Deeptech Startup Unibose Raises Rs 5.5 Crore to Revolutionize Industrial Safety
Unibose Technology, a Chennai-based deeptech robotics startup, has secured Rs 5.5 crore in a pre-Series A funding round to fuel the next phase of its mission: transforming how industries tackle some of the world’s most dangerous maintenance and inspection tasks. The round was led by early-stage investment group O2 Angels, with participation from IN44 Capital, the Coimbatore Innovation and Business Incubator, and other strategic angel investors committed to supporting breakthrough industrial automation ventures. This fresh capital injection follows an earlier seed round of Rs 2.5 crore raised from StartupTN, the Tamil Nadu government’s flagship initiative to nurture high-impact startups.
Started by a group of experienced engineers — Manikandan Dakshinamoorthy, Samayaraj Durairaj, Sakthivel Panneerselvam, and Venkatesh Sundaramurthy — Unibose Technology is leading the way in sophisticated robotics solutions for dangerous, explosive, and enclosed industrial spaces that have always been deemed too risky for human entry. The company has established itself as Asia’s first and the world’s third business to have created an ATEX Zone-0 compliant robot which is capable of operating within live petroleum, chemical, and gas tanks in a safe manner. Such enclosed spaces involve several hazards such as the existence of explosive gases, lack of oxygen, and very toxic residues, which turn them lethal for employees frequently.
Unibose’s flagship solution, the NMER Robot, represents a leap forward for high-risk industries such as oil and gas, petrochemicals, fertilizers, and heavy industries that face regulatory and safety pressures to minimize human exposure to hazardous sites. Beyond the robot itself, the startup has also designed and certified proprietary Zone-0 vision and lighting systems, a first for Asia, enabling real-time inspection and monitoring capabilities within the most volatile conditions. By delivering a fully integrated, certified robotic and vision system for confined space operations, Unibose is addressing an urgent need that has largely been underserved despite the clear global demand for safer, smarter maintenance solutions.
Operating on a Robotics-as-a-Service (RaaS) model, Unibose makes its technology more accessible to industrial players by removing the barrier of hefty upfront capital investment. This approach enables companies — even those with limited internal robotics expertise — to adopt state-of-the-art automation for routine inspections, tank cleaning, compliance checks, and emergency interventions. In sectors like oil and gas, where tank shutdowns can result in millions in lost productivity and where worker safety incidents can have tragic consequences, Unibose’s service model offers a compelling value proposition: increased uptime, reduced operational risk, and a safer working environment.
Industry investors are already taking note of the startup’s impact potential. “We backed Unibose for their unmatched technical depth and the scalability of their robotics platform. They’re a true example of what Indian engineering can achieve on the global stage,” said Rajesh Ranjan, Co-Founder of O2 Angels, underscoring the confidence that the investor community has in Unibose’s ability to disrupt the sector. His sentiment was echoed by Sathish Ganesan, Partner at IN44 Capital, who added, “Unibose has built an extremely relevant solution for high-risk industries. Their certified robots are already market-ready, and we are excited to support them in scaling this globally.”
This market readiness is critical as regulatory bodies around the world are introducing stricter workplace safety and environmental compliance requirements. In India alone, incidents in oil storage tanks, confined ship holds, and chemical plants continue to highlight the need for technology that can take humans out of harm’s way without compromising operational efficiency. Unibose’s robotic solutions directly align with this push, offering companies a powerful tool to reduce workplace accidents, comply with international safety standards, and maintain their reputation in an increasingly ESG-driven industrial landscape.
For Unibose’s founding team, the mission goes beyond just commercial success. It’s about rewriting the rulebook for industries that have long accepted risk as a cost of doing business. “The NMER Robot isn’t just a product — it’s a safety revolution,” said Manikandan Dakshinamoorthy, Founder & CEO of Unibose. “We have engineered a solution to a global problem that has long been ignored. With this funding, we are set to scale across India, GCC, and Southeast Asia, strengthen R&D in AI-based inspection and compliance tools, and build a strong OEM and partner ecosystem.”
Looking ahead, Unibose plans to expand its robotics platform’s capabilities by integrating AI-driven inspection analytics, predictive maintenance tools, and cloud-based compliance dashboards. These upgrades are designed to help industries make better operational decisions based on real-time data from inside some of the most challenging environments on earth. The company’s roadmap also includes strategic partnerships with leading oil & gas operators, chemical majors, and tank farm operators in India and key international markets.
Unibose’s growth story is emblematic of India’s deeptech surge — combining advanced mechatronics, safety engineering, and intelligent software to solve real-world challenges at scale. With a growing pipeline of pilot deployments and industry collaborations, the startup is well-positioned to emerge as a global leader in confined space robotics. Its success could inspire more Indian startups to tackle complex industrial automation problems with homegrown technology that meets or exceeds the world’s highest standards for safety and performance.
As the company accelerates its plans to commercialize its ATEX Zone-0 robots and expand its footprint across high-risk industries worldwide, all eyes will be on how this Chennai-based innovator helps redefine what is possible — and acceptable — for worker safety in some of the most dangerous work environments on the planet.
