Nothing's CMF brand becomes independent entity with $100M investment in India

What you need to know

• Nothing spins off CMF as an independent entity, headquartered in India.
• New joint venture with Optiemus to invest $100 million and create 1,800 jobs.
• CMF focuses on budget devices under $200, driven by impressive growth in India.

Nothing's CEO Carl Pei announced in an X post on Thursday (Sept. 25) that Nothing has decided to make its budget-focused brand CMF, a separate and independent entity, which essentially means that CMF will be its own distinct brand, operating autonomously from Nothing. This new entity will have its global headquarters in India, with manufacturing, R&D, and operations all based out of the country.

Posting a picture with Electronics & Information Technology Minister of India Pie stated that, he's "excited to announce our new manufacturing joint venture with Optiemus, one of India’s leading technology manufacturers - a key milestone in making this vision a reality."

Nothing said that through this new venture with Optiemus, the companies plan to invest over $100 million in India over the next three years. This venture is also expected to create over 1,800 jobs over the next three years, since it will be the country’s first truly global consumer tech brand.

"This partnership goes beyond high-tech manufacturing - it will empower us to create export-ready products that will be designed in India, showcasing the innovation and talent of our people to the world in the coming years,” Optiemus' Executive Chairman, Ashok Gupta, told Android Central in a press release.

Nothing's decision to spin off CMF into a separate entity hints at a more strategic shift — as it appears to be concentrating on developing premium, AI-native devices with the recent $200M funding it secured. This move would also allow CMF to independently focus on producing devices that are under the $200 bracket.

Tech Crunch notes that Nothing became India's fastest-growing brand in the country in Q2 2025, with 85% growth in shipments, accounting for 2% market share in smartphones. Out of which 42% of phones shipped in Q2 2025 were in the $100-$200 price range, according to IDC. This growth could be the reason why Nothing decided to establish this unique venture in India.

"CMF has been well-received by the (Indian) market since we launched it two years ago. With our end-to-end capabilities, we are uniquely positioned to now build it into India’s first truly global smartphone brand. Our joint venture with Optiemus is a key milestone toward making that vision a reality,” Pie added in a press release.

CMF was launched as Nothing's sub-brand back in September 2023 and is known for its colorful and customizable lineup of devices. It has since launched multiple earbuds like the CMF Buds, CMF Buds Pro, CMF Buds Pro 2, and the latest CMF Watch 3 Pro. This announcement also comes on the heels of CMF's first over-ear headphone launch, which it has been teasing, set to show up on Sept.29.