Jakarta, INTI - Nvidia is intensifying its outreach to India’s artificial intelligence startups at much earlier stages of their development, announcing a series of partnerships this week designed to engage founders even before their companies are officially formed. The strategy aims to help the AI chip giant build early relationships with potential long-term customers in one of the world’s fastest-expanding developer markets.
The latest initiative centers on a partnership with early-stage venture firm Activate, which intends to invest in around 25 to 30 AI startups through its $75 million inaugural fund, while offering those companies priority access to Nvidia’s technical know-how. The move follows other India-focused initiatives unveiled this week, including collaboration with AI Grants India to assist early-stage founders and new partnerships with venture firms concentrating on the South Asian market.
This wave of announcements coincides with India’s AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, which has attracted major technology players such as OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang was scheduled to attend but did not participate due to what the company described as unforeseen circumstances. Instead, a senior delegation led by executive vice president Jay Puri represented the company, meeting with AI researchers, startup founders, developers, and partners.
India has rapidly become one of the largest and fastest-growing hubs for AI developers and startups, positioning it as a critical market for Nvidia as it seeks to expand adoption of its chips and computing platforms. By collaborating with founders from the outset, Nvidia is seeking to secure long-term demand as emerging AI-native companies grow and scale.
Aakrit Vaish, founder of Activate, noted that Nvidia’s engagement with Indian startups has historically been more limited compared to its efforts in the United States, but the company is now shifting toward earlier involvement in founders’ journeys. Activate plans to capitalize on that shift by linking its portfolio companies directly with Nvidia specialists.
Building Long-Term Demand Through Early Engagement
The venture firm, which Vaish characterizes as practicing “inception investing,” engages with technical teams months before they formally establish companies and supports them closely as they develop. Its investor base includes prominent figures such as Vinod Khosla, Aravind Srinivas of Perplexity, Shailendra Singh of Peak XV, and Vijay Shekhar Sharma of Paytm, reflecting the influential network backing its early-stage strategy.
For Nvidia, partnering with an early-stage venture firm offers a clear advantage: building relationships with promising AI startups early increases the likelihood that those companies will depend on Nvidia’s computing infrastructure as they expand. Vaish told TechCrunch that startups typically require progressively greater AI computing capacity as they scale, making early technical collaboration strategically valuable for Nvidia’s future growth.
Nvidia already maintains a significant footprint in India through its Inception program, which supports more than 4,000 startups in the country. This week, the company further strengthened its local ecosystem partnerships by working with venture firms including Accel, Peak XV, Z47, Elevation Capital, and Nexus Venture Partners to identify and finance AI startups. Separately, it joined forces with AI Grants India, co-founded by Vaibhav Domkundwar and Bhasker (Bosky) Kode, to assist over 10,000 early-stage founders in the coming year.
Intensifying Competition for India’s AI Talent
The company has steadily expanded its startup engagement in India. In November 2025, Nvidia became part of the India Deep Tech Alliance, a consortium of U.S. and Indian investors such as Accel, Blume Ventures, Premji Invest, and Celesta Capital, aimed at offering strategic and technical support to emerging startups.
According to Vaish, Activate’s collaboration with Nvidia is intended to add a more selective layer on top of Nvidia’s broad Inception program, which serves thousands of startups worldwide. By acting as an early filter for high-potential technical teams, Activate seeks to ensure its portfolio companies receive more direct and timely access to Nvidia’s engineering expertise.
Overall, the increased activity highlights growing competition among global technology companies to attract AI developers and startups in India, now one of the most dynamic pools of technical talent outside the United States.
Conclusion
Nvidia’s expanded early-stage strategy in India reflects a long-term play to secure future infrastructure demand by embedding itself within the country’s rapidly growing AI ecosystem. By partnering with venture firms and engaging founders from inception, the company is positioning itself at the foundation of India’s next wave of AI-native startups.
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