Who's got good senses? SixSense. This deeptech AI startup helps semiconductor manufacturers predict and detect potential chip defects in real time. Founded in 2018, they've just raised an $8.5M Series A!

Investor check. Peak XV's Surge (formerly Sequoia India & SEA) led the round, with participation from Alpha Intelligence Capital, FEBE, and more!

• They previously raised $2.6M led by Tin Men Capital.

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❓ What's the problem

Chips (semiconductors) are basically the brains inside everything electronic. Your phone, car, laptop, even your washing machine.

They're incredibly important because modern life literally can't function without them.

The irony? Chip factories are incredibly smart when it comes to collecting data. But, they're terrible at understanding what it means.

When something starts going wrong (like more chips coming out broken), engineers have to spend hours playing detective to figure out what went wrong.

• They go through dozens of different computer screens and reports to figure out why. It's a process that's slow, subjective, and doesn't scale as chips get more complex.
• By the time they find the problem (maybe a machine running too hot), they've already made thousands of bad chips worth millions of dollars.

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💡 What SixSense does

Instead of engineers playing detective with spreadsheets, SixSense's AI automatically connects all those data dots in real time.

Their platform instantly analyzes every defect image, automatically classifies hundreds of defect types with 99% accuracy, and makes real-time pass/fail decisions to keep production moving.

• It can even predict when machines are about to break.

The nerdy details. A three-tier AI platform that factory teams can set up in 2 days without any coding.

• Smart photo analysis. Examines every defect image and categorizes problems automatically, processing over a million defects with 99% accuracy
• Instant decisions. Get real-time keep/fix/scrap calls for each production lot, eliminating hours of manual review.
• Crystal ball mode. Learns patterns to predict where problems will pop up next, so you can fix things before they break.

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🔢 Run the numbers

They're already processing 100M+ chips for major manufacturers like GlobalFoundries and JCET and work with clients from Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Israel.

• 30% faster production cycles, 1-2% yield improvement, 90% reduction in manual inspection work
• Perfectly timed for the geopolitical chip manufacturing boom. New facilities in Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, India, and the US are more open to AI-native approaches
• Compatible with inspection equipment covering 60% of the global market

What's next? They'll invest in R&D. Next up is connecting all factory machines through AI so they can share intelligence and optimize the entire production line together.