Unicorn India Ventures invests in Software Defined Radio Startup Inntot Technologies

Mumbai, 25th November, 2020: Kerala – based technology driven startup Inntot has raised an undisclosed bridge round from Unicorn India Ventures. Unicorn India first seeded the company in 2018. Inntot focuses on providing high quality and cost effective IP solutions for next generation digital media broadcast receivers , namely, Digital Radio Mondiale (for AM and FM bands ) Receivers, DAB/DAB+ Receivers, CDR Receivers and ISDB-T Receivers and HD-Radio receiver in collaboration with Xperi.

The Company plans to use the funds to procure highly sophisticated and precision digital radio test equipment that is required for RF and timing performance testing for all the digital radio broadcast receiver standards, namely ; DRM in AM and FM bands, DAB/DAB+, HD-Radio, CDR.

Inntot Technologies incorporated in 2014 by Prasanth Thankappan, CTO, Inntot Technologies and Rajith Nair, CEO, Inntot Technologies, aims to provide a cost effective and high-quality digital media broadcast receiver solutions across the globe. SDR receiver solutions of Inntot covers the following digital radio broadcast standards and geographies;

• DRM : India, Russia, South Africa, Indonesia etc
• DAB/DAB+ : Europe, Australia, Middle East etc
• HD-Radio : USA, Canada, Mexico etc
• CDR : China

The current Digital Radio Broadcast Receiver solutions in market require dedicated chips that are high in costs and are used to perform complex operations like Demodulation in hardware. Hence the end solution becomes very costly. Such high costs prevent swift penetration into emerging and high-volume markets like India, European Union, South Africa, Russia, China and Indonesia where the usage of DRM, DAB, CDR Technology is mandated by Government and broadcasters. The USP of Inntot is that its SDR implementation along with patented improvisations run on ARM processors making it high quality and cost effective for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and bringing down the receiver cost within the reach of common man.

Rajith Nair, Co-founder CEO, Inntot Technologies says, - "Our objective is to enable Inntot to provide high quality and cost-effective Digital Radio Broadcast Receiver solutions across all geographies. Be it inside cars, houses or smart phones. The continued support from Unicorn India is a testament to the success we have achieved so far and the growth plans that are chalked out for the next 2 years."

Inntot has licensed its digital radio receiver solutions to multiple Tier-1 customers including Clarion and Telechips.

Anil Joshi, Managing Partner, Unicorn India Ventures says – "We entered Inntot two years back and since then have seen Inntot's growth and their ability to create IP which will work in global markets like the US, Europe and China. We have extended this additional funding so that they can develop more IPs and scale up faster. It is the only Company in India which can serve multiple bandwidths across different markets."

About Inntot :

Inntot Technologies is a technology driven company with prime focus on enabling cost effective and high quality next generation digital media receivers. Inntot has SDR IP Solutions for Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM in AM and FM bands) Receivers, DAB/DAB+ Receivers, CDR Receivers, ISDB-Receivers and is all set to play a pivotal role in the Analog Sunset of AM and FM broadcast radio transmission paving way to Digital Radio Transmission in the near future. Inntot Technologies is a winner of several prestigious awards including ASSOCHAM 4th ICT startup awards 2020, Digital Radio Mondiale Enterprise Award 2019 and CII Industrial Innovation Awards for the Best Service Start-up 2017. Inntot is a member of Digital Radio Mondiale Consortium, WorldDAB and has collaboration with Xperi for HD-Radio receiver solutions.


Unicorn India Ventures is a Mumbai-based VC that started in 2015 by Anil Joshi and Bhaskar Majumdar. The Fund has also launched a UK India cross border fund for funding UK startups looking to enter India and have invested in 7 UK startups. From its first Fund, UIV has invested in 18 companies like Inc42, Sequretek, Pharmarack, Genrobotics, NeuroEquilibrium, SmartCoin, Open Bank, Open app to name a few. Unicorn India has also announced Fund II, which is a Rs 400 crore fund launched in 2019. It has also marked its first close of Rs 90 cr and has announced 6 investments.

Kerala-based Software Defined Radio Startup Inntot Raises Seed Funding from Unicorn India Ventures

Unicorn India Ventures, an early stage VC fund, has announced another investment in Kerala -- an emerging hub for startups. The Fund has invested in Inntot, a software defined radio startup based in Kochi, Kerala. It is a seed-funding round, which marks Unicorn India as the first institutional investor in Inntot.

Founded in 2014 by Rajith Nair and Prasanth Thankappan, Inntot Technologies, is a technology driven company with prime focus on enabling cost effective next generation digital media receivers. Inntot has Software enabled IP Solutions for Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM and DRM+) Receivers, DAB/DAB+ Receivers, ISDB-T Digital Television. Inntot Technologies is all set to play a pivotal role in the Analog Sunset of AM and FM broadcast radio transmission paving way to Digital Radio Transmission in the near future.

This is Unicorn India’s sixth announcement in the State The Fund invested in five startups — Genrobotics, Perfectfit and SectorQube, Bank Open and Clootrack early this year.

Anil Joshi, Managing Partner, Unicorn India Ventures, says, “Over the last one year, as a Fund, we have been on a look out for next gen tech startups and investment made by us clearly reflect our intent to find such growing startups and invest in them. Kerala, in that respect, has surprised as we have seen our investments going to startups which are working on cutting edge technology like IoT, 3D, Robotics and now digital radio receivers.” Investment in Inntot is inspired by the success that we have seen in new age tech startups who are not chasing the tempting matrix but building a product from ground up and opening up a completely new market for themselves rather fighting for a small piece of a big pie, he adds.

Started in 2014, by Rajith Nair and Prasanth Thankappan, with 36 years of cumulative experience across consumer electronics and automotive entertainment in companies like Philips, Wipro, LSI Logic and ISRO. Inntot aims to bring down the cost of digital radio receivers substantially for OEMs or ODMs. The Company has developed a software-based solution, which will enable them to achieve this vision without using specialized hardware chipsets. Inntot has already sold first SDR license to Telechips Inc, a South Korean company that sells system on chip products used in automotive entertainment systems and consumer electronics. Due to Inntot’s competitiveness, its solution is now being considered by OEMs and ODMs in Asia for their future Digital Radio Receivers, which indicates at a healthy pipeline of potential clients for the Company.

Rajith Nair, Co-founder and Managing Director, Inntot Technologies, says, “Our mission is to facilitate a seamless switchover from Analog Radio Broadcast (AM and FM) to Digital Radio Broadcast by providing high quality and cost effective Digital Radio Receiver solution that enables mass acceptance. Collaboration of Inntot with a technology savvy investor like Unicorn India, who shares our view, will accelerate our mission. ”

Inntot is the only company in India today working on SDR based end to end digital radio receiver software stack that could make digital receiving solutions for home and car audio affordable. The Company pegs the demand at close to 7.5 million for such devices over the next three years in India and Asia alone. The funds raised in this round will be used for procuring hi-tech testing equipment, enhanced marketing efforts, solution field testing and hiring key personnel in critical functions like marketing, sales, and software.

Unicorn India Ventures has also taken a board seat in the Company. Aayush Jain, Principal, Unicorn India Ventures has been appointed as the Board Member in Inntot.

Kerala-based Software Defined Radio Startup Inntot Raises Seed Funding from Unicorn India Ventures

Unicorn India Ventures, an early stage VC fund, has announced another investment in Kerala -- an emerging hub for startups. The Fund has invested in Inntot, a software defined radio startup based in Kochi, Kerala. It is a seed-funding round, which marks Unicorn India as the first institutional investor in Inntot.

Founded in 2014 by Rajith Nair and Prasanth Thankappan, Inntot Technologies, is a technology driven company with prime focus on enabling cost effective next generation digital media receivers. Inntot has Software enabled IP Solutions for Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM and DRM+) Receivers, DAB/DAB+ Receivers, ISDB-T Digital Television. Inntot Technologies is all set to play a pivotal role in the Analog Sunset of AM and FM broadcast radio transmission paving way to Digital Radio Transmission in the near future.

This is Unicorn India’s sixth announcement in the State The Fund invested in five startups — Genrobotics, Perfectfit and SectorQube, Bank Open and Clootrack early this year.

Anil Joshi, Managing Partner, Unicorn India Ventures, says, “Over the last one year, as a Fund, we have been on a look out for next gen tech startups and investment made by us clearly reflect our intent to find such growing startups and invest in them. Kerala, in that respect, has surprised as we have seen our investments going to startups which are working on cutting edge technology like IoT, 3D, Robotics and now digital radio receivers.” Investment in Inntot is inspired by the success that we have seen in new age tech startups who are not chasing the tempting matrix but building a product from ground up and opening up a completely new market for themselves rather fighting for a small piece of a big pie, he adds.

Started in 2014, by Rajith Nair and Prasanth Thankappan, with 36 years of cumulative experience across consumer electronics and automotive entertainment in companies like Philips, Wipro, LSI Logic and ISRO. Inntot aims to bring down the cost of digital radio receivers substantially for OEMs or ODMs. The Company has developed a software-based solution, which will enable them to achieve this vision without using specialized hardware chipsets. Inntot has already sold first SDR license to Telechips Inc, a South Korean company that sells system on chip products used in automotive entertainment systems and consumer electronics. Due to Inntot’s competitiveness, its solution is now being considered by OEMs and ODMs in Asia for their future Digital Radio Receivers, which indicates at a healthy pipeline of potential clients for the Company.

Rajith Nair, Co-founder and Managing Director, Inntot Technologies, says, “Our mission is to facilitate a seamless switchover from Analog Radio Broadcast (AM and FM) to Digital Radio Broadcast by providing high quality and cost effective Digital Radio Receiver solution that enables mass acceptance. Collaboration of Inntot with a technology savvy investor like Unicorn India, who shares our view, will accelerate our mission. ”

Inntot is the only company in India today working on SDR based end to end digital radio receiver software stack that could make digital receiving solutions for home and car audio affordable. The Company pegs the demand at close to 7.5 million for such devices over the next three years in India and Asia alone. The funds raised in this round will be used for procuring hi-tech testing equipment, enhanced marketing efforts, solution field testing and hiring key personnel in critical functions like marketing, sales, and software.

Unicorn India Ventures has also taken a board seat in the Company. Aayush Jain, Principal, Unicorn India Ventures has been appointed as the Board Member in Inntot.