NeoSapien, an AI wearable startup incubated at the Scaler Innovation Lab, has raised $2 million in seed funding led by Merak Ventures, with support from top angel investors. The round includes Anupam Mittal, founder of Shaadi.com; Namita Thapar, Executive Director at Emcure Pharmaceuticals; Sameer Mehta, co-founder of Boat; Awais Ahmed, founder of Pixxel; and Aprameya Radhakrishna, co-founder of Koo.
The funding reflects investor interest in NeoSapien’s early traction and its plans to build India’s AI-native consumer hardware, an approach shaped through technical mentorship and product iteration during its incubation as part of the first cohort at Scaler Innovation Lab, the on-campus incubator at Scaler School of Technology.
Building an AI-First Wearable Platform
Founded in 2024 by cousins Dhananjay Yadav and Aryan Yadav, NeoSapien is building AI wearables designed to function as an always-on personal intelligence layer. Its flagship product, Neo 1, is a pendant-style Personal AI Assistant that acts as a “second brain”.
Neo 1 continuously records conversations, transcribes them, and analyses context, tone, and intent, turning daily experiences into a searchable memory system accessible via a companion app. Built to support 100+ languages, the product reflects an emphasis on real-world, multilingual use, an outcome of the applied, experimentation-driven environment at Scaler Innovation Lab. This environment also provided NeoSapiens with interns trained in Artificial Intelligence through the UG programme at Scaler School of Technology, who formed a core part of their foundational team.
An AI-Native Operating System for Wearables
At the core of the platform is NeoOS, an AI-native operating system that aims to support other wearables including smartwatches, rings and smart glasses. Complementing this is NeoCore, the company’s SDK that will enable businesses to build applications on top of NeoSapien’s base intelligence layer.
This focus on foundational technology rather than a single device, was refined through Scaler Innovation Lab, which provides founders with technical mentorship, infrastructure, and early investor access. The environment encourages experimentation and systems-level thinking that helps startups build products designed to scale globally from day one.
“The first one is always special, and so is NeoSapien as the first startup that started building at Scaler Innovation Lab! From working long nights, to raising $2M, I have seen the NeoSapien journey as Aryan Yadav and Dhananjay Yadav hustled through. I still remember Dhananjay DMing me on Twitter and countless brainstorming and debates on the future of human intelligence.” said Abhimanyu Saxena, co-founder of Scaler.
“We then decided to get them to Scaler Innovation Lab and help them as much as possible. Super proud of what they’ve built, and rooting for them to go to the moon!”
Funding to Accelerate Product and Scale
The new funds will expand NeoSapien’s AI and engineering teams, boost on-device and contextual intelligence, scale production, and speed up market launch. The company aims to reduce cognitive load for users by making AI more ambient and less intrusive.
“We’re building technology that fades into the background so you can stay present in life,” said Dhananjay Yadav and Aryan Yadav, Co-founders of NeoSapien. “Neo 1 handles the mental effort of remembering, connecting, and following up, seamlessly.”
From Incubation to Scale-Up
NeoSapien gained national visibility through Shark Tank India, indicating market interest in AI-native wearables. As one of the first startups incubated at Scaler Innovation Lab, the company has benefited from an ecosystem that has since supported several ventures now building globally relevant products and attracting institutional funding. With fresh capital in place, NeoSapien is entering a scale-up phase focused on product refinement and international expansion.
Commenting on the opportunity, Sheetal Bahl, Founding Partner at Merak Ventures, said, “With PAIAs, India has a real chance to participate in a global shift. NeoSapien stands out as a category-defining player.”
As NeoSapien moves forward, it represents a growing wave of deep-tech startups emerging from Scaler Innovation Lab, focused not on more screens, but on intelligence that integrates into everyday life.
Note to the Reader: This article is part of Hindustan Times’ promotional consumer connect initiative and is independently created by the brand. Hindustan Times assumes no editorial responsibility for the content.
