Raphe mPhibr Raises USD 100 Mn Funding to Scale Defence-Tech Manufacturing The round was led by General Catalyst, with participation from Think Investments, Amal Parikh, and several family offices.
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Indian aerospace and defence-tech startup Raphe mPhibr has raised USD 100 million in a funding round led by General Catalyst, with participation from Think Investments, Amal Parikh, and several family offices.
This marks the largest private capital raise in India's aerospace manufacturing sector to date, bringing the company's total funding to USD 145 million.
The freshly raised capital will be deployed to scale manufacturing capacity, accelerate R&D, and deepen strategic partnerships, both in India and globally. The company aims to strengthen its footprint in the global aerospace supply chain, while supporting India's defence self-reliance goals.
"We are proud to join forces with Raphe mPhibr on their transformative journey to redefine engineering-led manufacturing across a spectrum of critical applications," said Neeraj Arora, Managing Director at General Catalyst. "The products emerging from Raphe mPhibr are already making a tangible impact on the ground."
Founded in 2016 by Vikash Mishra, Vivek Mishra, and Nitin Katiyar, Raphe mPhibr operates out of Noida and specialises in designing and manufacturing advanced unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and military-grade avionics. Its offerings include:
- mR10: Operational drone swarm platform
- mR20: High-altitude logistics drone
- Bharat: Man-portable surveillance drone
- X8: Compact maritime patrol UAV
Several of these systems are already deployed by the Indian defence forces, with others nearing final validation.
Raphe mPhibr runs a vertically integrated aerospace campus, with in-house teams working across aerodynamics, thermodynamics, materials science, engine development, and electronics. The company has also built India's first indigenous military-grade autopilot and a lightweight internal combustion engine for UAVs, reflecting a commitment to sovereign technology innovation.
The startup partners with global defence majors such as Dassault Systèmes, HENSOLDT, and Safran Electronics & Defense, and uses platforms like Dassault's 3DEXPERIENCE to drive end-to-end system integration.
With over 600 employees and 100+ unique IPs, Raphe mPhibr aligns closely with national initiatives like Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India, which aim to reduce reliance on imported defence systems. The company's solutions are also gaining interest in international markets, including Paris, Dubai, and London.
The funding arrives amid India's broader efforts to boost its private aerospace ecosystem, including recent government moves to commercialise launch vehicle technologies and promote innovation through programs like iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence).
