Symbionic, a Chennai-based bionic arm Startup, made a game-changing appearance on the Shark Tank India Season 4 finale: the Divyang Special, securing investment from Shark Namita Thapar and a ₹1 crore grant from Jeet Adani.
Even before its national TV debut, Symbionic had caught the eye of the Startup ecosystem. It is backed by Kumar Vembu, Co-Founder of Zoho, through his investment firm Mudhal Partners, who invested a year prior — recognizing the bold vision and technical depth of the founding team.
Symbionic – India’s Bionic Arm Company
Founded by Rishi Krishna, who lost his right arm in a bus accident in 2018, Symbionic was born out of a deeply personal need. After navigating the discomfort and inefficiencies of existing prosthetics, Rishi decided to build a solution that would restore not just function, but confidence and independence.
But this wasn’t a solo journey. Rishi was joined by his best friend from 9th grade at BV, Chennai — Niranjan Kumar Raghupathi, who had just completed his Master’s in Mechanical Engineering from Politecnico di Milano in Italy. Despite promising career opportunities abroad, Niranjan chose to return to India to co-build Symbionic — driven by friendship and a shared belief in solving big, meaningful problems together.
Their innovations include:
- Krea Adaptive: A modular, affordable prosthetic arm with easy, tool-free interchangeable attachments for daily life.
- Titan: A next-gen bionic arm capable of natural, intuitive movement using advanced robotics and EMG signal processing.
Powered by 3D Printing: The Backbone of Customization
To meet the high levels of personalisation required for each user, Symbionic uses industrial-grade 3D printing technologies — specifically Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) and Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) — to manufacture critical components of its prosthetic arms. These processes allow the team to:
- Rapidly prototype and iterate based on real-world feedback,
- Produce lightweight, durable, and complex geometries required for comfort and performance,
- Custom-fit prosthetic sockets to each individual user’s anatomy,
- And support small-batch, on-demand production without compromising quality.
By leveraging additive manufacturing, Symbionic ensures precision, speed, and scalability while keeping the prosthetics affordable and accessible for users across India.
Shark Tank Deal
On Shark Tank India, Namita Thapar, Executive Director of Emcure Pharmaceuticals, offered ₹40 lakh for 2% equity and ₹40 lakh debt at 10% interest over three years. The founders countered with ₹40 lakh for 1% equity, plus 1% advisory equity, and ₹40 lakh as debt — a deal Namita enthusiastically accepted.
During the pitch, Jeet Adani, Director of Adani Airports and son of Gautam Adani, pledged a ₹1 crore grant, to be disbursed in two tranches tied to key product and distribution milestones — reinforcing belief in the long-term impact Symbionic is creating.
“We are thrilled to receive this investment from Namita Thapar and the grant from Mr. Jeet Adani,” said Rishi Krishna, CEO & Co-Founder. “These milestones represent more than just capital — they reflect belief, shared purpose, and the hope of building a world where disability is not a disadvantage. With our incredible team, investors, and the spirit of innovation, we are just getting started.”
The episode ended on an emotional high — a celebration of friendship, resilience, and the extraordinary power of purpose-led innovation.
With this funding, Symbionic is set to scale operations, bring dignified prosthetic solutions to more people across India, and expand its offerings to address a wider spectrum of disabilities — moving one step closer to its vision of making India the assistive tech capital of the world.
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