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Tech Startup Zebu Secured $1M In Pre-Series A
Zebu, a next-generation tech startup, has recently raised $1 million in pre pre-series A funding round. It will leverage this investment to strengthen their armed forces and boost market expansion.
Summary:
1. Zebu, a Hyderabad-based tech startup, has raised $1 million in a pre-series A funding round led by Bluehill VC.
2. Zebu has built four products for the Indian Armed Forces, including a six-cartridge device used by hostile drones to neutralize the IAF Net Drone, a sea surface battle and rescue Indian Coast Guard Drone, and tethered surveillance drones for army border patrol.
3. With seven patents filed, two trademarks secured, and an additional proprietary IP under active development, Zebu is on the right track to emerge as a trusted DefTech supplier for the armed forces.
The startup, Zebu, based in Hyderabad, is discovering advanced and automated counter drones for the army forces has grabbed $1 million in the funding round led by Bluehill VC.
According to media sources, the funds will fuel Zebu’s mission-condemning drones from sample to battlefield installation.
How Has Zebu Planned To Use Startup Funding?
Zebu, a next-generation defence tech startup, has built 4 products for the Indian Armed Forces.
- A cutting-edge six-cartridge device is used by the hostile drone to neutralize the IAF Net Drone.
- Sea surface battle and rescue Indian Coast Guard Drone
- Tethered surveillance drones for army border patrol.
Currently, it is planning to boost advanced field testing of these systems with the investment raised, with production accessible while keeping a goal to become the major supplier to the Indian Armed Forces.
According to sources, the Hyderabad-based startup Zebu is already planning to for a further investment round of 5 million dollars to combine with the armed forces and international market expansion.
Sridhar Parthasarathi, General Partner, Bluehill.VC, said “The global counter drone market is expected to reach $11 billion by 2030. Zebu is rightly positioned to capture this market with its top-of-the-line offerings for the armed forces. Its drones have completed extreme tests and are now ready for deployment.”
Founded in 2021 by Santosh Balajee Banisetty, Zebu has achieved improvements across four combat-ready unmanned systems, bringing them closer to battlefield deployment.
In the last 6 months, IAF Net Capture Drone, a sky-sentinel that can trap hostile drones’ mid-air like a futuristic spiderweb, has gone from a skeletal model to radar integration to reaching military grade certification milestones, the release said.
It is also in advanced talks with a top defense manufacturer to supply its drones.
Zebu is building an Anti-Drone Swarm System for the Air Force, with rapid-fire pneumatic launchers and set for operational readiness by late 2025. It is designed to overwhelm enemy drones with coordinated strikes.
The Army’s 24×7 Eye in the Sky, the Tethered Surveillance Drone could see mass deployment by mid-2025, providing uninterrupted border monitoring and has already been approved by multiple regiments.
Santosh Balajee, Founder CEO, Zebu, said, “The battlefield of the future is AI-led and automated, that is inevitable- Zebu is making it indigenously available. It’s not just exporting counter-drone technology but exporting India’s defense sovereignty to the world stage. There is a massive opportunity to fill the vast gap that exists in the integration of tech in our defense sector.”
With seven patents filed, two trademarks secured, and an additional proprietary IP under active development, Zebu is on the right track to emerge as a trusted DefTech supplier for the armed forces. It has just notched its first commercial win with a custom high-performance battery pack for nano drones, signalling immediate market traction for its indigenous technology.
Zebu’s all-Indian Ground Control Station (GCS), a next-generation “mission brain” that empowers commanders to control entire drone fleets from a single, unified interface, is currently, undergoing testing with the Indian Coast Guard, the GCS is poised to replace costly and clunky foreign alternatives.
