Peak XV’s Surge unveils 23 startups in its 11th cohort; AI takes center stage

Venture capital firm Peak XV Partners has announced the 11th cohort of its early-stage accelerator programme, Surge, inducting 23 startups across AI, financial services, consumer, and developer infrastructure. 

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This is the third cohort since Peak XV spun out from Sequoia Capital into an independent entity.

AI remains the dominant theme, with 12 startups spanning enterprise solutions, consumer-facing applications, and vertical-specific innovations. Fintech continues to be another focus, alongside emerging consumer brands and developer tools.

The startups in the new cohort include Finster, Ignosis, OnFinance, Vault Wealth, and Cybrilla in the AI and financial services space. Others building enterprise and consumer solutions include AIR Trading, JustAI, Pre6, Palo, Qbeast, Round1, SixSense, Thanks, Supanote, Tonbo.io, and Nirmata.

Three AI startups remain in stealth mode. On the consumer side, brands such as Aretto (footwear), Neude Skin (skincare), NEAU (apparel), and Ten X You (activewear) are part of the batch.

“AI is leading the charge, not just in enterprise applications but by beginning to transform traditional industries from banking and healthcare to semiconductors and manufacturing,” said Rajan Anandan, managing director at Peak XV and Surge. “We are also seeing the next wave of fintech companies and exciting new consumer companies in India and our region. This cohort truly offers a glimpse of the future.”

Since its inception in 2019, Surge has backed over 170 startups and more than 400 founders across 18 sectors and 17 nationalities. Companies from earlier cohorts have raised more than $3 billion in follow-on funding, with the top ten generating over $1 billion in annual revenues. Initially investing $1–2 million per startup, Surge has raised the ceiling to $3 million to allow a broader range of founders to participate.

Beyond capital, the programme provides hands-on guidance across hiring, product development, technology, marketing, and fundraising. Founders also gain access to global immersion programmes, workshops, and mentorship sessions with prominent operators and investors.

Some of its speakers and mentors in previous cohorts include Sanjeev Bikhchandani of Info Edge; Harshil Mathur of Razorpay; Vidit Aatrey of Meesho; Amrish Rau of Pinelabs; Kunal Shah of CRED, Gokul Rajaram; Arvind Jain of Glean, and Aman Sanger of Cursor.

Peak XV Partners manages about $9 billion across 13 funds and has invested in over 400 companies across India, Southeast Asia, and other global markets.