Ultraviolette Automotive has secured $85 million in a funding round designed to expand production, develop new electric platforms and support the Indian company’s international ambitions. Yali Capital and TDK Ventures led the round, with existing investors also participating. Lip-Bu Tan, Intel’s CEO, invested in Ultraviolette personally rather than on behalf of the technology company.

Tan will not take an operational role or join Ultraviolette’s leadership team. Instead, he will act as an adviser, contributing experience from the technology and semiconductor sectors. The investment adds a prominent technology-industry backer to a manufacturer founded in Bangalore in 2016 and focused on electric motorcycles, including performance-oriented models.

From the F77 to a broader range

The F77 remains the best-known part of Ultraviolette’s product strategy. The electric sports motorcycle is now sold in several European markets, and its current version is listed with a maximum output of 30 kW, 100 Nm of torque, a top speed of 155 km/h and a 231 km range measured under the WMTC cycle.

The company’s plans extend beyond that model. The new capital is also intended to increase production of the X-47 Crossover and prepare the launch of two future products: the Tesseract electric scooter and the Shockwave, a lighter motorcycle with an adventure-oriented design direction. Ultraviolette also plans to develop new platforms that can gradually support a wider product range.

International targets and a new plant

Ultraviolette is currently active in 20 European countries. Markets outside India account for approximately 15% of the company’s sales volume and 20% of its revenue. The stated goal is to raise the international contribution to 25% of total sales volume, enter the United States by 2027 and then build a stronger presence in Latin America and Southeast Asia.

The production expansion is tied to a planned factory in Hosur, in India’s Tamil Nadu state. Ultraviolette intends to invest approximately $82 million in the facility, which is designed to begin with annual capacity for 250,000 vehicles. Its infrastructure is planned to allow expansion to as many as 500,000 units per year.

That projected capacity compares with approximately 50,000 vehicles annually at Ultraviolette’s current Bangalore facility. Production at Hosur is expected to begin with the Tesseract before expanding to other future models. Together, the funding round, the new platforms and the factory plan point to a strategy that combines a larger home-market manufacturing base with a substantial increase in overseas activity.