TDK Ventures Invests in Ultraviolette to Accelerate Electrification of Motorcycles
Electrifying the critical electric two-wheel market in India presents a tremendous opportunity to cut carbon emissions and deliver cleaner urban mobility. Following India's rapid adoption of electric scooters – achieving 18% penetration in just four years – electric motorcycles, which currently have <0.1% penetration, are poised for similar explosive growth. The Indian electric 2W market is projected to create a >$50 billion market opportunity within the next ten years. Ultraviolette's software platform powers its electric vehicle (EV) motorcycles and scooters enabling energy transition for the entirety of the 20 million 2W Indian market. Ultraviolette's status as the first Indian EV company to sell to the EU and getting ready to support other developed markets in this transition as well.
Ultraviolette is uniquely positioned to lead this transformation with its diverse portfolio of mid-premium motorcycles and scooters for the aspirational India. Enabled by its platform technology, the company offers compelling alternatives to internal combustion engine motorcycles and scooters by combining aspirational design, superior performance, and advanced safety features. The company's flagship F77 MACH 2 and F77 SuperStreet models have already garnered major industry awards. Ultraviolette's upcoming scooter the 'Tesseract' and light motorcycle 'Shockwave,' have garnered over 70,000 paid bookings, representing more than $120 million in order value. The company is steadily expanding its distribution network with a presence in 20 Indian cities and a target of reaching 100 cities by year-end. The company commenced sales in 10 EU countries earlier this year.
'TDK Ventures believes in empowering visionary companies that are driving the next wave of sustainable innovation,' said Nicolas Sauvage, TDK Ventures President. 'Ultraviolette exemplifies this with their industry-leading engineering, vertical integration, and a bold vision to reimagine the future of motorcycling and mobility. We are excited to support their journey toward electrifying the world's largest motorcycle markets.'
Ultraviolette's technology and manufacturing approach have already set new industry standards. Key innovations include a patented 5-level battery safety system, a proprietary vehicle operating system, and a vertically integrated production facility scaling to 100,000 units. Their premium range of motorcycles delivers up to 30kW of peak power, 155 km/h (96 mph) top speeds, and a real-world range of up to 300 km (186 miles). The Ultraviolette F99 Factory Racing Platform set the record for the fastest Indian-made motorcycle, clocking a top speed of 258 km/h. The Ultraviolette scooters and motorcycles span price points between USD $2000 to $10,000, catering to the entire spectrum of consumer segments in India and around the world.
The company is led by co-founders Narayan Subramaniam and Niraj Rajmohan, who bring the right combination of technical and design expertise to become leaders in transitioning 2W mobility to EVs. Ultraviolette's leadership team brings experience across aerospace, consumer electronics, and automotive, with backgrounds at Tesla, Rivian, Apple, Samsung and Honeywell.
'We are thrilled to partner with TDK Ventures at this pivotal moment,' stated CEO Narayan Subramaniam. 'Their deep expertise in energy solutions and electronics, along with our shared commitment to sustainable innovation, will play a critical role in helping Ultraviolette scale rapidly both in India and globally. We are also excited to be associated with the renowned 'TDK Goodness,' which gives us access to the expertise and knowledge of other segments of TDK Corporation.'
Ultraviolette CTO Niraj Rajmohan commented, 'Through this partnership with TDK Ventures, Ultraviolette will continue to innovate in deep-tech to shape the future of mobility. Together, we will continue to push the boundaries in building safer, smarter and more efficient electric mobility eco-system.'
The investment aligns with TDK Corporation's strategic pillars of IoT, EV mobility, and renewables, offering collaborative opportunities in advanced battery technology, power electronics, sensors, and rider-assistance systems. TDK Ventures opened its Bangalore innovation hub in late 2023 to support India's extraordinary entrepreneurs in scaling their technologies beyond India, leveraging TDK Ventures' experience in growing deep-tech startups worldwide.
TDK Ventures is committed to finding and impacting scale-ready technologies on the frontiers of innovation, whose contributions have the potential to build a better, brighter future for all humanity. To learn more about TDK Ventures, interested startups or investment partners should visit www.tdk-ventures.com or reach out at contact@tdk-ventures.com.
About TDK Corporation
TDK Corporation is a world leader in electronic solutions for the smart society based in Tokyo, Japan. Built on a foundation of material sciences mastery, TDK welcomes societal transformation by resolutely remaining at the forefront of technological evolution. It was established in 1935 to commercialize ferrite, a key material in electronic and magnetic products. TDK's comprehensive, innovation-driven portfolio features passive components such as ceramic, aluminum electrolytic and film capacitors, as well as magnetics, high-frequency, and piezo and protection devices. The product spectrum also includes sensors and sensor systems such as temperature and pressure, magnetic, and MEMS sensors. In addition, TDK provides power supplies and energy devices, magnetic heads, software and more. These products are marketed under the product brands TDK, EPCOS, InvenSense, Micronas, Tronics, and TDK-Lambda. TDK focuses on demanding markets in automotive, industrial and consumer electronics, and information and communication technology. The company has a network of design and manufacturing locations and sales offices in Asia, Europe, and in North and South America. In fiscal 2025, TDK posted total sales of USD 14.4 billion and employed about 105,000 people worldwide.
About TDK Ventures
TDK Ventures Inc. invests in startups to bolster innovation in materials science, energy/power and related areas typically underrepresented in venture capital portfolios. Established in 2019 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of TDK Corporation, the corporate venture company's vision is to propel the digital and energy transformations of segments such as robotics and industrial, next-generation transportation, mixed reality and the wider IoT/IIoT markets. TDK Ventures will co-invest and support promising portfolio companies by providing technical expertise and access to global markets where TDK operates. Interested startups or investment partners may contact TDK Ventures: www.tdk-ventures.com or contact@tdk-ventures.com.
About Ultraviolette
Ultraviolette (UV) is an innovator in future-ready Electric Vehicle Platforms and Battery Technology. Infused with Aviation DNA, this enterprise was conceived in 2016 by the founders, Narayan Subramaniam and Niraj Rajmohan. Ultraviolette is backed by a spectrum of global investors, including Lingotto (a subsidiary of EXOR N.V., renowned for its majority or controlling stakes in iconic brands and global leaders such as Ferrari, Stellantis, CNH Industrial, The Economist Group, Via, and Juventus), Qualcomm Ventures, Zoho Corporation, TVS Motors, and Speciale Invest.
For more information, visit https://www.ultraviolette.com/.
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