First institutional anchor cheques at TRL 6+. 35+ portfolio companies. 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 backing our portfolio. When Keiretsu Chennai bets, the world follows.
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 12+ 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 at 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 35+ companies, and produced outcomes that include a ₹1,000 Cr+ valuation from a ₹16 Cr seed (Detect Technologies), a 60× multiple, and three companies backed by Accel Partners.
Capital is a commodity. The real edge Keiretsu delivers is the structured, hands-on involvement of our investor community — domain experts who mentor, open doors, 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.
India's first micro gas turbine — 100 kW compact generator for heavy vehicles and gensets. Higher efficiency, lower emissions.
Solar-powered cold storage for rural livelihoods. Off-grid DC refrigerators for food, vaccines, and rising farmer incomes.
RewardsPay + Konnect: loyalty, payments, and AR marketing for SMB restaurants. ₹240 Cr+ transactions, 150+ brands.
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.
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.
Simplifies employee healthcare benefits for India's largest companies — integrating financing, insurance, and care into one platform.
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+ CountriesYC-backed. D2C customer acquisition and conversion on WhatsApp and Instagram. Present across India, LATAM, SEA, and Europe.
India's first clean-label brand for swirl lollipops, candy canes, and marshmallows — global quality, healthier ingredients.
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.
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.
IoT solutions for real-time monitoring of post-harvest storage and logistics — reducing crop losses at scale.
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 evaluated and supported by people who've 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 the secretariat directly.