After Zomato, Deepinder Goyal returns with a $54M brain-monitoring bet

Source: TechCrunch

Deepinder Goyal’s $54 M Temple Funding Round

Weeks after stepping down as CEO of Zomato and its parent Eternal, Indian entrepreneur Deepinder Goyal announced a $54 million raise for his wearable startup Temple. The funds came from a friends‑and‑family round that included founder friends, early Zomato backers, and more than 30 Temple employees, valuing the company at roughly $190 million post‑money.

Temple’s Wearable Vision

Temple is developing a high‑performance wearable aimed at elite athletes. Goyal describes the device as a sensor that sits on the wearer’s temple and continuously tracks cerebral blood flow—metrics that existing wearables cannot measure. In a recent X post, he outlined an ambitious hiring push across embedded systems, computational neuroscience, and brain‑computer interface engineering.

“At Temple, we are building the ultimate wearable for elite performance athletes. A device that measures what no other wearable in the world measures, with a level of precision that doesn’t exist yet.” – Deepinder Goyal

Market Context

The wearables market is increasingly crowded, with established players such as Whoop, Oura, and Garmin offering devices that monitor sleep, recovery, and athletic performance. Whether Temple can meaningfully differentiate its technology remains an open question.

Goyal’s Broader Investment Focus

• Continue Research – In October 2025, Goyal committed $25 million of his own capital to this venture, which explores ways to extend human lifespan.
• LAT Aerospace – Co‑founder of the aviation startup, which recently expanded into defense technology through the acquisition of early‑stage firm Sharang Shakti.

Background

Goyal co‑founded Zomato in 2008 with Pankaj Chaddah and grew it into one of India’s largest food‑delivery platforms. He stepped down as CEO in January 2026, handing the role to Albinder Dhindsa, head of Blinkit (the quick‑commerce unit).

Zomato’s growth included notable acquisitions such as Uber Eats’ India business (2020) and grocery‑delivery platform Blinkit (formerly Grofers) for $568 million in 2022.

Prior to Temple, Goyal backed health and fitness startups, including Ultrahuman, an Indian wearable maker competing with Oura’s smart ring, underscoring his increasing focus on performance and health technology.

Goyal declined to comment further on Temple.