Hyderabad-based startup WATER has raised $2.5 million in seed funding to advance its work in adaptive intelligent surfaces. The round was led by Endiya Partners and included participation from angel investors Pullela Gopichand, Rohit Chennamaneni, and Nandan Reddy. The company plans to use the new capital to refine its technology, strengthen data collection, and explore industrial applications.
A New Category in Physical AI
WATER was founded in 2024 by Teja Vinukollu and Haneesh Mourya Desu with a focus on bio physical intelligence. The startup creates surfaces that can sense human interaction, make context-aware decisions, and respond physically in real time without disturbing the user. Its approach combines sensing, decision-making, and closed-loop physical actuation across multiple product categories, creating a continuous loop from data to response.
Products Powered by the VORTEX Model
WATER has introduced two flagship products, FLOW and CAMA, which operate on a shared foundational model called VORTEX. FLOW is an adaptive chair focused on seated posture, movement, and load distribution. CAMA is an adaptive bed that uses more than 10,000 pressure sensors and 42 actuators to adjust the sleeping surface in real time for recovery and respiration.
The company differentiates itself from connected furniture and sleep tracking products that mostly sense but offer limited physical response. WATER claims its proprietary model enables a complete loop from sensing to decision-making and physical adjustment across different surfaces. A foundational patent filing underpins the company’s emphasis on safety in systems designed to act on the human body without causing disruption.
Investor Confidence and Strategic Backing
Endiya Partners Managing Partner Sateesh Andra described WATER as a category-defining opportunity rather than a smarter chair or bed. He noted that the same intelligence understanding a person in a chair or bed could eventually extend to entire adaptive environments. The startup’s early capital efficiency and technical depth were central to the firm’s decision to lead the round.
Founder and CEO Teja Vinukollu explained that intelligence in the physical world should upgrade the human being at the center of it. He described this layer as Bio Physical Intelligence, where the body constantly communicates its needs to the surfaces it touches. Vinukollu added that FLOW and CAMA represent initial steps toward a world where environments respond to people rather than the reverse.
Expanding Beyond Smart Furniture
The startup’s longer-term vision extends beyond individual products toward fully adaptive environments in homes, workplaces, and vehicles. WATER sees the same body intelligence layer eventually powering seating, sleep surfaces, and other physical systems that adjust dynamically to individual needs. The company has already showcased a near-production-ready adaptive sleep system at CES and highlighted its capital-efficient development process.
Physical AI Momentum in India
The funding arrives amid rising investor interest in physical AI and robotics across India. Recent deals include SwitchOn’s $8 million pre-Series B round and Mowito’s $3 million pre-seed raise for AI models that train industrial robots. Industry estimates project India’s robotics market could grow from about $2 billion in 2025 to more than $7 billion by 2034.
WATER’s seed round positions the company to refine its foundational model and validate the transfer of its intelligence across products and users. The startup believes the same layer can eventually power broader adaptive environments rather than isolated smart objects. With backing from Endiya Partners and experienced angel investors, WATER is working to establish itself as a foundational intelligence layer for responsive surfaces.