A pitch is only a few minutes long. The science behind it can take years.
A pitch puts a technology in the spotlight; what matters is the work behind it, the questions it invites, and the people who see a future in it. For deep-tech founders, that future depends on more than a promising idea—it takes patient capital, rigorous development, and a path from the lab to the market. It also takes the right conversations, at the right time, to help promising technologies move beyond possibility and towards real-world application.
That premise took shape at DeepTech50, Venture Center’s investor–startup confluence held on 6 October at Mumbai’s Jio World Convention Centre. Bringing together deep-tech ventures across healthcare and sustainability and investors from across the ecosystem, the gathering offered a window into the breadth of scientific innovation underway—and the possibilities that emerge when these technologies meet the people who can help take them further.
Fifty Startups. A Spectrum of Innovation.
The turnout offered an early indication of the interest DeepTech50 generated across the investment ecosystem. Close to 67 investors attended, exceeding the 50 seats planned, with several staying through most of the day and others until the closing sessions. Their sustained presence gave the participating startups an extended window to present their technologies, engage with investors, and explore opportunities beyond the formal pitching sessions.
Four sessions brought participating ventures before dedicated juries: 17 sustainability elevator pitches, 14 startups at the Leap Global Accelerator Demo Day, 11 at the Investor Readiness Program (IRP) Demo Day, and eight healthcare elevator pitches. Together, they presented a cross-section of innovation spanning healthcare, sustainability, clean energy, and mobility.
The day also recognized the mentors whose guidance helps founders navigate the complexities of building deep-tech ventures. Renu Medtech emerged as the winner of the IRP Demo Day, while Periwinkle Labs made a notable impression in Session 4, adding to the range of ventures that stood out across the programme.
The Work Beyond the Stage
An investor–startup gathering finds its measure not simply in the ideas presented, but in the quality of engagement they inspire and the relationships that begin to take shape.
At DeepTech50, each startup received approximately four expressions of interest (EOIs) on average. Venture Center is working to carry these initial expressions of interest forward by facilitating introductions and supporting continued engagement between startups and investors. While these early signals indicate interest, their longer-term value will emerge as discussions progress towards potential collaborations and investment.
The Meet-the-Startup booklet extended the reach of the event. Each venture had a dedicated page with a QR code linking to its pitch deck, allowing investors to revisit ideas that caught their attention. Applicants who could not be accommodated in the live pitching sessions were included too, keeping their ventures within reach of investors exploring the wider field.
Deep Technology, Already in the World
The event also looked beyond emerging technologies to ventures already putting their work into practice. Through its “Beyond the Pitch” segment, DeepTech50 highlighted portfolio startups including Respirer Living Sciences, PadCare Labs, CareNX Innovations, and Canectar.
At the venue entrance, Respirer’s air-quality monitoring indicators offered a tangible example of deep tech at work. At an event focused on technologies seeking investment and scale, a solution addressing an everyday environmental concern was already present in the surrounding space. It was a reminder that deep technology is not only about what might one day be possible, but also about solutions steadily finding their way into the world.
The founders’ reflections offered a glimpse of what the day meant beyond the pitches. Gudlyf Mobility, developing indigenous hydrogen-storage solutions using Type IV composite cylinder technology, valued the opportunity to connect with innovators and investors, exchange ideas, and explore collaborations in clean mobility.
For Hydrovert Energy, which is working on hydrogen fuel cells that replace diesel engines with clean, zero-emission power, the gathering was also a chance to learn from founders tackling equally complex challenges across sectors. Its reflection captured the nature of the journey ahead: “Deeptech takes patience. From lab to product to market, the road is long, and it helps to be in a room with people who get that.”
Together, these perspectives underline the value of bringing founders and investors into a shared conversation—one that recognizes both the promise of emerging technologies and the work required to take them further.
Connections That Continue
Organized by Venture Center through the Leap Global Accelerator and IRP, with support from DST–NIDHI, BFI, and Kotak Alternate Asset Managers, DeepTech50 is envisioned as a recurring biennial flagship.
Its value will ultimately be measured by the relationships that endure beyond the event: investor conversations that deepen, collaborations that take shape, and ventures that move closer to bringing their technologies to market.
DeepTech50 brought 50 ventures and a roomful of investors together. The next step is to carry that interest forward—from the promise of a technology to the difference it can make.