First institutional catalytic anchor capital, unlocking follow-on capital and government support. We invest at TRL 6+. 45+ portfolio companies. 120+ commercialised IPs. The "Design in India" thesis, built from Chennai, invested globally.
We anchor at TRL 6+, when the tech is proven but capital is hardest to find. The Valley of Death is our sweet spot.
Industrial AI, Robotics, Defense, MedTech. Our highest MOIC is in B2B Industrial, and we double down on what works.
55 chapters in 24 countries. When Keiretsu Chennai bets, other Keiretsu chapters follow.
Keiretsu Forum Chennai was established in February 2015, the first Keiretsu chapter on Indian soil. Over a decade, we've built a community of domain-expert investors who write anchor cheques into India's most ambitious Deep Tech startups.
Our thesis is simple: Design in India. We back founders building globally competitive technology, not just for the Indian market, but for the world. Our portfolio spans B2B Industrial AI, Mobility & EV, MedTech, Defense, and Impact. Companies we've backed today operate across 18+ countries and have raised over ₹500 Cr+ in follow-on capital.
We operate as Keiretsu Forum Chennai & Singapore, with deep roots at IIT Madras Research Park and growing reach across Southeast Asia.
Founded and based out of IIT Madras Research Park, Keiretsu Forum Chennai was born from a belief that India's Deep Tech ecosystem needed structured, peer-driven angel capital, not passive money, but active conviction from industry leaders who understand the technology they're backing.
Today we've crossed 130 forum sessions, backed 45+ companies, and produced outcomes that include a ₹1,000 Cr+ valuation from a ₹16 Cr seed (Detect Technologies), a 60x multiple, and three companies backed by Accel Partners.
In 2015 when we started, capital was a rarity. Today we believe capital is commoditised. The real edge Keiretsu delivers is the structured, hands-on involvement of our investor community, handpicked industrialists and domain experts who provide structured mentoring, open doors, GTM support, and co-create alongside founders at every stage.
Why B2B Industrial leads our returns: We backed deep-tech hardware and AI companies solving real operational pain in oil & gas, aerospace, underwater inspection, and manufacturing, sectors where switching costs are high and defensibility is structural.
Detect Technologies grew from ₹16 Cr to ₹1,000 Cr+ valuation, is present in 12 countries, and counts Shell Ventures and Naspers among follow-on backers. Planys closed a ₹100 Cr round backed by Ashish Kacholia. Fabheads, an ISRO supplier, is Accel-backed.
T-Pulse: AI + IoT for real-time industrial monitoring at Shell, Vedanta, and global majors. ₹16 Cr → ₹1,000 Cr+ valuation. Present in 12 countries. Backed by Shell Ventures and Naspers.
🌐 12 CountriesIndia's first compact ROVs for underwater inspection, dams, bridges, ports, oil & gas. AI-powered robotics. ₹100 Cr round backed by Ashish Kacholia.
Carbon fiber 3D printing (FibrBot series) for aerospace and clean energy. Accel-backed. ISRO supplier.
Cloud-based wireless access control for enterprises. $8M Series A led by Accel, third Keiretsu portfolio company to receive Accel backing.
Mobility is our second-strongest cohort. We backed the EV transition early, from battery swapping OS to electric retrofits and connected logistics fleets.
Fyn Mobility: Seed ₹5 Cr → ₹350 Cr+ valuation, operating 1,500+ vehicle fleet across India. Konwert India Motors is already exporting retrofit kits to Sri Lanka, expanding outside Bangalore. AutoNxt built the world's first electric autonomous tractor.
Connected EVs across 2-, 3-, and 4-wheeler segments for last-mile logistics and shared mobility. Seed ₹5 Cr → ₹350 Cr+ valuation. 1,500+ vehicle fleet.
Advanced retrofitting kits for autorickshaws with battery security and predictive maintenance. Kit-sale + battery-leasing model. Exporting to Sri Lanka.
🌐 Sri LankaWorld's first electric autonomous tractor, 6-hour runtime, 80 km range, reducing operating costs up to 4× vs conventional tractors.
OS for battery swapping in Tier-1 India, sachetising payments and converting Battery CAPEX into OPEX for EV owners.
Hybrid and electric drivetrain solutions for two- and three-wheelers, advancing efficiency and sustainability in urban mobility.
India's first micro gas turbine, 100 kW compact generator for heavy vehicles and gensets. Higher efficiency, lower emissions.
Our MedTech cohort started in rural India and is now global. These aren't app plays, they're regulated, hardware-deep devices with AIIMS, Apollo, AFMC, and ICMR validation behind them.
AI Health Highway started in rural Tamil Nadu and is now deployed in Nepal and Sri Lanka. Pragmatech (Cervicheck) has shipped units to Nigeria and won the Pfizer Indovation Award. These are companies building global healthcare infrastructure from India.
AI-powered smart stethoscopes for cardio-respiratory care, converting heart and lung sounds into visual waveforms for early detection. Deployed in Nepal and Sri Lanka.
🌐 Nepal · Sri LankaCervicheck, self-sampling kit for cervical cancer screening. Partnered with Adyar Cancer Institute. Shipped units to Nigeria. Pfizer Indovation Award winner.
🌐 NigeriaWorld's first smartphone-integrated digital microscope for clinical and research applications. Remote access, high-resolution imaging.
World's lightest surgical helmet, protecting hip and knee replacement surgeons from blood splashes, bone debris, and cautery smoke.
Fitknees, sensor-based knee injury monitoring validated through clinical trials. Fitmust muscle strength dynamometer for rehabilitation.
BusinessOnBot is YC-backed, operating across India, LATAM, SEA, and Europe. peAR Tech powers loyalty and payments for 150+ restaurant brands with 240 Cr+ in transactions.
YC-backed. D2C customer acquisition and conversion on WhatsApp and Instagram. Present across India, LATAM, SEA, and Europe.
RewardsPay + Konnect: loyalty, payments, and AR marketing for SMB restaurants. 240 Cr+ transactions, 150+ brands.
Devi Dayal / DD Solar serves rural India with off-grid solar DC refrigeration. Renkube builds next-gen solar technology improving energy yield. Impensus provides IoT monitoring for energy-intensive post-harvest storage.
Solar-powered cold storage for rural livelihoods. Off-grid DC refrigerators for food, vaccines, and rising farmer incomes.
Next-generation solar panel technology improving energy yield and efficiency, enabling higher output from the same footprint.
IoT solutions for real-time monitoring of energy-intensive post-harvest storage and logistics, reducing energy and crop losses at scale.
Muse Wearables built Ring One, the world's first smart ring with cuff-less BP measurement, present in 40+ countries. Founded by KLN Sai Prasanth, this is a truly global consumer hardware play designed and manufactured in India.
Ring One, world's first smart ring with cuff-less BP measurement, multi-vital health tracking, and tap-to-pay. Present in 40+ countries.
40+ CountriesIndia's first clean-label brand for swirl lollipops, candy canes, and marshmallows, global quality, healthier ingredients.
Millet-based healthy food products bringing nutritious, traditional grains to modern Indian consumers in convenient formats.
Our EdTech cohort covers the full learning stack from K-12 STEM to live expert-led sessions. Kruu brings global university experts into project-based live sessions. Rhapsody and Srjna focus on K-12 innovation.
Live, project-based learning experiences led by global university experts.
High-quality K-12 learning platform focused on creative and holistic education.
AI-powered personalised learning platform adapting curriculum to individual pace and style.
High-quality K-12 education made simple, affordable, and engaging.
AI-driven upskilling under $500. Empowers youth with job-ready skills and enables companies to hire faster.
India's agricultural sector is ripe for deep tech disruption. Our AgriTech cohort covers the full stack, from D2C farmer-to-consumer channels to IoT-powered cold chain logistics and bio-protection inputs.
Solar-powered irrigation solutions for Indian farmers, reducing energy costs and improving water access across rural agricultural communities.
Single-origin, chemical-free mangoes and value-added products, training farmers through market clusters across South India.
Herboliv+ protects crops from wild animals using botanical extracts, doubles as a bio-fertilizer and pest control.
We believe the best impact investments are also the best commercial bets. Our Impact cohort covers ESG compliance automation, rural digital services, and clean water, sectors where India's scale creates structural tailwinds.
AI-powered sustainability platform for ESG, carbon, energy, supply chain, and social impact with automated compliance.
Nationwide "Digital Runners" for doorstep verification, data collection, and customer engagement in rural and semi-urban India.
Our members are C-suite leaders, founders, and domain experts, not passive capital. Every deal is supported by people who have spent careers in the relevant industry. We do not publish member names; we let their professional profiles speak.
Our chapter meetings are where deals get made, structured sessions where startups present to curated accredited investors. The calendar below is live.
Founder seeking capital or a leader who wants to invest with purpose, this is where it starts.
Join a curated community of C-level professionals and domain specialists who back India's most ambitious Deep Tech founders.
Deep Tech founder at TRL 6 or beyond? We write first institutional anchor cheques. Apply and let's talk.
Partnerships, media, ecosystem collaborations, or any other enquiries, reach out to relevant operations person below directly.