Peak XV Partners has unveiled the 12th cohort of its Surge seed programme, backing 18 early-stage startups across AI, robotics, space, consumer, healthcare, music and fintech. Announced in late September 2026, it is the first cohort under Surge's revamped structure — with the maximum investment per company raised to $5 million, up from $3 million.
Fifteen of the 18 startups have been named publicly: Alma, August AI, Ditto, GameStock, hiloop, Hoola Health, Kello, Kindling, Puralink, Reinforce Labs, Riffle, Rosella, Tribe Money, ULOOK and Wingit, while three remain in stealth (education, applied AI and medical products). Seven of the startups are Indian, according to Inc42's weekly roundup. Half the cohort is AI-native, with standout bets including ULOOK (RF-sensing satellites for spectrum intelligence) and Puralink (autonomous robots for underground pipes).
Founder pedigree runs deep this time: the cohort includes ex-Google, Airbnb, Microsoft Research and Sarvam AI operators — and Mona Gandhi, Kello's cofounder, was Airbnb's first female engineer. Surge's format pairs capital with an intensive programme that has, over eleven cohorts, become one of the most reliable on-ramps to seed funding in Asia.
For Indian founders, the doubled cheque ceiling matters: Surge has historically been the fastest path from pre-seed idea to a properly funded seed round for Indian teams, and the $5 million cap signals Peak XV expects cohort companies to raise bigger, faster rounds straight out of the programme.
Why it matters for founders
Surge 12 is a read on where early-stage capital is flowing: AI-native teams, deeptech moonshots like satellites and pipe robots, and founders with operator pedigree. If you're raising pre-seed, the cohort mix is your market map — and programmes like Surge that combine cheque with distribution remain the highest-leverage route from idea to funded company.