Bengaluru Deeptech Startups Secure ₹27 Crore
Three Bengaluru-based deeptech startups—Enerzi (clean hydrogen), Misochain (aerospace), and Quintrans (linear motion systems)—have secured a total of Rs 27 crore through the MaXcel program. The funding highlights growing investor interest in India's manufacturing and hard-tech sectors.
The MaXcel program is a manufacturing and hardware-focused accelerator launched by venture firm Capital-A and ecosystem platform SanchiConnect. It fast-tracks funding of ₹3-4 crore for early-stage startups with a minimum viable product or initial revenue, issuing term sheets within 30 days to bridge a funding gap for capital-intensive ventures. The three startups were selected from a pool of over 2,000 applicants. Enerzi, based in Belgaum, is developing a system to convert methane into clean hydrogen using microwave plasma reactors, which also yields a valuable solid carbon nanopowder co-product. This funding will help scale its manufacturing and build out its engineering and plasma science teams, accelerating its transition from pilot programs to commercial scale. The company was founded by Prakash Mugali and Kirankumar Hittalmani. Misochain, founded by former Honeywell Aerospace engineers Rama Kandula and Murali Krishnan, develops flight-critical aircraft components like air data probes and actuators, which are largely imported into India. The startup is one of the first in India to pursue the indigenous development of air data probes, a highly regulated segment with significant barriers to entry. The new capital is aimed at setting up a dedicated manufacturing facility and accelerating product certification. Quintrans, founded by four MIT Pune graduates, is building direct-drive electromagnetic linear motion systems to improve precision and reliability in robotics and industrial automation. With the new funds, the Pune-based company plans to establish an in-house manufacturing and testing facility, targeting an annual production of nearly 500,000 actuators by 2030 to compete with global OEMs. The lead investor, Capital-A, is a specialist venture fund focused on manufacturing and deeptech. Its second fund is a ₹400 crore vehicle focused on manufacturing, climate, and industrial technologies, and it has backed over 20 startups since its inception in 2021. This funding aligns with a broader trend of rising investment in India's deeptech sector, which saw a 37% year-over-year increase to $2.3 billion in 2025. While software has historically attracted the most capital, there is a growing focus on defensible, IP-driven hardware ventures, supported by government initiatives and a maturing ecosystem.
