A deep-tech startup from Bihar is working on a problem that sits at the heart of the global semiconductor industry: verifying complex chip designs before they move into production. Founded by Shweta Suman, Swadeza is developing FORGE, an AI-native semiconductor engineering platform designed to automate and accelerate chip verification while keeping sensitive design data within a company’s own infrastructure.

The Bihar-based company’s technology has reportedly been used to verify OpenTitan-class chip designs, identifying seven bugs across approximately 40 IP blocks. Swadeza’s journey also highlights how advanced semiconductor innovation is increasingly emerging from locations beyond India’s established technology hubs.

Making Chip Verification Faster With AI

Before a semiconductor chip can be manufactured, engineers must verify that its design works as intended. This process involves testing thousands of components, checking interactions between different blocks and identifying errors that could become expensive to fix after manufacturing.

Traditionally, chip verification is a time-consuming process requiring specialised engineering teams and extensive simulation. Swadeza aims to simplify this work through FORGE, which uses AI to understand chip architecture, generate verification plans and assist engineers in identifying design issues.

Its DV-FORGE platform converts technical reference manuals into structured chip models and uses them to generate verification plans, coverage models and Universal Verification Methodology (UVM) testbenches.

Seven Bugs Found in OpenTitan-Class Designs

One of Swadeza’s most notable reported achievements is its work on OpenTitan Earlgrey, an open-source system-on-chip designed for hardware security.

According to the company, DV-FORGE completed verification signoff for the chip in 30 days, identifying seven bugs across roughly 40 IP blocks and 2,581 registers. The platform was also used on Darjeeling, a derivative design, which reportedly reached signoff in 21 days.

These results demonstrate the potential of AI-assisted verification to reduce repetitive engineering work and help teams manage increasingly complex semiconductor designs.

Why On-Premises AI Matters

Semiconductor designs contain highly sensitive intellectual property, making data security a major concern for chip developers.

Unlike cloud-dependent AI tools, FORGE is designed for on-premises deployment, allowing companies to run the platform within their own infrastructure. This approach can help organisations retain control over confidential chip designs while exploring AI-powered engineering workflows.

Swadeza is also expanding FORGE beyond verification. Its PD-FORGE platform focuses on physical-design analysis, while post-silicon validation and standard-cell technologies are also part of its broader development roadmap.

Building Deeptech From Bihar

Swadeza’s story is closely connected to founder Shweta Suman’s decision to build a technology company in Bihar rather than move to a traditional startup hub. With an engineering background from BIT Mesra, she is working to establish the state as a base for globally relevant semiconductor innovation.

The company is also developing its technology through collaborations with academic and industry partners, including BIT Patna and semiconductor firm Signitude. Its participation in SEMICON India 2026 has brought its work into the wider semiconductor ecosystem.

Taking Indian Semiconductor Innovation Global

Swadeza’s work reflects a growing opportunity for Indian startups to contribute to the semiconductor value chain through specialised engineering software, verification tools and AI-driven design solutions.

By combining AI with semiconductor expertise, the company is targeting a technically demanding industry where reliability, speed and data security are essential.

For Swadeza, the ambition extends beyond building a chip-verification product. It is about demonstrating that advanced semiconductor engineering can be developed in Bihar and serve companies operating across the world.

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