ARC, a gaming technology startup registered with the Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM), has raised ₹10.5 crore through a pre-seed funding round.
The round saw participation from global investment firms Chimera VC and Mixi Global Investments. Dhruv Vora, Director, Meta APAC, also invested individually in the company.
The fresh capital will help ARC accelerate hardware engineering, product validation, manufacturing and supply-chain activities. The funding will also support the development of its operating system and gaming software platform.
ARC is developing ARC X1, a portable gaming system designed to deliver an enhanced gaming experience for users in India. Powered by Qualcomm technology, the device is being developed to support Android games, PC games and cloud gaming.
The startup is also building its own hardware and software capabilities, including Owl OS, its proprietary operating system aimed at powering the gaming platform.
ARC has already attracted significant interest ahead of the product launch, with more than 50,000 people registered on its waitlist. Its partnership with Qualcomm further supports the company’s hardware development plans.
The funding comes as Kerala’s startup ecosystem continues to see activity in hardware and deep-tech ventures. ARC’s focus on gaming hardware, software and an indigenous operating system adds another emerging technology segment to the state’s startup landscape.
