Startup Policy Forum Launches DeepVerse to Bring Deeptech Startups, Investors, and Policymakers Together

Startup Policy Forum, a vital bridge between the startup community and policymakers, led by Shweta Rajpal Kohli, Avantika Gode, and Shubhangi Poddar, has launched DeepVerse, its centre for deeptech Innovation, bringing together investors, deeptech founders, policymakers, global technology companies, and academia to support the development of India’s deeptech ecosystem.

DeepVerse will focus on policy, research and collaboration across 10 deeptech sectors, from semiconductors and quantum to spacetech, biotech, cleantech, EVs and robotics.

Its advisory board will bring together investors, founders, policymakers, academics and technology leaders, with participation from leading VCs including Accel India, Lightspeed, Bessemer, Speciale Invest and Beenext.

“Congratulations to Startup Policy Forum on the launch of DeepVerse, Centre for DeepTech Innovation. A strong, multi-stakeholder approach is key to growing India’s deeptech ecosystem. Great to see DeepVerse bringing together founders, investors, academia, and government to take India’s deeptech ambitions forward,” said S. Krishnan, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology.

DeepVerse to Push for Policy Changes Across 10 Sectors.

The Centre is expected to release a report outlining policy recommendations across the 10 sectors. The initiative aims to give deeptech companies a sustained voice in policymaking, particularly given their longer development cycles and high capital requirements.

“India has the founders and, increasingly, the capital for world-class deeptech. Policy has to catch up. When companies take a decade to build, founders and investors need rules they can plan around, and a say in making them. DeepVerse institutionalises that voice,” said Shweta Rajpal Kohli, President & CEO, Startup Policy Forum.

The advisory board includes founders such as Ather Energy co-founder and CEO Tarun Mehta, Airbound founder and CEO Naman Pushp, Skyroot Aerospace co-founder and CEO Pawan Chandana, and Digantara founder and CEO Anirudh Sharma.

The group includes policymakers, academics and technology leaders from MeitY Startup Hub, the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser, Dayananda Sagar University and Intel India.

DeepVerse builds on SPF’s #100DesiDeepTechs initiative with MeitY Startup Hub, Startup India (DPIIT) and IIT Madras, which identified 100 Indian deeptech startups and engaged founders on regulation, capital, talent and global expansion. DeepVerse will provide a permanent platform for this engagement and give startups a role in shaping India’s deeptech policy.