IIT Madras Research Park, Unicorn India Ventures Announce Rs 600 Cr Deep Tech Fund Called 'IIT Madras Unicorn Frontier Fund I'

Chennai: Indian Institute of Technology Madras Research Park (IITMRP) is partnering with Unicorn India Ventures (UIV) to launch a Rs. Rs 600 crore deep tech fund called ‘IIT Madras Unicorn Frontier Fund I’.

An official release said that the fund will have Rs 400 crore ‘greenshoe option’, and target over 25 startups initially. "IITMRP and UIV will play an equal role in strategic portfolio construction with a significant portion of the companies to be sourced from IITM's larger ecosystem and balance from the wider Indian deep tech ecosystem," it said.

Prof V Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, made this landmark announcement during the Inauguration of Entrepreneurship Summit 2026 on the campus today. The Entrepreneurship Cell (E-Cell), IIT Madras, is hosting the 11th edition of its flagship annual event, from February 6 to 8.

E-Summit 2026 will host a series of high-impact events, that support start-ups from ideation to scale. It will feature on-the-spot investments from angel funds to Series A funds for participating founders/teams during PitchFest and Elevate.

Startup Expo, which will be held on February 7–8 is the largest start-up showcase in the southern region and will exhibit over 80 start-ups and their offerings to students, investors and industry leaders.

Additionally, E-Cell supported startups that includes 50 ventures that progressed from ideation to Minimum Viable Product (MVP) through E-Cell initiatives like Ideasprint and Bootcamp; 21 school start-ups nurtured by E-Cell through its E-21 initiative will also be showcased, the release stated.

The top five participating teams will get a chance to qualify for Ideabaaz Season 2. The Summit will facilitate incubation offers, accelerate early-stage innovation, market readiness and much more. The Highlights of ‘IIT Madras Unicorn Frontier Fund I’ include that average first cheque size would be Rs 8-10 crore, majority of the portfolio will be focused on early-stage deep tech companies that have reached TRL 3 – 4, 60% of the corpus will be used for building the portfolio and the balance will be reserved for follow-on rounds and the Fund will represent “patient capital” and is a 10+2-year Fund.

HIGHLIGHTS OF E-SUMMIT 2026

• PitchFest: A high-stakes pitching platform where India’s top startups present to leading angel investors, with winners gaining direct entry to Ideabaaz Season
• Elevate: A pan-India fundraising forum connecting scalable startups with mentors and investors to unlock series-round funding and market access.
• BootCamp: A six-week accelerator program that equips early-stage startups with mentorship, workshops, and peer learning to become incubation-ready.
• Startup Expo: The largest startup showcase in South India, featuring 100 startups exhibiting products to students, investors, and industry leaders on 7–8 February.
• ⁠Incubator Summit (I-Summit): An exclusive fast-track platform enabling startups to secure incubation offers directly from top incubators across India.
• Influencer Conclave: A dedicated platform bringing together content creators, solopreneurs, and freelancers through masterclasses, workshops, and networking.
• Content Creation Masterclass: Expert talks by top creators on building influence, personal brands, and scalable content careers.
• Education-21: An 8-week entrepreneurship program introducing school students to ideation, innovation, and product building.
• Entrepreneurship Development Drive: A nationwide initiative empowering student entrepreneurs across 200+ colleges, especially in tier-2 and tier-3 institutions.
• Startup Essential Workshops: Expert-led sessions on startup finance, marketing, and growth strategies delivered by founders, CEOs, and investors.
• Student Workshops: Foundational business workshops equipping students with practical skills in finance, analytics, and digital marketing.

Read More

1. IIT-Madras Unveils Bharat Cancer Genome Atlas To Tackle Rising Cases
2. IIT Madras & Daimler India Commercial Vehicles Ink Pact To Develop Universal Driver Rating System