Deepinder Goyal Backs Temple Wearable Startup with $54M Friends-and-Family Round

In a bold move signaling his pivot toward high-risk, high-reward ventures, Indian tech entrepreneur Deepinder Goyal has raised $54 million for Temple, a wearable technology startup aimed at revolutionizing athletic performance tracking. The funding round, conducted as a friends-and-family investment, values the company at approximately $190 million—a striking valuation for a startup still in its nascent stages.

Goyal, best known for founding and leading Zomato into one of India’s largest food delivery platforms, stepped down as CEO of Zomato and its parent company, Eternal, in January 2026. He handed the reins to Albinder Dhindsa, the head of Blinkit, Eternal’s quick-commerce arm. This transition marked the end of an era for Goyal, who had helmed Zomato for nearly two decades since co-founding it in 2008 with Pankaj Chaddah.

A New Chapter: From Food Delivery to Wearable Tech

Temple represents Goyal’s first major public venture since his departure from Zomato. The startup is developing a high-performance wearable designed specifically for elite athletes, with a focus on tracking cerebral blood flow—a metric Goyal claims existing devices cannot measure with sufficient precision. During a January conversation with podcaster Raj Shamani, Goyal described Temple’s device as a sensor that sits on the wearer’s temple, continuously monitoring brain activity to optimize athletic performance.

The funding round includes contributions from over 30 Temple employees, who invested at the same $190 million valuation, alongside prominent investors such as Steadview Capital, Peak XV Partners, InfoEdge Ventures, and Dharana Capital. Angel investors include Vijay Shekhar Sharma of Paytm, Kunal Shah of CRED, and Nithin and Nikhil Kamath of Zerodha, as well as current and former Eternal executives.

Expanding Horizons: Longevity Research and Defense Tech

Temple is just one piece of Goyal’s broader strategy to explore frontier technologies. In October 2025, he committed $25 million of his own capital to Continue Research, a venture focused on extending human lifespan. He is also a co-founder of LAT Aerospace, an aviation startup that recently expanded into defense technology through the acquisition of Sharang Shakti, an early-stage firm.

These moves underscore Goyal’s shift from scaling consumer-facing platforms to backing experimental, high-impact technologies. His investments reflect a growing interest in health, performance, and longevity—sectors he believes are ripe for disruption.

Entering a Crowded Market

Temple enters an increasingly competitive wearables market dominated by established players like Whoop, Oura, and Garmin. These companies have spent years refining devices that track sleep, recovery, and athletic performance, building loyal user bases and robust ecosystems. Whether Temple can meaningfully differentiate itself remains to be seen.

Goyal’s previous backing of Ultrahuman, an India-based wearable maker competing with Oura’s smart ring, suggests he sees significant potential in the health and fitness tech space. However, the challenge for Temple will be proving that its cerebral blood flow tracking technology offers a tangible advantage over existing solutions.

A Legacy of Innovation

Goyal’s career has been defined by bold bets and transformative growth. Under his leadership, Zomato evolved from a restaurant discovery platform into a food delivery giant, acquiring Uber Eats’ India business in 2020 and Blinkit in 2022 for $568 million. These moves solidified Zomato’s position as a leader in India’s digital economy.

Now, with Temple, Goyal is once again betting on innovation—this time in a field that blends neuroscience, wearable technology, and athletic performance. Whether Temple becomes the next big thing or another ambitious experiment, Goyal’s willingness to take risks ensures he remains a central figure in India’s tech ecosystem.

Tags: Deepinder Goyal, Temple Wearable, Zomato, Eternal, Blinkit, Quick Commerce, Wearable Technology, Cerebral Blood Flow, Elite Athletes, Health Tech, Longevity Research, LAT Aerospace, Sharang Shakti, Ultrahuman, Oura, Whoop, Garmin, Venture Capital, Friends-and-Family Round, Steadview Capital, Peak XV Partners, InfoEdge Ventures, Dharana Capital, Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Kunal Shah, Nithin Kamath, Nikhil Kamath, Raj Shamani, Podcaster, Tech Innovation, High-Risk Ventures, Experimental Tech

Viral Sentences:

• “Deepinder Goyal raises $54M for Temple, a wearable that tracks cerebral blood flow—because your brain deserves its own fitness tracker.”
• “From food delivery to brain monitoring: Goyal’s Temple aims to measure what no wearable has measured before.”
• “Temple’s $190M valuation? That’s the price of betting on the next big thing in athletic performance.”
• “Goyal’s new venture Temple is hiring ‘obsessive’ engineers—because building the ultimate wearable isn’t for the faint of heart.”
• “Can Temple out-innovate Whoop and Oura? Goyal’s betting $54M it can.”
• “Deepinder Goyal’s post-Zomato era is all about high-risk, high-reward tech bets.”
• “Temple’s wearable promises precision no other device offers—sounds like a challenge to the entire wearables industry.”
• “Goyal’s $25M bet on longevity research? He’s not just building companies; he’s building the future.”
• “From Uber Eats to brain sensors: Goyal’s career is a masterclass in pivoting to the next big thing.”
• “Temple’s cerebral blood flow tracker could be the Fitbit for elite athletes—if it works.”

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