Indian Investment Firms Join Three AI Rounds Raising $197 Million

Premji Invest and Claypond Capital participated across three AI startup rounds totaling $197 million in 2026, adding funding for verification, software creation and interactive content while leaving their individual checks undisclosed.

Premji Invest joined Pramaana Labs’ $27 million seed round in June, led by Khosla Ventures. Pramaana is developing AI verification for high-stakes applications including tax, law, medicine and finance.

Claypond Capital participated in Emergent’s $130 million Series C in July, which valued the company at $1.5 billion. Creaegis led the round, with MNI Ventures–Claypond Capital and Sentinel Global named as co-lead investors. Emergent focuses on software creation.

Claypond also joined Flam’s $40 million Series B in September. QED Investors led the round. Flam is developing AI-driven interactive content. The $197 million combined figure reflects the full size of all three company rounds, not disclosed investments by Premji Invest or Claypond Capital.

India’s cumulative private investment in AI and machine-learning businesses that received more than $1.5 million in funding since 2013 reached $15.39 billion through 2025. The comparable totals were $757.27 billion in the United States and $131.83 billion in China. India has more than 300 family offices managing more than $30 billion in assets, amid broader family-office interest in AI.

“AI needs patient capital, which is scarce, and the investing universe is still at a very early stage,” said Riddhiman Jain, head of investments at Waterfield Advisors.