30 investors, founders join Startup Policy Forum’s deeptech policy platform DeepVerse

The Startup Policy Forum (SPF), a non-profit industry alliance, has launched DeepVerse, its deeptech policy platform, with 30 investors, founders, technology companies and institutions joining the initiative as partners.

The platform will focus on policy and ecosystem challenges facing deeptech startups across 10 sectors — semiconductors, advanced manufacturing, spacetech, quantum technology, defence technology, biotech and healthtech, cleantech and energy, drones and aerospace, electric vehicles and robotics.

The 30 partners include venture capital firms such as Accel, Bessemer Venture Partners, Lightspeed, Speciale Invest, Iron Pillar, Endiya Partners and Stride Asset Management. Startups and technology companies such as Ather Energy, Airbound, Digantara, Yulu, River, Pronto, Intel and Meta are also part of the initiative.

"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," Startup Policy Forum president and CEO Shweta Rajpal Kohli has said.

DeepVerse will also have an 18-member advisory board comprising investors, founders, policymakers, academics and technology executives.

The board includes Accel India partner Prashanth Prakash, Avaana Capital founder Anjali Bansal, Bessemer Venture Partners partner Pankaj Mitra, Lightspeed partner Hemant Mohapatra and Speciale Invest partner Vishesh Rajaram.

Founders on the advisory board include Airbound's Naman Pushp, Ather Energy's Tarun Mehta, Skyroot Aerospace's Pawan Chandana and Digantara's Anirudh Sharma.

The government representation includes MeitY Startup Hub CEO Panneerselvam Madanagopal and Dr B Chagun Basha, chief policy adviser at the pffice of the principal scientific adviser to the Government of India.

DeepVerse will work on policy recommendations and ecosystem interventions around issues such as regulation, access to capital, talent and global expansion, SPF said.

The initiative builds on SPF's #100DesiDeepTechs programme, which was developed with MeitY Startup Hub, Startup India and IIT-Madras to identify deeptech startups and bring their concerns into policymaking.

DeepVerse is also expected to release a report outlining policy recommendations across its 10 focus sectors.

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