The VC Fellowship
The VC Fellowship teaches public-private venture partnerships and deep-tech infrastructure investing.
The VC Fellowship is focused on India's venture ecosystem, with a shift towards deep-tech and AI startups.
For years, India's venture ecosystem preferred software over deep-tech - fast scaling over long R&D cycles and capital-intensive infrastructure. But that narrative is shifting. Karnataka announced a ₹600 crore Deep-Tech Decade initiative, with the government deploying this entirely from public funds while targeting ₹1,000+ crore jointly with venture capital. At the Future Makers Conclave (November 2025), 16 VC funds committed ₹430 crore toward deep-tech and AI startups. Under IT-BT Minister Priyank M Kharge's leadership, the ₹600 crore allocates across: ₹150 crore (Deep-Tech Elevate Fund for AI/frontier tech), ₹80 crore (Elevate Beyond Bengaluru), ₹75 crore (KITVEN FUND), ₹48 crore (IIT/IIIT incubators), ₹110 crore (seed support), ₹90 crore (Centres of Excellence), ₹25 crore (innovation labs). Additionally, ₹200 crore targets deep-tech through fund-of-funds and co-investment models with VCs including Blume Ventures, Speciale Invest, 3one4 Capital, Peak XV Partners, and Accel. The co-investment structure matters: public capital absorbs early technical risk while institutional VC scales commercial opportunities. The market shows late-stage validation. Battery Smart, founded by Pulkit Khurana and Siddharth Sikka (2019), built India's largest EV battery-swapping ecosystem. Operating 1,518+ swap stations across 30+ cities with 50+ million swaps serving 45,000+ vehicles, the company raised $139-170 million across 12 rounds (including $65M Series B, May 2024, and $29M extension, 2025), reaching a ₹3,820 crore valuation. Backed by Tiger Global, LeapFrog Investments, Orios Venture Partners, MUFG, Panasonic, Blume Ventures, British International Investment, and Rising Tide Energy, Battery Smart demonstrates how venture capital scales commercially viable deep-tech platforms. These developments signal structural shifts: public capital underwrites early technical risk while venture scales deep engineering, infrastructure networks, and defensible technological moats. Congratulations to Minister Priyank M Kharge, Dr. Manjula N., Rahul Sankanur, Pulkit Khurana, Siddharth Sikka, and the Battery Smart team. Recognition to all investors backing India's deep-tech capital stack. The VC Fellowship teaches you public-private venture partnerships and deep-tech infrastructure investing. Applications open. Apply Now:- https://lnkd.in/gsNZQFvH #venturecapital #deeptech #karnataka #tech #investments
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