Scaling Deeptech
Providing access to Capital Markets
Accelerating Research Commercialisation
I have made 20+ trips to each of the startup clusters after covid. I am convinced that there are only five locations in India where deeptech can thrive. These are Bangalore, NCR, Pune, Chennai and Chandigarh. They have the right mix of academia, industry and DNA.
India competes with the world for leadership in 64 advanced technologies. China leads in 47, USA in the rest, India in none. The IIT Alumni Council is focused on getting India to No. 1 in one of the technologies every year starting 2026. They seem to be on target. But, we can’t wait for 64 years.
Sameer Brij Verma is the chosen lead for Bangalore. He leads India’s first USD 150 million single GP fund. Sameer stands tall among Indian venture capitalists. With 84 investments and 13 unicorns – Sameer has a track record which is hard to beat. Relatively low key and below the radar, he is a rare combination of intellect and intelligence. With accountancy complementing his undergrad from IIT, Illinois – he can look at deeptech through an accountants lens.
I have known Sameer since 2005 when he was the youngest product lead at UT Starcom. One can spot a winner when one sees one. Just that I expected him to be a great engineer, not a great Fund Manager. For me, he will always be the young 25 year old kid with a sparkle in his eyes. I was delighted to hear from him that I influenced his turn from working in a corporate to becoming a VC. Not many have taken my advice on this, which I give freely.
To get more startups, we need more VCs.
Sameer is a cofounder of two great academic institutions – Ashoka University in NCR and Plaksha in Chandigarh.
The model we propose to jointly pursue in deeptech is to incubate a slate of large deeptech funds capable of a fifty year horizon, manned by fund managers under thirty and investing in ipo rounds of cos under three years old and led by promoters under 25. We expect the startup team members to either already be enrolled in a PhD program or enrol in a PhD program before funding.
Deeptech is not an area for college dropouts. There is no empirical evidence whatsoever to suggest that college dropouts do better than those who excel in studies. Premium grads have a definite advantage over others and the idea is to help them change the world faster than they otherwise do.
My thought is to incubate a billion dollar deeptech startup investment company in Bangalore which goes public itself and invests in the IPOs of other young deeptech cos going public. With a fifty year horizon, this fund could be like no other in the world.
Sameer has personally agreed to mentor the intern fund managers. We are looking for young premium graduates, wanting to pursue a PhD in a premium institution and work in a deeptech fund – WITH an ambition and a lifetime commitment to building India’s only and the worlds first fifty year horizon deeptech fund in Bangalore.