Capital-A, a venture capital fund focused on India’s manufacturing and industrial technology sectors, has partnered with SanchiConnect to back three early-stage startups through the MaXcel accelerator platform. The selections follow a nationwide screening process that evaluated more than 2,000 applications from deeptech and manufacturing founders.
India is now home to over 3,000 deeptech startups and has attracted more than USD 10 billion in cumulative funding over the past decade, according to industry estimates by NASSCOM and Boston Consulting Group. However, much of this investment has flowed toward software-led and later-stage ventures, leaving capital-intensive manufacturing startups with limited early-stage support. Manufacturing currently contributes approximately 16–17 percent to India’s GDP, with policy targets aiming to increase this share to 25 percent.
The three startups selected under MaXcel are Enerzi, Misochain, and Quintrans. Enerzi is developing microwave plasma-based methane-to-hydrogen systems to enable lower-emission hydrogen production while generating engineered carbon co-products. Misochain is building indigenous flight-critical aerospace components, supported by in-house testing and certification capabilities to strengthen domestic aerospace supply chains. Quintrans is focused on direct-drive electromagnetic linear motion systems designed to enhance precision and reliability in industrial automation and robotics.
The startups were formally inducted during Maxcel Liftoff, a curated ecosystem event in Bengaluru attended by founders, investors, and industry leaders. MaXcel was created to address the structural funding challenges faced by early-stage manufacturing ventures operating in sectors such as energy transition, aerospace, industrial hardware, electronics, semiconductors, and advanced materials. These businesses often require extended development cycles, pilot deployments, and on-ground validation before achieving commercial scale.
To ensure deeper technical assessment beyond traditional pitch evaluations, Capital-A and SanchiConnect conducted roadshows across Bengaluru, Pune, Ahmedabad, Kochi, and Coimbatore. Founding teams were evaluated on engineering depth, deployment readiness, scalability, and commercial viability within operational manufacturing environments.
Ankit Kedia, Founder and Lead Investor at Capital-A, stated that the initiative is designed to provide patient capital and structured technical evaluation to founders addressing complex industrial challenges. Sunil K Shekhawat, Founder and CEO of SanchiConnect, noted that strengthening collaboration among researchers, founders, investors, and industry stakeholders is critical to scaling India’s deeptech ecosystem.
SanchiConnect is an early- to growth-stage B2B deeptech accelerator and ecosystem platform in India. It facilitates collaboration among startup founders, incubators, corporate customers, industry specialists, and institutional investors through its structured programs and community initiatives. Originating within a private equity ecosystem, SanchiConnect operates across the full lifecycle of emerging technology ventures, supporting the commercialization and scaling of advanced deeptech innovations across the country.
Capital-A is a venture capital fund dedicated exclusively to India’s manufacturing sector, with investments spanning hardware, deeptech, and climate technology startups. Established in 2021, the fund focuses on backing early-stage companies in advanced manufacturing that require long-term capital commitment and strategic support. It is currently investing through its ₹400 crore Fund II. Capital-A has supported more than 20 startups, including Leumas, Tan90, Agrileaf, and Manastu Space. Beyond capital, the firm partners closely with founders, providing operational expertise, access to industry networks, and sustained strategic guidance to enable scalable and resilient growth.
