Theia Ventures Backs Novyte Materials in INR 4.15 Cr Pre-Seed Round

Theia Ventures has led an INR 4.15 crore pre-seed round in Bengaluru-based Novyte Materials, an AI-driven materials discovery startup working to compress discovery timelines and reduce dependence on costly trial-and-error experimentation. The round also saw participation from Sandesh Paturi, co-founder of Venwiz, and Niharika Jain, director of Chemvera.

The investment reflects a growing conviction among deeptech investors that materials innovation, not just software, will determine how quickly industries can decarbonise, scale clean energy systems, and deploy high-performance technologies.

The Structural Bottleneck in Materials Innovation

Materials discovery remains one of the most capital-intensive and fragmented parts of industrial R&D. Traditional workflows rely on isolated lab experiments, disconnected datasets, and slow handoffs between computational modeling and physical validation. Even incremental improvements often require years of iteration.

This slow pace directly impacts sectors that depend on new materials to improve efficiency, durability, and sustainability. From advanced composites in aerospace to speciality chemicals used in manufacturing, progress is constrained less by ambition and more by the limits of existing discovery processes.

Novyte’s approach is built around using AI to close this gap. Its platform applies generative AI and physics-based simulations to design, validate, and reverse engineer materials, with the aim of reducing R&D timelines by up to ten times and cutting early-stage physical testing costs by as much as 90 per cent.

From Trial-and-Error to Predictable Engineering

Rather than positioning AI as a replacement for laboratory work, Novyte integrates computational modelling with wet-lab validation. The goal is to turn materials discovery into a more predictable engineering process rather than an open-ended research exercise.

The platform supports applications across composite materials, aerospace, advanced manufacturing, and speciality chemicals – sectors where even small material improvements can have outsized operational impact.

“As AI becomes foundational infrastructure for every industry, Novyte is bringing that transformation to materials discovery. Their system replaces years of lab work with intelligent AI-led design and real-time validation. We believe this will accelerate innovation across energy, aerospace, and advanced manufacturing,” said Priya Shah, Founder & GP, Theia Ventures.

The emphasis is on collaboration. Novyte works directly with R&D teams to decode complex material interactions and engineer custom solutions, aiming to reduce uncertainty as materials move from concept to commercialisation.

Why Investors Are Paying Attention Now

Materials science is increasingly central to technologies shaping the next industrial cycle. Advanced batteries, low-loss transformers, nuclear fusion systems, and high-performance manufacturing components all depend on materials that are stable, scalable, and economically viable.

“Innovation is currently capped by the physical limits of yesterday's materials. Novyte removes that ceiling. By decoding complex chemical interactions with AI, we are turning the search for new materials into a predictable, scalable engineering process,” said Ajaz Khan, Founder & CEO, Novyte Materials.

For Theia Ventures, the investment aligns with its broader focus on AI, deeptech, and decarbonisation-led innovation. Novyte marks the fund’s fourth investment from its new fund, which announced its first close in October 2025 anchored by British International Investment.

From Academic Roots to Industrial Deployment

Novyte is incubated at ICT-NICE, the innovation and entrepreneurship hub of the Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai. The company works closely with ICT’s research ecosystem while building its own dedicated R&D infrastructure and synthesis lab.

Its initial industry focus includes speciality chemicals, polymers, paints, adhesives, and coatings, sectors actively exploring alternative materials to improve performance while managing cost and sustainability pressures.

By targeting these industries first, Novyte aims to demonstrate how AI-led discovery can reduce operational risk, shorten development cycles, and make commercialisation timelines more predictable.

Theia Ventures’ recent portfolio, which includes Sarla Aviation, Climitra Carbon, and Lemnisca, points to a broader investment thesis centred on applied deep tech with industrial relevance. Rather than chasing speculative breakthroughs, the fund is backing companies working on infrastructure-level problems that affect multiple sectors.

For Novyte, the next phase will be defined by early pilots and partnerships, translating AI-driven discovery into repeatable industrial outcomes. If successful, it could offer a blueprint for how India’s deep tech ecosystem moves from research-led innovation to scalable, commercially viable platforms.

In a world racing toward cleaner energy and advanced manufacturing, materials may no longer be the silent constraint. With AI entering the lab, discovery itself is becoming a competitive advantage.