Two years after a technical malfunction on national television nearly grounded their ambitions, the founders of the autonomous drone startup Vecros have resurfaced with a major global milestone. Prem Sai and Rajashree Deotalu, who faced a literal and metaphorical crash during their pitch on Shark Tank India, recently announced their selection into the Y Combinator Startup School.
Founded by Prem Sai, an IIT Delhi alumnus from Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, and Rajashree Rajesh Deotalu, a robotics enthusiast from NIT Nagpur, the company is aiming to prove that "Physical AI" is the next frontier of Indian innovation. Registered in Andhra Pradesh, Vecros is moving from the scrutiny of reality TV judges to the rigorous environment of Silicon Valley’s most prestigious accelerator, signaling a growing international interest in Indian-made "Physical AI."
The founders were quick to explain that the AI was trained for a specific orientation, and the unexpected shift confused its spatial sensors. Despite the initial skepticism from the panel, the technical specs were undeniable. Athera boasts eight cameras and a processor capable of 21 trillion operations per second, designed specifically for GPS-denied environments like tunnels and disaster zones.
The final deal struck on air was 20 lakh for 1% equity, matching a 20-crore valuation, with an additional 90 lakh as debt at 10% interest for three years. This pivot from a crash to a closed deal became one of the season's most memorable moments of redemption.
According to Sai’s LinkedIn post, they are among the 2,000 builders selected from a massive pool of 25,000 applications.
His X account reflected a touch of wit regarding the achievement: "Thought YC was only for SaaS kids building chatbots... turns out they’re letting drone guys in now."
He emphasized that while the world is obsessed with "AI note-taking apps," Vecros is focused on Physical AI—drones that see, think, and act in the physical world without relying on GPS.
Y Combinator is a premier startup accelerator that has birthed giants like Airbnb and Dropbox. Its Startup School is a selective program providing founders with elite mentorship and a global network. Selection often serves as a precursor to significant venture capital interest,
(Disclaimer: This article is based on a viral social media post and online reactions. The Economic Times has not independently verified the authenticity of the content and does not claim or endorse it.)
Founded by Prem Sai, an IIT Delhi alumnus from Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, and Rajashree Rajesh Deotalu, a robotics enthusiast from NIT Nagpur, the company is aiming to prove that "Physical AI" is the next frontier of Indian innovation. Registered in Andhra Pradesh, Vecros is moving from the scrutiny of reality TV judges to the rigorous environment of Silicon Valley’s most prestigious accelerator, signaling a growing international interest in Indian-made "Physical AI."
A 'Crash' Course in Reality
Two years ago, during Shark Tank India Season 3, the founders faced every entrepreneur’s nightmare. While demonstrating Athera, their flagship autonomous spatial AI drone, the tech faltered under pressure. To showcase its obstacle avoidance, they invited the Sharks to interact with the drone. When Anupam Mittal approached the unit, it lost its orientation and crashed (3:12 - 4:26).The founders were quick to explain that the AI was trained for a specific orientation, and the unexpected shift confused its spatial sensors. Despite the initial skepticism from the panel, the technical specs were undeniable. Athera boasts eight cameras and a processor capable of 21 trillion operations per second, designed specifically for GPS-denied environments like tunnels and disaster zones.
Aman Gupta's Deal
While many Sharks hesitated, Aman Gupta saw potential in the founders' dream and liked their innocence. After the founders revealed they had previously rejected a 15-crore acquisition offer for 70% of the company, Gupta stepped in.The final deal struck on air was 20 lakh for 1% equity, matching a 20-crore valuation, with an additional 90 lakh as debt at 10% interest for three years. This pivot from a crash to a closed deal became one of the season's most memorable moments of redemption.
The Y Combinator Milestone
Fast forward to 2026, and the narrative has shifted from local screens to global incubators. Prem Sai recently took to LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter) to announce that Vecros has been selected for the Y Combinator (YC) Startup School. ET is yet to receive a comment on this from the company.According to Sai’s LinkedIn post, they are among the 2,000 builders selected from a massive pool of 25,000 applications.
His X account reflected a touch of wit regarding the achievement: "Thought YC was only for SaaS kids building chatbots... turns out they’re letting drone guys in now."
He emphasized that while the world is obsessed with "AI note-taking apps," Vecros is focused on Physical AI—drones that see, think, and act in the physical world without relying on GPS.
Y Combinator is a premier startup accelerator that has birthed giants like Airbnb and Dropbox. Its Startup School is a selective program providing founders with elite mentorship and a global network. Selection often serves as a precursor to significant venture capital interest,
What Vecros is building
Vecros, registered in Andhra Pradesh, is developing autonomous spatial AI drones designed for high-risk, GPS-denied environments such as construction sites, railway inspections, bridge monitoring, and disaster relief operations. Their flagship product Athera uses eight cameras and a processor with 21 trillion operations per second computing power, enabling 360-degree sensing and obstacle avoidance, according to their pitch to the Sharks. They also have an upcoming product called Jasper, targeted at confined spaces. The company follows two business models: direct enterprise sales with training, and a “Drone-as-a-Service” subscription for fleet providers.(Disclaimer: This article is based on a viral social media post and online reactions. The Economic Times has not independently verified the authenticity of the content and does not claim or endorse it.)