Ankur Capital Funds (I, II, III) Grant
In context
This call is open to startups and small and medium-sized businesses, at idea and R&D stage, prototype and pilot stage and pre-seed. Funding is an equity investment. Coverage is read from the notice itself: India.
Ankur Capital operates three venture funds investing in early-stage deep science and technology companies across India, targeting breakthrough innovations in life sciences, clean energy, advanced materials, machine learning, food and agriculture, and semiconductors. The fund is designed for founders building transformative technology companies in these sectors.
About this grant
Ankur Capital is a venture capital firm investing in deep science and deep tech companies across life sciences, clean energy, advanced materials, and machine learning. The firm manages three funds over twelve years and has backed forty-plus portfolio companies. Ankur Capital backs founders addressing large market pain points with credible technical and commercial roadmaps to category leadership. The firm provides capital alongside operational support, technical expertise, and access to a network of entrepreneurs, scientists, investors, policymakers, and ecosystem partners. Beyond funding, Ankur Capital works alongside founders through every stage of company development, from product strategy refinement to key hiring, customer connections, and subsequent funding rounds. The firm has built ecosystem initiatives including ThinkAg (a platform transforming India's food and agriculture landscape) and the Deep Science Forum to connect portfolio companies and innovators solving hard problems through innovation.
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Eligibility
The page does not specify formal eligibility criteria by organization type, geography, or stage. However, Ankur Capital seeks founders with deep domain expertise, demonstrated hustle and resilience, and honest understanding of gaps in their knowledge. Applicants should be addressing a large enough pain point to build a big business, with a credible technical and commercial roadmap to category leadership. The firm indicates strongest introductions come through founders, researchers, or operators in their network, though they state they read all direct outreach.
How it's scored
Ankur Capital evaluates companies on three consistent dimensions: the market (whether the applicant addresses a large enough pain point and can build a big business in that space), the founders (deep domain expertise, hustle, resilience to build, and honesty about knowledge gaps), and the path (a credible technical and commercial roadmap to category leadership, not a hockey stick projection). The firm emphasizes that every company is different but these three questions remain constant in evaluation.
Key requirements
- ✓Deep science and technology focus with breakthrough potential
- ✓Operations or primary market in India
- ✓Active development in one of six core sectors: life sciences, clean energy, advanced materials, machine learning, food and agriculture, or semiconductors
Recent past awardees
Knowing who's won the last rounds tells you whether you're in the strike zone.
- Captain Fresh
- CraftifAI
- Offgrid Energy Labs
- Pranos
- StringBio
- Turiyam
- Vegrow
- Vimano
Funder contact
The notice names a programme contact you can speak to before applying.
Frequently asked questions
- How much funding does Ankur Capital offer?
- Ankur Capital Funds (I, II, III) offers $500K – $2M.
- Who can apply for Ankur Capital Funds (I, II, III)?
- Eligibility covers organisations in IN; startup, sme. See the eligibility criteria above for the full conditions.
Relevant sectors
How this compares
- Compared with 30 similar grants (renewables in India) listed in the last 12 months.
- The same organisation listed 2 other similar grants here in the last 12 months.
Closest open grants
Figures are computed from notices listed on Raise Lens in the same sector and country over the last 12 months.
About this sector
Renewable energy funding covers solar, wind, hydropower, geothermal and bioenergy, from early research to grid-scale deployment. Public money tends to back demonstration, grid connection and access to energy in emerging markets, while procurement notices buy installation, operation and maintenance. Calls often ask for proof of resource assessment, permitting progress and local partners.
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