ToneTag Secures Qualcomm Ventures Investment to Advance Edge AI Payments The company plans to develop one of the world's first Edge AI-powered payment-capable modules designed in India for global deployment.
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ToneTag, a Bengaluru-based deep-tech company, has received an investment from Qualcomm Ventures, the investment arm of global wireless and edge computing leader Qualcomm Incorporated.
The funding aims to accelerate ToneTag's development of next-generation edge AI solutions and proximity-based payment capabilities across connected devices.
The company plans to develop one of the world's first Edge AI-powered payment-capable modules designed in India for global deployment. By combining high-performance edge processing with real-time contextual awareness, ToneTag's technology seeks to convert everyday devices into intelligent, conversational, and payment-ready ecosystems.
Potential applications include smartphones, smart TVs, wearables such as smartwatches and smart glasses, and other emerging IoT devices.
ToneTag's approach aligns with Qualcomm's focus on enabling intelligence, context, and trust locally on devices rather than relying solely on cloud-based systems. This design enhances speed, resilience, privacy, and accessibility, particularly in high-volume environments such as payments, identity verification, and device-to-device interactions.
Founded in 2013 by Kumar Abhishek and Vivek Singh, ToneTag specialises in sound-based contactless payment solutions. Its patented technology allows secure offline payments for merchants and banks, even on feature phones. The company claims that its protocol is active at millions of touchpoints, processing over 25 million transactions daily, with a monthly transaction value exceeding USD 3 billion.
ToneTag's platform leverages existing hardware, including device microphones and speakers, and holds patents across multiple jurisdictions. The investment from Qualcomm Ventures is expected to strengthen the company's efforts to bring scalable, edge AI-powered payment solutions to a global audience.
