Quarkstech raises $240K pre-seed for sensor data compression

What's the deal? Chennai-based deep-tech startup QuarkstechDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has raised 20,000,000 INR ($240,000) in a pre-seed round from Artha Access, a programme of Artha Venture Fund IIDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, and FinvolveDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. It has also received a 1.5 crore INR grant from the IITM-CDOT Samgnya Technologies FoundationDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → under the National Quantum MissionDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →.

What's the endgame? Quarkstech builds quantum-inspired algorithmic solvers for large-scale combinatorial optimisation across finance, deep science, and mission-critical applications. The new funds will develop a core compression algorithm library that reduces sensor data at the source before it is stored, processed, or transmitted.

How it works: The software library runs on a platform's existing onboard computer and can be tuned for radar, LiDAR, hyperspectral, and electro-optical data streams. It can compress sensor data by 10 to 100 times, letting platforms transmit more usable data within existing bandwidth and power limits — no new hardware required.

The results so far: In laboratory testing, Quarkstech said its technology cut data volume by 26 times while retaining 98% of mission-critical information in drone-captured images. The startup, founded in January 2025 by Rajesh Narayanan, Sanyam Parashar, Shashikant Singh Kunwar, and Vishnu P.K., targets UAVs, satellite payloads, and ground-segment systems.

What could go wrong? The lab results are unproven in the field. Quarkstech is now working to validate them under real-world conditions, including moving platforms, heat, vibration, limited onboard power, and intermittent connectivity.

The signal: At $240,000, this is a small round even by pre-seed standards, sitting in the bottom third of comparable deals. But the pairing of private capital with a National Quantum Mission grant reflects India's growing effort to fund early-stage deep tech aimed at bandwidth-constrained defence and earth-observation applications.

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Image credit: Generated with Gemini