D. E. Shaw India

IITs have been incubating student-led startups for a long time now. This largely meant helping their student (and/or professor) founders with lab space, faculty access, or in some cases, a little bit of grant money. If you compare it with other top global institutions, the picture is very different. For example, look at Stanford, it has benefited from early-stage equity gains from companies like Google, which has further helped the university expand support for student- and professor-led startups. It is quite encouraging to see that IIT Bombay, IIT Madras, and IISc are now launching their own venture funds, putting real money into deeptech startups born on their campuses. - IIT Madras: a ₹600 cr fund. - IIT Bombay: a ₹250 cr early-stage fund. - IISc: a $25M fund in the works. You may ask why now? The answer lies in the timing of the payoff. Deeptech, chips, defence, and spacetech can take nearly a decade to make real money. Most VCs show up too late. The institutes are already there on day one, so they're the natural first cheque. But here's the part I find most interesting: the alumni networks of these colleges clearly see value in startups built on these campuses. See, grants are a token amount at best, which is rarely enough for a business to grow meaningfully. And VCs only enter once they see measurable, quantifiable traction. So the problem is that most university-incubated startups die before they become "VC eligible" and the reason, ironically, is lack of capital in the first place. I hope you can see the loop here. Deeptech startups need money → grant money is a good start but not enough → startups need runway to test the business hypothesis (build a prototype, run beta tests, hit some scale) → But..you need capital to build that runway → result? The startup stays too small or too early for big money, and eventually shuts shop. This is where these venture funds break the cycle. India's best institutes finally want a seat at the cap table. It's a classic "putting your money where your mouth is" signal (always a welcome one at that). It gives campus startups a real shot at becoming more than just a flashy resume line. 😄

What if your daily office commute could offer more than just getting from point A to B? → A space for networking → A space for informal conversations → A space to exchange ideas beyond your workplace Introducing Cabzee, designed for professionals who value both time and the people they spend it with. In a world where commutes are often exhausting, unpredictable, and isolating, Cabzee brings a shift: • Fixed, predictable pricing no surge, no last-minute surprises • Premium, comfortable rides tailored for daily office travel • A curated environment with like-minded professionals • Door-to-door convenience that respects your schedule Because the right environment doesn’t just make your commute better — it makes your day more productive, your network stronger, and your time more meaningful. Same route. Same mindset. Better journeys. If this resonates with your daily commute, you can share your details here: https://lnkd.in/gHEaENmH #Cabzee #SmarterCommute #CorporateLife #Networking #WorkLifeBalance #ProfessionalGrowth