Nothing’s CMF plans majority Indian ownership with Optiemus investment

CMF, Nothing’s consumer-tech brand, is preparing a Series A round that would bring Optiemus Group in as an investor and support plans for a majority Indian-owned smartphone business. The partners aim to deepen India-based manufacturing, R&D and locally retained IP.

— Source publishedTue, 22 Sept, 2026, 13:27 IST·First seen Tue, 22 Sept, 2026, 13:41 IST·Source ET Small Business

What happened

CMF, Nothing’s consumer technology brand, plans to become a majority Indian-owned independent smartphone business as Optiemus joins its upcoming Series A. The

Key facts

  • Six R&D disciplines
  • Majority Indian ownership

Why this matters

CMF’s shift toward Indian ownership, local R&D and retained IP could create a more domestically rooted smartphone challenger with stronger supply-chain and channel relevance in India.

What to watch

  • Confirmed ownership split, board structure and whether Nothing licenses or transfers product IP to the India entity.
  • Investment amount and stated allocation between manufacturing, R&D, working capital, retail expansion and service infrastructure.
  • New India manufacturing lines, local component-sourcing commitments and production-volume targets.
  • CMF handset pricing versus Redmi, Realme, Motorola, Samsung Galaxy A/M and Lava in the Rs 10,000-Rs 25,000 range.
  • Offline store additions, distributor appointments and service-center coverage.