The Chiratae Sonic DeepTech program was officially launched by Bengaluru-based Chiratae Ventures. This is a new initiative that is a focused move by the old VC firm to create a special funding channel that is clearly focused on supporting early-stage deeptech startups in the country. The introduction marks the belief of the firm in the possibility of highly specialised, research-intensive firms to propel the next generation of Indian economic and technological innovation. The program is designed to offer essential initial funding, intended to assist ambitious teams in accelerating the innovation and marketplace of frontier technologies.
The financial investment Chiratae Sonic DeepTech program encompasses is immense and covers the most important phase of start-up development. Chiratae Ventures has agreed to invest in each company selected under the conditions of this new channel up to a maximum of $2 million. This level of investment is specifically tailored to the enterprises that are on the Seed stage, up to the Series A stage.
This wide mandate guarantees that the program is in a position to benefit ventures during part of the start-up phase, as well as when they start expanding and readying to raise larger institutional rounds. This early investment is critical to deeptech companies, which commonly demand substantial initial capital to conduct research, develop products and test complex technological solutions.
The program is quite focused, and it has a narrow number of core technological areas that are considered to be ready to be disrupted and grow in the future by the firm. Chiratae Ventures will be considering significant, impactful sectors to fund startups, such as energy and climate, to solve the major problem of sustainability in the world. It also focuses on firms operating at the frontier of computation, which includes quantum technologies.
The program will support physical systems such as robotics and high-end manufacturing, and specialised applications in space technologies. Companies specialising in applied AI/ML, defence, bio and medtech, and technologies that facilitate the greater digital economy are also covered under the mandate. This diversified yet targeted emphasis points to a model of supporting fundamental, science-based innovation that might contribute to long-term, high-impact returns.
The launch of the Chiratae Sonic DeepTech initiative is supported by an enormous amount of previous experience and success of the firm in supporting deeptech firms. Chiratae Ventures is not a newcomer in the industry; it has backed and funded multiple successful deeptech ventures in the past. Its holdings in the area consist of the AI marketing venture Pixis, the consumer robotics enterprise Miko, the agentic solutions enterprise Pando.ai, and the spacetech enterprise Agnikul, among others. The company already has a rich track record of capital deployment in this arena, having invested over $200 million in the industry and having invested in over 50 deeptech companies.
This track record of active involvement and investment is a potent ground upon which the new committed program will be based. The larger company, Chiratae Ventures, is an institutionalised venture in the Indian VC market; it has a history spanning 19 years and is jointly managing $1.3 billion in assets under management across seven funds.
The total history of this firm is immense since it has invested in more than 130 companies and reported more than 50 exits, which have served to fetch back around $1 billion of capital to the limited partners in the firm during the past 14 years. Some of its significant portfolio corporations are listed companies such as FirstCry and Lenskart, as well as other big names such as Cult.Fit and Flipkart. It is a long history of success that lends credibility and network to successfully scout, fund, and scale the next generation of deeptech innovators under the new Sonic DeepTech program.
The launch of the Chiratae Sonic DeepTech initiative is also a turning point in the technological future of India, indicating the focused and strategic investment of funds in those companies that have a highly research-based approach and advanced product thinking. The program is designed to support the underlying financial and ecosystem requirements of early-stage deeptech founders with an investment commitment of up to $2 million per company and a strong emphasis on areas with the greatest impact, such as climate, quantum, and applied AI. Through its long history of successful exits and sector deployments, Chiratae Ventures is establishing itself and its new program as an essential facilitator of the next generation of category-defining companies from India.