed and over 50 deployments across India, Southeast Asia, and the United States, the company has secured a multi-million dollar contract from India’s defence sector. They’ve already deployed commercial carrier-grade FSO backhaul links in Odisha for a private 5G network at a GMR thermal power plant, maintaining 99.9% uptime across over 18 months of tropical weather.
