Raphe mPhibr Bags $100 Mn in India's Biggest Defence-Tech Start-Up Funding Round

Indian drone start-up Raphe mPhibr has raised $100 million in a round led by General Catalyst. Several existing investors, including Amal Parikh, Think Investments, and other prominent high-net-worth family offices also participated in this fundraise.

This marks the biggest private funding round ever secured by an Indian company in this sector. The latest round has pushed Raphe mPhibr’s total capital raised to $145 million.

It is important to note that defence-tech start-up Raphe mPhibr was ranked at third spot in Outlook Business magazine’s Start-Up Special edition that was issued in February 2025.

Founded in 2017 by Vivek Mishra and Nitin Katiyar, the Noida-based aerospace company designs and manufactures unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) solutions. Founded in 2017 by Vivek Mishra and Nitin Katyar, the company seeks to become self-reliant in high-tech manufacturing.

In pursuit of that, the company is focusing extensively on research and development and is being mentored by 125 scientists and engineers across the world. The company's products range from lightweight agile surveillance drones to high-endurance heavy-lift logistics drones.

Speaking about the investment, Neeraj Arora, Managing Director at General Catalyst said, “We are proud to join forces with Raphe mPhibr on their transformative journey to redefine engineering-led manufacturing across a spectrum of critical applications. What sets this team apart is their unwavering, mission-driven ethos, coupled with an expansive vision and formidable technological depth.”

“The products emerging from Raphe mPhibr are already making a tangible impact on the ground, signalling what we believe will be a monumental shift. Their work is not only accelerating India’s path to strategic self-reliance but also embodies the essence of our Global Resilience thesis at General Catalyst—building for a future that is secure, sovereign, and sustainable,” he added.

Shashin Shah, Managing Partner, Think Investments also expressed his excitement about the partnership with Raphe mPhibr, saying this investment underscores their conviction that the start-up will emerge as one of the foremost aerospace companies in India.

The company, on its website, says that it is present in more than 20 states and has more than 300 team members. It further mentions that it follows a design-led approach.

“Design is at the core of everything we do, from our products to our processes, space and culture,” it says, and adds that it encourages team members to take calculated risks in a bid to foster a culture of innovation and creativity.